WASHINGTON — American employers were looking to fill 7.523 million jobs on the last business day of September, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) said on Tuesday, November 3, as its Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey — known as JOLTS — showed labour demand firmer than economists had expected, even though overall payroll growth remains slow.

Job openings rose by 333,000 from August's revised level, and the openings rate climbed to 4.5 percent from 4.3 percent, the BLS said. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 7.100 million openings for September, so the report came in more than 400,000 above expectations.

Source: Reuters

The bureau also revised its August figures: openings were raised to 7.190 million from the 7.079 million first reported, hires were raised by 79,000, and layoffs were raised by 127,000 — a reminder that this survey's early estimates often move. Reuters noted that the survey's response rate has decreased considerably from the period before the COVID-19 pandemic, which makes any single month's reading prone to noise.

Hiring rose — but not everywhere

Hiring increased by 131,000 to 5.402 million in September, and the hires rate edged up to 3.4 percent from 3.3 percent. The gains were uneven, however: manufacturing hires fell by 34,000 to 313,000, and hires in professional and business services fell by 30,000 to 927,000 even as openings rose — a pattern suggesting some employers are advertising jobs they are in no hurry to fill.

Layoffs fall, and more workers quit on their own

Layoffs and discharges fell by 127,000 to 1.641 million — the lowest level since March 2025 — and the layoff rate slipped to 1.0 percent from 1.1 percent. At the same time, 3.365 million workers quit their jobs voluntarily, 321,000 more than in August and 375,000 more than in September 2025, lifting the quits rate to 2.1 percent. Economists treat quits as a confidence signal: workers usually walk away only when they believe another job is within reach. Total separations were 5.319 million, a rate of 3.3 percent.

Economists quoted by Reuters describe the market as being in a “low-hire, low-fire” state: companies are holding on to the staff they have, helped by strong profits and resilient domestic demand that are keeping layoffs near historic lows, while staying cautious about expanding payrolls — with the ongoing US–Israeli war with Iran adding to employers' hesitation about boosting hiring.

What it means for job seekers, including the diaspora

For people looking to change jobs — including the large Punjabi diaspora working across US trucking, logistics, health care, retail and construction — the report cuts both ways. There were more openings than a year earlier (7.169 million in September 2025), and falling layoffs mean those already in work are comparatively secure. But actual payroll growth stayed tepid: nonfarm payrolls rose by just 29,000 in September, and the unemployment rate was little changed at 4.2 percent, according to the BLS employment report released on October 2.

What happens next

The next test arrives on Friday, when the BLS publishes the October employment report at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time; a Reuters survey of economists expects payrolls to have advanced by 65,000 in October, with the unemployment rate unchanged at 4.2 percent. The October JOLTS report follows on December 1. Federal Reserve officials watch both series closely for signs the labour market is cooling faster — or holding up better — than expected.