By Ovunc Kutlu
ISTANBUL (AA) - US job openings declined to 8.8 million in July, coming in lower than expectations, according to Labor Department figures released Tuesday.
The market expectation for the figure was to come in at 9.46 million, while the figure in June was revised down to 9.16 million from 9.58 million.
In July, the number of hires decreased to 5.8 million, the agency said in a statement.
Total separations, which include quits, layoffs and discharges, was 5.5 million in July, it added.
Around 3.5 million workers left their jobs in the world's largest economy in July, while its rate was 2.3%, according to the figures.
The Labor Department's survey measures job vacancies by collecting data from employers about employment, job openings, hiring and separations.
The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS, considers job openings for all positions that are open or not filled on the last business day of the month when the survey is conducted.