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RockstarMarkets
All glossary
Macro

JOLTS (Job Openings and Labor Turnover)

Monthly US job-openings report. The Fed's favorite labor-tightness gauge. Quits rate especially informative — high quits = strong labor market.

What it means

Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) is a monthly BLS report on job openings, hires, separations, and quits. Released ~6 weeks after the corresponding month at 10:00am ET. The headline 'job openings' number gets the press, but quits (voluntary resignations) is the Fed's favorite signal — high quits indicate workers' confidence and wage-bargaining power.

Why it matters

JOLTS quits rate has been Powell's most-cited labor indicator in 2022-2024 — when quits dropped from peak 4.5M (2022) to 3.0M (2024), it signaled labor-market normalization. Job openings vs unemployed-people ratio is a classic tightness measure: ratios above 1.5 indicate very tight markets; below 1.0 normal.

How to use it

Track JOLTS quits rate as the dovish/hawkish labor signal. Watch openings-to-unemployed ratio for tightness measure. Most JOLTS data is 6+ weeks old by release; combine with higher-frequency indicators (unemployment claims, NFP) for current read.

Take it further

Want a worked example or a deeper dive? Ask Rocky how this concept applies to your specific watchlist or trade idea.

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