WASHINGTON — Companies posted more open jobs in January while layoffs decreased as the economy heals slowly from the pandemic.
There were 6.9 million jobs available on the last day in January, up from 6.7 million in December, the Labor Department said Thursday. That suggests employers are getting ready to hire in the coming months.
Hiring actually began to pick up in February, according to last Friday’s jobs report, which showed that employers added 379,000 jobs, the most since October, while the unemployment rate fell to 6.2%, from 6.3%. While the economy still has 9.5 million fewer jobs than before the pandemic, February’s job gain was much higher than January’s and came after a sharp job loss in December, suggesting the economy, after stalling out late last year, is mending.
Thursday’s report tracks gross job gains and losses, while last week’s figure is a net change in total jobs. The data released Thursday also showed that layoffs fell to just under 1.7 million in January, the same pace of job cuts that was occurring before the pandemic.
Those data contrast with the number of people seeking unemployment benefits, which fell last week but remain at a very elevated level of 712,000, according to a separate report Thursday. That suggests an unusually high number of Americans are still losing jobs. The figures may vary for several reasons. The government has broadened the eligibility for unemployment benefits during the pandemic, for example by allowing those who have refused to take jobs they felt were unsafe to claim aid.
Many recipients of unemployment aid also report having to apply multiple times to get through overwhelmed state systems, potentially lifting the number of jobless claims.
Other measures of the job market also show that employers are increasingly looking to hire.
According to a survey by ManpowerGroup, an employment agency, nearly one-quarter of companies surveyed said they plan to add workers in the April-June quarter. That’s the most since the pandemic began. And one-third expect to return to their pre-pandemic hiring levels by July, while more than half expect to do so by the end of the year.
Hiring in the second quarter will be led by leisure and hospitality companies, ManpowerGroup’s survey found. That category includes restaurants, bars, hotels, and entertainment venues, the same industries that have suffered some of the worst job losses.
About 37% of companies in leisure and hospitality expect to add jobs in the next three months, the highest among the 12 large industries that ManpowerGroup surveyed. Next was transportation and utilities, which includes delivery drivers and warehouses, where 26% of companies plan to add workers. And third was professional and business services, which includes high-paying sectors such as architecture and engineering, with 25% of firms in that industry expecting to hire.
TORONTO – Strength in the base metal and technology sectors helped Canada’s main stock index gain almost 100 points on Friday, while U.S. stock markets also climbed higher.
The S&P/TSX composite index closed up 93.51 points at 23,568.65.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was up 297.01 points at 41,393.78. The S&P 500 index was up 30.26 points at 5,626.02, while the Nasdaq composite was up 114.30 points at 17,683.98.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.61 cents US compared with 73.58 cents US on Thursday.
The October crude oil contract was down 32 cents at US$68.65 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was down five cents at US$2.31 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$30.10 at US$2,610.70 an ounce and the December copper contract was up four cents US$4.24 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
OTTAWA – Statistics Canada says wholesale sales, excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons and excluding oilseed and grain, rose 0.4 per cent to $82.7 billion in July.
The increase came as sales in the miscellaneous subsector gained three per cent to reach $10.5 billion in July, helped by strength in the agriculture supplies industry group, which rose 9.2 per cent.
The food, beverage and tobacco subsector added 1.7 per cent to total $15 billion in July.
The personal and household goods subsector fell 2.5 per cent to $12.1 billion.
In volume terms, overall wholesale sales rose 0.5 per cent in July.
Statistics Canada started including oilseed and grain as well as the petroleum and petroleum products subsector as part of wholesale trade last year, but is excluding the data from monthly analysis until there is enough historical data.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
TORONTO – Canada’s main stock index was up more than 150 points in late-morning trading, helped by strength in the base metal and energy sectors, while U.S. stock markets were mixed.
The S&P/TSX composite index was up 172.18 points at 23,383.35.
In New York, the Dow Jones industrial average was down 34.99 points at 40,826.72. The S&P 500 index was up 10.56 points at 5,564.69, while the Nasdaq composite was up 74.84 points at 17,470.37.
The Canadian dollar traded for 73.55 cents US compared with 73.59 cents US on Wednesday.
The October crude oil contract was up $2.00 at US$69.31 per barrel and the October natural gas contract was up five cents at US$2.32 per mmBTU.
The December gold contract was up US$40.00 at US$2,582.40 an ounce and the December copper contract was up six cents at US$4.20 a pound.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
