The United States had approximately 7.59 million job openings as of May 2026, according to data published by USAFacts on July 1, 2026. This represents an increase of 284,000 unfilled positions compared to May 2025, signaling sustained employer demand for workers. The report tracks positions that meet three criteria: work is available, the job could start within 30 days, and the employer is actively recruiting.

The data reveals that job openings are up 3.9% from the year prior. In May 2026, 4.6% of all jobs—both filled and unfilled—were open, an increase of 0.32 percentage points from the average across the previous 12 months. The job openings rate varied significantly across industries, with professional and business services leading at 6.2%, followed by leisure and hospitality at 5.2% and private education and health services at 5.2%. The information industry had the lowest rate at 2.6%. Compared to the previous 12-month average, the wholesale trade industry saw the biggest jump in job openings, up 1.3 percentage points, while the information industry fell most sharply, down 1.1 percentage points. State-level data from December 2025 showed job openings rates ranged from 3.1% in Hawaii to 5.8% in West Virginia.

The report notes that the number of job openings "is one measure of employer demand for workers and is a commonly referred-to economic indicator." According to the analysis, "an increase in the number of job openings often indicates the economy is growing, while a decline may indicate slowed growth." The data shows monthly job openings trended upward from a low of 2.2 million in July 2009—the end of the Great Recession—through a peak of 7.6 million in November 2018. Job openings hit a record high of 12.3 million in March 2022 before trending downward again.

The current figures show the labor market has stabilized after the dramatic swings triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. In February 2020, one month before the pandemic declaration, there were 7.0 million job openings, which plummeted to 4.6 million in April 2020 as businesses shut down. The subsequent bounce-back to record highs reflected reopening demand and labor shortages, but the decline from the March 2022 peak suggests that extraordinary pandemic-era conditions have eased. Today's 7.59 million openings sit just below the pre-pandemic level and well above the Great Recession bottom, indicating a labor market that's neither overheated nor cooling rapidly. The variation across industries reflects different economic pressures—sectors like professional services and hospitality continue to face hiring challenges, while information sector demand has softened considerably compared to recent months.