Federal Reserve Economic Data

FRED Economic Data, St. Louis FED

Unemployment Level/Job Openings: Total Nonfarm

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(a) Unemployment Level, Thousands of Persons, Seasonally Adjusted (UNEMPLOY)
The series comes from the 'Current Population Survey (Household Survey)' The source code is: LNS13000000 The Unemployment Level is the aggregate measure of people currently unemployed in the US. Someone in the labor force is defined as unemployed if they were not employed during the survey reference week, were available for work, and made at least one active effort to find a job during the 4-week survey period. The Unemployment Level is collected in the CPS and published by the BLS. It is provided on a monthly basis, so this data is used in part by macroeconomists as an initial economic indicator of current trends. The Unemployment Level helps government agencies, financial markets, and researchers gauge the overall health of the economy. Note that individuals that are not employed but not actively looking for a job are not counted as unemployed. For instance, declines in the Unemployment Level may either reflect movements of unemployed individuals into the labor force because they found a job, or movements of unemployed individuals out of the labor force because they stopped looking to find a job. For more information, see: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CES Overview (https://www.bls.gov/web/empsit/cesprog.htm) U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS Handbook of Methods: Chapter 2. Employment, Hours, and Earnings from the Establishment Survey (https://www.bls.gov/opub/hom/pdf/ces-20110307.pdf)

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(b) Job Openings: Total Nonfarm, Level in Thousands, Seasonally Adjusted (JTSJOL)
Total Nonfarm Job Openings are a measure of all jobs that are not filled on the last business day of the month. A job is considered open if a specific position exists and there is work available for it, the job can be started within 30 days, and there is active recruiting for the position. Total Nonfarm Job Openings are measured by the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) and published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). These data are a unique economic indicator of unmet demand for labor and labor shortages. Economists, government officials, and researchers use Job Openings as a measure of tightness within job markets. Note that the set of available job openings may decline because openings become filled, or because previous openings are removed without filling positions. For more information, see: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey Overview Page (https://www.bls.gov/jlt/jltover.htm#purpose) U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Data Definitions (https://www.bls.gov/jlt/jltdef.htm#2)

Select a date that will equal 100 for your custom index:
  Enter date as YYYY-MM-DD
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    Unemployment Level/Job Openings: Total Nonfarm
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    Notes

    Unemployment Level  (UNEMPLOY)

    Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics  

    Release: Employment Situation  

    Units:  Thousands of Persons, Seasonally Adjusted

    Frequency:  Monthly

    Notes:

    The series comes from the 'Current Population Survey (Household Survey)'
    The source code is: LNS13000000

    The Unemployment Level is the aggregate measure of people currently unemployed in the US. Someone in the labor force is defined as unemployed if they were not employed during the survey reference week, were available for work, and made at least one active effort to find a job during the 4-week survey period.

    The Unemployment Level is collected in the CPS and published by the BLS. It is provided on a monthly basis, so this data is used in part by macroeconomists as an initial economic indicator of current trends. The Unemployment Level helps government agencies, financial markets, and researchers gauge the overall health of the economy.

    Note that individuals that are not employed but not actively looking for a job are not counted as unemployed. For instance, declines in the Unemployment Level may either reflect movements of unemployed individuals into the labor force because they found a job, or movements of unemployed individuals out of the labor force because they stopped looking to find a job.


    For more information, see:
    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CES Overview
    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS Handbook of Methods: Chapter 2. Employment, Hours, and Earnings from the Establishment Survey

    Suggested Citation:

    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Unemployment Level [UNEMPLOY], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/UNEMPLOY, April 6, 2025.

    Job Openings: Total Nonfarm  (JTSJOL)

    Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics  

    Release: Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey  

    Units:  Level in Thousands, Seasonally Adjusted

    Frequency:  Monthly

    Notes:

    Total Nonfarm Job Openings are a measure of all jobs that are not filled on the last business day of the month. A job is considered open if a specific position exists and there is work available for it, the job can be started within 30 days, and there is active recruiting for the position.

    Total Nonfarm Job Openings are measured by the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) and published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). These data are a unique economic indicator of unmet demand for labor and labor shortages. Economists, government officials, and researchers use Job Openings as a measure of tightness within job markets.

    Note that the set of available job openings may decline because openings become filled, or because previous openings are removed without filling positions.

    For more information, see:
    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey Overview Page
    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Data Definitions

    Suggested Citation:

    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Job Openings: Total Nonfarm [JTSJOL], retrieved from FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/JTSJOL, April 6, 2025.

    Release Tables

    Employment Situation
    Employment Situation
    Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey

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    Unemployment Level

    Monthly, Not Seasonally Adjusted

    Job Openings: Total Nonfarm

    Monthly, Not Seasonally Adjusted Rate, Monthly, Not Seasonally Adjusted Rate, Monthly, Seasonally Adjusted

    Related Categories

    Unemployment Level Current Population Survey (Household Survey) Population, Employment, & Labor Markets Job Openings (Levels and Rates) Job Openings and Labor Turnover (JOLTS)

    Releases

    More Series from Employment Situation More Series from Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey

    Tags

    16 Years + Current Population Survey (Household Survey) Unemployment Seasonally Adjusted Bureau of Labor Statistics Monthly Nation Public Domain: Citation Requested United States of America Job Openings Vacancy Job Openings and Labor Turnover Nonfarm

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