January JOLTS: Results, market reaction, and key takeaway
Job openings rose to 6.946 million in January, a modest rebound from December's depressed level. Hiring stayed soft, signaling labor demand was stabilizing but not re-accelerating.
📊 Results
Actual Reading
Market Reaction
💡 Key Takeaway
Labor demand improved off the lows, but the hiring side remained tepid. This was more stabilization than strength.
📖 Why This Matters
Job openings and labor turnover — the great resignation's monthly checkup.
January JOLTS actual vs expected
| Release date | Friday, March 13, 2026 at 10:00 ET |
|---|---|
| Event type | JOLTS |
| Actual | 6.95M openings |
| Prior | 6.55M openings |
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FAQ
How did markets react to January JOLTS?
Limited market reaction, with traders focused more on inflation and growth data the same day.
🔗 Related Events
February JOLTS
Job openings fell to 6.882 million in February, below the 6.918 million consensus. Hiring dropped to the weakest pace since the pandemic, reinforcing a cooling labor-market backdrop.
June JOLTS
Job openings were little changed at 7.4M in June versus 7.5M prior. Hires held at 5.3M, total separations were 5.4M, quits stayed at 3.2M, and layoffs/discharges held at 1.8M.
July JOLTS
Job openings were little changed at 7.271M in July, below the roughly 7.313M consensus and down from a revised 7.359M in June. Hires and total separations both eased to 5.1M, quits slipped to 3.1M, and layoffs fell to 1.7M.