The last day of February saw 9.9 million job openings, a decrease of 632,000 (6.0%) from January, according to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Where job openings increased
- Construction (+129,000)
- Arts, entertainment, and recreation (+38,000)
- Durable goods manufacturing (+13,000)
- Finance and insurance (+13,000)
- Real estate and rental and leasing (+13,000)
Where job openings decreased
- Professional and business services (-278,000)
- Health care and social assistance (-150,000)
- Transportation, warehousing, and utilities (-145,000)
- Accommodation and food services (-125,000)
- Retail trade (-72,000)
The number of hires edged down 164,000 to reach 6.2 million, and rate of hires decreased from 4.1% to 4.0% over the month.
Separations for the month of February totaled 5.8 million, with quits inching up 146,000 to 4.0 million and layoffs and discharges falling 215,000 to 1.5 million.
