US Job Openings Decline to Lowest Level in More Than a Year

> Job openings in the US fell by 303,000 to 7.146 million in November 2025, the lowest since December 2020 and well below market expectations of 7.60 million. The number of job openings decreased in accommodation and food services (-148,000); transportation, warehousing, and utilities (-108,000); and wholesale trade (-63,000). On the other hand, openings increased in construction (+90,000). Meanwhile, hires were little changed and total separations were unchanged at 5.1 million each. Within separations, both quits (3.2 million) and layoffs and discharges (1.7 million) were little changed.

Re: US Job Openings Decline to Lowest Level in More Than a Year

#7

Post by hombre_fatal » Wed, Jan 07, 2026, 3:54 PM UTC

charliebwrites wrote: post #4

My hot take: We’re already in a recession. We just use AI to justify doing all the same recession behaviors while making it sound like innovation - not hiring this year > AI is making us productive! - no wage growth > AI means we don’t need to raise salaries - layoffs > with AI we can do more with less people - spending less on offsites, work perks etc > we really need that budget for AI - not spending money on that…

I think that's mostly just HNers assuming AI like Claude Code is already penetrating the day to day work of the workforce.

"If I use, then everyone is probably using it".

Yet AI penetration is so low right now that it probably has zero role in the job market.

And it keeps us distracted from talking about the real reasons behind job opening decline.

That said, once AI ubiquity picks up within the next few years, we'll have all of the existing problems we're not talking about... plus AI. And we'll probably be even less capable of talking about the complexities of the market intelligently.

Re: US Job Openings Decline to Lowest Level in More Than a Year

#8

Post by DetectDefect » Wed, Jan 07, 2026, 3:55 PM UTC

charliebwrites wrote: post #4

My hot take: We’re already in a recession. We just use AI to justify doing all the same recession behaviors while making it sound like innovation - not hiring this year > AI is making us productive! - no wage growth > AI means we don’t need to raise salaries - layoffs > with AI we can do more with less people - spending less on offsites, work perks etc > we really need that budget for AI - not spending money on that…

Hot take? Half of the US is formally in recession already.

https://fortune.com/2025/10/09/america-feels-recession-state...

The economy is completely fucked and we are in a race to steal and horde all the data before people catch on.

Re: US Job Openings Decline to Lowest Level in More Than a Year

#9

Post by xeromal » Wed, Jan 07, 2026, 3:55 PM UTC

ZeroCool2u wrote: post #5

Bloomberg gift linK: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-07/us-job-op...

Thank you!

Re: US Job Openings Decline to Lowest Level in More Than a Year

#10

Post by bt1a » Wed, Jan 07, 2026, 3:56 PM UTC

DetectDefect wrote: post #6

ZeroCool2u wrote: post #5

Bloomberg gift linK: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-07/us-job-op...

Not necessary, this information is free: https://finviz.com/calendar/economic/detail/UNITEDSTAJOBOFF?... > Job openings in the US fell by 303,000 to 7.146 million in November 2025, the lowest since December 2020 and well below market expectations of 7.60 million. The number of job openings decreased in accommodation and food services (-148,000); transportation, warehousing, and utilities (-108,000); and wholesale tra…

transportation, warehousing, and utilities being a headlining loser here is the most striking.... perhaps?