Departments
How many job openings were there in August 2026?
7.1 million, little changed. The openings rate was 4.3 percent. The JOLTS homepage level is 7,079,000, preliminary. Released 29 September 2026.
JOLTS · August 2026 · released 29 September 2026
Job openings were 7.1 million.
Little changed. The openings rate was 4.3 percent. Hires were little changed at 5.2 million. Total separations were unchanged at 5.1 million. Quits were unchanged at 3.1 million. Layoffs and discharges were essentially unchanged at 1.6 million. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Job Openings and Labor Turnover, August 2026. The openings level on the JOLTS homepage is 7,079,000, preliminary. July openings were revised up to 7.3 million.
Openings, April through August 2026
Level in thousands, seasonally adjusted. April through June from the BLS series as carried on FRED series JTSJOL. July and August from the 29 September 2026 release. August is preliminary.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| April | 7,585,000 |
| May | 7,537,000 |
| June | 7,182,000 |
| July, revised | 7,335,000 |
| August, preliminary | 7,079,000 |
August rates
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Openings rate | 4.3% |
| Hires rate | 3.3% |
| Separations rate | 3.2% |
| Quits rate | 1.9% |
| Layoffs rate | 1.0% |
Departments
What the office does with this
Openings are unmet demand on the last business day of the month. They are not filled jobs, and they are not a quality screen. A quit is a separation the worker started. A layoff is not a quit. The work-fit is the screen this desk sells.
Job seekers
What the person does with this
An openings count in your field is a reason to look, not an offer. The ZIP list on Career Fit is ranked to the kind of work in your result. You still file the application.
22 questions in this section
Search Openings
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Departments
What is a job opening in JOLTS?
A specific position that exists, with work available, that can start within 30 days, and that the employer is actively recruiting. The count is positions open on the last business day of the month.
Departments
How many hires were there in August 2026?
Hires changed little at 5.2 million. The hires rate was 3.3 percent. A hire in this survey is a payroll addition during the month, not a quality judgment.
Departments
How many separations were there in August 2026?
Total separations were unchanged at 5.1 million. The separations rate was 3.2 percent. Separations include quits, layoffs, and other departures.
Departments
What was the quits rate in August 2026?
Quits were unchanged at 3.1 million. The quits rate was 1.9 percent. A quit is a separation the worker initiated.
Departments
What was the layoff rate in August 2026?
Layoffs and discharges were essentially unchanged at 1.6 million. The rate was 1.0 percent. A layoff is not a quit. Do not add them and call the sum voluntary.
Job seekers
There are 7.1 million openings. Why is my search still hard?
The openings count is every unfilled job the survey catches, on one day, in the whole country. It is not 7.1 million offers addressed to you. You still need a posting you can do.
Departments
Openings fell from July. Is hiring collapsing?
July was revised to 7.3 million openings. August was 7.1 million and BLS called it little changed. The rate went from 4.4 percent in July to 4.3 percent. Read the agency's words, not only the subtraction.
Departments
What did openings do from April to August 2026?
7,585,000 in April, 7,537,000 in May, 7,182,000 in June, 7,335,000 in July after revision, and 7,079,000 in August, preliminary. Levels are seasonally adjusted total nonfarm.
Job seekers
Should I wait for the openings number to rise before I apply?
No. August still showed millions of openings and 5.2 million hires. Waiting on the next JOLTS print, which is 3 November 2026 for September data, costs a month. Apply where the work fits.
Departments
When is the next JOLTS release?
The September 2026 Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey is scheduled for 3 November 2026 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern. Until then, August is the month on this page.
Departments
Can JOLTS tell me which candidate will stay?
No. Quits are a national rate. They are not a prediction for one hire. A work sample is the person-level page this company sells. It is decision support, not a hire stamp.
Job seekers
What is the difference between an opening and a hire?
An opening is unfilled on the last business day. A hire was added to a payroll during the month. The August gap, about 7.1 million open against 5.2 million hires, is not a pile of jobs reserved for you.
Departments
Why was July's openings number changed?
The 29 September release revised July openings up by 64,000, to 7.3 million. Hires for July were revised up by 92,000, to 5.1 million. Separations were revised up by 56,000, to 5.1 million.
Departments
Do openings include jobs the employer is not really trying to fill?
The definition requires active recruiting and a start within 30 days. The survey still cannot see every stale posting on a commercial board. Do not treat a board scrape as JOLTS.
Job seekers
A quit rate of 1.9 percent means people are leaving. Is that my chance?
Quits mean some workers left jobs. They do not name the job, the city, or you. Use a ZIP list for openings you can actually apply to.
Departments
How should I brief openings, hires, and layoffs in one pass?
August 2026, preliminary: openings 7.1 million, hires 5.2 million, separations 5.1 million, quits 3.1 million, layoffs and discharges 1.6 million. Released 29 September 2026. Then say what your desk will do this week.
Departments
Is the openings rate the same as the unemployment rate?
No. The openings rate was 4.3 percent of employment plus openings. The unemployment rate was 4.1 percent of the labor force. Different surveys, different denominators, different months of release.
Job seekers
Does Real World Careers use the JOLTS file as my job list?
No. JOLTS is a statistical sample of openings, hires, and separations. Your ZIP list is the product's job tool. You apply on the employer's posting or on USAJOBS.
Job seekers
Hires were 5.2 million and separations were 5.1 million. Did employment rise?
Those two JOLTS counts were close in August. The payroll survey, which is a different instrument, showed a gain of 162,000 jobs. Do not subtract JOLTS hires and separations and call the result the payroll number.
Departments
What is the difference between little changed and unchanged in the August JOLTS release?
BLS said openings and hires were little changed, separations and quits were unchanged, and layoffs and discharges were essentially unchanged. Those are the agency's words for tests that did not clear its bar. Quote the word it used.
Departments
Can I compare the 4.3 percent openings rate with the 4.1 percent unemployment rate and call the market tight?
You can set them side by side if you name both surveys and both months. You cannot treat them as one index. Openings use employment plus openings. Unemployment uses the labor force.