Key Points:
- The number of available jobs since May 2021 continues to outnumber Americans looking for work, but the gap is narrowing.
- Job openings fell to 7.4 million in September after August was revised down by 179,000 to 7.9 million.
- There are 1.9 million fewer job openings than September 2023.
- The number of job openings decreased in health care and social assistance (-178,000); state and local government, excluding education (-79,000); and federal government (-28,000) but increased in finance and insurance (+85,000).
- The U.S. added 254,000 jobs in September but there were 6.8 million people unemployed.
- The number of job openings for August was revised down by 179,000 to 7.9 million, the number of hires was revised up by 118,000 to 5.4 million, and the number of total separations was revised up by 171,000 to 5.2 million. Within separations, the number of quits was revised up by 94,000 to 3.2 million, and the number of layoffs and discharges was revised up by 60,000 to 1.7 million.
- The number of hires was little changed at 5.6 million in September.
- The number of total separations in September rose to 5.2 million.
- Within separations, quits (3.1 million) and layoffs and discharges (1.8 million) both were virtually unchanged.
- Quits decreased in professional and business services (-94,000) but increased in state and local government, excluding education (+22,000) and in real estate and rental and leasing (+18,000).
- Layoffs and discharges increased in durable goods manufacturing (+46,000) but decreased in state and local government, excluding education (-20,000).
- The labor force participation rate was unchanged for the third consecutive month at 62.7% and is 0.7% below its February 2020 level.
- The Right Facts will continue to monitor unemployment and job openings.