Job openings in the United States increased to the highest level in more than 14 years, showing the labor market was solidifying gains even as the economy emerged from a first-quarter funk.

Trucking added 8,600 jobs in May, up substantially from April, and U.S. employers added 280,000 workers to payrolls, the Labor Department reported June 5.

Fewer than 300,000 American workers filed applications for unemployment benefits for the sixth consecutive week, pointing to labor-market strength even as hiring cooled last month.

Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits over the past four weeks than at any time in almost 15 years, signaling underlying strength in the labor market even as hiring cooled last month.

The trucking industry lost 6,800 jobs in March as overall U.S. payrolls rose by 126,000, and the unemployment rate held at 5.5%, the Labor Department said April 3.

Fewer than 300,000 Americans filed applications for unemployment benefits for a second week, signaling the labor market remains resilient even as the economy shows signs of slowing.

Trucking added 2,600 jobs in February as the U.S. unemployment rate fell to 5.5%, the Labor Department reported.

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits jumped by the most since December 2013 last week from a week earlier, a sign of uneven progress in the labor market.

Applications for unemployment benefits climbed last week to a level that’s consistent with progress in the U.S. labor market.