My latest quarterly column for Inside Business can be found at:
http://insidebiz.com/news/investing-2013-was-great-year-despite-tapering-tantrums
In that column, I mention the JOLTS report or Job Openings Labor Turnover Survey. Since the column was submitted to the editor, the latest report (November) has been released, and it shows continued increases in the number of “quits,” which is a very healthy sign of improvement in the labor market. Workers are reluctant to quit a job, when they are not confident of finding another job.
One interesting detail in the latest report is that the increased confidence is strongest among the low-skilled workers. Why is their confidence level increasing faster that non-skilled and highly-skilled labor? We’re not sure of the reason, but I am sure it will be studied closely and quickly.