Job openings take steep drop in January

The monthly survey showed that available jobs in the private sector declined 1.8 percent, to 2.45 million. Professional and business services, which include accountants, lawyers and temporary jobs, reported a sharp drop of 115,000. Openings also fell in education and healthcare.

Construction showed an increase of 18,000 job openings, while trade, transportation and utilities produced a 26,000 increase, and manufacturing added 13,000 positions, according to the report.

Even though the number of unemployed dropped to 13.9 million last month, pushing down the jobless rate to 8.9 percent with the addition of 222,000 jobs, there’s still only one job for every five workers seeking employment. 

Overall, employers hired 3.7 million workers in January, 193,000 fewer than in December, while firings dropped to 1.52 million from 1.68 million the prior month, the report showed. 

In the 12-month span that ended in January, the economy created 1 million jobs, or about 47.3 million hires, compared with about 46.3 million firings, the report showed.