In October 2025, job openings in the United States increased by 12,000, reaching a total of 7.670 million, up from 7.658 million in September. This data, released by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, was delayed due to a 43-day government shutdown. The September figures marked a significant rise of 431,000 from August's 7.227 million, surpassing the anticipated 7.2 million for both months.
Breaking down the data by sector, there was a notable increase in job openings within trade, transportation, and utilities, particularly driven by the retail trade, which added 239,000 positions. In contrast, there were decreases in professional and business services (down by 114,000), the federal government (down by 25,000), and the leisure and hospitality sector (down by 22,000).
Geographically, the South and West regions experienced job gains, with increases of 77,000 and 12,000 respectively. However, these gains were partially counterbalanced by declines in the Midwest (decreased by 42,000) and the Northeast (down by 35,000).
For the first time, both September and October data were released simultaneously, with the September statistics being compiled partly from self-reported data collected during the shutdown and additional information gathered afterward.
