Share
WASHINGTON — U.S. employers advertised slightly fewer jobs in August as hiring ticked up modestly.
The number of U.S. job postings on the last business day of August dipped to 6.49 million, down from 6.7 million in July, the Labor Department said Tuesday. Those postings are off more than a half million compared with last year at this time, when employers advertised 7.17 million job openings.
Hiring in August edged up to 5.92 million, slightly above the 5.90 million job applicants hired the previous month.
The government reported last Friday that the U.S. economy generated 661,000 jobs in September. It was the third consecutive month of slower hiring after an initial burst as the U.S. emerging from virus-related lockdowns in the spring.
The unemployment rate in September fell to 7.9%, down from 8.4% in August and a high of 14.7% in April. Before the pandemic hit, unemployment was at a 50-year low of 3.5% in February.
The Number of People Voluntarily Leaving Their Jobs Had Been Viewed as a Signal About How Comfortable People Are in Leaving a Job to Find a Better One
In August, 2.79 million workers quit their jobs, down from 2.93 million in July figure.
The number of people voluntarily leaving their jobs had been viewed as a signal about how comfortable people are in leaving a job to find a better one, but it may suggest something else now. With the job market still weak, economists believe some people are quitting to avoid becoming infected with COVID-19, or to take care of children who can’t go back to school due to related lockdowns.
“More people quitting their jobs used to be seen as a sign of confidence in the economy that there was plenty of work out there, but this recession seems to have confused the meaning of this,” said Chris Rupkey, chief financial economist at MUFG, a global financial group. “There are not nearly enough openings around to take up the Americans without paychecks this recession.”
So far, the economy has gained back about half of the 22 million jobs lost in March and April.
RELATED TOPICS:
Former Bulldog QB Jake Haener: I Have a ‘Rare Form of Skin Cancer’
2 hours ago
The Many Names of GOP Vice Presidential Nominee JD Vance
2 hours ago
Companies Cut Prices to Boost Sales, Consumers Respond
3 hours ago
Warner Bros. Discovery Sues NBA for Not Accepting Its Matching Offer
3 hours ago
Will Bonta Election Lawsuit Reverse the Will of Fresno County Voters?
3 hours ago
Opening Ceremony Floats Down Seine as Paris Investigates Rail Sabotage
4 hours ago
Fresno Man Sentenced to 29 Years for Sexually Assaulting Children and Dog
25 mins ago
Categories
![](https://gvwire.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/26170645/Gage-Mason-20-was-sentenced-to-29-years-in-state-prison-for-sexually-assaulting-multiple-children-and-a-dog-and-will-also-be-required-to-register-as-a-sex-offender-1024x538.jpg)
Fresno Man Sentenced to 29 Years for Sexually Assaulting Children and Dog
![](https://gvwire.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/26161707/Tommy-Hopfe-with-the-Colorado-Rockies_1280X720-1024x576.jpg)
Bulldogs’ Two-Position Standout Tommy Hopfe Signs With Rockies
![](https://gvwire.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/26145457/image-2024-07-26T145350.189-1024x576.jpeg)
Former Bulldog QB Jake Haener: I Have a ‘Rare Form of Skin Cancer’
![](https://gvwire.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/26154603/Republican-vice-presidential-candidate-Sen.-JD-Vance-R-Ohio-speaks-at-a-campaign-rally-July-22-2024-in-Radford-Va.-Vance-introduced-himself-to-the-world-in-2016-when-he-published-his-bestse-1024x538.jpg)
The Many Names of GOP Vice Presidential Nominee JD Vance
![](https://gvwire.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/26144020/shutterstock_2167128821-1024x576.jpg)