U.S. job openings surged in June to record high

WASHINGTON — U.S. employers posted a record number of open jobs in June, a sign that the solid hiring of recent months will likely continue.

Job openings jumped 8 percent to 6.2 million, the highest on records dating back to 2000, the Labor Department said Tuesday. Hiring fell, however, and the number of people quitting their jobs also dropped.

The data suggest that employers have plenty of jobs to fill but are struggling to find the qualified workers they need. Typically, employers would offer higher pay to entice more applicants, accelerating wage growth. But the government’s jobs report for July, released Friday, showed that pay gains haven’t picked up yet.

Job openings in construction and manufacturing rose sharply. They also increased in financial services, health care, and in state and local government. The number of open jobs in retail fell.

The report comes after the government said Friday that employers added 209,000 jobs in July and revised its June figure higher to 231,000. Friday’s figures represent a net total of jobs added minus jobs lost, while Tuesday’s report includes overall hiring data.

Tuesday’s data come from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover survey, or JOLTS. They are more detailed and provide a fuller view of the job market than the monthly jobs figures.