Record Job Openings Bolstering Optimism About U.S. Economy

The U.S. labor market has tilted sharply toward job hunters as unfilled openings hit a record high in May, reinforcing signs of corporate optimism about the economy’s prospects.

The number of vacancies rose to 5.36 million, the most since records began in 2000, from a revised 5.33 million in April, a report from the Labor Department showed Tuesday. For the second time ever, openings at companies exceeded hiring.