US Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary for December

On Thursday, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the number of job openings trended lower in December 2025 to 6.5 million, down 386,000 from November. The job openings rate changed little at 3.9%. Year-over-year, job openings were down by 966,000.

The BLS notes that this release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector, by industry, and by establishment size class. Job openings include all positions that are open on the last business day of the month. Hires and separations include all changes to the payroll during the entire month.

The number of hires was little changed at 5.3 million in December, representing a hires rate of 3.3%. Total separations were also little changed at 5.3 million, with a separations rate of 3.3%.

Within separations, quits were little changed at 3.0 million (2.0%), while layoffs and discharges held at 1.8 million (1.1%). Other separations were little changed at 285,000.

By establishment size, both small businesses with 1–9 employees and large employers with 5,000 or more employees showed little or no change in openings, hires, and separations rates.

Monthly Revisions

Revisions result from additional reports received from businesses and government agencies since the last published estimates and from recalculations of seasonal factors.

Revisions to November estimates show job openings were revised down by 218,000 to 6.9 million. Hires were revised up by 6,000 to 5.1 million, while total separations were revised up by 64,000 to 5.1 million. Within separations, quits were revised up by 32,000 to 3.2 million, layoffs and discharges were revised up by 14,000 to 1.7 million, and other separations were revised up by 17,000 to 249,000.