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Job openings in the US rose in May as employers grew more optimistic demand will strengthen as the effects of payroll tax increases and federal budget cuts wane.
The number of positions waiting to be filled grew by 28,000 to 3.83 million from a revised 3.8 million the prior month, the US Labor Department reported on Tuesday in Washington. The pace of hiring also increased.
Companies are taking on workers as stronger home and automobile sales signal demand will pick up in the second half of the year. Tuesday's figures follow data last week showing the economy added more jobs than forecast in June, giving Federal Reserve policy makers room to dial back record bond purchases aimed at spurring hiring and growth.
