Conditions in the labor market increasingly look like they did before the pandemic.

Fewer workers are quitting their jobs and employers are hiring less. So are we in for “Wheel in the Sky” or “Bad Moon Rising”?

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover report for April showed that the quits rate has dropped back to average levels in 2019.

The number of openings decreased for the third straight month in March, but it’s still historically high.

Even when adjusted for inflation, 60% percent of workers who changed jobs earned more in their new roles.  

Demand for manufactured goods has grown during the pandemic, but new orders have been falling in recent months.

There are almost two job openings for every unemployed person.

Nearly half of American workers are looking for a new job or plan to in the next year. One-third are ready to quit without a new job lined up.

It’s been happening throughout the pandemic.

Neil Cairns of Oregon has been on an employment roller coaster the past two years. Now he’s trying something new.