HOUSTON, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- The number of job openings edged up to 7.3 million on the last business day of October, the U.S. Department of Labor said Tuesday.

Over the month, hires and separations were little changed at 5.8 million and 5.6 million, respectively. Within separations, the quits rate was unchanged at 2.3 percent and the layoffs and discharges rate was little changed at 1.2 percent.

In October, the job openings rate edged up to 4.6 percent. The largest increases in job openings levels were in retail trade, finance and insurance, and durable goods manufacturing.

The hires rate, at 3.8 percent, changed little in October. The number of hires edged down for total private and was little changed for government.

Meanwhile, the rate of total separations was little changed at 3.7 percent. The number of total separations edged down for total private, led by a decrease in retail trade and wholesale trade.

Over the 12 months ending in October, hires totaled 69.8 million and separations totaled 67.4 million, yielding a net employment gain of 2.4 million. These totals include workers who may have been hired and separated more than once during the year. Enditem