May job creation numbers were once again below expectations, clocking in at 559,000 positions. And with an estimated 8 million job openings across the US and 9.3 million unemployed workers, "a hiring disconnect continues to plague the employment market," said John Chang, senior vice president and director of research services at Marcus & Millichap.  

Many business operators are struggling to fill open positions, forcing many to open at reduced capacityand this, in turn, will slow the broader economic recovery, according to Chang. 

The employment gap can be partially explained by the expanded federal unemployment benefits program, which was recently extended through September 6. That program includes $300 in federal benefits per week on top of any state benefits to which the recipient may be entitled. That may not sound like much, Chang notes, but for many it's more than sufficientparticularly in cases of families with children, where being at home instead of working means reduced childcare costs. 

Continue Reading for Free

Register and gain access to:

  • Breaking commercial real estate news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
  • Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
  • Critical coverage of the property casualty insurance and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, PropertyCasualty360 and ThinkAdvisor
NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.