The number of job openings decreased to 5.4 million on the last business day of August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Hires and separations were little changed at 5.2 million and 5.0 million, respectively. Within separations, the quits rate was 2.1 percent and the layoffs and discharges
rate was 1.1 percent. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the nonfarm sector by industry and by four geographic regions.

The number of hires was 5.2 million in August, little changed from July. The hires rate was 3.6 percent in August. The number of hires was little changed for total private and for government. Hires was also little changed in all industries and regions.