Job openings and the number of times workers quit reached the highest levels on record in March, as a shortage of available workers continued to pressure the U.S. labor market.
The Labor Department on Tuesday reported a seasonally adjusted 11.5 million job openings in March, an increase from 11.3 million the prior month. The number of times workers quit their jobs rose to 4.5 million in the same month, slightly higher than the previous record in November of last year. Meanwhile, hiring cooled slightly from the month before to 6.7 million hires in March.
Separate private-sector estimates showed that demand for labor remained red-hot through April. Jobs site ZipRecruiter said employers had about 11 million job openings last month.
Consumer-facing industries such as accommodation and food services, along with arts and entertainment, had the highest…
