US job openings rise to 7.52 million in September as quits reach an 18-month high

US job openings rose in September while hiring held relatively steady, according to the Labor Department’s monthly Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey¹. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 7.52 million available positions^6,7. That was an increase of 333,000 in the month, according to one tally of the data⁷.

The BLS data show that hiring improved, layoffs declined and more workers voluntarily quit³. The number of people quitting their jobs rose to 3.4 million⁶, the highest level in 18 months⁵. Openings topped forecasts⁵.

Local government accounted for a big share of the gain in openings^3,4. The BLS benchmarks its JOLTS estimates each month to the current employment level from its Current Employment Statistics program².

Why it matters to investors

The report points to firmer demand for workers than the latest payroll figures suggest. Employers added just 29,000 jobs in September, according to the Labor Department^4,5. A rise in openings to 7.52 million in the same month³ shows employers still advertising for staff even as net hiring stayed low.

Workers also appear more willing to move. More of them voluntarily quit in September³, with quits rising to 3.4 million⁶, an 18-month high⁵. Layoffs declined over the same month³, so the data show fewer people losing jobs and more choosing to leave them.

The composition is a caveat. Because local government accounted for a big share of the gain³, the increase in openings says less about private-sector demand than the headline number implies. Hiring held relatively steady rather than accelerating¹.

What to watch

The BLS is scheduled to release the October jobs report on Friday⁵. Payrolls rose by 29,000 in September, and economists expect a gain of 59,000 in October⁵. A result well away from that forecast would reshape how markets read Tuesday’s openings data.

That employment report will be the next test of whether rising openings are turning into hiring, after September’s payroll gain of just 29,000^4,5. The September openings data came out on 3 November, the day of the US midterm elections^6,7.

Investors will also watch whether the gain in openings broadens beyond local government in later months³, and whether quits stay near their 18-month high⁵. The JOLTS figures are revised as the BLS benchmarks them to updated employment levels².