Job Openings Jump to 7.5 Million in September, Far Above Forecasts

U.S. employers posted 7.52 million job openings in September, a jump of 333,000 from August that easily beat economists’ expectations, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday.

Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had expected 7.15 million openings, CNBC reported. The job openings rate rose to 4.5%, up 0.2 percentage point from the prior month.

The figures come from the agency’s monthly Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, which tracks openings, hiring, quits and layoffs across the economy.

There are now about 414,000 more job openings than unemployed workers, or roughly 1.05 openings for every person looking for work, according to CNBC’s analysis of the data.

Openings rose by 108,000 in state and local government and by 106,000 in professional and business services. Manufacturing added 54,000 openings.

Quits Rise, Layoffs Fall

Workers also showed more confidence. The number of people who quit their jobs climbed by 321,000 to 3.36 million, the highest level since March 2025, according to CNBC.

Economists watch quits closely because workers tend to leave jobs voluntarily only when they believe they can find something better.

Hiring rose by 131,000 to 5.4 million. Layoffs and discharges fell by 127,000 to 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 Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union.

Long said it was “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.”

The report offers a brighter read on the labor market after a stretch of weak payroll growth. Employers added just 29,000 jobs in September, according to the most recent monthly employment report.

The government will release the October jobs report on Friday. Wall Street expects a gain of about 59,000 jobs, with the unemployment rate holding at 4.2%, CNBC reported.

Separate data released Tuesday also pointed to firmer demand. Factory orders for manufactured goods rose 1.8% in September, beating the 1.3% economists had expected after a 0.3% gain in August.

The increase was measured from a revised 7.19 million openings in August, Reuters reported. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 7.10 million, making September’s figure a clear upside surprise.

Reuters noted that layoffs fell to their lowest level in about a year and a half, as hiring also picked up.

The report lands as voters head to the polls in the midterm elections, with inflation and high fuel costs still weighing on households. Openings data are subject to revision when the BLS releases October figures next month.

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