US Job Openings Jump to 7.52 Million as Layoffs Fall and Quits Rise

Available jobs in the United States grew sharply in September, showing renewed strength across the labor market. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that total job openings climbed by 333,000 from August to reach 7.52 million. This total easily topped the Dow Jones estimate of 7.15 million.

Openings Top Jobless Numbers

With this gain, the job openings rate moved up to 4.5% of the total labor force. Available positions now exceed the number of unemployed individuals by about 414,000. That equals roughly 1.05 open roles for every job seeker looking for work.

Several industries drove the increase in hiring demand:

• State and local government roles climbed by 108,000.
• Professional and business services expanded by 106,000 openings.
• Manufacturing positions increased by 54,000.

Demand in manufacturing matched broader factory activity. Separately, factory orders for manufactured goods rose 1.8% in September, beating forecasts of 1.3%.

Workers Quit More and Layoffs Drop

Worker mobility picked up alongside hiring demand. The number of people quitting their jobs reached 3.36 million, an increase of 321,000 compared to the previous month. This marks the highest quit count since March 2025. Economists often view quit rates as a sign of confidence, because people generally quit when they expect to secure a new job.

Overall hiring rose by 131,000 to reach 5.4 million for the month. Meanwhile, employer discharges and layoffs declined by 127,000 to 1.64 million, matching their lowest levels since March 2025.

These figures arrive just before the monthly nonfarm payrolls report. Economists project that upcoming report will show an addition of 59,000 payroll jobs, with the unemployment rate remaining at 4.2%.