July Job Openings Tick Higher, Hiring Drops

03:46 PM EDT, 09/01/2026 (MT Newswires) -- US job openings increased in July, while hiring fell, official data showed Tuesday as markets await a key employment report due out later in the week. Vacancies rose to about 7.27 million in July from a downwardly revised print of 7.18 million the month before, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' job openings and labor turnover survey, or JOLTS. The consensus was for a 7.31 million level in a survey compiled by Bloomberg. Private job openings increased to 6.46 million in July from 6.42 million in June. Vacancies rose by 79,000 in manufacturing, and 52,000 in private education and health services, according to BLS data. Hiring decreased to 5.05 million in July from 5.33 million the month prior, while the hiring rate dropped to 3.2% from 3.4%. Separations declined to 5.07 million from 5.34 million, while layoffs fell to 1.67 million from 1.79 million. "The July JOLTS report reinforced the story of a no-hire, no-fire labor market," Oxford Economics Lead US Economist Nancy Vanden Houten said in remarks e-mailed to MT Newswires. "Still, labor market conditions are balanced because weak hiring is being matched by fewer workers seeking jobs." Official data are expected to show Friday that US economy added 55,000 nonfarm jobs in August, according to a Bloomberg-polled consensus. Employment unexpectedly fell in July amid a marked decline in government payrolls. Last week, Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh described the labor market as "quite stable," citing a 4.1% unemployment rate that he said remains low by historical standards. The ADP (ADP) employment report for August is scheduled for Wednesday, while the Challenger, Gray & Christmas job cut report for last month is slated for a Thursday release. Price: 283.82, Change: -2.34, Percent Change: -0.82