job openings report

Two sets of labor statistics data, released this week, point to a divergence between the job-openings rate and the total number of employees on nonfarm payrolls. And that divergence may well serve as a leading indicator for the labor market as a whole.

The number of U.S. job openings in July increased 30% from a year earlier, signaling that companies may be starting to hire again, according to the U.S. Labor Department.