"The biggest vote of confidence in the U.S. economy is business continuing to hire at a strong rate and Americans continuing to return to work. The United States added back 390,000 jobs in May, once again beating expectations. Nearly every industry saw net employment gains, except for the retail sector. And more and more Americans are looking for jobs again — and getting them.
"The past year has been dubbed the “Great Resignation” due to tens of millions of people quitting their jobs and, usually, finding another one quickly with higher pay or better work-life balance. But the past year could just as easily be called the 'Great Return to Work.'
"More than 6.5 million jobs have come back in the past year, one of the greatest employment rebounds in U.S. history. Women and minorities have made especially large gains. For all the concerns about the 'She-cession' early in the pandemic, women have come surging back into the workforce in recent months, especially as schools and day cares have reopened. Women’s labor force participation, especially for ages 25 to 54, has now recovered as much as men’s. And the share of African Americans working is almost back at a two-decade high. [snip]
"The reality is that 96 percent of the jobs lost in the 2020 recession are back and many companies no longer see as much urgency to hire. But the past year has made a huge difference to millions of families that now have higher incomes and renewed careers.
"It took more than six years to recover from the Great Recession. By comparison, this jobs recovery is on track to take about 2.5 years. That’s worth celebrating." -- Washington Post editorial board, emphasizing what's worth celebrating in a media environment that otherwise relentlessly looks for the most negative spin on the economic news.
Here's some additional reporting that, at least anecdotally, supports "the glass is half full" view of the economy.
