To nearly everyone’s surprise, employers in April added a comparatively paltry 266,000 jobs, down drastically from a gain of 770,000 in March, which itself was revised down from an initially much higher figure of 916,000.
The figures suggest that as the economy rapidly reopens, businesses are already providing higher pay and benefits to pull workers back into the job market.
Last month, hiring strengthened across the economy. Restaurants, hotels and bars—the sector that was most damaged by the virus—added 216,000 jobs. Construction companies, aided by better weather after severe storms in February, gained 110,000.
After a year of epic job losses, waves of coronavirus infections, and small business closures, numerous trends are brightening the outlook.
The funding would instead go to courses in areas that are typically higher paying, such as nursing, biomedical science and welding. But critics say eliminating popular programs would narrow students’ options.
Janet Yellen, the first woman to head the Federal Reserve and the U.S. Treasury Department, said “there is a cultural problem in the profession, and we need to change the culture.”
To better prepare graduates for college and well-paying jobs, IPS plans to revamp its high school career and college curriculum and drop programs that don’t lead directly to jobs.
For workers at GM and other automakers, the future could be perilous. The more environmentally focused plants of the future will need significantly fewer workers, mainly because electric vehicles contain 30% to 40% fewer moving parts than petroleum-run vehicles.
Indiana’s unemployment rate continued to improve in December, decreasing from 5.1% in November to 4.3% last month, according to numbers released Tuesday by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett on Wednesday announced turnover in the positions of chief of staff and deputy mayor of neighborhood engagement.
However, Indiana’s labor-force participation rate drooped from 63.1% in October to 62.9% in November. The rate indicates the percentage of all people of working age who are employed or are actively seeking work.
Indiana’s unemployment rate has been doggedly retracing its steps in recent months from 16.9% in April, when the pandemic paralyzed sections of the economy.
The pace of Indiana’s steadily improving unemployment rate slowed considerably in September. Meanwhile, the state’s labor force participation rate and private employment numbers dropped.
While the pandemic has devastated Indiana’s tourism and hospitality industries, the picture is decidedly mixed for manufacturing—which constitutes more than a quarter of the state’s gross domestic product.
Republican state Sen. Victoria Spartz and former Democratic state Rep. Christina Hale have each raised concerns about outsourcing U.S. jobs, but the candidates say they would take different approaches to curbing the problem.
The full-time jobs are available through the holidays, but top performers could be offered permanent positions based in Greenfield.
The project, which includes plans for a $125 million expansion of the Indiana Convention Center, would also create 2,500 construction jobs before completion in 2025.
One America Works, a Bay Area not-for-profit, is helping Silicon Valley tech firms find the talent they need to grow, and thinks Indianapolis has talent to harvest. Its founder intends to bring Silicon Valley firms here to capitalize on the strengths of the region.
Data for the report was culled from a federal survey performed in mid-March, just before unemployment claims escalated. However, there’s still evidence of the coronavirus-related sea change brewing in the workforce.
The additional $600 in unemployment benefits could start arriving Friday for some Hoosiers, but independent contractors and gig economy workers may be waiting until next month to see any payments.
