Introduction

The next few days should provide some clarity on all of these issues, but particularly in the state of the U.S. jobs market. The pre-pandemic peak in job openings was 7.6 million in November 2018. Job openings initially plunged in the pandemic and then soared to a new peak of 12.0 million in March 2022. But strong hiring and more cautious business attitudes have led to a decline in openings.