The U.S. unemployment rate has been edging back toward pre-pandemic levels in recent months, falling to 3.9% in December 2021 compared to 3.5% in February 2020. Joblessness varies by industry and region, but overall, the country’s job market is much better off than it was during and shortly after the pandemic-induced recession of 2020. (These are the states with the most job openings.)
Still, the labor force participation rate – the share of Americans 16 and older either working or looking for work – is well below pre-pandemic levels, amidst what’s been dubbed the Great Resignation. Also, the U.S. is still about 2.9 million jobs shy of the over 20 million jobs lost in March April of 2020. (These are states where the most people are quitting their jobs.)
Conditions also vary by state, both the overall labor market, and specifically where demand for workers is greatest. To determine the industries that are hiring the most in every state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed a report from career intelligence platform Lensa. The platform reviewed the total number of job postings by state five broad industries – computer and mathematical, health care practitioners and technical, management, office and administrative support, transportation and material moving – through the second half of 2021. 2019 unemployment rate came from the Census Bureau.
Those who are looking for work or looking to switch jobs for better pay and benefits may want to consider office administration in New Hampshire or Utah; a transportation and materials moving occupation in Minnesota or Nebraska; or management in Massachusetts or Colorado.
Companies that are most popular among applicants include well-known brands like Amazon, FedEx, and Walmart, as well as lesser known names like Virtual Vocations, a platform for people seeking remote work-from-home jobs, and LiveOps, a contact-center company that utilizes independent contractors.
The top two largest states by population, California and Texas, are also the states with the most job listings, but New York state claims third place despite having a smaller population than Florida. Vermont, Iowa, and Wyoming are the top three states when considering job opportunities per person.
Click here to see every state’s best-hiring industry in 2022
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