US Job Openings Broadly Picked Up in January, Layoffs Fell (3)

US job openings rose in January and layoffs fell, signaling that demand for workers was improving before the labor market showed fresh signs of weakness.

Available positions increased to 6.95 million from 6.55 million in December, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data out Friday. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for 6.75 million openings.

The report included annual updates to the vacancies figures, which were marked down for most of 2025.

While openings improved slightly in January, that didn’t translate into much more hiring, aligning with a job market that remains ...