US job openings hold at 6.9 million in March as layoffs and hiring both rise
Synopsis
US job openings flatlined at 6.9 million in March even as layoffs rose — and the April jobs report, forecast at just 57,000 new positions, could signal a sharper slowdown ahead. With rent, food, and mortgage costs at record highs, the labour market's fragility is becoming a political liability for the Trump administration ahead of November's midterms.
Key Takeaways
My guess is that we will see a falloff in hiring in April, primarily in restaurants.
Higher gas prices are sapping people's purchasing power.
Political Implications for the Trump Administration Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Darrell West told Xinhua that anxiety about economic conditions is spreading.
The United States recorded 6.9 million job openings in March 2025, unchanged from the previous month, according to data released by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The figures, drawn from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), paint a mixed picture: layoffs increased, yet hiring also rose and more workers voluntarily quit their jobs — a traditional signal of worker confidence in the labour market.
Key Developments in the March JOLTS Data
The flat reading on job openings masks diverging trends beneath the surface. Layoffs climbed in March, suggesting some employers are trimming headcount. At the same time, the uptick in quits — often called the "quits rate" by economists — indicates workers still feel confident enough to leave positions voluntarily, typically in search of better pay or conditions. Hiring also improved month-on-month, offering a partial counterweight to the layoff figures.
Job openings have declined sharply from their pandemic-era peak of 12.3 million in March 2022, reflecting a cooling labour market shaped by high interest rates, policy uncertainty, and the disruptive influence of artificial intelligence on hiring decisions, according to US media reports.
An Inconsistent Jobs Picture in 2025
Job creation this year has been uneven. Employers added 160,000 new positions in January and 178,000 in March, but cut 133,000 positions in February, according to reports citing Xinhua news agency. The volatility has been compounded by the Middle East conflict, which has introduced fresh uncertainty into global economic forecasts and US labour market projections.
April Employment Report in Focus
The US Department of Labor is scheduled to release its employment report for April this Friday. A FactSet survey of economists forecasts that firms, government agencies, and nonprofits added just 57,000 net jobs in April, with the unemployment rate projected to rise to 4.3 per cent, as reported by the Associated Press. If confirmed, that would represent a significant deceleration from March's figure.
Dean Baker, co-founder of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, told Xinhua:
Point of View
000 jobs would be the weakest monthly print in years, and it arrives as rent, food, and mortgage costs sit at record highs. The Trump administration faces a structural problem — it cannot easily talk its way out of a cost-of-living squeeze that predates its tenure but has deepened on its watch. The midterm calculus is stark: if Republicans cannot demonstrate tangible relief on prices and jobs before November, the historical pattern of first-term midterm losses becomes harder to reverse.
NationPress
11 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did US job openings remain unchanged in March 2025?
US job openings held steady at 6.9 million in March 2025, according to BLS JOLTS data, as gains in hiring were offset by rising layoffs. The labour market has been volatile this year amid high interest rates, policy uncertainty, and disruption from artificial intelligence.
What does the April 2025 jobs report forecast show?
A FactSet survey forecasts that the April jobs report, due Friday, will show just 57,000 net new jobs and an unemployment rate of 4.3 per cent — a sharp deceleration from March's 178,000 additions.
Why are economists worried about a hiring slowdown?
Economists such as Dean Baker of the Center for Economic and Policy Research point to higher gas prices sapping consumer purchasing power, particularly in the restaurant sector. Broader headwinds include record-high rents, food prices, and mortgage rates.
How does the current jobs situation affect Trump politically?
Analysts say the combination of rising costs and uneven job creation is a political liability for President Donald Trump ahead of November's midterm elections. Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Darrell West warned that unless Trump reverses course, Republicans face a difficult outlook in the midterms.
How far have US job openings fallen from their peak?
US job openings peaked at 12.3 million in March 2022 and have declined steadily since, reaching 6.9 million in March 2025 — a drop of more than 5 million openings over three years.
