WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers advertised more job openings in January, suggesting that hiring will remain healthy in the coming months.

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The Labor Department says job openings rose 2.2 percent in January from December to 3.69 million. Openings had fallen nearly 5 percent in December.

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There were other positive signs: Employers laid off fewer workers in January, while the number of Americans quitting their jobs rose to the highest in four years. People usually quit when they have another job, so more quitting suggests it is easier to find work.

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There is still a lot of competition for open positions. About 12.3 million people were unemployed in January. That means there were 3.3 unemployed people, on average, competing for each job. In a healthy economy, that ratio is roughly 2 to 1.

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