There are now more job openings in America than Americans looking for jobs.
The Wall Street Journal reported on June 5, that in spring 2018, the U.S. economy reached this unique milestone — the first time since the Labor Department began tracking the statistic in 2000.
At the end of April there were 6.7 million job openings, a “record high,” the Journal reported, compared to 6.3 million unemployment Americans that month. The number of jobs began to overtake the number of job seekers in March.
ABC World News Tonight, CBS Evening News and NBC Nightly News did not mention that news about the “historically tight labor market” on June 5 (the day the Journal reported the news).
The Journal wrote that the tight market is “forcing employers to rethink their approach to hiring” and was “good news” for workers. Employers are adopting strategies such as offering higher wages, greater flexibility or less stringent requirements for hiring.
However, the Journal warned that the Federal Reserve is closely watching for signs of inflation and worker shortages, but that “for now, the market is opening up possibilities for those who have struggled in recent years.” The Journal found 26-year-old Geremy Mincey who had held multiple temporary jobs in recent years and was often without work for months. Early this year he began a temporary job as a saw operator and was asked in May to become a full-time employee.
“I feel like I broke the cycle,” Mincey told the Journal.
Now that’s good news. Just don’t look for it on the broadcast networks.
