MNI DATA IMPACT:US Nov Job Openings Fall; First Drop Since May

U.S. job openings fell in November for the first time since the nation exited from its first Covid-19 lockdown, a clear sign the employment recovery is beginning to falter, according to data published Wednesday by Glassdoor.

Available jobs in the U.S. economy slipped 2.5% in November from October to 5.45 million, according to Glassdoor's November jobs report, the first monthly decline since May. Openings are down 10.2% from pre-crisis levels.

Roughly 38% of employers reduced or paused hiring in November, up from 33% in October. Only 30% of employers through the month were adding new positions, the lowest since May.

Openings for remote work were up 42% from October and 276% from one year ago.

Jobs in tech slipped the furthest in November, falling 7.3%, followed by trade and transportation job openings, which declined by 5.2% from October. Retail employment dropped 3% despite stronger-than-expected holiday hiring, Glassdoor said, while openings in food services fell 2.4% as spiking virus cases have forced bars and restaurants in some areas to close their doors again.

Meanwhile, available health care positions were up 3.2% as medical facilities beefed up staffing levels to combat the nation's latest wave of Covid-19.

"The promising economic recovery we saw this summer is now flashing warning signs as Covid-19 cases surge across the country," Glassdoor senior economist Daniel Zhao said in a statement. "A widespread slowdown in hiring among all industries except health care shows further evidence that the pandemic remains in the driver's seat and has tapped the brakes on the recovery."

Covid-19 cases in the U.S. as of Wednesday morning had reached nearly 14 million, accounting for more than 20% of infections worldwide.

Openings Down Nationwide

Nearly every state and the District of Columbia saw job openings decline in November, according to Glassdoor, the most since May.

Jobs in the Seattle and Boston metro areas suffered the largest blows through the month, falling 11.2% and 10.3%, respectively. New England and the Pacific Northwest were both hit hard early on by the pandemic and have more stringent business restrictions in place than other parts of the country.