US JOLTS Job Openings December 2026
December 1 @ 10:00 am - 11:00 am
US JOLTS Job Openings December 2026
Next US JOLTS Job Openings: Tuesday, at 10:00 am ET (3:00 pm London). Covers October 2026 data.
- Consensus
- Not yet published
- Prior
- 7.3 million
- Actual
- Pending
Full schedule and background: US JOLTS Job Openings.
Updated
The US JOLTS Job Openings report for October 2026 is released on December 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, measures how many positions employers were actively trying to fill during the reference month, alongside hiring and separations. Full schedule and background: US JOLTS Job Openings.
What is the JOLTS job openings report?
JOLTS is a monthly survey of roughly 21,000 US business establishments run by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It counts three main flows in the labour market: job openings (unfilled positions employers are actively recruiting for), hires (people added to payrolls) and separations, which splits further into quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations.
The headline figure watched by markets is the total number of job openings, usually expressed in millions, along with the job openings rate (openings as a share of employment plus openings). A second closely tracked figure is the quits rate, which economists use as a proxy for worker confidence: people tend to quit more readily when they believe they can find another job easily.
The Federal Reserve pays close attention to JOLTS because it captures labour demand before it shows up in the monthly non-farm payrolls report. A wide gap between openings and the number of unemployed workers points to a tight labour market that can put upward pressure on wages and, eventually, inflation.
When is the October 2026 JOLTS report released?
The BLS publishes the JOLTS release for October 2026 data on Tuesday, December 1, 2026 at 10:00 am ET (3:00 pm London time). The full statistical tables and commentary are published on the BLS JOLTS website. JOLTS data run with roughly a two-month lag to the reference month, which is why the October reading is not published until early December.
What is the consensus forecast?
A consensus forecast for the October 2026 release has not yet been published. Polls of economists compiled by outlets such as Dow Jones and Reuters are typically released only in the days immediately before the report, so figures will need to be checked closer to December 1, 2026.
The most recent confirmed reading at the time of writing is for July 2026: job openings were “little changed at 7.3 million,” according to the BLS July 2026 JOLTS release. Openings had earlier jumped to 7.618 million in April 2026, “the highest level since May 2024,” according to Advisor Perspectives, before holding around 7.6 million in May.
| Measure | Prior reading | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Job openings (millions) | 7.3 million (July 2026) | Not yet published |
| Quits rate | Down from prior month (July 2026) | Not yet published |
What the result could mean
| Scenario | Likely market read | What it means in plain English |
|---|---|---|
| Above consensus | Could be read as a sign of a resilient labour market, potentially reducing pressure on the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates further, according to analysts who track JOLTS alongside payrolls data | More jobs are being advertised than expected, which can support wage growth but may also keep borrowing costs higher for longer |
| In line with consensus | Markets are likely to treat the release as confirming the existing view of a “low-hire, low-fire” labour market, a description used by Oxford Economics economist Matthew Martin | The jobs market is neither strengthening nor weakening sharply, so little changes for interest rate expectations |
| Below consensus | Could be interpreted as a cooling labour market, potentially firming expectations for further Fed rate cuts, according to economists who watch the openings-to-unemployed ratio | Employers are advertising fewer jobs, which can eventually translate into slower hiring and weaker wage growth |
Why does this release matter right now?
The Federal Reserve has used JOLTS data throughout 2026 to judge whether labour demand is cooling gently or sharply. Openings surged to 7.618 million in April 2026, the highest level in nearly two years, before easing back to 7.3 million by July, described by the BLS as “little changed” month on month. Oxford Economics economist Matthew Martin said in a note on the April data that “the labour market remains mostly stable,” with both quits and layoffs ticking down, a pattern typically described as low-hire, low-fire.
Because JOLTS lags the reference month by roughly two months, the October 2026 report gives the Fed a delayed but still useful cross-check against more timely indicators such as weekly jobless claims and the monthly non-farm payrolls report. Traders in interest rate futures markets use shifts in the openings and quits data, alongside these other releases, to adjust the probability they assign to future Fed rate decisions.
What It Means for Your Money
- Mortgages and borrowing: A weaker-than-expected JOLTS report can nudge US Treasury yields lower, which sometimes feeds through to US mortgage rates and, indirectly, to global bond markets that influence UK and eurozone borrowing costs.
- Savings rates: If the data shift expectations for Fed interest rate cuts, savings account and money market fund returns in the US could adjust in the following months, with the direction of savings rates in the UK and eurozone often following a similar pattern with a lag.
- Jobs and wages: A falling quits rate suggests workers feel less confident about finding a new role, which can slow wage growth. This is watched by anyone renegotiating pay or considering a job change, not just in the US but across economies closely linked to US demand.
- Investments and pensions: Equity markets, including those held in workplace pensions, often react to what JOLTS implies for interest rates rather than the jobs numbers themselves. A soft reading that raises hopes of rate cuts can lift share prices, while a strong reading can weigh on them.
- Currencies: Surprises in JOLTS can move the US dollar against the pound and the euro, since they feed into expectations for the gap between US and other major central bank interest rates.
Related events
- US JOLTS Job Openings, November 2026 report (September 2026 data)
- US non-farm payrolls report, typically released on the first Friday of the month
- Federal Reserve interest rate decision, usually held roughly a week or two after the JOLTS release
Frequently Asked Questions
What time is the October 2026 JOLTS report released?
The BLS publishes the report on December 1, 2026 at 10:00 am ET, which is 3:00 pm London time.
How should I read the JOLTS job openings number?
A rising number of job openings generally signals stronger labour demand, while a falling number, alongside a falling quits rate, tends to signal a cooling labour market.
How does JOLTS affect interest rate decisions?
The Federal Reserve treats JOLTS as one of several labour market indicators used to judge whether the jobs market is loosening or tightening, which feeds into its assessment of inflation risk and its interest rate decisions.
Where can I find the official JOLTS release?
The BLS publishes the full release and data tables on its JOLTS website.
When is the next JOLTS report after this one?
The BLS typically publishes JOLTS data roughly a month after this release, covering the following reference month, though exact dates depend on the BLS release schedule.