The U.S. labor market held a reported 5.1 million open positions at the end of February, according to a Labor Department job openings report issued Tuesday – a 14-year high that suggests positions are largely plentiful for those looking for work.

The report, which exceeded analysts' expectations, was a strong sign from a labor market that was rocked Friday by a much more underwhelming employment report for the month of March.

A reported 4.9 million new hires were made in February, according to the Tuesday report. There were also 4.7 million total job separations, 2.7 million of which were quits. Quits, which are generally considered to be voluntary separations, ticked down slightly from January’s 2.8 million but were still up nearly 250,000 year over year.

Voluntary employment separations are, generally speaking, a good sign for the U.S. economy. It means workers feel more confident in their ability to find work elsewhere if they aren’t satisfied with their position, salary or working conditions. It suggests they have options.

A survey published earlier this year by Saba enterprise software company found that 36 percent of U.S. employees were actively searching for a new job and were looking to leave, on average, within the next seven months.

“I guess the most surprising data is 55 percent of those looking for a new job have been in their current position for less than five years. So they are not looking because they have been with a company for a very, very long time. They’re looking for other reasons,” says Emily He, chief marketing officer at Saba. “This is an era for talent. If you are good, there are plenty of companies who will poach you, and there’s a lot of great opportunities for you to pursue. I think this represents a great crisis as well as a great opportunity for the employers.”

He says domestic employment has entered an “employee-centric” and “people-centric” phase, noting that “the war for talent is over, and talent has won." Unlike during the Great Recession, when there was an unemployment glut and slim opportunities for hiring, employers no longer hold all the cards.

He says the country’s job landscape is such that employers must focus on attracting and retaining top talent in order to be successful.

“The next-generation employees really want a lot of face time with a manager. They want continuous feedback. They want to know how they’re doing. They want to know what they should pursue next. They just want a lot of feedback,” He says. “Unless the employers focus more on the individuals, they’re not going to be able to understand each individual and help with their career goals. And as a result, the individual will leave.”

On-the-job training is one way managers can foster a more skilled workforce while connecting with employees on a more personal level, says Rusty Rueff, a career and workplace expert at Glassdoor job postings and reviews site.

“You’re sending a positive message that, ‘I care about you.’ You’ve now null and voided the message from another employer that says, ‘You should come work for me, because I’ll take care of you,’” says Rueff. “You’re creating, in your culture, a philosophy and an attitude of consistent improvement and ability to be nimble and agile as it relates to change and things that are new.”

Glassdoor on Friday published a quarterly employment confidence survey, which found that, although 50 percent of employees surveyed said their company had engaged in large-scale hiring within the last six months, only 62 percent of employees received on-the-job training from their current employer within the last calendar year.

About 73 percent of those who earn at least $100,000 annually reported receiving such training, while only 58 percent of $50,000-$74,000 earners said the same. Only 57 percent of those who bring in less than $50,000 received training within the last 12 months.

And only 29 percent had received any kind of technology training, which is becoming increasingly important – and concerning – for modern employees. Only 20 percent of employees surveyed said they feel their technology skills will keep them competitive in the job market for the next three to five years. Only 16 percent said they’d be competitive for the next five to 10 years.

“If I’m out of work, something had to happen to me in the last 12 months. Maybe one of the reasons I’m out of work is because I wasn’t up-to-date for my skills or wasn’t adaptable to change and they never gave me the training to start with. If you’re in that situation and you’re now having to reach for a job that demands you to be more technically adept, you’re in real trouble,” Rueff says. “Companies in particular should be thinking about what they’re doing on the job to train and for people to be ready for the future, and they shouldn’t be short-sighted about it.”

On a fundamental level, Rueff also says investing in employee training can cut down on employers’ wage costs. More skilled labor comes with a more expensive price tag, he says.