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Layoffs fell and job openings rose in the United States in April, which is good news for Americans, but four popular sectors are seeing layoffs that are higher than the average.
Layoffs have remained relatively steady throughout the year, according to new data from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLC), and more Americans are quitting their jobs than are being laid off. But for Americans who have been laid off, finding a new job isn't easy because of the "low hire, low fire" environment companies are stuck in.
Some of the industries with higher layoff rates than the national average are among the most accessible people can find regardless of education. But the same traits that make them easy to enter can also make them more volatile and less stable.
Construction is the eighth-most popular industry, according to data from the BLS, and accounts for 4.8 percent of American employment.
In April, construction recorded a layoff rate of 1.5 percent, above the national average of 1.1 percent. Unlike some industries, layoffs in construction are not necessarily a sign of broader weakness. The sector is inherently cyclical and influenced by seasonal changes, weather conditions and fluctuations in the housing and infrastructure markets.
However, current economic conditions are adding pressure. Higher borrowing costs have slowed homebuilding in some areas, while uncertainty about future demand has made employers more cautious. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has regularly been highlighting the rising price of building materials as a plague on the industry. Prices are rising faster than in the past three years, according to NAHB.
As a result, construction workers often experience periods of strong hiring followed by waves of layoffs. For many, maintaining steady employment requires moving between projects or employers.
The biggest job losses in construction were in Alaska, with a drop in 5.6 percent year over year, followed by Mississippi at 3.3 percent and New Jersey at 3 percent.
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