US Job Openings Steady at 6.9 Million in March Amid Economic Uncertainty

The labour market has been volatile this year after a lacklustre year in 2025, with the Middle East conflict introducing significant uncertainty into the economic forecast and labour market.

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey showed that layoffs increased in March. However, hiring increased, and more people quit their jobs, evidence of confidence in the current state of the economy.

After peaking at 12.3 million in March 2022, job openings have decreased steadily. Strong hiring has been discouraged by a combination of high interest rates, uncertainty about policies and the impact of artificial intelligence, according to US media reports on Tuesday (local time).

So far this year, the creation of jobs has been inconsistent, being robust in January (160,000 new jobs) and March (178,000) but sluggish in February, when employers cut 133,000 positions, reports Xinhua news agency, quoting US media.

The US Department of Labor is slated to put out its employment report for April this Friday. According to a survey from FactSet, the report is forecast to show that firms, government agencies and nonprofits added 57,000 net jobs, with a jobless rate at 4.3 per cent, as reported by the Associated Press.

Some economists foresee a falloff in hiring going forward. Dean Baker, co-founder of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, told Xinhua: "My guess is that we will see a falloff in hiring in April, primarily in restaurants. Higher gas prices are sapping people's purchasing power."

The hiring and jobs situation could also have a political dynamic in the lead-up to November's midterm elections.

Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Darrell West told Xinhua: "There have been a number of job layoffs from major companies and people are worried about their economic futures."

Indeed, the issue is a thorny one for the Trump administration, at a time of record-high prices for rent, homeownership and food, as well as high mortgage rates that have put a damper on many Americans' ability to purchase a home.

"This is challenging for (President Donald) Trump because he campaigned as a businessman who could revive the economy," West said.

"Costs are rising, and it is difficult for people to make ends meet," West said, adding that if Trump does not reverse course, his Republican Party could fare poorly in the midterms.

"Unless he can reverse course, Republicans face a dismal outlook in the upcoming midterm elections," West said.

- IANS