US JOLTS Job Openings September 2026

The US JOLTS Job Openings report for July 2026 is released on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, at 10:00 am ET (3:00 pm London) by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, known as JOLTS, is a monthly measure of labour demand across the US economy, and this edition covers hiring, quits and layoff activity during July 2026.

What is JOLTS Job Openings?

JOLTS Job Openings counts the number of unfilled positions employers were actively trying to fill on the last business day of the reference month. It is one of four headline measures in the same survey, alongside hires, quits and total separations (which includes layoffs and discharges). The BLS collects the data from a sample of around 21,000 US business establishments across the public and private sector.

The report matters because it shows the demand side of the labour market rather than just the supply side captured by the unemployment rate. A high number of openings relative to the number of unemployed people signals a tight labour market where workers have more bargaining power over pay. A falling number of openings, especially alongside fewer quits, tends to signal that employers are pulling back on hiring plans before layoffs typically rise.

Because JOLTS data is one month behind other labour market indicators such as the monthly jobs report, economists and the Federal Reserve treat it as a slower-moving but useful cross-check on whether the labour market is cooling gradually or losing momentum quickly. Quits, in particular, are watched closely because workers tend to resign more often when they are confident about finding another job.

When is the July 2026 JOLTS report released?

The BLS is scheduled to publish the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey for July 2026 on September 1, 2026, at 10:00 am Eastern Time, according to the BLS JOLTS homepage. In London that is 3:00 pm. The release is published free of charge on the BLS website alongside detailed tables broken down by industry, region and establishment size.

What is the consensus forecast?

As of publication, a consensus forecast for the July 2026 JOLTS Job Openings figure has not yet been published by major polling services. Economists’ estimates typically firm up in the days immediately before release, so readers should check a live economic calendar closer to September 1, 2026 for an updated median forecast.

The most recent published reading is for June 2026. According to the BLS June 2026 JOLTS release, job openings were little changed at 7.4 million, hires were unchanged at 5.3 million, and total separations were little changed at 5.4 million. Within separations, quits held at 3.2 million and layoffs and discharges held at 1.8 million.

What the result could mean

These are possible interpretations, not predictions. Actual market reaction depends on the wider mix of data released that week and on where interest rate expectations already stand.

Why does this release matter right now?

The Federal Reserve has repeatedly said it is watching the balance between its inflation and employment goals, and JOLTS is one of the inputs officials use to judge whether the labour market is cooling in an orderly way. Job openings have drifted down gradually since the post-pandemic peak, and the June 2026 print of 7.4 million continues that gentle softening trend, according to the BLS. The May 2026 figure was revised down by 57,000 to 7.5 million, based on the BLS revisions note, a reminder that JOLTS figures are frequently revised as more survey responses come in.

Markets outside the US pay attention to this data because Fed policy shapes global borrowing costs. When US job openings soften and rate cut expectations build, the dollar can weaken against the pound and euro, and government bond yields in the UK and eurozone often move in sympathy with US Treasury yields.

Source: BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary and BLS archive release. Only figures that could be verified from the official BLS release are shown here.

What It Means for Your Money

Mortgages and borrowing costs: a weaker JOLTS reading can raise expectations of Fed interest rate cuts, which sometimes feeds through to lower long-term US mortgage rates. In the UK and eurozone, mortgage pricing is driven mainly by domestic central bank decisions, but global bond yields still have some influence on fixed-rate deals.

Savings rates: if the data feeds expectations of lower US interest rates, banks may eventually offer lower returns on cash savings and money market funds, though this usually takes months to filter through.

Jobs and wages: a falling number of job openings, especially alongside fewer quits, can be an early sign that it is becoming harder to find a new role or negotiate a pay rise, since workers typically resign more when they are confident about landing another job.

Prices: a cooling labour market can eventually ease inflation pressure because employers have less need to raise wages to attract staff, though the link to prices in shops takes time to show up.

Investments, pensions and currencies: shares and government bonds can move on the day of release as traders reprice Fed rate cut odds. A softer US labour market often weakens the dollar against the pound and euro, which affects the value of any US assets held by non-US pension funds and investors.

Related events

• The August 2026 US non-farm payrolls and unemployment rate report, published separately by the BLS
• The next Federal Reserve interest rate decision, which weighs labour market data including JOLTS
• The August 2026 JOLTS report, due for release the following month

Frequently Asked Questions

What time is the July 2026 JOLTS report released?

The BLS publishes the report at 10:00 am Eastern Time on September 1, 2026, which is 3:00 pm in London.

How should I read the job openings number?

Focus on the direction of travel rather than a single month. A falling trend in openings alongside falling quits usually points to a cooling labour market, while a rising trend suggests continued labour demand.

How does JOLTS affect interest rates?

The Federal Reserve uses JOLTS alongside the monthly jobs report and inflation data to judge labour market strength. A weaker than expected reading can raise expectations of interest rate cuts, while a stronger reading can reduce them.

Where can I find the official JOLTS release?

The full release, including detailed tables by industry and region, is published on the BLS JOLTS homepage.

When is the next JOLTS report due?

The BLS typically publishes JOLTS around five weeks after the reference month ends, so the August 2026 data is expected roughly a month after this release, in early October 2026.