US private job openings (vacancies) slipped back in May but the three-month moving average continued to climb, suggesting a further rise in employment – see first chart. (Private-sector numbers have been used to avoid distortions caused by temporary government employment to conduct the decennial census.)

UK vacancies are also on the up again after a temporary dip in early 2010, possibly related to election uncertainty, with an increase in private openings in the three months to June offsetting a fall in the public sector – second chart. Employee jobs in the quarterly workforce survey were still falling in the first quarter but employee numbers in the (more volatile) labour force survey increased in the three months to May.