Key Takeaways
- Oklahoma had the highest job opening rate in July, (5.5%), driven by an uptick in state drilling activities.
- Earlier this year the Trump administration rolled back protections on public land in Alaska, Montana, and North Dakota to expand energy productions. All four are in the top-15 by job openings rate.
- Midwest/Southern “Battery Belt” states also have high openings but likely from turnover and hard-to-fill skilled roles rather than a hiring surge.
- Meanwhile, Savannah’s ports just posted an 8.6% jump in containers moved for FY2025, lining up with steady demand in warehouse, trucking, and port-adjacent jobs in Georgia and neighbors.
How is this rate measured and what does it mean?
The rate is the number of job openings on the last business day of the month divided by the total of employed persons plus job openings, then multiplied by 100 to express it as a percentage.
The rate specifically shows what share of the total jobs available are actually open or pending to be filled.
A job is considered "open" only if it meets all three criteria:
- A specific position exists and there is work available for it (full-time, part-time, permanent, short-term, or seasonal).
- The job could start within 30 days, regardless of whether a candidate has been found.
- The employer is actively recruiting workers from outside the establishment to fill the position. Active recruiting can include advertising, interviewing, contacting employment agencies, or other recruiting activities.
