US government job openings rise to 823,000 in June, highest since June 2025

The federal government posted 823,000 job openings in June 2026, a jump of 39,000 from the prior month and the highest reading since June 2025. The data, released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics as part of its monthly JOLTS report, paints a picture of a public sector that’s quietly ramping up hiring demand while the rest of the labor market treads water.

Total nonfarm job openings across the US economy were unchanged at 7.4 million, translating to a 4.4% rate. So the federal government essentially accounted for the only notable movement in an otherwise flat month.

A tale of two labor markets

Federal hires actually fell by 6,000 during the same period. Quits in government also declined by 4,000, suggesting that fewer federal employees are voluntarily walking away from their positions.

Nationally, the hiring picture was similarly frozen. Total hires held at 5.3 million, while separations came in around 5.4 million.

Why the federal bump matters

An increase of 39,000 openings in a single month is notable. For context, that’s roughly a 5% month-over-month jump in federal vacancies.

June 2025 was the last time federal openings hit this level, which means the government spent an entire year with lower vacancy counts before climbing back.

What this means for the economy and markets

The 7.4 million total openings figure sits comfortably in the range that economists associate with a balanced labor market. Compare that to the pandemic-era peaks, when openings exceeded 12 million and employers were practically begging for workers.

The BLS confirmed that the federal figures required no revisions as of August 11, 2026. The next JOLTS release will reveal whether June’s federal surge was a one-month anomaly or the beginning of a sustained trend.

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