U.S. Job Openings Fall to Lowest Level in at Least Nine Years

By Courtney Schlisserman

Oct. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Job openings in the U.S. fell in August to the lowest level in at least nine years, signaling the economy hasn’t improved enough to prompt companies to take on more staff.

The number of unfilled positions fell by 21,000 to 2.39 million, the fewest since records began in 2000, the Labor Department said today in Washington. Openings were down by 2.4 million, or 50 percent, since peaking in July 2007.

The report showed hiring and firing both slowed in August, indicating last month’s acceleration in payroll losses may have been due to a lack of employment rather than a pick up in dismissals. Labor Department figures last week showed employers cut staff by a net 263,000 workers in September and the unemployment rate increased to the highest level since 1983.

“We’re not going to signal the all-clear on the jobs market until we see hiring pick up,â€