Job openings totaled 7.6 million in February, a decline of 194,000 from January and a drop of 877,000 compared to last year, according to the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Professional and business services added 134,000 job openings from January to February, but there were significant drops in openings for retail trade (-126,000) and finance and insurance (-80,000).
Other updates on labor turnover included:
- The number of hires changed little at 5.4 million in February, with the hiring rate at 3.4%.
- Quits, at 3.2 million, also didn’t change much, but the total is 273,000 less than last year.
- Layoffs and discharges remained at 1.8 million over the month.
