US job openings fall to 7.079m in August, below forecasts
Openings undershoot expectations for a second straight month, extending a gradual cooling in the labor market.
Published
US job openings came in at 7.079 million in August, below the 7.228 million economists had expected, according to the JOLTS report.
The reading follows a similar shortfall in July, when openings rose to 7.271 million, below the 7.30 million forecast, according to Trading Economics. June's figure was revised down to 7.2 million, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said in its report.
The softening in openings comes alongside jobless claims that have held roughly flat and come in slightly better than expected, in data released September 24.
Taken together, the figures point to a labor market that is cooling steadily rather than breaking down. The August miss extends the pattern seen in July rather than marking a fresh deterioration, and combined with the claims data, it does not shift the outlook for the Federal Reserve's rate path. For investors, the release confirms a trend already reflected in market pricing rather than forcing a reassessment of it.