August 2026 — 2026-09-29

The number of job openings was little changed at 7.1 million in August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Hires changed little at 5.2 million, while total separations were unchanged at 5.1 million. Within separations, quits (3.1 million) were unchanged, while layoffs and discharges (1.6 million) were essentially unchanged. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector, by industry, and by establishment size class. Job openings include all positions that are open on the last business day of the month. Hires and separations include all changes to the payroll during the entire month. The number and rate of job openings were little changed at 7.1 million and 4.3 percent, respectively, in August. Job openings changed little in all industries. (See table 1.) The number of hires at 5.2 million changed little over the month and year. The hires rate was 3.3 percent in August.