Unemployment

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell listens during his renomination hearing with the Senate Banking Committee on Jan. 11. The Fed is planning to become more aggressive in fighting inflation.

Game time: The Fed unveils a tougher plan to fight stubbornly high inflation

6:53pm January 26, 2022

by Scott Horsley

The Federal Reserve is preparing to raise interest rates sooner and — perhaps — more aggressively after inflation reached the highest in nearly 40 years.

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An employee at a restaurant in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, puts up a sign on June 3, 2021, looking for workers with the promise of free food for new hires.

Employers added only 199,000 jobs in December even before omicron started to surge

11:20am January 07, 2022

by Scott Horsley

U.S. employers added 199,000 jobs in December as the unemployment rate fell to 3.9%, marking a second consecutive month of disappointing numbers.

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A Gap store in Farmington Hills, Mich., was closed by COVID-19 outbreak in March 2020. Thousands of people were left without jobs and dependent on unemployment benefits; unfortunately, some people took advantage of the system.

Michigan paid up to $8.5 billion in fraudulent jobless claims during the pandemic

10:58am December 30, 2021

by Jaclyn Diaz

Other states have reported similar losses. Ohio reported it paid out more than $3.8 billion in fraudulent jobless aid. California has paid out at least $20 billion.

Restaurants, like this McDonald's in Miami Beach, Fla., have been big engines of job growth.

Hiring slowed sharply in November, even before omicron, with 210,000 jobs added

5:18pm December 03, 2021

by Scott Horsley

Hiring slowed sharply last month, even as the unemployment rate fell to 4.2%. Data from the Labor Department suggest the economy was losing steam even before the appearance of a new COVID-19 variant.

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A man fills out an application at a booth at the Employers Only Long Island Food, Beverage and Hospitality Job Fair on Oct. 19 in Melville, N.Y. Employers added 531,000 jobs in October, marking a recovery after two months of weaker job growth.

Economy

The labor market is back on track after 531,000 jobs were added in October

5:16pm November 05, 2021

by Scott Horsley

U.S. employers added 531,000 new jobs as the unemployment rate fell to 4.6%. Millions of would-be workers are still on the sidelines, though, leaving the pace of the recovery in doubt.

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The unemployment rate dipped to 4.8% in September, from 5.2% in August, although some of that decline resulted from people dropping out of the workforce.

Economy

August's jobs numbers were bad. September was even worse, but there's room for hope

11:46am October 08, 2021

by Scott Horsley

The Labor Department says the U.S. added just 194,000 jobs last month, even lower than the lackluster showing in August. The unemployment rate fell to 4.8%.

Worker Advocates Seek More NC Aid As Federal Benefits Expire

12:42pm September 14, 2021

by Associated Press

North Carolina's unemployed need higher and longer jobless benefits from the state more than ever now that additional federal benefits created during the COVID-19 pandemic expired this month, advoc

Economy

As Federal Unemployment Benefits End, Challenges Remain For Some North Carolinians

6:00am September 07, 2021

by Eddie Garcia

Federal pandemic unemployment benefits ended this weekend. This means many out-of-work North Carolinians are receiving their last check.

A hiring sign gets displayed in a store window in New York City in August. Last month saw a sharp slowdown in hiring from previous months as the pandemic wears on and creates uncertainty.

Economy

U.S. Hiring Slows Sharply As Latest Coronavirus Surge Slams The Brakes On The Economy

12:04pm September 03, 2021

by Scott Horsley

Hiring slowed in August as a surge in new coronavirus infections weighed on the economic recovery. Employers added just 235,000 jobs last month, a sharp drop from June and July.

Restaurants in Miami and across the country are seeing surging demand from customers, but they are still struggling to recruit staff.

Restaurants Are Dangling Vacation And Matching 401(k), But Many Workers Aren't Biting

11:32am August 06, 2021

by Scott Horsley

As the U.S. economy continues to rebound from the pandemic recession, lots of people are going back to work — but not as quickly as many employers would like. Employers added 943,00 jobs in June.