In December, the number of Americans quitting their jobs reached its highest level in the past nine years. This statistic is a strong indicator of market strength. On Tuesday, a report was released showing a drop in small business confidence, so the strengthening job market underscores that. However, despite an increase in jobs openings rate in November from 3.6 to 3.8 percent, the hiring rate remained constant at 3.7 percent. This could mean that employers were struggling to find qualified workers to fill these positions.
See "More Americans Quitting Jobs as Labor Market Strengthens", The New York Times, February 9, 2016