U.S. Job Openings Rose to 7.52 Million in September as Layoffs Fell to Lowest Since March 2025
Job openings rose by 333,000 to 7.523 million in September, beating forecasts, while layoffs fell to 1.641 million and hiring rose to 5.402 million, according to the Labor Department report released Tuesday.
U.S. employers posted 7.523 million job openings on the last day of September, up 333,000 from August, the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics said Tuesday in its Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, known as JOLTS. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 7.1 million openings. August openings were revised up to 7.19 million from 7.079 million reported earlier.
The job openings rate rose to 4.5 percent from 4.3 percent in August. There were 1.06 job openings for every unemployed person in September, up from 1.02 in August.
Where openings rose
State and local government, excluding education, accounted for just under a third of the rise, with 104,000 vacancies. Private-sector openings rose by 236,000, led by professional and business services, with 106,000 vacancies. Manufacturing openings rose by 54,000 and construction openings by 36,000. Trade, transportation and utilities openings rose by 45,000, while vacancies fell in financial activities, health care and social assistance, and leisure and hospitality.
Hiring up, layoffs down
Hiring rose by 131,000 to 5.402 million in September, and the hires rate rose to 3.4 percent from 3.3 percent. Accommodation and food services led hiring, adding 158,000 positions. Hiring fell in manufacturing, professional and business services, financial activities and government.
Layoffs and discharges fell by 127,000 to 1.641 million, the lowest level since March 2025, and the layoffs rate fell to 1.0 percent from 1.1 percent. Quits rose to 3.365 million, and the quits rate rose to 2.1 percent from 1.9 percent. The Federal Reserve last week left its benchmark overnight interest rate in the 3.75 percent to 4.00 percent range while noting that inflation remains elevated, Reuters reported.
“For now, all signs point to a solid labor market, even if it is difficult for pockets of workers, namely those who are unemployed,” said Matthew Martin, senior U.S. economist at Oxford Economics. He said he expects officials to move at a gradual pace and deliver interest rate hikes at the December and March meetings.
Reporting based on coverage by Reuters and SRN News.
