Job Openings Little Changed at 7.5 Million in September as Quits Rise to 3.4 Million
U.S. job openings were little changed at 7.5 million in September, while the number of workers quitting their jobs rose to 3.4 million, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday in its Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey.
Hires and total separations also changed little, at 5.4 million and 5.3 million. Layoffs and discharges were little changed at 1.6 million.
Openings edge higher
Employers had 7,523,000 open positions on the last business day of September, compared with a revised 7,190,000 in August and 7,169,000 a year earlier, according to the BLS figures. The job openings rate was 4.5%, versus 4.3% in August, a move the agency described as little changed.
State and local government, excluding education, posted the largest increase, adding 104,000 openings. Manufacturing openings rose to 584,000 from 530,000, and construction openings climbed to 298,000 from 262,000.
Quits climb
Quits, which the BLS says can serve as a measure of workers' willingness or ability to leave jobs, increased to 3,365,000 from 3,044,000 in August, a gain of 321,000. The quits rate was 2.1%, up from 1.9%, which the agency described as little changed.
Accommodation and food services drove the jump, with quits up 197,000 in that industry. Quits fell 19,000 in arts, entertainment and recreation. Over the past year, total nonfarm quits increased by 375,000, the BLS said.
Hires and layoffs
Hires totaled 5,402,000, with a hiring rate of 3.4%. Accommodation and food services led again, adding 158,000 hires.
Total separations reached 5,319,000, with the rate unchanged at 3.3%. Layoffs and discharges were 1.6 million, a rate of 1.0%, with a decrease of 70,000 in health care and social assistance. Other separations, which include retirements, were little changed at 313,000.
August revised up
The BLS revised August job openings up by 111,000 to 7.2 million and hires up by 79,000 to 5.3 million. Total separations were revised up by 105,000 to 5.2 million, and layoffs and discharges were revised up by 127,000 to 1.8 million. Quits were revised down by 22,000 to 3.0 million.
The October JOLTS report is scheduled for release on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. ET.
By the numbers
- Job openings: 7.5 million, rate 4.5%
- Hires: 5.4 million, rate 3.4%
- Total separations: 5.3 million, rate 3.3%
- Quits: 3.4 million, up 321,000 from August
- Layoffs and discharges: 1.6 million, rate 1.0%
- August openings revision: up 111,000
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey news release for September 2026 (USDL-26-1630), Nov. 3, 2026
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, JOLTS Table A, September 2026, Nov. 3, 2026
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, JOLTS Table 4, September 2026, Nov. 3, 2026
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