The number of job openings fell by 20,000 month-over-month in September to 4.1 million on the last business day of the month, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The job openings rate was 2.9% in September, unchanged from August but down from 3.0% in September 2006.

The job openings rate was highest in accommodations and food services.

The hires rate fell to 3.4% in September from 3.5% in August and 3.6% in September 2006. There were almost 4.7 million hires in September compared with more than 4.8 million in August.