What it measures
Job openings are positions that are open, could start within 30 days and that employers are actively recruiting for. The calendar shows the total in millions. The survey also counts hires, quits and layoffs.
Who publishes it and when
The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes JOLTS at 10:00 New York time, about a month after the reference month ends, which means it often lands in the same week as the payroll report for a later month.
How it is put together
BLS surveys a sample of businesses and government agencies about their openings and their hires and separations during the month. The estimates are revised in the following release and once a year.
What traders watch
Traders watch openings against the number of unemployed people, and the quits rate: when many workers quit, they usually expect to find better pay elsewhere, which is a sign of a strong job market.
How markets have usually reacted
Moves are usually modest because the data is older than the payroll report. A large surprise has sometimes moved the dollar and yields in the same direction as the surprise.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting how old the data is: it describes the labour market of about a month and a half earlier.
- Reading openings alone without hires and quits.
How a higher or lower figure is usually read
More openings than last month is usually read as supportive for the U.S. dollar; fewer openings as negative. Not a signal.
Release history
No past releases recorded yet.
Related news
- US Non-Farm Payrolls
- US Unemployment Rate
- US Initial Jobless Claims
- US Average Hourly Earnings
- Economic calendar: every release this week in your time zone
- Lot size calculator: keep your risk the same around news
- How to use an economic calendar: what happens around a release, and how to plan for it
Trading involves a high risk of loss. This page is information and education, not advice or a signal to trade. See the Risk Disclaimer.
Official source
This product uses the FRED® API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
Calendar data: fred.stlouisfed.org
Published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS): www.bls.gov