Mississippi reported 64,000 job openings in June 2025, a decrease from the 68,000 openings recorded in May, according to data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The job openings rate for the state was 5.1 percent in June, down from 5.4 percent the previous month. Nationally, the job openings rate stood at 4.4 percent in June and 4.6 percent in May.
Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee stated that “the job openings rate in Mississippi was 5.1 percent in June and 5.4 percent in the previous month.”
The ratio of unemployed persons per job opening in Mississippi was 0.8 for June, indicating there were fewer unemployed individuals than available jobs. Across the country, 25 states and the District of Columbia had lower ratios than the national average of 0.9 unemployed persons per job opening; meanwhile, 18 states had higher ratios and seven matched the national figure.
In terms of hiring activity, Mississippi saw 41,000 hires and 40,000 separations during June compared to May’s figures of 42,000 hires and 39,000 separations. Over the past year ending in June, monthly averages for hires and separations were reported at 44,000 and 43,000 respectively.
For separations specifically classified as quits or layoffs/discharges: Mississippi registered 27,000 quits and 11,000 layoffs/discharges in June—up slightly from May’s totals of 26,000 quits and 10,000 layoffs/discharges. Over a twelve-month period ending with this report, quits averaged about 28,000 per month while layoffs/discharges averaged approximately 13,000.
The next release of state-level Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) estimates is scheduled for September 17, covering July data.
The JOLTS program provides model-based estimates that incorporate sample survey data along with information from other employment surveys such as the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) and Current Employment Statistics (CES). These measures help describe labor demand as well as workforce movement patterns within each state.
Definitions provided clarify that job openings refer to positions open on the last business day of each reference month; hires count all payroll additions during that month; separations include all payroll departures—classified as quits or involuntary events such as layoffs or discharges.
More technical details about these statistics are available through resources published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
