An official website of the United States government
United States Department of Labor
United States Department of Labor
The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information,
make sure you're on a federal government site.
The site is secure.
The
https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any
information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.
Job openings increase; hires and total separations decrease in April 2026
June 09, 2026
The number and rate of job openings increased to 7.6 million (+731,000) and 4.6 percent, respectively, in April 2026. The number of job openings in professional and business services increased by 668,000, while openings in finance and insurance decreased by 135,000.
| Month | Total nonfarm job openings | Total nonfarm hires | Total nonfarm separations |
|---|---|---|---|
Apr 2021 | 6.1 | 4.2 | 3.9 |
May 2021 | 6.4 | 4.1 | 3.8 |
Jun 2021 | 6.6 | 4.5 | 3.9 |
Jul 2021 | 7.0 | 4.6 | 4.0 |
Aug 2021 | 6.9 | 4.3 | 4.0 |
Sep 2021 | 6.8 | 4.5 | 4.1 |
Oct 2021 | 7.0 | 4.5 | 3.9 |
Nov 2021 | 7.0 | 4.6 | 4.1 |
Dec 2021 | 7.1 | 4.5 | 4.1 |
Jan 2022 | 7.0 | 4.3 | 4.2 |
Feb 2022 | 7.2 | 4.5 | 4.0 |
Mar 2022 | 7.5 | 4.4 | 4.1 |
Apr 2022 | 7.3 | 4.3 | 4.0 |
May 2022 | 7.1 | 4.2 | 4.0 |
Jun 2022 | 6.9 | 4.3 | 4.0 |
Jul 2022 | 7.0 | 4.2 | 3.8 |
Aug 2022 | 6.2 | 4.2 | 4.1 |
Sep 2022 | 6.6 | 4.0 | 3.8 |
Oct 2022 | 6.4 | 4.0 | 3.8 |
Nov 2022 | 6.4 | 4.0 | 3.8 |
Dec 2022 | 6.6 | 4.0 | 3.9 |
Jan 2023 | 6.2 | 4.1 | 3.8 |
Feb 2023 | 6.0 | 3.9 | 3.7 |
Mar 2023 | 5.9 | 3.8 | 3.9 |
Apr 2023 | 6.0 | 3.8 | 3.6 |
May 2023 | 5.7 | 3.9 | 3.8 |
Jun 2023 | 5.6 | 3.8 | 3.6 |
Jul 2023 | 5.3 | 3.6 | 3.6 |
Aug 2023 | 5.6 | 3.7 | 3.6 |
Sep 2023 | 5.6 | 3.7 | 3.5 |
Oct 2023 | 5.2 | 3.7 | 3.5 |
Nov 2023 | 5.2 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
Dec 2023 | 5.2 | 3.6 | 3.5 |
Jan 2024 | 5.1 | 3.6 | 3.4 |
Feb 2024 | 5.1 | 3.6 | 3.5 |
Mar 2024 | 5.0 | 3.5 | 3.3 |
Apr 2024 | 4.6 | 3.5 | 3.4 |
May 2024 | 4.7 | 3.5 | 3.4 |
Jun 2024 | 4.5 | 3.3 | 3.2 |
Jul 2024 | 4.5 | 3.4 | 3.4 |
Aug 2024 | 4.6 | 3.3 | 3.3 |
Sep 2024 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 3.3 |
Oct 2024 | 4.5 | 3.3 | 3.3 |
Nov 2024 | 4.6 | 3.3 | 3.3 |
Dec 2024 | 4.4 | 3.3 | 3.2 |
Jan 2025 | 4.5 | 3.3 | 3.3 |
Feb 2025 | 4.4 | 3.3 | 3.3 |
Mar 2025 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 3.3 |
Apr 2025 | 4.3 | 3.4 | 3.3 |
May 2025 | 4.4 | 3.4 | 3.3 |
Jun 2025 | 4.3 | 3.4 | 3.4 |
Jul 2025 | 4.3 | 3.3 | 3.3 |
Aug 2025 | 4.2 | 3.2 | 3.3 |
Sep 2025 | 4.3 | 3.3 | 3.3 |
Oct 2025 | 4.3 | 3.3 | 3.2 |
Nov 2025 | 4.1 | 3.2 | 3.2 |
Dec 2025 | 4.0 | 3.3 | 3.3 |
Jan 2026 | 4.4 | 3.4 | 3.2 |
Feb 2026 | 4.2 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
Mar 2026 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 3.4 |
Apr 2026 | 4.6 | 3.2 | 3.1 |
Note: Data for the most recent month are preliminary. | |||
The number and rate of hires decreased to 5.1 million (−419,000) and 3.2 percent, respectively, in April. Hires were little changed in all industries. The number of total separations decreased to 5.0 million (−399,000) and the rate declined to 3.1 percent. Total separations in retail trade decreased by 136,000.
These data are from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey and are seasonally adjusted. Data for the most recent month are preliminary. 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. To learn more, see "Job Openings and Labor Turnover — April 2026." We also have more charts showing job openings, hires, and separations data.
SUGGESTED CITATION
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Job openings increase; hires and total separations decrease in April 2026 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2026/job-openings-increase-hires-and-total-separations-decrease-in-april-2026.htm (visited June 11, 2026).
OF INTEREST
- Producing the goods of the future: Job opportunities in manufacturing
- The impact of COVID-19 on mental health and labor market outcomes using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 (NLSY97)
- Counterfactual imputation approaches for the housing component of the October 2025 CPI
- Turning thrifty: incorporating secondhand apparel into the Consumer Price Index
- Occupational employment and wages in oil and gas industries, May 2024