Wanted: “Now Hiring” signs… The once sizzling labor market is coming back to room temp. US job openings slid to their lowest level since “WandaVision'' was still airing (32 months ago), fresh Labor Department data showed. November’s 8.8M openings are still better than prepandemic #s, but well below 2022’s record of 12M — another sign workers have lost some leverage in the labor tug-of-war.
Refreshing the InMail: Job postings are down, too, finishing last year 15% lower than 2022, Indeed said. With fewer listings, it’s getting harder to find a new gig before severance runs out. Continuing unemployment claims rose 15% YoY.
Still recovering: The US added 2.7M jobs last year — 40% more than in 2019. But a majority of those roles were in-person jobs in industries still trying to recover from the pandemic (think: food service, childcare).
Stay for pay: Real wages are higher than they were prepandemic, on average, and overall wage growth outpaced inflation for most of last year, though it’s been slowing.
Not to pile on, but… it’s layoffs season. Job cuts tend to spike in December and January as companies reorg for the year ahead. This week Xerox said it would lay off 15% of its staff (3K+ workers), and digital media companies like Cheddar and The Messenger are also cutting jobs. Last year saw 305K+ layoffs, with industries like tech and media hit especially hard.
The Big Stay ain’t leavin’... With fewer off-ramps, workers have been cozying up to the Google Meets they know vs. the LinkedIn search they don’t. Quits ticked down to a 33-month low after holding steady for four straight months — and that’s in spite of job satisfaction falling 10% last year to early-2020 levels.