Data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; Chart: Axios Visuals
There were 5.05 million job openings at U.S. companies at the end of April — the lowest total since December 2014, according to the latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS).
By the numbers: The number of hires during the month was 3.52 million, the lowest in the history of the report, dating back to 2000, and the first time the number of hires has been below 4 million since early 2010.
- The 9.89 million total separations (including layoffs, quits, retirements and other reasons individuals left their jobs) was the second highest on record, trailing only the 14.63 million separations in March.
- The quits rate, a gauge of worker confidence in finding another job, fell to 1.4%, the lowest since April 2011.
Go deeper ... Humility for forecasters: Jobs shocker is record miss
