Opportunity Knocks Job openings nearly matched the number of job seekers in March.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/opportunity-knocks-1525821046
It seems only yesterday the press was writing that in the near future many people would have to seek jobs as software coders. Not to knock coding, but how much more interesting a stronger economy looks today.
The Labor Department said Tuesday that the U.S. economy has arrived at this remarkable juncture: There were 6.59 million unemployed Americans in March, and the number of jobs waiting to be filled that month was 6.55 million. That is, there are almost as many job openings as job seekers, a near match not seen for many years.
The reality is more complicated but still encouraging. A primary reason for unfilled jobs remains the problem of people with deficient or inappropriate skills. We know about the manufacturers who need welders and other skilled craftsmen. But the greatest job growth in March came in business services, with 193,000 openings. Many of these employers are looking for people with presentation skills or the ability to navigate a spreadsheet.
Increasingly, employers say that if a person is halfway presentable, they will provide the training, though that is expensive. Ultimately, these skills deficiencies reflect poorly on America’s schools, which often fail to graduate students who can read or write.
The good news is the dynamism reflected in the Labor report. Restaurants are looking for workers in part because their employees are leaving for better jobs. Unemployment among low-skilled workers is at historic lows. The current economy is creating that most basic need: opportunity.
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