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Economic News Release
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Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey News Release


Technical information:      (202) 691-5870        USDL 09-0778
                   http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
                                                  For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:              (202) 691-5902        Tuesday, July 7, 2009


              JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER:  MAY 2009


     On the last business day of May job openings in the U.S. numbered
2.6 million, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of
Labor reported today.  The hires rate at 3.0 percent in May was at the
lowest point since the series began in December 2000.  The total
separations rate at 3.3 percent declined over the month.  This release
includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and
separations for the total nonfarm sector by industry and geographic
region.

Job Openings
     The job openings rate remained unchanged in May at 1.9 percent.
In May, the job openings rate increased significantly in retail trade;
the rate decreased significantly in accommodation and food services
and state and local government.  Since May 2008, the number of job
openings has declined by 1.5 million, or 36 percent.  (See table 1.)
     
     Over the 12 months ending in May, the job openings rate (not
seasonally adjusted) fell significantly in the majority of industries.
Federal government experienced a significant increase in the job
openings rate.  The job openings rate declined significantly in all
four regions.  (See table 5.)

                              - 2 -


Table A.  Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally
adjusted
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   |    Job openings    |       Hires        | Total separations
                   |--------------------------------------------------------------
     Industry      | May  | Apr. | May  | May  | Apr. | May  | May  | Apr. | May
                   | 2008 | 2009 | 2009p| 2008 | 2009 | 2009p| 2008 | 2009 | 2009p
-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
                   |                     Levels (in thousands)
                   |--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........|4,009 |2,513 |2,554 |4,726 |4,117 |3,980 |4,933 |4,641 |4,359
                   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
 Total private(1)..|3,577 |2,042 |2,221 |4,406 |3,822 |3,706 |4,641 |4,362 |4,082
  Construction.....|  162 |   29 |   39 |  381 |  341 |  348 |  428 |  437 |  408
  Manufacturing....|  280 |   95 |   91 |  318 |  236 |  204 |  360 |  390 |  365
  Trade, trans-    |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
   portation, and  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
   utilities(2)....|  649 |  332 |  430 |  910 |  888 |  837 |  973 |  982 |  927
   Retail trade....|  402 |  205 |  302 |  640 |  655 |  580 |  672 |  678 |  595
  Professional     |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
   and business    |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
   services........|  681 |  461 |  520 |  868 |  733 |  729 |  908 |  839 |  795
  Education and    |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
   health ser-     |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
   vices...........|  728 |  515 |  537 |  540 |  475 |  468 |  502 |  462 |  422
  Leisure and      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
   hospitality.....|  575 |  322 |  269 |  900 |  691 |  693 |  916 |  716 |  707
   Arts, enter-    |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
    tainment and   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
    recreation.....|   72 |   22 |   17 |  130 |   86 |   78 |  141 |  102 |   86
   Accommodation   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
    and food       |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
    services.......|  491 |  312 |  248 |  759 |  603 |  612 |  766 |  612 |  613
 Government(3).....|  435 |  461 |  344 |  317 |  340 |  326 |  296 |  255 |  265
  State and local  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
   government......|  379 |  307 |  261 |  293 |  246 |  257 |  268 |  243 |  250
                   |--------------------------------------------------------------
                   |                       Rates (percent)
                   |--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........|  2.8 |  1.9 |  1.9 |  3.4 |  3.1 |  3.0 |  3.6 |  3.5 |  3.3
                   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
 Total private(1)..|  3.0 |  1.8 |  2.0 |  3.8 |  3.5 |  3.4 |  4.0 |  4.0 |  3.7
  Construction.....|  2.2 |  0.5 |  0.6 |  5.2 |  5.4 |  5.5 |  5.9 |  6.9 |  6.5
  Manufacturing....|  2.0 |  0.8 |  0.8 |  2.3 |  1.9 |  1.7 |  2.7 |  3.2 |  3.0
  Trade, trans-    |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
   portation, and  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
   utilities(2)....|  2.4 |  1.3 |  1.7 |  3.4 |  3.5 |  3.3 |  3.7 |  3.9 |  3.7
   Retail trade....|  2.5 |  1.4 |  2.0 |  4.1 |  4.4 |  3.9 |  4.4 |  4.6 |  4.0
  Professional     |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
   and business    |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
   services........|  3.7 |  2.7 |  3.0 |  4.9 |  4.4 |  4.4 |  5.1 |  5.0 |  4.7
  Education and    |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
   health ser-     |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
   vices...........|  3.7 |  2.6 |  2.7 |  2.9 |  2.5 |  2.4 |  2.7 |  2.4 |  2.2
  Leisure and      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
   hospitality.....|  4.1 |  2.4 |  2.0 |  6.7 |  5.3 |  5.3 |  6.8 |  5.4 |  5.4
   Arts, enter-    |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
    tainment and   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
    recreation.....|  3.5 |  1.1 |  0.9 |  6.6 |  4.5 |  4.1 |  7.1 |  5.4 |  4.6
   Accommodation   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
    and food       |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
    services.......|  4.1 |  2.7 |  2.2 |  6.6 |  5.4 |  5.4 |  6.7 |  5.4 |  5.4
 Government(3).....|  1.9 |  2.0 |  1.5 |  1.4 |  1.5 |  1.4 |  1.3 |  1.1 |  1.2
  State and local  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
   government......|  1.9 |  1.5 |  1.3 |  1.5 |  1.2 |  1.3 |  1.4 |  1.2 |  1.3
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, and
other services, not shown separately.
  2 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not
shown separately.
  3 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
  p = preliminary.


Hires
     The hires level was little changed at 4.0 million in May.  The
hires rate was 3.0 percent in May.  The hires rate declined
significantly in retail trade but did not change significantly in the
remaining industries.  Regionally, the South experienced a significant
decrease in the hires rate.  The hires rate for the remaining regions
did not change significantly.  (See table 2.)
     
     Over the 12 months ending in May, the hires rate (not seasonally
adjusted) increased significantly in federal government due to hiring
of temporary workers for Census 2010.  The hires level

                              - 3 -

decreased significantly over the year for total nonfarm, falling by 829,000
or 16 percent since May 2008.   Total private and many industries showed
significant declines in the hires rate including mining and logging;
durable goods manufacturing; real estate and rental and leasing;
health care and social assistance; arts, entertainment, and
recreation; accommodation and food services; and state and local
government.  Regionally, the hires rate dropped significantly over the
past 12 months in the Midwest, South, and West.  The rate did not
change significantly in the Northeast.  (See table 6.)

Separations
     Total separations includes quits (voluntary separations), layoffs
and discharges (involuntary separations), and other separations
(including retirements).  The total separations, or turnover, rate
(seasonally adjusted) decreased to 3.3 percent in May.  The total
separations rate (not seasonally adjusted) decreased significantly
over the 12 months ending in May for total nonfarm, total private, and
government.  (See tables 3 and 7.)
     
     The quits rate can serve as a measure of workers’ willingness or
ability to change jobs.  Although the rate was unchanged over the
month at 1.3 percent in May, it remained at the lowest point in the 8-
year series.  Quits have fallen to 1.7 million, a decline of 904,000
or 34 percent since May 2008. (See table 4.)
     
     Over the 12 months ending in May, the quits rate (not seasonally
adjusted) was significantly lower for total nonfarm, total private,
and government.  The majority of industries experienced a significant
decline in the quits rate.  The quits rate did not rise significantly
over the past 12 months in any industry.  The quits rate fell
significantly over the past 12 months in all four regions. (See table
8.)
     
     The layoffs and discharges component of total separations is
seasonally adjusted at the total nonfarm, total private, and
government levels.  Layoffs and discharges in May were 2.3 million for
total nonfarm, 2.2 million for total private, and 121,000 for
government, corresponding to layoffs and discharges rates of 1.7
percent, 2.0 percent, and 0.5 percent, respectively.  The layoffs and
discharges rate did not change significantly in May for total nonfarm,
total private, or government.
     
     Over the 12 months ending in May, the layoffs and discharges rate
(not seasonally adjusted) rose significantly for total nonfarm, total
private, and many industries including mining and logging;
construction; durable goods manufacturing; wholesale trade; finance
and insurance; and professional and business services.  The rate
decreased significantly in health care and social assistance and arts,
entertainment, and recreation.  In the remaining industries, the
layoffs and discharges rate did not change significantly.  The Midwest
was the only region to experience a significant increase in the
layoffs and discharges rate over the 12 months ending in May; the
remaining regions did not change significantly.  (See table 9.)
     

Table B.  Layoffs and discharges by industry, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------
                   | Levels (in thousands) |        Rates
                   |------------------------------------------------
     Industry      |  May  |  Apr. |  May  |  May  |  Apr. |  May
                   |  2008 |  2009 |  2009p|  2008 |  2009 |  2009p
-------------------|------------------------------------------------
Total..............| 1,988 | 2,513 | 2,311 |  1.4  |  1.9  |  1.7
 Total private.....| 1,871 | 2,378 | 2,196 |  1.6  |  2.2  |  2.0
 Government....... |   108 |   119 |   121 |  0.5  |  0.5  |  0.5
--------------------------------------------------------------------
  p = preliminary.


                              - 4 -
     
     The other separations series is not seasonally adjusted.  In May,
there were 287,000 other separations for total nonfarm, 242,000 for
total private, and 45,000 for government.  Compared to May 2008, the
number of other separations was little changed for total nonfarm,
total private, and government.  (See table 10.)

     The total separations level is influenced by the relative
contribution of its three components—quits, layoffs and discharges,
and other separations.  The percentage of total separations at the
total nonfarm level attributable to the individual components has
varied over time.  The proportion of quits decreased from 59 percent
in January 2008 to 38 percent in April 2009.  Quits made up 40 percent
of total separations in May 2009.  The proportion of layoffs and
discharges increased from 33 percent in August 2006 to 54 percent in
April 2009.  Layoffs and discharges made up 53 percent of total
separations in May 2009.  (See tables 3 and 4, and table B above.)

Net Change in Employment
     In each month from June 2008 to May 2009, separations exceeded
hires.  Over the 12 months ending in May, hires totaled 52.9 million
and separations totaled 57.8 million yielding a net employment loss of
4.9 million.

For More Information
     For additional information, please read the Technical Note
attached to this release, visit the JOLTS Web site at
www.bls.gov/jlt/, send e-mail to Joltsinfo@bls.gov, or call (202) 691-
5870.
     
          __________________________________________
     
     The Job Openings and Labor Turnover release for June 2009 is
scheduled to be issued on Wednesday, August 12.



                         - 5 -

Technical Note


  The data for the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS)
are collected and compiled monthly from a sample of business
establishments by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Collection

  In a monthly survey of business establishments, data are
collected for total employment, job openings, hires, quits, layoffs
and discharges, and other separations.  Data collection methods
include computer-assisted telephone interviewing, touchtone data
entry, fax, e-mail, and mail.

Coverage

  The JOLTS program covers all private nonfarm establishments such
as factories, offices, and stores, as well as federal, state, and
local government entities in the 50 states and the District of
Columbia.

Concepts

  Industry classification.  The industry classifications in this
release are in accordance with the 2007 version of the North
American Industry Classification System (NAICS).  In order to
ensure the highest possible quality of data, State Workforce
Agencies verify with employers and update, if necessary, the
industry code, location, and ownership classification of all
establishments on a 3-year cycle.  Changes in establishment
characteristics resulting from the verification process are always
introduced into the JOLTS sampling frame with the data reported for
the first month of the year.

  Employment.  Employment includes persons on the payroll who
worked or received pay for the pay period that includes the 12th
day of the reference month.  Full-time, part-time, permanent, short-
term, seasonal, salaried, and hourly employees are included, as are
employees on paid vacations or other paid leave.  Proprietors or
partners of unincorporated businesses, unpaid family workers, or
persons on leave without pay or on strike for the entire pay
period, are not counted as employed.  Employees of temporary help
agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors, and
consultants are counted by their employer of record, not by the
establishment where they are working.

  Job openings.  Establishments submit job openings information for
the last business day of the reference month.  A job opening
requires that: 1) a specific position exists and there is work
available for that position, 2) work could start within 30 days
regardless of whether a suitable candidate is found, and 3) the
employer is actively recruiting from outside the establishment to
fill the position.  Included are full-time, part-time, permanent,
short-term, and seasonal openings.  Active recruiting means that
the establishment is taking steps to fill a position by advertising
in newspapers or on the Internet, posting help-wanted signs,
accepting applications, or using other similar methods.

  Jobs to be filled only by internal transfers, promotions,
demotions, or recall from layoffs are excluded.  Also excluded are
jobs with start dates more than 30 days in the future, jobs for
which employees have been hired but have not yet reported for work,
and jobs to be filled by employees of temporary help agencies,
employee leasing companies, outside contractors, or consultants.
The job openings rate is computed by dividing the number of job
openings by the sum of employment and job openings and multiplying
that quotient by 100.

  Hires.  Hires are the total number of additions to the payroll
occurring at any time during the reference month, including both
new and rehired employees, full-time and part-time, permanent,
short-term and seasonal employees, employees recalled to the
location after a layoff lasting more than 7 days, on-call or
intermittent employees who returned to work after having been
formally separated, and transfers from other locations.  The hires
count does not include transfers or promotions within the reporting
site, employees returning from strike, employees of temporary help
agencies or employee leasing companies, outside contractors, or
consultants.  The hires rate is computed by dividing the number of
hires by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100.

  Separations.  Separations are the total number of terminations of
employment occurring at any time during the reference month, and
are reported by type of separation--quits, layoffs and discharges,
and other separations.  Quits are voluntary separations by
employees (except for retirements, which are reported as other
separations).  Layoffs and discharges are involuntary separations
initiated by the employer and include layoffs with no intent to
rehire; formal layoffs lasting or expected to last more than 7
days; discharges resulting from mergers, downsizing, or closings;
firings or other discharges for cause; terminations of permanent or
short-term employees; and terminations of seasonal employees.
Other separations include retirements, transfers to other
locations, deaths, and separations due to disability.  Separations
do not include transfers within the same location or employees on
strike.

  The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of
separations by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100.
The quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations rates are
computed similarly, dividing the number by employment and
multiplying by 100.

  Annual estimates.  Annual estimates of rates and levels

                         - 6 -

of hires, quits, layoffs and discharges, other separations, and total
separations are released with the January news release each year.

   The JOLTS annual level estimates for hires, quits, layoffs and
discharges, other separations, and total separations are the sum of
the 12 published monthly levels.  The annual rate estimates are
computed by dividing the annual level by the Current Employment
Statistics (CES) annual average employment level, and multiplying
that quotient by 100.  This figure will be approximately equal to
the sum of the 12 monthly rates.  Note that both the JOLTS and CES
annual levels are rounded to the nearest thousand before the annual
estimates are calculated.  Consistent with BLS practices, annual
estimates are published only for not seasonally adjusted data.

  Annual estimates are not calculated for job openings because job
openings are a stock, or point-in-time, measurement for the last
business day of each month.  Only jobs still open on the last day
of the month are counted.  For the same reason job openings cannot
be cumulated throughout each month, annual figures for job openings
cannot be created by summing the monthly estimates.  Hires and
separations are flow measures and are cumulated over the month with
a total reported for the month.  Therefore, the annual figures can
be created by summing the monthly estimates.

Special Collection Procedures

  An implied measure of employment change can be derived from the
JOLTS data by subtracting separations from hires for a given
month.  Aggregating these monthly changes historically produced
employment levels that overstated employment change as measured by
CES at the total nonfarm level.  Research into this problem showed
that a significant amount of the divergence between the CES
employment levels and the derived JOLTS employment levels was
traceable to the Employment Services industry and to the State
Government Education industry.  In the former industry, businesses
have a difficult time reporting hires and separations of temporary
help workers.  In the latter industry, employers have difficulty
reporting hires and separations of student workers.  BLS now
devotes additional resources to the collection, editing, and review
of data for these industries.  BLS analysts more closely examine
reported data that do not provide a consistent picture over time,
and re-contact the respondents as necessary.  Analysts work with
the respondents to adjust their reporting practices as possible.
Units that cannot be reconciled but are clearly incorrect on a
consistent basis are not used, they are replaced by imputed values
using standard techniques.

Sample and estimation methodology

  The JOLTS survey design is a random sample of 16,000 nonfarm
business establishments, including factories, offices, and stores,
as well as federal, state, and local governments in the 50 states
and the District of Columbia.  The establishments are drawn from a
universe of over 9.1 million establishments compiled as part of the
operations of the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW)
program.  This program includes all employers subject to state
Unemployment Insurance (UI) laws and federal agencies subject to
Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE).

  The sampling frame is stratified by ownership, region, industry
sector, and size class. The JOLTS sample is constructed from
individual panels of sample units drawn on an annual basis. The
full annual sample consists of one certainty panel composed of only
large units selected with virtual certainty based on their size and
24 non-certainty panels.  Each month a new non-certainty panel is
rolled into collection, and the oldest non-certainty panel is
rolled out.  This means that at any given time the JOLTS sample is
constructed from panels from three different annual sampling
frames.  The entire sample of old plus new panels is post-
stratified and re-weighted annually to represent the most recent
sampling frame.  Additionally, the out-of-business establishments
are removed from the old panels.  The annual sample is supplemented
with a quarterly sample of birth establishments (i.e., new
establishments) to better reflect the impact of younger
establishments in the JOLTS sample.

  JOLTS total employment estimates are benchmarked monthly to the
employment estimates of the Current Employment Statistics (CES)
survey.  A ratio of CES to JOLTS employment is used to adjust the
levels for all other JOLTS data elements.

  JOLTS Business Birth/Death Model

  As with any sample survey, the JOLTS sample can only be as
current as its sampling frame.  The time lag from the birth of an
establishment until its appearance on the sampling frame is
approximately one year.  In addition, many of these new units may
fail within the first year.  Since these universe units cannot be
reflected on the sampling frame immediately, the JOLTS sample
cannot capture job openings, hires, and separations from these
units during their early existence.  BLS has developed a model to
estimate birth/death activity for current months by examining the
birth/death activity from previous years on the QCEW and projecting
forward to the present using an econometric technique known as X-12
ARIMA modeling. The birth/death model also uses historical JOLTS
data to estimate the amount of “churn” (hires and separations) that
exists in establishments of various sizes.  The model then combines
the estimated churn with the projected employment change to
estimate the number of hires and separations taking place in these
units that cannot be measured through sampling.

                         - 7 -

  The model-based estimate of total separations is distributed to
the three components – quits; layoffs and discharges; and other
separations - in proportion to their contribution to the sample-
based estimate of total separations.  Additionally, job openings
for the modeled units are estimated by computing the ratio of
openings to hires in the collected data and applying that ratio to
the modeled hires.  The estimates of job openings, hires, and
separations produced by the birth/death model are then added to the
sample-based estimates produced from the survey to arrive at the
estimates for openings, hires, and separations.

Seasonal adjustment

  BLS seasonally adjusts several JOLTS series using the X-12-ARIMA
seasonal adjustment program.  Seasonal adjustment is the process of
estimating and removing periodic fluctuations caused by events such
as weather, holidays, and the beginning and ending of the school
year.  Seasonal adjustment makes it easier to observe fundamental
changes in the level of the series, particularly those associated
with general economic expansions and contractions.  A concurrent
seasonal adjustment methodology is used in which new seasonal
adjustment factors are calculated each month, using all relevant
data, up to and including the data for the current month.

Alignment procedure

  JOLTS hires minus separations should be comparable to the CES net
employment change.  However, definitional differences as well as
sampling and non-sampling errors between the two surveys
historically caused JOLTS to diverge from CES over time. To limit
the divergence, and improve the quality of the JOLTS hires and
separations series, BLS implemented the Monthly Alignment Method.
The Monthly Alignment Method applies the CES employment trends to
the seasonally adjusted JOLTS implied employment trend (hires minus
separations) forcing them to be approximately the same, while
preserving the seasonality of the JOLTS data.  First, the two
series are seasonally adjusted and the difference between the JOLTS
implied employment trend and the CES net employment change is
calculated. Next, the JOLTS implied employment trend is adjusted to
equal the CES net employment change through a proportional
adjustment. This proportional adjustment procedure adjusts the two
components (hires, separations) proportionally to their
contribution to the total churn (hires plus separations).  For
example, if hires are 40 percent of the churn for a given month,
they will receive 40 percent of the needed adjustment and
separations will receive 60 percent of the needed adjustment. The
adjusted hires and separations are converted back to not seasonally
adjusted data by reversing the application of the original seasonal
factors.  After the monthly alignment method has been used to
adjust the level estimates, rate estimates are computed from the
adjusted levels.  The Monthly Alignment procedure assures a close
match of the JOLTS implied employment trend with the CES trend. The
CES series is considered a highly accurate measure of net
employment change owing to its very large sample size and annual
benchmarking to universe counts of employment from the QCEW
program.

Using JOLTS data

  The JOLTS data series on job openings, hires, and separations are
relatively new.  The full sample is divided into panels, with one
panel enrolled each month.  A full complement of panels for the
original data series based on the 1987 Standard Industrial
Classification (SIC) system was not completely enrolled in the
survey until January 2002.  The supplemental panels of
establishments needed to create NAICS estimates were not completely
enrolled until May 2003.  The data collected up until those points
are from less than a full sample.  Therefore, estimates from
earlier months should be used with caution, as fewer sampled units
were reporting data at that time.

  In March 2002, BLS procedures for collecting hires and
separations data were revised to address possible underreporting.
As a result, JOLTS hires and separations estimates for months prior
to March 2002 may not be comparable to estimates for March 2002 and
later.

  The federal government reorganization that involved transferring
approximately 180,000 employees to the new Department of Homeland
Security is not reflected in the JOLTS hires and separations
estimates for the federal government.  The Office of Personnel
Management's record shows these transfers were completed in March
2003.  The inclusion of transfers in the JOLTS definitions of hires
and separations is intended to cover ongoing movements of workers
between establishments.  The Department of Homeland Security
reorganization was a massive one-time event, and the inclusion of
these intergovernmental transfers would distort the federal
government time series.

  JOLTS uses moving averages as seasonal filters in seasonal
adjustment.  JOLTS seasonal adjustment includes both additive and
multiplicative seasonal adjustment models and REGARIMA (regression
with autocorrelated errors) modeling to improve the seasonal
adjustment factors at the beginning and end of the series and to
detect and adjust for outliers in the series.

Reliability of the estimates

  JOLTS estimates are subject to both sampling and nonsampling
error.  When a sample rather than the entire population is
surveyed, there is a chance that the sample estimates may differ
from the "true" population values they represent.  The exact
difference, or sampling error, varies depending on the particular
sample selected, and this variability is measured by the standard
error of the estimate.  BLS analysis is generally conducted at the
90-percent level of confidence.  That means that there is a

                         - 8 -

90-percent chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate based on a
sample will differ by no more than 1.6 standard errors from the
"true" population value because of sampling error.  Estimates of
sampling errors are available upon request.

  The JOLTS estimates also are affected by nonsampling error.
Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, including the failure
to include a segment of the population, the inability to obtain
data from all units in the sample, the inability or unwillingness
of respondents to provide data on a timely basis, mistakes made by
respondents, errors made in the collection or processing of the
data, and errors from the employment benchmark data used in
estimation.

Other information

  Information in this release will be made available to sensory
impaired individuals upon request.  Voice phone: 202-691-5200; TDD
message referral phone: 1-800-877-8339.

Table 1.  Job openings levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

                                                      Levels(3) (in thousands)                              Rates

           Industry and region              May    Dec.   Jan.   Feb.   Mar.   Apr.   May    May   Dec.  Jan.  Feb.  Mar.  Apr.  May
                                            2008   2008   2009   2009   2009   2009   2009p  2008  2008  2009  2009  2009  2009  2009p

Total(4).................................  4,009  3,224  2,920  2,973  2,633  2,513  2,554    2.8   2.3   2.1   2.2   1.9   1.9   1.9

                INDUSTRY

 Total private(4)........................  3,577  2,861  2,461  2,606  2,269  2,042  2,221    3.0   2.5   2.2   2.3   2.0   1.8   2.0
  Construction...........................    162     66     55     58     51     29     39    2.2    .9    .8    .9    .8    .5    .6
  Manufacturing..........................    280    188    115    141    115     95     91    2.0   1.4    .9   1.1    .9    .8    .8
  Trade, transportation, and utilities(5)    649    495    488    488    414    332    430    2.4   1.9   1.9   1.9   1.6   1.3   1.7
   Retail trade..........................    402    337    362    334    265    205    302    2.5   2.2   2.4   2.2   1.8   1.4   2.0
  Professional and business services.....    681    562    501    482    428    461    520    3.7   3.1   2.8   2.8   2.5   2.7   3.0
  Education and health services..........    728    685    636    589    537    515    537    3.7   3.5   3.2   3.0   2.7   2.6   2.7
  Leisure and hospitality................    575    315    272    332    289    322    269    4.1   2.3   2.0   2.4   2.1   2.4   2.0
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation...     72     40     27     30     25     22     17    3.5   2.0   1.4   1.5   1.3   1.1    .9
   Accommodation and food services.......    491    274    242    302    263    312    248    4.1   2.4   2.1   2.6   2.3   2.7   2.2
 Government(6)...........................    435    345    417    367    353    461    344    1.9   1.5   1.8   1.6   1.5   2.0   1.5
  State and local government.............    379    312    328    317    291    307    261    1.9   1.6   1.6   1.6   1.5   1.5   1.3


                 REGION(7)

  Northeast..............................    664    633    560    607    583    520    545    2.5   2.4   2.2   2.4   2.3   2.0   2.2
  South..................................  1,518  1,245  1,109  1,109  1,000    942    922    3.0   2.5   2.2   2.2   2.0   1.9   1.9
  Midwest................................    842    607    587    563    499    512    517    2.6   1.9   1.9   1.8   1.6   1.7   1.7
  West...................................    996    689    655    638    556    570    567    3.1   2.2   2.1   2.1   1.8   1.9   1.9


  1 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day of the month.
  2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business day of the month as a percent of total employment plus
job openings.
  3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
  4 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
  5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
  6 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
  7 The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of
Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas,
Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio,
South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah,
Washington, and Wyoming.
  p = preliminary.


Table 2.  Hires levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

                                                      Levels(3) (in thousands)                              Rates

           Industry and region              May    Dec.   Jan.   Feb.   Mar.   Apr.   May    May   Dec.  Jan.  Feb.  Mar.  Apr.  May
                                            2008   2008   2009   2009   2009   2009   2009p  2008  2008  2009  2009  2009  2009  2009p

Total(4).................................  4,726  4,508  4,460  4,339  4,099  4,117  3,980    3.4   3.3   3.3   3.2   3.1   3.1   3.0

                INDUSTRY

 Total private(4)........................  4,406  4,214  4,141  4,042  3,799  3,822  3,706    3.8   3.7   3.7   3.6   3.4   3.5   3.4
  Construction...........................    381    366    381    370    343    341    348    5.2   5.3   5.7   5.6   5.3   5.4   5.5
  Manufacturing..........................    318    252    237    257    244    236    204    2.3   2.0   1.9   2.1   2.0   1.9   1.7
  Trade, transportation, and utilities(5)    910    891    949    814    883    888    837    3.4   3.4   3.7   3.2   3.5   3.5   3.3
   Retail trade..........................    640    595    587    563    595    655    580    4.1   4.0   3.9   3.8   4.0   4.4   3.9
  Professional and business services.....    868    786    762    730    668    733    729    4.9   4.5   4.4   4.3   4.0   4.4   4.4
  Education and health services..........    540    528    539    527    483    475    468    2.9   2.8   2.8   2.8   2.5   2.5   2.4
  Leisure and hospitality................    900    711    743    704    693    691    693    6.7   5.3   5.6   5.3   5.3   5.3   5.3
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation...    130    111    105     89     85     86     78    6.6   5.7   5.4   4.6   4.4   4.5   4.1
   Accommodation and food services.......    759    605    627    614    607    603    612    6.6   5.3   5.5   5.4   5.4   5.4   5.4
 Government(6)...........................    317    271    306    275    271    340    326    1.4   1.2   1.4   1.2   1.2   1.5   1.4
  State and local government.............    293    253    261    252    247    246    257    1.5   1.3   1.3   1.3   1.2   1.2   1.3


                 REGION(7)

  Northeast..............................    755    726    753    837    696    729    692    2.9   2.9   3.0   3.3   2.8   2.9   2.8
  South..................................  1,722  1,659  1,663  1,566  1,458  1,619  1,442    3.5   3.4   3.4   3.2   3.0   3.4   3.0
  Midwest................................  1,053  1,009  1,003    904    943    901    886    3.4   3.3   3.3   3.0   3.1   3.0   2.9
  West...................................  1,208  1,053  1,002    960    931    949  1,007    3.9   3.5   3.3   3.2   3.1   3.2   3.4


  1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month.
  2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 
  3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
  4 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
  5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
  6 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
  7 See footnote 7, table 1.
  p = preliminary.


Table 3.  Total separations levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

                                                      Levels(3) (in thousands)                              Rates

           Industry and region              May    Dec.   Jan.   Feb.   Mar.   Apr.   May    May   Dec.  Jan.  Feb.  Mar.  Apr.  May
                                            2008   2008   2009   2009   2009   2009   2009p  2008  2008  2009  2009  2009  2009  2009p

Total(4).................................  4,933  4,958  4,949  4,833  4,712  4,641  4,359    3.6   3.7   3.7   3.6   3.5   3.5   3.3

                INDUSTRY

 Total private(4)........................  4,641  4,673  4,686  4,555  4,434  4,362  4,082    4.0   4.1   4.2   4.1   4.0   4.0   3.7
  Construction...........................    428    452    524    463    463    437    408    5.9   6.6   7.8   7.0   7.2   6.9   6.5
  Manufacturing..........................    360    419    476    424    401    390    365    2.7   3.2   3.8   3.4   3.3   3.2   3.0
  Trade, transportation, and utilities(5)    973  1,041  1,049    920  1,001    982    927    3.7   4.0   4.1   3.6   3.9   3.9   3.7
   Retail trade..........................    672    664    645    590    646    678    595    4.4   4.4   4.3   3.9   4.3   4.6   4.0
  Professional and business services.....    908    898    866    951    778    839    795    5.1   5.2   5.0   5.6   4.6   5.0   4.7
  Education and health services..........    502    498    494    498    466    462    422    2.7   2.6   2.6   2.6   2.4   2.4   2.2
  Leisure and hospitality................    916    755    763    731    751    716    707    6.8   5.7   5.7   5.5   5.7   5.4   5.4
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation...    141    106    117     88     95    102     86    7.1   5.4   6.0   4.5   4.9   5.4   4.6
   Accommodation and food services.......    766    647    650    635    649    612    613    6.7   5.7   5.7   5.6   5.8   5.4   5.4
 Government(6)...........................    296    278    277    271    265    255    265    1.3   1.2   1.2   1.2   1.2   1.1   1.2
  State and local government.............    268    251    267    251    251    243    250    1.4   1.3   1.3   1.3   1.3   1.2   1.3


                 REGION(7)

  Northeast..............................    838    799    813    783    878    700    779    3.3   3.2   3.2   3.1   3.5   2.8   3.1
  South..................................  1,796  1,815  1,898  1,742  1,741  1,682  1,562    3.6   3.7   3.9   3.6   3.6   3.5   3.3
  Midwest................................  1,042  1,088  1,120  1,121  1,085  1,065  1,018    3.3   3.5   3.7   3.7   3.6   3.5   3.4
  West...................................  1,219  1,227  1,180  1,188    978  1,188    980    4.0   4.0   3.9   4.0   3.3   4.0   3.3


  1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month.
  2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 
  3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
  4 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
  5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
  6 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
  7 See footnote 7, table 1.
  p = preliminary.


Table 4.  Quits levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

                                                      Levels(3) (in thousands)                              Rates

           Industry and region              May    Dec.   Jan.   Feb.   Mar.   Apr.   May    May   Dec.  Jan.  Feb.  Mar.  Apr.  May
                                            2008   2008   2009   2009   2009   2009   2009p  2008  2008  2009  2009  2009  2009  2009p

Total(4).................................  2,650  2,114  2,063  1,911  1,856  1,777  1,746    1.9   1.6   1.5   1.4   1.4   1.3   1.3

                INDUSTRY

 Total private(4)........................  2,510  1,984  1,945  1,831  1,749  1,678  1,650    2.2   1.8   1.7   1.6   1.6   1.5   1.5
  Construction...........................    142     92     85     87    102     74     62    2.0   1.3   1.3   1.3   1.6   1.2   1.0
  Manufacturing..........................    165     87    105    105     81     80     83    1.2    .7    .8    .8    .7    .7    .7
  Trade, transportation, and utilities(5)    570    518    469    372    444    385    388    2.1   2.0   1.8   1.5   1.7   1.5   1.5
   Retail trade..........................    395    379    360    323    344    271    283    2.6   2.5   2.4   2.2   2.3   1.8   1.9
  Professional and business services.....    481    297    326    310    278    272    266    2.7   1.7   1.9   1.8   1.6   1.6   1.6
  Education and health services..........    268    256    248    258    249    228    245    1.4   1.3   1.3   1.3   1.3   1.2   1.3
  Leisure and hospitality................    617    461    443    431    433    430    422    4.6   3.5   3.3   3.3   3.3   3.3   3.2
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation...     56     29     31     36     35     41     45    2.9   1.5   1.6   1.9   1.8   2.1   2.4
   Accommodation and food services.......    560    435    412    399    402    392    380    4.9   3.8   3.6   3.5   3.6   3.5   3.4
 Government(6)...........................    138    130    105    115    107     99     99     .6    .6    .5    .5    .5    .4    .4
  State and local government.............    129    121    100    110    106     96     96     .7    .6    .5    .6    .5    .5    .5


                 REGION(7)

  Northeast..............................    396    302    278    271    273    263    294    1.5   1.2   1.1   1.1   1.1   1.1   1.2
  South..................................  1,034    847    790    759    751    691    699    2.1   1.7   1.6   1.6   1.6   1.4   1.5
  Midwest................................    568    452    491    468    431    410    396    1.8   1.5   1.6   1.5   1.4   1.4   1.3
  West...................................    653    498    492    453    408    453    372    2.1   1.6   1.6   1.5   1.4   1.5   1.3


  1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month.
  2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 
  3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
  4 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
  5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
  6 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
  7 See footnote 7, table 1.
  p = preliminary.


Table 5.  Job openings levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

                                                    Levels (in thousands)                  Rates

              Industry and region                  May      Apr.     May           May      Apr.     May
                                                   2008     2009     2009p         2008     2009     2009p

Total...........................................  4,033    2,806    2,604           2.8      2.1      1.9

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  3,583    2,334    2,254           3.0      2.1      2.0
  Mining and Logging............................     18       13       13           2.3      1.7      1.8
  Construction..................................    183       32       45           2.4       .5       .7
  Manufacturing.................................    286      113      102           2.1       .9       .8
   Durable goods................................    173       57       59           2.0       .8       .8
   Nondurable goods.............................    114       56       43           2.2      1.2       .9
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    637      354      429           2.4      1.4      1.7
   Wholesale trade..............................    151       76       83           2.5      1.3      1.4
   Retail trade.................................    390      210      285           2.5      1.4      1.9
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...     97       68       61           1.9      1.4      1.3
  Information...................................     80       35       46           2.6      1.2      1.6
  Financial activities..........................    208      199      159           2.5      2.5      2.0
   Finance and insurance........................    141      155      121           2.3      2.6      2.1
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     67       44       37           3.0      2.2      1.8
  Professional and business services............    682      494      520           3.7      2.9      3.0
  Education and health services.................    704      556      513           3.6      2.8      2.6
   Educational services.........................     60       49       44           1.9      1.5      1.4
   Health care and social assistance............    644      507      469           3.9      3.1      2.8
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    620      394      290           4.3      2.9      2.1
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........     87       31       19           4.0      1.6      1.0
   Accommodation and food services.............     534      363      271           4.4      3.1      2.3
  Other services................................    163      142      137           2.8      2.6      2.5

 Government.....................................    450      473      350           1.9      2.0      1.5
  Federal.......................................     55      155       82           1.9      5.1      2.8
  State and local...............................    395      317      268           1.9      1.6      1.3

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................    623      565      507           2.4      2.2      2.0
  South.........................................  1,563    1,037      960           3.0      2.1      2.0
  Midwest.......................................    824      557      515           2.6      1.8      1.7
  West..........................................  1,024      647      621           3.2      2.1      2.0


  1 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day of the month.
  2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business day of the month as a
percent of total employment plus job openings.
  3 See footnote 7, table 1.
  p = preliminary.


Table 6.  Hires levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

                                                    Levels (in thousands)                  Rates

              Industry and region                  May      Apr.     May           May      Apr.     May
                                                   2008     2009     2009p         2008     2009     2009p

Total...........................................  5,192    4,554    4,363           3.8      3.4      3.3

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  4,860    4,281    4,022           4.2      3.9      3.7
  Mining and Logging............................     36       19       18           4.8      2.6      2.5
  Construction..................................    475      464      432           6.5      7.5      6.8
  Manufacturing.................................    360      250      227           2.7      2.1      1.9
   Durable goods................................    207      150      104           2.4      2.0      1.4
   Nondurable goods.............................    152      100      123           3.1      2.2      2.7
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    951      950      859           3.6      3.8      3.4
   Wholesale trade..............................    158      141      160           2.6      2.5      2.8
   Retail trade.................................    664      682      584           4.3      4.7      4.0
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...    129      128      116           2.5      2.7      2.4
  Information...................................     65       66       52           2.2      2.3      1.8
  Financial activities..........................    232      194      173           2.8      2.5      2.2
   Finance and insurance........................    136      101      109           2.3      1.7      1.9
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     96       93       65           4.5      4.7      3.2
  Professional and business services............    878      819      754           4.9      4.9      4.5
  Education and health services.................    517      466      439           2.7      2.4      2.3
   Educational services.........................     57       41       57           1.9      1.3      1.8
   Health care and social assistance............    460      425      382           2.9      2.6      2.4
  Leisure and hospitality.......................  1,094      816      854           8.0      6.2      6.4
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........    210      112      122          10.2      6.0      6.2
   Accommodation and food services.............     884      704      733           7.6      6.3      6.4
  Other services................................    253      238      212           4.5      4.4      3.9

 Government.....................................    331      273      341           1.4      1.2      1.5
  Federal.......................................     28       97       71           1.0      3.3      2.4
  State and local...............................    303      176      271           1.5       .9      1.3

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................    823      807      733           3.2      3.2      2.9
  South.........................................  1,836    1,745    1,523           3.7      3.7      3.2
  Midwest.......................................  1,236      989    1,021           3.9      3.3      3.4
  West..........................................  1,297    1,013    1,087           4.2      3.4      3.7


  1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month.
  2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 
  3 See footnote 7, table 1.
  p = preliminary.


Table 7.  Total separations levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

                                                    Levels (in thousands)                  Rates

              Industry and region                  May      Apr.     May           May      Apr.     May
                                                   2008     2009     2009p         2008     2009     2009p

Total...........................................  4,502    4,731    3,888           3.3      3.6      2.9

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  4,184    4,542    3,602           3.6      4.2      3.3
  Mining and Logging............................     20       30       20           2.6      4.1      2.8
  Construction..................................    357      424      333           4.9      6.8      5.3
  Manufacturing.................................    325      421      318           2.4      3.5      2.7
   Durable goods................................    186      291      198           2.2      3.9      2.7
   Nondurable goods.............................    140      130      120           2.8      2.8      2.6
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    919    1,013      829           3.5      4.0      3.3
   Wholesale trade..............................    141      170      163           2.4      3.0      2.9
   Retail trade.................................    644      686      549           4.2      4.7      3.7
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...    134      157      117           2.6      3.3      2.4
  Information...................................     56       86       64           1.8      3.0      2.2
  Financial activities..........................    195      237      157           2.4      3.0      2.0
   Finance and insurance........................    123      148      105           2.0      2.6      1.8
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     72       89       52           3.4      4.5      2.6
  Professional and business services............    753      872      646           4.2      5.2      3.9
  Education and health services.................    519      468      429           2.8      2.4      2.2
   Educational services.........................     89       52       82           2.9      1.6      2.6
   Health care and social assistance............    430      417      347           2.7      2.6      2.1
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    836      750      638           6.1      5.7      4.8
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........    116      102       63           5.6      5.5      3.2
   Accommodation and food services.............     720      648      575           6.2      5.8      5.0
  Other services................................    204      241      168           3.7      4.5      3.1

 Government.....................................    318      189      287           1.4       .8      1.2
  Federal.......................................     21       12       12            .8       .4       .4
  State and local...............................    297      176      275           1.5       .9      1.4

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................    682      706      639           2.6      2.8      2.6
  South.........................................  1,775    1,820    1,495           3.6      3.8      3.1
  Midwest.......................................    909    1,008      862           2.9      3.4      2.9
  West..........................................  1,136    1,197      892           3.7      4.0      3.0


  1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month.
  2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of
total employment.
  3 See footnote 7, table 1.
  p = preliminary.


Table 8.  Quits levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

                                                    Levels (in thousands)                  Rates

              Industry and region                  May      Apr.     May           May      Apr.     May
                                                   2008     2009     2009p         2008     2009     2009p

Total...........................................  2,614    1,877    1,724           1.9      1.4      1.3

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  2,455    1,798    1,613           2.1      1.6      1.5
  Mining and Logging............................     14        8        5           1.8      1.1       .7
  Construction..................................    135       81       59           1.8      1.3       .9
  Manufacturing.................................    160       85       83           1.2       .7       .7
   Durable goods................................     83       41       37           1.0       .6       .5
   Nondurable goods.............................     77       43       45           1.6       .9      1.0
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    573      399      381           2.2      1.6      1.5
   Wholesale trade..............................     88       50       37           1.5       .9       .7
   Retail trade.................................    406      277      287           2.6      1.9      1.9
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...     79       72       57           1.6      1.5      1.2
  Information...................................     38       35       32           1.3      1.2      1.1
  Financial activities..........................    118       81       66           1.4      1.0       .8
   Finance and insurance........................     83       49       34           1.4       .9       .6
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     34       32       32           1.6      1.6      1.6
  Professional and business services............    458      269      254           2.6      1.6      1.5
  Education and health services.................    262      233      242           1.4      1.2      1.3
   Educational services.........................     33       21       20           1.1       .7       .6
   Health care and social assistance............    230      211      222           1.5      1.3      1.4
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    593      458      403           4.3      3.5      3.0
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........     46       35       38           2.2      1.9      1.9
   Accommodation and food services.............     547      423      365           4.7      3.8      3.2
  Other services................................    105      150       89           1.9      2.8      1.6

 Government.....................................    159       79      111            .7       .3       .5
  Federal.......................................      7        3        2            .2       .1       .1
  State and local...............................    152       77      109            .8       .4       .5

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................    369      257      280           1.4      1.0      1.1
  South.........................................  1,032      769      704           2.1      1.6      1.5
  Midwest.......................................    547      403      369           1.7      1.3      1.2
  West..........................................    665      448      372           2.1      1.5      1.3


  1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month.
  2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 
  3 See footnote 7, table 1.
  p = preliminary.


Table 9.  Layoffs and discharges levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

                                                    Levels (in thousands)                  Rates

              Industry and region                  May      Apr.     May           May      Apr.     May
                                                   2008     2009     2009p         2008     2009     2009p

Total...........................................  1,605    2,469    1,877           1.2      1.9      1.4

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  1,497    2,398    1,747           1.3      2.2      1.6
  Mining and Logging............................      4       19       14            .5      2.6      1.9
  Construction..................................    205      323      269           2.8      5.2      4.2
  Manufacturing.................................    143      314      211           1.1      2.6      1.8
   Durable goods................................     89      236      145           1.0      3.2      2.0
   Nondurable goods.............................     54       78       67           1.1      1.7      1.4
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    284      494      363           1.1      2.0      1.4
   Wholesale trade..............................     48      106      110            .8      1.9      1.9
   Retail trade.................................    193      316      200           1.3      2.2      1.4
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...     43       71       53            .8      1.5      1.1
  Information...................................     14       42       23            .5      1.5       .8
  Financial activities..........................     60      110       73            .7      1.4       .9
   Finance and insurance........................     29       68       54            .5      1.2       .9
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     31       41       19           1.4      2.1      1.0
  Professional and business services............    255      532      346           1.4      3.2      2.1
  Education and health services.................    224      195      155           1.2      1.0       .8
   Educational services.........................     52       28       55           1.7       .9      1.8
   Health care and social assistance............    173      167      100           1.1      1.0       .6
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    211      278      214           1.5      2.1      1.6
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........     67       66       24           3.3      3.5      1.2
   Accommodation and food services.............     144      212      190           1.2      1.9      1.7
  Other services................................     96       90       78           1.7      1.7      1.4

 Government.....................................    109       72      131            .5       .3       .6
  Federal.......................................      5        4        4            .2       .1       .2
  State and local...............................    103       67      126            .5       .3       .6

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................    267      381      315           1.0      1.5      1.3
  South.........................................    632      899      693           1.3      1.9      1.4
  Midwest.......................................    307      530      422           1.0      1.8      1.4
  West..........................................    399      660      446           1.3      2.2      1.5


  1 Layoffs and discharges are the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire month.
  2 The layoffs and discharges rate is the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire month as a
percent of total employment.
  3 See footnote 7, table 1.
  p = preliminary.


Table 10.  Other separations levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

                                                    Levels (in thousands)                  Rates

              Industry and region                  May      Apr.     May           May      Apr.     May
                                                   2008     2009     2009p         2008     2009     2009p

Total...........................................    283      384      287           0.2      0.3      0.2

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................    232      346      242            .2       .3       .2
  Mining and Logging............................      2        3        1            .2       .4       .2
  Construction..................................     17       20        5            .2       .3       .1
  Manufacturing.................................     22       23       23            .2       .2       .2
   Durable goods................................     14       14       16            .2       .2       .2
   Nondurable goods.............................      9        9        8            .2       .2       .2
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........     63      120       85            .2       .5       .3
   Wholesale trade..............................      5       14       16            .1       .2       .3
   Retail trade.................................     45       93       62            .3       .6       .4
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...     12       13        6            .2       .3       .1
  Information...................................      4        9        9            .1       .3       .3
  Financial activities..........................     18       47       18            .2       .6       .2
   Finance and insurance........................     11       30       17            .2       .5       .3
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........      8       16        1            .4       .8      (4)
  Professional and business services............     40       71       46            .2       .4       .3
  Education and health services.................     33       40       32            .2       .2       .2
   Educational services.........................      5        2        6            .2       .1       .2
   Health care and social assistance............     28       38       25            .2       .2       .2
  Leisure and hospitality.......................     32       14       22            .2       .1       .2
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........      3        1        1            .1       .1       .1
   Accommodation and food services.............      29       12       20            .3       .1       .2
  Other services................................      3      (4)        1            .1      (4)      (4)

 Government.....................................     50       38       45            .2       .2       .2
  Federal.......................................      9        6        5            .3       .2       .2
  State and local...............................     41       32       39            .2       .2       .2

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................     45       68       44            .2       .3       .2
  South.........................................    111      152       99            .2       .3       .2
  Midwest.......................................     55       75       71            .2       .2       .2
  West..........................................     72       89       73            .2       .3       .2


  1 Other separations are the number of other separations during the entire month.
  2 The other separations rate is the number of other separations during the entire month as a percent of
total employment.
  3 See footnote 7, table 1.
  4 Data round to zero.
  p = preliminary.


Last Modified Date: July 07, 2009