{"id":1404490,"date":"2026-02-05T10:41:47","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T15:41:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thenewsherald.com\/?p=1404490&preview=true&preview_id=1404490"},"modified":"2026-02-05T12:03:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T17:03:00","slug":"us-job-openings-fall-to-6-5-million-fewest-since-2020-as-labor-market-remains-sluggish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thenewsherald.com\/2026\/02\/05\/us-job-openings-fall-to-6-5-million-fewest-since-2020-as-labor-market-remains-sluggish\/","title":{"rendered":"US job openings fall to 6.5 million, fewest since 2020, as labor market remains sluggish"},"content":{"rendered":"

By PAUL WISEMAN The Associated Press<\/p>\n

WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 U.S. job openings fell to the lowest level in more than five years, another sign that the American labor market remains sluggish.<\/p>\n

The Labor Department reported Thursday that vacancies fell to 6.5 million in December \u2014 from 6.9 million in November and the fewest since September 2020. Layoffs rose slightly. The number of people quitting their jobs \u2014 which shows confidence in their prospects \u2014 was basically unchanged at 3.2 million.<\/p>\n

December openings came in lower than economists had forecast.<\/p>\n

The economy is in a puzzling place. Growth is strong: Gross domestic product \u2014 the nation\u2019s output of goods and services \u2014 advanced from July through September at the fastest pace in two years. But the job market is lackluster: Employers have added just 28,000 jobs a month since March. In the 2021-2023 hiring boom that followed COVID-19 lockdowns, by contrast, they were creating 400,000 jobs a month.<\/p>\n