The number of available jobs in the United States unexpectedly rose in December, according to the Labor Department.
The department’s monthly Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey revealed an estimated 9 million job openings, well above the 8.7 million expected among economists.
Most of the new job openings were in white-collar professional occupations. They also rose in manufacturing and health care.
The number of people quitting jobs, meanwhile, fell again to 3.4 million and hit the lowest level in a few years. See more highlights.