JOLTS Update May 2025 Data

by Oriane Casale
July 2025

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) conducted by the BLS shows that in May the number of job openings grew to 182,000 over the month in Minnesota on a seasonally adjusted basis. Compared to one year ago, job openings were up 7.1%. This compares to a decline of 2.4% over the year nationally.

The number of hires fell 6.7% over the year in May in Minnesota and 1.9% nationally. Total separations increased by 2.3% over the year in Minnesota and decreased by 1.9% nationally.

Minnesota’s job openings rate ticked up by one-tenth of a point over the month to 5.6% in May. Nationally the rate increased two-tenths of a point to to 4.6% (see figure below). The job openings rate is the number of job openings as a percent of total employment plus job openings.

In Minnesota there were 0.6 unemployed workers for each job vacancy in May – or six unemployed workers for every 10 job openings – level with the previous month. This indicates that Minnesota continues to have a tight labor market where there are fewer than one unemployed worker for every job opening. Nationwide the ratio ticked down to 0.9.