The numbers: The number of job openings nationwide fell in August for the third straight month and hit a one-and-a-half-year low, coinciding with a decline in hiring that’s taken place against the backdrop of a slowing U.S. economy.
Job openings slipped to 7.05 million in August from 7.17 million in the prior month.
Although the number of jobs openings still easily exceeds the 5.8 million Americans officially classified as unemployed, they’ve declined almost 8% since the start of the year.
