RJ and Makay

Good news from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL): In February, businesses posted the largest number of job openings in more than two years, suggesting hiring is on the rise.

According to the DOL, employers advertised 3.1 million jobs in February, the most since September 2008 (the height of the financial crisis). Competition for jobs remains intense, though it has eased a bit. There were 4.4 people, on average, competing for each available job in February, down from nearly 7 per job in July 2009. Two applicants per job is considered a sign of a healthy economy.

Although the economy hasn't improved enough yet for employers to hike pay, they are at least offering employees more perks, suggests a new survey by Robert Half International subsidiary Accountemps.

Upon querying 1,400 chief financial officers (CFOs) from a random sample of U.S. companies with 20 or more employees, Accountemps found respondents are increasingly relying on perks to retain top employees and attract new ones. The perks are mainly things like subsidized training/education, flexible work hours/telecommuting, and mentoring programs. The percentages of CFOs offering these perks in 2011 were 29%, 24%, and 24%, respectively.