States with the most job openings in April

There were about 8.1 million open jobs in the United States at the end of April, according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Stacker used BLS data to rank states by their job opening rates in April, using the number of job openings as a tiebreaker when needed. BLS calculates job opening rates as the number of job openings per total jobs—filled or open—in a state. April estimates are preliminary.

Job openings are down from their peak in early 2022. While they remain higher than in any previous decade in recent history, they are inching closer to pre-COVID norms. Still, job openings in April 2024 were up about 787,000 from the same month in 2019.

The national job openings rate was 4.8% in April—meaning close to 5 in 100 jobs in the economy are unfilled. Rates were high in the leisure and hospitality sector as entertainment, accommodation, food services, and recreation establishments have staffed up for the busy summer season. Industries such as health care and professional/business services have also experienced high job-opening rates for months as they struggle to recruit and retain employees. Many companies with job openings report having few or no qualified applicants.

Labor market trends vary widely by locale, with job-opening rates ranging from 3.4-6.9% in various states. Keep reading to see where job openings in your home state rank.

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