U.S. job openings increase slightly in December

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) published by the Labor Department showed the U.S. job openings edged up in December. 

According to the report, employers posted 7.335 million job openings in December, compared to the November figure of 7.166 million (revised from 6.888 million in original estimate) and economists’ expectations of 6.900 million. The job openings rate was 4.7 percent in December, up from 4.6 percent in the prior month. The report showed that the number of job openings rose for total private (+198,000) and was little changed for government. Job openings went up in a number of industries, with the largest gains in construction (+88,000), accommodation and food services (+84,000), and health care and social assistance (+79,000). The job openings level dropped in a number of industries, with the largest decreases in nondurable goods manufacturing (-37,000), federal government (-32,000), and real estate and rental and leasing (-31,000). 

Meanwhile, the number of hires edged up to 5.907 million in December from 5.812 in November. The hiring rate was 3.9 percent, unchanged from November. The number of hires was little changed for total private and for government. Hires increased in retail trade (+126,000), educational services (+19,000), and mining and logging (+9,000) but declined in information (-22,000) and in federal government (-10,000). 

The separation rate in December was at 5.545 million or 3.7 percent, compared to 5.563 million or 3.7 percent in November. Within separations, the quits rate was 2.3 percent (flat m-o-m), and the layoffs rate was 1.1 percent (-0.1 pp m-o-m).