North Dakota Job Market Shows Stability Amid Rising Openings

The April Jobs Report for North Dakota has been released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and shows considerable consistency, with key employment metrics mostly unchanged from March.

The state continues to maintain 24,000 job vacancies, a level identical to last month. North Dakota also showed a job openings rate of 5.2%, well higher than the 4.8% shown last month.

Jason Palmer, the regional commissioner for North Dakota, said that at 0.3 the ratio of unemployed people to job opportunities in North Dakota was especially low. This ratio emphasizes a rather tight labor market since fewer individuals are vying for every open position. By comparison, the national average came in at 0.8.

Job Separations and Hires

Regarding labor force movements, North Dakota experienced 19,000 separations in April, comprising 5,000 layoffs and discharges and 12,000 quits, compared to March, when the state noted 11,000 quits and 8,000 layoffs and discharges. Quits have averaged 12,000 per month during the past year, ranging from 10,000 to 14,000; layoffs and discharges have averaged 6,000 per month, ranging from 4,000 to 8,000.

North Dakota's April hire total, meanwhile, was 17,000, somewhat higher than the 16,000 hires noted in March. Hires over the past year have averaged 18,000 every month, suggesting a steady need for labor in the state.

Job Openings vs. Separations

Separations still outnumber new hires in North Dakota; however, the report indicates that North Dakota's labor market remains strong, with plenty of openings and hiring implying a strong need for workers.