WASHINGTON — U.S. employers posted nearly 7.6 million open jobs in January, near a record high set in November, evidence that businesses are still hungry for workers despite signs the economy has slowed. The Labor Department said Friday that hiring also rose and the number of people quitting their jobs...
Jobs Report: Wages Up, Unemployment Dips to 3.8%
WASHINGTON — Hiring tumbled in February, with U.S. employers adding just 20,000 jobs, the smallest monthly gain in nearly a year and a half. The slowdown in hiring, though, might have been depressed by harsh winter weather and the partial shutdown of the government. Last month's weak gain came after...
In GM Country, Workers Aren't Abandoning Trump
LORDSTOWN, Ohio — Since General Motors announced its decision this week to shut down its hulking Lordstown plant — the anchor of this northeast Ohio town — workers on the line have had nothing but questions. Will they have jobs come spring? Should they put in for transfers and move...
What Should Fresno Be Thankful For? Let’s Start With 5.3% Unemployment.
One of the best things about Thanksgiving is that it prompts us to look to the bright side and count our blessings. Aside from my familial blessings, the thing I'm most thankful for is the turnaround in Fresno's economic trajectory. The city's unemployment rate in October was 5.3%. Ten years ago,...
Wages Surge as US Adds a Robust 250,000 Jobs in October
WASHINGTON — U.S. businesses ramped up hiring in October, and wages rose by the largest year-over-year amount in nearly a decade, a combination that is pulling a rising share of Americans into the job market. In the final major economic report before Tuesday's congressional elections, the government said Friday that...
US Unemployment Rate Is Lowest Since 1969 at 3.7%
WASHINGTON — The U.S. unemployment rate fell to 3.7 percent in September — the lowest level since December 1969 — signaling how the longest streak of hiring on record has put millions of Americans back to work. Employers added just 134,000 jobs last month, the fewest in a year, the...
U.S. Employers Add 157,000 Jobs, Jobless Rate Is 3.9%
WASHINGTON — U.S. employers slowed their hiring in July, adding 157,000 jobs, a solid gain but below the healthy pace in the first half of this year. The unemployment rate ticked down to 3.9 percent from 4 percent, the Labor Department said Friday. That's near an 18-year low of 3.8...
More Americans Quit Their Jobs. Why That's a Good Thing.
WASHINGTON — The proportion of American workers that quit their jobs in May reached the highest level in 17 years, a sign that more people are confident they can find a new job, likely at higher pay. Businesses also advertised fewer jobs in May than the previous month, but the...
Mayor Lee Brand's 2018 State of the City Address
Fresno Mayor Lee Brand gave his 2018 State of the City address on June 20 at the Fresno Convention Center. The luncheon event is organized annually by the Fresno Chamber of Commerce. Brand talked about a variety of issues including water, homelessness, public safety, fiscal challenges and economic development. You...
Business-Friendly Fresno Is a Must. Not An Option
There is spin. There is illusionary anecdotal information. And there are the unvarnished numbers. The unvarnished numbers say that Fresno is the eighth-worst city in America (out of 182) to look for a job. WalletHub assembled the rankings based on 26 indicators of job-market strength. Local job-market conditions accounted for...