US job openings slid in March to 7.19 million to sit near four-year low

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of job openings reached 7.19 million in March, down from 7.48 million a month earlier. Additionally, February's reading was revised downward from the 7.57 million vacancies initially reported. The number of open jobs in the US approached a four-year low last month, Yahoo Finance says.

Meanwhile, the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) showed that 5.4 million people were hired in March, up from February's 5.37 million. At the same time, the hiring rate was unchanged at 3.4%, while the quits rate rose slightly to 2.1% from 2%. Both are close to ten-year lows, Yahoo Finance adds. 

The Conference Board reports that 32.1% of polled consumers expect fewer jobs during the next six months. That share is up from 28.8% in the previous survey.

Looking ahead, Bloomberg forecasts US nonfarm payrolls to increase by 133,000 and the unemployment rate to remain at 4.2% in April.