U.S. Job Openings Hit 7.5 Million in September

The number of job openings in the United States rose to 7.5 million in September. The Labor Department released the figures on Tuesday. This marks the highest count since May. The previous month's figure was revised down to 7.19 million. The number had bottomed out at 6.9 million in March.

Employers added to their hiring efforts during the month. Gross hiring increased while layoffs decreased. The report, known as the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, details these shifts in the labor market. The data suggests that stronger economic growth may be prompting companies to bring in more staff.

The current number of open jobs now exceeds the number of unemployed people. This is a distinct change from a year ago. At that time, there were more people without work than there were available positions. The shift indicates a tightening labor market, though the trend must persist for several months to confirm real progress.

Heather Long serves as the chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union. She noted that companies are slowly increasing hiring despite current economic pressures. Long pointed to high diesel and gas prices and ongoing inflation as headwinds. She described the increase in job postings as an encouraging sign.

Gains were most prominent in the professional and business services sector. This category includes high-paying roles in engineering and accounting. Jobs in the temporary industry also saw an increase. Manufacturers, shipping firms, and state and local governments advertised for more workers as well.

Nicole Bachaud is a labor economist at ZipRecruiter. She cautioned that high inflation and rising interest rates since the summer could limit future hiring. She stated that these factors make it more expensive for businesses to operate and expand. Bachaud said these costs will likely continue to pressure hiring until inflation cools.

The government will release the October jobs report on Friday. FactSet, a data provider, forecasts that employers added 65,000 positions last month. This would improve upon the 29,000 jobs added in September. The unemployment rate is expected to remain at 4.2%.

A gain of 65,000 jobs would typically signal a struggling economy. However, the current demographic context changes that interpretation. The large baby boom generation is retiring, and immigration has dropped sharply. Consequently, the economy requires fewer new jobs to keep unemployment low compared to previous decades.

Layoffs fell to 1.64 million in September. This is the lowest level since March 2025. Meanwhile, the number of people quitting their jobs rose to 3.37 million. That is the highest figure in about 18 months, up from 3.04 million. The increase in quits is often viewed positively because workers usually leave only when they have new employment or confidence in finding it.