The September Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey arrives Tuesday, Nov. 3 at 10 a.m. ET, giving investors another read on labor demand three days before the October employment report.
JOLTS matters most when the details move together: openings show employers’ demand for workers, hires show whether that demand is turning into actual employment, and quits can signal workers’ confidence and wage pressure.
The latest JOLTS baseline
| August 2026 | BLS reading |
|---|---|
| Job openings | 7.079 million |
| Hires | 5.2 million |
| Total separations | 5.1 million |
Why the report matters for rates
A sharp decline in openings, especially if hires also weaken, would strengthen the case that labor demand is cooling. That can pull expected policy rates lower and support Treasury duration if inflation expectations remain contained.
The opposite combination — resilient openings, strong hires and firm quits — would make it harder for the market to price an easier Fed path, particularly with CPI still ahead on Nov. 10.
JOLTS is only the first labor catalyst this week
BLS releases Productivity and Costs Thursday at 8:30 a.m. ET and the October Employment Situation Friday at 8:30 a.m. ET. The sequencing matters: a JOLTS surprise can move rates Tuesday, but payrolls, unemployment and wages can confirm or reverse that move Friday.
What to check at 10 a.m.
Markets & News will focus on openings, hires, quits and revisions to the prior month rather than treating the headline openings number as a complete labor-market signal.
Sources
All release times are Eastern Time. This page is a pre-release guide and will be updated after the BLS release.