WASHINGTON — U.S. employers advertised for slightly fewer jobs in August as hiring ticked up modestly.

The number of U.S. job postings on the last day of August dipped to 6.49 million, down from 6.70 million July, the Labor Department said today. A year earlier, employers posted 7.17 million job openings.

Hiring in August edged up to 5.92 million, slightly above the 5.90 million job applicants hired in July.

The government reported last Friday that the U.S. economy generated 661,000 jobs in September, marking the third straight month of slower hiring after an initial burst as the recovery began to recover from the spring virus-related lockdowns.