US job growth in May was way stronger than the forecast.
Nonfarm payrolls increased by 272,000.
The US unemployment rate is no longer below 4%.
Following data published Tuesday showing job openings cooled in April, data released on Friday showed how job growth and unemployment looked for the US in May.
A news release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics said nonfarm payroll employment rose by 272,000. The forecast per Investing.com was 182,000. April's increase was revised from 175,000 to 165,000. March's increase was revised from 315,000 to 310,000, as noted in the news release.
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Plus, the US unemployment rate was 4.0% in May, greater than the expected rate of 3.9%. The previous rate was 3.9%.
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The jobs report published on Friday comes before the next Federal Open Market Committee meeting. It's expected the target rate will be unchanged, as seen by the CME FedWatch Tool.
"Over the past year, as labor market tightness has eased and inflation has declined, the risks to achieving our employment and inflation goals have moved toward better balance," Fed Chair Jerome Powell said at a FOMC press conference in May. "The economic outlook is uncertain, however, and we remain highly attentive to inflation risks."
While US inflation has continued to be elevated, it's not as hot as it once was. The consistently low unemployment rate is one of several economic indicators that the US is avoiding a recession. Additionally, some recent data points to a soft landing.
"For many Americans, the difference between a soft landing and a more turbulent slowdown is their job," Nick Bunker, the economic research director for North America at the Indeed Hiring Lab, told Business Insider earlier this week.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Some Gen Zers are bringing their parents to interviews (stock image.)
VioletaStoimenova/Getty Images
Gen Zers are bringing their parents to job interviews, a survey of 1,428 Zoomers found.
Experts say this trend shows Gen Z values parental guidance, but it can hurt job prospects.
However, having a parent in the interview may alleviate the stress and anxiety.
A small study suggests some Gen Zers are bringing their parents along to job interviews.
In a Resume Templates survey of 1,428 US Zoomers, 70% said they had asked their parents for help during their job search, and 26% said they had brought a parent to an interview.
Discussing the results on her radio show, the reporter Kim Komando said a candidate once showed up to an interview for a studio position with their mother.
"That is just a bad sign," she said.
For the Gen Zers who said they had a parent at an in-person interview, 37% said they had them come into the office, 26% said the parent physically sat in the room while the interview took place, and 18% said their parent introduced themselves to the hiring manager,
Seven percent said their parents even answered questions for them.
A growing trend?
The sample is small but builds on previous findings that some Zoomers are happier when their parents are there to support them in finding a job.
A survey of 800 managers, directors, and executives commissioned by the student-life publication Intelligent last year also found that one in five employers said a candidate showed up to their interview with a parent.
Some employers, 39%, said they avoided hiring recent graduates in favor of older candidates. When asked about interview behavior, 50% said they'd had young candidates ask for too much compensation, and 47% said they'd dressed inappropriately.
These polls have limitations. Managers saying they have encountered candidates doing something doesn't mean it's becoming the norm. (Business Insider could not find any Gen Zers on social media who said they'd brought their parents to interviews.)
It's also cyclical that younger generations are criticized for their every move. In 2013, The Wall Street Journal reported that 3% of millennials were dragging their parents into interview rooms.
But there also could be some truth in it. Erin McGoff, a content creator who gives career and life advice, said she had asked around and had been surprised to find evidence of parents attending interviews and trying to set them up for their adult children.
While bringing parents along to an interview may set off alarm bells, it may not be as bad as it sounds.
It provides a much-needed confidence boost for young people and may be the difference between them performing well or badly.
James Uffindell, the CEO of the graduate jobseeking platform Bright Network, told Business Insider the early job market can be "daunting."
Bright Network research shows that only 54% of young professionals feel confident about securing a job straight out of college, citing concerns about their lack of experience, he said.
The shift shows that Gen Z as a generation "values the guidance and experience that parents can undoubtedly provide," Uffindell said.
David Rice, an HR expert at the media company People Managing People, told BI Gen Zers are at an age where they have been used to living with their parents for most of their lives.
"So they naturally might seek their parents' advice and guidance when making important decisions, like choosing a job," he said.
Having a parent in the interview may alleviate the stress and anxiety associated with being interviewed, Rice said.
"Gen Zers might feel like having a parent present can help them to be more relaxed," he said. "It might reveal a lot about their natural communication skills and decision-making processes."
Obvious downsides
Anecdotally, some parents are confused about why their children are asking them to come to their job interviews.
"During school, she was very confident; she never needed me to hold her hand," one mom wrote to News.com.au's advice column Kidspot. "I don't think of myself as a helicopter parent, so I'm at a loss as to why she would ask this."
In response, the columnist Jordana Shell told her that Zoomers "need to learn and build resilience."
"As parents, we have to know when to let them swim alone, and when to throw in the life vest," she said.
While there are some benefits, there are also obvious downsides to parents coming along to interviews with their children. For instance, parents in the room will be tempted to interfere and influence their child's responses.
Jennie Bayliss, the founder of the recruitment company Office Wings, told BI that the way companies recruit their staff has changed over the years, particularly due to the introduction of online interviews.
"As hirers, we can't always be sure who is in the room," she said. "But when it comes to face-to-face, we look to create an environment that brings out the best in the candidate so that they don't feel the need to bring anything more than some notes with them."
Bayliss said she wants to see a real person in an interview to judge whether they will fit in well with the rest of the team.
"Having a parent next to them is unlikely to bring that side out," she said. "And as a parent it would be hard not to input and try to embellish my child's answers, which for a hirer would be rather annoying."
Having any other person present can skew the evaluation, Rice said.
"I can't imagine many employers would be comfortable with Gen Zers bringing a parent along to a job interview unless there is a clear reason for it which is outlined ahead of the interview taking place," he said.
"Yes, there is nothing wrong with turning to your parents for advice," Rice added. "But they aren't going to be there every day you show up to work either."
Claire Brawn, the people director of the virtual training platform Attensi, told BI it would be "absolutely unthinkable" for a candidate to bring their parent to the actual interview.
"No potential employer could possibly ignore that elephant in the room," she said, recommending young jobseekers try role-play scenarios instead to build their confidence.
Victoria McLean, the CEO of City CV and Hanover Talent Solutions, which coaches graduates in finding a job, told BI that moral support is important and practicing with parents is a great way to prepare, but she would "draw the line at bringing them to interview."
Mom and Dad being there to hold your hand "speaks volumes," she said.
Red Lobster has already closed dozens of restaurants throughout the US.
PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP/Getty Images
Red Lobster has announced which restaurants it wants to close after filing for bankruptcy.
It's already closed dozens of restaurants throughout the US.
The additional restaurants include many in Florida and Texas.
Red Lobster has released a list of all the restaurants it wants to close after it filed for bankruptcy.
The beleaguered seafood chain voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on May 19. The 56-year-old chain had been struggling for years with high levels of leadership turnover, expensive leases, and the effects of private equity involvement.
In filings, Red Lobster said it operated about 570 restaurants and attached lists of 120 it wanted to reject the leases of.
It said that these leases were "likely to continue to drive losses" for the company.
"The Debtors' meticulous, well-considered lease rejection plan is centered on value maximization," it said. "In order to manage their business and assets responsibly and economically, the Debtors seek to reject unexpired leases of nonresidential property, which are a burden on the Debtors and their estates."
Of the restaurants included in the list, 24 are in Florida, where Red Lobster is based, 15 are in Texas, and nine are in California. Its flagship Times Square location in Manhattan is also on the list.
This is in addition to the dozens of locations that closed in May. Some of the restaurants included in the list of 120 additional restaurants have already closed.
My family has had a wonderful time exploring Europe.
Lana Katsaros
My family and I went on an open-ended trip to Europe, and we ended up buying a house here.
We love living in Portugal — life is relaxed and our son gets lots of time outdoors.
Although we will always have ties to the United States, we love living in Europe.
In January 2019, my father died. For months, I was in a fog and, in an effort to lift our spirits, I asked my husband how he felt about an open-ended trip to Europe.
It was the perfect escape since our son is homeschooled, and we have flexible work schedules as writers and composers.
He was all in, so we took a one-way flight to Italy and explored the United Kingdom and Europe for six months while we worked and schooled in between.
We didn't end up returning to the US.
We fell in love with Europe and ended up buying a house in Portugal
My family enjoyed exploring Europe for months.
Lana Katsaros
During our trip, we spent a long time in the Netherlands, where we learned more about the culture. We were especially impressed with how independent the children were.
We witnessed kids as young as 4 years old bike themselves to school past our rental house almost daily. It was far from the reality in the US, and this stop on our trip is where we began learning just how great Europe could be.
We planned to return to the US in early 2020, but then the coronavirus pandemic hit worldwide. We felt scared and confused, and going home seemed less of an option as some borders closed.
So, we extended our stay in Europe and then headed to Portugal, a place we were already familiar with.
We began renting a charming Airbnb in the Portuguese countryside and extended our trip so many times that the owners asked if we wanted to buy the house.
While my friends posted on social media about fighting in the supermarkets to buy toilet paper in the US, we were feeling OK. Our community was incredibly kind, and neighbors brought us food from their farms.
This temporary situation eventually became our new reality. We started to realize living in Europe may actually be a good idea for our family.
It's been 3 years since our 'accidental move,' and we have no regrets
TK
Lana Katsaros
We began referring to this journey as our "accidental move." We'd left for vacation with three suitcases, and suddenly, we were building an unexpected life in our new home in a new country.
In the US, life felt fast-paced and hurried, but moments feel savored here. Although it was initially challenging to adapt to, I now embrace the rhythm and want it for my son.
Witnessing many advantages — the ease of homeownership, exceptional healthcare, a safe environment, and a warm embrace by the community — solidified our decision to stay.
Here, our son thrives with ample outdoor time, easy access to healthy food, guaranteed medical care, and the constant opportunity to explore new cultures.
Though the US will always technically be home, and we'll always be connected to it through our chosen academic structure, our jobs, mandatory taxes, and our house there, we've certainly found Europe to be our sanctuary where we feel most peaceful.
A pilot school in Phoenix has stopped cadets from Cathay Pacific flying solo, per Bloomberg.
It said planes were damaged in incidents that weren't properly reported.
Cathay, one of the world's top airlines, is trying to increase pilot numbers after dropping during Covid.
An Arizona pilot school has stopped Cathay Pacific trainees from solo flights after several incidents that went unreported, Bloomberg first reported.
Cathay Pacific, the Hong Kong flag carrier, is one of the world's best airlines — one of just 10 globally to be ranked five stars by Skytrax.
In an internal memo, the AeroGuard Flight Training Center in Phoenix said it saw "an alarming increase in solo incidents during cadet training," per Bloomberg.
It added that the incidents involved a wingtip colliding with a fixed object, a "bounced landing" leading to a "substantial" propellor strike, and a complete runway excursion.
"While each situation was unique, in each case the concern was the same — required consultation did not occur," the memo reportedly said.
Bloomberg also reported that the students didn't properly report the damage in two of the three incidents.
In a statement shared with Business Insider, Cathay Pacific acknowledged the events and added, "We are taking them seriously."
"These incidents involve our sponsored students, who will become our employees upon successful graduation from the training course," it said.
"They will then need to undergo additional structured training before being assigned any flying duty."
A source familiar with the situation told Bloomberg that the decision would affect around 150 of the 250 to 300 Cathay cadets training at the school.
The decision hinders Cathay's ongoing plans to increase its number of pilots after the pandemic, when the airline instituted steep pay cuts.
Several pilots quit during that time, with some telling Reuters that strict COVID measures in Hong Kong were affecting their mental health.
In the statement, Cathay Pacific said, "Safety guides every decision we make, and we fully support the decision of the training school."
"We will continue to prioritize the safety and well-being of our cadet pilots and crew members, and we remain dedicated to upholding the highest standards in our training programs," it added.
Ukrainian gunners firing at Russian positions in the Kharkiv region.
Anatolii Stepanov/AFP via Getty Images
Aid from Ukraine's allies is reaching frontline soldiers facing strong Russian attacks.
But Ukrainian soldiers are still massively outgunned by Russian forces.
US aid has resumed to Ukraine, but it takes time to gather, arrive, and be distributed.
Western military aid is reaching Ukrainian soldiers on the front line, but not at a scale that enables Ukraine to challenge Russia's artillery advantage.
Ukrainian troops in Vovchansk, in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region, told The Telegraph that ammunition had started to reach their lines after the long US aid hiatus ended, but that they were still being outmatched by Russia.
"If we use 10 shells, they send 50 back," one artillery gunner told The Telegraph.
"Even if we receive the shells, our artillery barrels are old and worn out."
Russia started a new offensive in Kharkiv last month, and it has become one of the most intense areas of fighting, particularly because it is close to the border, which allows Russia to easily resupply and launch attacks.
The Telegraph's report suggests that the new supplies for Ukraine come from the US, where weaponry supplies to Ukraine have restarted after a six-month hiatus after Republicans stalled further assistance.
But Russia is larger and has more resources, meaning that Ukrainian units have often been at a disadvantage.
Western aid has often come in fits and starts, too, as Ukraine's allies debate what and how much to give, leaving soldiers on the front lines struggling with shortages over different periods.
While the overall European contribution to Ukraine has been higher than what the US has given, the US has been its single largest donor, and the absence of its support was strongly felt on the battlefield.
While some new weaponry from the US has already reached Ukrainian soldiers, getting supplies to Ukraine takes time.
It's unclear how much aid is expected to reach the soldiers in Kharkiv, or when it would arrive.
Washington DC-based think tank the Institute for the Study of War warned in an update this week that "Russian forces are attempting to make tactically and operationally significant gains before US military assistance arrives to Ukrainian forces at the frontline at scale."
It concluded that "the initial arrival of Western-provided weaponry will take some time to have tactical to operational effect on the frontline."
Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian shared some of his secrets for success in a 2023 MasterClass episode.
He said founders need to be generalists, build the right team, and get comfortable with rejection.
Ohanian also emphasized the importance of shipping a product, even if it's in basic form.
Alexis Ohanian cofounded Reddit when he was just 22 years old.
The former executive chairman started the company in June 2005 with his college roommate Steve Huffman. Just over a year later, the pair sold Reddit to Condé Nast for a reported $10 million.
Ohanian stepped down from Reddit's board in June 2020, but has kept a foot in the investing world.
Ohanian is a cofounder at Angel City, a board member of Apecoin, and has made more than 220 investments, according to PitchBook data.
In a 2023 episode of MasterClass, Ohanian explained what it's like to be on the other side of the investment table and shared his top tips for startup founders.
"Entrepreneurship is as simple as having ideas and doing them, and everyone is capable of it," he said, adding it had never been easier to become an entrepreneur.
"A founder today has more and more leverage than they did a decade ago. So many of the different components have been automated or semi-automated through software."
Being successful means being able to turn these ideas into a workable product, and having the resistance to keep going, Ohanian said.
1. Be a generalist
Part of being a successful start-up founder is being relentless and adaptable.
"Early on, you have to be willing to wear all the hats — you have to be willing to be a generalist," Ohanian said during the class.
Leaders need to be willing to take on jobs outside their comfort zone, even if they're not used to doing them. According to Ohanian, this attitude also needs to extend to early employees at start-ups.
"This scrappiness needs to infect not just the founding team but those early employees because you're going to find yourself in a situation where something just needs to get done," he said.
2. Ship something — even if it's basic
It's important to show investors that your ideas can work in the real world — even if it's a basic prototype.
"Minimum viable product" (MVP) is a term used in the start-up world to describe a product with enough features to attract early adopter customers and validate a product idea.
"It's something you can put in front of customers, or users, or potential clients, or partners. It's gives you some idea of whether or not your on the right track," Ohanian said.
This may be enough to draw in some investors, but building this foundation also means startups have something to work on and improve.
"Execution is everything," Ohanian said. "That's not just doing the work — that's doing the right work."
Figuring out your edge and continuously improving the product "is the most important thing you could spend your time on in those first six months," he added.
3. Get comfortable hearing no
Securing funding can be a lengthy process for start-ups.
Getting told no repeatedly is just a "part of fundraising," Ohanian said.
"There is not a single CEO out there who has not been told no more times than yes," he added. "The nature of being an entrepreneur is getting really comfortable hearing no."
Ohanian suggested that early founders focus on shipping something, even if it's basic, and sharing that widely on social media. Gaining a social profile could encourage investors to come directly to founders, allowing them to do less cold-calling.
4. Build the right team
Hiring the first employee is a major milestone for any startup, but it's also a decision that could make or break the company.
"Hiring well, hiring quickly is very hard to do; there's no hack," Ohanian said, noting that the rise of remote work had made the process even more complicated.
"The first 10 employees you hire are going to define the culture for the company for the rest of time. An ideal hire needs to be willing to help build the plane while you're flying it."
Ohanian recommended founders look outside their network when hiring and aggressively reach out to talent on platforms like X.
He also suggests founders focus on creating job ads that stand out: "In an environment where everyone is doing something the same way, being demonstrably different, it gives people something to want to talk about."
Warren Buffett and an Embraer Phenom 300 operated by NetJets
JOHANNES EISELE/AFP via Getty Images; Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images
NetJets has sued its pilots' union, accusing it of defamation over safety claims.
The union took out an ad referencing the Boeing blowout, but NetJets doesn't operate any Boeing planes.
"We view the lawsuit as an attempt to silence us," the union's president said this week.
NetJets, the private jet firm owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, is suing its pilots' union.
Filed Monday in an Ohio state court, the lawsuit accuses the union of defaming NetJets.
The company sells ownership shares in private aircraft, giving customers the right to fly for a certain number of hours with short notice.
The lawsuit claims the 3,400-member NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots (NJASAP) made false statements about the safety of the company's operations.
In 2023, NJASAP said that training is being conducted by people "who have little to no knowledge of NetJets' standard operating procedures and aircraft," per the suit.
It adds that this year, the union published an article saying NetJets "persists in its effort to draw down a once vibrant safety culture."
The suit also said that in late January, the NJASAP took out an ad in The Wall Street Journal referencing the door plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max, reading: "NetJets Owners: What if you looked out your window and saw a panel of the plane?"
That blowout sparked a crisis at Boeing as the planemaker works to improve its safety culture amid increased scrutiny from regulators.
However, NetJets doesn't operate any Boeing planes. Its lawyers said the ad was false and "clearly intended to alarm" customers.
NetJets is asking the court for unspecified damages and to prohibit the union from making more statements.
In a Wednesday press release, the NJASAP president, Pedor Leroux, said: "We view the lawsuit as an attempt to silence us."
"However, NJASAP has a federally protected right and an organizational and moral responsibility to our members — the NetJets pilots — and to our customers to raise safety issues, and we will continue to do just that," he added.
NetJets did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider outside US working hours.
Michael Doolin has been in the HR industry for 36 years, working for multinational companies.
Clover HR
Michael Doolin has worked in HR for 36 years. He was an HR direct for PwC, British Airways and DPD.
He said employees often don't get the recognition or feedback they want from their bosses.
The HR veteran shares what signs employees can look for that suggest they are good at their jobs.
This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Michael Doolin, a former HR director at PwC, British Airways and DPD based in Ireland. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
After 36 years in HR, you realize a few things about people. I think 50% of the workforce come to do a good job and simply want a "Thank you" at the end of the day. Too many employers fail to recognize that simple acknowledgment can go a long way in keeping people engaged.
People don't always know where they stand at work regarding performance. Ambitious people focused on advancement will be looking for recognition daily. Subtle hints, like a boss inviting someone to lunch or spending more time with someone else, might generate a sense of inequality, which, at its extreme, can magnify feelings of stress, anxiety, and insecurity.
Performance management, like appraisals, should be done more regularly than once a year. It should be an ongoing debate between you and your boss. There's a great mantra from a previous boss of mine: there should be no surprises. To ensure that, employers should have discussions and performance reviews throughout the year.
For me, being good at your job is about how much you're growing, how much you're adding value, and how much you're recognized. If your boss isn't vocal about your performance, these are signs you're still performing well at work.
Working efficiently
The ease at which you can do your job — how challenging or awkward it might be — is a good indication of how you're performing. You might find that your emails are going down or you've got time at the end of the day, week, or month because you've overachieved.
Conversely, if you keep more paper in the bottom left-hand drawer because you haven't gotten to it, it may signal that you're underperforming.
That being said, having a never-ending inbox doesn't mean you're doing badly. Automate as much as possible and embrace technology and better practices. These are all signs of a proactive learner. Set up email rules so that you only see the things that are important.
Proper planning
Planning and prioritizing work is a sign that you're working well. Your boss shouldn't be getting any surprises. Leaving things to the last minute and giving rushed responses does not convey competency.
You might be giving frequent reports and updates, and you'll be showing up to work on time.
Positive feedback
If you're getting positive comments from colleagues, clients, and customers on work-related matters, it's a sign that you're doing something right.
Engagement
One of the greatest indications of performance is how engaged you are at work, informally and formally. Engagement can be evidenced in a number of ways: attendance, appearance, collaboration with colleagues, emails going up or down, and general intellectual curiosity or participation in workplace meetings, gatherings, or conversations.
For an employer, getting to know your people and how they operate is crucial. It's underrated.
People operate differently when they're under pressure. Employers can identify those stress points if they have a better sense of that person's motivations and moods. The best way to do this is by spending time with them.
A work environment should not focus solely on the workplace. We need to remember that the individual is someone who brings unique talents. Therefore, seeing the person as a whole rather than only what they bring to their daily tasks is important — both for the employer and the employee.
Bringing solutions, not problems
If you're performing well at work, you're likely to come up with solutions, not problems. You might turn up to meetings armed with ideas that you've thought of and researched. Coming up with a solution that's well-evaluated is useful. And if you make a mistake, you'll acknowledge it and have a workaround.
Curiosity
An important sign that work is going well is if you're curious. You'll ask questions and be keen to learn. You might question internal processes, like why things are run a certain way, looking to remove roadblocks and create opportunities. This shows that you're inquisitive and that you want to add value.
Ask for feedback if you're still unsure
If you feel you need feedback, ask for it. Ask your line manager or supervisor: How am I doing? What do I do well? What do I not do well? Tell them you'd appreciate regular feedback, and suggest grabbing 15 minutes at the end of the day. This can be done informally.
Like running a race, you can always establish what your own PBs look like and create your own milestones, whether it's getting your inbox down to zero or taking on a new client. You can do this by keeping a workplace diary or setting your own KPIs.
Take some perspective, too. Many people focus on self-actualization in relation to their jobs instead of their lives. Don't just define your worth and status by your position at work. Consider what a good child, partner, parent, or friend you are.
Ukrainian servicemen of the 28th Separate Mechanised Brigade take their position in a trench at the front line near Bakhmut, Ukraine in March 2024.
AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky
A US veteran who fought in Ukraine described the intense, close-quarters trench warfare there.
He said that sometimes when they took a trench they would pile Russian bodies outside like sandbags.
Other soldiers said they slept on top of Russian bodies as it was too dangerous to remove them.
A US veteran who fought in Ukraine said that after taking trenches from the Russians, he and his comrades would pile up the bodies of the dead troops outside like sandbags for added defense and to keep the rats out.
The former soldier, who spoke to Business Insider on the condition of anonymity about his experiences fighting against Russia's invasion, said that after capturing a trench from Russian soldiers, "we would take the Russian bodies that were inside the trenches with us and then we put them on the opposite side of the trench that's facing the new Russian positions. "
"Like fucking sandbags basically is what we'd use them for."
The veteran began fighting in Ukraine after Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, and he left the country last December after engaging in combat in some of the war's most intense areas, like Kharkiv and Bakhmut.
He said they would always remove Russian bodies from the trenches because "we wouldn't want them in the trench just because that allows more rats and decay."
"We'd kind of just nudge them out a little as far as we can while staying inside the trenches."
A Ukrainian soldier digs a trench near Bakhmut, Ukraine, in October 2023.
Some soldiers have said that the concentration of weaponry and intensity of the fight around them did, at times, make it too difficult to remove Russian bodies, as coming out of the trench would be a risky move that could leave a soldier among the fallen.
A Ukrainian soldier, Oleksandr Yabchanka, previously described to BI his experiences holed up in a dugout that had dead Russian soldiers inside it. The Ukrainians were unable to lift the corpses out because of the constant artillery fire and could only push the bodies to the dugout's edge and bury them under some dirt, he said.
The veteran BI spoke with said that he found fighting in them "weird as shit, man, because I never thought that we would go back to trench warfare. And, the next thing I know, I feel like I'm fighting in World War I."
In that war, trenches ran across Europe. Troops inside battled rats, injuries, diseases, and relentless artillery fire. And outside, they faced unforgiving machine-gun fire in assaults across the space in between trenches called "No Man's Land." In WWI, battles sometimes left hundreds of thousands of soldiers dead.
Other soldiers and foreign veterans in Ukraine, as well as warfare experts, have also compared elements of this conflict to World War I, due to the slow, grinding nature of the conflict, the proliferation of trenches, the high death toll, and the heavy use of artillery.
Another American veteran, with the call sign Jackie, previously told BI that fighting in the eastern city of Bakhmut looked "like World War I." The devastation and death in that broken city led soldiers on both sides to refer to the fighting there as the "meat grinder." Tens of thousands of troops are believed to have been killed in Bakhmut.
British soldiers in a trench near Verdun, France, during World War I
Reuters
An ambulance driver in Ukraine compared that fight to the 1916 Battle of Verdun, the longest battle of WWI, in an interview with France24.
The veteran who shared his experiences with BI said that most of his fighting took place outside of trenches, compared to other units, which were much more trench-based. But he's had brutal experiences in them.
"There's been a few times where we're sitting in a trench," and there's "artillery shells just dropping around you for hours on end."
Then, at some point, you look up, and the enemy's on you. "You see fucking a dozen or more Russians bum-rushing your trench, and then you got to go to work," he said.
In the trenches, fighting was extremely close quarters. He said he fought in Iraq as a contractor before experiencing Ukraine's trench warfare. "It's very real," he said. "And it's very close, and honestly, it's more intense than fucking anything else I've ever been through."
As he was carrying out assault operations, the veteran said that he never had to sit in trenches for days on end as many others fighting for Ukraine have had to. "Thank God for that," he said.
He described assaulting trenches as extremely dangerous, saying that there wasn't a "single trench raiding mission where we didn't take multiple casualties." He said that when Ukraine is assaulting, Russia has a defensive, home-fieldadvantage.
"You're trying to work your way through a trench that you've never been in before," the veteran said, explaining that "you're basically trying to take the home of another individual who's lived there for days, weeks, months at this point."
"They know every nook and cranny. They know every turn," he said.
A Ukrainian soldier fires an AK-4 from a trench during a training as the Russia-Ukraine war continues in Donetsk oblast, Ukraine, in February 2024.
Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu via Getty Images
He said the experience could vary wildly depending on what training and enthusiasm the Russian soldiers he encountered had.
"I've jumped in the trenches where the Russians give up immediately, like, 'Oh, fuck this shit.' Or they try running away immediately," he said. "Other times, you're literally fighting for every square inch that you go through. They do not want to give it up."