Particle.news
Download on the App Store
20 ARTICLES
·
3d ago

JOLTS Shows Openings Edge Higher as Hiring Slumps and Layoffs Rise, Steering Fed Cut

The mixed report helped tip the Fed toward a cautious rate cut.

An employee hiring sign with a QR code is seen in a window of a business in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., April 7, 2023. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
Image
A "we're hiring" sign is displayed outside a Target store, after U.S. employment growth slowed more than expected in July, in Encinitas, California, U.S. August 1, 2025. REUTERS/Mike Blake
A "Now Hiring" sign outside a GNC nutritional supplements store on November 23 in Orlando.

Overview

  • Job openings ticked up to 7.67 million in October, slightly above expectations and roughly flat from September.
  • Hiring fell by 218,000 to 5.149 million as the quits rate slid to 1.8% with 2.9 million quits, a multi‑year low signaling waning worker confidence.
  • Layoffs climbed to about 1.85–1.9 million, the highest since early 2023, with heavier cuts in leisure and hospitality and in manufacturing.
  • A 43‑day government shutdown delayed and distorted labor releases, folding September into October JOLTS and suspending a BLS alignment method, and no October unemployment rate will be issued.
  • Initial jobless claims jumped by 44,000 to 236,000 last week amid seasonal adjustment noise as the Fed cut rates 25 basis points to 3.50%–3.75% and signaled patience for clearer data.