By Timothy R. Homan Feb. 9 (Bloomberg) — Job openings in the U.S. rose in December for the first time in three months, signaling employers are gaining confidence in the economic recovery. Openings increased by 63,000 to 2.5 million, the Labor Department said today in Washington. Job vacancies climbed for state and local governments, the report showed. The figures indicate that the world’s largest economy, which expanded in the second half of 2009, may soon add jobs after payrolls unexpectedly dropped last month. Still, the labor market will take time to overcome the loss of 8.4 million jobs lost since the recession began in December 2007. “Today’s report is indicative of an improving labor market,” said Russell Price , a senior economist at Ameriprise Financial Inc. in Detroit. “Most segments of the economy are already seeing positives in terms of job growth.” The rate of job openings in December climbed to 1.9 percent from 1.8 percent, according to today’s report. The separations rate, which includes dismissals and those who quit their jobs, fell to 3.2 percent from 3.3 percent the prior month. Payrolls fell by 20,000 last month after a 150,000 decline in December, according to Labor Department figures released on Feb. 5. The unemployment rate unexpectedly dropped to 9.7 percent from 10 percent. Berkshire Cuts Some companies are still trimming payrolls. Warren Buffett ’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. cut about 3,000 jobs since December after customers scaled back orders for building-related materials. “If you look at our carpet business, our brick business, our insulation business, all of those businesses have had significant reductions in employment,” Buffett said in an interview in Omaha, Nebraska, on Jan. 20. “The day the orders come in, we hire back. But there’s no reason to hire people if they don’t have anything to do.” Other businesses plan to resume hiring. Oracle Corp., completing the acquisition of Sun Microsystems Inc. last month, will hire 2,000 salespeople, President Charles Phillips said on Jan. 27. He said the hiring of new employees, who will sell Sun’s products directly to Oracle’s biggest customers, will start immediately. Job growth remains a challenge for the Obama administration almost a year after implementation of the $787 billion stimulus package. More than 4 million jobs have been lost since President Obama took office in January 2009. To contact the reporter on this story: Timothy R. Homan in Washington at thoman1@bloomberg.net
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Job Openings in U.S. Increased in December for First Time in Three Months
