U.S. job openings dropped to more than a 3-1/2-year low in September, primarily driven by the surge in labor demand in the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

The hurricanes and strikes are predicted to have temporarily curbed October’s job growth, but consumer confidence of the unemployment hit a nine-month high.

This comes just days ahead of the U.S. Department of Labor releasing the final snapshot of hiring and unemployment in the United States. The report is expected to show 120,000 jobs were added in October, less than half of September’s numbers. 10/31/2024