Job Openings Climb to 7.52 Million as Quits Hit Highest Since March 2025

What the latest JOLTS says

The Bureau of Labor Statistics on Tuesday reported that September job openings reached 7.52 million, beating expectations by a wide margin and rising 333,000 from August. That pushed the openings rate to 4.5% of the workforce, a 0.2 percentage point uptick.

By the BLS count, there are about 414,000 more job postings than people looking for work, or roughly 1.05 openings for each unemployed worker. Demand firmed across several areas, including manufacturing (up 54,000), state and local government (up 108,000), and professional and business services (up 106,000).

Hiring, quitting, and separations

Employees quitting their jobs surged to 3.36 million in September, up 321,000 from August and the highest since March 2025. Quits are often read as a confidence check, since workers typically leave when they believe a better role is available.

Hiring also picked up, rising by 131,000 to 5.4 million. Following a decline of 127,000, layoffs and discharges stood at 1.64 million, the lowest level since March 2025. "There are more job openings than unemployed people in the United States right now. That doesn't solve all problems, but it's a big change from a year ago," said Navy Federal Credit Union's chief economist, Heather Long. "It's an encouraging sign that despite all the headwinds right now with high diesel and gas prices and ongoing inflation problems, companies are slowly increasing their hiring."

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What is next on the calendar

This readout arrives just ahead of Friday's October nonfarm payrolls release. Wall Street expects a 59,000 gain after September added 29,000, with the unemployment rate seen steady at 4.2%.

On Tuesday, orders for manufactured goods in September rose 1.8%, topping the 1.3% estimate after a 0.3% rise in August.

Why investors should care

In plain English: more openings, higher hires, and fewer layoffs point to steady labor demand, while elevated quits suggest workers think they can move to better jobs. The bottom line: that mix supports household incomes and spending, and Friday's payrolls will test whether this momentum is broadening.

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