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Job openings slide to 6.9 million in February, another hint of sluggish hiring in America

Hiring fell to 4.8 million in February with a 3.1% hires rate, the lowest since April 2020, amid concerns about high interest rates and AI impact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said.

  • The Labor Department reported Tuesday that job openings fell to 6.9 million in February, signaling sluggishness in the United States labor market as vacancies slipped from 7.2 million in January.
  • Although January data was revised higher to 7.2 million, the Labor Turnover Summary confirms persistent market deterioration over the past year, reflecting high interest rates and uncertainty over President Donald Trump's economic policies.
  • Quits and Hires tumbled to six-year lows, with Employers adding fewer than 10,000 jobs monthly in 2025—the weakest hiring outside a recession since 2002. The hires rate fell to 3.1 percent, matching April 2020 levels.
  • Construction, Manufacturing, Information, Finance, and Private Education saw significant declines in job openings, while accommodation and food services dropped 211,000 positions. These sectoral contractions reflect broader employer caution amid economic uncertainty.
  • Economists attribute the market slowdown to uncertainty over President Donald Trump's economic policies and artificial intelligence disruption in entry-level roles. Despite sluggish hiring, the unemployment rate remained low at 4.4%, creating a paradoxical low-hire, low-fire environment.
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Job openings slide to 6.9 million in February, another hint of sluggish hiring in America

U.S. job openings fell slightly last month to 6.9 million, another sign of sluggishness in the American labor market.

·United States
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Zero Hedge broke the news in United States on Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
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