Despite escalating trade tensions and widespread uncertainty, U.S. job openings increased in April 2025 , according to the latest government data. However, companies remain hesitant to hire at a faster pace, signaling a cautious approach amid ongoing global trade disputes. The U.S. Department of Labor reported that job openings rose to 7.4 million in April , up from 7.2 million in March. While this marks an uptick, it still represents a significant drop — nearly 40% — from the all-time high recorded three years ago.

Hiring activity continues to lag, hovering near post-pandemic lows. Recent labor market surveys also indicate that workers are taking longer to transition between jobs, and employment opportunities have become harder to secure.

Business leaders have cited trade policy uncertainty as a key factor holding back hiring decisions. With President Donald Trump’s administration imposing and lifting tariffs in a volatile cycle, many firms are waiting for clearer guidance before committing to new hires or capital investments.

Trump recently eased some tariff measures to allow room for negotiations, which may provide temporary relief. However, the threat of reimposing higher tariffs looms if international agreements fail to materialize.

Key Highlights:

• White-collar, retail, healthcare, and entertainment sectors saw the largest increase in job postings.

• Hotels and restaurants experienced a decline in job listings, partly due to falling tourism caused by trade tensions and restrictive policies.

• Some foreign visitors have delayed travel plans to the U.S., affecting employment in service-driven industries.

The private-sector hiring rate edged up slightly to 3.5% in April from 3.4% the previous month. However, this remains below both pre-pandemic levels and post-pandemic peaks.

Worker confidence appears shaken, as reflected in the quit rate , which remained flat at 2% — a historically low level. Fewer people are voluntarily leaving their jobs when economic conditions feel unstable.

On a positive note, layoff rates stayed exceptionally low , indicating that while businesses aren’t aggressively expanding, they’re also not cutting staff at alarming levels.

⚖️ Big Picture: Trade Wars Impact Employment Outlook

While the labor market has so far held up relatively well despite the early stages of trade wars, economists warn that hiring could slow further and unemployment may rise unless the White House offers more clarity on its long-term tariff strategy.

Friday’s May jobs report will be the first major indicator of how trade tensions are impacting overall employment. Economists surveyed by the Wall Street Journal expect the economy added around 125,000 jobs in May , down from 177,000 in April.

Robert Frick, corporate economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, commented:

“The numbers still show a gradually slowing, but stable, jobs market. The leap in openings reflects normal noise in the numbers, not a surge in new positions, and the hiring rate increase isn’t a notable improvement, as that rate remains within the recent weak range.”