Information Sector Job Openings (NAICS 51)

Job openings in the information sector (NAICS 51)

Data from

Where the Information Sector Job Openings (NAICS 51) stands now

The Information Sector Job Openings (NAICS 51) was 116,000 in September 2026. Since 2010 it has ranged from 53,000 in March 2010 to 274,000 in April 2022. It has been higher than the month before for two months in a row.

How the Information Sector Job Openings (NAICS 51) has moved since 2010

Information-sector job openings, September 2026: 116,000, the highest since August 2025

Information-sector job openings (NAICS 51), JOLTS, seasonally adjusted: 116,000 in September 2026. Monthly, 2010–2026.

0 100K 200K 300K 2010201520202026 high · Apr 2022 · 274K low · Mar 2010 · 53K 116K Sep 2026 0 100K 200K 300K 2010201520202026 274K 53K 116K
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, JOLTS (JTS510000000000000JOL) · Jan 2010 – Sep 2026 American Default Research · americandefault.org/indicators/the-tech-drought/
Download data (CSV)

What the Information Sector Job Openings (NAICS 51) measures

A lower count is worse for households.

Information Sector Job Openings (NAICS 51) by month, 2010 to 2026

Every month since 2010, newest first. The change compares each month with the same month a year earlier.

Download the data: CSV · JSON

Month Count Change from a year earlier
Sep 2026 116K —
Aug 2026 91K −50K
Jul 2026 78K −79K
Jun 2026 89K −34K
May 2026 72K −37K
Apr 2026 82K −52K
Mar 2026 83K −32K
Feb 2026 80K −45K
Jan 2026 100K −1K
Dec 2025 112K +7K
Nov 2025 88K −31K
Oct 2025 117K —
Sep 2025 119K —
Aug 2025 141K +36K
Jul 2025 157K +52K
Jun 2025 123K +15K
May 2025 109K −11K
Apr 2025 134K +47K
Mar 2025 115K −29K
Feb 2025 125K −4K
Jan 2025 101K −59K
Dec 2024 105K −36K
Nov 2024 119K −31K
Oct 2024 178K +77K
Sep 2024 114K +17K
Aug 2024 105K −50K
Jul 2024 105K −43K
Jun 2024 108K −48K
May 2024 120K −47K
Apr 2024 87K −59K
Mar 2024 144K −1K
Feb 2024 129K −15K
Jan 2024 160K +59K
Dec 2023 141K +61K
Nov 2023 150K −73K
Oct 2023 101K −114K
Sep 2023 97K −119K
Aug 2023 155K −52K
Jul 2023 148K −83K
Jun 2023 156K −98K
May 2023 167K −82K
Apr 2023 146K −128K
Mar 2023 145K −117K
Feb 2023 144K −98K
Jan 2023 101K −137K
Dec 2022 80K −169K
Nov 2022 223K +7K
Oct 2022 215K +7K
Sep 2022 216K +15K
Aug 2022 207K −9K
Jul 2022 231K +15K
Jun 2022 254K +89K
May 2022 249K +98K
Apr 2022 274K +146K
Mar 2022 262K +155K
Feb 2022 242K +133K
Jan 2022 238K +68K
Dec 2021 249K +126K
Nov 2021 216K +107K
Oct 2021 208K +82K
Sep 2021 201K +91K
Aug 2021 216K +130K
Jul 2021 216K +137K
Jun 2021 165K +59K
May 2021 151K +58K
Apr 2021 128K +10K
Mar 2021 107K −14K
Feb 2021 109K −29K
Jan 2021 170K +40K
Dec 2020 123K −18K
Nov 2020 109K −34K
Oct 2020 126K −22K
Sep 2020 110K −68K
Aug 2020 86K −42K
Jul 2020 79K −72K
Jun 2020 106K −24K
May 2020 93K −36K
Apr 2020 118K +4K
Mar 2020 121K −31K
Feb 2020 138K 0
Jan 2020 130K −13K
Dec 2019 141K +11K
Nov 2019 143K +8K
Oct 2019 148K +5K
Sep 2019 178K +57K
Aug 2019 128K −18K
Jul 2019 151K +3K
Jun 2019 130K −3K
May 2019 129K +1K
Apr 2019 114K −63K
Mar 2019 152K +22K
Feb 2019 138K +9K
Jan 2019 143K +15K
Dec 2018 130K +5K
Nov 2018 135K +38K
Oct 2018 143K +52K
Sep 2018 121K +15K
Aug 2018 146K +26K
Jul 2018 148K +50K
Jun 2018 133K +21K
May 2018 128K +18K
Apr 2018 177K +75K
Mar 2018 130K +44K
Feb 2018 129K +59K
Jan 2018 128K +40K
Dec 2017 125K +44K
Nov 2017 97K +15K
Oct 2017 91K +6K
Sep 2017 106K +4K
Aug 2017 120K +41K
Jul 2017 98K +18K
Jun 2017 112K +22K
May 2017 110K −4K
Apr 2017 102K +18K
Mar 2017 86K −3K
Feb 2017 70K −24K
Jan 2017 88K −23K
Dec 2016 81K −30K
Nov 2016 82K +12K
Oct 2016 85K −27K
Sep 2016 102K −14K
Aug 2016 79K −37K
Jul 2016 80K −45K
Jun 2016 90K −23K
May 2016 114K +5K
Apr 2016 84K −25K
Mar 2016 89K −21K
Feb 2016 94K −36K
Jan 2016 111K 0
Dec 2015 111K +4K
Nov 2015 70K −56K
Oct 2015 112K +26K
Sep 2015 116K +13K
Aug 2015 116K +5K
Jul 2015 125K +13K
Jun 2015 113K +12K
May 2015 109K −4K
Apr 2015 109K −5K
Mar 2015 110K +5K
Feb 2015 130K +23K
Jan 2015 111K 0
Dec 2014 107K −6K
Nov 2014 126K +12K
Oct 2014 86K −39K
Sep 2014 103K +3K
Aug 2014 111K +40K
Jul 2014 112K +7K
Jun 2014 101K −3K
May 2014 113K +12K
Apr 2014 114K +48K
Mar 2014 105K +6K
Feb 2014 107K −1K
Jan 2014 111K +34K
Dec 2013 113K +27K
Nov 2013 114K +10K
Oct 2013 125K +39K
Sep 2013 100K +5K
Aug 2013 71K −20K
Jul 2013 105K +30K
Jun 2013 104K −1K
May 2013 101K +17K
Apr 2013 66K −38K
Mar 2013 99K −1K
Feb 2013 108K +13K
Jan 2013 77K −11K
Dec 2012 86K −24K
Nov 2012 104K +9K
Oct 2012 86K −29K
Sep 2012 95K −22K
Aug 2012 91K −16K
Jul 2012 75K −32K
Jun 2012 105K +11K
May 2012 84K −23K
Apr 2012 104K +9K
Mar 2012 100K −8K
Feb 2012 95K +27K
Jan 2012 88K +2K
Dec 2011 110K +30K
Nov 2011 95K +21K
Oct 2011 115K +56K
Sep 2011 117K +53K
Aug 2011 107K +23K
Jul 2011 107K +10K
Jun 2011 94K +36K
May 2011 107K +27K
Apr 2011 95K +22K
Mar 2011 108K +55K
Feb 2011 68K −7K
Jan 2011 86K 0
Dec 2010 80K —
Nov 2010 74K —
Oct 2010 59K —
Sep 2010 64K —
Aug 2010 84K —
Jul 2010 97K —
Jun 2010 58K —
May 2010 80K —
Apr 2010 73K —
Mar 2010 53K —
Feb 2010 75K —
Jan 2010 86K —

Monthly · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, JOLTS (JTS510000000000000JOL)

Counties with the highest labor scores

There's no county figure for this measure, so this list uses the labor part of our County Distress Index.

Rank County Score (0–100)
1 Apache County, AZ 99.2
2 Mingo County, WV 98.7
3 Navajo County, AZ 97.3
4 Luna County, NM 97.2
5 McKinley County, NM 96.8
6 Lake County, CA 96.8
7 Clare County, MI 96.6
8 Harlan County, KY 96.2
9 Wyoming County, WV 96.2
10 Pike County, KY 96.1

All 3,144 counties →

Questions about tech job openings

How many job openings are there in the information sector?

BLS's preliminary estimate for September 2026 is 116,000. The count is revised the following month.

Is this a count of all tech job openings?

No. It covers employers classified in the information sector, which includes publishing, telecommunications, data processing, broadcasting and film. Custom software and computer consulting firms are counted in professional services, and tech roles at banks, retailers and other companies count in those industries.

Does this series measure the effect of AI on hiring?

No. JOLTS counts openings by industry and gives no cause for changes in them, from artificial intelligence or anything else.

Where does this data come from?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics' Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, which samples about 21,000 employers each month. National industry figures come out about a month after the month they describe; BLS publishes industry detail only for the country as a whole, not by state.

Cite this Information Sector Job Openings (NAICS 51): 116,000, Sep 2026 · American Default Research, from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · americandefault.org/indicators/the-tech-drought/

Sources and method for the Information Sector Job Openings (NAICS 51)

  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, JOLTS (JTS510000000000000JOL) We use the monthly figures as published, from January 2010 through September 2026, with no adjustment of our own. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’s report

We write with assistance from AI tools. Figures come from the data and sources named on this page.