US Employers Posted Fewer Jobs in November for 2nd Month

CHRISTOPHER RUGABER, AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Employers posted fewer open jobs in November, the second straight month of decline after openings reached a record high in September.

The Labor Department says the number of available jobs slipped 0.8 percent to 5.88 million, down from 5.93 million in October. September's peak was 6.18 million.

Job openings are still 4.4 percent higher than a year ago. With the economy expanding at a solid pace and businesses confident about future demand, hiring is likely to remain solid going forward.

Still, the drop off echoes last Friday's jobs report, which saw employers add 148,000 jobs in December. That is a decent total but lower than October and November job gains, which topped 200,000.

Economists forecast that hiring may slow this year as businesses struggle to find enough qualified workers.