The labor market was little changed in July, with hiring and layoffs both inching lower

Job openings and hiring were nearly flat in July, according to the Labor Department's monthly job openings and labor turnover survey, the latest sign that the labor market is stuck in "low hire, low fire" mode.

Some 7.3 million positions were available in July, up slightly from a revised 7.2 million in June.

Hiring was also fairly steady, with 5.1 million workers finding new jobs in July, a slight decrease from 5.3 million in June as the professional business services sector shed jobs. The hiring rate was 3.2%.

Layoffs and the layoff rate both saw small drops at 1.7 million and 1.1%, respectively. The quits rate, a signal of how willing workers are to leave their jobs in the current economy, was 1.9%.

The US labor market has seen anemic hiring but relatively few layoffs this year, prompting many employees to stay in place. On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics will provide another look at the market when it releases new employment data for August. July's report showed the US unexpectedly shed 23,000 jobs, while the unemployment rate dropped as more workers became discouraged and stopped seeking new roles.

Claire Boston is a Senior Reporter for Yahoo Finance covering housing, mortgages, and home insurance.