Vacancies at US employers fell in March by more than forecast and layoffs jumped, indicating softening demand for workers.

The number of available positions decreased for a third-straight month to 9.59 million from nearly 10 million a month earlier, the Labor Department’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS, showed Tuesday. That was the lowest in nearly two years and fell short of the median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists.

The data point to a gradual moderation in labor demand, which should eventually bring the job market into better balance and alleviate upward pressure on wages. While some companies — notably in technology and finance — have cut employees, the labor market as a whole remains resilient and has been a stalwart between the US and recession.

Eoin Treacy's view

We are a year into the hiking cycle, so it is reasonable to see some evidence of economic slowdown around now. The stress in the banking sector is mostly focused on the convexity of bond portfolios. Loan loss provisions have not been factored in yet but that is only going to make the situation worse. JPMorgan has a big balance sheet, but it can’t buy every bank.