There are plenty of opportunities for job seekers in the current job market. There are now more jobs in the United States than there were before the pandemic.
So where exactly are the jobs?
In October 2023, employers added 150,000 new jobs across the United States (compared with an average monthly gain of 401,000 in 2022). The national unemployment rate was slightly up at 3.9 percent.
The U.S. Department of Labor reported that most gains were in these areas:
- Health care
- Government
- Social assistance
Health care
Employment in health care also grew in October with 58,000 new jobs (compared with the average monthly gain of 53,000 over the prior 12 months). Most of the new jobs were in ambulatory health care services, nursing and residential care facilities, and hospitals.
While most healthcare provider jobs require specific training, licenses, or certifications, you can get started as a certified nursing assistant with a few months of training (find a certified nursing assistant training program in your area; they generally last from 4 to 12 weeks). Other openings for people new to health care are in customer service positions or administrative jobs at all levels.
If you already have health care experience or credentials, visit the Job Finder to search for jobs near you. You can use the Business Finder to identify health care facilities near you.
Watch the Health Sciences overview video or Careers in Health Science video to learn more about the health care field.
Then visit the Local Training Finder to learn more about health care training and credentialing options.
Professional and business services
The number of professional and business services jobs nationally rose slightly in October, by about 15,000 jobs, and there are now more than a million more jobs in this industry than there were before the pandemic. Many jobs in this field are in management and technical consulting services, architectural and engineering services, and scientific research and development services. Many jobs in this industry can be remote or hybrid positions.
If you have experience in any of these fields, you can search local job postings, or find a remote or virtual job.
Don’t have training or experience in a professional service? There are still many work-from-home options in customer service and other areas. Visit Find a Remote Job and enter keywords for job types you're interested in to see what might be a good fit for you.
Construction
Jobs at construction sites also rose, by 23,000 jobs, in October.
Learn more about the construction industry in this overview video of architecture and construction or explore architecture and construction careers.
Learn more about your local job market for construction by visiting the Job Finder to search by keyword, business name, or job title.
Transportation and warehousing
Employment in the transportation and warehousing industry fell slightly in October, with 12,000 fewer new jobs reported.
Job openings in this industry range from entry-level warehouse and fulfillment jobs to logistics and operations manager positions. Also in demand are commercial driving jobs, which require a CDL license that can be earned in less than two months (locate a local CDL training program near you).
Learn more about this field from the Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics overview video, or explore Careers in Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics.
Visit the Job Finder to search for transportation or warehousing jobs near you.
Leisure and hospitality
This industry, which had seen large job growth earlier this year, changed little in October, adding 19,000 jobs, mostly in food services and drinking places.
Learn more about this field in this overview video of hospitality and tourism or explore hospitality and tourism careers.
Want to know more about your local job market for leisure and hospitality opportunities? Visit the
Business Finder and search for local businesses such as restaurants, entertainment spaces, hotels, or more. Then visit the
Job Finder
to search by keyword, business name, or job title.
Retail trade
Employment in stores and other retail trade businesses also remained steady in October.
Most retail jobs are in person and you can search for “retail” or the type of store you are interested in at Job Finder. You can also search the Business Finder for stores and other retail opportunities near you.
Manufacturing
Employment in manufacturing fell by 35,000 jobs in October, almost entirely due to strikes at motor vehicle plants. The manufacturing industry includes jobs that produce products and equipment—from commercial products such as concrete, metals, chemicals, and machinery, to personal products like computers, clothing, toys, and food and beverages. Customer demand for products continues to rise, and there are far fewer people employed in manufacturing today than there were before the pandemic, so new jobs may be more likely here in the coming months as manufacturing plants begin producing more products.
Learn more about manufacturing in this overview video of the manufacturing industry or explore manufacturing careers.
Want to know more about your local job market for opportunities in manufacturing? Visit the Business Finder and search for local by the keyword "manufacturing". Then visit the Job Finder to search by keyword, business name, or job title.
Education
Employment in education remained relatively steady in October.
View these videos to learn more: Education and training overview or Education and training careers.
Visit the Job Finder to search for education jobs near you.
Earnings
Employees' average hourly earnings rose by 7 cents, or 0.2 percent, to $34.00 in October. Over the past 12 months, hourly earnings have increased by 4.1 percent.