US job openings jump to record 10.1M in June

By Ovunc Kutlu

ANKARA (AA) - Job openings in the US rose 590,000 to a record high of 10.1 million in June, according to a survey by the Labor Department released on Monday.

While the market expectation for job openings was approximately 9.3 million, the figure in May was revised up to around 9.5 million, from 9.2 million.

"Hires rose to 6.7 million and total separations edged up to 5.6 million. Within separations, the quits rate increased to 2.7%. The layoffs and discharges rate was unchanged at 0.9%," the Labor Department said in a statement.

Job openings in June increased the most in trade, transportation and utilities, followed by professional and business services.

The number of hires, on the other hand, rose 697,000 to 6.7 million in June. Hires increased in retail trade by 291,000, state and local government education by 94,000, and durable goods manufacturing by 36,000, according to the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS).

The survey done by the Labor Department measures job vacancies by collecting data from employers about employment, job openings, hiring, and separations.

JOLTS considers job openings as all positions that are open, or not filled, on the last business day of the month that the survey is done.