Job Openings And Hiring Rate Fall In April, Labor Department Finds

WASHINGTON (Pedro Nicolaci da Costa) - Job openings were harder to come by in April as private-sector hiring ebbed, more evidence that the labor market is precarious, Labor Department data showed on Tuesday.

There were 3.97 million open positions in April, down from 4.07 million in March, according to the government's Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). The hiring rate dipped to 3.0 percent from 3.1 percent.

Private-sector hires slipped to 3.71 million from 3.81 million, and the rate eased to 3.4 percent from 3.5 percent.

The level of total hires has risen from a trough of 3.6 million in October 2009 but remains well below the 5.0 million that prevailed before the economy entered a prolonged recession at the end of 2007.

Data last week showed the economy added a disappointing 54,000 new jobs in May and the unemployment rate rose to 9.1 percent, sparking worries the recovery might be faltering.

The JOLTS figures encompass employment data from about 16,000 establishments across the country.

(Editing by Kenneth Barry)

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.

Comments

[WhereSheStops]

06:46 PM on 06/08/2011

When are Democrat business owners going to start hiring?

I understand why Republican business owners wouldn't want to risk their capital in the face of the economic uncertainty.

But wouldn't Democrats want to prove their president right? Wouldn't they want to put their money where his mouth is?

If not, then it isn't the selfish Republican business owners' fault like so many people want to pretend it is.

[oilfield]

02:51 PM on 06/09/2011

they do things like seiu supporting obamacare and then getting an exemption....no logic on the left.

[MiddleMolly]

07:06 PM on 06/09/2011

Surely someone who seems as knowledgeable as you knows that the waivers are temporary one-year-at-a-time waivers?

[MiddleMolly]

07:08 PM on 06/09/2011

Why would any business hire unless they perceive a demand for their product or service.. or they perceive a demand for a product or service they are considering?

With so many out of work, and so many still recovering from the recession, demand is still very slow.

Businesses who perceive an increase in demand, or who have a new product or service, are hiring.

[WhereSheStops]

07:50 PM on 06/09/2011

Okaaaay. Not sure how that relates to my point. Obviously not enough Democrats are hiring to make a difference. Obama's initiatives are piddling and meaningless and it's not a partisan or selfish thing which makes businesses sit on their money. The pros are simply outweighed by the cons when it comes to the decision to take the plunge in this economy.

A little waiver here, a little teeny tax break there, more regulations coming as obamacare is implemented. There's sand in the gears of the engine of the economy.

[butterfly218]

02:39 PM on 06/08/2011

What happened in Japan effected a lot of jobs here . There is more than one reason for the slow down but we know the next quarter will be a lot better . The president is in charge and doing a good job .

[MiddleMolly]

07:09 PM on 06/09/2011

Yes, this is true.

And, in unadjusted terms, we did add 680,000 new jobs last month. In number of jobs added, we are in the range of 2005 or 2006.

Spring job growth not that bad:

http://mollysmiddleamerica.blogspot.com/2011/06/spring-job-growth-not-that-bad.html

[TJustice]

02:47 PM on 06/07/2011

Tie job creation to business tax breaks and profits....close loop holes and install a flat tax with little to no deductions.

Who really pays taxes?

Oh, I forgot people who pay payroll taxes and make under 100K!

http://motherjones.com/mojo/2010/04/who-pays-taxes

[oilfield]

05:14 PM on 06/07/2011

everyone pays payroll taxes up to 108k or so. a job (labor) is 100% deductible against profits so what do you give an extra 3000.00 per job off of your federal taxes? the problem is the govt doesnt ever do that without 100 strings attached. businesses spend money, flat corporate tax between 15-20%....

[MiddleMolly]

07:11 PM on 06/09/2011

?? Are you talking about small businesses that are set up as Sub-S corps?

[MiddleMolly]

07:10 PM on 06/09/2011

Flat taxes tend to be terribly regressive. They fall most heavily on the people who need to spend most of their income on basics.

[Arts4u]

02:10 PM on 06/07/2011

The jobs market has not been in a recovery for a LONG TIME - Since September 11th. Wake up politicians - you already messed up in the 2000's - don't make the same mistakes.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2010/01/01/GR2010010101478.html

[MiddleMolly]

07:12 PM on 06/09/2011

Yep.. In numbers, our job growth this spring is on a par with job growth in spring 2005 and 2006. But those numbers are paltry compared to some of the springs in the 1990's.

[kemcha]

01:51 PM on 06/07/2011

It's become so ridiculous that Congress no longer cares about the unemployed.

When Michigan U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow introduced SB 3706, she knew that the bill wouldn't go anywhere but it did manage to cause the unemployed to stop protesting against Congress and placate the American People who were calling for a Tier 5 for unemployment.

Now, U.S. Representative Barbara Lee has done the same thing and this is what the problem is with our government. Every single one of them is a multi millionaire with the most well know Nancy Pelosi having $50 million dollars in personal wealth.

Not only is it offensive but Congress simply doesn't care about creating jobs or extending unemployment because they are not affected by it. The only time they care about the issue is when it's time to get re-elected.

Our government has simply failed us and we cannot afford to wait until the 20123 elections. Like James Carville, who is a Democratic strategist, said recently, the United States is going to experience a revolt soon if Washington doesn't do something about job creation, unemployment and the economy. The 99ers have simply been forgotten by Congress and it's only going to get worse.

If the United States thinks that the revolts that have happened in Libya, Egypt and the European Union are any indication, we're headed for a fall of epic proportions.

[mrsm00the]

02:05 PM on 06/07/2011

The Government doesn't make anything. What jobs (other than do nothing jobs) can it create? Take a look at the figure for the Current National Debt. The Government, on your behalf, already squandered $14.4 trillion. It doesn't have anymore money to spend.

[kemcha]

02:11 PM on 06/07/2011

I'm so sick of hearing that excuse. Congress has the ability to pass bills to spur economic activity. Have you ever heard of passing unemployment extensions so unemployed Americans can spend that money into the local economies which in turn help create jobs?

Whenever Congress passes unemployment benefits, it helps local economies and when more money is flowing, those business create more jobs.

When you have 12 million unemployed Americans (only around 3 million are actually collecting unemployment benefits) and they have no job and they weren't included in that most recent unemployment extension, then those 12 million Americans are not spending money in the economy, they are depressed and aren't looking for work because they have no money to go out and look for work ...

What do you think is happening? There are more and more reports of Americans committing suicide and that's what Republicans are counting on. But, I think we're going to see the American People revolt before this year is over.

[olephart]

02:39 PM on 06/07/2011

93% of the debt incurred since the advent of Reaganomics. Reducing revenue (from the wealthy) is not squandering money it's Republican borrow and spend. They borrow and send the bill to you.

[oilfield]

05:16 PM on 06/07/2011

the govt needs to move out of the way to create jobs...get some of the regulations out of the way...one of the largest is building codes for renovating old buildings.....most folks dont have the money to rehab a building and have to lease...

[Trepasky]

01:49 PM on 06/08/2011

Jobs are created when there is a demand for products and services.
Consumers are saving and paying down debt.

We can do all the deregulation and tax cuts possible and the consumers will continue to save and pay down debt.

The consumers need money to spend and so far the GOP is insisting they pay more for services.

[Kenz300]

01:30 PM on 06/07/2011

It is time for all those American corporations that the Republicans are giving tax breaks to bring some jobs back home. It is time to stop the outsourcing of jobs and employ people in the US.
American business no longer has a stake in the American community.

[oilfield]

05:16 PM on 06/07/2011

its arguable that they are able to pay more taxes by off-shoring jobs.

[gmb007]

01:19 PM on 06/08/2011

BULL ####.

[nobodysgirl]

01:12 PM on 06/07/2011

Yup, sitting on over a trillion dollars, waiting....for what?

So the president can be blamed for the poor job outlook - that's why repugs haven't focused on job creation or their campaign promises.

Just the kind of folks we need as our elected reps, right?