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The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS, is a Bureau of Labor Statistics program that measures job openings, hires, quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations.
JOLTS is not a count of online job ads
JOLTS is based on a probability sample of establishments, not a scrape of public job boards. That is an important distinction when discussing “ghost jobs,” duplicate postings, or fake job listings.
What counts as a job opening?
BLS considers a position open if specific criteria are met, including that work could start within 30 days and the employer is actively recruiting from outside the establishment.
The job-openings measure refers to the last business day of the month.
What hires measure
Hires include additions to payroll during the entire month. Hires therefore answer a different question from openings. A position can be open at month-end without being filled, while a worker can be hired into a position that was not open on the last business day.
What separations measure
JOLTS divides separations into:
- Quits: generally voluntary separations initiated by employees.
- Layoffs and discharges: involuntary separations initiated by employers.
- Other separations: retirement, death, disability, and certain transfers.
Why economists watch quits
BLS notes that the quits rate can help measure workers’ willingness or ability to leave jobs voluntarily. A higher quits rate can be consistent with worker confidence, but it should not be interpreted without wages, unemployment, hiring, and industry context.
Why openings and hires are not the same
A high openings number does not mean the same number of workers will be hired. Employers can leave positions unfilled, cancel them, change requirements, or recruit over several months.
JOLTS gets revised
Monthly estimates are revised when more reports arrive and seasonal factors are recalculated. In the July 2026 release, BLS revised prior June estimates for openings, hires, and separations.
What JOLTS can and cannot tell you
JOLTS is useful for analyzing labor demand and worker flows. It does not tell you how many unique online job advertisements exist, how many postings are fraudulent, or whether an individual listing is genuine.
A practical labor-market dashboard
Read JOLTS alongside:
- nonfarm payroll employment,
- the unemployment rate,
- labor-force participation,
- wage growth, and
- unemployment insurance claims.
Continue learning
Read Understanding the U.S. Job Market, Payroll Employment Explained, and visit the Economic Data Center.
Sources & methodology
EconomicHQ standard
Sources, dates, and methodology matter.
EconomicHQ prioritizes primary sources for consequential financial and economic claims and identifies reporting periods for changing information. This article is educational and does not provide individualized financial, investment, tax, legal, or credit advice.