US Job Openings Fall Below 9 Million for 1st Time in Over 2 Years

A smaller number of workers quit their jobs in July, as businesses hired fewer workers and layoffs rose.

A Now Hiring sign is displayed outside a resale clothing shop in Los Angeles, California, on June 2, 2023. Mario Tama/Getty Images

Job openings in the United States have fallen below 9 million for the first time in over two years, shrinking for the third consecutive month.

A smaller number of workers quit their jobs in July, as businesses hired fewer workers and layoffs rose slightly, as the tight employment market cooled off, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) report.