Data through: September 2026 · updated Nov 4 · Updates: Monthly · Next: Dec 1
MThe three bars show the last 3 months for this indicator, oldest left to newest right. Bar height reflects each reading relative to the other two — the tallest is the highest of the three, the shortest the lowest.
↑ 4.6% MoM↑ 4.9% YoY
Historical context: Currently in the 86th percentile historically — near historically high (favorable) levels.
What this means right now: Job openings are high — between 6 and 8 million, as in about 1 month in 4 since 2000 (76 of 310), none of them inside a recession. Employers are hiring: the unemployment rate in those months was typically 4.2%.
Job Openings (JOLTS) · Monthly · 2000–2026
NBER recessions
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Monthly values
Job Openings (JOLTS) — the last 12 months
Every month's reading, with the band the heatmap gives it. The chart above shows the same series in full.
Month
Value
Band
Sep 2026
7.5M
Healthy reading
Aug 2026
7.2M
Healthy reading
Jul 2026
7.3M
Healthy reading
Jun 2026
7.2M
Healthy reading
May 2026
7.5M
Healthy reading
Apr 2026
7.6M
Healthy reading
Month-end readings of the same series as the chart. Values are the current record, not point-in-time: a month that has since been revised shows its revised value.
What is the Job Openings?
The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics measures how many job positions employers are actively trying to fill at any given time. It provides the demand side of the labor market picture — the supply of available workers is measured by the unemployment rate, while JOLTS measures the demand for workers by businesses.
A high level of job openings means strong employer demand for workers. When openings fall, employers are pulling back from hiring plans. The ratio of openings to unemployed workers (tracked on this site as Jobs vs Job Seekers) reached 2.04 in March 2022 — two openings for every unemployed worker — the month the Fed began raising rates from near zero.
How We Color-Code the Job Openings
Our heatmap colors this indicator against historically significant thresholds:
Below 2.0M
Very few openings — below 2M, a level the series has never reached (its low is 2.2M, July 2009)
2.0M – 4.0M
Low — 2M to 4M openings, as in about 1 month in 3 since 2000 (99 of 310), in 2001–05 and 2008–13; most of those months were outside a recession (84 of 99)
4.0M – 6.0M
Moderate — 4M to 6M openings, as in about 1 month in 3 since 2000 (98 of 310), mostly 2004–2008 and 2013–2017
6.0M – 8.0M
High — 6M to 8M openings, as in about 1 month in 4 since 2000 (76 of 310), in 2015–2021 and since 2024; none of those months fell inside a recession
8.0M or above
Very high — 8M openings or more; the 2021–2024 surge, peaking at 12.3M in March 2022
Historical Extremes — What Happened Next?
When this indicator reaches extreme levels, history shows consistent patterns:
Mar 2022Post-COVID Peak
12.3M
The highest job openings ever recorded — two openings for every unemployed worker. Average hourly earnings were rising 5.9% a year that month, the fastest in the site's data outside the April–May 2020 shutdown distortion.
Apr 2020COVID Collapse
4.6M
Job openings collapsed as COVID shutdowns eliminated employer demand for new workers — quickly reversed as the economy reopened.
Aug 2014Post-Crisis Recovery
5.3M
Openings passed 5 million again, the first time since January 2001. The labor market was regaining its footing: the unemployment rate was 6.1% that month and fell to 3.6% by the end of 2019.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the "jobs-workers gap"?
The jobs-workers gap is job openings minus unemployed workers. At the March 2022 peak there were 12.3M openings for 6.0M unemployed workers — 2.04 openings for every job seeker. As of Sep 2026 the ratio stood at 1.06 openings per unemployed worker.
How is JOLTS different from the monthly jobs report?
The monthly NFP report measures how many jobs were actually added or lost. JOLTS measures the demand for workers (openings) and the flow of workers (hires, separations, quits, layoffs). JOLTS reveals the underlying dynamics: a month with +200K net jobs could reflect +5M hires and +4.8M separations, or +2.5M hires and +2.3M separations — very different labor market activity levels.
Why is JOLTS released on a delay compared to the jobs report?
The BLS releases JOLTS about five to six weeks after the month it covers — usually a month after the jobs report for the same month. By the time JOLTS arrives, the headline payroll number for that month is already known.
What level of job openings is considered "normal"?
Before 2020, openings of 5.2 to 7.6 million were the norm: that was the range of 2015–2019. The surge to 12.3 million in March 2022 was far above anything before it. Since the start of 2025 openings have run between 6.5 and 7.6 million.
How do JOLTS job openings compare to the number of unemployed workers, and why does the ratio matter?
The ratio of job openings to unemployed workers (tracked separately on this site as Jobs vs Job Seekers) shows how many openings there are per job seeker. Above 1.0 there are more openings than people looking for work; below 1.0, more seekers than openings. The ratio has been at 1.0 or above in about 1 month in 4 since 2000 (79 of 309), all of them since 2018.