The US labour market showed mixed signals in April as job openings climbed to their highest level since May 2024, while hiring activity weakened and employee confidence remained subdued. According to the latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), available positions increased by 731,000 to 7.618 million, significantly above economists’ expectations of 6.88 million vacancies.
For employers and workforce leaders, the data points to continued demand for talent but a slower pace of workforce expansion. Hiring declined by 419,000 to 5.116 million in April, with reductions reported across several sectors including professional and business services, retail trade, healthcare, finance, transportation, warehousing, utilities, and accommodation and food services.
The surge in vacancies was heavily concentrated in professional and business services, which accounted for roughly 91% of the overall increase. Healthcare, social assistance, construction, manufacturing, transportation, warehousing, utilities, and state and local government sectors also reported gains in open roles. Nearly all of the increase in private-sector openings came from businesses employing between one and nine workers.
At the same time, employee mobility continued to weaken. Resignations fell by 183,000 to 2.977 million, the lowest level since August 2020, while the quits rate slipped to 1.9% from 2.0% in March. The decline suggests workers are becoming more cautious about changing jobs amid ongoing economic uncertainty.
Despite weaker hiring, layoffs and discharges dropped by 192,000 to 1.692 million, reinforcing what economists describe as a “slow-hire, slow-fire” labour market. The trend indicates that employers are largely retaining existing staff but remain selective about adding new talent.
For workforce leaders, the latest figures highlight a labour market where demand for skills remains resilient, but recruitment activity and employee confidence have yet to fully recover, creating a more measured and competitive hiring environment.
