Job openings slid a bit in June compared to the month prior, while the hiring rate improved slightly.

Some 7.4 million positions were available at the beginning of the summer, compared to 7.2 million in June 2025, according to the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics released Tuesday. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had estimated 7.45 million openings for June, a touch lower than May and April’s levels.

The quits rate increased slightly to 2% and the hiring rate rose to 3.4%. The layoff rate was flat at 1.1%.

The labor market has broadly been described as “low-hire, low-fire,” though job cut announcements appeared to cool off in June.  Friday’s employment situation report will offer greater clarity on payroll growth in July, plus any movement in the unemployment rate, after June’s jobs data missed expectations.

Emma Ockerman is a reporter covering the economy and labor for Yahoo Finance. You can reach her at emma.ockerman@yahooinc.com.

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