U.S. Private-Sector Job Openings Hold Steady and Hiring Increases as Government Hiring SlowsJohn Carney 29 Apr 2025
U.S. private-sector employers kept up their demand for workers in late March, while hiring ticked up, layoffs fell broadly and worker confidence strengthened, underscoring the labor market’s resilience heading into the spring, according to Labor Department data released Tuesday.
The number of private-sector job openings was mostly unchanged in March, with businesses posting help-wanted ads for 6.4 million vacant positions, down from 6.6 million a month earlier. Including the government, employers posted 7.19 million vacancies on the last business day of the month, down slightly from a revised 7.48 million in February. Openings remain above pre-pandemic levels, highlighting sustained employer demand for workers even amid broader economic policy shifts.
The data indicate that demand for workers remains solid as employers continue to expand payrolls and seek new hires despite global economic uncertainties and trade anxiety-driven stock market volatility. The Trump administration’s efforts to reshape trade relationships through tariffs and to streamline the federal workforce appear so far to be advancing without disrupting private-sector hiring, which remains steady across most industries.
The administration will receive an early evaluation of its progress in the jobs report on Friday, where projections call for continued job gains and a steady unemployment rate, consistent with a labor market that remains strong. On Wednesday the government’s initial estimate of first-quarter gross domestic product is released, with economists forecasting a slowdown from a 2.4 percent pace at the end of last year to just a 0.2 percent pace of growth.
Hiring held steady at 5.4 million, and layoffs and discharges fell to 1.6 million, the lowest level since June 2024. Private-sector layoffs declined across nearly every major industry, including retail trade, manufacturing, financial activities, and transportation and warehousing, reinforcing employer confidence in future business conditions.
In manufacturing — a sector closely watched for signs of pressure from recent trade policies — job openings increased slightly to 449,000. Hiring in manufacturing remained steady at 319,000 for the month, and layoffs declined, with durable goods industries seeing particular improvement. These results suggest that demand for factory workers remains stable despite broader fears about tariffs or slowing growth.
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https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2025/04/29/u-s-private-sector-job-openings-rise-as-government-hiring-slows/
