The number of available jobs since May 2021 continues to outnumber Americans looking for work.
Job openings rose from 7.9 million in April to 8.1 million in May
There are 1.2 million fewer job openings than May 2023.
In May, job openings decreased in accommodation and food services (-147,000) and in private educational services (-34,000). The number of job openings increased in state and local government, excluding education (+117,000), durable goods manufacturing (+97,000), and federal government (+37,000).
The U.S. added 272,000 jobs in May and there were 6.6 million people unemployed.
The number of job openings for April was revised down by 140,000 to 7.9 million, the number of hires was revised down by 25,000 to 5.6 million, and the number of total separations was revised down by 35,000 to 5.3 million.
In May, the number of hires was little changed at 5.8 million. Over the year, hires were down by 415,000.
The number of total separations in May changed little at 5.4 million. This measure was down by 424,000 over the year.
Within separations, quits (3.5 million) and layoffs and discharges (1.7 million) changed little.
In May, the number of quits was little changed at 3.5 million, and the rate was 2.2% for the seventh month in a row.
In May, the number of layoffs and discharges changed little at 1.7 million, and the rate remained unchanged at 1.0%.
The labor force participation rate fell to 62.5% in May and is 0.9% below its February 2020 level.
The Right Facts will continue to monitor unemployment and job openings.