Less Hiring, Less Quitting, Few Layoffs

Less Hiring, Less Quitting, Few Layoffs Wall Street Journal January 4, 2024 U.S. job openings in November fell to the lowest level in more than 2½ years, underscoring the labor market's gradual slowdown from the frenzied pace of hiring and quitting that marked an earlier phase of the pandemic recovery. Job openings slipped to 8.8Read More

How Big Companies Choose Who Is Laid Off

Process can involve weeks of debate as employee performance, skill sets are reviewed By Chip Cutter, Wall Street Journal Soon after a company decides to cut its head count, the debate begins: Who should go? In the current economic environment, a final decision can take weeks, according to executives and corporate advisers. Workers remain inRead More

Head-Scratching Job Gains in January: Labor Market Remains Hot

February 3, 2023 | Author: Mallory Vachon, Ph.D., Sr. Economist The economy added an unexpected 517,000 jobs in January, completely smashing economists’ expectations of 187,000. January’s job gains are puzzling given the headlines and expectations of a slowdown in hiring. Not only is this well-above recent months’ job gains, but it’s the highest since JulyRead More

US Private Hiring Slows in May Amid Worker Shortage

June 2, 2022 Payroll services firm ADP's data could foreshadow weaker hiring last month in the U.S. economy. Agence France-Presse U.S. businesses slowed hiring in May, amid an ongoing struggle to find workers and high inflation, according to an industry survey Thursday. Payroll services firm ADP said private employment rose by 128,000 positions last month,Read More

Lockdown States Drag Down Overburdened Labor Market

By Petr Svab   April 6, 2022 Updated: April 6, 2022 Print News Analysis States that instituted more severe COVID-19 lockdowns have put a drag on recovery in a labor market desperate for hires. With the onset of the pandemic in 2020, millions of Americans left or were forced out of the labor pool due to fear of theRead More

US unemployment claims fall to 376,000, sixth straight drop

By PAUL WISEMANJune 11, 2021 WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell for the sixth straight week as the U.S. economy, held back for months by the coronavirus pandemic, reopens rapidly. Jobless claims fell by 9,000 to 376,000 from 385,000 the week before, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The numberRead More

Weekly jobless claims higher than expected despite signs of labor market improvement

PUBLISHED THU, APR 1 20218:30 AM Jeff Cox@JEFF.COX.7528@JEFFCOXCNBCCOM First-time claims for jobless benefits were higher than expected last week, with 719,000 more workers heading to the unemployment line, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The total compared with the 675,000 estimate from Dow Jones and was above last week’s downwardly revised 658,000. While the number ofRead More

Survey: 88% of Manufacturers Optimistic about 2021

The National Association of Manufacturers’ quarterly record of manufacturer optimism hit its highest point in two years. IW Staff MAR 09, 2021 Most U.S. manufacturers see clear skies ahead, according to a new survey released by the National Association of Manufacturers. A majority, 87.6% of 450 respondents, of small, medium and large businesses reported feelingRead More

Manufacturing in February: Rapid Growth Checked by Supply Hurdles

According to the ISM, U.S. industry is still bedeviled by supply inconsistencies despite growing production and demand. Data from the Institute for Supply Management show that the manufacturing sector grew in February at a faster rate than it had in January. The ISM’s Purchasing Manager’s Index hit 60.8, 2.1 points higher than January’s 58.7. ARead More