Job openings in the US climb to second-highest in records

[WASHINGTON] Job openings rose more than projected in March, a sign the US labour market was still strong toward the end of the first quarter.

The number of positions waiting to be filled in the US increased by 149,000 to 5.76 million, the second-highest in data back to 2000, from a revised 5.61 million in February, Labour Department figures showed Tuesday. Hiring slumped and more Americans quit their jobs.

Rising job listings and subdued dismissals indicate demand for workers remained steady in March even as economic growth was starting to slow, continuing the divergence seen in the past year. The report, which includes some measures tracked by Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, is in sync with the central bank's view of continued labour-market progress.

The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey projected 5.45 million openings, little changed from the month before. Openings reached a record 5.79 million in July.

BLOOMBERG