U.S. job openings rose to nearly 7 million in January, according to data released Friday by the U.S. Department of Labor, offering a relatively stronger start to the year amid a labor market that has looked sluggish. The Labor Department said job openings reached 6.95 million, up from 6.55 million in December, and the report also showed layoffs fell slightly and the number of people quitting their jobs slipped modestly. The quitting rate is often used as a gauge of confidence that workers can find better opportunities elsewhere.
The January rebound in openings appeared alongside signals that hiring has remained restrained. In the months after the initial COVID-19 lockdown hiring surge, openings peaked at a record 12.3 million in March 2022, but the latest levels remain well below that high. The AP reported that employers cut 92,000 jobs last month and that, in 2025, they added fewer than 10,000 jobs per month—described as the weakest hiring outside recession years since 2002.
Economists pointed to a gap between businesses posting roles and actively increasing hiring. Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, said companies were posting more jobs in January but were not actually hiring much. She added that layoffs were still low, but described it as difficult for people seeking work and said the war in Iran and AI adoption could make spring job-hunting more challenging.
The report also tied labor-market conditions to the broader economic environment. The AP said the U.S. economy has shown resilience despite President Donald Trump’s import taxes and deportations, while also reporting that the Commerce Department said growth slowed sharply in the last three months of 2025 to 0.7%, down from an initial estimate of fourth-quarter growth and from a 4.4% advance in the third quarter. It also noted uncertainty from the war in Iran as a factor weighing on the outlook for employment and economic activity.
Long’s comments landed on what job seekers may experience in day-to-day hiring. Even with openings rising, the combination of weaker hiring momentum, lower layoffs, and a modest slip in quits suggests that employers were still cautious about expanding headcount. The question for workers, as reflected in her remarks, is whether the rise in posted jobs translates into more actual offers and faster hiring as the spring season approaches.
FRED series referenced for labor and growth context: unemployment rate (U-3) at 4.4%, U-6 broader unemployment at 7.9%, initial jobless claims at 213,000, total nonfarm payrolls change of -92.0 (monthly), and real GDP level series GDPC1 at 24065.956.