US job postings jumped sharply in September, a sign hiring could pick up

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers ramped up their job postings in September as stronger economic growth may be encouraging more hiring. Yet voters are headed to the polls Tuesday largely gloomy over an economy beset by higher prices.

U.S. job openings jumped to 7.5 million from a revised 7.19 million in August, the Labor Department reported Tuesday. It is the largest number of openings since May and up from a recent low of 6.9 million in March.

The department’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) also showed that gross hiring — job gains before subtracting people who quit or lost jobs — rose and layoffs fell in September.

The increases are a hopeful sign that hiring could improve, but the trend would have to continue for several months to suggest real improvement. Hiring has been sluggish for nearly three years, though layoffs have also been historically low, a sign of meager “churn” in the labor market. Low churn means those who are employed are enjoying relatively high levels of job security, but it is much harder than normal for those looking for work to find a job.