JOLTS Job Openings Rate
The JOLTS job openings rate divides unfilled positions by employment plus openings. Unlike the raw openings count, the rate adjusts for the growing size of the labor market and is therefore the cleaner long-history measure of employer demand.
Job openings rate
Next release: Sep 1, 2026
Latest reading
As of June 2026, Openings Rate (Job openings rate) stands at 4.4% — down from 4.5% the prior reading, 3.1 pp below the March 2022 record of 7.5%. A high openings rate says recruiting demand remains strong; a sustained decline often precedes an increase in layoffs because employers usually stop opening roles before cutting existing staff. Pair it with hires and the openings-per-unemployed ratio: vacancies that do not become hires can overstate effective demand. Series history runs from 2000 to present.
Sources, methodology & freshnessLast updated 2026-08-21 · Open ↓Close ↑
Full history
Methodology & data
Openings Rate is sourced from BLS via the Federal Reserve's FRED service (BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey via FRED (JTSJOR), monthly, seasonally adjusted). We pull the complete history, chart it on a monthly basis, overlay SPY for context, and generate a dated plain-English reading from the latest release — with no smoothing or adjustment beyond what the chart legend states.
Every reading is stamped with its release date, last updated 2026-08-21. Maintained and reviewed by Yuriy Matso; see our methodology for the standards every series on the site is held to.
Frequently asked questions
What is the JOLTS Job Openings Rate?
The JOLTS job openings rate divides unfilled positions by employment plus openings. Unlike the raw openings count, the rate adjusts for the growing size of the labor market and is therefore the cleaner long-history measure of employer demand.
How do you read Openings Rate?
A high openings rate says recruiting demand remains strong; a sustained decline often precedes an increase in layoffs because employers usually stop opening roles before cutting existing staff. Pair it with hires and the openings-per-unemployed ratio: vacancies that do not become hires can overstate effective demand.
Where does the Openings Rate data come from?
BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey via FRED (JTSJOR), monthly, seasonally adjusted. We chart the full history and publish a dated, plain-English reading with every release; the raw series is downloadable as CSV at /data/indicators/job-openings-rate.csv.
How often is Openings Rate updated?
Openings Rate is a monthly series from BLS, refreshed here as soon as a new release posts to FRED.
Job openings rate
Next release: Sep 1, 2026