Industries with the Most Reported Job Openings
National supersectors ranked by 3-month average reported job openings (BLS JOLTS, published in thousands). Reported vacancy volume, not a job-quality or wage ranking.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, Private education and health services leads national supersectors on 3-month average reported job openings at about 1.5M (5.0% openings rate) , against a cohort median of about 414K. These are employer-reported vacancy counts, not verified hires or job offers. Window ends Dec 2025.
Openings counts are published in thousands and averaged over three months. High volume reflects reported unfilled positions, not job quality, wages, or worker outcomes.
Private education and health services leads on 3-month average reported openings at about 1.5M, roughly 17% above #2 Professional and business services (1.2M) and about 253% above the 414K supersector median. Volume rank is not a job-quality score.
Bars show reported openings volume in JOLTS thousands (three-month average). They do not rank wages, worker outcomes, or hiring success.
What This Ranking Measures
BLS JOLTS publishes monthly job openings by national supersector. This page ranks those sectors by the 3-month trailing average of reported openings, the same window used on state rate rankings so a single volatile month does not crown #1.
Large sectors (education and health services, professional services, trade) often lead on absolute volume while smaller sectors can show higher openings rates. This page answers the volume question only; each linked industry profile carries rate, hires, and quits context.
Sub-sectors, ranked on their own
Each row below is already counted inside the parent named beside it, so its openings are not extra to the sector table above. Positions here compare sub-sectors with each other only, never with a sector.
| # | Sub-sector | Avg openings |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health care and social assistance Part of Private education and health services | |
| 2 | Accommodation and food services Part of Leisure and hospitality | |
| 3 | State and local Part of Government | |
| 4 | Retail trade Part of Trade, transportation, and utilities | |
| 5 | State and local government, excluding education Part of State and local | |
| 6 | Transportation, warehousing, and utilities Part of Trade, transportation, and utilities | |
| 7 | Durable goods manufacturing Part of Manufacturing | |
| 8 | State and local government education Part of State and local | |
| 9 | Finance and insurance Part of Financial activities | |
| 10 | Wholesale trade Part of Trade, transportation, and utilities | |
| 11 | Arts, entertainment, and recreation Part of Leisure and hospitality | |
| 12 | Private educational services Part of Private education and health services | |
| 13 | Nondurable goods manufacturing Part of Manufacturing | |
| 14 | Real estate and rental and leasing Part of Financial activities | |
| 15 | Federal Part of Government |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), national supersector series. Values are 3-month averages of reported job openings (thousands). Total private and Total nonfarm are omitted because they span every sector.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this ranking measure?
This page ranks BLS JOLTS supersectors by their three-month average reported job openings, the count of unfilled positions employers reported in the survey, published in thousands. It answers which industries carry the largest reported vacancy volume nationally, not which industries are "best" for workers or pay the most.
Why rank by openings volume instead of openings rate?
Volume answers "where are the most reported vacancies?" - useful when readers search for industries with the most job openings. Openings rate (openings per 100 jobs plus openings) normalises for sector size; a large sector can lead on volume while a smaller sector leads on rate. See each industry detail page for both measures.
Why are sub-sectors ranked in a separate table?
BLS publishes industries as a hierarchy, so a sub-sector such as health care and social assistance is already counted inside its parent sector (private education and health services). Ranking them together would count the same vacancies twice and make a child look like a rival of its parent. Sectors are ranked against sectors, sub-sectors against sub-sectors, and every sub-sector row names its parent. Total private and Total nonfarm span every sector and are left out of both tables.
Does a high openings count mean strong hiring demand?
Not necessarily. High reported openings can reflect large sector employment, chronic turnover, or slow filling, the count alone does not distinguish those stories. Pair this ranking with hires and quits rates on the industry detail pages for fuller context.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), national supersector series · Dec 2025 3-month average reported job openings (thousands). Volume 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 reported JOLTS openings volume; they are not hiring recommendations or forecasts. See our editorial standards and corrections policy, methodology, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-09-15. 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.