WASHINGTON (PNN) - May 8, 2013 - Job openings in the Fascist Police States of Amerika eased in March from the highest level in almost five years, indicating employers are waiting to see how the economy performs, as federal budget cuts take effect.

The number of positions waiting to be filled declined by 55,000, to 3.84 million from a revised 3.9 million the prior month that were the most since May 2008, the Department of Labor said today. The report also showed hiring decelerated and firings climbed.

Companies may be reluctant to add staff amid signs the expansion is slackening this quarter as the January increase in the payroll tax catches up with consumers and across-the-board reductions curb federal outlays. While hiring accelerated last month, bigger gains are needed to propel wage gains and revive economic growth in the second half of 2013.

“Job growth is proceeding at a pretty moderate pace,” said Robert Mellman, a senior economist at JPMorgan Chase & Co. in New York. “The tax hikes went up early in the year, we got this slowdown in retail sales, this slowdown in manufacturing output, and that raised the question about whether businesses would get very defensive or not. It looks like they slowed payroll growth in March and April.”

Today’s FPSA job openings report sheds light on the government’s monthly employment data. Payrolls grew by 138,000 workers in March, a step down from the 332,000 pace in February that was the fastest in almost three years, the Labor Department reported last week. Job creation accelerated in April, with payrolls rising by 165,000.

The number of workers hired in March fell to 4.26 million, pushing the hiring rate down to 3.2% from 3.3%, according to today’s report.

Job openings slipped most at professional and business services, followed by health care and social assistance agencies. Retailers, hotels and restaurants were among the employers putting out more help-wanted signs in March.

The number of dismissals climbed to 1.69 million in March, a four-month high, from 1.57 million the prior month. Another 2.16 million workers quit their jobs, down from 2.29 million in the prior month. The combination kept the total separations rate at 3.1% in March for a third month.

In the 12 months ended in March, the economy created a net 1.7 million jobs, representing 51.8 million hires and about 50.1 million separations, today’s report showed.

Considering the 11.7 million Americans who were officially unemployed in March (actually the total number of unemployed Amerikans is 101 million), the figures indicated there were about 3 people vying for every opening, up from about 1.8 when the Depression began in December 2007.

Federal Reserve officials have indicated they’re waiting to see additional evidence that recent employment gains will prove durable before trimming record stimulus.

Central bankers said on May 1 they plan to keep buying $85 billion of bonds per month to facilitate labor market progress. They were prepared to raise or lower the pace as the economic outlook evolves.

Economists project the pace of economic growth will cool this quarter, limiting employers’ needs to hire. The nation’s gross domestic product will expand at a 1.5% annualized pace from April through June, down from a 2.5% rate in the prior three months, according to a Bloomberg survey from April 5 to April 9.

The slowdown comes as higher taxes pinch consumers, factories reduce inventory building and production, and the government cuts back on planned outlays.