U.S. Job Openings Increase More Than Expected In January

(RTTNews) - The Labor Department released a report on Friday showing job openings in the U.S. increased by much more than expected in the month of January.

The report said job openings jumped to 6.946 million in January from an upwardly revised 6.550 million in December.

Economists had expected job openings to rise to 6.750 million in January from the 6.542 million originally reported for the previous month.

The Labor Department also said hires crept up to 5.294 million in January from 5.272 million in December, while total separations dipped to 5.105 million in January from 5.203 million in December.

Within separations, quits slipped to 3.137 million in January from 3.225 million in December, and layoffs and discharges edged down to 1.631 million in January from 1.666 million in December.