The number of job openings in the United States ticked up slightly to 8.14 million in May, a sign that the labor market still has some underlying strength despite higher interest rates.

The new numbers, including openings across all sectors for that month, were released as part of the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics updated Tuesday.

The latest numbers could give the Federal Reserve some ammunition to keep its interest rate target higher for longer.

“The report was another sign that the labor market is holding firm,” said Robert Frick, a corporate economist with Navy Federal Credit Union. “So far there are no indications that job growth will flag this year, so consumer spending power will continue to increase and the expansion looks solid.”

About 3.5 million workers quit their jobs in May, little changed from the month before. The figure is equivalent to about 2.2% of the workforce.

The “quits rate” measures the share of people who voluntarily left their jobs. It includes those who left their previous employment for another job and people who quit but are confident they will soon find new employment.

Also of note in Tuesday’s JOLTS report, layoffs and discharges were little changed, at 1.7 million in May.

For context, monthly job openings peaked at over 12 million in March 2022, the first month the Fed hiked interest rates, so the most recent numbers mark a 32% decline from that time.

Despite the signs of softening in recent JOLTS reports, the labor market has remained relatively resilient even as the Fed has raised interest rates. The economy added 272,000 jobs in May, and the unemployment rate rose one-tenth of a percentage point to 4%.

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The latest jobs report will be released Friday, and economists expect growth to remain positive.

GDP growth has also remained positive. The Bureau of Economic Analysis found that GDP expanded at a 1.4% seasonally adjusted annual rate in the first quarter of this year.