Job Openings Edge Up in August, Hiring Slows

Washington, DC, Oct. 8, 2010--The number of job openings edged higher in August, but there was little encouragement for unemployed job seekers, according to the Labor Department.

There were 3.2 million job openings in August, up from 3.1 million positions that were available in July, the Labor Department said.

That means there were 4.6 unemployed job seekers per job opening, unchanged from the previous month.

That's better than the record high of 6.2 job seekers per opening set in July, August and November of last year.

The pace of hiring also slowed slightly in August, according to the report, with new hires slipping to 4.1 million from 4.3 million in July.