Job Openings Rise, But Market Remains Tough for Seekers
The Economic Policy Institute analyzes some employment statistics released yesterday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, showing that job openings were up by 352,000 in February. That may sound like a strong improvement, and it was indeed the biggest monthly increase in more than six years, writes Heidi Shierholz. But job openings are still a full 32 percent below their 2007 mark.
Shierholz also notes that February was the 26th month in which the “job-seekers ratio”—the ratio of unemployed workers to job openings—was more than 4-to-1. February’s 4.4-to-1 ratio was an improvement over January, when the ratio was 5.1-to-1. But with those kinds of odds, it’s no wonder that sidelined workers are taking their time re-entering the job market.
Read Shierholz’s full article here. Here’s the full BLS release.
