U.S. employers posted 7.8 million vacancies in May, The Labor Department reported Tuesday, up from 7.4 million in April. Economists had expected a slight decrease to 7.3 million. The number of Americans quitting their job — a sign of confidence in their prospects — rose modestly, and layoffs fell.

U.S. job openings unexpectedly increased in May, but a decline in hiring added to signs that the labor market had shifted into lower gear amid uncertainty over the Trump administration's tariffs on imports,

Job postings tracked by Indeed have remained fairly flat, she noted. “I wouldn’t take this as a sign of blue skies ahead, by any means,” she added. Some of the most substantial increases in job postings were at restaurants and hotels,