U.S. job openings rose last month, although hiring slowed, in a mixed picture for the labor market

WASHINGTON– The number of job openings in the United States rebounded in October after reaching a three-and-a-half year low in September, a sign that companies are still looking for workers even though hiring has slowed.

Openings increased by 5% to 7.7 million compared to 7.4 million in September, the The Labor Ministry said Tuesday. This figure is nevertheless down significantly compared to the 8.7 million job offers a year ago.

Last month, job postings rose sharply in professional and business services, a category that includes engineers, technical employees and accountants, as well as in the restaurant, hotel and catering sectors. finance.

At the same time, overall hiring fell, the report shows, evidence that the job market has lost momentum compared to the start of the year. The number of Americans who left their jobs, however, rebounded in October, to 3.4 million, after reaching its lowest level in four years in September.

The numbers provide a mixed picture of the job market at a time when it is difficult to read. The government announced last month that hiring slowed sharply in October, although the slowdown was mainly due to the impact of hurricanes and the Boeing strike. The unemployment rate remained at a low level of 4.1%.

On Friday, the government will release the November jobs report, which is expected to show a rebound in hiring from the previous month’s low figure.

The Federal Reserve is closely monitoring employment data. Any sign that hiring is weakening sharply could encourage Fed officials to cut their key interest rate more quickly, to try to support borrowing and spending and prop up the economy.