July JOLTS: 7.27M openings vs 7.31M openings expected (below expectations)
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.
📊 Results
Actual Reading
Market Reaction
💡 Key Takeaway
Labor demand cooled without collapsing. Lower openings, hires, and quits pointed to less churn and employer caution ahead of the August jobs report.
📖 Why This Matters
July job openings show whether labor demand is stabilizing before the August payroll report.
July JOLTS actual vs expected
| Release date | Tuesday, September 1, 2026 at 10:00 ET |
|---|---|
| Event type | JOLTS |
| Actual | 7.27M openings |
| Expected | 7.31M openings |
| Prior | 7.36M openings |
| Expectation surprise | below expectations |
📚 Related calendar tools and guides
FAQ
What was the July JOLTS result?
July JOLTS came in at 7.27M openings versus 7.31M openings expected, below expectations.
How did markets react to July JOLTS?
The softer labor-demand signal was bond-friendly at the margin, but rising oil and global yields drove the session; the 10Y Treasury finished near 4.79%.
🔗 Related Events
January JOLTS
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.
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.