US Job Openings Hold at 7.5 Million in September as Quits Rise
Job openings were little changed at 7.5 million in September, while quits climbed to 3.4 million, the latest JOLTS data show.
The U.S. labor market showed broad stability in September, with job openings holding near 7.5 million, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey released Tuesday. The figure represented minimal movement from the prior month, signaling a labor market that remains relatively tight but has cooled from its post-pandemic peaks.
Hiring activity was largely unchanged, with employers bringing on approximately 5.4 million workers during the month. Total separations — encompassing quits, layoffs, and other departures — also held steady at 5.3 million, suggesting neither a surge in workforce exits nor a contraction in employer demand for labor.
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The most notable shift in the September data was an increase in voluntary quits, which rose to 3.4 million. Economists often treat the quits rate as a measure of worker confidence, since employees tend to leave jobs voluntarily only when they feel reasonably certain of finding new employment. An uptick in quits can indicate workers still see opportunity in the job market despite broader signs of moderation.
Layoffs and discharges remained little changed at 1.6 million, offering no evidence of a broad-based wave of workforce reductions. The relative steadiness across most JOLTS categories points to a labor market that continues to gradually normalize following the volatility of the pandemic era, rather than one experiencing sharp deterioration.
Continue reading at Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey.
