PlainLabor

State · BLS JOLTS · Dec 2025

California Labor Market

Monthly job openings, hires, quits, and layoffs for California from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. State tables often lag the national release (see homepage disclosure).

674K
Job openings
581K
Hires
1.7%
Quits rate
43rd
Of 51 states (openings rate, 3-month average)

BLS JOLTS turnover passport

Series extract JOLTS-06 California

674K openings · 3.6% rate · 581K hires · Dec 2025

  • OPEN 674K
  • RATE 3.6%
  • RANK 43rd
  • HIRE 581K
  • QUIT 1.7%
  • LAY 184K
  • YOY +3.7%
  • PHOTO Arizona

Openings-rate peers

Photo peer: Arizona (3.6%)

Arizona3.6%Wyoming3.6%Pennsylvania3.7%Indiana3.7%California (this)3.6%
Openings-rate neighbourhood · Dec 2025 (this state highlighted)

California is 43rd of 51 states by openings rate; peer pills are ABS(openings_rate) neighbours, not a fixed roster. Read Arizona →

Labor market health score

F

Labor market health score

26/100

California, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions

A weighted composite of the job openings, hires, and quits rates against every other state's same-month JOLTS data. It describes the latest reported month, not a forecast, and does not weigh wages, cost of living, or industry mix.

  • Job openings rate F 3.6%

    Job openings as a share of employment plus openings, latest month

  • Hires rate F 3.2%

    Hires as a share of employment, latest month

  • Quits rate F 1.7%

    Voluntary quits as a share of employment — a worker-confidence signal

California is 1st of 51 by openings volume but 36th by latest-month openings rate, so size is not tightness.

Loose rate band

California sits in the loosest openings-rate third

Dec 2025 openings rate only. California ranks 36th of 51 on this month's board; denser peers are above on the chart. Signature: 36th of 51 by latest-month openings rate (3.6%).

1. WV5.5%2. GA5.3%2. OK5.3%4. OH4.8%4. VA4.8%4. LA4.8%7. MI4.7%7. MS4.7%9. DC4.5%36. CA3.6%
California among state openings rates · Dec 2025
0%5.5%51-state median4%3.6%
California openings rate vs this month's observed state ceiling

California sits at 36th of 51 in the full latest-month board; the chart shows the top 9 plus this state.

California openings rose 3.7% year over year

Monthly job openings in California from the BLS JOLTS survey, in thousands. The current openings rate is 3.6%.

0K500K1,000K1,500K 2019 674K

Openings vs. quits

Where California sits: Cool & settled

Each point is one state, Dec 2025: openings rate on the x-axis, voluntary quits rate on the y-axis. A hot job market does not reliably make workers confident enough to quit and chase it, and across the full 51-state table the two rates correlate only weakly. California's own openings rate is 3.6% against a 4% average, and its quits rate is 1.7% against a 2.2% average.

Hot & confidentTight but cautiousSlack but restlessCool & settled2.8%3.5%4.2%4.9%5.6%1.2%1.8%2.3%2.9%3.5%Openings rate (per 100 jobs)Quits rate (per 100 jobs)CA, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 3.6% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 1.7%TX, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 4.1% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 2.2%NY, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 4.1% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 1.6%FL, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 3.9% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 2.1%OH, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 4.8% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 2.6%GA, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 5.3% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 1.6%PA, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 3.7% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 1.8%MI, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 4.7% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 2.5%VA, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 4.8% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 2%NC, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 4% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 2.2%IL, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 3.3% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 2.1%NJ, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 3.8% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 1.6%TN, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 4.1% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 2.2%MN, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 4.3% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 1.9%MA, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 3.4% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 1.3%MO, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 4.1% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 2.2%MD, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 4.4% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 1.9%IN, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 3.7% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 3.2%AZ, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 3.6% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 1.9%WI, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 3.7% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 2.5%WA, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 2.9% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 1.6%SC, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 4.1% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 2.4%LA, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 4.8% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 2.7%OK, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 5.3% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 2.2%CO, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 3.3% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 2%KY, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 4.3% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 2.1%AL, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 4% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 2.1%OR, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 3.5% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 2.2%CT, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 3.8% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 1.6%UT, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 3.5% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 2.1%KS, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 4% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 2.5%AR, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 4.3% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 2%MS, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 4.7% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 2.4%IA, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 3.5% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 2.3%NV, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 3.1% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 1.8%WV, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 5.5% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 2.4%NE, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 3.5% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 2.2%DC, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 4.5% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 1.5%ID, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 3.7% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 2.6%NM, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 3.5% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 2%ME, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 4.1% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 2%DE, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 4.4% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 2.6%MT, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 4% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 2.9%NH, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 3.1% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 2%RI, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 4.1% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 1.8%SD, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 4.1% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 3.4%HI, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 2.9% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 2%ND, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 3.9% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 2.7%AK, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 4.5% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 3%VT, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 3.4% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 2.2%WY, Openings rate (per 100 jobs): 3.6% · Quits rate (per 100 jobs): 2.7%
Openings rate vs. quits rate, all 51 states and D.C., Dec 2025. California highlighted; crosshairs mark the 51-state average.

How California Compares

California's JOLTS metrics ranked against all 51 states and DC, Dec 2025.

Layoff Rate #7
1.2% - near the top of all 51 states →
Quits Rate #32
1.6% - in the middle third of all 51 states →
Hires Rate #35
3.0% - in the middle third of all 51 states →
Job Openings Rate #43
3.6% - one of the lowest of all 51 states →

Compare openings-rate peers

ABS(openings_rate) nationwide, not same-region neighbors.

Arizona
Openings: 121K Rate: 3.6%
Wyoming
Openings: 11K Rate: 3.6%
Pennsylvania
Openings: 235K Rate: 3.7%
Indiana
Openings: 123K Rate: 3.7%
Wisconsin
Openings: 115K Rate: 3.7%
Oregon
Openings: 72K Rate: 3.5%

Nearest quits-rate peers

ABS(quits_rate) nationwide, a second lattice independent of openings-rate peers.

New York
Quits rate: 1.6% Openings: 431K
Georgia
Quits rate: 1.6% Openings: 279K
New Jersey
Quits rate: 1.6% Openings: 172K
Washington
Quits rate: 1.6% Openings: 110K
Connecticut
Quits rate: 1.6% Openings: 67K
Pennsylvania
Quits rate: 1.8% Openings: 235K

Data sourced from official public datasets for California (36th of 51 by latest-month openings rate (3.6%); volume 1st of 51). See our methodology.

Retrieved and formatted by PlainLabor · vintage 2026-08-17 · reference month Dec 2025