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On the last business day of May 2019, the total number of job openings was 7.3 million, representing an increase of 197,000 since May 2018. The job openings rate—the number of job openings as a percentage of total employment plus the total number of job openings—was 4.6 percent in May 2019, the same as it was a year earlier.
Total number of job openings and job openings rate, seasonally adjusted, January 2009–May 2019
Month
Number of job openings
Job openings rate
Jan 2009
2,731,000
2.0%
Feb 2009
2,838,000
2.1
Mar 2009
2,521,000
1.9
Apr 2009
2,343,000
1.7
May 2009
2,574,000
1.9
Jun 2009
2,517,000
1.9
Jul 2009
2,264,000
1.7
Aug 2009
2,365,000
1.8
Sep 2009
2,481,000
1.9
Oct 2009
2,422,000
1.8
Nov 2009
2,435,000
1.8
Dec 2009
2,487,000
1.9
Jan 2010
2,833,000
2.1
Feb 2010
2,651,000
2.0
Mar 2010
2,679,000
2.0
Apr 2010
3,217,000
2.4
May 2010
3,019,000
2.3
Jun 2010
2,813,000
2.1
Jul 2010
3,127,000
2.3
Aug 2010
3,025,000
2.3
Sep 2010
2,912,000
2.2
Oct 2010
3,256,000
2.4
Nov 2010
3,134,000
2.3
Dec 2010
2,969,000
2.2
Jan 2011
3,100,000
2.3
Feb 2011
3,213,000
2.4
Mar 2011
3,253,000
2.4
Apr 2011
3,337,000
2.5
May 2011
3,207,000
2.4
Jun 2011
3,467,000
2.6
Jul 2011
3,676,000
2.7
Aug 2011
3,358,000
2.5
Sep 2011
3,763,000
2.8
Oct 2011
3,650,000
2.7
Nov 2011
3,485,000
2.6
Dec 2011
3,662,000
2.7
Jan 2012
3,904,000
2.8
Feb 2012
3,605,000
2.6
Mar 2012
3,976,000
2.9
Apr 2012
3,878,000
2.8
May 2012
3,861,000
2.8
Jun 2012
3,916,000
2.8
Jul 2012
3,790,000
2.7
Aug 2012
3,839,000
2.8
Sep 2012
3,861,000
2.8
Oct 2012
3,808,000
2.7
Nov 2012
3,787,000
2.7
Dec 2012
3,840,000
2.8
Jan 2013
3,915,000
2.8
Feb 2013
3,981,000
2.9
Mar 2013
4,080,000
2.9
Apr 2013
4,078,000
2.9
May 2013
4,173,000
3.0
Jun 2013
4,166,000
3.0
Jul 2013
3,946,000
2.8
Aug 2013
4,112,000
2.9
Sep 2013
4,105,000
2.9
Oct 2013
4,268,000
3.0
Nov 2013
4,002,000
2.8
Dec 2013
3,996,000
2.8
Jan 2014
4,131,000
2.9
Feb 2014
4,347,000
3.1
Mar 2014
4,388,000
3.1
Apr 2014
4,662,000
3.3
May 2014
4,775,000
3.3
Jun 2014
4,999,000
3.5
Jul 2014
4,919,000
3.4
Aug 2014
5,383,000
3.7
Sep 2014
4,876,000
3.4
Oct 2014
5,066,000
3.5
Nov 2014
4,719,000
3.3
Dec 2014
4,981,000
3.4
Jan 2015
5,377,000
3.7
Feb 2015
5,410,000
3.7
Mar 2015
5,223,000
3.6
Apr 2015
5,726,000
3.9
May 2015
5,587,000
3.8
Jun 2015
5,259,000
3.6
Jul 2015
6,147,000
4.1
Aug 2015
5,517,000
3.7
Sep 2015
5,450,000
3.7
Oct 2015
5,846,000
3.9
Nov 2015
5,564,000
3.7
Dec 2015
5,678,000
3.8
Jan 2016
5,977,000
4.0
Feb 2016
5,747,000
3.9
Mar 2016
6,151,000
4.1
Apr 2016
5,872,000
3.9
May 2016
5,775,000
3.9
Jun 2016
5,778,000
3.9
Jul 2016
6,088,000
4.0
Aug 2016
5,720,000
3.8
Sep 2016
5,828,000
3.9
Oct 2016
5,616,000
3.7
Nov 2016
5,862,000
3.9
Dec 2016
5,831,000
3.9
Jan 2017
5,624,000
3.7
Feb 2017
5,875,000
3.9
Mar 2017
5,848,000
3.9
Apr 2017
6,157,000
4.0
May 2017
5,821,000
3.8
Jun 2017
6,371,000
4.2
Jul 2017
6,349,000
4.1
Aug 2017
6,352,000
4.1
Sep 2017
6,256,000
4.1
Oct 2017
6,405,000
4.2
Nov 2017
6,163,000
4.0
Dec 2017
6,204,000
4.0
Jan 2018
6,591,000
4.3
Feb 2018
6,530,000
4.2
Mar 2018
6,894,000
4.4
Apr 2018
7,106,000
4.6
May 2018
7,126,000
4.6
Jun 2018
7,393,000
4.7
Jul 2018
7,442,000
4.8
Aug 2018
7,342,000
4.7
Sep 2018
7,392,000
4.7
Oct 2018
7,593,000
4.8
Nov 2018
7,626,000
4.8
Dec 2018
7,479,000
4.7
Jan 2019
7,625,000
4.8
Feb 2019
7,142,000
4.5
Mar 2019
7,474,000
4.7
Apr 2019
7,372,000
4.7
May 2019
7,323,000
4.6
Note: May 2019 data are preliminary and subject to revision. The job openings rate is the total number of job openings as a percentage of total employment plus the total number of job openings.
From May 2018 to May 2019, the number of job openings increased by 115,000 for total private and by 83,000 for government. Job openings also increased over the year in a number of private sector industries, with the largest increases occurring in construction (+90,000), professional and business services (+88,000), education and health services (+79,000), leisure and hospitality (+74,000), and accommodation and food services (+74,000).
The number of job openings also decreased over the year in a number of industries, with the largest declines in trade, transportation, and utilities (–190,000), retail trade (–157,000), financial activities (–64,000), and finance and insurance (–56,000).
United States Department of Labor
