- Prior was 7.146 million (revised to 6.928m)
- Hires 5,293K vs 5,144K prior
- Separations 5,251K vs 5,144K prior
- Quits 3,248K vs 3,193K prior
- Layoffs and discharges 1,775K vs 1,701K prior
This is a terrible reading along with a bad revision. Couple it with ISM employment, ADP, initial jobless claims and Challenger layoffs and it’s a consistently bad look. If there is a silver lining, at least people aren’t being laid off in the JOLTS report, but that might be changing based on the Challenger report, which is for the month after this report.
The number of job openings for November was revised down by 218,000 to 6.9 million, the number of hires was revised up by 6,000 to 5.1 million, and the number of total separations was revised up by 64,000 to 5.1 million. Within separations, the number of quits was revised up by 32,000 to 3.2 million, the number of layoffs and discharges was revised up by 14,000 to 1.7 million, and the number of other separations was revised up by 17,000 to 249,000.
In September 2025, job openings stood at 7.658 million, rebounding from 7.227 million in August. October saw openings edge up slightly to 7.670 million, driven by gains in trade, transportation, and utilities. However, November marked a sharp reversal as openings fell to 7.146 million, the lowest level since September 2024 and well below expectations of 7.60 million. The decline was concentrated in accommodation and food services, transportation, warehousing, and utilities. Throughout this period, hires remained stagnant at roughly 5.1 million monthly while quits hovered around 2.9-3.2 million, reflecting a low-turnover labor market environment.
For background, the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, published monthly by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, provides comprehensive data on labor market dynamics by tracking job openings, hires, and separations across approximately 16,400 nonfarm establishments nationwide. Released typically on the first Tuesday of each month at 10:00 a.m. ET, the report measures unmet labor demand and became a closely watched indicator after former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen highlighted its importance in 2014. A job opening is defined as a position that is vacant on the last business day of the month, has work available, could start within 30 days, and involves active external recruiting. The survey also breaks down separations into quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations, offering insights into worker confidence and employer demand.
This article was written by Adam Button at investinglive.com.