What the layoffs rate measures
The layoffs and discharges rate counts separations initiated by the employer, as a percentage of total employment in the month. It includes layoffs with no intent to rehire, layoffs lasting more than seven days, firings and the end of seasonal or temporary jobs. It comes from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) of the Bureau of Labor Statistics and starts in December 2000.
How to read this chart
Even in a healthy economy employers let go about 1.5 million people a month, so the rate rarely falls much below 1%. What matters is a sustained rise: before the 2001 and 2008 recessions it drifted up for months, while in 2020 it jumped in a single month. Compare it with weekly jobless claims, which are faster but noisier, and the quits rate, which usually falls when layoffs rise.
The latest reading in context
- At 1.0%, the latest reading is below its 5-year average of 1.0% and below its 10-year average of 1.2%.
- That is lower than 96% of all monthly readings since December 2000 – near the bottom of its historical range.
- Direction: down 0.1 points over the past month; down 0.2 points over the past six months; down 0.1 points over the past year.
- The highest value on record is 8.6% (March 2020, 6 years ago); the lowest is 0.9% (May 2021, 5 years ago).
- The full history spans 3 US recessions, shaded grey on the chart.
Why it matters
Layoffs are what turn an economic slowdown into a recession for households. As long as employers hold on to workers, slower hiring raises unemployment only gradually. A rising layoffs rate is a signal that firms expect weaker demand, and it tends to push unemployment up quickly.
What moves the layoffs rate
- Business demand and profit margins
- Credit conditions for companies
- Labor hoarding: in tight markets firms keep staff they fear they cannot rehire
- Sector shocks, such as tech, finance or construction downturns
Key moments in its history
- 2001Rose during the dot-com bust.
- 2009Peaked near 2% in the financial-crisis recession.
- Mar–Apr 2020Spiked to the highest level in the survey’s history as the pandemic hit.
- 2021–2022Fell to record lows near 1% as employers struggled to hire.
Layoffs Rate (JOLTS) data tables
Average by decade
| Decade | Average | High | Low |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s (so far) | 1.2% | 8.6% | 0.9% |
| 2010s | 1.3% | 1.7% | 1.1% |
| 2000s | 1.5% | 2.0% | 1.3% |
Last 12 months
| Period | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | 1.0% | −0.1 pts |
| Aug 2026 | 1.1% | 0.0 pts |
| Jul 2026 | 1.1% | 0.0 pts |
| Jun 2026 | 1.1% | 0.0 pts |
| May 2026 | 1.1% | +0.1 pts |
| Apr 2026 | 1.0% | −0.2 pts |
| Mar 2026 | 1.2% | +0.1 pts |
| Feb 2026 | 1.1% | +0.1 pts |
| Jan 2026 | 1.0% | −0.1 pts |
| Dec 2025 | 1.1% | +0.1 pts |
| Nov 2025 | 1.0% | −0.2 pts |
| Oct 2025 | 1.2% | +0.1 pts |
Monthly values. Decade figures are averages of the monthly values in each decade. The complete history is available as a CSV file.
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Layoffs Rate (JOLTS): questions and answers
How is this different from jobless claims?
Claims count people who file for unemployment benefits each week; not every laid-off worker files, and some who file were not laid off. JOLTS layoffs come from employer records and are monthly.
How many people are laid off each month?
Usually 1.5 to 2 million in normal times, out of more than 150 million jobs. Most find new work quickly.
Does this include people who are fired?
Yes. Discharges for cause are included together with layoffs.
Where does the data on this chart come from?
From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. ChartWidgets downloads the series (JTSLDR) from FRED, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis database, and checks for new releases every day. The last update was on November 4, 2026.