US job openings increase in June

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) published by the Labor Department on Tuesday showed the U.S. job openings increased in June from May.

According to the report, employers posted 6.163 million job openings in June, an increase of 461,000 from the May figure of 5.702 million (revised from 5.666 million in original estimate). The job openings rate was 4.0 percent in June, up from 3.8 percent in the prior month.

The report showed that the number of job openings rose for total private (+417,000) and for government (+44,000). Job openings also increased in a number of industries with the largest gains occurring in professional and business services (+179,000), health care and social assistance (+125,000), and construction (+62,000). On the contrary, job openings fell in other services (-62,000).

Meanwhile, hiring dropped by 103,000 to 5.356 million in June from 5.459 million in May. The little number of hires was little changed for total private and for government. The number of hires dropped for educational services (-29,000) but was little changed for all other industries. The hiring rate was 3.7 percent in June, the same as in May.

The separation rate in June was at 5.224 million or 3.6 percent, compared to 5.245 million or 3.6 percent in May. Within separations, the quits rate was 2.1 percent (3.134 million), and the layoffs rate was 1.2 percent (1.701 million).