BLS JOLTS public data · national through Jun 2026
How tight is the U.S. labor market right now?
Read the national labor market, then compare the same JOLTS measures across all 51 states and 27 industry sectors.
National picture
The Jun 2026 JOLTS release records 7.4M job openings and 5.3M hires, a 2.0M gap between the two series, not a count of people looking for work.
- 7.4M
- job openings
- 5.3M
- hires
- 2.0M
- openings–hires difference
- Dec 2025
- latest state tables
The national and state series update on different BLS schedules. California leads the current state table by openings; Private education and health services leads the national industry table.
Job openings, hires, quits, and layoffs from the BLS JOLTS program, broken down across all 51 states and 27 industries with trend charts and rankings. National headline through Jun 2026; state breakdowns through Dec 2025 (BLS releases state tables later).
Two JOLTS lenses
National rate dial and state openings concentration
The gauge uses the national openings rate (openings per 100 jobs) for Jun 2026. The bars use absolute openings from the slower state table (Dec 2025). Do not read the dial as a state ranking or a hire-fill share.
National openings/hires rates share a jobs denominator; state bars are absolute openings on a later BLS schedule.
States by Job Openings · Dec 2025
Industries by Job Openings · Jun 2026
Rank, compare, and track JOLTS releases
Beyond the state and industry tables, PlainLabor publishes rate rankings, a two-state comparison tool, and a release-change report when BLS drops new JOLTS rows.
- States with the highest job openings rate → Three-month average openings rate with a minimum-volume floor.
- Compare job openings by state → Side-by-side openings, hires, and quits for any two states.
- JOLTS release changes → Month-over-month movers when state and national vintages update.
U.S. job openings over time
National job openings from the BLS JOLTS survey, 2019 to 2026. Openings surged to a record near 12.3M during the 2022 labor shortage and have cooled since.
Source: BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), national total (all industries), in millions of openings.
Do more openings mean more quitting? Not really.
Each point is one state, Dec 2025: openings rate on the x-axis, voluntary quits rate on the y-axis. If a hot job market reliably made workers confident enough to quit and chase a new one, the two would move together. Across the 51-state table they barely do: Georgia posts one of the highest openings rates in the country (5.3%) alongside a below-average quits rate (1.6%).
Source: BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), state tables, Dec 2025.
About JOLTS Data
The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) is published monthly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It measures job openings, hires, and separations (quits, layoffs, discharges) across all nonfarm industries. JOLTS data is a key economic indicator used by the Federal Reserve and policymakers to assess labor market conditions.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey has tracked U.S. labor market dynamics since its launch in December 2000. PlainLabor compiles 6,804 monthly JOLTS records across all 51 states and 27 industry sectors. National (and national-by-industry) tables on this site run through Jun 2026; the state breakdown uses Dec 2025 because BLS publishes state rows on a later schedule: two populations, disclosed on each list heading. See our methodology for the full source list.
About this data
How PlainLabor works, and why you can trust these numbers
What this site is
PlainLabor is a plain-language reference for U.S. labor market data. We turn the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) into a searchable database covering all 51 states and territories and 27 industry sectors, with every figure traceable back to the issuing federal source.
Editorial process
- Source. Pull the monthly JOLTS flat files directly from the BLS public download server. Every figure on this homepage is a JOLTS openings, hires, quits, or layoff series, not a Census or DOL blend.
- Verify. Each record keeps its original BLS series and area identifiers, so every figure traces back to the source agency's own release.
- Publish. Compile per-state and per-industry profiles showing job openings, hires, quits, and separations in context, always linking back to the official BLS source so readers can verify our numbers against it.
Editorial independence & corrections
PlainLabor is an independent publisher and is not affiliated with the Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. We do not accept payment, sponsorship, or promoted placement. Found a figure that looks wrong? Use the contact page with the page URL and the value that looks off, we compare it against the published BLS source and correct our pipeline (not just the single page) if the error is on our side. See our editorial & corrections policy and methodology for the full process and source attribution.
Frequently asked
What is JOLTS data?
JOLTS (Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey) is a monthly BLS survey that measures job openings, hires, and separations across the U.S. economy.
What states and industries are covered?
PlainLabor covers all 51 states and territories plus 27 industry sectors, with data on job openings, hires, quits, layoffs, and total separations.
Why do national and state figures show different months?
BLS releases the national (and national-by-industry) JOLTS tables several months before the full state breakdown. On this site the national headline figures run through Jun 2026, while state rankings and state pages use Dec 2025, the newest month that has state rows. Those are two populations, not one stamp.
Where does the data come from?
All data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, published monthly with approximately a two-month lag.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) · Jun 2026 National rails use Jun 2026; state openings levels use Dec 2025. Two populations, not one blended month.
Download the BLS JOLTS state snapshot cited on this page: jolts-labor-market-statistics.csv (CC0).
Every figure on PlainLabor is rendered from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS); no number is typed in by an editor. Homepage national and state rails use the latest JOLTS months present in this extract; state tables can lag the national release. See our editorial standards and corrections policy, methodology, or report a data error. Data current as of national through Jun 2026; states through Dec 2025. JOLTS figures are employer-survey openings and turnover rates for a published reference month - not job-quality rankings, hiring recommendations, or real-time vacancy postings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is JOLTS data?
JOLTS (Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey) is a monthly BLS survey that measures job openings, hires, and separations across the U.S. economy.
What states and industries are covered?
PlainLabor covers all 51 states and territories plus 27 industry sectors, with data on job openings, hires, quits, layoffs, and total separations.
Why do national and state figures show different months?
BLS releases the national (and national-by-industry) JOLTS tables several months before the full state breakdown. On this site the national headline figures run through Jun 2026, while state rankings and state pages use Dec 2025, the newest month that has state rows. Those are two populations, not one stamp.
Where does the data come from?
All data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, published monthly with approximately a two-month lag.
Labor Market Guides
Plain-language explanations of JOLTS data, labor market indicators, and how to read the numbers.
Understanding JOLTS Data
What BLS measures, how it's collected, and what it reveals about labor market health.
Job Openings vs. Hires
Why openings and hires tell different stories, and what a high gap signals.
Labor Market Indicators
The quits rate, layoff trends, and how JOLTS fits alongside the monthly jobs report.
The Great Resignation by the Numbers
JOLTS data on the 2021–2023 quits wave, which industries saw the biggest exodus and what ended it.
Which Industries Are Hiring Fastest
Industry hire rate rankings from JOLTS, growth vs. turnover and what it means for job seekers.
Related Guides
Editorial context for the plainlabor dataset, methodology, comparisons, and deep dives into the underlying records.
The Great Resignation by the Numbers, JOLTS Data on the 2021–2023 Quits Wave
In-depth guide with context and practical steps.
Interpreting Unemployment Rates
In-depth guide with context and practical steps.
Job Openings vs. Hires, Why They Tell Different Stories
In-depth guide with context and practical steps.
Research
Original analysis from our editorial process, every statistic derived from our own database. Browse labor-market research articles.