Job openings (JOLTS, total nonfarm)
The number of unfilled job openings at month-end (total nonfarm, seasonally adjusted) from JOLTS. It gauges employer labor demand; the ratio of openings to unemployed is a key measure of labor-market tightness.
Key points
- Unfilled job openings at month-end (total nonfarm, SA)
- Gauges employer labor demand
- Openings-to-unemployed ratio measures tightness
- An input the Fed uses for wages and inflation
How to read it
Read as a count (thousands). More openings means stronger labor demand. When openings per unemployed run well above 1, the market is tight (wage pressure); near or below 1 it loosens. One of the inputs the Fed uses to read wages and inflation.
Trend
Year by year
Shows the level from 2016-01 to 2026-08, grouped by calendar year.
| Year | Average | Year-end | High | Low |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (months 1–8) | 7.22M | 7.08M | 7.59M | 6.89M |
| 2025 | 7.08M | 6.55M | 7.43M | 6.55M |
| 2024 | 7.66M | 7.30M | 8.44M | 6.94M |
| 2023 | 9.27M | 8.52M | 10.32M | 8.52M |
| 2022 | 11.19M | 10.90M | 12.30M | 10.09M |
| 2021 | 9.98M | 11.52M | 11.52M | 7.16M |
| 2020 | 6.35M | 6.77M | 7.12M | 4.61M |
| 2019 | 7.15M | 6.70M | 7.50M | 6.70M |
| 2018 | 7.11M | 7.49M | 7.59M | 6.55M |
| 2017 | 6.12M | 6.34M | 6.41M | 5.62M |
| 2016 | 5.86M | 5.96M | 6.13M | 5.59M |
Recent trend
| Period | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-01 | 7,079 | -256 |
| 2026-07-01 | 7,335 | +153 |
| 2026-06-01 | 7,182 | -355 |
| 2026-05-01 | 7,537 | -48 |
| 2026-04-01 | 7,585 | +698 |
| 2026-03-01 | 6,887 | -35 |
| 2026-02-01 | 6,922 | -318 |
| 2026-01-01 | 7,240 | +690 |
| 2025-12-01 | 6,550 | -296 |
| 2025-11-01 | 6,846 | -324 |
| 2025-10-01 | 7,170 | +1 |
| 2025-09-01 | 7,169 | +250 |
FAQ
Job openings (JOLTS, total nonfarm): what is the latest reading?
What is JOLTS?
Why do openings matter?
Sources (primary)
This article is an independent summary based on the official U.S. data below. Please verify the latest and exact details with the official sources.
- BLS (series page, official)：JTS000000000000000JOL
- Source agency：U.S. BLS
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) (public domain). This site is not endorsed or certified by the BLS.