WASHINGTON — U.S. job openings fell 1.7% in August and hires edged down, bolstering views that the labor market may lose momentum as economic uncertainty and a manufacturing recession squeeze employers. The Labor Department says employers advertised 7.1 million available jobs in August, down from 7.2 million available jobs in...
US Adds 136K Jobs, Unemployment Dips to 5-Decade Low
WASHINGTON — The U.S. economy added a modest 136,000 jobs in September, a gain that managed to help lower the unemployment rate to a new five-decade low of 3.5% but also suggested rising caution among employers. The additional hiring and the drop in the jobless rate will likely ease worries...
Trump Administration Issues Less-Generous Overtime Rule
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has issued a rule that will make overtime pay available to 1.3 million additional workers, though the proposal replaces a more generous one advanced by former President Barack Obama. The Labor Department said Tuesday that it is raising the salary level that companies will have...
US Hiring Slow but Steady Amid Trade War and Global Weakness
WASHINGTON — U.S. employers added a modest 130,000 jobs in August, a sign that hiring has slowed but remains durable in the face of global economic weakness and President Donald Trump's trade war with China. The unemployment rate remained 3.7% for a third straight month, the Labor Department said Friday, near the...
US Worker Annual Compensation Slows Slightly Through June
WASHINGTON — The annual wages and benefits for U.S. workers rose in the second quarter at a slightly slower pace than the first, suggesting that the lowest unemployment levels in a half century have not triggered rapid gains in worker compensation. The Labor Department reported Wednesday that pay and benefits...
US Job Openings Rise, Outnumber the Unemployed by 1 Million
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...
Number of Federal Workers Seeking US Jobless Aid Doubles
WASHINGTON — The number of furloughed federal employees seeking unemployment benefits jumped in the first two weeks of the shutdown, topping 10,000 during the week of Jan. 5. The Labor Department said Thursday that is double the number of federal workers who sought aid in the previous week. Typically fewer...
US Employers Went on a Hiring Spree in December: 312K Jobs
WASHINGTON — U.S. employers dramatically stepped up hiring in December, adding 312,000 jobs in an encouraging display of strength for an economy in the midst of a trade war, slowing global growth and a partial government shutdown. The Labor Department said Friday that the unemployment rate rose slightly to 3.9...
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...