Job openings fall to 18-month low as hiring holds up

U.S. job openings unexpectedly slumped in September to the lowest level in a year and a half on broad declines across industries. The number of positions waiting to be filled fell by to 7.02 million from an upwardly revised 7.3 million in August, according to the Labor Department’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. The quits rate declined to a three-month low of 2.3%, though still suggesting workers remain generally confident about job prospects.