The number of available jobs in the US grew in August, signaling an undercurrent of strength in the labor market at a time when its vitals are being carefully monitored by the Federal Reserve.

There were 8 million job openings in August, up from 7.7 million in July, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said Tuesday. It was the first increase in three months and was higher than the 7.7 million forecasters had expected, according to a survey of economists by Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.

U.S. job openings unexpectedly increased in August after two straight monthly decreases, but hiring was soft and consistent with a slowing labor market. Job openings, a measure of labor demand, rebounded by 329,

The latest job openings and labor turnover summary (JOLTS) report showed that job openings increased slightly in August, reflecting more hiring.

Economists had expected job openings to be virtually unchanged. U.S. job openings rose unexpectedly in August as the American labor market continued to show resilience.