US Job Openings Rise to Five-Month High, But Layoffs Also Up (2)

US job openings picked up in October to the highest level in five months, though less hiring and more layoffs pointed to a continued slowdown in the labor market.

The number of available positions rose slightly to 7.67 million in October from 7.66 million in the prior month, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data published Tuesday. Vacancies exceeded all estimates in a Bloomberg survey of economists. The release of both monthly figures was delayed because of the government shutdown.

While openings advanced, it was only was driven by a handful of industries like retail and ...