JOLTS: Job Openings, Hires, Quits and Layoffs

Data updated Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) is the official measure of labor demand and turnover in the US: how many jobs employers are trying to fill, how many people they hire, and how many workers quit or are let go. The figures below update automatically from the BLS after each release.

In August 2026, the BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey counted 7.08 million job openings (a rate of 4.3%), 5.19 million hires (3.3%), 3.07 million quits (1.9%) and 1.64 million layoffs and discharges (1.0%), all preliminary. That works out to 1.01 job openings per unemployed person. The next JOLTS release is due on November 3, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. ET.

Generated automatically from official BLS data; updated when new figures are published.


Job openings (vacancies)
7.08 million
Aug 2026 (preliminary) · -256,000 vs Jul 2026
Job openings rate
4.3%
Aug 2026 (preliminary) · -0.1 pts vs Jul 2026
Hires rate
3.3%
Aug 2026 (preliminary) · +0.1 pts vs Jul 2026
Quits rate
1.9%
Aug 2026 (preliminary) · unchanged vs Jul 2026
Layoffs and discharges rate
1.0%
Aug 2026 (preliminary) · -0.1 pts vs Jul 2026
Job openings per unemployed person
1.01
Aug 2026 (preliminary) · -0.05 vs Jul 2026

Next Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS): Tuesday, November 3, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. ET (data for September 2026). Source: BLS release schedule.

How many job openings are there in the US?

Job openings, also called vacancies, are the clearest measure of labor demand. The openings rate puts them in proportion to the size of the workforce.

Job openings (vacancies)

Job openings on the last business day of the month, in thousands. Seasonally adjusted. Latest data point: Aug 2026 (preliminary). This chart updates automatically when the BLS publishes new figures. Source: BLS, Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS).

View the data table
PeriodThousand people
Aug 20267,079 (p)
Jul 20267,335
Jun 20267,182
May 20267,537
Apr 20267,585
Mar 20266,887
Feb 20266,922
Jan 20267,240
Dec 20256,550
Nov 20256,846
Oct 20257,170
Sep 20257,169
Aug 20256,919
Jul 20257,089
Jun 20257,204
May 20257,310
Apr 20257,098
Mar 20256,952
Feb 20257,242
Jan 20257,431
Dec 20247,295
Nov 20247,566
Oct 20247,379
Sep 20246,943

Job openings rate

Job openings as a percent of total employment plus job openings. Seasonally adjusted. Latest data point: Aug 2026 (preliminary). This chart updates automatically when the BLS publishes new figures. Source: BLS, Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS).

View the data table
PeriodPercent
Aug 20264.3 (p)
Jul 20264.4
Jun 20264.3
May 20264.5
Apr 20264.6
Mar 20264.2
Feb 20264.2
Jan 20264.4
Dec 20254.0
Nov 20254.1
Oct 20254.3
Sep 20254.3
Aug 20254.2
Jul 20254.3
Jun 20254.3
May 20254.4
Apr 20254.3
Mar 20254.2
Feb 20254.4
Jan 20254.5
Dec 20244.4
Nov 20244.6
Oct 20244.5
Sep 20244.2

Labor demand vs. labor supply: openings per unemployed person

Comparing job openings with the number of unemployed people shows how tight the job market is. When the ratio falls, job seekers face more competition for each opening.

Job openings per unemployed person

Job openings (JOLTS) divided by the number of unemployed people (CPS), same month. Above 1 means more openings than job seekers. Latest data point: Aug 2026 (preliminary). This chart updates automatically when the BLS publishes new figures. Source: BLS, Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS).

View the data table
PeriodOpenings per unemployed person
Aug 20261.01 (p)
Jul 20261.06
Jun 20261.01
May 20261.03
Apr 20261.03
Mar 20260.95
Feb 20260.91
Jan 20260.98
Dec 20250.87
Nov 20250.88
Sep 20250.94
Aug 20250.94
Jul 20250.97
Jun 20251.02
May 20251.01
Apr 20250.99
Mar 20250.97
Feb 20251.02
Jan 20251.08
Dec 20241.05
Nov 20241.07
Oct 20241.06
Sep 20241.01
Aug 20241.06

What is the hiring rate?

The hires rate is the number of hires during the month as a percent of total employment.

Hires rate

Hires as a percent of total employment. Seasonally adjusted. Latest data point: Aug 2026 (preliminary). This chart updates automatically when the BLS publishes new figures. Source: BLS, Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS).

View the data table
PeriodPercent
Aug 20263.3 (p)
Jul 20263.2
Jun 20263.4
May 20263.3
Apr 20263.3
Mar 20263.5
Feb 20263.1
Jan 20263.4
Dec 20253.3
Nov 20253.2
Oct 20253.3
Sep 20253.3
Aug 20253.2
Jul 20253.3
Jun 20253.4
May 20253.4
Apr 20253.4
Mar 20253.4
Feb 20253.3
Jan 20253.3
Dec 20243.3
Nov 20243.3
Oct 20243.3
Sep 20243.4

What is the quits rate?

Quits rate

Quits as a percent of total employment. Seasonally adjusted. Latest data point: Aug 2026 (preliminary). This chart updates automatically when the BLS publishes new figures. Source: BLS, Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS).

View the data table
PeriodPercent
Aug 20261.9 (p)
Jul 20261.9
Jun 20262.0
May 20262.0
Apr 20261.9
Mar 20262.0
Feb 20261.9
Jan 20262.0
Dec 20252.0
Nov 20252.0
Oct 20251.9
Sep 20251.9
Aug 20252.0
Jul 20252.0
Jun 20252.1
May 20252.1
Apr 20252.0
Mar 20252.2
Feb 20252.0
Jan 20252.0
Dec 20241.9
Nov 20241.9
Oct 20242.0
Sep 20242.0

Labor turnover: total separations

Total separations combine quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations such as retirements. For layoffs alone, see our US layoffs statistics.

Total separations rate (labor turnover)

Quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations as a percent of total employment. Seasonally adjusted. Latest data point: Aug 2026 (preliminary). This chart updates automatically when the BLS publishes new figures. Source: BLS, Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS).

View the data table
PeriodPercent
Aug 20263.2 (p)
Jul 20263.2
Jun 20263.4
May 20263.3
Apr 20263.2
Mar 20263.4
Feb 20263.2
Jan 20263.2
Dec 20253.3
Nov 20253.2
Oct 20253.2
Sep 20253.3
Aug 20253.3
Jul 20253.3
Jun 20253.4
May 20253.3
Apr 20253.3
Mar 20253.3
Feb 20253.3
Jan 20253.3
Dec 20243.2
Nov 20243.3
Oct 20243.3
Sep 20243.3

JOLTS release dates for 2026

Next Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS): Tuesday, November 3, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. ET (data for September 2026). Source: BLS release schedule.

Data forRelease dateTime (ET)
January 2026Fri, Mar 13, 202610:00 a.m.
February 2026Tue, Mar 31, 202610:00 a.m.
March 2026Tue, May 5, 202610:00 a.m.
April 2026Tue, Jun 2, 202610:00 a.m.
May 2026Tue, Jun 30, 202610:00 a.m.
June 2026Tue, Aug 4, 202610:00 a.m.
July 2026Tue, Sep 1, 202610:00 a.m.
August 2026Tue, Sep 29, 202610:00 a.m.
September 2026Tue, Nov 3, 202610:00 a.m.
October 2026Tue, Dec 1, 202610:00 a.m.

More US labor market data

JOLTS FAQ

What is JOLTS?

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) is a monthly BLS survey of employers that measures job openings, hires and separations, including quits and layoffs. It is released about a month after the reference month, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

What counts as a job opening?

A job opening is a position that is open on the last business day of the month, where work could start within 30 days and the employer is actively recruiting from outside the establishment.

What does the quits rate tell you?

Quits are voluntary separations. Because people usually quit when they are confident they can find another job, the quits rate is widely watched as a sign of how workers see the job market.

What is labor turnover?

Labor turnover is the flow of workers into and out of jobs. In JOLTS it is measured by hires and total separations, which include quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations such as retirements.

How many job openings are there per unemployed person?

The chart on this page divides JOLTS job openings by the number of unemployed people from the household survey for the same month. A value above 1 means there are more openings than job seekers.

Sources


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