April marks the fourth straight month of job declines in the U.S., but the losses are moderate,
and there were some big gains in certain sectors.
While it's still annoying to see economists and politicians debate whether the economy
is in a recession, the hard news we can all relate to is the strength of the job market.
The good news is that the job market may be a bit stronger than originally thought;
the bad news is that there are still some big job losses/layoffs taking place.
The net loss in jobs was 20,000 in April, according to a report from the Labor
Department -- much lower than 75,000+ that many experts had been predicting.
Not surprisingly, construction jobs were the hardest hit -- with 61,000 jobs cut in April.
Factory jobs fell by 46,000 -- with the highest concentration of losses in the
production of durable goods. Retailers cut 27,000 jobs.
On the positive side, service-producing employers added 90,000 jobs in April --
with the strongest growth seen in healthcare, professional services, and leisure and hospitality.
Temporary help jobs increased by 39,000 as employers unsure of the future hire
short-term staff rather than full-time workers. (Is temping for you? Learn more about
temping and temping-to-permanent positions in this section of Quintessential Careers:
Temping Tools, Advice, Strategies, and Resources.)
Interestingly, the unemployment rate dipped to 5.0 percent in April, from 5.1 percent
in March. Most experts had expected the rate to increase to 5.2 percent.
Job-seekers can still find jobs in this economy -- but it will be easier in
certain occupations and industries, and it will take longer on average than ever
before as employers make certain they can afford to hire -- and make certain they
hire the correct person for the job.
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