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By PAUL WISEMAN, AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. job openings rose unexpectedly in April, showing that the labor market remains resilient in the face of uncertainty arising from President Donald Trump’s trade wars.

The Labor Department reported Tuesday that employers posted 7.4 million job vacancies in April, up from 7.2 million in March. Economists had expected openings to drift down to 7.1 million.

But the number of Americans quitting their jobs— a sign of confidence in their prospects — fell, and layoffs ticked higher. And in another sign the job market has cooled from the hiring boom of 2021-2023, the Labor Department reported one job every unemployed person. As recently as December 2022, there were two vacancies for every jobless American.

Openings remain high by historical standards but have dropped sharply since peaking at 12.1 million in March 2022, when the economy was still roaring back COVID-19 lockdowns.

The Labor Department’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary showed little evidence of cuts to the federal workforce by billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. Openings for federal jobs rose to 134,000 in April from 121,000 in March. And federal layoffs fell to 4,000 from 8,000 in March and 19,000 in February. read more

By MATT OTT, AP Business Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Meta has cut a 20-year deal to secure nuclear power to help meet surging demand for artificial intelligence and other computing needs at Facebook’s parent company.

The investment with Meta will also expand the output of a Constellation Energy Illinois nuclear plant.

The agreement announced Tuesday is just the latest in a string of tech-nuclear partnerships as the use of AI expands. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed.

Constellation’s Clinton Clean Energy Center was actually slated to close in 2017 after years of financial losses but was saved by legislation in Illinois establishing a zero-emission credit program to support the plant into 2027. The agreement deal takes effect in June of 2027, when the state’s taxpayer funded zero-emission credit program expires.

With the arrival of Meta, Clinton’s clean energy output will expand by 30 megawatts, preserve 1,100 local jobs and bring in $13.5 million in annual tax revenue, according to the companies. The plant currently powers the equivalent of about 800,000 U.S. homes. George Gross, professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Illinois. estimates that 30 additional megawatts would be enough to power a city with about 30,00 residents for one year. read more

By STAN CHOE, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks pulled closer to their record on Tuesday as the wait continued for more updates on President Donald Trump’s tariffs and how much they’re affecting the economy.

The S&P 500 rose 0.6%, coming off a modest gain that added to its stellar May. It’s back within 2.8% of its all-time high set earlier this year after falling roughly 20% below two months ago.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 214 points, or 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.8%.

Dollar General jumped 15.8% for one of the market’s bigger gains after reporting stronger profit and revenue for the start of the year than analysts expected. The discount retailer also raised its forecasts for profit and revenue over the full year, though it cautioned that “uncertainty exists for the remainder of the year” because of tariffs and how they might affect its customers.

Many other companies have cut or withdrawn their financial forecasts for the upcoming year because of the uncertainty caused by Trump’s on-again-off-again rollout of tariffs. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said on Tuesday that it’s forecasting 1.6% growth for the U.S. economy this year, down from 2.8% last year. read more

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN, AP Business Writer

Dollar General set a quarterly sales record of $10.44 billion and upgraded its annual profit and sales outlook as Americans tighten their budgets and spend more at bargain stores and off-price retailers amid economic uncertainty.

The U.S. economy shrank at a 0.2% annual pace from January through March, the first drop in three years, as President Donald Trump’s trade wars dented spending by businesses. Consumer spending slowed sharply.

Dollar General, based in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, stands out because it is raising its expectations for the year while most traditional retailers, like Macy’s, Target or Best Buy, are dialing back profit and or sales projections, citing anxious customers or the impact of tariffs.

For the period ended May 2, Dollar General’s sales climbed 5% to $10.44 billion from $9.91 billion. That’s better than the $10.29 billion that Wall Street was expecting, according to a poll by Zacks Investment Research.

Sales at stores open at least a year, a key indicator of a retailer’s health, increased 2.4%. read more