US job openings at 7.44M in September, lower than estimates

​​​​​​​By Gokhan Ergocun

ISTANBUL (AA) - US job openings stood at 7.44 million in September, according to Labor Department figures that were released Tuesday.

The figure was much lower than expectations of 7.98 million.

The number of hires saw little change -- around 5.6 million and its rate stood at 3.5%.

Total separations, which include those quitting, layoffs and discharges, rose 326,000 to 5.2 million, while its rate remained steady at 3.3%.

Around 3.1 million workers left their jobs in the world's largest economy during September.

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 done.