US job openings increase to 9.6 million in August

By Ovunc Kutlu

ISTANBUL (AA) - US job openings increased to 9.61 million in August, higher than expectations, according to Labor Department figures released Tuesday.

The expectation for the figure was to come in at 8.8 million, while the figure in July was revised to 8.92 million from 8.8 million.

In August, the number of hires increased to 5.9 million, while its rate remained almost unchanged at 3.7%, the agency said in a statement.

Total separations, which include quits, layoffs and discharges, was also little changed at 5.7 million in August with its rate at 3.6%, it added.

Around 3.6 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.