Job openings dip as hiring rises

The amount of job openings fell slightly in August, although employers did make more hires, according to the Labor Department.

The United States saw 3.56 million job openings in August, compared to 3.59 million in July. However, although job openings dipped, more people found new jobs, as employers made 4.35 million hires -- the highest amount since May.

Openings in manufacturing, education and health services, and leisure and hospitality were among the business sectors shedding openings at the end of the summer. The number of openings in construction, professional and business services and arts and entertainment were on the rise.

Government job openings continued three straight months of decline.

The data on job openings comes just a few days after the Labor Department issued a surprisingly positive monthly jobs report. The amount of jobs created in September was just 114,000 according to business data, largely in line with expectations. However, a separate household survey which serves as the basis for the unemployment rate showed its strongest gains in nearly a decade. The 873,000 additional jobs pushed the unemployment rate down to 7.8 percent. 

That decline, one month before the presidential election, dropped the rate below the 8 percent that had become a common reference by Mitt Romney as he hammered President Obama's record on the economy. The new rate is the lowest it has been since the president took office.

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