The US Department of Labor released the JOLTS job openings data for April. Accordingly, the number of job openings in the country increased by 731 thousand from 6.887 million in March to 7.618 million. This figure was recorded as the highest number of job openings seen since May 2024. The April data also exceeded market expectations. Economists had predicted the number of job openings to be at 6.860 million. The data revealed that the increase in job openings was especially seen in the professional and business services sector. Conversely, the number of job openings in the finance and insurance sector decreased. During the same period, the number of hires also declined. In April, hiring decreased by 419 thousand to 5.116 million. The number of separations, including resignations and layoffs, also showed a decline. The total in this category fell by 399 thousand to 4.978 million. The released data showed that job openings in the US labor market strengthened, while hiring and separation activities remained more limited.