September 2026 Jobs Recap: U.S. Labor Demand Improves, Hiring Cycle Remains Extended

Key Takeaways:

• Hiring momentum gained traction: Active job listings rose 4.3% in September 2026, to 5.23 million from 5.01 million in August, supported by an overall recovery in macro hiring momentum.  

• Broad-based industry gains: Industries that saw an increase in job postings include Manufacturing (13.4k), Finance and Insurance (11.2k), and Construction (2.0k). However, Administrative and Support, and Waste Management and Remediation Services saw the largest decrease (-3.5k) 

• Major occupation gains: Architecture and Engineering occupations experienced the largest gain (23.9k) followed by Management (19.4k), and Healthcare Practitioners and Technical (5.8k). 

U.S. Job Listings by Month | September 2025 - September 2026 

LinkUp 10,000

The LinkUp 10,000 is an analytic published daily and monthly that captures the total U.S. job openings from the 10,000 global employers in LinkUp’s jobs dataset with the most U.S. openings.

In September 2026, the LinkUp 10,000 registered 4.9 million job listings, up by 4.4% from August, driven by recovery in labor market. Notably, job listings remained above September 2025 levels, marking an 18.9% year-over-year increase. 

Monthly LinkUp 10,000 | September 2025 - September 2026 

Jobs Data By Industry (NAICS)

Industries that experienced the largest gains in job openings: 

• Manufacturing (13.4k)  

• Finance and Insurance (11.2k) 

• Construction (2.0k) 

Industries in September, with largest drops in job openings:  

• Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services (-3.5k) 

• Transportation and Warehousing (-0.1k) 

• Accommodation and Food Services (-0.05k) 

Job Listings by Industry (NAICS) | September 2026

This chart displays the change in job listings across various industries, categorized by NAICS codes.

Industry Spotlight: Manufacturing

The Manufacturing sector saw an increase of 13.4k job openings in September 2026, outpacing the broader U.S. labor market. Growth was supported by hiring activity among employers in areas such as defense and aerospace. Hiring appeared to be weighed more toward design and technical roles than production roles, suggesting a focus on planning and capacity-building.   

Jobs Data By Occupation (O*NET)

Occupations that experienced the largest gains in September: 

• Architecture and Engineering (23.9k) 

• Management (19.4k) 

• Healthcare Practitioners and Technical (5.8k) 

Occupation with largest drops: 

• Food Preparation and Serving Related (-2.3k) 

• Community and Social Service (-1.6k) 

• Protective Service (-1.6k) 

Job Listings by Occupation (O*NET) |September 2026

This chart displays the change in job listings across various occupations, categorized by O*NET codes.

Occupation Spotlight: Architecture and Engineering

The Architecture and Engineering occupations saw an increase of 23.9k job openings in September 2026, led by conventional engineering disciplines consistent with investment in infrastructure sectors. 

Closed Duration

Closed duration, or the average number of days job listings remain live on company websites before removal, tracks hiring velocity across the U.S. economy. As the average duration increases, hiring velocity slows.

In September, the closed duration continued to rise, reaching 50 days from 43.2 days in August, indicating that job listings remained live on corporate websites for a longer period and that the overall time required to fill roles had increased. The increase in closed duration indicates that the companies are taking to close open positions either looking for specific talent or due to labour shortages. 

Closed Duration by Month | September 2025 - September 2026 

Jobs Data by State 

During the month of September, 85% of the U.S. states saw an increase in job listings from August. The states that saw the largest increases: 

• Puerto Rico (9.5%) 

• South Dakota (6.5%) 

• Iowa (6.3%) 

The states with largest drops in September were: 

• Wyoming (-4.2%) 

• Montana (-3.6%) 

• Washington, D.C.  (-2.7%) 

Percent Change in Active Job Listings by State (Month-Over-Month) | September 2026 

DATA DISCLAIMERS

LinkUp’s monthly data recaps incorporate revisions to previously-reported monthly data with the purpose of reporting the most accurate and up-to-date data points. For more information on what circumstances may impact data revisions, visit our Data Support Center.