Rent for single-family homes in the United States surged 10.2 percent in the 12 months through September, marking the fastest pace of annual rent inflation in 16 years, according to a new report from CoreLogic. “Strong job and income growth, as well as fierce competition for for-sale housing, is fueling demand for single-family rentals,” said Molly Boesel, principal economist at CoreLogic. Single-family rental vacancy rates dipped to a 25-year low in the third quarter, another factor pushing rent prices higher. “Rent growth should continue to be robust in the near term, especially as the labor market continues to improve,” Boesel predicted. In a sign of labor market tightness, a recent government report showed that the number of job openings on the last business day in September was 10.4 million. While that’s down from July’s record high of 11.1 million, it’s a historically elevated figure that reinforces the view that workers are harder to come by. …