Economy

Job Openings Surge in September in Positive Sign for Labor Market

AI SUMMARY

Job openings and quits surged in September while layoffs dropped, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Job openings reached 7.52 million in September, increasing by 333,000 from August and exceeding the Dow Jones consensus outlook of 7.15 million.
The rate of job openings increased to 4.5% of the total workforce, with about 1.05 openings for every available unemployed worker.
Openings rose in manufacturing by 54,000, state and local government by 108,000, and professional and business services by 106,000.
Total employees leaving their jobs spiked to 3.36 million, an increase of 321,000 from August and the highest level since March 2025.
Hires rose by 131,000 on the month to reach 5.4 million.
Layoffs and discharges fell by 127,000 to 1.64 million, marking the lowest level since March 2025.
Factory orders for manufactured goods jumped 1.8% in September, beating the estimated 1.3% after a 0.3% increase in August.