Demand for workers in the US picked up slightly in February in a sign that the job market remains on strong footing, though layoffs also ticked up that month.

There were a seasonally adjusted 8.8 million job openings in February, a notch higher than the prior month’s downwardly revised 8.74 million, the Labor Department reported Tuesday. That was roughly in line with economists’ expectations. The number of available jobs remains well above pre-pandemic levels, but is down from a record high of 12.2 million in March 2022.

Openings soared the most in finance and insurance; state and local government excluding education; and arts, entertainment and recreation. Meanwhile, job vacancies dropped sharply in information and federal government.

However, while labor demand remains solid, the report also showed some possible signs of a loosening job market. Layoffs rose to 1.72 million from 1.6 million. For the past three years, layoffs have hovered below pre-pandemic levels, but as of February, they were above the lowest point in 2019.