Job openings edged steadily higher in June, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said on Wednesday.
There were 5.6 million job openings in June, little changed from 5.5 million job openings in May, according to the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary (JOLTS) report.
At a 3.8 percent job openings rate, durable goods manufacturing saw more job postings during the month, the report said.
The monthly report from the Labor Department is a closely followed barometer of economic conditions, measuring job postings in different sectors, and the number of hires and layoffs.
There were 5.1 million hires in June, nearly the same as May. There were 4.9 million total separations, also little changed, with 2.9 million quits, the report said. The quits rate can serve as a measure of confidence in the economy by gauging workers' willingness or ability to leave jobs, according to the Center for Economic and Policy Research.
The news came after a separate report showed that U.S. job creation massively topped expectations in June, and also beat estimates in July.