Job openings remain high at 5.4 million in May 2015
July 10, 2015
The number of job openings was little changed at 5.4 million on the last business day of May 2015. This is the highest level of job openings in the history of this data series, which BLS began publishing in December 2000. The total number of hires (5.0 million) and separations (4.7 million) were also little changed in May.
Job openings, hires, and separations, seasonally adjusted, January 2001–May 2015
Month
Job openings
Hires
Separations
Jan 2001
5,273,000
5,801,000
5,867,000
Feb 2001
4,706,000
5,434,000
5,412,000
Mar 2001
4,618,000
5,619,000
5,689,000
Apr 2001
4,668,000
5,335,000
5,547,000
May 2001
4,444,000
5,358,000
5,486,000
Jun 2001
4,232,000
5,083,000
5,279,000
Jul 2001
4,354,000
5,173,000
5,250,000
Aug 2001
4,095,000
5,076,000
5,102,000
Sep 2001
3,973,000
4,961,000
5,175,000
Oct 2001
3,594,000
5,016,000
5,437,000
Nov 2001
3,545,000
4,887,000
5,074,000
Dec 2001
3,586,000
4,788,000
4,878,000
Jan 2002
3,587,000
4,900,000
5,107,000
Feb 2002
3,412,000
4,883,000
5,022,000
Mar 2002
3,605,000
4,626,000
4,667,000
Apr 2002
3,357,000
4,930,000
5,008,000
May 2002
3,525,000
4,923,000
5,004,000
Jun 2002
3,325,000
4,821,000
4,811,000
Jul 2002
3,343,000
5,014,000
5,089,000
Aug 2002
3,462,000
4,881,000
4,829,000
Sep 2002
3,319,000
4,870,000
4,879,000
Oct 2002
3,502,000
4,803,000
4,768,000
Nov 2002
3,585,000
4,941,000
4,807,000
Dec 2002
3,074,000
4,930,000
5,043,000
Jan 2003
3,686,000
5,008,000
4,895,000
Feb 2003
3,402,000
4,681,000
4,826,000
Mar 2003
3,101,000
4,444,000
4,684,000
Apr 2003
3,182,000
4,689,000
4,770,000
May 2003
3,201,000
4,618,000
4,722,000
Jun 2003
3,356,000
4,772,000
4,836,000
Jul 2003
3,195,000
4,721,000
4,735,000
Aug 2003
3,239,000
4,666,000
4,695,000
Sep 2003
3,054,000
4,870,000
4,726,000
Oct 2003
3,196,000
4,898,000
4,742,000
Nov 2003
3,316,000
4,726,000
4,648,000
Dec 2003
3,334,000
4,967,000
4,788,000
Jan 2004
3,391,000
4,839,000
4,681,000
Feb 2004
3,437,000
4,690,000
4,622,000
Mar 2004
3,420,000
5,170,000
4,902,000
Apr 2004
3,466,000
5,115,000
4,861,000
May 2004
3,658,000
4,951,000
4,700,000
Jun 2004
3,384,000
4,949,000
4,919,000
Jul 2004
3,835,000
4,858,000
4,837,000
Aug 2004
3,578,000
5,129,000
4,959,000
Sep 2004
3,704,000
4,984,000
4,785,000
Oct 2004
3,779,000
5,122,000
4,739,000
Nov 2004
3,456,000
5,204,000
5,118,000
Dec 2004
3,846,000
5,239,000
5,082,000
Jan 2005
3,595,000
5,187,000
5,048,000
Feb 2005
3,842,000
5,203,000
4,970,000
Mar 2005
3,891,000
5,207,000
5,132,000
Apr 2005
4,115,000
5,291,000
4,952,000
May 2005
3,824,000
5,271,000
5,114,000
Jun 2005
4,018,000
5,286,000
5,065,000
Jul 2005
4,162,000
5,301,000
4,910,000
Aug 2005
4,085,000
5,431,000
5,175,000
Sep 2005
4,227,000
5,429,000
5,291,000
Oct 2005
4,230,000
5,065,000
4,979,000
Nov 2005
4,341,000
5,227,000
4,896,000
Dec 2005
4,249,000
5,057,000
4,962,000
Jan 2006
4,278,000
5,218,000
4,937,000
Feb 2006
4,308,000
5,347,000
5,094,000
Mar 2006
4,537,000
5,294,000
5,051,000
Apr 2006
4,495,000
5,125,000
4,967,000
May 2006
4,432,000
5,470,000
5,435,000
Jun 2006
4,331,000
5,256,000
5,131,000
Jul 2006
4,081,000
5,357,000
5,121,000
Aug 2006
4,411,000
5,208,000
4,963,000
Sep 2006
4,498,000
5,213,000
5,004,000
Oct 2006
4,454,000
5,170,000
5,092,000
Nov 2006
4,622,000
5,469,000
5,290,000
Dec 2006
4,552,000
5,190,000
5,148,000
Jan 2007
4,590,000
5,195,000
5,016,000
Feb 2007
4,481,000
5,178,000
5,151,000
Mar 2007
4,657,000
5,287,000
5,121,000
Apr 2007
4,534,000
5,153,000
5,108,000
May 2007
4,531,000
5,217,000
5,048,000
Jun 2007
4,639,000
5,180,000
5,043,000
Jul 2007
4,430,000
5,106,000
5,101,000
Aug 2007
4,508,000
5,131,000
5,072,000
Sep 2007
4,481,000
5,136,000
5,019,000
Oct 2007
4,278,000
5,203,000
5,075,000
Nov 2007
4,278,000
5,177,000
5,109,000
Dec 2007
4,323,000
5,035,000
4,994,000
Jan 2008
4,223,000
4,868,000
4,937,000
Feb 2008
4,039,000
4,863,000
5,008,000
Mar 2008
4,012,000
4,759,000
4,826,000
Apr 2008
3,850,000
4,857,000
5,077,000
May 2008
4,000,000
4,604,000
4,737,000
Jun 2008
3,670,000
4,782,000
4,919,000
Jul 2008
3,762,000
4,467,000
4,673,000
Aug 2008
3,584,000
4,580,000
4,820,000
Sep 2008
3,210,000
4,297,000
4,721,000
Oct 2008
3,273,000
4,454,000
4,909,000
Nov 2008
3,059,000
3,899,000
4,653,000
Dec 2008
3,049,000
4,271,000
4,847,000
Jan 2009
2,763,000
4,111,000
4,873,000
Feb 2009
2,794,000
4,004,000
4,715,000
Mar 2009
2,493,000
3,697,000
4,565,000
Apr 2009
2,271,000
3,870,000
4,670,000
May 2009
2,413,000
3,736,000
4,115,000
Jun 2009
2,388,000
3,649,000
4,142,000
Jul 2009
2,146,000
3,807,000
4,223,000
Aug 2009
2,294,000
3,734,000
4,014,000
Sep 2009
2,434,000
3,846,000
4,062,000
Oct 2009
2,376,000
3,746,000
3,960,000
Nov 2009
2,419,000
3,966,000
3,909,000
Dec 2009
2,490,000
3,819,000
3,968,000
Jan 2010
2,706,000
3,903,000
3,856,000
Feb 2010
2,561,000
3,778,000
3,871,000
Mar 2010
2,652,000
4,189,000
4,004,000
Apr 2010
3,097,000
4,087,000
3,854,000
May 2010
2,900,000
4,368,000
3,863,000
Jun 2010
2,728,000
4,074,000
4,188,000
Jul 2010
2,929,000
4,121,000
4,253,000
Aug 2010
2,869,000
3,914,000
3,978,000
Sep 2010
2,782,000
3,995,000
4,011,000
Oct 2010
3,026,000
4,050,000
3,840,000
Nov 2010
3,072,000
4,110,000
3,952,000
Dec 2010
2,909,000
4,180,000
4,069,000
Jan 2011
2,917,000
3,904,000
3,824,000
Feb 2011
3,065,000
4,035,000
3,862,000
Mar 2011
3,132,000
4,266,000
4,027,000
Apr 2011
3,099,000
4,219,000
3,916,000
May 2011
3,032,000
4,125,000
4,012,000
Jun 2011
3,194,000
4,297,000
4,101,000
Jul 2011
3,417,000
4,180,000
4,052,000
Aug 2011
3,138,000
4,193,000
4,066,000
Sep 2011
3,557,000
4,326,000
4,109,000
Oct 2011
3,422,000
4,217,000
4,069,000
Nov 2011
3,215,000
4,235,000
4,075,000
Dec 2011
3,527,000
4,254,000
4,005,000
Jan 2012
3,653,000
4,296,000
3,960,000
Feb 2012
3,517,000
4,451,000
4,186,000
Mar 2012
3,837,000
4,472,000
4,222,000
Apr 2012
3,627,000
4,305,000
4,246,000
May 2012
3,696,000
4,440,000
4,323,000
Jun 2012
3,785,000
4,338,000
4,278,000
Jul 2012
3,587,000
4,285,000
4,110,000
Aug 2012
3,637,000
4,460,000
4,340,000
Sep 2012
3,614,000
4,220,000
4,054,000
Oct 2012
3,729,000
4,322,000
4,150,000
Nov 2012
3,741,000
4,417,000
4,223,000
Dec 2012
3,640,000
4,361,000
4,050,000
Jan 2013
3,770,000
4,411,000
4,289,000
Feb 2013
4,023,000
4,574,000
4,216,000
Mar 2013
3,891,000
4,289,000
4,201,000
Apr 2013
3,840,000
4,490,000
4,347,000
May 2013
3,829,000
4,554,000
4,335,000
Jun 2013
3,864,000
4,410,000
4,246,000
Jul 2013
3,829,000
4,493,000
4,295,000
Aug 2013
3,893,000
4,647,000
4,413,000
Sep 2013
3,955,000
4,651,000
4,480,000
Oct 2013
4,076,000
4,458,000
4,261,000
Nov 2013
4,073,000
4,616,000
4,307,000
Dec 2013
3,977,000
4,545,000
4,407,000
Jan 2014
3,906,000
4,600,000
4,473,000
Feb 2014
4,160,000
4,698,000
4,486,000
Mar 2014
4,210,000
4,744,000
4,519,000
Apr 2014
4,417,000
4,790,000
4,522,000
May 2014
4,608,000
4,805,000
4,543,000
Jun 2014
4,710,000
4,820,000
4,523,000
Jul 2014
4,726,000
5,003,000
4,711,000
Aug 2014
4,925,000
4,792,000
4,569,000
Sep 2014
4,678,000
5,061,000
4,829,000
Oct 2014
4,849,000
5,106,000
4,906,000
Nov 2014
4,886,000
5,026,000
4,628,000
Dec 2014
4,877,000
5,239,000
4,901,000
Jan 2015
4,965,000
4,994,000
4,834,000
Feb 2015
5,144,000
5,011,000
4,793,000
Mar 2015
5,109,000
5,088,000
5,065,000
Apr 2015
5,334,000
5,034,000
4,895,000
May 2015(p)
5,363,000
5,000,000
4,743,000
The number of job openings increased over the 12 months ending in May for total nonfarm, total private, and government (not seasonally adjusted). Job openings rose over the year for many industries, including retail trade, professional and business services, and health care and social assistance. Job openings decreased over the year in mining and logging and in arts, entertainment, and recreation. The number of job openings increased over the year in the South, Midwest, and West regions.
These data are from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey . To learn more, see “Job Openings and Labor Turnover — May 2015” (HTML ) (PDF ). You can find more charts on job openings, hires, and employment separations in Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey Highlights: May 2015 (PDF). Data for the most recent month are preliminary and subject to revision.
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