US job openings - a measure of labor demand - rose by 99,000
to 3.12 million, the highest since September 2008, according
to the Labor Department in its monthly Job Openings and Labor
Turnover Survey.
It was the first time since November 2008 that job openings
have been at or above 3 million for two consecutive months.
Still, job openings remain well below the pre-recession level
of 4.4 million.
The report was the latest to suggest the labor market recovery
remains intact, despite a recent rise in first-time applications
for state unemployment benefits and an uptick in the unemployment
rate in April.
The private sector accounted for about 88.7 percent of the job
openings in March, with most of the vacancies in education and
health services, trade, transportation and utilities as well
as professional and businesses services.
Job hires increased to 4.04 million in March. Through hiring
has recovered from a low of 3.6 million in October 2009, it
remains well below the prerecession level of 5 million.
The level of layoffs and discharges were slightly changed at
1.60 million and has declined from a peak of 2.5 million in
February 2009.
