Job Openings Outpace Hiring in U.S. for First Time on Record

A record number of help-wanted signs in April pushed job openings above hires for the first time ever, signaling wage pressures will be on the horizon.

The number of private-industry positions waiting to be filled jumped to 4.89 million, the most in data back to December 2000, from 4.63 million in March, the Labor Department reported Tuesday in Washington. That outpaced the number of workers hired, which dropped to 4.67 million from 4.76 million.