U.S. job openings rose to nearly 7 million in January, better than expected at a time when the American labor market has looked sluggish
ByPAUL WISEMAN AP economics writer
WASHINGTON — U.S. job openings rose to nearly 7 million in January, better than expected at a time when the American labor market has looked sluggish.
The 6.95 million job postings in January were up from 6.55 million in December, the Labor Department said Friday. That was higher than economists had forecast.
Layoffs fell slightly and the number of Americans quitting their jobs — a sign of confidence in their prospects — slipped modestly.
In the hiring boom that followed COVID-19 lockdowns, job openings peaked at a record 12.3 million in March 2022.
The American job market is sputtering. Last month, employers cut 92,000 jobs. In 2025, they added fewer than 10,000 jobs a month, weakest hiring outside recession years since 2002. The lingering effects of high interest rates, uncertainty around President Donald Trump’s policie