05.02.202615:05:35UTC+00US Job Openings Lowest since 2020

In December 2025, job openings in the United States decreased by 386,000, reaching 6.542 million, marking the lowest level since September 2020. This figure fell significantly short of market forecasts, which anticipated openings of around 7.2 million. The decline affected several key sectors, with professional and business services losing 257,000 openings, retail trade dropping by 195,000, and the finance and insurance sector decreasing by 120,000. Geographically, the Northeast experienced the largest drop in job openings at 210,000, followed by the West with a decline of 100,000. The South and the Midwest saw decreases of 58,000 and 18,000, respectively. Despite these changes, hiring and total separations remained stable at 5.3 million each. Among separations, the number of quits held steady at 3.2 million, while layoffs and discharges experienced minimal fluctuations at 1.8 million.