employment economy jobs inflation.

U.S. job openings barely budged in October, coming in at 7.7 million amid uncertainty over the direction of the American economy. The Labor Department reported Tuesday that employers posted 7.67 million vacancies in October, close to September’s 7.66 million. The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) also showed that the layoffs rose and number of people quitting their jobs — a sign of confidence in the labor market — fell in October. Job openings have come down steadily since peaking at a record 12.1 million in March 2022, when the economy was roaring back from COVID-19 lockdowns.