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Job openings posted big September gain in positive sign for labor market ahead of payrolls report

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In short

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that available positions climbed to 7.52 million in September, easily surpassing consensus forecasts of 7.15 million. Labor mobility improved alongside hiring, as the number of employees quitting their jobs jumped by 321,000 to reach 3.36 million. In addition to firming labor demand, manufacturing showed independent strength with factory orders rising 1.8% during the month.

Key points

  • Growing open positions and an expanding hiring rate of 4.5% reflect broader underlying re…: Growing open positions and an expanding hiring rate of 4.5% reflect broader underlying resilience in the domestic labor market.
  • Factory orders climbed 1.8% against an expected 1.3% increase, complementing the gains re…: Factory orders climbed 1.8% against an expected 1.3% increase, complementing the gains recorded in manufacturing positions.
  • Wall Street forecasters anticipate October nonfarm payrolls will rise by 59,000 while the…: Wall Street forecasters anticipate October nonfarm payrolls will rise by 59,000 while the unemployment rate remains at 4.2%.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

Job openings surged in September, as did the number of workers who quit their positions, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday,while hiring also rose and layoffs dropped.

In its monthly look at labor market slack and worker mobility, the BLS reported job openings at 7.52 million, up 333,000 from August and well above the Dow Jones consensus outlook for 7.15 million.

As a share of the total workforce, the rate of job openings increased to 4.5%, up 0.2 percentage point from the prior month, according to the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey.

Openings rose in manufacturing (54,000) as well as state and local government (108,000) and professional and business services (106,000).

At the same time, the total of employees leaving their jobs spiked to 3.36 million, an increase of 321,000 from August and the highest level since March 2025. Quits are considered a barometer for worker confidence in finding new jobs after leaving their prior positions.

Hires rose on the month, up 131,000 to 5.4 million, while layoffs and discharges fell by 127,000 to 1.64 million, the lowest…

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