The Labor Department reported Tuesday that employers posted 10.6 million job openings in November, down from 11.1 million in October, but 4.5 million people quit their jobs in November.
The job market is rebounding some after the government ordered lockdowns and consumers stayed home. Many businesses closed or cut hours.
Employers have added 18.5 million jobs since April 2020 but that still leaves the U.S. 3.9 million jobs short of what it had before the pandemic.
The December jobs report, out Friday, is expected to show that the economy generated almost 393,000 more jobs this month, according to a survey by the data firm FactSet.
The unemployment rate has fallen to 4.2%.
4.5 million people quit their jobs in November and many of them appeared to be tied to the hotel and restaurant industry.