US job openings fell 178,000 in June to 7.36 million

US job openings fell by 178,000 in June to 7.36 million, the lowest since March, marking a second straight monthly decline and a cumulative drop of 226,000. The largest decreases: private education and health services down 133,000, leisure and hospitality down 86,000, wholesale trade down 74,000, and professional and business services down 71,000. Despite the slowdown, available vacancies still exceed unemployed workers by 265,000, the second-largest gap since January 2025. The job openings-to-unemployed ratio remains 1.0, the highest since January 2025, indicating a tight but cooling labor market. For crypto and risk assets: a softer labor trend increases odds of easier financial conditions, which tends to support prices, while labor-market instability remains a risk.