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Job openings up to 11 million in October 2021

December 14, 2021

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. 

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Job openings up to 11 million in October 2021 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2021/job-openings-up-to-11-million-in-october-2021.htm (visited March 29, 2024).

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