[2016-03-17] Job openings rise in January

Published: Mar 17, 2016 10:31 a.m. ET

By STEVE GOLDSTEIN D.C. BUREAU CHIEF

Job seekers wait in line to speak with company representatives during a Choice Career Fair event in Seattle. Job openings rose in January.

The number of available jobs rose in January but fewer workers were willing to leave their existing positions, an indication of a labor market that’s improving but still not white hot.

Job openings rose to a seasonally adjusted 5.54 million from a downwardly revised 5.28 million in December, the Labor Department said Thursday.

Job openings

In thousands

Wholesale trade and construction were the fields with the biggest gains in openings. Educational services, state and local government and financial sectors had fewer openings.

The quits rate, however, fell to 2% from 2.2%. Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen has said she views the quits rate as an important proxy for worker confidence, as willingness to leave a job usually indicates a better job is on the horizon.

Quits rate

Seasonally adjusted

[From] http://www.marketwatch.com/story/job-openings-rise-in-january-2016-03-17