Job openings hit 14-year high in April

Paul Davidson, USA TODAY 10:36 a.m. EDT June 9, 2015


(Photo: Alan Diaz, AP)


The number of job openings in the U.S. surged to a 14-year high in April in a sign that job growth could strengthen further in coming months, the Labor Department said Tuesday.

Employers posted 5.4 million openings in April, up from 5.1 million in March and the most since labor began tracking the figure in 2000, according to the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey.(JOLTS).

The number of hires fell slightly to 5 million but remained near recent highs.

Labor reported last week that employers added a net 221,000 jobs in April and 280,000 in May as the labor market bounced back after a harsh winter. Tuesday's JOLTS report provides a more detailed view of hiring and employee movements.

In April,hiring increased construction but fell in professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, and trade, transportation utilities.

The number of people quitting jobs fell to 2.7 million from a seven-year high of 2.8 million in March. Quits are sign of a healthy labor market in which employees feel confident enough to leave one job for another.

Another indication that the balance of power in the market is shifting toward workers is that there were 1.6 unemployed workers for each job opening in April, down from 1.7 in March and a high of 6.7 in 2009.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/...pril/28712725/