The number of US job openings edged down by 176,000 in February from the prior month to a to approximately 6.0 million, according to seasonally adjusted numbers released today by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Hires and separations were also little changed, edging down only slightly.

The job openings rate — a measure of job openings compared with total employment — was 3.9% February, up from 4.0% in January.

Job openings increased in finance and insurance by 69,000 and state and local government education by 31,000. However, decreases in a number of industries offset the gains. Accommodation and food services posted the largest decrease — down 91,000 — followed by construction, and wholesale trade, down by 56,000 and 38,000 respectively.

The number of job openings decreased in the West region.

MarketWatch reported that although job openings in the US fell slightly in February from a near record high at the start of the year, there’s still plenty of open positions to go around and one of the biggest problems companies face is filling them.

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