Job openings in the U.S. unexpectedly decreased in the month of December, according to a report released by the Labor Department on Thursday.
The report said job openings slumped to 6.542 million in December from a downwardly revised 6.928 million in November.
Economists had expected job openings to increase to 7.245 million from the 7.146 million originally reported for the previous month.
With the unexpected decrease, job openings tumbled to their lowest level since hitting 6.511 million in September 2020.
The Labor Department also said hires rose to 5.293 million in December from 5.121 million in November, while total separations increased to 5.251 million in December from 5.144 million in November.
Within separations, quits crept up to 3.204 million in December from 3.193 million in November, and layoffs and discharges inched up to 1.762 million in December from 1.701 million in November.
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