Job postings ramp up across the country

The pandemic-battered labor market is on the mend according to the latest federal jobs report. March saw widespread job growth in the vast majority of states, and unemployment levels dropped closer—though not close enough—to pre-COVID levels. Here’s a breakdown of the numbers, plus insights into the top industries and jobs available now.

Unemployment by the numbers 

Overall unemployment: 6%

• Men: 5.8% 
• Women: 5.7% 
• White workers: 5.4%
• Asian workers: 6% 
• Hispanic workers: 7.9% 
• Black workers: 9.6% 

Top jobs

Heavy tractor-trailer drivers cruised into the lead for job postings in March. If you’re ready to get your rig on the road, click here to find your next trucking job. Not exactly a road hog? No worries. Here are the other top jobs available now:

Registered nurse jobs

Software developer jobs

Retail jobs

Customer service jobs

Who’s hiring?

Administrative and support services jobs—including everything from personal assistants to tree trimmers—far outpaced other industries, so clean up those calendars (or sharpen those shears). Here are the other top industries hiring now:

Retail jobs

Health care jobs

Transportation and warehousing jobs

Manufacturing jobs

Where to find work

The job market is healing across the country, with the majority of states adding more job postings. But a few stand out: Washington added a whopping 49%, with Texas (42%) and Rhode Island (41%) close behind.

Tips for job seekers

• Ask about remote work. In March, 21% of employees embraced remote work because of the pandemic. It’s perfectly reasonable to ask prospective employers about their work-from-home policies. And you just might find that you enjoy the perks of a bedroom-to-coffee-pot commute. Here are some positive impacts of working from home.
• Emphasize your transferrable skills. Your resume does not need to tell a linear story about climbing the ranks in a single industry. Employers don’t just want to know what titles you’ve held—they want to know what you can do. Here’s how to get hired based on your skills.
• Take stock of how things have changed. The pandemic turned bedrooms into offices, masks into functional fashion and lawyers into kittens. We all need a little time to catch up. Here’s how the pandemic has changed work.