Job openings held steady in September compared to August, rising by just 0.6%, according to seasonally adjusted data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, they were down 12.0% year over year.

In total, there were nearly 9.6 million job openings in the US in September. Bloomberg reported total job openings exceeded economists’ median estimate of 9.4 million.

Separations, on the other hand, fell by 157,000 in September compared to August. The decline was in layoffs/discharges, which fell by 165,000, and in quits, which fell by 2,000; the declines in layoffs and quits was partially offset by an increase of 10,000 in other separations.

Hires also held steady in September compared to August, but fell they fell 5.7% on a year-over-year basis.

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