JOB OPENINGS FALL: U.S. employers in April advertised the fewest available jobs in five months, a sign hiring will likely remain sluggish. Openings fell to a seasonally adjusted 3.4 million in April, down from 3.7 million in March, the government said Tuesday.
TOUGH COMPETITION: With 12.5 million unemployed people in April, that means 3.7 people, on average, were competing for each open job. In a healthy job market, the ratio is usually around 2 to 1.
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SLOW HIRING: Hiring has slowed sharply in recent months. Employers added an average of only 73,000 jobs in April and May. That’s down from an average of 226,000 per month in January through March.
