Key Findings
- The recovery slowed in September, with job openings rising barely 0.4 percent month-over-month to 5.15 million. Job openings remain 15 percent below pre-crisis levels, indicating sluggish progress toward a complete economic recovery.
- September marks the beginning of the holiday hiring season for retail where job openings grew 3.0 percent month-over-month. Health care job openings continue to recover, now down only 3.0 percent compared to pre-crisis levels.
- Smaller metropolitan areas have seen job openings rebound faster with the smallest metros only 5 percent below pre-crisis levels. The 5 largest metros, including New York City and Los Angeles, have lagged with job openings still down 20 percent, as they’ve battled the worst effects of the pandemic and as the share of economic activity shifts to smaller metros.
- What to expect in the September jobs report: This Friday’s jobs report is likely to show slow but steady job gains. Permanent layoffs are likely to continue rising, highlighting the impact of the more-typical recession within the lockdown-induced recession.
The labor market recovery slowed yet again in September. Glassdoor’s latest Job Market Report shows that, as of September 21, 5.15 million job openings are available, a small 0.4 percent increase month-over-month. Job openings remain 15 percent below pre-crisis levels, highlighting that the labor market is still hundreds of thousands of job openings short of more normal times.
Job openings dropped precipitously at the start of the crisis, but unlike other labor market indicators, managed to stop falling much faster than during the Great Recession. Job openings dropped by over half at their worst point during the Great Recession, while during the current crisis, job openings bottomed out at 28 percent below pre-crisis levels. The slowing but continuing recovery in job openings is a case for cautious optimism: the labor market still has momentum but further improvement is required in order to make a complete recovery and mitigate permanent economic damage.
Based on an analysis of employer job posting behavior on Glassdoor, 40 percent of employers reduced or paused all job openings in September, marking a reversal from previous months when the share of employers expanding job openings exceeded the share of those reducing or pausing all postings.
Change in Job Openings by Industry
- Retail job openings increased 3.0 percent month-over-month as the holiday retail hiring season begins. Despite the ongoing pandemic, hundreds of thousands of workers are still likely to be hired for this holiday season, though traditional retailers may not plan to hire as many workers, while warehouse and logistics workers may make up a larger share of holiday workers to support the shift in consumer demand to e-commerce.
- Health care job openings rose 0.1 percent month-over-month, reaching a total of 887,360 open jobs, just 3.0 percent shy of pre-crisis levels. In addition to the increase in demand for pandemic-related workers, dentists and other health care providers have been able to reopen as restrictions are lifted and employers implement new safety procedures.
Change in Job Openings by Industry Group
| Industry Group | Month-over-Month % Change |
| U.S. Total | 0.4% |
| Business Services | 1.2% |
| Construction & Real Estate Services | -0.8% |
| Consumer Services | -4.8% |
| Finance & Insurance | 3.0% |
| Food Services | -0.2% |
| Health Care | 0.1% |
| Manufacturing & Production | 2.2% |
| Public Services | -1.0% |
| Retail | 3.0% |
| Tech | 8.6% |
| Trade & Transportation | 0.4% |
Note: Data as of September 21, 2020
Source: Glassdoor Job Market Report, September 29, 2020
For more detailed data on job openings trends by industry and industry group, see our appendix below.
Larger Metros Lagging, Smaller Metros Recovering Faster
Job openings in the smallest metros have rebounded faster over the course of the crisis, while larger metros have lagged. Many early outbreaks were concentrated in the largest metros like New York City, frontloading economic damage before a public health response was in place. Even metros like San Francisco, which avoided large outbreaks, may have muted economic activity due to stricter ongoing restrictions. The sheer scale of economic damage means that even now, these metros are still slowly unwinding the effects.
Smaller metros, in many cases, have been able to avoid outbreaks as severe as those seen in the largest metros. As a result, many have been able to avoid harsher lockdown measures or have lifted restrictions more quickly. In addition to faster reopening, the transition to remote work has encouraged migration from high-cost metros to smaller cities around the country, with new job openings following this shift in economic activity. The permanence of this trend depends on the staying power of remote work. At least in the short-term, smaller metros appear to have an economic leg up.
The table below shows how job openings have changed over the course of the crisis for metros, grouped by size. It shows that job openings in the 5 largest metros are still 20 percent below pre-crisis levels. As the size of the metros decrease, the decline in job openings shrinks as well.
Change in Job Openings by Metro Size Rank
| Metro Rank by Size | Job Openings – 3/16/20 | Job Openings – 9/21/2020 | % Change |
| #1–#5 | 1,087,565 | 870,381 | -20% |
| #6–#10 | 696,204 | 547,305 | -21% |
| #11–#20 | 781,731 | 635,213 | -19% |
| #21–#50 | 1,140,828 | 965,839 | -15% |
| #51–#100 | 661,623 | 600,322 | -9% |
| #101–#200 | 555,381 | 503,813 | -9% |
| #201+ | 688,525 | 653,966 | -5% |
| U.S. Total | 6,037,832 | 5,150,109 | -15% |
Note: Metros ranked by job openings on March 16, 2020.
Source: Glassdoor Job Market Report, September 29, 2020
The chart below shows the trend in job openings by metro size, showing that the trend has held over the course of the crisis, with some increasing separation in the last few months as smaller metros have rebounded faster.
For more detailed data on job openings trends by state and for select metropolitan areas, see our appendix below.
What to Expect in September Jobs Report
Glassdoor data shows that growth in demand for workers has slowed in September, even though job openings are 15 percent below pre-crisis levels. However, job openings are also still much higher than during the equivalent point in the Great Recession, which may be an optimistic sign if higher demand for workers can prop up and even accelerate the recovery in the labor market. That, however, will depend on demand for workers staying strong and continuing to make progress toward pre-crisis levels.
This Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) will release the September jobs report, and it’s likely to show slow but steady job gains in line with what was seen in August. The rehiring of temporarily laid off workers is low-hanging economic fruit still available to the recovery, but the critical data point to watch is permanent layoffs. Rising permanent layoffs highlight the impact of the more-typical recession within the pandemic recession and indicate how much economic scarring will need to be healed after the crisis is over.
Methodology
The job openings data for the selected dates is generated based on the methodology used in Glassdoor’s monthly Job Market Report, which provides a real-time view of hiring trends and wage growth across the U.S. based on millions of online jobs and salaries on Glassdoor. The data represents a snapshot of the number of job openings available on Glassdoor on the highlighted dates. Generally, “pre-crisis” refers to the level on March 16, 2020, the peak in job openings immediately prior to beginning of the crisis.
Week-over-week, month-over-month and year-over-year comparisons are based on the Mondays from the comparable period. Except where otherwise noted, no additional smoothing, averaging or seasonal adjustment for job openings data is performed. Because no smoothing or averaging takes place, the data may not be directly comparable to Glassdoor’s monthly Job Market Report.
Appendix
Each table may not sum up to total. For example, industry data may be missing for some employers.
Table A: Change in Job Openings by Industry
| Job Openings | Percent Change | ||||||
| Sep 21, 2020 | Sep 14, 2020 | Aug 24, 2020 | Sep 23, 2019 | ||||
| Category | Current Week | Last Week | Last Month | Last Year | Week-over-Week | Month-over-Month | Year-over-Year |
| Total | 5,150,109 | 5,176,967 | 5,127,911 | 6,174,527 | -0.5% | 0.4% | -16.6% |
| Accounting & Legal | 34,634 | 34,690 | 33,865 | 52,575 | -0.2% | 2.3% | -34.1% |
| Aerospace & Defense | 56,539 | 57,712 | 57,571 | 104,876 | -2.0% | -1.8% | -46.1% |
| Architecture & Civil Engineering | 26,754 | 26,960 | 26,167 | 43,002 | -0.8% | 2.2% | -37.8% |
| Arts & Entertainment | 27,215 | 27,252 | 26,664 | 55,129 | -0.1% | 2.1% | -50.6% |
| Automotive | 87,831 | 88,357 | 87,767 | 106,499 | -0.6% | 0.1% | -17.5% |
| Banking & Financial Services | 98,943 | 98,966 | 95,171 | 131,089 | 0.0% | 4.0% | -24.5% |
| Beauty & Fitness | 58,424 | 58,604 | 57,765 | 85,499 | -0.3% | 1.1% | -31.7% |
| Biotech & Pharmaceuticals | 71,137 | 71,612 | 69,650 | 74,941 | -0.7% | 2.1% | -5.1% |
| Business Services | 8,644 | 8,485 | 7,982 | 12,802 | 1.9% | 8.3% | -32.5% |
| Computer Software & Hardware | 123,989 | 126,575 | 114,957 | 160,196 | -2.0% | 7.9% | -22.6% |
| Construction | 57,493 | 58,424 | 58,423 | 75,607 | -1.6% | -1.6% | -24.0% |
| Consulting | 57,337 | 58,020 | 57,446 | 81,492 | -1.2% | -0.2% | -29.6% |
| Consumer Electronics | 13,944 | 12,033 | 10,534 | 12,445 | 15.9% | 32.4% | 12.0% |
| Consumer Services | 16,998 | 17,417 | 34,405 | 14,835 | -2.4% | -50.6% | 14.6% |
| Education & Schools | 157,155 | 157,327 | 160,842 | 226,520 | -0.1% | -2.3% | -30.6% |
| Energy & Utilities | 35,790 | 35,959 | 35,248 | 52,228 | -0.5% | 1.5% | -31.5% |
| Facilities | 47,172 | 47,451 | 47,027 | 49,221 | -0.6% | 0.3% | -4.2% |
| Farming & Agriculture | 9,141 | 9,166 | 8,953 | 10,380 | -0.3% | 2.1% | -11.9% |
| Government | 122,718 | 121,824 | 122,562 | 137,937 | 0.7% | 0.1% | -11.0% |
| Health Care & Hospitals | 816,232 | 814,144 | 816,723 | 840,001 | 0.3% | -0.1% | -2.8% |
| Information Technology | 110,368 | 105,923 | 103,860 | 167,672 | 4.2% | 6.3% | -34.2% |
| Insurance | 64,532 | 64,712 | 63,489 | 100,915 | -0.3% | 1.6% | -36.1% |
| Internet & Tech | 220,905 | 230,692 | 200,325 | 97,288 | -4.2% | 10.3% | 127.1% |
| Manufacturing | 190,708 | 190,066 | 184,062 | 229,163 | 0.3% | 3.6% | -16.8% |
| Marketing & Advertising | 65,727 | 65,687 | 66,371 | 58,552 | 0.1% | -1.0% | 12.3% |
| Media & Publishing | 13,651 | 13,598 | 13,335 | 26,006 | 0.4% | 2.4% | -47.5% |
| Nonprofit | 57,620 | 57,985 | 57,590 | 72,316 | -0.6% | 0.1% | -20.3% |
| Private Security | 25,547 | 22,986 | 23,962 | 22,294 | 11.1% | 6.6% | 14.6% |
| Real Estate | 46,552 | 47,488 | 47,790 | 52,930 | -2.0% | -2.6% | -12.0% |
| Restaurants & Bars | 466,442 | 470,289 | 467,453 | 609,604 | -0.8% | -0.2% | -23.5% |
| Retail | 403,385 | 400,032 | 392,698 | 548,678 | 0.8% | 2.7% | -26.5% |
| Supermarkets | 97,660 | 98,060 | 96,520 | 98,952 | -0.4% | 1.2% | -1.3% |
| Telecommunications | 28,105 | 28,216 | 27,178 | 39,269 | -0.4% | 3.4% | -28.4% |
| Transportation & Logistics | 218,654 | 225,675 | 219,428 | 293,153 | -3.1% | -0.4% | -25.4% |
| Travel & Tourism | 39,930 | 39,784 | 38,645 | 88,466 | 0.4% | 3.3% | -54.9% |
Source: Glassdoor Job Market Report, September 28, 2020
Table B: Change in Job Openings by Industry Group
| Job Openings | Percent Change | ||||||
| Sep 21, 2020 | Sep 14, 2020 | Aug 24, 2020 | Sep 23, 2019 | ||||
| Category | Current Week | Last Week | Last Month | Last Year | Week-over-Week | Month-over-Month | Year-over-Year |
| Total | 5,150,109 | 5,176,967 | 5,127,911 | 6,174,527 | -0.5% | 0.4% | -16.6% |
| Business Services | 191,889 | 189,868 | 189,626 | 227,715 | 1.1% | 1.2% | -15.7% |
| Construction & Real Estate Services | 177,971 | 180,323 | 179,407 | 220,760 | -1.3% | -0.8% | -19.4% |
| Consumer Services | 272,154 | 273,228 | 285,759 | 415,703 | -0.4% | -4.8% | -34.5% |
| Finance & Insurance | 163,475 | 163,678 | 158,660 | 232,004 | -0.1% | 3.0% | -29.5% |
| Food Services | 466,442 | 470,289 | 467,453 | 609,604 | -0.8% | -0.2% | -23.5% |
| Health Care | 887,369 | 885,756 | 886,373 | 914,942 | 0.2% | 0.1% | -3.0% |
| Production | 292,178 | 292,903 | 285,834 | 396,647 | -0.2% | 2.2% | -26.3% |
| Public Services | 337,493 | 337,136 | 340,994 | 436,773 | 0.1% | -1.0% | -22.7% |
| Retail | 514,989 | 510,125 | 499,752 | 660,075 | 1.0% | 3.0% | -22.0% |
| Tech | 455,262 | 463,190 | 419,142 | 425,156 | -1.7% | 8.6% | 7.1% |
| Trade & Transportation | 244,625 | 251,209 | 243,643 | 325,478 | -2.6% | 0.4% | -24.8% |
Source: Glassdoor Job Market Report, September 28, 2020
Table C: Change in Job Openings by State
| Job Openings | Percent Change | ||||||
| Sep 21, 2020 | Sep 14, 2020 | Aug 24, 2020 | Sep 23, 2019 | ||||
| Category | Current Week | Last Week | Last Month | Last Year | Week-over-Week | Month-over-Month | Year-over-Year |
| Total | 5,150,109 | 5,176,967 | 5,127,911 | 6,174,527 | -0.5% | 0.4% | -16.6% |
| Remote | 21,071 | 20,566 | 18,349 | 11,500 | 2.5% | 14.8% | 83.2% |
| AK | 10,710 | 10,658 | 10,610 | 11,999 | 0.5% | 0.9% | -10.7% |
| AL | 71,334 | 70,910 | 71,049 | 77,015 | 0.6% | 0.4% | -7.4% |
| AR | 40,533 | 40,353 | 40,328 | 42,917 | 0.4% | 0.5% | -5.6% |
| AZ | 109,306 | 107,117 | 108,026 | 123,814 | 2.0% | 1.2% | -11.7% |
| CA | 533,455 | 536,592 | 533,173 | 689,929 | -0.6% | 0.1% | -22.7% |
| CO | 99,871 | 100,015 | 99,610 | 137,752 | -0.1% | 0.3% | -27.5% |
| CT | 55,629 | 55,851 | 54,485 | 71,746 | -0.4% | 2.1% | -22.5% |
| DC | 32,442 | 32,283 | 32,323 | 46,645 | 0.5% | 0.4% | -30.4% |
| DE | 17,457 | 17,295 | 17,520 | 19,912 | 0.9% | -0.4% | -12.3% |
| FL | 279,010 | 272,423 | 275,509 | 323,064 | 2.4% | 1.3% | -13.6% |
| GA | 168,500 | 166,183 | 165,654 | 200,476 | 1.4% | 1.7% | -16.0% |
| HI | 12,343 | 12,467 | 13,289 | 19,296 | -1.0% | -7.1% | -36.0% |
| IA | 55,003 | 54,831 | 53,694 | 59,476 | 0.3% | 2.4% | -7.5% |
| ID | 22,582 | 22,331 | 21,949 | 24,010 | 1.1% | 2.9% | -5.9% |
| IL | 219,471 | 209,713 | 216,275 | 267,940 | 4.7% | 1.5% | -18.1% |
| IN | 111,633 | 111,554 | 112,639 | 123,952 | 0.1% | -0.9% | -9.9% |
| KS | 49,295 | 49,133 | 48,405 | 55,986 | 0.3% | 1.8% | -12.0% |
| KY | 72,697 | 72,004 | 72,306 | 75,980 | 1.0% | 0.5% | -4.3% |
| LA | 56,992 | 56,625 | 57,712 | 65,223 | 0.6% | -1.2% | -12.6% |
| MA | 180,857 | 179,240 | 164,418 | 196,812 | 0.9% | 10.0% | -8.1% |
| MD | 118,377 | 119,159 | 115,429 | 138,725 | -0.7% | 2.6% | -14.7% |
| ME | 27,695 | 27,643 | 27,057 | 25,149 | 0.2% | 2.4% | 10.1% |
| MI | 146,579 | 148,314 | 154,499 | 161,080 | -1.2% | -5.1% | -9.0% |
| MN | 91,128 | 92,914 | 91,328 | 114,918 | -1.9% | -0.2% | -20.7% |
| MO | 101,184 | 96,354 | 95,119 | 115,776 | 5.0% | 6.4% | -12.6% |
| MS | 37,643 | 36,301 | 36,101 | 38,217 | 3.7% | 4.3% | -1.5% |
| MT | 15,731 | 15,343 | 15,383 | 17,651 | 2.5% | 2.3% | -10.9% |
| NC | 172,542 | 172,207 | 170,255 | 209,105 | 0.2% | 1.3% | -17.5% |
| ND | 14,752 | 14,385 | 14,171 | 16,291 | 2.6% | 4.1% | -9.4% |
| NE | 34,526 | 34,965 | 34,041 | 33,108 | -1.3% | 1.4% | 4.3% |
| NH | 34,930 | 33,799 | 29,981 | 33,289 | 3.3% | 16.5% | 4.9% |
| NJ | 135,727 | 147,594 | 152,804 | 157,467 | -8.0% | -11.2% | -13.8% |
| NM | 35,668 | 35,328 | 36,766 | 41,141 | 1.0% | -3.0% | -13.3% |
| NV | 39,932 | 39,764 | 40,492 | 50,027 | 0.4% | -1.4% | -20.2% |
| NY | 232,001 | 234,825 | 231,742 | 317,149 | -1.2% | 0.1% | -26.8% |
| OH | 180,416 | 184,811 | 181,530 | 226,905 | -2.4% | -0.6% | -20.5% |
| OK | 51,277 | 51,298 | 51,793 | 61,089 | 0.0% | -1.0% | -16.1% |
| OR | 59,835 | 59,502 | 59,932 | 73,442 | 0.6% | -0.2% | -18.5% |
| PA | 224,129 | 229,422 | 226,878 | 256,663 | -2.3% | -1.2% | -12.7% |
| RI | 19,025 | 18,810 | 17,781 | 21,161 | 1.1% | 7.0% | -10.1% |
| SC | 83,992 | 84,019 | 84,227 | 92,105 | 0.0% | -0.3% | -8.8% |
| SD | 15,789 | 15,783 | 15,781 | 17,359 | 0.0% | 0.1% | -9.0% |
| TN | 116,314 | 112,779 | 112,351 | 128,887 | 3.1% | 3.5% | -9.8% |
| TX | 388,363 | 420,299 | 398,542 | 485,503 | -7.6% | -2.6% | -20.0% |
| UT | 46,256 | 46,798 | 47,062 | 58,672 | -1.2% | -1.7% | -21.2% |
| VA | 170,883 | 170,858 | 172,652 | 203,897 | 0.0% | -1.0% | -16.2% |
| VT | 12,140 | 11,857 | 11,858 | 13,712 | 2.4% | 2.4% | -11.5% |
| WA | 130,410 | 133,794 | 133,251 | 171,057 | -2.5% | -2.1% | -23.8% |
| WI | 103,694 | 101,808 | 94,181 | 113,059 | 1.9% | 10.1% | -8.3% |
| WV | 31,623 | 31,201 | 30,465 | 35,631 | 1.4% | 3.8% | -11.2% |
| WY | 10,242 | 10,210 | 9,871 | 12,638 | 0.3% | 3.8% | -19.0% |
Source: Glassdoor Job Market Report, September 28, 2020
Table D: Change in Job Openings for Select Metropolitan Areas
| Job Openings | Percent Change | ||||||
| Sep 21, 2020 | Sep 14, 2020 | Aug 24, 2020 | Sep 23, 2019 | ||||
| Category | Current Week | Last Week | Last Month | Last Year | Week-over-Week | Month-over-Month | Year-over-Year |
| Total | 5,150,109 | 5,176,967 | 5,127,911 | 6,174,527 | -0.5% | 0.4% | -16.6% |
| Atlanta, GA | 100,949 | 99,439 | 98,397 | 126,570 | 1.5% | 2.6% | -20.2% |
| Boston, MA | 144,645 | 143,467 | 128,650 | 159,752 | 0.8% | 12.4% | -9.5% |
| Chicago, IL | 178,758 | 168,199 | 171,501 | 211,095 | 6.3% | 4.2% | -15.3% |
| Houston, TX | 76,463 | 80,697 | 77,532 | 100,838 | -5.2% | -1.4% | -24.2% |
| Los Angeles, CA | 158,919 | 160,202 | 161,915 | 226,696 | -0.8% | -1.9% | -29.9% |
| New York City, NY | 242,918 | 256,719 | 257,817 | 320,482 | -5.4% | -5.8% | -24.2% |
| Philadelphia, PA | 103,315 | 105,405 | 105,405 | 116,869 | -2.0% | -2.0% | -11.6% |
| San Francisco, CA | 118,865 | 120,365 | 114,912 | 151,768 | -1.2% | 3.4% | -21.7% |
| Seattle, WA | 93,801 | 96,537 | 96,286 | 129,584 | -2.8% | -2.6% | -27.6% |
| Washington, DC | 145,141 | 146,015 | 146,883 | 195,757 | -0.6% | -1.2% | -25.9% |
Source: Glassdoor Job Market Report, September 28, 2020
