Bureau of Labor Statistics in its Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey on 3 November 2026 showed that job vacancies increased by 333,000 to reach a seasonally adjusted 7.52 million on the last business day of September. The increase followed a revised total of 7.19 million job openings in August. Total hires went from 5.27 million in August to 5.40 million in September.
Data released by the U.S. The number of unfilled jobs across the United States rose unexpectedly at the end of the third quarter. This happened even as overall hiring remained fairly steady and employers continued to avoid major staff cuts. Despite the rise in available jobs, hiring across private businesses and government employers outside the farm sector increased only slightly. This gap shows that many companies are continuing to advertise open positions while remaining careful about bringing in new employees.
Vacancies in the public sector, excluding education, increased by 104,000 during the month, bringing the total to 519,000 open positions. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics also updated its earlier estimates for August 2026 after receiving additional reports from state agencies and private businesses. The number of job openings in August was revised upward by 111,000, increasing the original estimate of 7.08 million to 7.19 million. Total hiring was also revised upward by 79,000 to 5.27 million. Total separations increased by 105,000 to reach 5.18 million. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics is scheduled to publish its October 2026 Job Openings and Labor Turnover figures on 1 December 2026.
The increase in job openings was mainly driven by state and local government agencies. These monthly changes are part of the normal process of updating government employment figures. The revisions happen when the Bureau receives more reports from businesses and government agencies and updates its calculations.