States with the Highest Job Openings Rate
States ranked by 3-month average job openings rate (minimum 20K average openings).
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, Georgia leads on the 3-month average openings rate at 5.6% (about 297K average openings) , against a cohort median of 4.2% (+1.4 pp vs median). Only states with at least 20K average openings in the window appear here ; window ends Dec 2025. Even above that floor, state JOLTS estimates are volatile, so treat the #1 spot as directional rather than definitive.
What This Ranking Tells Us
The job openings rate measures unfilled positions as a percentage of total employment plus openings. This page ranks the 3-month trailing average so a single volatile month does not crown #1. States near the top have more reported vacancies relative to employment over the window; that is a descriptive rate ranking, not a verdict that the market is "hot."
Rates come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), state-level series. State totals are typically not seasonally adjusted and carry larger sampling variability than the national release. Differences smaller than roughly ±0.3 percentage points at the state level should be treated as statistically indistinguishable. See our methodology page and the BLS JOLTS state data issues notice.
Bar length shows each state's openings rate as a share of the largest value on this list, hover or focus a bar for the exact share and rank.
| # | State | Openings Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgia GA | |
| 2 | Oklahoma OK | |
| 3 | West Virginia WV | |
| 4 | Mississippi MS | |
| 5 | Louisiana LA | |
| 6 | Michigan MI | |
| 7 | Virginia VA | |
| 8 | Ohio OH | |
| 9 | Arkansas AR | |
| 10 | Maryland MD | |
| 11 | Montana MT | |
| 12 | Delaware DE | |
| 13 | Kentucky KY | |
| 14 | Maine ME | |
| 15 | North Dakota ND | |
| 16 | Rhode Island RI | |
| 17 | South Carolina SC | |
| 18 | South Dakota SD | |
| 19 | Tennessee TN | |
| 20 | District of Columbia DC | |
| 21 | Minnesota MN | |
| 22 | New Jersey NJ | |
| 23 | Alabama AL | |
| 24 | New Hampshire NH | |
| 25 | New York NY | |
| 26 | North Carolina NC | |
| 27 | Arizona AZ | |
| 28 | Florida FL | |
| 29 | Kansas KS | |
| 30 | Missouri MO | |
| 31 | Texas TX | |
| 32 | Idaho ID | |
| 33 | Indiana IN | |
| 34 | Connecticut CT | |
| 35 | New Mexico NM | |
| 36 | Wisconsin WI | |
| 37 | Illinois IL | |
| 38 | Colorado CO | |
| 39 | Massachusetts MA | |
| 40 | Nebraska NE | |
| 41 | Pennsylvania PA | |
| 42 | Utah UT | |
| 43 | California CA | |
| 44 | Iowa IA | |
| 45 | Oregon OR | |
| 46 | Hawaii HI | |
| 47 | Nevada NV | |
| 48 | Washington WA |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). Values are 3-month averages; floor ≥20K average openings.
Top of the List, State Detail
Quick links to the detail pages for the leading states in this ranking, each page carries the full JOLTS time series and year-over-year context.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the job openings rate measure?
The job openings rate is the number of unfilled positions divided by total employment plus openings, expressed as a percentage. A rate of 6% means roughly 6 out of every 100 positions are currently vacant and being actively recruited for. BLS collects this monthly through the JOLTS survey of approximately 21,000 establishments.
Why a multi-month average and a minimum openings floor?
State JOLTS estimates are not seasonally adjusted and have larger sampling variability than the national series. We average the latest 3 months and require at least 20K average openings so thin one-month spikes do not dominate the list.
Why do some states consistently have high openings rates?
Persistent high openings rates typically indicate structural labor shortages rather than temporary demand spikes. Contributing factors include skills mismatches, geographic isolation limiting the labor pool, and rapid industry growth outpacing workforce development.
Explore More Rankings
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), state-level series · Dec 2025 3-month averages; states below 20K average openings are excluded. Not seasonally adjusted. A high rate is not a job-quality ranking.
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. Ranking positions use the displayed JOLTS measure and reference period; they are not recommendations or forecasts. See our editorial standards and corrections policy, methodology, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-17. 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.