WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Job openings at U.S. workplaces increased to 3.93 million in February -- the highest level since May 2008 -- from 3.61 million in January, the U.S. Labor Department reported Tuesday. Compared with same period in the prior year, February's job openings rose 11% -- private openings increased 12% to 3.49 million, and government openings rose 7%, reaching 440,000. With about 12.03 million unemployed people in February, there were about 3.1 potential job seekers for each opening, compared with a ratio of 3.4 in January. In February of 2012, there were about 12.81 million unemployed people -- about 3.6 potential seekers per opening. When the recession began in December 2007, there were about 7.6 million unemployed people and 4.3 million openings for about 1.8 potential job seekers per opening. The number of separations, such as quits and layoffs, increased to 4.2 million in February from 4.17 million in January. The total number of hires increased to 4.42 million in February from 4.3 million in January. The level of hires was almost 5 million when the recession began. Just looking at quits, there were 2.26 million in February, matching January's level, which was the highest since October 2008.