U.S. Job Openings Decline to 6.5 Million in December, Indicating Labor Market Softening

In December 2025, U.S. job openings decreased to 6.5 million, down from a revised 6.9 million in November, marking the lowest level since September 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This decline suggests a cooling labor market as the year concluded.

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) reported that the job openings rate stood at 3.9% in December. Notable decreases occurred in professional and business services (-257,000), retail trade (-195,000), and finance and insurance (-120,000).

Hiring remained relatively stable, with 5.3 million hires recorded in December. The number of hires increased in real estate and rental and leasing (+38,000) and in state and local government, excluding education (+36,000). Conversely, federal government hires decreased by 11,000.

Total separations, which include quits, layoffs, and discharges, were little changed at 5.3 million. Within separations, quits remained steady at 3.2 million, indicating consistent worker confidence in job prospects. Layoffs and discharges were also stable at 1.8 million.

These figures come ahead of the January jobs report, which is expected to show an addition of 169,000 jobs, with the unemployment rate holding steady at 4.1%.