1.2 unemployed people per job opening in August 2017
October 16, 2017
There were 6.1 million job openings on the last business day of August 2017 and 7.1 million unemployed people in the month. The ratio of unemployed people to job openings was 1.2 in August 2017.
Number of unemployed people per job opening, seasonally adjusted, August 2002–August 2017
Month
Number of unemployed per job opening(p)
Number of unemployed
Number of job openings(p)
Aug 2002
2.4
8,304,000
3,490,000
Sep 2002
2.5
8,251,000
3,308,000
Oct 2002
2.3
8,307,000
3,535,000
Nov 2002
2.5
8,520,000
3,415,000
Dec 2002
2.9
8,640,000
2,943,000
Jan 2003
2.2
8,520,000
3,824,000
Feb 2003
2.5
8,618,000
3,381,000
Mar 2003
2.8
8,588,000
3,052,000
Apr 2003
2.6
8,842,000
3,340,000
May 2003
2.8
8,957,000
3,233,000
Jun 2003
2.8
9,266,000
3,334,000
Jul 2003
2.8
9,011,000
3,270,000
Aug 2003
2.7
8,896,000
3,283,000
Sep 2003
2.9
8,921,000
3,074,000
Oct 2003
2.7
8,732,000
3,205,000
Nov 2003
2.7
8,576,000
3,157,000
Dec 2003
2.6
8,317,000
3,214,000
Jan 2004
2.4
8,370,000
3,459,000
Feb 2004
2.4
8,167,000
3,402,000
Mar 2004
2.5
8,491,000
3,380,000
Apr 2004
2.3
8,170,000
3,629,000
May 2004
2.2
8,212,000
3,660,000
Jun 2004
2.4
8,286,000
3,424,000
Jul 2004
2.1
8,136,000
3,934,000
Aug 2004
2.2
7,990,000
3,619,000
Sep 2004
2.1
7,927,000
3,742,000
Oct 2004
2.1
8,061,000
3,792,000
Nov 2004
2.4
7,932,000
3,238,000
Dec 2004
2.2
7,934,000
3,650,000
Jan 2005
2.1
7,784,000
3,670,000
Feb 2005
2.1
7,980,000
3,845,000
Mar 2005
2.0
7,737,000
3,831,000
Apr 2005
1.8
7,672,000
4,243,000
May 2005
2.0
7,651,000
3,884,000
Jun 2005
1.9
7,524,000
4,022,000
Jul 2005
1.7
7,406,000
4,319,000
Aug 2005
1.8
7,345,000
4,073,000
Sep 2005
1.8
7,553,000
4,237,000
Oct 2005
1.7
7,453,000
4,277,000
Nov 2005
1.8
7,566,000
4,220,000
Dec 2005
1.8
7,279,000
4,064,000
Jan 2006
1.6
7,064,000
4,298,000
Feb 2006
1.7
7,184,000
4,229,000
Mar 2006
1.6
7,072,000
4,493,000
Apr 2006
1.5
7,120,000
4,680,000
May 2006
1.6
6,980,000
4,389,000
Jun 2006
1.6
7,001,000
4,349,000
Jul 2006
1.7
7,175,000
4,154,000
Aug 2006
1.6
7,091,000
4,560,000
Sep 2006
1.5
6,847,000
4,516,000
Oct 2006
1.5
6,727,000
4,472,000
Nov 2006
1.6
6,872,000
4,341,000
Dec 2006
1.6
6,762,000
4,278,000
Jan 2007
1.5
7,116,000
4,630,000
Feb 2007
1.6
6,927,000
4,465,000
Mar 2007
1.4
6,731,000
4,666,000
Apr 2007
1.4
6,850,000
4,824,000
May 2007
1.5
6,766,000
4,550,000
Jun 2007
1.5
6,979,000
4,608,000
Jul 2007
1.6
7,149,000
4,490,000
Aug 2007
1.6
7,067,000
4,555,000
Sep 2007
1.6
7,170,000
4,523,000
Oct 2007
1.7
7,237,000
4,300,000
Nov 2007
1.7
7,240,000
4,156,000
Dec 2007
1.9
7,645,000
4,123,000
Jan 2008
1.8
7,685,000
4,260,000
Feb 2008
1.9
7,497,000
4,042,000
Mar 2008
2.0
7,822,000
4,001,000
Apr 2008
1.9
7,637,000
4,098,000
May 2008
2.1
8,395,000
3,960,000
Jun 2008
2.3
8,575,000
3,767,000
Jul 2008
2.3
8,937,000
3,821,000
Aug 2008
2.6
9,438,000
3,665,000
Sep 2008
2.9
9,494,000
3,264,000
Oct 2008
3.1
10,074,000
3,292,000
Nov 2008
3.6
10,538,000
2,956,000
Dec 2008
4.0
11,286,000
2,830,000
Jan 2009
4.4
12,058,000
2,767,000
Feb 2009
4.6
12,898,000
2,791,000
Mar 2009
5.4
13,426,000
2,491,000
Apr 2009
5.9
13,853,000
2,357,000
May 2009
6.0
14,499,000
2,427,000
Jun 2009
6.1
14,707,000
2,428,000
Jul 2009
6.6
14,601,000
2,196,000
Aug 2009
6.4
14,814,000
2,306,000
Sep 2009
6.1
15,009,000
2,478,000
Oct 2009
6.4
15,352,000
2,400,000
Nov 2009
6.5
15,219,000
2,350,000
Dec 2009
6.3
15,098,000
2,407,000
Jan 2010
5.7
15,046,000
2,636,000
Feb 2010
5.9
15,113,000
2,578,000
Mar 2010
5.7
15,202,000
2,666,000
Apr 2010
4.8
15,325,000
3,220,000
May 2010
5.1
14,849,000
2,891,000
Jun 2010
5.4
14,474,000
2,664,000
Jul 2010
4.9
14,512,000
2,965,000
Aug 2010
5.0
14,648,000
2,920,000
Sep 2010
5.3
14,579,000
2,767,000
Oct 2010
4.8
14,516,000
3,033,000
Nov 2010
5.2
15,081,000
2,914,000
Dec 2010
5.0
14,348,000
2,857,000
Jan 2011
4.8
14,013,000
2,939,000
Feb 2011
4.5
13,820,000
3,056,000
Mar 2011
4.4
13,737,000
3,130,000
Apr 2011
4.2
13,957,000
3,287,000
May 2011
4.4
13,855,000
3,114,000
Jun 2011
4.3
13,962,000
3,224,000
Jul 2011
4.0
13,763,000
3,475,000
Aug 2011
4.4
13,818,000
3,168,000
Sep 2011
4.0
13,948,000
3,495,000
Oct 2011
4.0
13,594,000
3,421,000
Nov 2011
4.2
13,302,000
3,153,000
Dec 2011
3.9
13,093,000
3,369,000
Jan 2012
3.4
12,797,000
3,725,000
Feb 2012
3.7
12,813,000
3,500,000
Mar 2012
3.3
12,713,000
3,831,000
Apr 2012
3.5
12,646,000
3,643,000
May 2012
3.4
12,660,000
3,694,000
Jun 2012
3.3
12,692,000
3,799,000
Jul 2012
3.4
12,656,000
3,694,000
Aug 2012
3.4
12,471,000
3,683,000
Sep 2012
3.4
12,115,000
3,521,000
Oct 2012
3.3
12,124,000
3,708,000
Nov 2012
3.4
12,005,000
3,521,000
Dec 2012
3.4
12,298,000
3,570,000
Jan 2013
3.3
12,470,000
3,790,000
Feb 2013
3.0
11,954,000
3,974,000
Mar 2013
3.0
11,672,000
3,872,000
Apr 2013
3.0
11,752,000
3,951,000
May 2013
3.0
11,657,000
3,873,000
Jun 2013
3.0
11,741,000
3,924,000
Jul 2013
2.9
11,350,000
3,896,000
Aug 2013
2.8
11,284,000
3,968,000
Sep 2013
2.8
11,264,000
3,959,000
Oct 2013
2.7
11,133,000
4,105,000
Nov 2013
2.8
10,792,000
3,837,000
Dec 2013
2.8
10,410,000
3,742,000
Jan 2014
2.6
10,240,000
3,980,000
Feb 2014
2.5
10,383,000
4,101,000
Mar 2014
2.5
10,400,000
4,167,000
Apr 2014
2.1
9,705,000
4,569,000
May 2014
2.1
9,740,000
4,594,000
Jun 2014
2.0
9,460,000
4,680,000
Jul 2014
2.1
9,637,000
4,648,000
Aug 2014
1.9
9,616,000
5,026,000
Sep 2014
2.0
9,255,000
4,625,000
Oct 2014
1.8
8,964,000
4,906,000
Nov 2014
1.9
9,060,000
4,684,000
Dec 2014
1.8
8,718,000
4,795,000
Jan 2015
1.8
8,962,000
5,104,000
Feb 2015
1.7
8,663,000
5,124,000
Mar 2015
1.7
8,538,000
5,125,000
Apr 2015
1.5
8,521,000
5,632,000
May 2015
1.6
8,655,000
5,421,000
Jun 2015
1.6
8,251,000
5,189,000
Jul 2015
1.4
8,235,000
5,891,000
Aug 2015
1.5
8,017,000
5,445,000
Sep 2015
1.5
7,877,000
5,414,000
Oct 2015
1.4
7,869,000
5,484,000
Nov 2015
1.5
7,939,000
5,221,000
Dec 2015
1.5
7,927,000
5,374,000
Jan 2016
1.4
7,829,000
5,713,000
Feb 2016
1.4
7,845,000
5,566,000
Mar 2016
1.4
7,977,000
5,852,000
Apr 2016
1.4
7,910,000
5,643,000
May 2016
1.3
7,451,000
5,582,000
Jun 2016
1.4
7,799,000
5,535,000
Jul 2016
1.3
7,749,000
5,973,000
Aug 2016
1.4
7,853,000
5,491,000
Sep 2016
1.4
7,904,000
5,666,000
Oct 2016
1.4
7,740,000
5,587,000
Nov 2016
1.3
7,409,000
5,631,000
Dec 2016
1.4
7,529,000
5,539,000
Jan 2017
1.4
7,635,000
5,625,000
Feb 2017
1.3
7,528,000
5,682,000
Mar 2017
1.2
7,202,000
5,785,000
Apr 2017
1.2
7,056,000
5,967,000
May 2017
1.2
6,861,000
5,702,000
Jun 2017
1.1
6,977,000
6,116,000
Jul 2017
1.1
6,981,000
6,140,000
Aug 2017
1.2
7,132,000
6,082,000
When the most recent recession began in December 2007, the number of unemployed people per job opening was 1.9. When the recession ended in June 2009, there were 6.1 unemployed people per job opening. The ratio peaked at 6.6 unemployed people per job opening in July 2009 and trended downward until the end of 2015 and again in 2017, reaching historic lows.
These data are from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey and are seasonally adjusted. Job openings data for the most recent month are preliminary. To learn more, see "Job Openings and Labor Turnover — August 2017" (HTML ) ( PDF ). Also see charts featuring data on job openings, hires, and separations .
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