What is the JOLTS Job Openings?
Job openings are all positions open on the last business day of the month. The rate divides openings by the sum of employment and openings, times 100. The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey samples about 21,000 nonfarm establishments covering all private nonfarm and government entities in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
A position counts as open only if a specific position exists, it could start within 30 days, and the employer is actively recruiting from outside the establishment. Positions open only to internal transfers, promotions or recall from layoffs are excluded.
Production facts:
- Publisher: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Frequency: Monthly
- Typical release time: 10:00 a.m. ET with JOLTS
- Primary metric: Job openings level/rate
- Market sensitivity: High
- Data type: Hard data
- Economic indicator type: Leading
- Revision risk: Medium
Key components to watch
The headline (Job openings level/rate) is the most widely quoted but rarely the most informative number. The components that follow reveal whether the headline result is broad-based or concentrated, improving or deteriorating, and consistent with prior trends.
- Job openings level
- Job openings rate
- Openings by industry
- Openings by region
- Openings by establishment size class
For any release with multiple components, the investor's task is not to memorize every number but to identify which components are most relevant to the current investment thesis and track those with the most care.
How to read the headline: actual versus expected
Markets react to the gap between the published Job openings level/rate and the consensus forecast, not to the level alone. A stronger-than-expected or weaker-than-expected result is defined against that forecast, so check what was expected before reading the number.
The JOLTS Job Openings carries medium revision risk: Each monthly release also revises the previous month, because more reports from businesses and government agencies arrive and seasonal factors are recalculated. Read any revision to the prior period together with the new figure.
Market impact by asset class
The JOLTS Job Openings primarily affects the following markets: Stocks, Treasuries, Fed funds futures, USD.
Stronger than expected result: In an inflation-elevated, tightening environment, a stronger result typically pressures interest-rate-sensitive assets and can strengthen the dollar. In a growth-slowing environment, a stronger result can be equity-supportive if it reduces recession fears.
Weaker than expected result: In a growth-concern environment, a weaker result may reinforce concerns about economic deceleration. If the Fed is watching this specific indicator for policy calibration, a persistent pattern of below-consensus results may shift the rate path.
In-line result: In-line results typically produce muted market reactions unless there are significant component deviations from expectations. The market had already priced the consensus, so confirmation requires little repricing.
Revision risk and methodology notes
The JOLTS Job Openings carries medium revision risk. Each monthly release also revises the previous month, because more reports from businesses and government agencies arrive and seasonal factors are recalculated. Once a year, with the January data, five years of seasonally adjusted and unadjusted data are revised to reflect new CES employment benchmarks and updated seasonal factors.
Primary source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: JOLTS Job Openings.
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Common investor mistakes
- Reacting to the headline without checking the components. The headline can diverge significantly from the underlying trend revealed by the components. A headline beat driven by a volatile component may not indicate the same strength as a broad-based improvement.
- Ignoring revisions to prior periods. An initial strong number revised down in the following release tells a different story than a number that stands firm.
- Not knowing what is consensus-priced. Reacting to a number without knowing what was already expected conflates information with noise. The market reaction is driven by the deviation from expectations, not by the level of the number.
- Applying the same interpretation across different regimes. The same headline result has different implications depending on the Fed's current stance, the growth trend, and what is already priced into the yield curve and equity multiples.
Related releases
The JOLTS Job Openings should be read alongside:
- Employment Situation (Jobs Report)
- Nonfarm Payrolls
- Unemployment Rate
- Average Hourly Earnings
- Labor Force Participation Rate
Frequently asked questions
What is the JOLTS Job Openings?
Job openings are all positions open on the last business day of the month. The rate divides openings by the sum of employment and openings, times 100. The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey samples about 21,000 nonfarm establishments covering all private nonfarm and government entities in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. It is published monthly by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
When is the JOLTS Job Openings released?
The JOLTS Job Openings is released by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on a monthly schedule: 10:00 a.m. ET with JOLTS. Exact dates are on the publisher's release calendar.
How does the JOLTS Job Openings affect markets?
The JOLTS Job Openings primarily affects Stocks, Treasuries, Fed funds futures, USD. Its typical market sensitivity is rated High. A result that comes in stronger than consensus expectations generally moves affected markets directionally, while a weaker result can have the opposite effect. The direction depends on the current macro regime and what is already priced into markets.
What is the revision risk for the JOLTS Job Openings?
The JOLTS Job Openings carries medium revision risk. Each monthly release also revises the previous month, because more reports from businesses and government agencies arrive and seasonal factors are recalculated. Once a year, with the January data, five years of seasonally adjusted and unadjusted data are revised to reflect new CES employment benchmarks and updated seasonal factors.