U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (10/24/13)

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 3.9 million job openings at the end of August, on par with the previous month. There were 4.5 million hires in August and 4.4 million total separations, and the 3.3% hires rate and the 3.2% separations rate were little changed from July. The report was delayed more than two weeks by the partial government shutdown at the beginning of the month.

The rate of voluntary quits also held steady at 1.7% for total nonfarm, 2.0% for total private, and 0.6% for government, and also holding steady was the layoffs and discharges rate at 1.2%. The agency reported 52.3 million hires and 50.4 million separations during the year-to-year period ending in August, amounting to a net employment gain of 1.9 million.