In July 2026, job openings in the United States rose by 89,000 to 7.271 million, up from a downwardly revised 7.182 million in June, but still slightly below market expectations of 7.30 million. Openings increased notably in durable goods manufacturing (+76,000), health care and social assistance (+54,000), wholesale trade (+50,000), and construction (+28,000). In contrast, vacancies declined in transportation, warehousing, and utilities (-67,000) and in professional and business services (-65,000).
By region, job openings grew in the Midwest (+84,000) and the West (+135,000), while they decreased in the Northeast (-28,000) and the South (-102,000). Over the month, both hires and total separations were little changed at 5.1 million. Within total separations, quits held at 3.1 million, and layoffs and discharges remained broadly stable at 1.7 million.
