Jobs · September 29, 2026 · 1 min read

August job openings hold near 7.1 million as quits remain steady

Published September 29, 2026 • Updated September 29, 2026

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The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 7.1 million job openings on the last business day of August 2026, little changed from July's revised 7.3 million. Hires were 5.2 million and total separations 5.1 million during August. These are distinct measures with different reference periods, not a count of net jobs created.

U.S. employers had 7.1 million job openings on the last business day of August 2026, little changed from July's upwardly revised 7.3 million, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' September 29 Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. The August openings rate was 4.3 percent. Employers hired 5.2 million people during August, while 5.1 million workers separated from their jobs. Both changed little from the prior month. Quits were unchanged at 3.1 million, with a 1.9 percent quits rate. Layoffs and discharges changed little at 1.6 million, with a 1.0 percent rate. Other separations were about 363,000. The reference periods matter: job openings are positions open on the month's last business day, while hires and separations cover flows during the entire month. The openings level is not new jobs added in August. The estimates are preliminary and subject to revision. The release does not establish why any employer hired or laid off workers, nor does it predict a Federal Reserve decision.

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