New Delhi, June 2 -- US job openings rose sharply in April to 7.6 million, a gain of 731,000 over the month, while hiring and overall separations both eased, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday. The data suggests demand for labour remains strong even as worker movement in payrolls cooled.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, "the number of job openings increased to 7.6 million in April," with the job openings rate rising to 4.6 per cent. Over the year, openings were up by 520,000. The increase was driven largely by professional and business services, which added 668,000 openings, offsetting a decline of 135,000 in finance and insurance.

Hiring activity softened during the month. The BLS said "the number and rate o...