US employers advertise most jobs in 5 1/2 years, quits also rise, yet hiring sluggish

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FILE - In this Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013, file photo, retired U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Duane Stubbs, right, of Morrow, Ga., shakes hands with retired U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Leland Smith, CEO of SolidHires, during a job fair for veterans at the VFW Post 2681, in Marietta, Ga. The government reports on job openings and labor turnover for November on Friday, Jan. 17, 2014. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)

WASHINGTON – U.S. employers advertised more jobs in November and more Americans quit, positive signs for millions who are unemployed and looking for work.

The Labor Department says job openings rose 1.8 per cent to 4 million, the most in 5 1/2 years. And the number of people quitting increased 1.9 per cent to 2.4 million, a five-year high.

More job openings and quits suggest greater opportunities for the unemployed. But those positive trends haven’t recently translated into additional hiring. Overall hiring ticked up just 0.2 per cent to nearly 4.5 million.

The figures also follow a disappointing report on December job growth. The government last week said employers added just 74,000 jobs in December. That’s the fewest in three years and below an average gain of 214,000 in the previous three months.

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