Job openings level at 3.7 million in July 2013
September 11, 2013
The number of job openings in July was 3.7 million, little changed from June. The number of job openings dropped over the month in professional and business services, but there was not much movement in other industries. There also was little change in job openings over the month in all four regions.
Total nonfarm job openings, seasonally adjusted, July 2010–July 2013 Month Job openings level Jul 2010
2,922,000 Aug 2010
2,905,000 Sep 2010
2,784,000 Oct 2010
3,033,000 Nov 2010
3,051,000 Dec 2010
2,930,000 Jan 2011
2,868,000 Feb 2011
3,017,000 Mar 2011
3,104,000 Apr 2011
3,025,000 May 2011
2,937,000 Jun 2011
3,180,000 Jul 2011
3,286,000 Aug 2011
3,172,000 Sep 2011
3,465,000 Oct 2011
3,308,000 Nov 2011
3,118,000 Dec 2011
3,384,000 Jan 2012
3,415,000 Feb 2012
3,526,000 Mar 2012
3,848,000 Apr 2012
3,523,000 May 2012
3,774,000 Jun 2012
3,792,000 Jul 2012
3,499,000 Aug 2012
3,632,000 Sep 2012
3,603,000 Oct 2012
3,646,000 Nov 2012
3,789,000 Dec 2012
3,612,000 Jan 2013
3,611,000 Feb 2013
3,899,000 Mar 2013
3,875,000 Apr 2013
3,800,000 May 2013
3,907,000 Jun 2013
3,869,000 Jul 2013
3,689,000(p)
The number of job openings in July (not seasonally adjusted) was little changed over the year for total nonfarm, total private, and government. Increases in job openings in several industries were offset by decreases in job openings in several other industries, leading to little change at the total nonfarm level.
The ratio of unemployed persons per job opening has trended downward since the most recent recession ended in June 2009 and was 3.1 in July 2013.
Unemployed persons per job opening, seasonally adjusted, January 2003─July 2013 Date Number of unemployed Number of job openings Number of unemployed per job opening Jan 2003
8,520,000 3,618,000 2.4 Feb 2003
8,618,000 3,378,000 2.6 Mar 2003
8,588,000 3,056,000 2.8 Apr 2003
8,842,000 3,107,000 2.8 May 2003
8,957,000 3,108,000 2.9 Jun 2003
9,266,000 3,196,000 2.9 Jul 2003
9,011,000 3,106,000 2.9 Aug 2003
8,896,000 3,182,000 2.8 Sep 2003
8,921,000 3,051,000 2.9 Oct 2003
8,732,000 3,140,000 2.8 Nov 2003
8,576,000 3,286,000 2.6 Dec 2003
8,317,000 3,255,000 2.6 Jan 2004
8,370,000 3,322,000 2.5 Feb 2004
8,167,000 3,415,000 2.4 Mar 2004
8,491,000 3,394,000 2.5 Apr 2004
8,170,000 3,524,000 2.3 May 2004
8,212,000 3,620,000 2.3 Jun 2004
8,286,000 3,423,000 2.4 Jul 2004
8,136,000 3,807,000 2.1 Aug 2004
7,990,000 3,623,000 2.2 Sep 2004
7,927,000 3,754,000 2.1 Oct 2004
8,061,000 3,836,000 2.1 Nov 2004
7,932,000 3,383,000 2.3 Dec 2004
7,934,000 3,808,000 2.1 Jan 2005
7,784,000 3,638,000 2.1 Feb 2005
7,980,000 3,757,000 2.1 Mar 2005
7,737,000 3,916,000 2.0 Apr 2005
7,672,000 4,057,000 1.9 May 2005
7,651,000 3,877,000 2.0 Jun 2005
7,524,000 4,064,000 1.9 Jul 2005
7,406,000 4,155,000 1.8 Aug 2005
7,345,000 4,102,000 1.8 Sep 2005
7,553,000 4,275,000 1.8 Oct 2005
7,453,000 4,221,000 1.8 Nov 2005
7,566,000 4,437,000 1.7 Dec 2005
7,279,000 4,278,000 1.7 Jan 2006
7,064,000 4,296,000 1.6 Feb 2006
7,184,000 4,282,000 1.7 Mar 2006
7,072,000 4,472,000 1.6 Apr 2006
7,120,000 4,438,000 1.6 May 2006
6,980,000 4,487,000 1.6 Jun 2006
7,001,000 4,333,000 1.6 Jul 2006
7,175,000 4,076,000 1.8 Aug 2006
7,091,000 4,498,000 1.6 Sep 2006
6,847,000 4,563,000 1.5 Oct 2006
6,727,000 4,434,000 1.5 Nov 2006
6,872,000 4,705,000 1.5 Dec 2006
6,762,000 4,583,000 1.5 Jan 2007
7,116,000 4,602,000 1.5 Feb 2007
6,927,000 4,483,000 1.5 Mar 2007
6,731,000 4,707,000 1.4 Apr 2007
6,850,000 4,498,000 1.5 May 2007
6,766,000 4,479,000 1.5 Jun 2007
6,979,000 4,690,000 1.5 Jul 2007
7,149,000 4,404,000 1.6 Aug 2007
7,067,000 4,491,000 1.6 Sep 2007
7,170,000 4,536,000 1.6 Oct 2007
7,237,000 4,275,000 1.7 Nov 2007
7,240,000 4,396,000 1.6 Dec 2007
7,645,000 4,256,000 1.8 Jan 2008
7,685,000 4,224,000 1.8 Feb 2008
7,497,000 4,026,000 1.9 Mar 2008
7,822,000 4,003,000 2.0 Apr 2008
7,637,000 3,906,000 2.0 May 2008
8,395,000 3,947,000 2.1 Jun 2008
8,575,000 3,777,000 2.3 Jul 2008
8,937,000 3,784,000 2.4 Aug 2008
9,438,000 3,643,000 2.6 Sep 2008
9,494,000 3,233,000 2.9 Oct 2008
10,074,000 3,384,000 3.0 Nov 2008
10,538,000 3,155,000 3.3 Dec 2008
11,286,000 3,011,000 3.7 Jan 2009
12,079,000 2,853,000 4.2 Feb 2009
12,881,000 2,807,000 4.6 Mar 2009
13,421,000 2,550,000 5.3 Apr 2009
13,826,000 2,292,000 6.0 May 2009
14,492,000 2,415,000 6.0 Jun 2009
14,705,000 2,377,000 6.2 Jul 2009
14,607,000 2,179,000 6.7 Aug 2009
14,819,000 2,282,000 6.5 Sep 2009
15,005,000 2,477,000 6.1 Oct 2009
15,382,000 2,409,000 6.4 Nov 2009
15,223,000 2,390,000 6.4 Dec 2009
15,095,000 2,451,000 6.2 Jan 2010
15,016,000 2,751,000 5.5 Feb 2010
15,078,000 2,577,000 5.9 Mar 2010
15,192,000 2,614,000 5.8 Apr 2010
15,281,000 3,142,000 4.9 May 2010
14,856,000 2,849,000 5.2 Jun 2010
14,475,000 2,645,000 5.5 Jul 2010
14,542,000 2,922,000 5.0 Aug 2010
14,673,000 2,905,000 5.1 Sep 2010
14,577,000 2,784,000 5.2 Oct 2010
14,584,000 3,033,000 4.8 Nov 2010
15,094,000 3,051,000 4.9 Dec 2010
14,354,000 2,930,000 4.9 Jan 2011
13,992,000 2,868,000 4.9 Feb 2011
13,798,000 3,017,000 4.6 Mar 2011
13,716,000 3,104,000 4.4 Apr 2011
13,872,000 3,025,000 4.6 May 2011
13,871,000 2,937,000 4.7 Jun 2011
13,964,000 3,180,000 4.4 Jul 2011
13,817,000 3,286,000 4.2 Aug 2011
13,837,000 3,172,000 4.4 Sep 2011
13,910,000 3,465,000 4.0 Oct 2011
13,696,000 3,308,000 4.1 Nov 2011
13,325,000 3,118,000 4.3 Dec 2011
13,049,000 3,384,000 3.9 Jan 2012
12,748,000 3,415,000 3.7 Feb 2012
12,806,000 3,526,000 3.6 Mar 2012
12,686,000 3,848,000 3.3 Apr 2012
12,518,000 3,523,000 3.6 May 2012
12,695,000 3,774,000 3.4 Jun 2012
12,701,000 3,792,000 3.3 Jul 2012
12,745,000 3,499,000 3.6 Aug 2012
12,483,000 3,632,000 3.4 Sep 2012
12,082,000 3,603,000 3.4 Oct 2012
12,248,000 3,646,000 3.4 Nov 2012
12,042,000 3,789,000 3.2 Dec 2012
12,206,000 3,612,000 3.4 Jan 2013
12,332,000 3,611,000 3.4 Feb 2013
12,032,000 3,899,000 3.1 Mar 2013
11,742,000 3,875,000 3.0 Apr 2013
11,659,000 3,800,000 3.1 May 2013
11,760,000 3,907,000 3.0 Jun 2013
11,777,000 3,869,000 3.0 Jul 2013
11,514,000 3,689,000(p) 3.1
When the most recent recession began (December 2007), the number of unemployed persons per job opening was 1.8. When the recession ended, there were 6.2 unemployed persons per job opening.
These data are from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey . Data for the most recent month are preliminary and subject to revision. To learn more, see “Job Openings and Labor Turnover — July 2013” ( HTML ) ( PDF ), news release USDL-13-1834. More charts featuring data on job openings, hires, and employment separations can be found in Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey Highlights: July 2013 (PDF).
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