US job openings jump to 7.6 million in April as hiring, separations ease

NEW DELHI: US job openings rose sharply in April to 7.6 million, a gain of 731,000 over the month, while hiring and overall separations both eased, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday (local time). The data suggests demand for labour remains strong even as worker movement in payrolls cooled.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “the number of job openings increased to 7.6 million in April,” with the job openings rate rising to 4.6 per cent. Over the year, openings were up by 520,000. The increase was driven largely by professional and business services, which added 668,000 openings, offsetting a decline of 135,000 in finance and insurance.

Hiring activity softened during the month. The BLS said “the number and rate of hires decreased to 5.1 million (-419,000) and 3.2 per cent, respectively, in April,” with hires little changed across all industries. Total separations, which include quits, layoffs and discharges, also declined. “In April, the number and rate of total separations decreased to 5.0 million (-399,000) and 3.1 per cent, respectively.” The retail trade saw the biggest drop at 136,000 fewer separations.

US job openings jumped in April to the highest level in almost two years and layoffs fell.

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Within separations, quits held steady at 3.0 million, or a 1.9 per cent rate, while layoffs and discharges were little changed at 1.7 million, or 1.1 per cent. The Bureau of Labor Statistics noted that quits are generally voluntary separations initiated by employees and can serve as a measure of workers’ willingness to leave jobs. “Quits were little changed in all industries,” the agency said. Layoffs and discharges decreased in retail trade by 88,000, but were otherwise little changed.

The report also broke down trends by establishment size. For firms with 1 to 9 employees, the job openings rate increased while hires and separations rates showed little change. For the largest establishments with 5,000 or more employees, the quits rate increased, but job openings, hires, layoffs and discharges, and total separations rates showed little or no change.

The bureau revised March 2026 data, raising job openings by 21,000 to 6.9 million, lowering hires by 19,000 to 5.5 million, and nudging total separations down by 1,000 to 5.4 million. The revisions reflect additional reports from businesses and government agencies, as well as a recalculation of seasonal factors.

The April JOLTS report points to a labour market where employers are posting more vacancies but taking fewer people onto payrolls, and workers are leaving jobs at a steady pace. (ANI)