Job openings in U.S. rise to highest level in almost 14 years

WASHINGTON – Job openings climbed in November to the highest level in almost 14 years as the strengthening U.S. economy fueled demand for labor heading into year-end.

The number of positions waiting to be filled rose by 142,000 to 4.97 million in November, the most since January 2001, a report from the Labor Department showed today. The pace of hiring cooled and fewer Americans quit their jobs.

Gains in hiring, waning dismissals and rising confidence underscore a vibrant labor market that in 2014 marked its strongest performance since 1999. Today’s data, among the gauges watched by Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, will help policy makers assess the progress on employment and growth as they consider when to begin raising interest rates.

“The job market is robust,” Thomas Costerg, an economist at Standard Chartered Bank in New York, said before the report. “We’re seeing an improvement in labor-market fluidity. There are more jobs out there, it’s easier to find work.”

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