Hiring soared in May as mass layoffs eased
By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) — The job market took a big step toward healing in May, though plenty of damage remains, as a record level of hiring that month followed record layoffs in March and April. The Labor Department also said Tuesday that the number of available jobs rose sharply but remained far below pre-pandemic levels. The figures, from the government’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover survey, or JOLTS, illustrate the whiplash the economy has experienced since the pandemic intensified in mid-March.