Job openings in the US increased by 89,000 to 7.271 million in July 2026 from a downwardly revised 7.182 million in June, below market expectations of 7.30 million. The number of job openings increased in durable goods manufacturing (+76,000), health care and social assistance (+54,000), wholesale trade (+50,000), and construction (+28,000). Regionally, openings rose in the Midwest (84,000) and the West (135,000), but fell in the Northeast (-28,000), and the South (-102,000). Over the month, hires and total separations both changed little at 5.1 million. Within separations, quits (3.1 million) and layoffs and discharges (1.7 million) were little changed.