Monthly job openings — a gauge of the U.S. economy that's closely watched by Fed Chair Janet Yellen — were little changed in September
Figures released Tuesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed employers posted 5.5 million job openings, a rate of 3.7% in September. That's a slight increase from the 5.4 million reported in August.
Washington also said the number of hires edged down, especially in arts, entertainment, and recreation, in September to 5.1 million. Total separations also were little changed at 4.9 million.
The bureau said there were 1.5 million layoffs and discharges in September, a decrease of 218,000 from August.
The JOLTS report -- which stands for Job Openings and Labour Turnover Survey -- from the U.S. Labor Department is a key barometer of economic conditions, measuring job postings in different sectors, and the number of hires and layoffs.
