The Bureau of Labor Statistics on Aug. 4 released the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey for July 2026, providing the most current snapshot of job vacancies, hiring and worker separations across the U.S. economy.
The JOLTS report is especially closely watched this cycle as the labor market shows signs of cooling. The unemployment rate stands at 4.2%, and nonfarm payroll growth slowed to a modest 57,000 jobs in June, according to BLS data.
The report tracks job openings, hires, total separations and the quits rate — the share of workers voluntarily leaving their jobs. Economists view the quits rate as a proxy for worker confidence, since employees are more likely to leave jobs when they believe better opportunities are available.
The Federal Reserve treats JOLTS data as a key input to monetary policy decisions. A significant decline in job openings or the quits rate could strengthen the case for interest rate cuts, while stable or rising openings could reinforce a hold on rates.
JOLTS data covers the entire nonfarm economy and is broken down by industry sector, allowing analysts to identify where labor demand is strengthening or weakening.
The report’s release comes ahead of the next Federal Open Market Committee meeting, where policymakers will weigh the latest labor market indicators alongside inflation data when setting the federal funds rate target.