This Week: Job openings, Citibank earnings, consumer prices

A look at some of the key business events and economic indicators upcoming this week:

IN A HIRING MOOD

The number of job openings posted by U.S. employers recently hit record levels.

Openings hit 6.2 million in July, an all-time high based on records dating to 2000. The milestone suggests employers have many jobs to fill but are still searching for qualified workers at the pay levels being offered. Did the trend continue in August? Find out Wednesday, when the Labor Department releases its latest monthly tally of job openings.

JOLTS job openings, in millions, by month:

March 5.8

April 6.0

May 5.7

June 6.1

July 6.2

Aug. (est.) 6.2

Source: FactSet

THANKS, FED

Citigroup and JPMorgan serve up their latest quarterly results Thursday.

Like other big banks, Citigroup has benefited this year from rising interest income. The Federal Reserve has been steadily raising interest rates, which has allowed banks to charge more on loans. Wall Street predicts Citigroup's earnings and revenue improved in the third quarter versus a year earlier.

HIGHER PRICES SEEN

Economists project that a measure of U.S. consumer prices edged higher last month.

The Labor Department's latest consumer price index is due out Friday. Economists expect that the September reading will show a gain of 0.5 percent. Consumer prices rose 0.4 percent in August, getting a boost from higher gas prices and housing costs. It was the biggest gain in seven months.

Consumer price index, monthly percent change, seasonally adjusted:

April 0.2

May -0.1

June 0.0

July 0.1

Aug. 0.4

Sept. (est.) 0.5

Source: FactSet