US Job Openings Rise In June, But Hiring Falls

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers in June advertised the most jobs in five years but hired fewer workers, a mixed sign for the recovering job market.

The Labor Department says job openings rose 29,000 in June from May to 3.94 million. Total hiring, however, declined 289,000 to 4.2 million. That's down from a year earlier and the biggest one-month drop since June 2010.

The report on Job Openings and Labor Turnover comes after the government said employers added 162,000 jobs in July, the fewest in four months. Last week's report showed all jobs added, minus the number of people who were laid off, quit or retired.

Competition for jobs remains tight. In June, there were three unemployed people for every job opening. In a healthy economy, that ratio is typically 2 to 1.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.