WASHINGTON — Companies in July advertised the most jobs in three years, and layoffs fell. Still, many employers are in no rush to fill openings.
The Labor Department said Wednesday that employers increased their postings to 3.23 million from 3.17 million in June. That is the largest number of openings since August 2008. Typically, it takes one to three months to fill an opening.
More openings doesn’t guarantee more jobs. The government said last week that employers failed to add any net jobs in August, the worst month for hiring since September 2010. The unemployment rate stayed at 9.1 percent for a second month.
The worsening jobs outlook has put pressure on President Barack Obama. He is expected today to introduce a $300 billion jobs package before a joint session of Congress. The plan will likely include extensions of the payroll tax cut and long-term unemployment benefits, tax incentives for businesses that hire and money for public-works projects.
The biggest gains in openings were in manufacturing, trade, transportation and utilities. The Associated Press
