[Job vacancies in the United States fell to a five-month low in August, but the number of layoffs remains low] September 29th: Job vacancies in the United States fell to a five-month low in August, indicating that employers became more cautious in adding employees at the end of summer, but the number of layoffs remained low. Data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Tuesday showed that the number of open jobs fell to 7.1 million from 7.3 million in July, below the forecasts of all economists in the survey. The report also showed that the number of layoffs fell to the lowest level since March 2025, while hiring increased slightly. The turnover rate remained at 1.9%, the same level as the lowest level since 2020. Openings declined in several areas, including professional and business services, health care and social assistance, state and local government, and manufacturing and construction. These data are consistent with the current "low hiring, low layoffs" labor market pattern. Many employers are unwilling to add staff or lay off workers. Initial jobless claims remained near record lows last week, suggesting layoffs were limited.