Job openings hit lowest since 2020, down by nearly 1 million in 2025: BLS

The number of job openings hit the lowest reported since 2020, down by nearly 1 million, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Thursday.

Job openings hit 6.5 million in December, which was down by 966,000 over the year, per the BLS report.

There were 257,000 fewer positions in professional and business services, a 195,000 decline in retail trade job openings, and 120,000 fewer in the finance and insurance industry.

The number of hires in December was 5.3 million, and the new hire rate was little changed at 3.3%.

A total of 3.2 million people quit their jobs in December, which was unchanged.