BLS - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

01/14/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/14/2026 10:49

California Job Openings and Labor Turnover — October 2025

News Release Information

26-64-SAN
Wednesday, January 14, 2026

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (415) 625-2270

California Job Openings and Labor Turnover - October 2025

California had 664,000 job openings in October 2025, compared to 647,000 openings in September, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table 1.) Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that the job openings rate in California was 3.6 percent in October and 3.5 percent in the previous month. (See chart 1 and table 2.) The job openings rate nationally was 4.5 percent in October and 4.6 percent in September. (See table 3.) All data in this release are seasonally adjusted.

View Chart Data
Chart 1. Job openings rates for the United States and California, seasonally adjusted
Month California United States

Oct 2021

6.7 7.1

Nov 2021

6.5 6.9

Dec 2021

6.5 7.1

Jan 2022

6.4 7.0

Feb 2022

6.8 7.2

Mar 2022

6.8 7.4

Apr 2022

6.9 7.3

May 2022

7.2 7.0

Jun 2022

6.5 6.9

Jul 2022

7.5 7.1

Aug 2022

6.1 6.2

Sep 2022

6.2 6.6

Oct 2022

6.4 6.4

Nov 2022

6.2 6.4

Dec 2022

6.2 6.6

Jan 2023

5.0 6.3

Feb 2023

5.0 6.0

Mar 2023

4.8 5.8

Apr 2023

5.4 6.0

May 2023

4.5 5.6

Jun 2023

4.8 5.6

Jul 2023

4.8 5.2

Aug 2023

4.9 5.6

Sep 2023

4.6 5.6

Oct 2023

4.0 5.2

Nov 2023

4.1 5.2

Dec 2023

4.2 5.2

Jan 2024

4.3 5.1

Feb 2024

4.4 5.1

Mar 2024

3.8 4.9

Apr 2024

3.3 4.6

May 2024

3.7 4.8

Jun 2024

3.4 4.5

Jul 2024

3.5 4.5

Aug 2024

3.4 4.6

Sep 2024

2.9 4.3

Oct 2024

3.3 4.6

Nov 2024

4.1 4.8

Dec 2024

3.6 4.5

Jan 2025

3.7 4.7

Feb 2025

3.6 4.5

Mar 2025

3.5 4.3

Apr 2025

3.6 4.4

May 2025

3.4 4.6

Jun 2025

3.6 4.4

Jul 2025

3.9 4.3

Aug 2025

3.8 4.3

Sep 2025

3.5 4.6

Oct 2025

3.6 4.5

In October, California had 518,000 hires and 523,000 separations, compared to 572,000 hires and 580,000 separations in September. (See chart 2.) Over the 12 months ending in October, hires have averaged 544,000 per month and separations have averaged 560,000 per month. These averages include workers who may have been hired and separated more than once during the year.

View Chart Data
Chart 2. Hires and total separations in California, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
Month Hires Total separations

Oct 2021

705 610

Nov 2021

726 610

Dec 2021

720 643

Jan 2022

669 686

Feb 2022

661 678

Mar 2022

652 698

Apr 2022

665 626

May 2022

657 721

Jun 2022

634 592

Jul 2022

606 553

Aug 2022

693 625

Sep 2022

581 586

Oct 2022

602 525

Nov 2022

608 587

Dec 2022

568 621

Jan 2023

638 627

Feb 2023

592 623

Mar 2023

558 631

Apr 2023

455 509

May 2023

548 521

Jun 2023

627 554

Jul 2023

603 529

Aug 2023

539 527

Sep 2023

538 550

Oct 2023

543 527

Nov 2023

476 503

Dec 2023

522 539

Jan 2024

485 511

Feb 2024

505 581

Mar 2024

599 514

Apr 2024

558 505

May 2024

509 567

Jun 2024

444 518

Jul 2024

550 609

Aug 2024

505 536

Sep 2024

538 487

Oct 2024

459 528

Nov 2024

530 624

Dec 2024

537 527

Jan 2025

566 537

Feb 2025

513 470

Mar 2025

484 571

Apr 2025

579 613

May 2025

531 537

Jun 2025

564 652

Jul 2025

565 560

Aug 2025

567 524

Sep 2025

572 580

Oct 2025

518 523

Among the October separations in California, 266,000 were quits and 228,000 were layoffs and discharges, compared to 272,000 quits and 255,000 layoffs and discharges in September. (See chart 3.) Over the year, quits averaged 327,000 per month, ranging from 266,000 to 373,000. Layoffs and discharges have averaged 198,000 per month, ranging from 123,000 to 257,000.

View Chart Data
Chart 3. Quits and layoffs and discharges in California, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
Month Quits Layoffs & discharges

Oct 2021

417 144

Nov 2021

435 134

Dec 2021

432 155

Jan 2022

470 169

Feb 2022

475 165

Mar 2022

492 168

Apr 2022

465 130

May 2022

474 197

Jun 2022

391 161

Jul 2022

401 111

Aug 2022

419 164

Sep 2022

372 179

Oct 2022

358 122

Nov 2022

421 121

Dec 2022

410 167

Jan 2023

418 178

Feb 2023

390 194

Mar 2023

351 242

Apr 2023

334 143

May 2023

337 151

Jun 2023

367 161

Jul 2023

312 184

Aug 2023

288 199

Sep 2023

318 174

Oct 2023

315 178

Nov 2023

300 166

Dec 2023

309 197

Jan 2024

297 177

Feb 2024

351 189

Mar 2024

295 183

Apr 2024

275 187

May 2024

331 209

Jun 2024

303 173

Jul 2024

382 192

Aug 2024

324 173

Sep 2024

277 179

Oct 2024

325 175

Nov 2024

334 257

Dec 2024

326 162

Jan 2025

322 180

Feb 2025

300 151

Mar 2025

373 174

Apr 2025

369 212

May 2025

314 192

Jun 2025

353 249

Jul 2025

324 196

Aug 2025

373 123

Sep 2025

272 255

Oct 2025

266 228

State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey estimates for November 2025 are scheduled to be released on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

Federal Government Shutdown

September 2025 state JOLTS estimates reported in this release include partial data that businesses self-reported electronically during the lapse in appropriations and data collected in November following the shutdown. October 2025 data presented in this release were collected in November following the shutdown, as originally planned. The October 2025 unemployment data are unavailable due to the shutdown, and therefore the number of unemployed persons per job opening is also unavailable.

Additionally, BLS temporarily suspended use of the monthly alignment methodology for October 2025 preliminary estimates; use of this methodology will resume with the publication of October 2025 final estimates. See the State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Technical Note for information on state JOLTS alignment methodology.

Upcoming Change to the JOLTS State Estimates

The national State Job Openings and Labor Turnover news release will move from a monthly news release to an annual news release. The last monthly news release will occur with the December 2025 data published in February 2026. The first annual news release will be in July 2026. Going forward, monthly estimates for the prior calendar year will be published each year along with the annual news release. The annual news release will incorporate benchmark revisions to JOLTS national estimates, updated Current Employment Statistics (CES) employment estimates, and updated Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) data.


Technical Note

This news release presents statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). The JOLTS program provides information on labor demand and turnover. The state estimates produced by JOLTS are model-based, incorporating JOLTS sample, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), and Current Employment Statistics (CES) estimates. For more information see the JOLTS State Estimates Methodology.

Job Openings. Job openings include all positions that are open on the last business day of the reference month. A job is open only if it meets all three of these conditions:

  • A specific position exists and there is work available for that position.
  • The job could start within 30 days.
  • The employer is actively recruiting workers from outside the establishment to fill the position.

The number of unemployed persons per job opening is a ratio of the level of unemployed persons and the level of job openings. The number of unemployed persons at the national level is an estimate from the Current Population Survey (CPS), while state-level unemployment estimates are modeled by the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program. A ratio of 1.0 means there is a job available for every unemployed person. Lower ratios signal tighter labor markets, where firms have more job openings than there are unemployed persons available to work. Higher ratios indicate there are more unemployed persons competing for each job opening.

Hires. Hires include all additions to the payroll during the entire reference month.

Separations. Separations include all separations from the payroll during the entire reference month and is reported by type of separation: quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations.

  • Quits include employees who left voluntarily, except for retirements or transfers to other locations.
  • Layoffs and discharges include involuntary separations initiated by the employer.
  • Other separations include retirements, transfers to other locations, separations due to employee disability, and deaths.

Levels and rates of other separations represent a small portion of total separations and are not published with the release of state estimates.

Complete definitions, including exclusions, and additional information about the State JOLTS data presented in this release are available in the State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Technical Note.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

Table 1. Job openings and labor turnover for California, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
Estimate October 2024 July 2025 August 2025 September 2025 October 2025(p) Change from September 2025 to October 2025(p)

Openings

618 731 708 647 664 17

Hires

459 565 567 572 518 -54

Total separations

528 560 524 580 523 -57

Quits

325 324 373 272 266 -6

Layoffs & discharges

175 196 123 255 228 -27

Footnotes:
(p) Preliminary.

Table 2. Job openings and labor turnover rates for California, seasonally adjusted
Estimate October 2024 July 2025 August 2025 September 2025 October 2025(p) Change from September 2025 to October 2025(p)

Openings(1)

3.3 3.9 3.8 3.5 3.6 0.1

Hires(2)

2.6 3.1 3.1 3.2 2.9 -0.3

Total separations(3)

2.9 3.1 2.9 3.2 2.9 -0.3

Quits(3)

1.8 1.8 2.1 1.5 1.5 0.0

Layoffs & discharges(3)

1.0 1.1 0.7 1.4 1.3 -0.1

Footnotes:
(p) Preliminary.
(1) The job openings rate is computed by dividing the number of job openings by the sum of employment and job openings and multiplying that quotient by 100.
(2) The hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100.
(3) The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of separations by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100. The quits and layoffs and discharges rates are computed similarly.

Table 3. Job openings and labor turnover rates for the United States, seasonally adjusted
Estimate October 2024 July 2025 August 2025 September 2025 October 2025 Change from September 2025 to October 2025

Openings(1)

4.6 4.3 4.3 4.6 4.5 -0.1

Hires(2)

3.4 3.3 3.2 3.4 3.4 0.0

Total separations(3)

3.3 3.3 3.2 3.3 3.2 -0.1

Quits(3)

2.0 2.0 1.9 2.0 1.9 -0.1

Layoffs & discharges(3)

1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.2 0.1

Footnotes:
(1) The job openings rate is computed by dividing the number of job openings by the sum of employment and job openings and multiplying that quotient by 100.
(2) The hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100.
(3) The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of separations by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100. The quits and layoffs and discharges rates are computed similarly.

BLS - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics published this content on January 14, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on January 14, 2026 at 16:49 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]