News release: “There were 2.7 million job openings on the last business day of March 2010, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The job openings rate was unchanged over the month at 2.0 percent. The hires rate (3.3 percent) was little changed, and the separations rate (3.1 percent) was unchanged in March. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector by industry and geographic region. The number of job openings was little changed in March at 2.7 million but has trended upward since the most recent trough of 2.3 million in July 2009. The job openings level was little changed in March for all industries and all four regions. The number of job openings in March was little different from 12 months earlier for total nonfarm, total private, government, most industries, and in 3 of the 4 regions over the year. The level increased in the West over the year.”