Job openings in the United States rose to 7.523 million in the reference period of September 2026, according to the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. The reading was above the market forecast of 7.1 million. It was also higher than the previous period’s figure of 7.19 million.
What the figure measures
The JOLTS survey counts open positions that employers are actively trying to fill. A higher count means more vacancies were available across the economy at the time of the survey. Economists watch the series as a gauge of labour demand, since it shows how many jobs employers were seeking to fill compared with the number of workers looking for them.
The data was released at 15:00 GMT on 3 November 2026. Against the forecast, the figure came in above expectations. Against the previous period, it also moved higher, so both comparisons point the same way.
Source: Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey
