Job vacancies in April remained near record levels, US employers reported

Employers reported employing 6.6 million people in April. Meanwhile, layoffs fell to an all-time low of 1.2 million, as companies sought to retain workers they already had.

“The job market remains strong although things have calmed down a bit,” said Nick Bunker, economist at job site Indeed. “We are still in the market for workers and job seekers.”

The latest numbers come with the US labor market rising month after month of strong growth. US employers added 428,000 jobs in April – the 12th consecutive month of at least 400,000 new jobs. The unemployment rate is at an epidemic level low of 3.6 percent.

The US unemployment rate remains at a pandemic-low level of 3.6 percent

In all, the labor market added more than 6.5 million jobs last year and is on track to return to pre-pandemic levels this summer. This rapid growth has enabled millions of workers to leave unsatisfactory jobs.

Abigail Josephine worked at an animal hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee, for less than a month before leaving her veterinary technician job in April. She said the tight job market, along with a stressful work environment, made the decision relatively easy. The 20-year-old applied for several other positions but finally told her even without another offer.

“At first, I wasn’t sure about quitting,” Josephine said. “But I came home crying, and my husband told me there was no job worth my mental health like that.”