Fewer US Job Openings, Layoffs Unchanged in Slowing Labor Market

US job openings fell in February while layoffs remained subdued, adding to evidence of a labor market that’s only gradually cooling.

The number of available positions decreased to 7.57 million from a revised 7.76 million reading in January, the Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, known as JOLTS, showed Tuesday. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for 7.66 million openings.

The pullback in openings was driven by declines in retail trade, financial activities and accommodation and food services.

After steadily declining from a peak in 2022, job openings have largely stabilized ...