US Job Openings Holding Steady Shows Labor Market Resilience

US job openings were little changed in February from the prior month, suggesting labor demand is stabilizing at an elevated level.

The number of available positions edged up to 8.76 million, mainly reflecting a pickup in finance and state and local government, from a downwardly revised 8.75 million in January. The report Tuesday from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey also showed an increase in hiring.

The Federal Reserve has been looking for softer labor-market conditions ideally through fewer job openings rather than outright job losses. As long as vacancies stay elevated, wages ...