Job Openings in U.S. Hold Close to a Record at 11.3 Million

U.S. job openings in January held close to a record, suggesting employers continued to have difficulty luring workers.

The number of available positions decreased slightly to 11.3 million in the month from an unprecedented 11.4 million in December, the Labor Department’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS, showed Wednesday.

Some 4.3 million Americans voluntarily left their jobs in January, the fewest in three months, suggesting a moderation in labor-market churn. Fewer people quit their jobs in retail trade, construction and information. The so-called quits rate, which measures voluntary job leavers as a share of total employment, ...