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Impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on Job Openings and Labor Turnover data for July 2021

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 July 2021 JOLTS news release.

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

Collection mode

Data collection for JOLTS 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 affected 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
Time period Phone Web Other

12-month average through February 2020

42% 52% 6%

March 2020

19% 75% 6%

April 2020

27% 68% 5%

May 2020

28% 67% 5%

June 2020

32% 62% 6%

July 2020

31% 65% 4%

August 2020

32% 63% 5%

September 2020

33% 62% 6%

October 2020

29% 66% 6%

November 2020

30% 65% 5%

December 2020

31% 64% 6%

January 2021

31% 64% 5%

February 2021

34% 61% 5%

March 2021

30% 64% 6%

April 2021

33% 62% 6%

May 2021

22% 72% 6%

June 2021

23% 71% 6%

July 2021

25% 70% 5%

Response rates

The preliminary JOLTS response rate for July 2021 was 40 percent. In June, the final response rate was 46 percent. In the year prior to the pandemic, the preliminary response rate averaged 54 percent and the final response rate averaged 58 percent.

In July 2021, JOLTS response rates declined in all size classes and in all industries. The industries with the largest declines in response rates were construction; transportation, warehousing, and utilities; accommodation and food services; and other services.

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% 48%

January 2021

43% 48%

February 2021

45% 49%

March 2021

45% 48%

April 2021

44% 48%

May 2021

44% 47%

June 2021

43% 46%

July 2021

40% Not available

Imputation

JOLTS imputation for July resulted in very few cells with more imputation relative to the previous year. The industries that generally experienced more imputation were mining and logging, retail trade, and professional and business services.

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 July 2021 preliminary and the June 2021 final JOLTS estimates, there was no suppression of the alignment process. The JOLTS hires minus separations and Current Employment Statistics (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 2020 preliminary through the November 2020 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 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 2020 were not included in the CES employment change for April 2020, 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 accordance with the survey’s usual practice, the seasonal adjustment factors were reviewed through the calendar year ending in December 2020 and 5 years of seasonally adjusted estimates were revised. The majority of the JOLTS series retained the additive designation.

Comparison of current month estimates with past monthly JOLTS estimates

Please see the following tables for a comparison of July 2021 estimates to historical levels.

Table 3a. Job openings by sector and region (numbers in thousands)
Sector and region July 2021 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

10,934 749 7.4 Jun 2021 10,185 Jun 2021 10,185 Jun 2021 702 Apr 2021 905 May 2021 3.2 Jun 2021 7.4

Total private

9,881 655 7.1 Jun 2021 9,226 Jun 2021 9,226 Jun 2021 625 Apr 2021 817 May 2021 4.1 Jun 2021 7.3

Government

1,053 94 9.8 Jun 2021 959 Jun 2021 959 Jun 2021 77 Mar 2021 185 Jun 2021 8.7 Apr 2021 10.3

Region

Northeast

2,026 280 16.0 Jun 2021 1,746 Jun 2021 1,746 Jun 2021 52 Mar 2021 230 Jun 2021 3.1 Mar 2021 17.8

South

4,114 226 5.8 Jun 2021 3,888 Jun 2021 3,888 May 2021 85 Jun 2021 294 May 2021 2.4 Jun 2021 8.2

Midwest

2,300 73 3.3 Jun 2021 2,227 Jun 2021 2,227 May 2021 -5 Jun 2021 163 May 2021 -0.2 Jun 2021 7.9

West

2,495 172 7.4 Jun 2021 2,323 Jun 2021 2,323 May 2021 161 Jun 2021 192 Feb 2021 5.3 Jun 2021 9.0
Table 3b. Hires by sector and region (numbers in thousands)
Sector and region July 2021 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

6,667 -160 -2.3 May 2021 6,022 Jun 2021 6,827 Dec 2020 -608 Jun 2021 805 Dec 2020 -10.1 Jun 2021 13.4

Total private

6,166 -232 -3.6 May 2021 5,703 Jun 2021 6,398 Dec 2020 -577 Jun 2021 695 Dec 2020 -10.2 Jun 2021 12.2

Government

502 73 17.0 Jun 2021 429 Aug 2020 584 May 2021 -32 Jun 2021 110 May 2021 -9.1 Jun 2021 34.5

Region

Northeast

1,005 -16 -1.6 May 2021 880 Jun 2021 1,021 May 2021 -81 Jun 2021 141 May 2021 -8.4 Jun 2021 16.0

South

2,642 -5 -0.2 May 2021 2,442 Jun 2021 2,647 Jan 2021 -102 Jun 2021 205 Jan 2021 -4.7 Jun 2021 8.4

Midwest

1,538 -103 -6.3 May 2021 1,278 Jun 2021 1,641 Dec 2020 -113 Jun 2021 363 Dec 2020 -8.6 Jun 2021 28.4

West

1,482 -37 -2.4 May 2021 1,421 Jun 2021 1,519 Dec 2020 -125 Jun 2021 98 Dec 2020 -9.5 Jun 2021 6.9
Table 3c. Total separations by sector and region (numbers in thousands)
Sector and region July 2021 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

5,786 174 3.1 Jun 2021 5,612 Apr 2021 5,803 May 2021 -473 Jun 2021 282 May 2021 -8.2 Jun 2021 5.3

Total private

5,515 165 3.1 Jun 2021 5,350 Apr 2020 11,255 May 2021 -431 Jun 2021 303 May 2021 -7.9 Jun 2021 6.0

Government

271 9 3.4 Jun 2021 262 May 2021 284 Jun 2021 -22 Feb 2021 35 Jun 2021 -7.7 Feb 2021 11.1

Region

Northeast

913 98 12.0 Jun 2021 815 Apr 2020 2,276 Jun 2021 31 Oct 2020 139 Jun 2021 4.0 Oct 2020 18.5

South

2,282 63 2.8 Jun 2021 2,219 Apr 2021 2,350 May 2021 -231 Jun 2021 100 May 2021 -9.8 Jun 2021 4.7

Midwest

1,281 -15 -1.2 May 2021 1,209 Jun 2021 1,296 May 2021 -59 Jun 2021 87 May 2021 -4.7 Jun 2021 7.2

West

1,310 29 2.3 Jun 2021 1,281 Apr 2021 1,347 May 2021 -129 Jun 2021 63 May 2021 -9.6 Jun 2021 5.2
Table 3d. Layoffs and discharges by sector and region (numbers in thousands)
Sector and region July 2021 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

1,459 105 7.8 Jun 2021 1,354 Mar 2021 1,525 Jun 2021 1 Nov 2020 395 Jun 2021 0.1 Nov 2020 22.9

Total private

1,399 99 7.6 Jun 2021 1,300 Mar 2021 1,433 Jun 2021 19 Nov 2020 447 Jun 2021 1.5 Nov 2020 30.1

Government

61 7 13.0 Jun 2021 54 May 2021 72 Jun 2021 -18 Oct 2020 96 Jun 2021 -25.0 Oct 2020 64.4

Region

Northeast

257 41 19.0 Jun 2021 216 May 2021 273 Jun 2021 -57 Oct 2020 121 Jun 2021 -20.9 Oct 2020 47.1

South

565 47 9.1 Jun 2021 518 Feb 2021 619 Jun 2021 27 Nov 2020 83 Jun 2021 5.5 Nov 2020 15.0

Midwest

304 -20 -6.2 Jan 2013 299 Jun 2021 324 Apr 2021 -28 Jun 2021 9 Apr 2021 -8.0 Jun 2021 2.9

West

334 39 13.2 Jun 2021 295 Apr 2021 341 Jun 2021 21 Nov 2020 182 Jun 2021 7.7 Nov 2020 46.0
Table 3e. Quits by sector and region (numbers in thousands)
Sector and region July 2021 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

3,977 107 2.8 Jun 2021 3,870 Apr 2021 3,992 May 2021 -362 Jun 2021 240 May 2021 -9.1 Jun 2021 6.6

Total private

3,815 102 2.7 Jun 2021 3,713 Apr 2021 3,810 May 2021 -340 Jun 2021 243 May 2021 -8.9 Jun 2021 7.0

Government

162 6 3.8 Jun 2021 156 Apr 2021 182 Jun 2021 -4 Feb 2021 33 Jun 2021 -2.5 Feb 2021 19.9

Region

Northeast

579 48 9.0 Jun 2021 531 Jun 2021 531 May 2021 -49 Jun 2021 73 May 2021 -9.7 Jun 2021 15.9

South

1,584 23 1.5 Jun 2021 1,561 Apr 2021 1,696 May 2021 -209 Jun 2021 74 May 2021 -12.3 Jun 2021 5.0

Midwest

898 9 1.0 Jun 2021 889 Jun 2021 889 May 2021 -46 Jun 2021 62 May 2021 -5.3 Jun 2021 7.5

West

915 27 3.0 Jun 2021 888 Apr 2021 916 May 2021 -58 Jun 2021 30 May 2021 -6.3 Jun 2021 3.5

Last Modified Date: September 8, 2021