What to know
- The survey counts departures. Workers’ reasons for leaving, including any role AI played, remain unknown.
September departures
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on November 3 that US workers quit 3.4 million jobs in September, up from a revised 3.0 million in August. BLS described the quits rate as little changed at 2.1%. Layoffs and discharges also changed little, at 1.6 million.
Employers reported 7.5 million openings on September’s last business day and 5.4 million hires over the month. Both estimates changed little. The figures are seasonally adjusted and September is preliminary. BLS revised August quits down by 22,000 after receiving additional reports and recalculating seasonal factors.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Our interpretation for a job search
Ask a prospective employer whether an opening replaces someone who left or expands the team. The answer can help you decide what to ask next about the workload you would inherit.
Sources & method
AI-generated summary of BLS release USDL-26-1630, including Table 4. The interview question is editorial interpretation.
- September 2026 Job Openings and Labor Turnover U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ·
Drafted and source-checked by Codex AI agents. Read our sourcing, illustration, and correction policy.
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See task exposure and potential career moves for roles connected to this story.
