labour market — Main Street Independent

Meta launches workforce academy to train data center construction workers

Meta Platforms Inc. on Monday launched a free, five-week workforce academy to train workers to build its data centers, guaranteeing graduates a job at a Meta construction site. The company committed $115 million to the program this year,…

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Police officer who joined Love Island US faces hometown backlash

A Bethlehem, Pennsylvania police officer who resigned less than a year after joining the force to appear as a contestant on the reality dating show Love Island USA has drawn criticism from city officials and divided residents in his…

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U.S. adds 172,000 jobs in May; unemployment holds at 4.3%

U.S. employers added 172,000 jobs in May, roughly double what forecasters had expected, and the unemployment rate held at 4.3%, the Labor Department reported Friday. The data offers a fresh signal of labor-market resilience even as…

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U.S. adds 172,000 jobs in May; broader underemployment holds at 8.2%

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that U.S. employers added 172,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in May, with leisure and hospitality alone contributing 70,000 positions, more than four times its 2025–2026 monthly average.
The broader U-6 unemployment rate, which includes discouraged workers and those working part‑time for economic reasons, held at 8.2 percent in May, while the headline U-3 rate remained at 4.3 percent for a third straight month.
The JOLTS quits rate stood at 2.2 percent in April, a metric the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta interprets as signaling that workers still have limited confidence in their ability to find better‑paying jobs.
The Atlanta Fed’s Wage Growth Tracker measured median year‑over‑year wage growth at 3.6 percent in April, using a composition‑controlled matched‑individual method that avoids the distortions of the BLS average‑hourly‑earnings series.

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U.S. job openings hit two-year high at 7.6 million in April

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday that U.S. job openings rose to 7.6 million in April, the highest level in nearly two years, as the labor market showed resilience amid the ongoing U.S.-Israel-Iran war. The figure beat…

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AI economy could create permanent underclass, Harvard economist warns

Harvard economist Kenneth Rogoff warned Tuesday that the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence could create a permanent global underclass, with developing nations and countries outside the AI supply chain facing mass job displacement…

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NY Fed researchers link remote work expansion to rising youth unemployment

Federal Reserve Bank of New York researchers said Monday that the pandemic-era shift toward remote work is connected to an increase in unemployment among younger workers, estimating that approximately 64% of the jobless rate rise among…

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Jobless claims tick up to 215,000 as Iran war clouds U.S. outlook

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits rose by 5,000 last week to 215,000, though layoffs remain near historic lows even as the Iran war casts uncertainty over the U.S. economic outlook, the Labor Department reported…

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Recruiters Turn to AI Chatbots to Screen Job Candidates Amid AI Application Surge

Recruiters inundated with AI-generated job applications are deploying artificial intelligence of their own to handle the surge, using chatbots to conduct screening interviews via phone, text and video. The practice, documented in new…

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New Hampshire program puts historic building skills in high school

New Hampshire Public Radio reported that a weeklong program is teaching high school students historic building techniques, aiming to help address a shortage of tradespeople who can repair older structures. NPR’s report followed students at…

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ADP: U.S. private payrolls add 122,000 in May, beating forecasts

U.S. private employers added 122,000 workers in May, the strongest monthly gain since President Donald Trump returned to office in January 2025 and above the Dow Jones consensus estimate of 110,000.
Education and health services led sector growth, adding 57,000 workers in May.
Small businesses with fewer than 20 employees added 49,000 jobs, the largest share among company sizes.
ADP chief economist Dr. Nela Richardson said hiring was "more broad-based in May than we've seen in the last few years," pointing to sustained momentum heading into the summer.

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Dropbox sticks with virtual-first model as peers mandate return to office

Dropbox’s chief people officer said Thursday the San Francisco-based cloud storage company remains fully committed to its virtual-first staffing model, having met all its financial goals since adopting the policy in 2020, even as a growing…

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Dropbox’s Rosenwasser says virtual-first model helps recruit and retain

In an interview with The Associated Press, Dropbox Chief People Officer Melanie Rosenwasser said the company does not plan to return most employees to offices, instead keeping a “virtual-first” staffing model. Rosenwasser described how…

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U.S. employers add 115,000 jobs in April, far surpassing forecasts despite Iran war

U.S. employers added a surprisingly strong 115,000 jobs in April, far surpassing the 65,000 economists had forecast, as the labor market proved more resilient than expected to the economic shock of the Iran war, the Labor Department…

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Median CEO pay hits $17.7 million, 200 times the typical worker's wage

The median pay package for chief executives of S&P 500 companies rose 6% to $17.7 million in 2025, while the typical employee at those firms earned $89,744, a 4.7% increase, according to an Associated Press survey released Wednesday.

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U.S. hiring beats forecasts in April as job market holds steady amid Iran war

U.S. employers added 115,000 jobs in April, nearly double the 65,000 forecasters had expected, the Labor Department reported Friday, keeping the unemployment rate at a low 4.3% even as the war with Iran drives up fuel costs and…

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Illustration accompanying article: Median CEO pay hits $17.7 million, 200 times the typical worker's wage

US companies keep adding jobs despite Iran-war shock, report shows

The Labor Department reported that US employers added 115,000 jobs in April, beating economists’ expectations even as the Iran war disrupted global oil supplies and pushed gasoline prices above $4.50 a gallon. The unemployment rate held at…

3 MIN READ

Jobs, unemployment stay low as mortgage rates rise amid Iran war

U.S. employers added 115,000 jobs last month, and the unemployment rate held at 4.3%, the Labor Department reported May 8. At the same time, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose to 6.37% and weekly jobless claims increased to…

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US stocks reach records after jobs report offsets higher oil prices

U.S. stocks rose to record highs Friday after a jobs report pointed to continued strength in the labor market, even as fighting in the Strait of Hormuz pushed oil prices higher. The S&P 500 climbed 0.8% to an all-time high after U.S.…

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Graduates boo AI pep talks at college commencements

The Associated Press reports that at several U.S. university commencements this spring, graduates have booed speakers who discuss artificial intelligence, voicing anxiety over job prospects. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt was repeatedly…

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Iran war sharpens dilemmas for foreign workers in Gulf, advocates say

Iran’s war has left foreign workers in Gulf states facing a stark choice between staying in jobs that pay more or returning home as conflict-driven price spikes strain already-poor countries, an Associated Press investigation reports. The…

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S&P 500 and Nasdaq hit records as strong jobs data overshadows oil and war jitters

U.S. stocks rose to all-time highs on Friday, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq notching records, as a surprisingly strong jobs report overshadowed investor anxiety over elevated oil prices and renewed military action in the Strait of Hormuz.…

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Young Americans’ job market optimism plummets, creating widest generational gap globally, poll finds

Young Americans have lost confidence in the job market at a pace not seen since the Great Recession, with the share who say it is a good time to find work in their area dropping 27 percentage points since 2023, according to a new Gallup…

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Young Americans’ job-market optimism drops sharply, new Gallup poll finds

Young Americans are much less likely than older adults to say it is a good time to find a job where they live, according to a new Gallup World Poll analysis released Monday. In the United States, 43% of people ages 15 to 34 said it is a…

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Jobless claims dip again, keeping US layoffs in a healthy range

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell last week to 227,000, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, keeping weekly layoffs within the historically healthy range of recent years. The Labor Department said…

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Strong January hiring lifts unemployment to 4.3% after heavy 2024 cuts

U.S. employers added 130,000 jobs in January, and the unemployment rate fell to 4.3%, the Labor Department said Wednesday, a sharp contrast with weak hiring in 2025. Government revisions also cut earlier payroll totals for 2024 and 2025 by…

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Gallup poll shows 12% of U.S. workers use AI daily at work

American workers adopted artificial intelligence into their jobs at a rapid pace over the past few years, according to a Gallup Workforce survey of more than 22,000 U.S. workers conducted in late October and early November 2025. Twelve…

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Jobless claims rise to 200,000 but stay near historic lows, Labor says

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits rose to 200,000 in the week ending May 2, the U.S. Labor Department reported Thursday, but the level remains near historically low levels. The Labor Department said the previous…

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Job openings steady in March at 6.9M as hiring improves; Iran war impact looms

U.S. employers advertised 6.87 million job openings in March, barely changed from 6.92 million in February, but a pickup in hiring and voluntary quits signaled underlying strength in the labor market before the full economic consequences…

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Inflation jumps as gas soars; mortgage and jobs data show mixed signals

The latest inflation report showed prices rising sharply in March as gasoline prices surged amid the Iran war, potentially delaying interest-rate cuts. Separately, the economy grew at a modest pace at the start of 2026, consumer confidence…

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AI anxiety upends college plans as students scramble for “AI-proof” majors

College students in the United States are changing majors and plans as they worry that artificial intelligence could automate entry-level tasks and reshape job markets by the time they graduate. Reporting by the Associated Press describes…

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Jobless claims inch up to 214,000 as layoffs stay low but costs rise

Americans filed for unemployment benefits for the week ending April 18, rising 6,000 to 214,000, the U.S. Labor Department reported Thursday. The increase left jobless-aid claims within a range economists have described as historically…

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FBI and Justice Department ease hiring standards as staffing crisis deepens

The FBI and Justice Department are scrambling to rebuild workforces depleted by a wave of resignations and departures over the past year, easing hiring requirements and accelerating recruitment in ways that current and former officials say…

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Nebraska trails region in job growth as state loses economic edge

An analysis by the Flatwater Free Press shows Nebraska has lost an estimated 70,000 jobs relative to its regional competitors since 2010, marking a sharp reversal for a state once recognized nationally for creating jobs. The decline became…

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US jobless claims dip to 207,000 as layoffs stay low amid Iran war

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell to 207,000 for the week ending April 11, the U.S. Labor Department reported Thursday, signaling steady layoffs despite broader economic uncertainty. The Labor Department also…

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Simple workplace changes help autistic employees thrive, experts say

Autism spectrum disorder affects roughly 1 in 45 adults in the U.S., yet many autistic workers report burning out in jobs where their communication styles and sensory needs go unaddressed. In April, workplace inclusion experts and people…

4 MIN READ

U.S. adds 50,000 jobs in December; 2025 posts weakest hiring since pandemic

Washington — U.S. employers added just 50,000 jobs in December, the Labor Department reported Friday, capping a year in which the economy created only 584,000 positions — the fewest since the COVID-19 pandemic decimated the labor market in…

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Weekly jobless claims rise to 208,000 as labor market momentum slows

Initial filings for unemployment benefits rose by 8,000 to 208,000 for the week ending Jan. 3, the Labor Department reported Thursday, arriving in line with analyst expectations as the U.S. labor market continued to show slowing momentum.…

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US jobless aid filings rise to 219,000 after ceasefire amid mixed labor signals

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits for the week ending April 4 rose to 219,000 from 203,000 the prior week, the U.S. Labor Department reported April 9. The increase was fueled in the near term by a shifting…

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Jobless claims rise to 219,000 while unemployment holds near 4.3% after Iran ceasefire

U.S. applications for unemployment benefits rose last week, reaching 219,000 for the week ending April 4, the Labor Department reported. The increase came as a two-week Iran-U.S. ceasefire lifted markets and helped pull oil prices sharply…

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Custom-fit demand rises, but fewer tailors are left to do the work

Manhattan tailor Kil Bae says customers increasingly seek custom alterations and resizing as fashion changes and weight-loss drugs drive demand for adjusted fits. But Bae, 63, is among a shrinking group of tailors, dressmakers and sewers…

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US jobless aid filings fall to 202,000 as layoffs stay low amid Iran war

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell last week to 202,000, the Labor Department reported. The decline came as layoffs remained sparse even as uncertainty about the war with Iran has pushed up energy costs. The…

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Older Americans turn to gig work in retirement to cover bills

A growing number of Americans are “unretiring,” taking gig jobs or other contract work after decades in careers, citing rising living costs and insufficient retirement savings. In reporting from Plainview, New York, drivers and pet-care…

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U.S. jobless aid filings fall to 202,000 as layoffs stay low

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell to 202,000 for the week ending March 28, a Labor Department report showed Thursday, keeping layoffs relatively sparse. Jobless claims have been mostly in a tight band for…

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Sluggish December hiring ends weak jobs year as unemployment slips to 4.4%

Employers added just 50,000 jobs in December, a sluggish finish to a year that left many job seekers frustrated even as layoffs and unemployment stayed low, according to the U.S. Labor Department. The unemployment rate fell to 4.4%, the…

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Job openings near 5-year low in November as low-hire, low-fire market persists

U.S. employers posted 7.1 million job openings at the end of November, down from 7.4 million in October and the lowest tally since September 2024, the Labor Department said Wednesday. Outside that month, it was the lowest in nearly five…

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Jobless claims tick up at end of 2025, layoffs stay low

U.S. applications for jobless benefits rose in the last week of 2025, but layoffs remained low, according to Labor Department data. For the week ending Jan. 3, claims increased by 8,000 to 208,000, the department reported Thursday.

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US jobless aid filings fall to 202,000 as layoffs stay low

US applications for unemployment benefits fell to 202,000 for the week ending March 28, the U.S. Labor Department reported April 2. The decline came as layoffs remained sparse even as uncertainty tied to the Iran war raised costs, with the…

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“Extreme shortage” of paramedics, EMTs in rural Michigan

Rural communities in Michigan are facing an “extreme shortage” of paramedics and emergency medical technicians as emergency medical services agencies deal with shrinking revenue and staffing costs, according to the Michigan Association of…

3 MIN READ

Louisiana crawfish industry hampered by limits on foreign workers

CROWLEY, La. — Louisiana’s crawfish industry is facing delays and reduced access to foreign seasonal workers as the state’s spring peak season begins, operators and state officials say. Crawfish producers and processors rely on workers on…

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Jobless claims tick up to 210,000 as employers keep hiring low

The number of Americans applying for jobless aid inched up last week, the U.S. Labor Department reported, even as employers have continued to retain workers. For the week ending March 21, initial filings rose to 210,000 from 205,000 the…

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Job openings near 7 million in January, Labor Department data show

U.S. job openings rose to about 7 million in January, according to data the Labor Department released Friday. Employers added openings despite a labor market that has looked sluggish in recent months, with layoffs edging lower and quits…

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Job openings rise to 6.95 million in January but hiring remains sluggish

U.S. job openings rose to 6.95 million in January, according to the Labor Department, up from 6.55 million in December. The increase came as employers continued to cut jobs and as economists said the labor market remained sluggish.

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US jobless claims edge down to 213,000 as layoffs stay low

U.S. jobless benefit applications fell modestly to 213,000 for the week ending March 7, the Labor Department reported Thursday, a sign layoffs remained at historically low levels even as the job market shows signs of weakening. Economists…

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De La Cruz proposes construction worker visa as ICE arrests slow South Texas building

Illustration accompanying article: De La Cruz proposes construction worker visa as ICE arrests slow South Texas

U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz, an Edinburg Republican, announced Monday she would seek a new federal visa category for construction workers after South Texas builders told her that immigration enforcement arrests had halted job sites and…

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U.S. job openings fall to 2nd-lowest in nearly 5 years as hiring slows

U.S. employers posted 7.1 million job openings at the end of November, down from 7.4 million in October, a Labor Department report showed Wednesday. The drop points to continued sluggish hiring even as other data suggest economic growth…

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Jobless claims held at 213,000, but continuing filings rise to 1.87 million

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits last week was unchanged at 213,000, a sign layoffs remain low, the Labor Department reported. But continuing claims for the prior week rose to 1.87 million, indicating more people…

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US job market sheds 92,000 jobs in February as unemployment rises to 4.4%

American employers unexpectedly cut 92,000 jobs last month, and the unemployment rate edged up to 4.4%, adding to economic uncertainty as the war with Iran drives up costs. The Labor Department’s jobs report also included revisions that…

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Morgan Stanley to cut roughly 2,500 jobs across investment bank

Morgan Stanley is laying off approximately 2,500 employees — about 3% of its global workforce — across the entirety of its investment bank, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to the Associated Press on the condition…

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Slight uptick in US jobless claims; layoffs stay relatively healthy

Slightly more Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week while layoffs remained in a relatively healthy range, the U.S. Labor Department reported. The number of people seeking jobless aid for the week ending Feb. 21 rose to…

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