The rate of job openings in the US was stable in March 2011, following an increase the previous month.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were 3.1 million opportunities for employment on the last business day of the month, up from three million in February.

Hires also remained steady at 3.1 per cent for March, while job openings stood at 2.3 per cent and the separations rate was unchanged from February at 2.9 per cent.

The number of available posts has stood above the three million mark for two months in a row, the first time this has been recorded by BLS since November 2008, indicating the US labor market is showing signs of recovery from the global downturn.

Sectors that witnessed jobs growth over the month in question included construction, manufacturing, services and hospitality and retail.

In related news, a report claims that recruitment is continuing among small businesses in the country.

Data from Intuit indicates firms generated a total of 60,000 employment opportunities in April 2011, with monthly jobs growth standing at 0.3 per cent, up by almost 3.6 per cent year-on-year.

Posted by Fiona Summers