HOUSTON, April 9 (Xinhua) -- The number of job openings in the United States fell to 7.1 million on the last business day of February, the U.S. Department of Labor reported Tuesday.
The data showed that the job openings rate was 4.5 percent in February while the number of hires was little changed at 5.7 million.
The hires rate was 3.8 percent with total private hiring rates remaining virtually unchanged.
The number of hires decreased in construction, nondurable goods manufacturing, and state and local government education.
The number of total separations was also little changed at 5.6 million, that is, a 3.7-percent rate, with the number of total private and government separations almost unchanged.
Within separations, the quits rate was unchanged at 2.3 percent and the layoffs and discharges rate was little changed at 1.2 percent.
Hires and separations occur every month throughout the business cycle. When the number of hires exceeds the number of separations, employment rises, even if the hiring level is steady or declining.
Conversely, when the number of hires is less than the number of separations, employment declines, even if the hiring level is steady or rising.
Over the 12 months ending in February, hires totaled 69.3 million and separations totaled 66.6 million, yielding a net employment gain of 2.7 million.
