WASHINGTON – U.S. employers advertised fewer jobs in October, though overall hiring picked up and quits rose slightly, adding to evidence the job market is slowly improving.
The Labor Department says the number of job postings fell 2.7 percent last month to a still-healthy 5.4 million. That is not far from July's record high of 5.7 million.
Hiring picked up to 5.1 million, the most since June. And the number of people quitting their jobs, a sign of confidence in the job market, rose to 2.78 million. Still, that figure has been mostly flat this year.
Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen is closely monitoring the openings, hiring and quits figures as the Fed moves closer to raising short-term interest rates. Most analysts expect the Fed to move at its meeting next week.
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