The number of US job openings in December rose 4.9% from November to more than 5.6 million, according to seasonally adjusted numbers released today by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Construction job openings increased by 69,000, followed by nondurable goods manufacturing and durable goods manufacturing at 60,000 and 26,000 respectively. Regionally, job openings increased in the West over the month.

The job openings rate — a measure of job openings compared with total employment — rose to 3.8% in December from 3.6% in November.

MarketWatch reports the job openings reading was the second-highest ever recorded, behind only July 2015, when it touched 5.7 million.

The number of hires rose 2.0% in December to more than 5.3 million and is now higher than in December 2007 — the first month of the recession — when it was 5.0 million. The number of hires edged up in professional and business services and changed little in all other industries and in the regions.

The number of separations also increased 2.2%, to more than 5.0 million.

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