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

Response rates

The preliminary JOLTS response rate for June was 43 percent. In May, 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 June 2021, JOLTS response rates declined in all size classes and in all industries. The industries with the largest declines in response rates were accommodation and food services and state and local government education.

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% Not available

Imputation

JOLTS imputation for June resulted in very few cells with more imputation relative to the previous year. The industries that generally experienced more imputation were retail trade and finance and insurance.

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 June 2021 preliminary and the May 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.

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 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 June 2021 estimates to historical levels.

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

10,073 590 6.2 May 2021 9,483 May 2021 9,483 May 2021 290 Apr 2021 905 May 2021 3.2 Apr 2021 10.9

Total private

9,154 553 6.4 May 2021 8,601 May 2021 8,601 May 2021 338 Apr 2021 817 May 2021 4.1 Apr 2021 11.0

Government

919 37 4.2 May 2021 882 Apr 2021 930 May 2021 -48 Apr 2021 87 May 2021 -5.2 Apr 2021 10.3

Region

Northeast

1,761 67 4.0 May 2021 1,694 May 2021 1,694 May 2021 49 Apr 2021 121 May 2021 3.0 Apr 2021 7.9

South

3,864 270 7.5 May 2021 3,594 May 2021 3,594 May 2021 85 Apr 2021 346 May 2021 2.4 Apr 2021 10.9

Midwest

2,210 146 7.1 May 2021 2,064 Apr 2021 2,069 May 2021 -5 Apr 2021 286 May 2021 -0.2 Apr 2021 16.0

West

2,238 107 5.0 May 2021 2,131 May 2021 2,131 Feb 2021 84 May 2021 161 Dec 2020 -1.4 May 2021 8.2
Table 3b. Hires by sector and region (numbers in thousands)
Sector and region June 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

6,719 697 11.6 May 2021 6,022 Jun 2020 7,697 May 2021 10 May 2020 4,330 May 2021 0.2 May 2020 109.8

Total private

6,286 583 10.2 May 2021 5,703 Jun 2020 7,435 May 2021 42 May 2020 4,297 May 2021 0.7 May 2020 115.6

Government

433 114 35.7 May 2021 319 Aug 2020 584 May 2021 -32 Aug 2020 240 May 2021 -9.1 Aug 2020 69.8

Region

Northeast

978 98 11.1 May 2021 880 Mar 2021 997 May 2021 -81 Feb 2021 100 May 2021 -8.4 Feb 2021 11.5

South

2,628 186 7.6 May 2021 2,442 May 2020 2,867 May 2021 83 May 2020 1,380 May 2021 3.5 May 2020 92.8

Midwest

1,648 370 29.0 May 2021 1,278 Jun 2020 1,846 May 2021 -12 May 2020 934 May 2021 -0.9 May 2020 101.2

West

1,465 44 3.1 May 2021 1,421 Jun 2020 1,822 May 2021 20 Mar 2021 98 May 2021 1.4 Mar 2021 7.4
Table 3c. Total separations by sector and region (numbers in thousands)
Sector and region June 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

5,584 254 4.8 May 2021 5,330 Apr 2021 5,803 May 2021 -473 Apr 2021 367 May 2021 -8.2 Apr 2021 6.8

Total private

5,311 264 5.2 May 2021 5,047 Apr 2021 5,478 May 2021 -431 Apr 2021 378 May 2021 -7.9 Apr 2021 7.4

Government

273 -11 -3.9 Jun 2014 272 May 2021 284 May 2021 -41 Apr 2021 -10 May 2021 -12.6 Apr 2021 -3.0

Region

Northeast

795 11 1.4 May 2021 784 Apr 2021 838 May 2021 -54 Apr 2021 23 May 2021 -6.4 Apr 2021 2.8

South

2,226 107 5.0 May 2021 2,119 Apr 2021 2,350 May 2021 -231 Apr 2021 153 May 2021 -9.8 Apr 2021 7.0

Midwest

1,297 88 7.3 May 2021 1,209 Nov 2020 1,308 May 2021 -59 Feb 2021 89 May 2021 -4.7 Feb 2021 8.0

West

1,267 49 4.0 May 2021 1,218 Apr 2021 1,347 May 2021 -129 Apr 2021 124 May 2021 -9.6 Apr 2021 10.1
Table 3d. Layoffs and discharges by sector and region (numbers in thousands)
Sector and region June 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

1,310 -43 -3.2 May 2021 1,353 May 2021 1,353 May 2021 -97 Feb 2021 -1 May 2021 -6.7 Feb 2021 -0.1

Total private

1,255 -26 -2.0 May 2021 1,281 May 2021 1,281 May 2021 -84 Feb 2021 2 May 2021 -6.2 Feb 2021 0.1

Government

55 -17 -23.6 Nov 2001 71 May 2021 72 Dec 2020 -105 May 2021 -14 Dec 2020 -54.1 May 2021 -16.3

Region

Northeast

227 -46 -16.8 Aug 2006 241 May 2021 273 Mar 2021 -60 May 2021 4 Mar 2021 -18.6 May 2021 1.5

South

491 0 0.0 May 2021 491 May 2021 491 May 2021 -28 Feb 2021 21 May 2021 -5.4 Feb 2021 3.5

Midwest

318 3 1.0 May 2021 315 Apr 2021 321 May 2021 -6 Feb 2021 54 May 2021 -1.9 Feb 2021 16.5

West

274 0 0.0 May 2021 274 May 2021 274 May 2021 -67 Nov 2020 182 May 2021 -19.6 Nov 2020 46.0
Table 3e. Quits by sector and region (numbers in thousands)
Sector and region June 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

3,869 239 6.6 May 2021 3,630 Apr 2021 3,992 May 2021 -362 Apr 2021 424 May 2021 -9.1 Apr 2021 11.9

Total private

3,701 231 6.7 May 2021 3,470 Apr 2021 3,810 May 2021 -340 Apr 2021 423 May 2021 -8.9 Apr 2021 12.5

Government

168 8 5.0 May 2021 160 Apr 2021 182 May 2021 -22 Feb 2021 33 May 2021 -12.1 Feb 2021 19.9

Region

Northeast

501 43 9.4 May 2021 458 Apr 2021 507 May 2021 -49 Jun 2020 102 May 2021 -9.7 Jul 2020 10.6

South

1,588 101 6.8 May 2021 1,487 Apr 2021 1,696 May 2021 -209 Apr 2021 191 May 2021 -12.3 Apr 2021 12.7

Midwest

894 67 8.1 May 2021 827 Apr 2021 873 May 2021 -46 Apr 2021 93 May 2021 -5.3 Apr 2021 11.9

West

885 27 3.1 May 2021 858 Apr 2021 916 May 2021 -58 Apr 2021 124 May 2021 -6.3 Apr 2021 15.7

Last Modified Date: August 9, 2021