US job openings fall to lowest level in 9 years
Job openings fell to the lowest level in nine years in July,
according to a Labor Department report Wednesday, as businesses remain
reluctant to hire despite signs the economy is improving.
The
department's Job Openings and Labor Turnover survey, or JOLTS report,
found that businesses and government advertised 2.4 million open
positions on the last day in July, down from 2.5 million in June.
That's also the fewest openings since the department began compiling
the data in December 2000.
Still, jobs are being added in some sectors, as companies seek more health care, technology and child care workers.
The
report underscores the tough competition that jobless Americans face.
With 14.5 million unemployed people in July and only 2.4 million
openings, that means there were six unemployed people, on average, for
every job opening. [AP]