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Even after a good jobs report, potholes remain on road to economic recovery

Jul 2, 2021
The good news? The U.S. economy created 850,000 jobs in June. The bad news? There are still 7 million fewer jobs than before the pandemic.
The number of jobs created has risen steeply over the past few months, but employers may not find workers as easy to attract as in the past.
Joe Raedle / Getty Images

Real-time proof the job market is recovering

Apr 30, 2021
But it could take more than a year to get back to pre-pandemic levels.
Job postings are strongest in sectors like driving, construction and warehousing.
Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images

China to count bloggers and gamers as "employed" during pandemic

Aug 12, 2020
The news has fueled a perception that officials are out to inflate employment figures for a record 8.7 million graduates potentially entering a worsening jobs market.
Students at a job fair in Shanghai. An estimated 8.7 million graduates could enter the workforce this year during the pandemic.
Charles Zhang/Marketplace

Jobless claims, now at 33 million, likely undercount people who aren't working due to COVID-19

May 7, 2020
Some people haven't applied for unemployment because they don't think they qualify, and others can't get through the application process.
A person fills out an unemployment benefits application. The addition of $600 a week has enabled many Americans to keep spending and support businesses.
Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

4 things to know about monthly jobs numbers

Oct 3, 2019
The report tracks how many jobs are created and what the unemployment rate is, among other things.
Farm workers harvesting parsley in Colorado in 2011.
John Moore/Getty Images

Job creation revised down by 500,000

Aug 23, 2019
Bureau of Labor Statistics annual benchmark revisions find job creation was weaker than originally reported last year.
A "now hiring" sign is posted on a table during a career fair for veterans in San Francisco, California.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

U.S. adds a solid 164,000 jobs; unemployment rate stays 3.7%

Aug 2, 2019
U.S. employers slowed their hiring in July but still added a solid 164,000 jobs to an economy that appears poised to extend its decade-long expansion.
Drew Angerer/Getty Images

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Companies lay off workers even in the best economic times

Aug 1, 2019
The unemployment rate is hovering around a 50-year low, but some companies are still shedding jobs.
Scott Barbour/Getty Images

Why aren't more Americans working or looking for work?

Jul 10, 2019
Labor force participation in the U.S. is said to be lower than that of comparable economies. There are a couple of factors at play.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

U.S. adds solid 224,000 jobs; Fed rate cut may be less certain

Jul 5, 2019
June’s solid job growth followed a tepid gain of 72,000 jobs in May, a result that had fueled concerns about the economy.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images