Job openings rose in October

U.S. job openings rebounded in October, exceeding the number of unemployed workers by one million and indicating demand for workers was strong before November's slowdown in payroll gains.

The number of positions waiting to be filled rose by 119,000, to 7.08 million, after a downwardly revised 6.96 million in the previous month, according to the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey or JOLTS, released by the Labor Department on Monday.

The quits rate fell to 2.3 percent from 2.4 percent, the first decline since January, as the number of Americans voluntarily leaving their jobs declined to 3.51 million.

The number of openings is the second-highest on record, reinforcing the view that the trend of employment is strong enough to keep absorbing slack, though the November payrolls report on Friday showed the job market softened a bit.

Even with the decline in the quits rate, the results indicate workers are still willing to voluntarily leave because they're confident of finding better employment or benefits elsewhere.

The rate is closely watched by Federal Reserve policy makers as they monitor for signs of upward pressure on worker pay that may feed overall inflation.

Although it lags the Labor Department's other jobs data by a month, the JOLTS report adds context to monthly employment figures by measuring dynamics such as resignations, help-wanted ads and hiring.