WASHINGTON (AP) — On the face of it, the U.S. job market has looked pretty stable this year. Hiring has been solid – if not exactly spectacular – after a lackluster 2025.But underneath the headline numbers, the job market is sending mixed and confusing signals.Companies in some industries can’t find enough workers and have to pay premium wages to fill vacancies. Others are making such efficient use of technology that they don’t need to hire much at all.Normally, the American labor market looks either good or bad. Lately, it’s been a bit of both.Layoffs are rare — but times are tough for jobseekersAmericans who have jobs are enjoying unusual job security. Layoffs are low by historical standards. Companies, scarred by the surprise labor shortages that followed COVID-19 lockdowns a few years ago, don’t want to risk giving up the staff they have.One week in July the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits dropped to the lowest level in more than 50 years. The jobless rate tumbled to 4.2% in June, the lowest in a year, and is expected to have stayed there last month, according to a survey of forecasters by the data firm FactSet.
But Americans who have lost their jobs – or are seeking to bust into the job market for the first time – are struggling to catch a break. One sign of their trouble: In May 27.5% of the unemployed had been out of work for six months, the most in four and a half years; the share dipped slightly but remained high in June. Economists have used the term “no hire, no fire’’ to describe the unusual job market conditions.
