Consumer News: Over 900,000 jobs filled in March, United Airlines to resume hiring pilots and more!

CNN– The Labor Department’s job report shows 916,000 new jobs were filled in the month of March. That’s almost double the 468,000 added in February. The unemployment rate also dropped from 6.2% to an even 6%. Some sectors are back to their pre-pandemic employment levels, but the overall economy is still down eight million jobs.

United Airlines is now accepting applications for pilots. The company said it plans to start hiring pilots this month, after that was put on hold last year. United will bring on board about 300 pilots whose hiring classes were canceled because of the pandemic. The airline says it’s not clear yet how many new pilots it will need down the line. This announcement is the latest sign of recovery for the airline industry, which took a heavy hit from the pandemic.

There is some good news for investors in the stock market. Both the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average have been setting record highs in recent weeks. Due to trading stock of some of the biggest U.S. companies, the S&P is considered the broadest range barometer of the market’s health. Stock market officials say optimism about the coronavirus recovery is the main reason for fueling the rise.