Job seekers wait in line to enter the Best Hire Chicago Career Fair on August 7. Jim Vondruska/Bloomberg/Getty Images

In what could be the last piece of federal jobs data released this week if the government shuts down , a new report Tuesday showed that the number of available roles remain low for the year, a sign that opportunities continue to dwindle for Americans looking for work.

Tuesday’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey showed that the number of available jobs increased slightly to 7.23 million at the end of August from an upwardly revised 7.21 million. The monthly report carries added weight this week and comes at a precarious time for the economy: If the federal government does shut down, the release of crucial labor market data such as Friday’s jobs report, could be de

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