The number of US job openings in November edged up 1.5% from October to more than 5.4 million, according to seasonally adjusted numbers released today by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Job openings increased in healthcare and social assistance, and in the South over the month; they decreased in retail trade and in the Midwest.

The job openings rate — a measure of job openings compared with total employment — rose to 3.7% in November from 3.6% in October.

MarketWatch reports job openings are still shy of the all-time high notched earlier in the year, but moving in the right direction.

The number of hires edged up 0.6% in November to almost 5.2 million. There was little change in the number of hires in all industries and regions over the month.

The number of separations also edged up 0.6%, to more than 4.9 million.

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