Job openings rose in December amid worker shortages

U.S. employers stepped up their search for workers in December despite the looming impact of the omicron wave of coronavirus infections

WASHINGTON -- U.S. employers stepped up their search for workers in December despite the looming impact of the omicron wave of coronavirus infections.

The number of posted jobs rose 1.4% to 10.9 million on the last day of December, compared with the previous month, the Labor Department said Tuesday. That is far higher than pre-pandemic levels, though just below the record number of 11.1 million that was reached in July.

The data suggests companies were still desperate to hire workers last month yet had trouble finding enough people to fill their open jobs. A measure of hiring actually fell in December, according to Tuesday's report. There were approximately 1.6 available jobs for every person actively seeking work that month.

Even so, most economists expect that job gains likely took a hit in January, as the omicron wave sickened millions of people, forcing them to stay home and isolate or care for people who were sick. Fewer people likely sought work out of fear of the virus, executives at some staffing agencies said.