5,802,000+ jobs in United States (2024)

FAQs

Are there enough jobs in the US? ›

Is there currently a labor shortage in the US? Job openings outnumbered unemployed people in the US from May 2021 to December 2023, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data. In December 2023, there were 0.7 unemployed people per job opening.

US Labor Shortage Rates

In the US, talent scarcity is on the rise. As of 2024, US labor shortage currently sits at 70%, five percentage points below the global average. That means that 7 in 10 employers are unable to find suitable employees for their job vacancies.

Pre-pandemic levels of the labor force participation rate were much higher than today, with a major chunk of the workforce now retired. Whether forced into early retirement by being furloughed or laid off or doing so willingly; Covid-19 has greatly impacted the participation and recovery of older workers.

If you can't find a job in 2024, it is likely you are either looking in one of the industries that has seen some decline or have not searched the top job markets for 2024. Perhaps this is a good time to consider a career shift or look into ways your skillset can benefit companies experiencing growth.

While the United States offers a diverse job market, competition is fierce, and employers usually prioritize hiring US citizens and permanent residents. International students may face language barriers, cultural differences, and unfamiliarity with the US job market, making it harder for them to secure employment.

Many companies had to downsize or close, millions retired early, and the average employee sought more freedom and flexibility in their working schedules. All of this resulted in a lower labor force participation rate where less Americans were working.

In July 2023, the national unemployment rate shrunk to 3.5%, according to workplace insights platform Statista.

If we include a dozen components — heck, no matter what we include — firefighters take the top spot. Other top rankers include RV and bus-and-truck mechanics, roofers, paramedics and police officers. To be sure, we're only measuring whether you'll have to do each task on the job.

What field is hiring the most right now? ›

The postpandemic excesses of the US job market have largely subsided. The frantic search for workers has faded. The job openings rate had soared to 7.2% in the first quarter of 2022 (up from a 4.5% average in 2019) but has averaged just 4.9% in the past three months.

A trio of factors: Layoff spillover, AI and market re-correction. Some experts say that companies and workers are having a hard time meeting each others' needs right now.

Is America facing a labor shortage? Yes. 4.7 million more job positions are available than people to fill them in the United States, and about 1.7 open jobs exist per unemployed worker.

Household Survey Data

The unemployment rate rose by 0.2 percentage point to 4.3 percent in July, and the number of unemployed people increased by 352,000 to 7.2 million. These measures are higher than a year earlier, when the jobless rate was 3.5 percent, and the number of unemployed people was 5.9 million.

In 2023, it was estimated that over 161 million Americans were in some form of employment, while 3.64 percent of the total workforce was unemployed.

The shortage list includes professions such as registered nurses, engineers, therapists, healthcare, business management, human resources, marketing, and sales, etc. Pursuing a career in one of these fields can open up additional job prospects and provide stability.

IT Job Market shrank by 6.900 jobs last month - lost 4,800 jobs YTD. Analysis shows that IT Job Market has shrunk by 48,600 jobs in 2023. In the first seven (7) months of 2024 the IT job market shrank by 4,800 jobs.