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,