Job openings hit record high, with 10.1 million openings

Employers posted a record number of job openings in June and layoffs hit a record low, marking another milestone in the economy's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

Employers posted 10.1 million openings in June, the U.S. Labor Department said Monday — up from 9.5 million open jobs in May, and the highest level recorded in the two decades it has tracked the data. The number of hires in June also rose to 6.7 million, up from 6 million in May. Layoffs and firings (which the Labor Department calls "discharges") stood at a 20-year low of 1.3 million, slightly below their May level. Also significant: The number of job openings that month also rose above the number of people who are unemployed and looking for work, by half a million.