Young people sitting on a chairs in blue hall, close up

Job openings totaled 7.4 million in April, up from 7.2 million in March, according to the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Professional and business services (+171,000), health care and social assistance (+102,000), and retail trade (+46,000) posted increases in job openings over the month, while there were decreases in accommodation and food services (-135,000) and state and local education (-51,000).

Other updates on labor turnover included:

  • The number of hires increased to 5.6 million in April, with the hiring rate at 3.5%. Accommodation and food services had 106,000 hires over the month, while retail trade declined by 53,000.
  • Quits inched down to 3.2 million in April, and quits have dropped by 220,000 year-over-year. The highest decreases in April were in retail trade (-80,000) and professional and business services (-29,000).
  • Layoffs and discharges rose to 1.8 million over the month, increasing in professional and business services (+82,000) and health care and social assistance (+52,000).