US job openings fell slightly in November but remain high by historical standards

abcnews.go.com:

America’s employers posted 8.8 million job openings in November, down slightly from October and the fewest since March 2021

WASHINGTON — America's employers posted 8.8 million job openings in November, down slightly from October and the fewest since March 2021. But demand for workers remains strong by historical standards despite higher interest rates.

Wednesday's report from the Labor Department showed that the number of job vacancies dipped from 8.9 million in October. It also showed that the number of people quitting their jobs — a sign of confidence in the labor market — fell to its lowest level since February 2021. The number of quits is now roughly where it stood before the pandemic erupted nearly four years ago.

In November, job openings dropped by 128,000 in transportation, warehousing and utilities and by 78,000 at hotels and restaurants. The federal government reduced job openings by 58,000. By contrast, openings in construction rose by 43,000 and in retail by 42,000.

Wednesday's report, called the Jobs Openings and Labor Turnover Summary, reinforced other recent evidence that while the job market is slowing from its robust heights, it remains solid. Layoffs, for example, are still at unusually low levels.

In the face of rising interest rates, job openings have gradually but steadily declined since peaking at a record 12 million in March 2022. But they remain at historically high levels: Before 2021, monthly job openings had never topped 8 million.

The inflation fighters at the Federal Reserve have raised their benchmark interest rate 11 times since March 2022 to a 22-year high of about 5.4%. They would like to see the job market cool from the red-hot levels of the past couple of years, thereby reducing