Open positions declined from July, but layoffs remained low and the overall labor market continued to show resilience.
U.S. employers posted fewer job openings in August as the labor market continued to cool without showing signs of a broad collapse.
The Labor Department reported Tuesday that job openings fell to 7.08 million in August from a revised 7.34 million in July.
Economists surveyed by FactSet had expected approximately 7.2 million openings.
The August figure was the lowest since job openings fell to 6.9 million in March.
Layoffs Remain Low
The government’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, commonly known as JOLTS, showed that layoffs declined during August.
Gross hiring increased modestly, although hiring remains below levels seen earlier in the decade.
The number of workers voluntarily leaving their jobs also declined slightly. Economists often watch the quits rate as an indicator of worker confidence because employees are generally more willing to leave jobs when they believe other opportunities are available.
Employers have added an average of about 80,000 jobs per month so far in 2026, according to the Associated Press.
A Less Dynamic Labor Market
The data suggest that Americans who already have jobs continue to enjoy relatively strong job security, while people entering the labor market may face a more difficult search.
The unemployment rate remained at 4.1% ahead of the September jobs report.
The Labor Department is scheduled to release its next monthly employment report Friday.
