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Bureau of Labor Statistics > Geographic Information > Southwest > News Release
News Release Information

25-1551-DAL
Friday, December 05, 2025

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (972) 850-4800

Louisiana Job Openings and Labor Turnover — August 2025

Louisiana had 98,000 job openings in August 2025, compared to 105,000 openings in July, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table 1.) Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Michael Hirniak noted that the job openings rate in Louisiana was 4.7 percent in August and 5.0 percent in the previous month. (See chart 1 and table 2.) The job openings rate nationally was 4.3 percent in August, unchanged from July. (See table 3.) All data in this release are seasonally adjusted.

  Line chart of job openings as a percent of employment for the United States and Louisiana, August 2021 to August 2025, seasonally adjusted. Accessible version is available in View Chart Data link below the chart.
View Chart Data
 

The ratio of unemployed persons per job opening in Louisiana was 0.9 in August. Nationwide, 34 states and the District of Columbia had ratios in August that were lower than the national measure of 1.0 unemployed persons per job opening; 13 states had ratios that were higher than the national ratio, and 3 states had ratios equal to the national measure. (See map 1.)

Map 1. Number of unemployed persons per job opening by state, August 2025, seasonally adjusted

(U.S. ratio = 1.0)

In August, Louisiana had 76,000 hires and 61,000 separations, compared to 74,000 hires and 66,000 separations in July. (See chart 2.) Over the 12 months ending in August, hires have averaged 77,000 per month and separations have averaged 75,000 per month. These averages include workers who may have been hired and separated more than once during the year.

  Line chart of hires and total separations in Louisiana, August 2021 to August 2025, seasonally adjusted (in thousands). Accessible version is available in View Chart Data link below the chart.
View Chart Data
 

Among the August separations in Louisiana, 41,000 were quits and 18,000 were layoffs and discharges, compared to 42,000 quits and 21,000 layoffs and discharges in July. (See chart 3.) Over the year, quits averaged 46,000 per month, ranging from 41,000 to 54,000. Layoffs and discharges have averaged 24,000 per month, ranging from 18,000 to 35,000.

  Line chart of quits and layoffs and discharges in Louisiana, August 2021 to August 2025, seasonally adjusted (in thousands). Accessible version is available in View Chart Data link below the chart.
View Chart Data

Upcoming Change to the JOLTS State Estimates

The national State Job Openings and Labor Turnover news release will move from a monthly news release to an annual news release. The last monthly news release will occur with the December 2025 data published in February 2026. The first annual news release will be in July 2026. Going forward, monthly estimates for the prior calendar year will be published each year along with the annual news release. The annual news release will incorporate benchmark revisions to JOLTS national estimates, updated Current Employment Statistics (CES) employment estimates, and updated Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) data.

Federal Government Shutdown

The release of data for the August 2025 State Job Openings and Labor Turnover was delayed by more than 5 weeks because of the lapse in federal appropriations. While BLS completed data collection prior to the lapse, BLS could not complete data processing and review until appropriations resumed.

Subsequent State JOLTS data releases will also be delayed. Revised release dates will be posted as they become available.


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 Louisiana, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
Estimate August 2024 May 2025 June 2025 July 2025 August 2025(p) Change from July 2025 to August 2025(p)

Openings

 105 111 100 105 98 -7

Hires

 72 72 67 74 76 2

Total separations

 62 69 66 66 61 -5

Quits

 32 45 43 42 41 -1

Layoffs & discharges

 27 20 19 21 18 -3

(p) Preliminary.

Table 2. Job openings and labor turnover rates for Louisiana, seasonally adjusted
Estimate August 2024 May 2025 June 2025 July 2025 August 2025(p) Change from July 2025 to August 2025(p)

Openings(1)

 5.0 5.3 4.8 5.0 4.7 -0.3

Hires(2)

 3.6 3.6 3.3 3.7 3.8 0.1

Total separations(3)

 3.1 3.4 3.3 3.3 3.0 -0.3

Quits(3)

 1.6 2.2 2.1 2.1 2.0 -0.1

Layoffs & discharges(3)

 1.4 1.0 0.9 1.0 0.9 -0.1

(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 August 2024 May 2025 June 2025 July 2025 August 2025(p) Change from July 2025 to August 2025(p)

Openings(1)

 4.6 4.6 4.4 4.3 4.3 0.0

Hires(2)

 3.3 3.4 3.3 3.3 3.2 -0.1

Total separations(3)

 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.2 -0.1

Quits(3)

 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.9 -0.1

Layoffs & discharges(3)

 1.1 1.0 1.1 1.1 1.1 0.0

(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.

 

Last Modified Date: Friday, December 05, 2025