US job openings rose sharply in September to 7.52 million, beating forecasts, while factory orders increased 1.8% in a double dose of stronger-than-expected economic data released on Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that job openings climbed by 333,000 to 7.523 million in its September Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, known as JOLTS, released at 10 a.m. ET. The figure came in well above the 7.100 million expected in a Reuters poll of economists, and the job openings rate rose to 4.5% from 4.3% in August.

Separately, the Census Bureau said September factory orders rose 1.8% from the previous month, also ahead of expectations of about 1.2% and marking a third consecutive monthly gain for American manufacturers. Together, the two reports painted a picture of a labour market that is still creating opportunities and a factory sector that is still taking in new work, even as voters headed to the polls in the 2026 midterm elections.

Key Points

• US job openings rose by 333,000 in September to 7.523 million, above the 7.100 million forecast.
• The job openings rate climbed to 4.5% from 4.3%, while August openings were revised up to 7.190 million.
• Hiring rose by 131,000 to 5.402 million and layoffs fell by 127,000 to 1.641 million.
• Factory orders rose 1.8% in September, the third straight monthly increase, beating a forecast of about 1.2%.
• Transportation equipment orders jumped 4.6%, led by a 28.3% surge in non-defence aircraft and parts.

What Happened

The September JOLTS report showed demand for workers strengthening rather than cooling. Openings increased by 333,000 during the month, taking the total to 7.523 million. That was a clear beat against the consensus forecast of 7.100 million, and it followed an upward revision to the August figure, which was raised to 7.190 million from an initially reported 7.079 million.

The openings rate, which measures vacancies as a share of total employment plus vacancies, rose to 4.5% from 4.3%. Employers were advertising more roles at the end of September than a month earlier.

Hiring also picked up. Employers hired 5.402 million people in September, up 131,000 from August, lifting the hires rate to 3.4% from 3.3%. At the same time, layoffs and discharges fell by 127,000 to 1.641 million, taking the layoff rate down to 1.0% from 1.1%. Fewer layoffs combined with more hiring is the combination economists look for when judging whether a labour market is stabilising, because it suggests workers are both finding jobs and keeping them.

The factory orders report told a similarly upbeat story for manufacturing. Total orders for goods made in American factories rose 1.8% in September, the third month in a row of growth. Orders excluding transportation, a measure that strips out the often volatile aircraft and vehicle categories, rose 0.5%. Core factory orders were up 1.3%, described in market coverage as the strongest annual growth since July 2022.

Background and Context

The JOLTS report and the factory orders release are both backward-looking by design. JOLTS counts job openings on the last business day of the reference month and tracks hires and separations through the whole month, so the September survey gives a detailed picture of hiring conditions in early autumn rather than a real-time snapshot of November.

That timing matters on Election Day. Voters casting ballots on November 3 were doing so against a backdrop shaped by months of debate about jobs, prices and interest rates, and the September data offered one of the last hard economic readings before the first results began to arrive. The Federal Reserve has been watching the same set of indicators closely, because a labour market that stays tight can support consumer spending, while a sharp cooling can quickly feed through to incomes and confidence.

US Job Openings and the State of Hiring

The most important detail in the JOLTS release was not only the headline level of openings but the balance between hiring and job losses. When openings rise, hiring rises and layoffs fall at the same time, the labour market is absorbing workers rather than churning them. That is what September showed.

A hires rate of 3.4% means employers were still bringing in staff at a solid pace, while a layoff rate of 1.0% is low by historical standards. For workers, low layoffs mean greater job security. For employers, a rising openings rate means competition for staff remains real, even if it is not as intense as during the hiring surge that followed the pandemic.

Reactions and Market Context

Market coverage of the releases focused on the size of the beats. Job openings came in more than 400,000 above the Reuters consensus, and factory orders came in about six-tenths of a percentage point above expectations. In a week when traders were already parsing earnings, election news and global market moves, a clean beat on two separate reports gave investors a firmer footing for the morning session.

Why It Matters

The September JOLTS and factory orders reports matter because they arrive at a moment of political as well as economic choice. Midterm elections often turn on how voters feel about jobs and the cost of living, and hard data released on polling day itself inevitably becomes part of that conversation, even though the figures describe September rather than November.

What Happens Next

Attention now turns to the rest of the week's data calendar. The October Employment Situation report is scheduled for Friday, November 6, at 8:30 a.m. ET, with forecasts in the run-up to the midterms centred on payroll growth of roughly 55,000 to 65,000 and unemployment steady at about 4.2%. That report will test whether the hiring strength hinted at by September's JOLTS data showed up in actual payrolls.

For now, the Election Day data point to an economy that entered the final months of 2026 with more job openings, more hiring, fewer layoffs and fuller factory order books than economists had expected.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the JOLTS report?

JOLTS stands for the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It measures job openings, hires, quits, layoffs and other separations, giving a detailed view of how employers and workers are behaving in the labour market.

How many US job openings were there in September 2026?

Job openings rose by 333,000 to 7.523 million in September 2026, above the forecast of 7.100 million, with the openings rate rising to 4.5% from 4.3%.

How much did factory orders rise in September?

Factory orders rose 1.8% in September 2026 from the previous month, above a forecast of about 1.2% and the third consecutive monthly increase. Orders excluding transportation rose 0.5%.

What do the reports mean for the Federal Reserve?

Stronger hiring demand and factory activity support economic growth, but the Federal Reserve will weigh them alongside payrolls, unemployment and inflation data before deciding on interest rates. No single report determines policy on its own.

Read more on US News Pulse: Election week jobs report: midterms, payrolls and a possible Fed hike in focus and US stock futures slip on Election Day as Apple outlook weighs.