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This is a first: The US has 10 million job openings

CNN | Job Openings |

New York (CNN Business) It’s a hallmark sign of this strange pandemic labor market: America had a record 10.1 million jobs available in June, as businesses struggled to hire enough staff to support the full reopening of the economy. That mismatch between worker demand and supply has been a defining characteristic of the pandemic recovery. Hiring is rampant across industries, as businesses are still rebuilding the capacity lost during last year’s lock-downs. Professional and business services, retail, hotels, and restaurants added the most job openings, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics report released Monday.

But many jobless workers are facing complexities. Some continue to struggle with finding child care, while others are concerned about the risk of contracting the virus at work.

“If we want to sustain our economic recovery, we have to get serious about removing barriers to filling these open jobs,” said Neil Bradley, executive vice president, and chief policy officer of the US Chamber of Commerce.

Specifically, Bradley added, “that includes addressing childcare needs, rightsizing unemployment programs, skills training, and increasing legal immigration.”

Economists expect that at least the child care aspect will be addressed when schools reopen in person after the summer. But the rampant spread of the Covid-19 Delta variant is adding exposure risk. Meanwhile, the generous pandemic-era unemployment benefits that have already ceased in multiple states will run out in September, which could affect the rate of hiring as well.