U.S. Job Openings Hit 7.52 Million in September, Highest in Four Months

Hiring Increases as the Quits Rate Rises

U.S. job openings in September exceeded market expectations, reaching their highest level in four months. With hiring increasing and layoffs falling to their lowest level in 18 months, analysts say the U.S. labor market, which had been stagnant, is showing signs of recovery.

A worker stocks shelves at a supermarket in New York. New York, U.S. = Correspondent Hwang Yunju.

According to the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) released by the U.S. Department of Labor on Tuesday (local time), job openings totaled 7,523,000 in September, up 333,000 from the previous month. That was 423,000 above the market forecast of 7.1 million compiled by Dow Jones and the highest level since May.

By industry, job openings in professional and business services rose by 106,000 from the previous month, the largest increase. Openings also increased by 98,000 in the government sector and 54,000 in manufacturing.

Hiring also increased. The number of hires reached 5,402,000 in September, up 131,000 from the previous month. Meanwhile, layoffs and discharges totaled 1,641,000, the lowest level since March 2025.

The rate at which workers voluntarily leave their jobs to look for better opportunities also rose. The quits rate was 2.1% in September, up 0.2 percentage points from the previous month and its highest level since September last year. A rising quits rate can be interpreted as a sign that workers are becoming more confident about changing jobs.

The latest figures suggest that the U.S. labor market may be emerging from a prolonged period of "low hiring, low firing." For nearly three years, U.S. companies have restrained new hiring while minimizing layoffs of existing employees. As a result, job security for those already employed remained relatively high, while new jobseekers and workers hoping to change jobs struggled to find work.

However, it is too early to conclude that the labor market has entered a full-fledged recovery based on improved figures for September alone. Whether the increases in job openings and hiring continue over the next few months is expected to be a key factor in determining whether the labor market is recovering.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.