U.S. job openings in June hit 13-year-plus high

WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. employers in June advertised the most monthly job openings in more than 13 years.

Employers posted 4.67 million jobs in June, up 2.1 percent from May's total of 4.58 million, the Labor Department reported Tuesday. The number of advertised openings was the highest since February 2001, a positive sign that points to a strengthening economy.

The report "provides further confirmation that the US labor market has indeed shifted to a period of stronger growth," said Jeremy Schwartz, an analyst at the bank Credit Suisse.

Known as the Job Openings and Labor Turnover survey or JOLTS, the report provides a detailed look at where employment might be heading. It records job postings, overall hiring and the number of workers who either quit or were laid-off. By contrast, the monthly employment report shows the net total of job gains or losses.

Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen relies on the JOLTS report as a barometer for economic conditions. The June figures indicate that employers are looking to expand, yet actual hiring has not increased as significantly in recent months.

Roughly the same percentage of Americans quit their jobs in June as they did in May, though the rate has increased over the past year. Quit rates usually rise when employees are finding new and better-paying jobs.