The U.S. now has a job opening for every unemployed person in the nation, a sign of just how far the nation has turned around from the recession that cost so many Americans their jobs nearly a decade ago, The Washington Post reported. The Labor Department reported that there were 6.6 million job openings in March, a record high — and enough for the 6.6 million Americans who were actively looking for a job that month. March marked the first time there has been a job opening for every unemployed person since the Labor Department began keeping track of job openings in 2000. White-collar businesses, construction and warehouses all expanded their recruiting in March, the Labor Department reported. It's likely that the U.S. will soon be in a situation where there are more job openings than job seekers. The number of unemployed Americans fell to 6.4 million in April. Many businesses executives say their top worry is that they can't find enough workers. Unemployment is at the lowest level in nearly two decades, and the jobless rate for African Americans and Hispanic Americans is at an all-time low. Companies are revising their hiring practices to ensure that they do not rule out any potential good workers, especially those who might not have a college degree or people who have criminal histories and have served time in jail. Theoretically, everyone who wants a job should be able to get one now, but that's not what typically happens, even in good economic times. In a nation as big as the U.S., there will always be people who quit their jobs and take time to find new employment. There is also somewhat of a mismatch between job seekers and job openings. The people looking for work do not always have the right skills or live in a place where there are a lot of opportunities to get hired. Companies have two options these days, many economists say: They can pay more for talent; or they can expand their training programs. So far, there have been a lot of anecdotes of firms taking these actions, but it's not showing up yet in the nationwide data.
