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The number of job openings increased to 11.0 million on the last business day of October 2021. Hires were little changed at 6.5 million and total separations edged down to 5.9 million.
Total nonfarm job openings, hires, and separations levels, seasonally adjusted
Month
Job openings
Hires
Separations
Oct 2016
5,591,000
5,210,000
5,125,000
Nov 2016
5,971,000
5,308,000
5,139,000
Dec 2016
5,964,000
5,343,000
5,071,000
Jan 2017
5,646,000
5,497,000
5,291,000
Feb 2017
5,931,000
5,345,000
5,170,000
Mar 2017
5,813,000
5,394,000
5,271,000
Apr 2017
6,103,000
5,309,000
5,086,000
May 2017
5,810,000
5,477,000
5,297,000
Jun 2017
6,334,000
5,664,000
5,440,000
Jul 2017
6,203,000
5,508,000
5,297,000
Aug 2017
6,300,000
5,571,000
5,393,000
Sep 2017
6,279,000
5,409,000
5,413,000
Oct 2017
6,380,000
5,605,000
5,356,000
Nov 2017
6,282,000
5,463,000
5,259,000
Dec 2017
6,359,000
5,424,000
5,165,000
Jan 2018
6,601,000
5,459,000
5,369,000
Feb 2018
6,586,000
5,633,000
5,289,000
Mar 2018
6,833,000
5,636,000
5,468,000
Apr 2018
6,910,000
5,610,000
5,442,000
May 2018
6,987,000
5,865,000
5,502,000
Jun 2018
7,271,000
5,777,000
5,553,000
Jul 2018
7,209,000
5,707,000
5,578,000
Aug 2018
7,204,000
5,863,000
5,635,000
Sep 2018
7,352,000
5,616,000
5,539,000
Oct 2018
7,295,000
5,876,000
5,613,000
Nov 2018
7,574,000
5,815,000
5,683,000
Dec 2018
7,436,000
5,709,000
5,515,000
Jan 2019
7,478,000
5,741,000
5,511,000
Feb 2019
7,058,000
5,668,000
5,664,000
Mar 2019
7,332,000
5,684,000
5,575,000
Apr 2019
7,257,000
6,051,000
5,761,000
May 2019
7,279,000
5,719,000
5,571,000
Jun 2019
7,165,000
5,776,000
5,613,000
Jul 2019
7,137,000
5,987,000
5,797,000
Aug 2019
7,150,000
5,907,000
5,722,000
Sep 2019
7,100,000
5,970,000
5,777,000
Oct 2019
7,340,000
5,799,000
5,566,000
Nov 2019
6,915,000
5,842,000
5,644,000
Dec 2019
6,730,000
5,882,000
5,793,000
Jan 2020
7,154,000
5,974,000
5,714,000
Feb 2020
7,012,000
5,979,000
5,715,000
Mar 2020
5,769,000
5,132,000
16,308,000
Apr 2020
4,630,000
3,942,000
11,782,000
May 2020
5,447,000
8,272,000
4,618,000
Jun 2020
6,112,000
7,697,000
5,180,000
Jul 2020
6,717,000
6,237,000
5,392,000
Aug 2020
6,451,000
6,431,000
4,901,000
Sep 2020
6,611,000
5,932,000
5,235,000
Oct 2020
6,873,000
6,035,000
5,427,000
Nov 2020
6,766,000
6,019,000
5,744,000
Dec 2020
6,752,000
5,411,000
5,582,000
Jan 2021
7,099,000
5,465,000
5,323,000
Feb 2021
7,526,000
5,794,000
5,429,000
Mar 2021
8,288,000
6,006,000
5,436,000
Apr 2021
9,193,000
6,012,000
5,803,000
May 2021
9,483,000
6,022,000
5,330,000
Jun 2021
10,185,000
6,827,000
5,612,000
Jul 2021
11,098,000
6,761,000
5,792,000
Aug 2021
10,629,000
6,497,000
6,032,000
Sep 2021
10,602,000
6,546,000
6,147,000
Oct 2021
11,033,000
6,464,000
5,892,000
On the last business day of October, the number of job openings had increased by 431,000 over the month. Job openings increased in several industries with the largest increases in accommodation and food services (+254,000); nondurable goods manufacturing (+45,000); and educational services (+42,000). Job openings decreased in state and local government, excluding education by 115,000.
In October, the number of hires was little changed. Hires decreased in finance and insurance by 96,000. Hires increased in educational services by 54,000 and in state and local government education by 37,000.
In October, the number of total separations edged down by 255,000. Total separations decreased in finance and insurance by 88,000 and in transportation, warehousing, and utilities by 64,000. Total separations increased in state and local government, excluding education by 28,000.
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 — October 2021." Also see charts featuring data on job openings, hires, and separations. Total separations include quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Quits are generally voluntary separations initiated by the employee. Layoffs and discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the employer. Other separations includes separations due to retirement, death, disability, and transfers to other locations of the same firm.
United States Department of Labor
