Economics
U.S. Job Openings Near Record, Quits Rate Sees First Drop Since May
- Vacancies rise to 11 million, led by travel and food services
- Quits level fell in transportation, finance and entertainment
This article is for subscribers only.
U.S. job openings jumped in October to the second-highest on record, underscoring the ongoing challenge for employers to find qualified workers for an unprecedented number of vacancies.
The number of available positions rose to 11 million from an upwardly revised 10.6 million in September, the Labor Department’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS, showed Wednesday. Meanwhile, the quits rate fell to 2.8% from a record 3% in the prior month, the first decline since May, suggesting employers are having some more success retaining workers.