U.S. Job Openings Slipped in June as Hiring Held Steady

U.S. job openings eased slightly in June while hiring and separations remained broadly stable, according to federal data released Tuesday, August 4. The report offers the latest official snapshot of labor demand before Friday’s release of the July jobs report.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics said there were 7.4 million job openings on the last business day of June, equal to an openings rate of 4.4%. The June JOLTS figures measure labor-market activity in June; they are not the July employment numbers.

Hiring remained substantial

Employers recorded 5.3 million hires in June. Total separations — a measure that includes quits, layoffs and other departures — changed little at about 5.4 million.

Quits totaled 3.2 million and were unchanged from May, according to BLS. Quits are generally voluntary separations initiated by employees, so they can indicate workers’ willingness or ability to leave their jobs. Layoffs and discharges totaled 1.8 million and also were unchanged. Those separations are initiated by employers.

The figures show moderation without a broad deterioration in the measures covered by JOLTS. Job seekers still have opportunities nationally, while workers considering a move may be seeing fewer incentives or less confidence to leave existing jobs than during periods of faster labor-market turnover.

Demand varied by industry

Job openings increased by a combined 97,000 in transportation, warehousing and utilities. Openings in the federal government rose by 39,000.

Those increases were partly offset by declines in wholesale trade, nondurable-goods manufacturing, and mining and logging. The changes show that employers continue to hire at a substantial pace, but demand is uneven across industries.

May estimates were revised

The BLS revised its May estimate of job openings down by 57,000 to 7.5 million. May hires were revised up by 82,000 to 5.3 million, while total separations were revised up by 159,000 to 5.3 million. Within separations, May quits were revised up by 88,000 to 3.2 million and layoffs and discharges by 53,000 to 1.8 million.

BLS said the revisions reflect additional reports from businesses and government agencies and the recalculation of seasonal factors. Monthly estimates can therefore change as new information arrives.

Why Friday’s report matters

The BLS is scheduled to release the July Employment Situation on Friday, August 7, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. That report will provide a broader view of the labor market, including the change in payroll employment, the unemployment rate, labor-force measures and earnings data.

Investors, employers and policymakers will look to the July report for evidence of whether June’s combination of moderation and stability continued. JOLTS does not provide a complete picture of unemployment, wage growth or monthly payroll gains, so the Employment Situation will add important information.

For now, the June data describe a labor market with job openings that were little changed and continued movement through hiring and separations. Friday’s report will show whether that pattern persisted into July.

Sources

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: June 2026 JOLTS release
• Associated Press: U.S. job openings and labor-market context