US Job Openings Unexpectedly Rise to 11.2 Million, Near a Record

US job openings rose unexpectedly in July after a sizable upward revision to the previous month, underscoring persistent tightness in the labor market as employers compete for a limited supply of workers.

The number of available positions edged up to 11.2 million in the month -- topping all estimates -- from a revised 11 million in June, the Labor Department’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS, showed Tuesday.

The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists was for a decline to about 10.4 million from a previously reported 10.7 million.

Vacancies have exceeded 11 million since ...