January US job openings dip, but still high at 10.8 million

By PAUL WISEMAN
AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers posted 10.8 million job openings in January, indicating the American job market continues to run too hot for the inflation fighters at the Federal Reserve. Job openings fell from 11.2 million in December but remained high by historical standards, the Labor Department reported Wednesday, but layoffs rose in January. For 20 straight months, employers have posted at least 10 million openings — a level never reached before 2021 in Labor Department data going back to 2000. The number of openings in January exceeded what economists had forecast and meant that there were about two vacancies for every unemployed American.