Online advertised vacancies decreased 162,100 to 5,334,300 in February, according to The Conference Board Help Wanted OnLine (HWOL) Data Series.
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The January Supply/Demand rate stands at 1.42 unemployed for each advertised vacancy with a total of 2.3 million more unemployed workers than the number of advertised vacancies. The number of unemployed was around 7.8 million in January.
“While 2015 showed slow positive growth averaging about 25,000 ads per month, the first two months of 2016 have shown weakness in labor demand,†said Gad Levanon, Managing Director of Macroeconomic and Labor Market Research at The Conference Board.
“The overall level of demand still remains high, but the very weak start of 2016 suggests a possible temporary weakening in employer demand for labor.â€
In February, the Professional category saw a large gain in Management (11.2) but losses in Healthcare (−10.8) and Computer/Math (−12.5).
The Services/Production category saw the largest February losses including: Office/Administration (−48.7), Transportation (−29.5), Installation/Maintenance (−12.4), Construction (−12.2), and Food (−12.0).
The Midwest experienced a decrease of 67,700 in February (Table A). Michigan decreased 22,800 to 180,600 and Ohio declined 22,600 to 195,500. Illinois declined 6,900 to 208,000. Minnesota fell 600 to 144,100. Missouri decreased 1,900 to 101,200.
Wisconsin inched up 1,800 to 111,300. Among the smaller States in the region, Indiana decreased 2,800 to 93,100, and Kansas increased 600 to 48,000. Iowa decreased 3,300 to 65,900, Nebraska fell 1,600 to 37,100, and North Dakota increased 600 to 18,000.
The Northeast declined 16,100 in February. New York fell 7,600 to 306,700, the largest change in the region. Pennsylvania decreased 6,200, to 225,400. Massachusetts increased 2,600 to 167,200. New Jersey declined 2,400 to 167,300.
In the smaller States, Connecticut lost 4,600 to 66,500. Maine increased 1,700 to 22,400 and New Hampshire rose 900 to 29,200. Rhode Island fell 700 to 18,100 and Vermont remained unchanged at 10,600.
The West decreased 9,000 in February. California decreased 9,900 to 643,100. Colorado fell 4,600 to 129,400 and Arizona declined 300 to 107,000. Washington increased 200 to 134,800.
Among the smaller States in theWest, Oregon increased 1,700 to 83,100 and Utah grew 2,900 to 64,500. Nevada increased 400 to 49,300. Idaho remained constant at 26,600, and New Mexico decreased 900 to 30,600. Montana decreased 200 to 22,200 while Wyoming increased 500 to 10,100.
The South decreased 26,700. Among the larger States in the region, Florida decreased 10,300 to 277,400 and Georgia fell 6,200 to 155,800.
Texas grew 2,800, to 376,900. North Carolina decreased 2,400 to 146,600. Virginia decreased 3,700 to 160,400.
Maryland fell 2,400 to 117,200. Among the smaller States, Alabama fell 600 to 53,900. Tennessee decreased 1,600 to 89,000 and Kentucky declined 300 to 55,400.
South Carolina fell 500 to 67,700 and Oklahoma increased 300 to 45,600. Louisiana fell 1,400 to 49,900 and Delaware decreased 100 to 17,200. ■