Industries where job openings are increasing and decreasing most
Canva
Industries where job openings are increasing and decreasing most
Graphic-designed image of silhouettes of people working overlayed with a photo of an industrial area.
After battling months of persistent inflation, the Federal Reserve announced in May 2023 that it would hike interest rates for the 10th time since March 2022. At the same time, wages continued to grow—a sign that perhaps the economy isn’t cooling as quickly as the Federal Reserve would like.
The job market also remained strong, with employers adding 253,000 jobs in April 2023. During the month, the number of open jobs grew to about 10.1 million—up nearly 4% from March, but still down about 14% from the prior year, Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows.
To discover which industries are driving the job market, Stacker used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover report to see which industries grew job openings in April and which saw open positions shrink. Industries are ranked by the percent change in job openings from April 2022 to 2023. Monthly data is preliminary.
The bureau records job openings on the last business day of the month and calculates the rate as a percent of total employment plus job openings within the industry. Read through the list to gather a snapshot of the economic activity across categories—retail, health care, manufacturing, and more.
Canva
#17. Information
Two people working in front of computers.
– Total job openings, April 2023: 174,000
— Annual change: -100,000 (down 36.5%)
— One-month change: -7,000 (down 3.9%)
– Job openings rate: 5.3%
rawpixel.com // Shutterstock
#16. Real estate and rental and leasing
A real estate agent handing over keys.
– Total job openings, April 2023: 102,000
— Annual change: -54,000 (down 34.6%)
— One-month change: -28,000 (down 21.5%)
– Job openings rate: 4.0%
Canva
#15. Manufacturing
A person wearing safety goggles in a lab.
– Total job openings, April 2023: 676,000
— Annual change: -348,000 (down 34.0%)
— One-month change: -26,000 (down 3.7%)
– Job openings rate: 4.9%
Canva
#14. Mining and logging
A construction worker holding a walkie talkie overseeing a worksite in a rural area..
– Total job openings, April 2023: 31,000
— Annual change: -11,000 (down 26.2%)
— One-month change: 1,000 (up 3.3%)
– Job openings rate: 4.6%
Canva
#13. Professional and business services
Two business people sat beside each other in front of charts on paper and a laptop.
– Total job openings, April 2023: 1.7 million
— Annual change: -561,000 (down 24.3%)
— One-month change: -57,000 (down 3.2%)
– Job openings rate: 7.1%
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
#12. Retail trade
Two people behind the counter at a clothing store.
– Total job openings, April 2023: 942,000
— Annual change: -179,000 (down 16.0%)
— One-month change: 209,000 (up 28.5%)
– Job openings rate: 5.7%
Canva
#11. Accommodation and food services
Two people smiling and working in a commercial kitchen.
– Total job openings, April 2023: 1.1 million
— Annual change: -214,000 (down 15.8%)
— One-month change: -80,000 (down 6.6%)
– Job openings rate: 7.5%
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
#10. State and local education
A teacher reading a book to young students sitting on the floor.
– Total job openings, April 2023: 298,000
— Annual change: -54,000 (down 15.3%)
— One-month change: -23,000 (down 7.2%)
– Job openings rate: 2.8%
Canva
#9. Wholesale trade
Workers examining cardboard boxes coming down a conveyor belt.
– Total job openings, April 2023: 261,000
— Annual change: -45,000 (down 14.7%)
— One-month change: -35,000 (down 11.8%)
– Job openings rate: 4.1%
Canva
#8. Construction
The silhouette of two workers standing on scaffolding with the sky in the background.
– Total job openings, April 2023: 383,000
— Annual change: -35,000 (down 8.4%)
— One-month change: 68,000 (up 21.6%)
– Job openings rate: 4.6%
Canva
#7. Health care and social assistance
Two health care workers talking while looking at a tablet in a health center.
– Total job openings, April 2023: 1.9 million
— Annual change: -127,000 (down 6.2%)
— One-month change: 185,000 (up 10.7%)
– Job openings rate: 8.2%
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock
#6. State and local government
Two people sitting at their desks and talking in an office.
– Total job openings, April 2023: 535,000
— Annual change: -35,000 (down 6.1%)
— One-month change: -45,000 (down 7.8%)
– Job openings rate: 5.5%
Note: This category excludes education, which is counted separately.
Canva
#5. Educational services
An instructor stands at the front of a class full of students.
– Total job openings, April 2023: 189,000
— Annual change: 0 (up 0.0%)
— One-month change: -21,000 (down 10.0%)
– Job openings rate: 4.6%
Canva
#4. Transportation, warehousing, and utilities
A row of parked semi trucks.
– Total job openings, April 2023: 561,000
— Annual change: 26,000 (up 4.9%)
— One-month change: 154,000 (up 37.8%)
– Job openings rate: 7.1%
Canva
#3. Finance and insurance
Two people working at their computers in an office with charts on their screens.
– Total job openings, April 2023: 412,000
— Annual change: 34,000 (up 9.0%)
— One-month change: 63,000 (up 18.1%)
– Job openings rate: 5.8%
create jobs 51 // Shutterstock
#2. Federal government
A person in a suit writing on a piece of paper.
– Total job openings, April 2023: 130,000
— Annual change: 23,000 (up 21.5%)
— One-month change: -3,000 (down 2.3%)
– Job openings rate: 4.3%
Canva
#1. Arts, entertainment, and recreation
Several members of an orchestra playing their string instruments.
– Total job openings, April 2023: 237,000
— Annual change: 81,000 (up 51.9%)
— One-month change: -6,000 (down 2.5%)
– Job openings rate: 8.9%
