A Hot U.S. Job Market Is Coaxing People in From the Sidelines

The pace of hiring last year was the strongest in three years, because many more people have decided to seek jobs than anticipated, reports the Concord Monitor . The percentage of employed Americans 25 to 54 has neared 80 percent, the same rate as before the Great Recession. Research also implies the high cost of child care and a lack of paid leave have restrained the participation rate of prime-age American women. Many companies are easing their education or experience rules, as well as considering more applicants with handicaps. Businesses are expanding their training programs, while analysts say some firms also are looking with a more open mind at persons with criminal pasts. "We have learned this year that there's more slack in the labor market because people are coming back in," said Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. Women have returned to the workforce in greater numbers than men, with the percentage of prime-age females in the labor force now topping pre-recession numbers. Employment has reached an 18-year peak for ladies 25 to 34, while the participation rate for prime-age African-American women also has surpassed its pre-recession level.