Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

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.

Https

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 and employment, August 2019

October 15, 2019

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.

These job openings data are from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. See "Job Openings and Labor Turnover — August 2019" to learn more. Also see data on job openings, hires, and employment separations in the Charts related to the latest "Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey" news release. Employment data are from the Current Employment Statistics program. Job openings and employment data are seasonally adjusted; data for the most recent month are preliminary.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Job openings and employment, August 2019 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2019/job-openings-and-employment-august-2019.htm (visited December 06, 2024).

OF INTEREST
spotlight
Recent editions of Spotlight on Statistics



triangle