US Job Openings Rise to Three-Month High But Fewer Workers Quit

  • Vacancies rebounded to 9 million last month, above estimates
  • Number of quits dropped to lowest level in nearly three years
US Job Openings Rebound, Consumer Confidence Climbs
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US job openings unexpectedly rose in December to the highest level in three months while fewer Americans quit their jobs, indicating workers are growing more cautious even as labor demand remains strong.

Vacancies increased to 9 million from an upwardly revised 8.9 million reading in the prior month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, known as JOLTS, showed Tuesday. The December figure exceeded all estimates in a Bloomberg survey of economists.