U.S. Job Openings Rose in July as Hiring Ticked Down — Update
By Jessica Coacci
U.S. job openings improved while hiring ticked down as job growth slowed in July, according to a report from the Labor Department's monthly job openings and labor turnover survey.
The report shows yet another signal of a low-hire, low-fire labor market that stretches back to at lease last year.Available positions rose slightly to 7.3 million in July from 7.2 million in June.
"The ratio of openings to the number of unemployed is still above 1, another indication that the labor market is roughly in balance," wrote Nancy Vanden Houten, lead U.S. economist at Oxford Economics.
Meanwhile, the hiring rate declined to 3.2% in July from 3.4% in June, with about 5.1 million Americans landing new jobs during the month. Hires decreased by 188,000 in professional and business services.
The number and rate of layoffs and discharges were little changed at 1.7 million and 1.0%.
The quit rate, workers leaving their jobs voluntarily, changed little at 3.1 million and 1.9% over the month, according to the report.
More information on the jobs market will be made available Friday, when the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its employment report for August. Economists polled by The Wall Street Journal are expecting 53,000 jobs added.
Write to Jessica Coacci at jessica.coacci@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
September 01, 2026 12:50 ET (16:50 GMT)
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