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Surveys of employers, households paint 2 pictures of the job market

Jan 7, 2022
Despite a disappointing jobs report, the news is still pretty good.
Fewer jobs than expected were added to December payrolls. That can be partly explained by the difficulty in hiring workers these days.
Joe Raedle via Getty Images

When it comes to the booming job market, not all states are created equal

Jan 5, 2022
States that weren't hit as hard by the pandemic slowdown have already mostly recovered.
States that rely on tourism, like Hawaii, were among the hardest hit economically by COVID-19 but have had strong rebounds. Above, beachgoers in Honolulu.
Eugene Tanner/AFP via Getty Images

What job trends will the new year bring?

Dec 30, 2021
The economy is growing and employers are still looking for workers, and that trend will probably continue for awhile.
The U.S. economy added 528,000 jobs in July, according to the latest jobs report, far outpacing expectations.
Joe Raedle via Getty Images

Are workers better off in a "workers economy"?

Dec 16, 2021
Many workers are quitting their jobs during the pandemic, but are they improving their financial situations after they leave?
About 4.2 million workers quit their jobs in October, according to the latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary.
Fiona Goodall via Getty Images

Holiday cheer: Jobless claims hit Beatles-era low

Dec 16, 2021
The hot jobs market is giving employees leverage over employers.
The current labor crunch means fewer layoffs and rising wages.
Spencer Platt via Getty Images

New unemployment claims drop to a 50-year low

Nov 24, 2021
While there are constraints on labor supply, we're seeing signs that some of them are easing, one economist says.
Though this week's first-time jobless claims are a historic low, the economic recovery is still volatile. Above, people line up to attend a Los Angeles job fair.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

The economy is adding more jobs than reports first reflect

Nov 18, 2021
Other employment numbers have been subject to a lot of revision as well.
Many employment statistics and reports have been revised, pointing to difficulties in understanding real-time labor conditions amid the pandemic. Above, a pedestrian walks past a "help wanted" sign.
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images

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In labor crunch, businesses back efforts to clear workers' criminal records

Oct 22, 2021
“Clean slate” laws call for updating court databases and creating algorithms to automatically clear records for minor offenses.
Many officials and activists are trying to modernize the record-clearing process for people with criminal records and ease their path to employment.
Joe Raedle via Getty Images

While still a long way from pre-pandemic days, the job market's making progress

Oct 14, 2021
The number of new jobless claims filed last week was the lowest since March of 2020.
A "Now Hiring" sign is posted in the window of a San Francisco FedEx store on Sep. 16. Last week was the first week with fewer than 300,000 initial unemployment claims since March 14, 2020.
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images

The Great Resignation continues in the U.S. workforce

Oct 12, 2021
A record 4.3 million people quit their jobs in August, according to the latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Women walk past by a "Now Hiring" sign in Arlington, Virginia, on Aug. 16. The most recent JOLTS report shows a high number of people leaving the workforce across multiple sectors.
Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images