US Job Openings Remain at High Level in Labor-Market Strength

US job openings remained elevated in January, suggesting demand for workers is still strong.

Available positions edged lower to 8.86 million from a downwardly revised 8.89 million reading in the prior month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, known as JOLTS, showed Wednesday. Hiring and layoffs also ticked down.

The JOLTS release included the agency’s annual revision of monthly data back to January 2019. Openings were revised slightly lower for most of 2023, hovering around the current level for the past three months.

Federal Reserve officials have pointed to the ongoing strength of the ...