Mississippi reported 64,000 job openings in June 2025, down from 68,000 in May, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee stated that the job openings rate in Mississippi was 5.1 percent in June and 5.4 percent in May. The national job openings rate stood at 4.4 percent in June and 4.6 percent in May.
The state’s ratio of unemployed persons per job opening was 0.8 for June. Across the country, 25 states and the District of Columbia had ratios lower than the national average of 0.9 unemployed persons per job opening; 18 states had higher ratios, while seven matched the national figure.
In June, there were 41,000 hires and 40,000 separations recorded in Mississippi 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.
Of those separating from jobs in Mississippi during June, quits accounted for 27,000 while layoffs and discharges totaled 11,000—up slightly from May when there were 26,000 quits and 10,000 layoffs or discharges. During the last year quits averaged about 28,000 per month with a range between 24,000 to 32,000; layoffs and discharges averaged about 13,000 per month ranging from a low of 10,000 to a high of 18,000.
State-level Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) estimates for July are scheduled for release on September 17.
The BLS JOLTS program provides data on labor demand and turnover using model-based estimates that combine information from JOLTS samples as well as data from other employment surveys such as QCEW and CES.
Job openings are defined as positions open on the last business day of each reference month if they meet specific criteria outlined by BLS methodology. The number of unemployed persons per job opening is calculated using state-level unemployment models based on Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), with a ratio below one indicating more available jobs than unemployed individuals.
Hires represent all additions to payrolls within a given month while separations include all departures from payrolls categorized by type: quits; layoffs/discharges; or other separations—not all types are published with state estimates due to their small share.
Additional definitions and technical details can be found through BLS resources related to State JOLTS data.
