US job openings hit 7.2M in August, above estimates

​​​​​​​By Mucahithan Avcioglu

ISTANBUL (AA) - US job openings hit 7.2 million in August, above expectations, according to the Labor Department's Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) figures that were released Tuesday.

The market expected the figure would be at 7.19 million, while the July number was revised upwards to 7.208 million.

The number of hires saw little change, around 5.1 million, and the rate remained unchanged at 3.2% in August.

Total separations, which include quitting, layoffs and discharges were broadly stable at 5.1 million, at a constant 3.2% rate.

"Layoffs and discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the employer. Other separations include separations due to retirement, death, disability, and transfers to other locations of the same firm," the agency said in a statement.

Some 3.1 million workers left jobs in the world's largest economy in August, staying around a rate of 1.9%.

The Labor Department's survey measures job vacancies by collecting data from employers about employment, job openings, hiring and separations.

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS, considers job openings for all positions that are open or not filled on the last business day of the month when the survey is taken.​​​​​​​