Job openings soared to a record high at the end of April, the labor Labor Department said Tuesday, adding to fears about unfulfilled demand for workers.
The number of available jobs rose by about 1 million to 9.3 million, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, the highest number since the agency began keeping track in 2000.
“Demand for workers is surging as the broader economy starts to emerge from the pandemic,” said Indeed Hiring Lab director of research Nick Bunker. “At the same time, supply is restrained as workers are slow to find their post-pandemic normal.”
Some conservative economists and Republicans argue that the federal government’s jobless benefit boost is a significant part of the problem.
Half of the country’s states, all of which are led by Republican governors, have announced plans to exit from the $300-a-week expanded federal unemployment program early, given recent economic growth and fears of a labor shortage.
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For many months during the pandemic, Democrats and Republicans debated the appropriate amount of unemployment aid.
For the first few months of 2021, those receiving unemployment benefits got an extra $300 a week from the federal government on top of what their state already provided. The average person receives $387 in state weekly unemployment payments, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which resulted in a total of approximately $687 every week in aid between the federal and state benefits.
Democrats argue that higher jobless benefits are needed to help sidelined workers pay bills and boost the economy in the short run as the pandemic has forced people to stay home.
Republicans, on the other hand, have argued that higher unemployment benefits discourage people from returning to their jobs, especially low-wage positions, given that unemployment aid can pay them more.
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The number of hires in April changed little from the previous month, at 6.1 million, with large job increases in food and lodging services and in the federal government. Hiring decreased in construction, goods manufacturing, and educational services.
