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In August 2019, there were 7.1 million job openings in nonfarm establishments, while total nonfarm employment stood at 151.6 million. A year earlier, in August 2018, there were 7.3 million job openings, and employment was 149.5 million. The number of job openings has generally trended upward since a series low of 2.3 million in July 2009. (BLS job openings data begin in December 2000.) Since December 2014, job openings have been above the March 2007 prerecession peak of 4.9 million.
Job openings and employment, total nonfarm, seasonally adjusted, January 2001–August 2019
Month
Job openings
Nonfarm employment
Jan 2001
5,362,000
132,712,000
Feb 2001
5,008,000
132,804,000
Mar 2001
4,698,000
132,761,000
Apr 2001
4,752,000
132,475,000
May 2001
4,503,000
132,426,000
Jun 2001
4,378,000
132,312,000
Jul 2001
4,578,000
132,187,000
Aug 2001
4,042,000
132,043,000
Sep 2001
4,045,000
131,791,000
Oct 2001
3,729,000
131,468,000
Nov 2001
3,649,000
131,158,000
Dec 2001
3,523,000
130,997,000
Jan 2002
3,782,000
130,868,000
Feb 2002
3,377,000
130,752,000
Mar 2002
3,573,000
130,732,000
Apr 2002
3,576,000
130,636,000
May 2002
3,508,000
130,647,000
Jun 2002
3,415,000
130,695,000
Jul 2002
3,461,000
130,604,000
Aug 2002
3,531,000
130,603,000
Sep 2002
3,290,000
130,524,000
Oct 2002
3,502,000
130,643,000
Nov 2002
3,405,000
130,632,000
Dec 2002
3,039,000
130,488,000
Jan 2003
3,500,000
130,596,000
Feb 2003
3,178,000
130,461,000
Mar 2003
3,064,000
130,246,000
Apr 2003
3,208,000
130,194,000
May 2003
3,336,000
130,210,000
Jun 2003
3,398,000
130,209,000
Jul 2003
3,073,000
130,207,000
Aug 2003
3,204,000
130,167,000
Sep 2003
3,082,000
130,279,000
Oct 2003
3,330,000
130,473,000
Nov 2003
3,218,000
130,490,000
Dec 2003
3,281,000
130,605,000
Jan 2004
3,462,000
130,787,000
Feb 2004
3,478,000
130,844,000
Mar 2004
3,492,000
131,156,000
Apr 2004
3,615,000
131,426,000
May 2004
3,758,000
131,710,000
Jun 2004
3,345,000
131,807,000
Jul 2004
3,900,000
131,864,000
Aug 2004
3,556,000
131,955,000
Sep 2004
3,829,000
132,112,000
Oct 2004
3,970,000
132,466,000
Nov 2004
3,360,000
132,521,000
Dec 2004
3,935,000
132,644,000
Jan 2005
3,827,000
132,791,000
Feb 2005
3,901,000
133,050,000
Mar 2005
4,019,000
133,172,000
Apr 2005
4,272,000
133,536,000
May 2005
3,842,000
133,706,000
Jun 2005
4,072,000
133,957,000
Jul 2005
4,337,000
134,314,000
Aug 2005
4,160,000
134,517,000
Sep 2005
4,376,000
134,583,000
Oct 2005
4,218,000
134,673,000
Nov 2005
4,118,000
135,012,000
Dec 2005
4,146,000
135,168,000
Jan 2006
4,404,000
135,446,000
Feb 2006
4,260,000
135,753,000
Mar 2006
4,706,000
136,063,000
Apr 2006
4,915,000
136,221,000
May 2006
4,505,000
136,261,000
Jun 2006
4,625,000
136,342,000
Jul 2006
4,467,000
136,538,000
Aug 2006
4,739,000
136,713,000
Sep 2006
4,778,000
136,860,000
Oct 2006
4,643,000
136,870,000
Nov 2006
4,530,000
137,082,000
Dec 2006
4,469,000
137,268,000
Jan 2007
4,750,000
137,493,000
Feb 2007
4,618,000
137,573,000
Mar 2007
4,926,000
137,810,000
Apr 2007
4,820,000
137,860,000
May 2007
4,699,000
138,012,000
Jun 2007
4,882,000
138,088,000
Jul 2007
4,668,000
138,055,000
Aug 2007
4,586,000
138,032,000
Sep 2007
4,682,000
138,114,000
Oct 2007
4,676,000
138,190,000
Nov 2007
4,537,000
138,299,000
Dec 2007
4,400,000
138,409,000
Jan 2008
4,604,000
138,422,000
Feb 2008
4,233,000
138,340,000
Mar 2008
4,205,000
138,292,000
Apr 2008
4,124,000
138,056,000
May 2008
4,237,000
137,872,000
Jun 2008
3,849,000
137,706,000
Jul 2008
3,800,000
137,508,000
Aug 2008
3,709,000
137,229,000
Sep 2008
3,240,000
136,769,000
Oct 2008
3,403,000
136,288,000
Nov 2008
3,158,000
135,561,000
Dec 2008
3,059,000
134,857,000
Jan 2009
2,731,000
134,074,000
Feb 2009
2,838,000
133,332,000
Mar 2009
2,521,000
132,529,000
Apr 2009
2,343,000
131,835,000
May 2009
2,574,000
131,491,000
Jun 2009
2,517,000
131,026,000
Jul 2009
2,264,000
130,685,000
Aug 2009
2,365,000
130,501,000
Sep 2009
2,481,000
130,259,000
Oct 2009
2,422,000
130,061,000
Nov 2009
2,435,000
130,073,000
Dec 2009
2,487,000
129,804,000
Jan 2010
2,833,000
129,807,000
Feb 2010
2,651,000
129,715,000
Mar 2010
2,679,000
129,895,000
Apr 2010
3,217,000
130,132,000
May 2010
3,019,000
130,666,000
Jun 2010
2,813,000
130,530,000
Jul 2010
3,127,000
130,442,000
Aug 2010
3,025,000
130,437,000
Sep 2010
2,912,000
130,373,000
Oct 2010
3,256,000
130,642,000
Nov 2010
3,134,000
130,765,000
Dec 2010
2,969,000
130,839,000
Jan 2011
3,100,000
130,859,000
Feb 2011
3,213,000
131,072,000
Mar 2011
3,253,000
131,304,000
Apr 2011
3,337,000
131,625,000
May 2011
3,207,000
131,720,000
Jun 2011
3,467,000
131,955,000
Jul 2011
3,676,000
132,016,000
Aug 2011
3,358,000
132,138,000
Sep 2011
3,763,000
132,374,000
Oct 2011
3,650,000
132,578,000
Nov 2011
3,485,000
132,710,000
Dec 2011
3,662,000
132,914,000
Jan 2012
3,904,000
133,269,000
Feb 2012
3,605,000
133,531,000
Mar 2012
3,976,000
133,769,000
Apr 2012
3,878,000
133,852,000
May 2012
3,861,000
133,951,000
Jun 2012
3,916,000
134,023,000
Jul 2012
3,790,000
134,176,000
Aug 2012
3,839,000
134,346,000
Sep 2012
3,861,000
134,535,000
Oct 2012
3,808,000
134,693,000
Nov 2012
3,787,000
134,851,000
Dec 2012
3,840,000
135,088,000
Jan 2013
3,915,000
135,283,000
Feb 2013
3,981,000
135,562,000
Mar 2013
4,080,000
135,698,000
Apr 2013
4,078,000
135,890,000
May 2013
4,173,000
136,114,000
Jun 2013
4,166,000
136,295,000
Jul 2013
3,946,000
136,400,000
Aug 2013
4,112,000
136,642,000
Sep 2013
4,105,000
136,831,000
Oct 2013
4,268,000
137,056,000
Nov 2013
4,002,000
137,323,000
Dec 2013
3,996,000
137,390,000
Jan 2014
4,131,000
137,567,000
Feb 2014
4,347,000
137,735,000
Mar 2014
4,388,000
137,985,000
Apr 2014
4,662,000
138,312,000
May 2014
4,775,000
138,533,000
Jun 2014
4,999,000
138,857,000
Jul 2014
4,919,000
139,084,000
Aug 2014
5,383,000
139,272,000
Sep 2014
4,876,000
139,583,000
Oct 2014
5,066,000
139,841,000
Nov 2014
4,719,000
140,127,000
Dec 2014
4,981,000
140,396,000
Jan 2015
5,377,000
140,609,000
Feb 2015
5,410,000
140,857,000
Mar 2015
5,223,000
140,934,000
Apr 2015
5,726,000
141,234,000
May 2015
5,587,000
141,553,000
Jun 2015
5,259,000
141,723,000
Jul 2015
6,147,000
142,016,000
Aug 2015
5,517,000
142,138,000
Sep 2015
5,450,000
142,271,000
Oct 2015
5,846,000
142,610,000
Nov 2015
5,564,000
142,845,000
Dec 2015
5,678,000
143,125,000
Jan 2016
5,977,000
143,215,000
Feb 2016
5,747,000
143,447,000
Mar 2016
6,151,000
143,681,000
Apr 2016
5,872,000
143,892,000
May 2016
5,775,000
143,907,000
Jun 2016
5,778,000
144,189,000
Jul 2016
6,088,000
144,525,000
Aug 2016
5,720,000
144,660,000
Sep 2016
5,828,000
144,930,000
Oct 2016
5,616,000
145,058,000
Nov 2016
5,862,000
145,228,000
Dec 2016
5,831,000
145,443,000
Jan 2017
5,624,000
145,695,000
Feb 2017
5,875,000
145,836,000
Mar 2017
5,848,000
145,963,000
Apr 2017
6,157,000
146,176,000
May 2017
5,821,000
146,304,000
Jun 2017
6,371,000
146,533,000
Jul 2017
6,349,000
146,737,000
Aug 2017
6,352,000
146,924,000
Sep 2017
6,256,000
146,942,000
Oct 2017
6,405,000
147,202,000
Nov 2017
6,163,000
147,422,000
Dec 2017
6,204,000
147,596,000
Jan 2018
6,591,000
147,767,000
Feb 2018
6,530,000
148,097,000
Mar 2018
6,894,000
148,279,000
Apr 2018
7,106,000
148,475,000
May 2018
7,126,000
148,745,000
Jun 2018
7,393,000
149,007,000
Jul 2018
7,442,000
149,185,000
Aug 2018
7,342,000
149,467,000
Sep 2018
7,392,000
149,575,000
Oct 2018
7,593,000
149,852,000
Nov 2018
7,626,000
150,048,000
Dec 2018
7,479,000
150,275,000
Jan 2019
7,625,000
150,587,000
Feb 2019
7,142,000
150,643,000
Mar 2019
7,474,000
150,796,000
Apr 2019
7,372,000
151,012,000
May 2019
7,384,000
151,074,000
Jun 2019
7,248,000
151,252,000
Jul 2019
7,174,000
151,418,000
Aug 2019
7,051,000
151,586,000
Note: Data for the most recent month are preliminary.
The July 2009 low point in the number of job openings was one month after the official end of the most recent recession. Total nonfarm employment continued to decline after the end of the recession, reaching its recent low of 129.7 million in February 2010. Employment has trended upward since then and since May 2014, it has been above its January 2008 peak of 138.4 million.
United States Department of Labor
