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Job openings rate little changed at 4.5 percent in September 2026

November 12, 2026

In September 2026, the job openings rate was 4.5 percent, little changed from the previous month.

Chart Image
Chart Data

Job openings rate by industry, September 2026, seasonally adjusted
Industry	September 2026 job openings rate
Total	4.5
Total private	4.7
Mining and logging	4.1
Construction	3.4
Manufacturing	4.4
Wholesale trade	3.6
Retail trade	4.3
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities	4.8
Information	4.1
Finance and insurance	4.2
Real estate and rental and leasing	3.0
Professional and business services	5.5
Private educational services	3.2
Health care and social assistance	5.8
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	4.3
Accommodation and food services	4.4
Other services	4.3
Government	3.6
Federal	3.7
State and local education	2.3
State and local, excluding education	5.0

The job openings rate in government overall was 3.6 percent and at the federal level was 3.7 percent. The job openings rate was 5.0 percent in state and local government, excluding education, and the rate for state and local education was 2.3 percent.

In private industry, the job openings rate in September 2026 was 4.7 percent. The rate for the healthcare and social assistance industry was 5.8 percent, and for professional and business services was 5.5 percent.

These data are from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey and are seasonally adjusted. Data for the most recent month are preliminary. To learn more, see Job Openings and Labor Turnover — September 2026 and charts of job openings, hires, and separations data. Job openings include all positions that are open on the last business day of the month. The job openings rate is computed by dividing the number of job openings by the sum of employment and job openings and multiplying that quotient by 100.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Job openings rate little changed at 4.5 percent in September 2026 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2026/job-openings-rate-little-changed-at-4-5-percent-in-september-2026.htm (visited November 12, 2026).

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