Though the unemployment rate dropped to 7.6% and employers are hiring more readily across the U.S. the results are mixed. For example, in Illinois, the unemployment rate stands at 9.5%. Furthermore, only 14 out of the nation’s 100 largest metropolitan areas have more jobs now than they did before the 2008-9 recession! Moreover, 6 out of those 14 are in Texas according to researchers at the Brookings Institution.
On a positive note, job gains were in:
- Professional and Business Services, which added 51,000 jobs in March.
- Health Care, which continues to grow, and added 23,000 last month.
- Construction, which rose by: a) 18,000 last month and b) has added 169,000 since last fall.
- Leisure and Hospitality, which has added: a) 13,000 last month and b) 262,000 over the past year!
Another positive sign is, for the first time since the financial crisis, U.S. employers are expected to soon reach their yearly allotment of 85,000 H-1B visas. The last time employers reached this limit in less than a week was 2008. Though this is for foreign workers, this is a quasi indicator of hiring demand for technical workers.
