| Consensus | Consensus Range | Actual | Previous | Revised | |
| Job Openings | 6.833M | 6.790M to 7.020M | 7.618M | 6.866M | 6.887M |
Highlights
Job openings increased 731,000 to 7.618 million in April from from March, beating the consensus of 6.833 million in an Econoday survey of forecasters.
Private sector job openings were up 684,000 to 6.841 million. Professional and business services led the increase, up 668,000, followed by private education and health services and social assistance, up 89,000 on the month. Other services rose 62,000, while construction and manufacturing were up 25,000 and 24,000, respectively.
On the downside, the largest decline was in finance and insurance, down 135,000. A 74,000 decline in accommodation and food services drove down leisure and hospitality openings.
Government job openings increased 47,000 in April to 777,000, as federal openings rose 17,000 and state and local openings rose 30,000.
Hiring was down 419,000 to 5.116 million in April, with private-sector hiring down 423,000 and government hiring up 5,000. Hiring activity weakened across several private industries, with the largest declines in trade, transportation, and utilities, down 134,000, and professional and business services, down 131,000. Retail trade hiring declined 81,000, health care and social assistance was down 56,000, and accommodation and food services fell 52,000.
The largest gains were in arts, entertainment, and recreation, up 25,000, and construction, up 17,000.
Total job separations were down 399,000 to 4.978 million, led by a 413,000 drop in the private sector. Trade, transportation, and utilities fell 182,000, including a 136,000 decline in retail trade and a 35,000 decline in transportation, warehousing, and utilities. Professional and business services separations were down 147,000. Government separations increased 14,000.
Total quits - a subset of separations - dropped 183,000 in April to 2.977 million, suggesting employees remained cautious about leaving current positions. Quits in private industries fell 204,000, while they rose 21,000 in government. The largest declines were in trade, transportation, and utilities, down 83,000. Financial activities quits declined 30,000, and professional and business services fell 31,000.
Layoffs and discharges - another subset of separations - were down 192,000 to 1.692 million in April, entirely due to a 194,000 decline in the private sector. The largest declines were in professional and business services, down 112,000, and retail trade, down 88,000. Construction layoffs and discharges declined 22,000. The largest increase was in accommodation and food services, up 22,000.
Market Consensus Before Announcement
Job openings expected down a bit at 6.833 million rate in April from 6.866 million in March.
Definition
The Labor Department's JOLTS report tracks monthly change in job openings and offers rates on hiring and quits. The reporting period lags other employment data including the employment situation report. The word JOLTS stands for Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey.
Description
Although lagging the release timing of the employment situation report by a month, JOLTS provides additional information on the labor market. The payroll survey in the employment situation report provides numbers on net job changes. JOLTS breaks down labor market data into pre-net changes such as job openings, hires, and separations.
