In this photo taken Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2014, job seeker Stephen Watson, of Fort Lauderdale, second from left, reviews the job qualifications during a job fair in Sunrise. Fla. The Labor Department reports on job openings and labor turnover in July on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2014. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz) (The Associated Press)
WASHINGTON – The number of U.S. job openings remained near the highest level in 13 years in July, and companies also stepped up hiring that month to the fastest pace in nearly seven years, two signs the job market is slowly healing.
The Labor Department says that available jobs ticked down 2,000 to 4.67 million in July. The drop was led by a decline in government job postings. Businesses actually posted slightly more jobs.
Total hiring jumped 81,000 to 4.87 million, the highest level since December 2007, when the recession began. That indicates that companies are more likely to fill their open jobs.
The report, known as the Job Openings and Labor Turnover survey or JOLTS, provides a more detailed look at the job market than the monthly employment report.
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