Monthly job openings — a gauge of the U.S. economy that's closely watched by Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen — were little changed in October.
Figures released Wednesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show employers posted 5.5 million job openings, a rate of 3.7%, in October. The number, in-line with expectations, is up a tad from the 5.49 million in the prior month.
The bureau said the number of hires and separations were little changed at 5.1 million and 4.9 million, respectively. The bureau also said the layoffs and discharges rate was also unchanged at 1%.
The report from the department is a key barometer of economic conditions, measuring job postings in different sectors, and the number of hires and layoffs.
