These Industries Had the Biggest Swings in Job Openings

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These industries had the biggest swings in job openings

Job openings are at some of their lowest levels nationally since March 2021, Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows. By the end of March 2024, there were 8.5 million open jobs, up from 9.6 million a year prior.

While Americans still find themselves largely employed, their capacity to job-hop is quickly falling to levels predating the Great Resignation. Employers continued adding jobs, upping employment by 303,000 in March. The unemployment rate remained relatively consistent, measuring 3.8% that month. The number of job openings remains well above pre-COVID levels, which were typically around 7 million.

Excess labor demand is declining and the labor market is rebalancing, according to Conrad DeQuadros, a senior economic adviser at Brean Capital, in comments to Reuters. For workers, this means less confidence in finding new employment outside their current jobs. For employers, it could mean tempering wage inflation.

To discover which industries are driving the job market, Stacker used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Job Openings and Labor Turnover report to see which industries grew job openings in March and which saw open positions shrink. Industries are ranked by the percent change in job openings from March 2023 to 2024. Monthly data is preliminary.

The bureau records job openings on the last business day of the month and calculates the rate as a percent of total employment plus job openings within the industry. Read through the list to gather a snapshot of the economic activity across categories—retail, health care, manufacturing, and more.

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#17. Arts, entertainment, and recreation

- Total job openings, March 2024: 144,000
--- Annual change: -80,000 (down 35.7%)
--- One-month change: -24,000 (down 14.3%)
- Job openings rate: 5.2%

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#16. Wholesale trade

- Total job openings, March 2024: 204,000
--- Annual change: -102,000 (down 33.3%)
--- One-month change: +38,000 (up 22.9%)
- Job openings rate: 3.2%

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#15. Retail trade

- Total job openings, March 2024: 540,000
--- Annual change: -179,000 (down 24.9%)
--- One-month change: -64,000 (down 10.6%)
- Job openings rate: 3.3%

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#14. Accommodation and food services

- Total job openings, March 2024: 1.0 million
--- Annual change: -223,000 (down 18.1%)
--- One-month change: +34,000 (up 3.5%)
- Job openings rate: 6.6%

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#13. State and local government

- Total job openings, March 2024: 492,000
--- Annual change: -108,000 (down 18.0%)
--- One-month change: -23,000 (down 4.5%)
- Job openings rate: 4.9%

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#12. Manufacturing

- Total job openings, March 2024: 570,000
--- Annual change: -123,000 (down 17.7%)
--- One-month change: -17,000 (down 2.9%)
- Job openings rate: 4.2%

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#11. Transportation, warehousing, and utilities

- Total job openings, March 2024: 320,000
--- Annual change: -65,000 (down 16.9%)
--- One-month change: +19,000 (up 6.3%)
- Job openings rate: 4.3%

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#10. Professional and business services

- Total job openings, March 2024: 1.5 million
--- Annual change: -251,000 (down 14.5%)
--- One-month change: -41,000 (down 2.7%)
- Job openings rate: 6.1%

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#9. Private educational services

- Total job openings, March 2024: 163,000
--- Annual change: -27,000 (down 14.2%)
--- One-month change: +22,000 (up 15.6%)
- Job openings rate: 4.0%

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#8. Construction

- Total job openings, March 2024: 274,000
--- Annual change: -17,000 (down 5.8%)
--- One-month change: -182,000 (down 39.9%)
- Job openings rate: 3.2%

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#7. Mining and logging

- Total job openings, March 2024: 32,000
--- Annual change: -1,000 (down 3.0%)
--- One-month change: -1,000 (down 3.0%)
- Job openings rate: 4.7%

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#6. Finance and insurance

- Total job openings, March 2024: 357,000
--- Annual change: -5,000 (down 1.4%)
--- One-month change: -158,000 (down 30.7%)
- Job openings rate: 5.0%

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#5. State and local education

- Total job openings, March 2024: 323,000
--- Annual change: +4,000 (up 1.3%)
--- One-month change: +68,000 (up 26.7%)
- Job openings rate: 2.9%

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#4. Health care and social assistance

- Total job openings, March 2024: 1.8 million
--- Annual change: +33,000 (up 1.9%)
--- One-month change: -30,000 (down 1.7%)
- Job openings rate: 7.4%