Impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on Job Openings and Labor Turnover data for December 2020

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) national estimates of job openings, hires, and separations have been affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This page provides further information on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic for the December 2020 JOLTS news release.

More information on the JOLTS methodology can be found in the JOLTS Handbook of Methods chapter.

Collection mode

Data collection for the JOLTS survey was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, JOLTS collected 42 percent of data by phone at the JOLTS data collection center on average. Most phone respondents were asked to report electronically. However, data collection was adversely impacted by the inability to reach some respondents that normally respond by phone.

Table 1. Percent of establishments responding to the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey by collection mode
Collection mode	12-month average through February 2020	March 2020	April 2020	May 2020	June 2020	July 2020	August 2020	September 2020	October 2020	November 2020	December 2020
Phone	42%	19%	27%	28%	32%	31%	32%	33%	29%	30%	31%
Web	52%	75%	68%	67%	62%	65%	63%	62%	66%	65%	64%
Other	6%	6%	5%	5%	6%	4%	5%	6%	6%	5%	6%

Response rates

The preliminary JOLTS response rate for December 2020 was 42 percent. In November, the final response rate was 47 percent. In the year prior to the pandemic, the preliminary response rate averaged 54 percent and the final response rate averaged 58 percent.

In December, JOLTS response rates declined in all size classes and industries. The industries most impacted were mining and logging; wholesale trade; retail trade; real estate and rental and leasing; accommodation and food services; and federal government.

Table 2. Response rates for the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey
Time period	Preliminary rate	Final rate
12-month average through February 2020	54%	58%
March 2020	46%	51%
April 2020	44%	49%
May 2020	45%	51%
June 2020	47%	50%
July 2020	46%	50%
August 2020	47%	50%
September 2020	47%	50%
October 2020	45%	49%
November 2020	43%	47%
December 2020	42%	Not available

Imputation

JOLTS imputation for December resulted in very few cells with more imputation relative to the previous year. The industries which generally experienced more imputation were retail trade; and real estate and rental and leasing.

Changes to methods

At the onset of the pandemic, the JOLTS program reviewed all estimation and methodological procedures. Changes to the JOLTS estimation and seasonal adjustment methods are described below.

Estimation

For the December preliminary and the November final JOLTS estimates, suppression of the alignment process has been discontinued. The differences between the JOLTS hires minus separations and CES over the month employment changes are no longer significantly different. Please see below for further explanation.

BLS modified the JOLTS estimates for the March preliminary through the November preliminary estimates to better reflect the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and produce the highest quality JOLTS estimates possible in this unique situation. The estimation process usually includes an alignment of monthly hires minus separations to the over-the-month change in the Current Employment Statistics (CES) employment estimates. BLS suspended the alignment process during this time frame because the differing reference periods for the CES employment estimates (pay period including the 12th of the month) and the JOLTS hires and separations estimates (the entire reference month) led to different measurement outcomes. For example, hires and separations during the latter half of April were not included in the CES employment change for April, but were included in the JOLTS data for the month.

The alignment portion of the JOLTS estimation process was designed to correct a long-term divergence between the JOLTS implied employment change and the CES employment change. JOLTS hires minus separations and CES employment change generally approximate one another. Alignment was developed to correct small monthly discrepancies between the two series that build up over time; it was not designed to address a substantial short-term divergence between the two series.

Seasonal Adjustment

Seasonal adjustment factors can be either multiplicative or additive. A multiplicative seasonal effect is assumed to be proportional to the level of the series. A sudden large increase in the level of the series will be accompanied by a proportionally large seasonal effect. In contrast, an additive seasonal effect is assumed to be unaffected by the level of the series. In times of relative economic stability, the multiplicative option is generally preferred over the additive option. However, in the presence of a large level shift in a time series, multiplicative seasonal adjustment factors can result in systematic over- or under-adjustment of the series; in such cases, additive seasonal adjustment factors are preferred since they tend to more accurately track seasonal fluctuations in the series and have smaller revisions.

In December, the majority of the JOLTS series will retain the additive designation. In accordance with the survey’s usual practice, the seasonal adjustment models and factors will be reviewed at the end of the calendar year, when 5 years of seasonally adjusted estimates will be subject to revision.

Comparison of current month estimates with past monthly JOLTS estimates

Please see the following tables for a comparison of December 2020 estimates to historical levels.

Table 3a. Job openings by sector and region (numbers in thousands)
Sector and region	December 2020 level	Monthly change	Monthly percent change	Last time level was smaller or equal or next closest		Last time level was larger or equal or next closest		Last time monthly change was smaller or equal or next closest		Last time monthly change was larger or equal or next closest		Last time monthly percent change was smaller or equal or next closest		Last time monthly percent change was larger or equal or next closest
Total nonfarm	6,646	74	1.1	Nov 2020	6,572	Jul 2020	6,697	Nov 2020	-60	Oct 2020	138	Nov 2020	-0.9	Oct 2020	2.1
Total private	6,048	144	2.4	Nov 2020	5,904	Feb 2020	6,236	Nov 2020	-32	Sep 2020	159	Nov 2020	-0.5	Sep 2020	2.8
Government	598	-70	-10.5	Jan 2018	571	Nov 2020	668	Aug 2020	-102	Nov 2020	-28	Aug 2020	-12.5	Nov 2020	-4.0
Region
Northeast	1,173	17	1.5	Nov 2020	1,156	Jul 2020	1,209	Nov 2020	-7	Oct 2020	62	Nov 2020	-0.6	Oct 2020	5.6
South	2,613	69	2.7	Nov 2020	2,544	Jan 2020	2,631	Nov 2020	-39	Sep 2020	72	Nov 2020	-1.5	Sep 2020	2.9
Midwest	1,395	-25	-1.8	Sep 2020	1,388	Nov 2020	1,420	Aug 2020	-195	Nov 2020	-6	Aug 2020	-12.5	Nov 2020	-0.4
West	1,464	12	0.8	Nov 2020	1,452	Feb 2020	1,621	Nov 2020	-8	Oct 2020	39	Nov 2020	-0.5	Oct 2020	2.7

Table 3b. Hires by sector and region (numbers in thousands)
Sector and region	December 2020 level	Monthly change	Monthly percent change	Last time level was smaller or equal or next closest		Last time level was larger or equal or next closest		Last time monthly change was smaller or equal or next closest		Last time monthly change was larger or equal or next closest		Last time monthly percent change was smaller or equal or next closest		Last time monthly percent change was larger or equal or next closest
Total nonfarm	5,539	-396	-6.7	Apr 2020	4,047	Nov 2020	5,935	Jul 2020	-1,067	Nov 2020	23	Jul 2020	-15.3	Nov 2020	0.4
Total private	5,208	-384	-6.9	Apr 2020	3,812	Nov 2020	5,592	Jul 2020	-1,119	Nov 2020	14	Jul 2020	-16.7	Nov 2020	0.3
Government	331	-12	-3.5	Sep 2020	316	Nov 2020	343	Sep 2020	-242	Nov 2020	9	Sep 2020	-43.4	Nov 2020	2.7
Region
Northeast	908	-49	-5.1	Apr 2020	534	Nov 2020	957	Jul 2020	-162	Nov 2020	-28	Jul 2020	-13.3	Nov 2020	-2.8
South	2,202	-232	-9.5	Jul 2020	2,173	Nov 2020	2,434	Jul 2020	-244	Nov 2020	81	Jul 2020	-10.1	Nov 2020	3.4
Midwest	1,236	-77	-5.9	Oct 2020	1,227	Nov 2020	1,313	Sep 2020	-130	Nov 2020	86	Sep 2020	-9.9	Nov 2020	7.0
West	1,194	-36	-2.9	Apr 2020	1,015	Nov 2020	1,230	Nov 2020	-117	Sep 2020	79	Nov 2020	-8.7	Sep 2020	5.9

Table 3c. Total separations by sector and region (numbers in thousands)
Sector and region	December 2020 level	Monthly change	Monthly percent change	Last time level was smaller or equal or next closest		Last time level was larger or equal or next closest		Last time monthly change was smaller or equal or next closest		Last time monthly change was larger or equal or next closest		Last time monthly percent change was smaller or equal or next closest		Last time monthly percent change was larger or equal or next closest
Total nonfarm	5,460	-63	-1.1	Oct 2020	5,142	Nov 2020	5,523	Aug 2020	-299	Nov 2020	381	Aug 2020	-6.0	Nov 2020	7.4
Total private	5,130	20	0.4	Nov 2020	5,110	Apr 2020	9,536	Aug 2020	-316	Nov 2020	436	Aug 2020	-6.7	Nov 2020	9.3
Government	329	-84	-20.3	Aug 2020	276	Nov 2020	413	May 2020	-137	Nov 2020	-56	May 2020	-31.2	Nov 2020	-11.9
Region
Northeast	878	-11	-1.2	Oct 2020	851	Nov 2020	889	Aug 2020	-64	Nov 2020	38	Aug 2020	-8.4	Nov 2020	4.5
South	2072	12	0.6	Nov 2020	2,060	Apr 2020	3,429	Aug 2020	-20	Nov 2020	28	Aug 2020	-1.0	Nov 2020	1.4
Midwest	1186	-88	-6.9	Oct 2020	1,181	Nov 2020	1,274	May 2020	-1,270	Nov 2020	93	May 2020	-58.5	Nov 2020	7.9
West	1,323	23	1.8	Nov 2020	1,300	Apr 2020	2,525	Oct 2020	-47	Nov 2020	222	Oct 2020	-4.2	Nov 2020	20.6

Table 3d. Layoffs and discharges by sector and region (numbers in thousands)
Sector and region	December 2020 level	Monthly change	Monthly percent change	Last time level was smaller or equal or next closest		Last time level was larger or equal or next closest		Last time monthly change was smaller or equal or next closest		Last time monthly change was larger or equal or next closest		Last time monthly percent change was smaller or equal or next closest		Last time monthly percent change was larger or equal or next closest
Total nonfarm	1,812	-243	-11.8	Oct 2020	1,676	Nov 2020	2,055	Jul 2020	-250	Nov 2020	379	Aug 2020	-12.1	Nov 2020	22.6
Total private	1,725	-144	-7.7	Oct 2020	1,454	Nov 2020	1,869	Sep 2020	-153	Nov 2020	415	Sep 2020	-10.5	Nov 2020	28.5
Government	87	-99	-53.2	Aug 2020	69	Nov 2020	186	May 2020	-104	Nov 2020	-36	Oct 2010	-52.4	Nov 2020	-16.2
Region
Northeast	388	8	2.1	Nov 2020	380	Jun 2020	395	Sep 2020	-32	Nov 2020	28	Sep 2020	-12.1	Nov 2020	8.0
South	538	-70	-11.5	Sep 2020	476	Nov 2020	608	Aug 2020	-99	Nov 2020	56	Sep 2020	-11.9	Nov 2020	10.1
Midwest	344	-161	-31.9	Oct 2019	340	Nov 2020	505	May 2020	-1,242	Nov 2020	88	May 2020	-75.3	Nov 2020	21.1
West	542	-19	-3.4	Oct 2020	355	Nov 2020	561	Oct 2020	-23	Nov 2020	206	Oct 2020	-6.1	Nov 2020	58.0

Table 3e. Quits by sector and region (numbers in thousands)
Sector and region	December 2020 level	Monthly change	Monthly percent change	Last time level was smaller or equal or next closest		Last time level was larger or equal or next closest		Last time monthly change was smaller or equal or next closest		Last time monthly change was larger or equal or next closest		Last time monthly percent change was smaller or equal or next closest		Last time monthly percent change was larger or equal or next closest
Total nonfarm	3,286	106	3.3	Nov 2020	3,180	Feb 2020	3,436	Nov 2020	30	Sep 2020	235	Nov 2020	1.0	Sep 2020	8.3
Total private	3,117	106	3.5	Nov 2020	3,011	Feb 2020	3,245	Nov 2020	39	Sep 2020	224	Nov 2020	1.3	Sep 2020	8.3
Government	169	0	0.0	Nov 2020	169	Nov 2020	169	Nov 2020	-9	Oct 2020	23	Nov 2020	-5.1	Oct 2020	14.8
Region
Northeast	419	-36	-7.9	Aug 2020	389	Nov 2020	455	Apr 2020	-129	Nov 2020	0	Apr 2020	-31.9	Nov 2020	0.0
South	1,403	38	2.8	Nov 2020	1,365	Jan 2020	1,494	Nov 2020	21	Oct 2020	41	Nov 2020	1.6	Oct 2020	3.1
Midwest	771	71	10.1	Nov 2020	700	Feb 2020	783	Nov 2020	-1	Jul 2020	104	Nov 2020	-0.1	Jul 2020	17.4
West	693	34	5.2	Nov 2020	659	Feb 2020	812	Nov 2020	9	Sep 2020	84	Nov 2020	1.4	Sep 2020	14.4

Last Modified Date: February 9, 2021