Jobs Numbers Help to Dispel Recession Fear
Washington — A robust February jobs report showcased a resilient U.S. economy just as fears of a new recession had begun to surface. Economic reports in recent weeks had fueled anxieties about a looming downturn: Manufacturers were slumping. Stocks had plummeted. China was slowing sharply along with other emerging markets. The rising dollar had crushed exports. But last month, U.S. employers sent a clear message of confidence. They...
The HR Pro: How to Improve the Interview Process
Any human resource professional knows how critically important interviewing is to hiring the right employees. The company’s future success will ride in no small part on every person it hires. And even if a candidate isn’t offered the job, chances are he or she either will bolster or hurt the company’s reputation by providing impressions about the company to other people. There is a lot at stake, and HR doesn’t want to mess it up. No...
Jobs Data Provide Mixed Signals
Washington — Employers added a disappointing 173,000 jobs in August but the blow was softened by the equally unexpected drop of the unemployment rate to 5.1 percent. That’s the best reading on unemployment since March 2008, but there were plenty of mixed signals in the report released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Here are three important points from the jobs report and what they signal for the U.S. economy: Outlook for...
Doubts About Job Market
Washington — For months, the U.S. economy’s strength has been flagging. Manufacturing slowed. Fewer homes were built. Cheaper gas failed to ignite consumer spending. Yet month after month, employers kept on hiring vigorously. In March, the economy’s slump finally overtook the job market. Employers added just 126,000 workers — the fewest since December 2013 — snapping a 12-month streak of gains above 200,000. At the same time, the...
March Jobs Report Not Really That Bad
Before you get too glum about the March employment report, consider this: One of the main reasons behind the hiring slowdown was likely something that had little to do with the economy’s underlying strength. Beneath the disappointment of the economy adding only 126,000 jobs last month — 53,000 below even the most pessimistic projection in the Bloomberg survey of 98 economists — was an unusually cold winter (or technically spring?) in...
