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U.S. Job Openings Jump To 7.6 Million In April, Most Since 2024

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On Tuesday, June 2, 2026, the Labor Department said U.S. job openings rose to 7.6 million in April, up from 6.9 million in March and the most since May 2024.[1]

Economists had expected 6.8 million openings.[1] The Labor Department's JOLTS report showed layoffs fell while quits and gross hiring also declined in April.[1]

Tax refunds from President Donald Trump's 2025 tax-cut bill temporarily lifted the economy, offsetting higher energy prices after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, 2026.[1] U.S. payrolls grew by an average of 76,000 jobs per month from January through April 2026.[1] That followed an average of fewer than 10,000 payroll jobs per month in 2025.[1] Federal Reserve research cited in the report puts the current break-even jobs figure near zero, down from about 155,000 per month two or three years earlier.[1]

The mix of rising openings and weaker hiring creates a complicated signal for policymakers weighing how fast to tighten or loosen monetary policy. Markets and economists will watch May payrolls and upcoming inflation data for clearer direction.

  1. PBS News
U.S. Economy Labor Market
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📌 Key Facts

  • On Tuesday, June 2, 2026, the Labor Department reported 7.6 million U.S. job openings in April, up from 6.9 million in March and the most since May 2024.
  • Economists had expected 6.8 million openings; the JOLTS report showed layoffs fell while quits and gross hiring both declined in April 2026.
  • U.S. payrolls grew by an average of 76,000 jobs per month from January through April 2026, after averaging fewer than 10,000 per month in 2025.
  • Tax refunds from President Donald Trump’s 2025 tax-cut bill have temporarily lifted the economy, offsetting higher energy prices since U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, 2026.
  • Federal Reserve research cited in the article puts the current break-even jobs figure near zero, down from about 155,000 per month two or three years earlier.

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June 02, 2026
3:52 PM
U.S. job openings climbed to 7.6 million in April despite economic fallout from Iran war
PBS News by Paul Wiseman, Associated Press