Quits rise slightly; layoffs little changed at 1.8 million
U.S. employers posted 7.36 million job vacancies in June, down from 7.54 million in May, the Labor Department said Tuesday. The count was in line with the expectations of economists.
Openings rose by 97,000 among warehouse, transportation and utility companies and by 39,000 at federal government agencies. They fell at wholesalers and at manufacturers of nondurable goods.
Layoffs were little changed at 1.8 million. The number of people quitting their jobs — a figure the report described as a sign of confidence in their prospects — rose slightly.
Gross hiring, before subtracting those who quit or lost their jobs, rose slightly to 5.3 million. That pace is weaker than the hiring of the jobs boom that followed pandemic lockdowns, when gross monthly hiring often topped 6 million.
The June figures arrive as the labor market absorbs an economic shock from fighting in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The Associated Press described the labor market as continuing to show resilience in that context.