Job openings fell by 496,000 in May compared to the previous month and separations increased, according to seasonally adjusted data released today by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The largest decreases in job openings occurred in healthcare and social assistance, down by 285,000; finance and insurance, down by 139,000; and in “other services,” down by 78,000. However, the BLS noted openings did rise in some segments, with the largest increases in educational services, up 45,000; state and local government education, up 37,000; and federal government, up 24,000.

Under separations, quits rose, but the number of layoffs and discharges declined.

Quits, which are considered voluntary separations, rose by 250,000 in May — a 6.6% increase from April — to a total of approximately 4.0 million. Meanwhile, the number of layoffs and discharges — involuntary separations — fell by 35,000 in May, a 2.2% decrease from April. In total, there were nearly 1.6 million layoffs and discharges in May.