from 1.5 in October.
The number of job openings in the United States decreased by 4.8% in November 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The number of job openings dropped from a revised 1.5 per available worker in October to 1.4 in November. This marked the fourth consecutive month-over-month decline since peaking at a record high of 1.7 per available worker in July 2020.
The total number of job openings decreased by 642,000 to 5.9 million in November, the lowest level since August 2020. The private sector experienced a decrease of 612,000 job openings, while the government sector saw a decrease of 30,000. The bulk of the decrease in total job openings occurred in the professional and business services industry, which saw a decline of 317,000 job openings.
The number of hirings remains below pre-pandemic levels, which have a direct impact on the number of job openings. The monthly rate for hires was down to 3.6 million in November, 2.8 million below the level in February 2020.
Meanwhile, the number of layoffs and discharges increased by 311,000 to 1.7 million in November. This indicates that while there were fewer job openings, there was also an increase in those leaving employment.
Overall, the decreased number of job openings in November points to a cooling job market as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
