Hiring slows as millions remain unemployed

Unemployment remains around 6% as hiring can’t keep pace with the rebounding economy. Here are the latest numbers from the April federal jobs report, plus insights on hiring trends and how to attract top talent. 

Unemployment by the numbers 

• Overall unemployment: 6.1%  
• Men: 6.1%  
• Women: 5.6%  
• White workers: 5.3%  
• Asian workers: 5.7%  
• Hispanic workers: 7.9%  
• Black workers: 9.7%  

Temporary layoffs: 2.1 million (down from 2.2 million in March)  

Permanent job losses: 3.5 million (same as February and March) 

Teleworking: 18.3% (down from 21% month prior)  

Hiring trends for April 2021 

The number of folks out of the labor force who want a job is 6.6 million. Six. Point. Six. Million. So: Let’s get hiring. 

Skills, skills, skills. The shift to skills-based hiring continues – and it’s a key tactic we see fueling The Great Rehire^TM. It’s all about growing your talent pool in this competitive market simply by focusing on the skills you’re seeking, rather than candidates’ previous experience or job titles. Here’s how to reach qualified candidates and use the right tools to speed up your hiring process. 

Hire her. Women who lost their jobs during the pandemic are eager to get back to work. According to recent CareerBuilder survey data, nearly 50 percent of women are OK with a 10% pay cut to land the job. (Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should!) The pandemic has also sharpened the “motherhood penalty” that’s keeping women from getting ahead and helping companies grow. See more on the “mom-batical” (sounds more like “battle” than “sabbatical,” doesn’t it?) and learn ways to employ empathy in hiring.  

Creativity, collaboration, communication. If it’s those hard-to-define soft skills you’re after, read these tips on evaluating everything from leadership skills to critical-thinking skills (We’ll keep saying it: skills!), plus the one question you should ask during hiring.  

At the very least, go mobile. While you’re expanding your talent pool, find out why mobile-friendly recruiting is your best friend – and how to dive in. 

See you next month for our jobs report rundown. Happy hiring!