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CP28304007 — FILE - In this April 28, 2014 file photo, Natalie Silverstein, of the Broward County Transportation Department, left, explains the job openings at the County to job seeker Janely Ramos, right, during a job fair in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The Labor Department releases job openings and labor turnover survey for March on Friday, May 9, 2014. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz, File)

US job openings, hiring slip in March after healthy gain, latest sign of slow improvement

May 9, 2014 00:05:00

WASHINGTON – U.S. employers advertised slightly fewer jobs and slowed hiring a bit in March, though the declines came after healthy gains the previous month. The figures suggest the job market is improving in fits and starts.

The Labor Department says employers posted 4 million jobs in March, 2.7 per cent fewer than the previous month. But February’s total was the highest since January 2008, when the Great Recession was just beginning.

There are about 2.6 unemployed Americans for each open job, the report shows. That average has slowly been approaching the 2 to 1 ratio that is typical of healthier economies.

Total hiring dipped 1.6 per cent to 4.63 million. That’s 7.5 per cent higher than 12 months earlier, but still below the 5 million monthly hires typical of a strong job market.

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