Federal Executive Branch
Here's a look at documents from the U.S. Executive Branch
Featured Stories
Portland Resident Pleads Guilty to Damaging Federal Property
PORTLAND, Oregon, Jan. 31 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon posted the following news release on Jan. 30, 2026:
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Portland Resident Pleads Guilty to Damaging Federal Property
A Portland resident pleaded guilty yesterday to depredation of government property after damaging cameras affixed to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building and setting debris on fire.
Alistair Macfarlane Sidener, 20, pleaded guilty to one count of depredation of government property.
According to court documents, on June 12, 2025, Sidener intentionally damaged several cameras
... Show Full Article
PORTLAND, Oregon, Jan. 31 -- The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon posted the following news release on Jan. 30, 2026:
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Portland Resident Pleads Guilty to Damaging Federal Property
A Portland resident pleaded guilty yesterday to depredation of government property after damaging cameras affixed to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building and setting debris on fire.
Alistair Macfarlane Sidener, 20, pleaded guilty to one count of depredation of government property.
According to court documents, on June 12, 2025, Sidener intentionally damaged several camerasmounted on the facility by shooting paint at them from a water gun and striking cameras with a long metal pole. Shortly after damaging the cameras, Sidener lit debris on fire that had been placed against a metal gate.
On January 28, 2026, Sidener was charged by superseding information with depredation of government property.
Sidener faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a $250,000, and three years of supervised release. Sidener will be sentenced on May 27, 2026, before a U.S. District Court Judge.
As part of the plea agreement, Sidener has agreed to pay restitution in full.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon.
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Original text here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-or/pr/portland-resident-pleads-guilty-damaging-federal-property
National Science Board: Extraordinary Possibility
ARLINGTON, Virginia, Jan. 31 -- The National Science Board issued the following news:
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Extraordinary Possibility
As 2026 begins, the National Science Board (NSB) reflects on remarkable achievements during the past year of unprecedented change. As stewards of a long-term strategic vision for the U.S. science and technology (S&T) enterprise, the Board:
* Celebrated NSF as a keystone of U.S. progress and prosperity on its 75th anniversary: Winning the race for the future with the National Science Foundation.
* Demonstrated quantitatively the economic and security impact of NSF investments
... Show Full Article
ARLINGTON, Virginia, Jan. 31 -- The National Science Board issued the following news:
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Extraordinary Possibility
As 2026 begins, the National Science Board (NSB) reflects on remarkable achievements during the past year of unprecedented change. As stewards of a long-term strategic vision for the U.S. science and technology (S&T) enterprise, the Board:
* Celebrated NSF as a keystone of U.S. progress and prosperity on its 75th anniversary: Winning the race for the future with the National Science Foundation.
* Demonstrated quantitatively the economic and security impact of NSF investmentsin data briefs: Winning the Race for the Future and NSF Investments Are Key to U.S. Leadership in AI & Quantum.
* Transformed our Congressionally mandated Science and Engineering Indicators to better inform decision makers by focusing on three topics crucial to U.S. innovation, competitiveness, and national security: Discovery, Talent, and Translation to Impact.
* Published a comprehensive, three-year examination of NSF's Merit Review policy with six recommendations to strengthen NSF transparency and accountability and enhance the delivery of benefits to all Americans, while staying grounded in supporting the most meritorious research.
* Met with national security leaders across the federal S&T enterprise, increasing NSB engagement to better coordinate on how NSF could further contribute to the research and STEM talent development that is vital for achieving U.S. technological dominance to meet and exceed national security mission objectives, including in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and advanced manufacturing.
* Provided timely information and responded to requests from policymakers; engaged with more than 75 decision-makers and stakeholders across multiple sectors on key S&T national priorities, including White House, Congressional, private sector, and academic leaders.
* Provided timely, strategic input to NSF's leadership on agency restructuring in response to Executive Order 14215: "Ensuring Accountability for All Agencies."
As NSF's statutory governing board, we commend NSF leadership and staff for their hard work, dedication, and resilience. They remain steadfast in their commitment to NSF's mission: advancing the progress of science in service of the American people. In 2025, NSF invested more than $8 billion across all fields of science and engineering, all states and territories, across sectors, and in education at each step of the STEM pathway. Last year demonstrated how NSF-funded research continues to deliver benefits across the nation while keeping U.S. scientific research and innovation on the cutting edge for both economic prosperity and national security.
As we look towards 2026, NSF and NSB are not standing still. We are intentionally experimenting with new, targeted programs, policies, and processes while maintaining the critical science and engineering capacity and world-leading infrastructure that is vital to our economy and national security. For our part, NSB is committed to working with the White House, Congress, and NSF leadership to realize a next generation NSF that will deliver benefits, move faster, partner better, and fully realize the agency's unique value.
In 2026, NSB plans to accelerate the transformation to a Next Generation NSF:
* Identify fundamental research and education needs relevant to national security and economic prosperity and develop a portfolio of NSF activities to address these priorities.
* Engage across federal agencies to strategically partner (e.g. with the Department of Energy's Genesis Mission, and the Department of War's Critical Technology Areas), deploying NSF-funded basic research to solve problems and speed translation to application.
* Advance multisectoral initiatives to develop America's STEM talent, from the skilled technical workforce to PhDs - one of the nation's most strategic investments.
* Pursue creation of a non-profit foundation to make it easier for non-federal entities, including industry and philanthropy, to partner with NSF and make federal dollars go further.
* Capitalize on Merit Review reforms to build a strategic, world-leading research portfolio that leverages the perspectives and expertise of people across all sectors.
* Strengthen our partnership with NSF leadership, working together to ensure agency operational readiness for the changed landscape of federal, national, and global S&T.
* Grow NSF's capacity to help realize a Golden Age of American Innovation and demonstrate a transformative approach that results in national and societal outcomes from S&T research.
The future will not be shaped by science alone, but it cannot be shaped without it. At this pivotal moment, the United States must act with urgency, invest with purpose, and collaborate across boundaries. No one sector, agency, or organization can do this alone. Now is the time for us all to work together to transform our S&T enterprise to meet the 21st century world.
The National Science Board extends its deep appreciation to the researchers, students, educators, innovators, policymakers, and public servants whose work sustains our nation's scientific enterprise. Their dedication reminds us that a future of extraordinary possibility is not guaranteed; it is built through the decisions we make, the partnerships we forge, and the curiosity and courage we choose to nurture. Together, we can bring about the next era of scientific discovery, opportunity, and U.S. leadership.
Learn more about the National Science Board (https://www.nsf.gov/nsb/about).
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Original text here: https://www.nsf.gov/nsb/updates/extraordinary-possibility
Fed: Model Perspectives on Supply and Demand Factors Behind a Soft Labor Market
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 -- The Federal Reserve issued the following Fed Notes article:
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Model Perspectives on Supply and Demand Factors behind a Soft Labor Market
Danilo Cascaldi-Garcia and Camilo Morales-Jimenez/1
U.S. employment growth slowed down notably in the second part of 2025, and a key question is how much of the weakness stems from labor demand and how much from labor supply. In this note, we examine this question from the point of view of two different models: a statistical model that uses an intuitive interpretation of the joint behavior of employment and wage growth to infer the
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 -- The Federal Reserve issued the following Fed Notes article:
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Model Perspectives on Supply and Demand Factors behind a Soft Labor Market
Danilo Cascaldi-Garcia and Camilo Morales-Jimenez/1
U.S. employment growth slowed down notably in the second part of 2025, and a key question is how much of the weakness stems from labor demand and how much from labor supply. In this note, we examine this question from the point of view of two different models: a statistical model that uses an intuitive interpretation of the joint behavior of employment and wage growth to infer theeffects of labor supply and demand (VAR), and a structural dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) model that uses a much wider array of data. While other models could also be employed, these two are, by design, well suited for this purpose. Our results point to supply factors as the dominant cause of the cooling labor market, although there also are some signs of weakening demand.
Insights from a statistical model
We start with a two-variable VAR model of private employment gains and real wage growth in the United States, using monthly data through August 2025. The model identifies labor supply and labor demand forces based on the premise that lower demand for workers decreases both employment and wage growth, while lower supply of workers decreases employment but increases wage growth, in the same spirit as Baumeister and Hamilton (2015). Having identified these drivers, we use the model to decompose private employment gains into labor-supply and labor-demand factors. As shown in figure 1, according to this model, and after controlling for the lagged effects of the unusual COVID-19 shock in early 2020 (the pink bars), supply forces (the green bars) were the prominent drivers of employment gains from 2022 to 2024, coinciding with the large influx of immigrants into the country during that period. Employment gains have fallen since the start of 2025, and with real wage growth decelerating, the model infers that the contribution of labor demand (the blue bars) decreased and then turned negative in the spring. As the slowing in employment gains since then has not been accompanied by a further slowdown in real wage growth, the model attributes it to lower supply, as indicated by the shrinking size of the green bars, even as labor demand remained a small drag. Although the important role for supply in the model is consistent with the reduction in immigration inflows in 2025, there may be other supply-side factors at work.
Figure 1. Historical Decomposition of Private Employment Gains
Insights from a structural model
One way to see if other supply factors beyond the direct mechanical effects of population growth and immigration might be contributing to the decline in employment growth is to focus on the employment-to-population (EPOP) ratio, which has declined 40 basis points between 2025Q3 and 2024Q4. To conduct this further decomposition, we use the model by Cairo et al (2023), a DSGE model that takes into account a broader set of indicators and allows us to identify the contributions of more specific supply and demand./2
Figure 2 plots the DSGE model's estimates of the driving forces behind quarterly changes in the EPOP ratio since 2022 until the third quarter of 2025. To highlight the contribution of relatively recent shocks, we distinguish between contributions of supply and demand shocks occurring since 2022 (the green and blue bars) and the lagged effects of shocks before 2022 (the pink bars); those lagged effects are small for 2025. Comparing the relative sizes of the green and blue bars, the DSGE model views supply shocks as the main reason for the decline in the EPOP ratio in 2025. The intuition behind this result is as follows: While a much lower-than-expected EPOP ratio could have been driven by negative shocks to aggregate demand, these shocks would have also produced a much larger decline in the workweek, GDP growth, and wage inflation than we have seen thus far.
Figure 2. Decomposition of Quarterly Changes in the EPOP Ratio
According to the model, the contribution from aggregate supply shocks mainly comes from a surprisingly weak labor force participation rate and surprisingly strong productivity and workweek hours. In the model, these shocks lead firms to economize on workers, resulting in a lower EPOP ratio. To the extent that demand-side factors have played a role, their negative contributions were mostly driven by adverse direct shocks to demand for investment and consumption of durable goods.
Conclusion
Even though our statistical and structural models react to different data and make different assumptions about how demand and supply shocks are identified, both point to a larger role for supply forces than for demand forces in explaining the softening in the labor market. That said, the models also see some contribution from weak labor demand in 2025.
References
Baumeister, Christiane, and James D. Hamilton (2015), "Sign restrictions, structural vector autoregressions, and useful prior information." Econometrica 83, no. 5 (2015): 1963-1999.
Cairo, Isabel, Hess T. Chung, Francesco Ferrante, Cristina Fuentes-Albero, Camilo Morales-Jimenez, and Damjan Pfajfar (2023), "Endogenous Labor Supply in an Estimated New-Keynesian Model: Nominal versus Real Rigidities," Finance and Economics Discussion Series 2023-069 (Washington: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, November).
Cascaldi-Garcia (2022), "Pandemic Priors," International Finance Discussion Papers 1352 (Washington: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, August).
Appendix
Figure A1. Historical Decomposition of Real Wage Growth
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1./ We thank Stephanie Aaronson, Travis Berge, Hess Chung, Matteo Luciani, Matthias Paustian and our colleagues at the Federal Reserve Board for comments and suggestions. The views expressed in this note are solely the responsibility of the authors and should not be interpreted as reflecting the views of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System or of anyone else associated with the Federal Reserve System. Return to text
2./ For this decomposition, we updated the data used in Cairo et al (2023). Return to text
Please cite this note as:
Cascaldi-Garcia, Danilo, and Camilo Morales-Jimenez (2026). "Model Perspectives on Supply and Demand Factors behind a Soft Labor Market," FEDS Notes. Washington: Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, January 30, 2026, https://doi.org/10.17016/2380-7172.3959.
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Disclaimer: FEDS Notes are articles in which Board staff offer their own views and present analysis on a range of topics in economics and finance. These articles are shorter and less technically oriented than FEDS Working Papers and IFDP papers.
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Original text here: https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/notes/feds-notes/model-perspectives-on-supply-and-demand-factors-behind-a-soft-labor-market-20260130.html
Fed: Inequality in Comprehensive Wealth
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 (TNSres) -- The Federal Reserve issued the following white paper abstract (No. 2026-007) on Jan. 30, 2026, by Hannah Landel, David Love and Paul A. Smith entitled "Inequality in Comprehensive Wealth."
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Inequality in Comprehensive Wealth
Abstract:
We create an annualized measure of comprehensive household wealth using the 1998-2022 waves of the Health and Retirement Study and examine heterogeneity in retirement resources across households, cohorts, and time. We augment traditional net worth with the actuarial present values of expected future payment streams from labor-market
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 (TNSres) -- The Federal Reserve issued the following white paper abstract (No. 2026-007) on Jan. 30, 2026, by Hannah Landel, David Love and Paul A. Smith entitled "Inequality in Comprehensive Wealth."
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Inequality in Comprehensive Wealth
Abstract:
We create an annualized measure of comprehensive household wealth using the 1998-2022 waves of the Health and Retirement Study and examine heterogeneity in retirement resources across households, cohorts, and time. We augment traditional net worth with the actuarial present values of expected future payment streams from labor-marketearnings, Social Security, defined-benefit pensions, annuities, life insurance, and government transfers. We then calculate an annualized measure of that lump sum by converting it into an actuarially fair joint life annuity that we call annualized comprehensive wealth (ACW). We find that the median ACW increases throughout retirement, indicating that the median household is spending down its total resources more slowly than its joint life expectancy is shortening. In addition, we document considerable heterogeneity in the levels and trajectories of ACW across cohorts, education groups, and race. Notably, we find that the pattern of rising ACW is largely driven by college-educated and White households. Other groups show relatively flat or declining trajectories of ACW after retirement. We further explore the heterogeneity of ACW with the help of recentered influence function regressions. We show that inequality in ACW is associated with higher household-specific rates of return, higher education, and greater concentrations of single-headed and Black and Hispanic households.
Keywords: Saving, wealth accumulation, cohort effects, retirement, inequality
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17016/FEDS.2026.007
PDF: Full Paper
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Disclaimer: The economic research that is linked from this page represents the views of the authors and does not indicate concurrence either by other members of the Board's staff or by the Board of Governors. The economic research and their conclusions are often preliminary and are circulated to stimulate discussion and critical comment. The Board values having a staff that conducts research on a wide range of economic topics and that explores a diverse array of perspectives on those topics. The resulting conversations in academia, the economic policy community, and the broader public are important to sharpening our collective thinking.
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View full text here: https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/feds/inequality-in-comprehensive-wealth.htm
[Category: Fed]
FCC Proposes Additional Modernizations to Agency's TRS Rules
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 -- The Federal Communications Commission issued the following statement on Jan. 30, 2026, by Chairman Brendan Carr:
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FCC Proposes Additional Modernizations to Agency's TRS Rules
STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN BRENDAN CARR
Re: Telecommunications Relay Services and Speech to-Speech Services for Individuals with Hearing and Speech Disabilities; Structure and Practices of the Video Relay Service Program; Misuse of Internet Protocol Relay Service, CG Docket Nos. 03-123, 10-51, 12-38, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (January 29, 2026).
Last year marked the 35th Anniversary of the Americans
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 -- The Federal Communications Commission issued the following statement on Jan. 30, 2026, by Chairman Brendan Carr:
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FCC Proposes Additional Modernizations to Agency's TRS Rules
STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN BRENDAN CARR
Re: Telecommunications Relay Services and Speech to-Speech Services for Individuals with Hearing and Speech Disabilities; Structure and Practices of the Video Relay Service Program; Misuse of Internet Protocol Relay Service, CG Docket Nos. 03-123, 10-51, 12-38, Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (January 29, 2026).
Last year marked the 35th Anniversary of the Americanswith Disabilities Act. The FCC plays a critical role in implementing and enforcing the ADA's requirements, including for Telecommunications Relay Services, which allow deaf, hard-of-hearing, or speech impaired individuals to place or receive telephone calls in a functionally equivalent way.
Last fall, we kicked off a proceeding to modernize analog TRS. At the time, I said it was time for the agency to take a first principles approach to accessibility to ensure that the FCC's rules are aligned with modern technology. The technological advancements that necessitated a fresh look at analog TRS also impact IP-based TRS. With today's item, we continue the work we started last year by proposing targeted reforms to Internet-based forms of TRS. This is what I'm calling TRS modernization part two, and this action supports our broader effort to encourage the IP transition. As we make the transition, we are mindful of consumer protection provisions and necessary updates to them like those we propose today.
Principally, we seek comment on changes to improve the provision of IP Relay and Video Relay Service. We also seek comment on streamlining our rules and deleting or updating outdated rules that no longer reflect reality. I look forward to a robust record in this proceeding.
For their great work on this item, I would like to thank Eduard Bartholme, Lisa Wilson Edwards, Michael Scott, William David Wallace, and Joshua Mendelsohn from the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau. I would also like to thank staff from the Office of General Counsel, Office of Economics and Analytics, Office of the Managing Director, Office of Communications Business Opportunities, Wireline Competition Bureau, and Enforcement Bureau for their contributions to this item.
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Original text here: https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/FCC-26-4A2.pdf
BLS Southeast Region Issues Report on Tennessee Job Openings and Labor Turnover November 2025
ATLANTA, Georgia, Jan. 31 (TNSLrpt) -- Tennessee Job Openings and Labor Turnover November 2025 - A report from U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Southeast Region - Jan. 30, 2026
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Tennessee had 162,000 job openings in November 2025, compared to 170,000 openings in October, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table 1.) Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee noted that the job openings rate in Tennessee was 4.5 percent in November and 4.7 percent in the previous month. (See chart 1 and table 2.) The job openings rate nationally was 4.3 percent in November
... Show Full Article
ATLANTA, Georgia, Jan. 31 (TNSLrpt) -- Tennessee Job Openings and Labor Turnover November 2025 - A report from U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Southeast Region - Jan. 30, 2026
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Tennessee had 162,000 job openings in November 2025, compared to 170,000 openings in October, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table 1.) Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee noted that the job openings rate in Tennessee was 4.5 percent in November and 4.7 percent in the previous month. (See chart 1 and table 2.) The job openings rate nationally was 4.3 percent in Novemberand 4.5 percent in October. (See table 3.) All data in this release are seasonally adjusted.
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Chart 1. Job openings rates for the United States and Tennessee, seasonally adjusted
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The ratio of unemployed persons per job opening in Tennessee was 0.8 in November. Nationwide, 37 states and the District of Columbia had ratios in November that were lower than the national ratio of 1.1 unemployed persons per job opening; 10 states had ratios that were higher than the national ratio, and 3 states had ratios equal to the national measure. (See map 1.)
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Map 1. Number of unemployed persons per job opening by state, November 2025, seasonally
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In November, Tennessee had 111,000 hires and 140,000 separations, compared to 117,000 hires and 101,000 separations in October. (See chart 2.) Over the 12 months ending in November, hires have averaged 124,000 per month and separations have averaged 125,000 per month. These averages include workers who may have been hired and separated more than once during the year.
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Chart 2. Hires and total separations in Tennessee, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
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Among the November separations in Tennessee, 92,000 were quits and 44,000 were layoffs and discharges, compared to 59,000 quits and 37,000 layoffs and discharges in October. (See chart 3.) Over the last 12 months, quits averaged 78,000 per month, ranging from 59,000 to 105,000. Layoffs and discharges have averaged 41,000 per month, ranging from 29,000 to 55,000.
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Chart 3. Quits and layoffs and discharges in Tennessee, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
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Federal Government Shutdown
September 2025 state JOLTS estimates reported in this release include partial data that businesses self-reported electronically during the lapse in appropriations and data collected in November following the shutdown. October 2025 data presented in this release were collected in November following the shutdown, as originally planned. The October 2025 unemployment data are unavailable due to the shutdown, and therefore the number of unemployed persons per job opening is also unavailable.
Additionally, BLS temporarily suspended use of the monthly alignment methodology for October 2025 preliminary estimates; use of this methodology will resume with the publication of October 2025 final estimates. See the State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Technical Note for information on state JOLTS alignment methodology.
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Upcoming Change to the JOLTS State Estimates
The national State Job Openings and Labor Turnover news release will move from a monthly news release to an annual news release. The last monthly news release will occur with the December 2025 data published in February 2026. The first annual news release will be in July 2026. Going forward, monthly estimates for the prior calendar year will be published each year along with the annual news release. The annual news release will incorporate benchmark revisions to JOLTS national estimates, updated Current Employment Statistics (CES) employment estimates, and updated Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) data.
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State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey estimates for December 2025 are scheduled to be released on Thursday, February 19, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).
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Technical Note
This news release presents statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). The JOLTS program provides information on labor demand and turnover. The state estimates produced by JOLTS are model-based, incorporating JOLTS sample, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), and Current Employment Statistics (CES) estimates. For more information see the JOLTS State Estimates Methodology.
Job Openings. Job openings include all positions that are open on the last business day of the reference month. A job is open only if it meets all three of these conditions:
* A specific position exists and there is work available for that position.
* The job could start within 30 days.
* The employer is actively recruiting workers from outside the establishment to fill the position.
The number of unemployed persons per job opening is a ratio of the level of unemployed persons and the level of job openings. The number of unemployed persons at the national level is an estimate from the Current Population Survey (CPS), while state-level unemployment estimates are modeled by the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program. A ratio of 1.0 means there is a job available for every unemployed person. Lower ratios signal tighter labor markets, where firms have more job openings than there are unemployed persons available to work. Higher ratios indicate there are more unemployed persons competing for each job opening.
Hires. Hires include all additions to the payroll during the entire reference month.
Separations. Separations include all separations from the payroll during the entire reference month and are reported by type of separation: quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations.
* Quits include employees who left voluntarily, except for retirements or transfers to other locations.
* Layoffs and discharges include involuntary separations initiated by the employer.
* Other separations include retirements, transfers to other locations, separations due to employee disability, and deaths.
Levels and rates of other separations represent a small portion of total separations and are not published with the release of state estimates.
Complete definitions, including exclusions, and additional information about the State JOLTS data presented in this release are available in the State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Technical Note.
Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.
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Table 1. Job openings and labor turnover for Tennessee, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
Table 2. Job openings and labor turnover rates for Tennessee, seasonally adjusted
Table 3. Job openings and labor turnover rates for the United States, seasonally adjusted
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View original text plus charts and tables here: https://www.bls.gov/regions/southeast/news-release/2026/jobopeningslaborturnover_tennessee_20260130.htm
BLS Southeast Region Issues Report on North Carolina Job Openings and Labor Turnover November 2025
ATLANTA, Georgia, Jan. 31 (TNSLrpt) -- North Carolina Job Openings and Labor Turnover November 2025 - A report from U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Southeast Region - Jan. 30, 2026
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North Carolina had 268,000 job openings in November 2025, compared to 252,000 openings in October, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table 1.) Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee noted that the job openings rate in North Carolina was 5.0 percent in November and 4.7 percent in the previous month. (See chart 1 and table 2.) The job openings rate nationally was 4.3 percent
... Show Full Article
ATLANTA, Georgia, Jan. 31 (TNSLrpt) -- North Carolina Job Openings and Labor Turnover November 2025 - A report from U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics Southeast Region - Jan. 30, 2026
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North Carolina had 268,000 job openings in November 2025, compared to 252,000 openings in October, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table 1.) Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee noted that the job openings rate in North Carolina was 5.0 percent in November and 4.7 percent in the previous month. (See chart 1 and table 2.) The job openings rate nationally was 4.3 percentin November and 4.5 percent in October. (See table 3.) All data in this release are seasonally adjusted.
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Chart 1. Job openings rates for the United States and North Carolina, seasonally adjusted
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The ratio of unemployed persons per job opening in North Carolina was 0.8 in November. Nationwide, 37 states and the District of Columbia had ratios in November that were lower than the national ratio of 1.1 unemployed persons per job opening; 10 states had ratios that were higher than the national ratio, and 3 states had ratios equal to the national measure. (See map 1.)
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Map 1. Number of unemployed persons per job opening by state, November 2025, seasonally
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In November, North Carolina had 167,000 hires and 176,000 separations, compared to 178,000 hires and 154,000 separations in October. (See chart 2.) Over the 12 months ending in November, hires have averaged 175,000 per month and separations have averaged 171,000 per month. These averages include workers who may have been hired and separated more than once during the year.
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Chart 2. Hires and total separations in North Carolina, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
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Among the November separations in North Carolina, 123,000 were quits and 48,000 were layoffs and discharges, compared to 93,000 quits and 58,000 layoffs and discharges in October. (See chart 3.) Over the last 12 months, quits averaged 113,000 per month, ranging from 80,000 to 152,000. Layoffs and discharges have averaged 51,000 per month, ranging from 43,000 to 60,000.
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Chart 3. Quits and layoffs and discharges in North Carolina, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
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Federal Government Shutdown
September 2025 state JOLTS estimates reported in this release include partial data that businesses self-reported electronically during the lapse in appropriations and data collected in November following the shutdown. October 2025 data presented in this release were collected in November following the shutdown, as originally planned. The October 2025 unemployment data are unavailable due to the shutdown, and therefore the number of unemployed persons per job opening is also unavailable.
Additionally, BLS temporarily suspended use of the monthly alignment methodology for October 2025 preliminary estimates; use of this methodology will resume with the publication of October 2025 final estimates. See the State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Technical Note for information on state JOLTS alignment methodology.
* * *
Upcoming Change to the JOLTS State Estimates
The national State Job Openings and Labor Turnover news release will move from a monthly news release to an annual news release. The last monthly news release will occur with the December 2025 data published in February 2026. The first annual news release will be in July 2026. Going forward, monthly estimates for the prior calendar year will be published each year along with the annual news release. The annual news release will incorporate benchmark revisions to JOLTS national estimates, updated Current Employment Statistics (CES) employment estimates, and updated Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) data.
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State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey estimates for December 2025 are scheduled to be released on Thursday, February 19, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).
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Technical Note
This news release presents statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). The JOLTS program provides information on labor demand and turnover. The state estimates produced by JOLTS are model-based, incorporating JOLTS sample, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), and Current Employment Statistics (CES) estimates. For more information see the JOLTS State Estimates Methodology.
Job Openings. Job openings include all positions that are open on the last business day of the reference month. A job is open only if it meets all three of these conditions:
* A specific position exists and there is work available for that position.
* The job could start within 30 days.
* The employer is actively recruiting workers from outside the establishment to fill the position.
The number of unemployed persons per job opening is a ratio of the level of unemployed persons and the level of job openings. The number of unemployed persons at the national level is an estimate from the Current Population Survey (CPS), while state-level unemployment estimates are modeled by the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program. A ratio of 1.0 means there is a job available for every unemployed person. Lower ratios signal tighter labor markets, where firms have more job openings than there are unemployed persons available to work. Higher ratios indicate there are more unemployed persons competing for each job opening.
Hires. Hires include all additions to the payroll during the entire reference month.
Separations. Separations include all separations from the payroll during the entire reference month and are reported by type of separation: quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations.
* Quits include employees who left voluntarily, except for retirements or transfers to other locations.
* Layoffs and discharges include involuntary separations initiated by the employer.
* Other separations include retirements, transfers to other locations, separations due to employee disability, and deaths.
Levels and rates of other separations represent a small portion of total separations and are not published with the release of state estimates.
Complete definitions, including exclusions, and additional information about the State JOLTS data presented in this release are available in the State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Technical Note.
Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.
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Table 1. Job openings and labor turnover for North Carolina, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
Table 2. Job openings and labor turnover rates for North Carolina, seasonally adjusted
Table 3. Job openings and labor turnover rates for the United States, seasonally adjusted
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View original text plus charts and tables here: https://www.bls.gov/regions/southeast/news-release/2026/jobopeningslaborturnover_northcarolina_20260130.htm
