U.S. job openings fall in August to a 1 1/2-year low as hiring and the economy slow

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.