Washington, Muharram 11, 1438, Oct 12, 2016, SPA -- U.S. job openings fell to an eight-month low in August and hiring was little changed, the government said Wednesday, suggesting some easing in labor market conditions as the economic recovery ages. The Labor Department reported that job openings declined 388,000 to a seasonally adjusted 5.4 million after surging to a record high in July. That pushed down the jobs openings rate three-tenths of a percentage point to 3.6 percent. The number of hires was little changed at 5.2 million in August, keeping the hiring rate steady at 3.6 percent. Job growth is slowing, with nonfarm payrolls increasing 156,000 in September. Employment growth so far this year has averaged 178,000 per month, down from an average gain of 229,000 positions per month in 2015. --SPA 19:25 LOCAL TIME 16:25 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w