Business & Finance
Job openings rose by 333,000 to 7.52 million in September
Job openings rose and layoffs fell in September, though reported quit totals vary slightly across sources.
The short version
- Job openings rose by 333,000 to 7.52 million in September, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.[CNBC]
- Layoffs and discharges fell to 1.64 million, while the rate of job openings rose to 4.5% of the workforce.[Associated Press · CNBC]
- Quit totals differ by outlet: CNBC reported 3.36 million, while the Associated Press reported 3.37 million.[Associated Press · CNBC]
- Economists quoted by outlets called the data encouraging but said inflation and interest rates may limit hiring gains.[Associated Press · CNBC]
Key facts
- Job openings reached 7.52 million in September, up 333,000 from August, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.[CNBC]
- The Associated Press reported that job openings rose to 7.5 million in September from a revised 7.19 million in August.[Associated Press]
- The rate of job openings increased to 4.5% of the total workforce in September, up 0.2 percentage point.[CNBC]
- Layoffs and discharges fell to 1.64 million in September, the lowest level since March 2025.[Associated Press · CNBC]
What remains uncertain
- Reported quit totals differ slightly: CNBC cited 3.36 million, while the Associated Press cited 3.37 million.[Associated Press · CNBC]
- Economists' views that companies may slowly expand hiring are opinions, and the Associated Press reported that inflation and interest rates may limit how much hiring can ramp up in coming months.[Associated Press · CNBC]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.