Arkansas had 73,000 job openings in October 2025, compared to 70,000 openings in September, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table 1.) Acting Regional Commissioner Jerome Watters noted that the job openings rate in Arkansas was 5.0 percent in October and 4.8 percent in the previous month. (See chart 1 and table 2.) The job openings rate nationally was 4.5 percent in October and 4.6 percent in September. (See table 3.) All data in this release are seasonally adjusted.

In October, Arkansas had 42,000 hires and 46,000 separations, compared to 47,000 hires and 44,000 separations in September. (See chart 2.) Over the 12 months ending in October, hires have averaged 50,000 per month and separations have averaged 46,000 per month. These averages include workers who may have been hired and separated more than once during the year.

Among the October separations in Arkansas, 28,000 were quits and 16,000 were layoffs and discharges, compared to 29,000 quits and 12,000 layoffs and discharges in September. (See chart 3.) Over the year, quits averaged 29,000 per month, ranging from 23,000 to 33,000. Layoffs and discharges have averaged 14,000 per month, ranging from 12,000 to 18,000.

State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey estimates for November 2025 are scheduled to be released on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. (CT).

Technical Note

This news release presents statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). The JOLTS program provides information on labor demand and turnover. The state estimates produced by JOLTS are model-based, incorporating JOLTS sample, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), and Current Employment Statistics (CES) estimates. For more information see the JOLTS State Estimates Methodology.

Job Openings. Job openings include all positions that are open on the last business day of the reference month. A job is open only if it meets all three of these conditions:

• A specific position exists and there is work available for that position.
• The job could start within 30 days.
• The employer is actively recruiting workers from outside the establishment to fill the position.

The number of unemployed persons per job opening is a ratio of the level of unemployed persons and the level of job openings. The number of unemployed persons at the national level is an estimate from the Current Population Survey (CPS), while state-level unemployment estimates are modeled by the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program. A ratio of 1.0 means there is a job available for every unemployed person. Lower ratios signal tighter labor markets, where firms have more job openings than there are unemployed persons available to work. Higher ratios indicate there are more unemployed persons competing for each job opening.

Hires. Hires include all additions to the payroll during the entire reference month.

Separations. Separations include all separations from the payroll during the entire reference month and is reported by type of separation: quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations.

• Quits include employees who left voluntarily, except for retirements or transfers to other locations.
• Layoffs and discharges include involuntary separations initiated by the employer.
• Other separations include retirements, transfers to other locations, separations due to employee disability, and deaths.

Levels and rates of other separations represent a small portion of total separations and are not published with the release of state estimates.

Complete definitions, including exclusions, and additional information about the State JOLTS data presented in this release are available in the State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Technical Note.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

Table 1. Job openings and labor turnover for Arkansas, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)

Estimate	October 2024	July 2025	August 2025	September 2025	October 2025(p)	Change from September 2025 to October 2025(p)
Openings	78	70	68	70	73	3
Hires	51	47	46	47	42	-5
Total separations	58	41	42	44	46	2
Quits	35	25	25	29	28	-1
Layoffs & discharges	20	15	15	12	16	4
(p) Preliminary.

Table 2. Job openings and labor turnover rates for Arkansas, seasonally adjusted

Estimate	October 2024	July 2025	August 2025	September 2025	October 2025(p)	Change from September 2025 to October 2025(p)
Openings(1)	5.4	4.8	4.7	4.8	5.0	0.2
Hires(2)	3.7	3.4	3.3	3.4	3.0	-0.4
Total separations(3)	4.2	3.0	3.0	3.2	3.3	0.1
Quits(3)	2.6	1.8	1.8	2.1	2.0	-0.1
Layoffs & discharges(3)	1.5	1.1	1.1	0.9	1.2	0.3
(p) Preliminary. (1) 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. (2) The hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100. (3) The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of separations by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100. The quits and layoffs and discharges rates are computed similarly.

Table 3. Job openings and labor turnover rates for the United States, seasonally adjusted

Estimate	October 2024	July 2025	August 2025	September 2025	October 2025	Change from September 2025 to October 2025
Openings(1)	4.6	4.3	4.3	4.6	4.5	-0.1
Hires(2)	3.4	3.3	3.2	3.4	3.4	0.0
Total separations(3)	3.3	3.3	3.2	3.3	3.2	-0.1
Quits(3)	2.0	2.0	1.9	2.0	1.9	-0.1
Layoffs & discharges(3)	1.1	1.1	1.1	1.1	1.2	0.1
(1) 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. (2) The hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100. (3) The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of separations by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100. The quits and layoffs and discharges rates are computed similarly.