US job openings hold steady in March

US job openings held steady at 6.9m in March, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' JOLTS report, while hires picked up and overall separations were little changed.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics said the job‑openings rate was broadly unchanged at 4.1%, with openings falling sharply in professional and business services, down 318,000, but rising by 98,000 in finance and insurance.

Hires increased to 5.6m in March, a rise of 655,000 on the month, lifting the hires rate to 3.5% and more than reversing the prior month's decline, with hiring strengthening in transportation, warehousing and utilities, and edging higher in professional and business services, as well as in accommodation and food services. Federal government hires, on the other hand, dipped slightly.

Total separations were little changed at 5.4m, with the separations rate steady at 3.4%. Quits held at 3.2m, with the quits rate unchanged at 2%, though quits were down 285,000 from a year earlier. Layoffs and discharges were also steady at 1.9m, while other separations rose to 339,000.

Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com