The number of job vacancies soared to nearly 15 million by mid-March, but discouraged, hesitant and fearful job seekers means many positions are still unfilled, according to new data from online job site ZipRecruiter. Online job postings plunged from 10 million before the start of the pandemic last year to just below 6 million last May, as lockdowns and shutdown orders forced businesses to close their doors and reduce or lay off workers. Now, as vaccinations increase and companies are again able to make projections, they're staffing up to capture booming demand, with the number of open positions across all online listings soaring 5 million above the pandemic's start. A bar graph from ZipRecruiter shows labor force participation rates remaining sluggish as job postings surge.