Legal Job Losses in May

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports  that 1,000 legal jobs were lost in May.  After  initially reporting encouraging news in April--the Bureau  posted a gain of 1,500 law jobs--those figures were revised  to instead show a loss of 700 positions that month.  (The Am Law Daily notes that it is not unusual for the bureau to revise figures when new data becomes available).   The April update means that the legal industry has experienced declines for four consecutive months. 

While the overall economy shows a moderate recovery, the legal industry is down 2,700 jobs from last year at this time, according to the Am Law Daily.   The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported an increase of 232,000 jobs in April then a slower increase of 54,000 in May.  The May increase adds just one third the number of jobs economists were predicting, the New York Times  reports, calling it a standstill in the economic recovery.

In a surprising turn of events, some US attorneys are finding jobs with legal outsourcing firms.    Many of the firms that traditionally sought lower-priced legal work in countries where labor costs are cheaper, are now hiring U.S. attorneys.  The firms are finding that positions related to military contracts and export control documents are best filled by lawyers in the U.S.  The amount of available talent here also makes it an easy decision. Although the positions do not pay as well as those in law firms, the availability of positions is somewhat encouraging. 

Sources:

Bureau of Labor Statistics

Am Law Daily

New York Times 

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