U.S. job openings held up better than expected in August, defying predictions of a steeper slowdown after four months of strong growth, while layoffs declined and new hires rose.
The number of available positions dipped to 6.49 in August from an upwardly revised 6.7 million in July, the Labor Department said Tuesday in its Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS, report.
Economists had forecast a decline to 6.25 million after the very high initial reading of 6.6 million.
Hiring picked up pace in August, perhaps because the end of enhanced unemployment benefits incentivized some Americans to return to work
