Job Openings (JOLTS)

7.52M

+333,000 (+4.6%) vs Aug

As of Sep 2026 · Updated monthly · Source: BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, total nonfarm, seasonally adjusted, via FRED

Next releaseNov 3, 202610:00 ET· Job Openings and Labor Turnover SurveyFull calendar →

Job Openings (JOLTS)Sep 1, 2021 to Sep 1, 2026
6.20M7.82M9.43M11.04M12.65MSep 1, 2021May 1, 2023Jan 1, 2025Sep 1, 2026

Previous

7.19M

Aug 2026

One year ago

7.17M

+354,000 (+4.9%) since

52-week high

7.58M

Apr 2026

52-week low

6.55M

Dec 2025

Recent readings

DateJob openingsChange
Sep 20267.52M+333,000 (+4.6%)
Aug 20267.19M−145,000 (−2.0%)
Jul 20267.33M+153,000 (+2.1%)
Jun 20267.18M−355,000 (−4.7%)
May 20267.54M−48,000 (−0.6%)
Apr 20267.58M+698,000 (+10.1%)
Mar 20266.89M−35,000 (−0.5%)
Feb 20266.92M−318,000 (−4.4%)
Jan 20267.24M+690,000 (+10.5%)
Dec 20256.55M−296,000 (−4.3%)
Nov 20256.85M−324,000 (−4.5%)
Oct 20257.17M+1,000 (+0.0%)

Most recent first; change is versus the prior reading shown. Source: BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, total nonfarm, seasonally adjusted, via FRED.

What this number is

The number of unfilled positions on the last business day of the month, from the BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, published about five weeks after the month ends.

Why it matters

Openings per unemployed worker is the Fed's preferred gauge of labor market tightness. Above one opening per job seeker, wage pressure builds; below it, hiring has cooled even if layoffs have not started.

Questions readers ask

Why is JOLTS so late?
It is a separate survey of about 21,000 establishments with a lower response rate than the payroll survey, so it publishes a month after the jobs report for the same period.
What else is in the JOLTS report?
Hires, quits and layoffs. The quits rate is the one to watch: people quit when they expect to find another job quickly.

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