The U.S. labor market saw a positive sign this week as a new job openings report showed an increase of 8 million in August.

The U.S. Department of Labor announced Tuesday that job openings rose to 8 million in August, an increase from 7.7 million in July, defying economists’ expectations that vacancies would remain flat. The rise was driven by increased openings in the construction sector and state and local governments.

Layoffs dropped in August, but the number of Americans voluntarily leaving their jobs—often seen as a sign of confidence in the labor market—fell to its lowest point since August 2020, when the economy was still struggling with the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns.

Job openings have steadily declined since reaching a high of 12.2 million in March 2022, but they remain elevated compared to pre-pandemic levels. As the economy rebounded stronger than anticipated from the COVID-19 lockdowns, businesses struggled to hire enough workers to meet an increased demand.

A surging economy triggered a spike in inflation, prompting the Federal Reserve to raise its benchmark interest rate 11 times throughout 2022 and 2023. As a result, inflation has eased, dropping from a high of 9.1 percent in June 2022 to 2.5 percent by August.

Despite the Federal Reserve’s aggressive rate hikes, the economy showed unexpected resilience, avoiding the recession many had predicted. However, the job market has slowed, with hiring averaging just 116,000 new jobs per month from June to August — the weakest three-month stretch since mid-2020.

The Labor Department’s upcoming September jobs report, set for release on Friday, is projected to show employers added 143,000 jobs last month, while the unemployment rate is expected to hold steady at 4.2 percent, according to a survey of economists conducted by data firm FactSet.

Last month, the Federal Reserve, noting progress in the fight against inflation and concerns over a slowing job market, implemented a significant half-point cut to its benchmark interest rate. This marked the Fed’s first and largest rate reduction since March 2020.

Robert Frick, an economist with the Navy Federal Credit Union, told The Associated Press: “Job openings had a big gain, and while these numbers are volatile, it’s likely employers see falling interest rates spurring the economy and may want to staff up.”

Last month, data from the Labor Department showed the number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits hit a four-month. There were 218,000 jobless claims in the week ending September 21, a 4,000 drop from the week before, the Labor Department reported last month. This decrease marked the fewest job claims since mid-May and was less than the 224,000 claims analysts expected.

This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.