Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 08-0454
http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
For release: 10:00 A.M. (EDT)
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 Tuesday, April 8, 2008
JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: FEBRUARY 2008
On the last business day of February, there were 3.8 million job openings in
the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.7 percent, the Bureau of Labor
Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The job openings, hires,
and total separations rates were essentially unchanged in February. 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.
Although the month-to-month changes in job openings, hires, and turnover data are
often small, the trends over time are notable. The job openings rate remained essen-
tially flat from August 2006 through September 2007 then began trending downward. The
hires rate has had an overall downward trend since July 2006, and the separations rate
has had an overall downward trend since November 2006. (See tables 1, 2, and 3.)
Job Openings
In February, the job openings rate remained at 2.7 percent. Job openings include
only those jobs open on the last business day of the month. Over the month, the job
openings rate rose in education and health services (to 3.9 percent) and fell in man-
ufacturing (1.8 percent). Geographically, the job openings rate did not change signi-
ficantly in any region. Since the series began in December 2000, three industries have
consistently had higher job openings rates than the other industries: education and
health services (3.9 percent in February), accommodation and food services (3.8 per-
cent), and professional and business services (3.7 percent). (See table 1.)
Over the year, the job openings rate did not rise significantly in any industry.
The rate fell over the year for total nonfarm (to 2.6 percent) and total private
(2.8 percent) as well as in several industries, including construction (1.8 percent);
durable goods manufacturing (1.6 percent); nondurable goods manufacturing (2.1 per-
cent); transportation, warehousing, and utilities (2.2 percent); information (1.7 per-
cent); other services (2.1 percent); and federal government (1.1 percent). Region-
ally, the job openings rate fell over the year in the Northeast (2.2 percent) and in
the South (2.8 percent). (See table 5.)
Hires
The hires rate was unchanged at 3.4 percent in February. Hires are any additions
to the payroll during the month. Over the month, the hires rate did not change signi-
ficantly in any industry or region. As occurs nearly every month, the seasonally ad-
justed hires rate was highest in February in accommodation and food services (6.1 per-
cent) and lowest in state and local government (1.5 percent). (See table 2.)
From February 2007 to February 2008, the hires rate rose in construction (to
4.3 percent); other services (3.0 percent); and in federal government (2.4 percent).
Over the year, the hires rate fell in durable goods manufacturing (1.7 percent); non-
durable goods manufacturing (2.3 percent); educational services (2.0 percent); and in
the Midwest region (2.5 percent). (See table 6.)
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Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally
adjusted
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Job openings | Hires | Total separations
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Industry | Feb. | Jan. | Feb. | Feb. | Jan. | Feb. | Feb. | Jan. | Feb.
| 2007 | 2008 | 2008p| 2007 | 2008 | 2008p| 2007 | 2008 | 2008p
---------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Levels (in thousands)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total (1)............|4,168 |3,889 |3,820 |4,800 |4,639 |4,638 |4,524 |4,477 |4,485
| | | | | | | | |
Total private (1)..|3,706 |3,449 |3,378 |4,468 |4,227 |4,261 |4,221 |4,188 |4,205
Construction.....| 237 | 133 | 140 | 277 | 319 | 358 | 359 | 311 | 330
Manufacturing....| 341 | 286 | 246 | 362 | 326 | 285 | 409 | 348 | 353
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and | | | | | | | | |
utilities (2)...| 683 | 643 | 611 |1,018 | 916 | 901 | 959 |1,005 | 958
Retail trade....| 387 | 346 | 346 | 695 | 656 | 617 | 669 | 689 | 656
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services........| 627 | 752 | 695 | 911 | 897 | 821 | 796 | 790 | 854
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.......... | 684 | 680 | 748 | 525 | 516 | 522 | 413 | 447 | 462
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality (3).| 544 | 515 | 519 | 935 | 824 | 850 | 831 | 800 | 848
Accommodation | | | | | | | | |
and food | | | | | | | | |
services.......| 483 | 467 | 462 | 782 | 702 | 706 | 701 | 657 | 706
Government (4).....| 458 | 439 | 441 | 393 | 394 | 389 | 307 | 290 | 283
State and local | | | | | | | | |
government.......| 422 | 401 | 415 | 321 | 319 | 302 | 244 | 237 | 228
|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Rates (percent)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total (1)............| 2.9 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.3
| | | | | | | | |
Total private (1)..| 3.1 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.6
Construction.....| 3.0 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 4.8 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 4.5
Manufacturing....| 2.4 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 2.1 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 2.6
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and | | | | | | | | |
utilities (2)...| 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.6
Retail trade....| 2.4 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.2
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services........| 3.4 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 5.1 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.7
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices...........| 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.5
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality (3).| 3.9 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 7.0 | 6.0 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 5.9 | 6.2
Accommodation | | | | | | | | |
and food | | | | | | | | |
services.......| 4.1 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 6.9 | 6.0 | 6.1 | 6.2 | 5.7 | 6.1
Government (4).....| 2.0 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.3
State and local | | | | | | | | |
government......| 2.1 | 2.0 | 2.1 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.2
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and
other services, not shown separately.
2 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not
shown separately.
3 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately.
4 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
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Separations
The total separations, or turnover, rate remained essentially unchanged at 3.3 per-
cent in February. Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any time
during the month. Over the month, the separations rate did not change significantly in
any industry or region. As with hires, the seasonally adjusted separations rate was,
as usual, highest in February in accommodation and food services (6.1 percent) and low-
est in state and local government (1.2 percent). From February 2007 to February 2008,
the total separations rate rose in healthcare and social assistance (2.3 percent); the
rate fell over the year in durable goods manufacturing (1.9 percent) and in the Midwest
region (2.4 percent). (See tables 3 and 7.)
Total separations include quits (voluntary separations), layoffs and discharges (in-
voluntary separations), and other separations (including retirements). The quits rate,
which can serve as a barometer of workers’ ability to change jobs, was unchanged in
February for total nonfarm (1.8 percent) but rose in the professional and business ser-
vices industry (to 2.7 percent) and in the Northeast region (1.6 percent) and fell in
retail trade (to 2.4 percent). As has occurred every month since the series began in
December 2000, the seasonally adjusted quits rate was highest in the accommodation and
food services industry (4.3 percent) and lowest in state and local government (0.6 per-
cent). (See table 4.)
From February 2007 to February 2008, the quits rate did not change significantly in
any industry. Geographically, the quits rate rose in the Northeast (to 1.2 percent) and
fell in the Midwest (to 1.3 percent). (See table 8.)
The other two components of total separations--layoffs and discharges, and other se-
parations--are not seasonally adjusted. For February, the layoffs and discharges rate
(1.0 percent) and level (1.4 million) were essentially unchanged from a year earlier.
The layoffs and discharges rate in February 2008 was highest in arts, entertainment, and
recreation (2.5 percent) and lowest in state and local government (0.1 percent). The
other separations rate (0.2 percent) and level (281,000) were little changed in February
from a year ago. The highest other separations rate in February was in federal government
(0.6 percent). The other separations rate is 0.2 percent or lower in most industries each
month. (See tables 9 and 10.)
The total separations rate is driven by the relative contribution of its three compon-
ents (quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations), with quits contributing the
largest portion. The percentage of total separations attributable to quits has risen and
fallen over time along with total nonfarm employment levels. The proportion of total se-
parations due to quits rose from a post-recession low of 50 percent in December 2003 to a
high of 61 percent in December 2006 (seasonally adjusted) before trending downward again.
In February 2008, quits accounted for 56 percent of total separations. The proportion of
separations attributable to quits varies widely by industry with the highest proportion re-
gularly occurring in the accommodation and food services industry (70 percent in February)
and the lowest proportion regularly occurring in the construction industry (43 percent in
February). (See tables 3 and 4.)
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Flows in the Labor Market
Several industries consistently have high rates of both hires and separations. These
include construction; retail trade; professional and business services; arts, entertain-
ment, and recreation; and accommodation and food services. In the 12 months ending in
February 2008, these 5 industries produced 33.1 million hires and 31.8 million separations.
Thus, these five industries accounted for 58 percent of total nonfarm hires and 58 percent
of total nonfarm separations while comprising only 40 percent of total nonfarm employment.
For More Information
For additional information, please read the Technical Note or visit the JOLTS Web site
at http://www.bls.gov/jlt/. Additional information about JOLTS also may be obtained by
e-mailing Joltsinfo@bls.gov or by calling (202) 691-5870.
______________________________
The Job Openings and Labor Turnover release for March 2008 is scheduled to be issued on
Thursday, May 15.
- 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
Each month, data are collected in a survey of business establishments
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, 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 up-
date, if necessary, the industry code, location, and ownership classi-
fication of all establishments on a 3-year cycle. Changes in establish-
ment 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 refer-
ence month. Full-time, part-time, permanent, short-term, seasonal, sala-
ried, and hourly employees are included, as are employees on paid vaca-
tions 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 contrac-
tors, 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 posi-
tion, 2) work could start within 30 days regardless of whether a suitable
candidate is found, and 3) the employer is actively recruiting from out-
side the establishment to fill the position. Included are full-time,
part-time, permanent, short-term, and seasonal openings. Active re-
cruiting 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, out-
side 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.
- 6 -
Hires. Hires are the total number of additions to the payroll occur-
ring 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 contrac-
tors, 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 (ex-
cept for retirements, which are reported as other separations). Lay-
offs and discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the em-
ployer 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 re-
tirements, 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 separa-
tions by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100. The quits,
layoffs and discharges, and other separations rates are computed simi-
larly, dividing the number by employment and multiplying by 100.
Annual estimates. Annual estimates of rates and levels 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 dis-
charges, 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. Con-
sistent with BLS practices, annual estimates will be 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 busi-
ness 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 mea-
sures 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.
- 7 -
Sample methodology
The JOLTS sample 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
eight million establishments compiled as part of the operations of the
Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, or 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. Large firms fall into the sample with virtual certainty.
JOLTS total employment estimates are controlled to the employment esti-
mates 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. Rates are then computed from the adjusted levels.
Using JOLTS data
The JOLTS data series on job openings, hires, and separations are rel-
atively new. The full sample is divided into panels, with one panel en-
rolled 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 sup-
plemental 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 compar-
able with estimates for March 2002 and later.
The federal government reorganization that involved transferring approx-
imately 180,000 employees to the new Department of Homeland Security is not
reflected in the JOLTS hires and separations estimates for the federal gov-
ernment. The Office of Personnel Management's record shows these transfers
were completed in March 2003. The inclusion of transfers in the JOLTS defi-
nitions of hires and separations is intended to cover ongoing movements of
workers between establishments. The Department of Homeland Security reor-
ganization was a massive one-time event, and the inclusion of these inter-
governmental transfers would distort the federal government time series.
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, par-
ticularly those associated with general economic expansions and contrac-
tions. 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.
- 8 -
Prior to the January 2007 benchmark release in March 2007, seasonal adjust-
ment of the JOLTS series was conducted using the stable seasonal filter option
since there were not enough data observations available for the standard use
of moving averages as seasonal filters. Although the seasonal adjustment of
the JOLTS series is conducted with fewer data observations than is customary,
the number of observations is now above the minimum required by X-12-ARIMA to
use the normal seasonal filters. Therefore, the standard use of moving aver-
ages as seasonal filter is now in place for JOLTS seasonal adjustment. JOLTS
seasonal adjustment now 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 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 seg-
ment 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.
JOLTS hires and separations estimates cannot be used to exactly explain net
changes in nonfarm payroll employment. Some reasons why it is problematic to
compare changes in payroll employment with JOLTS hires and separations, espe-
cially on a monthly basis, are: 1) the reference period for payroll employment
is the pay period including the 12th of the month, while the reference period
for hires and separations is the calendar month; and 2) payroll employment can
vary from month to month simply because part-time and on-call workers may not
always work during the pay period that includes the 12th of the month. Addi-
tionally, research has found that some reporters systematically underreport
separations relative to hires due to a number of factors, including the nature
of their payroll systems and practices. The shortfall appears to be about
2 percent or less over a 12-month period.
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 Feb. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Feb. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb.
2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2008 2008p 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2008 2008p
Total (4).................................. 4,168 4,080 4,044 3,972 3,974 3,889 3,820 2.9 2.9 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.7 2.7
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 3,706 3,637 3,597 3,520 3,526 3,449 3,378 3.1 3.1 3.0 3.0 3.0 2.9 2.8
Construction............................. 237 128 150 138 140 133 140 3.0 1.7 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.9
Manufacturing............................ 341 314 303 303 305 286 246 2.4 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.0 1.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 683 679 644 648 667 643 611 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.2
Retail trade............................ 387 357 321 344 358 346 346 2.4 2.3 2.0 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.2
Professional and business services....... 627 673 758 685 706 752 695 3.4 3.6 4.0 3.7 3.7 4.0 3.7
Education and health services............ 684 712 704 713 698 680 748 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.5 3.9
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 544 663 614 591 574 515 519 3.9 4.7 4.3 4.2 4.0 3.6 3.7
Accommodation and food services......... 483 595 543 518 514 467 462 4.1 4.9 4.5 4.3 4.2 3.9 3.8
Government (7)............................ 458 443 448 454 446 439 441 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.9 1.9
State and local government............... 422 403 408 404 398 401 415 2.1 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.1
REGION (8)
Northeast................................ 713 594 657 629 644 662 610 2.7 2.3 2.5 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.3
South.................................... 1,636 1,641 1,629 1,620 1,574 1,536 1,506 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.1 3.0 2.9
Midwest.................................. 778 787 747 755 779 749 734 2.4 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.3
West..................................... 1,024 1,054 1,014 957 988 966 980 3.2 3.3 3.2 3.0 3.1 3.0 3.1
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 natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
6 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately.
7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
8 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 Feb. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Feb. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb.
2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2008 2008p 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2008 2008p
Total (4).................................. 4,800 4,700 4,914 4,672 4,717 4,639 4,638 3.5 3.4 3.6 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.4
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 4,468 4,325 4,552 4,305 4,314 4,227 4,261 3.9 3.7 3.9 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.7
Construction............................. 277 336 331 351 335 319 358 3.6 4.4 4.4 4.7 4.5 4.3 4.8
Manufacturing.......................... 362 352 396 353 350 326 285 2.6 2.5 2.9 2.6 2.5 2.4 2.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 1,018 977 1,018 946 970 916 901 3.8 3.7 3.8 3.5 3.6 3.4 3.4
Retail trade............................ 695 699 699 655 693 656 617 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.2 4.5 4.2 4.0
Professional and business services....... 911 799 855 902 851 897 821 5.1 4.4 4.7 5.0 4.7 5.0 4.5
Education and health services............ 525 453 517 527 460 516 522 2.9 2.5 2.8 2.8 2.5 2.8 2.8
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 935 888 924 846 880 824 850 7.0 6.6 6.8 6.2 6.4 6.0 6.2
Accommodation and food services......... 782 732 803 708 713 702 706 6.9 6.3 6.9 6.1 6.1 6.0 6.1
Government (7)............................ 393 359 373 349 390 394 389 1.8 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.7
State and local government............... 321 287 315 287 326 319 302 1.7 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.7 1.6 1.5
REGION (8)
Northeast................................ 705 689 653 761 770 767 768 2.8 2.7 2.5 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0
South.................................... 1,854 1,844 1,924 1,828 1,802 1,814 1,789 3.7 3.7 3.9 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.6
Midwest.................................. 1,154 1,093 1,097 1,027 1,045 998 966 3.7 3.5 3.5 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.1
West..................................... 1,133 1,048 1,216 1,018 1,067 1,058 1,146 3.7 3.4 3.9 3.3 3.4 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 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
6 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately.
7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
8 See footnote 8, 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 Feb. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Feb. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb.
2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2008 2008p 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2008 2008p
Total (4).................................. 4,524 4,456 4,594 4,640 4,408 4,477 4,485 3.3 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.2 3.2 3.3
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 4,221 4,168 4,314 4,367 4,107 4,188 4,205 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.5 3.6 3.6
Construction............................. 359 355 355 322 331 311 330 4.7 4.7 4.7 4.3 4.4 4.2 4.5
Manufacturing............................ 409 374 393 400 325 348 353 2.9 2.7 2.9 2.9 2.4 2.5 2.6
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 959 950 1,010 1,065 981 1,005 958 3.6 3.6 3.8 4.0 3.7 3.8 3.6
Retail trade............................ 669 683 702 764 686 689 656 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.9 4.4 4.4 4.2
Professional and business services....... 796 824 935 878 814 790 854 4.5 4.6 5.2 4.9 4.5 4.4 4.7
Education and health services............ 413 414 434 423 417 447 462 2.3 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.4 2.5
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 831 730 761 799 803 800 848 6.2 5.4 5.6 5.9 5.9 5.9 6.2
Accommodation and food services......... 701 645 651 667 697 657 706 6.2 5.6 5.6 5.7 6.0 5.7 6.1
Government (7)............................ 307 290 286 286 295 290 283 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3
State and local government............... 244 219 238 240 256 237 228 1.3 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.2
REGION (8)
Northeast................................ 665 635 652 860 635 697 761 2.6 2.5 2.5 3.3 2.5 2.7 3.0
South.................................... 1,770 1,786 1,764 1,709 1,712 1,699 1,671 3.6 3.6 3.5 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.4
Midwest.................................. 1,032 983 994 974 980 975 900 3.3 3.1 3.2 3.1 3.1 3.1 2.9
West..................................... 1,035 1,038 1,186 1,117 1,117 1,107 1,168 3.4 3.4 3.8 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.8
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 natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
6 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately.
7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
8 See footnote 8, 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 Feb. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Feb. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb.
2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2008 2008p 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2008 2008p
Total (4).................................. 2,666 2,396 2,648 2,501 2,494 2,493 2,526 1.9 1.7 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 2,525 2,253 2,508 2,361 2,358 2,355 2,387 2.2 1.9 2.2 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.1
Construction............................. 135 132 137 116 119 113 141 1.8 1.7 1.8 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.9
Manufacturing............................ 206 183 199 187 182 183 184 1.5 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 606 549 588 572 590 598 534 2.3 2.1 2.2 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.0
Retail trade............................ 441 412 432 433 445 437 374 2.9 2.7 2.8 2.8 2.9 2.8 2.4
Professional and business services....... 454 405 479 398 367 351 490 2.5 2.2 2.7 2.2 2.0 1.9 2.7
Education and health services............ 273 253 264 269 258 276 268 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.4
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 568 440 545 557 561 525 550 4.3 3.2 4.0 4.1 4.1 3.8 4.0
Accommodation and food services......... 521 367 503 516 513 465 497 4.6 3.2 4.3 4.4 4.4 4.0 4.3
Government (7)............................ 141 146 144 140 137 138 139 .6 .7 .6 .6 .6 .6 .6
State and local government............... 118 123 128 125 120 119 117 .6 .6 .7 .6 .6 .6 .6
REGION (8)
Northeast................................ 320 306 338 367 312 358 411 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.2 1.4 1.6
South.................................... 1,135 1,003 1,088 996 1,008 1,045 1,020 2.3 2.0 2.2 2.0 2.0 2.1 2.1
Midwest.................................. 592 524 524 529 521 502 491 1.9 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.6
West..................................... 611 575 691 607 632 583 624 2.0 1.9 2.2 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.0
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 natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
6 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately.
7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
8 See footnote 8, 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 Feb. Jan. Feb. Feb. Jan. Feb.
2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p
Total........................................... 3,981 3,597 3,627 2.9 2.6 2.6
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,560 3,196 3,224 3.0 2.7 2.8
Natural resources and mining.................. 12 15 17 1.8 2.0 2.3
Construction.................................. 217 112 128 2.9 1.6 1.8
Manufacturing................................. 346 284 246 2.4 2.0 1.8
Durable goods................................ 215 156 137 2.4 1.8 1.6
Nondurable goods............................. 131 128 108 2.5 2.5 2.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 625 558 537 2.3 2.1 2.0
Wholesale trade.............................. 149 153 133 2.5 2.5 2.2
Retail trade................................. 330 296 289 2.1 1.9 1.9
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 146 109 115 2.8 2.1 2.2
Information................................... 152 59 51 4.8 1.9 1.7
Financial activities.......................... 225 245 230 2.6 2.9 2.7
Finance and insurance........................ 183 192 184 2.9 3.1 2.9
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 42 53 46 1.9 2.5 2.2
Professional and business services............ 623 743 671 3.4 4.0 3.6
Education and health services................. 671 633 744 3.6 3.3 3.8
Educational services......................... 58 53 50 1.8 1.8 1.6
Health care and social assistance............ 614 581 694 3.9 3.6 4.3
Leisure and hospitality....................... 516 449 484 3.9 3.3 3.6
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 60 43 59 3.3 2.3 3.1
Accommodation and food services............. 455 406 425 4.0 3.5 3.6
Other services................................ 173 98 115 3.1 1.8 2.1
Government..................................... 421 401 404 1.8 1.8 1.7
Federal....................................... 43 36 30 1.6 1.3 1.1
State and local............................... 378 365 374 1.9 1.8 1.8
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 686 600 575 2.6 2.3 2.2
South......................................... 1,586 1,426 1,432 3.1 2.8 2.8
Midwest....................................... 747 685 700 2.4 2.2 2.2
West.......................................... 963 886 920 3.1 2.8 2.9
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 See footnote 8, 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 Feb. Jan. Feb. Feb. Jan. Feb.
2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p
Total........................................... 4,027 3,981 3,842 3.0 2.9 2.8
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,753 3,624 3,571 3.3 3.2 3.1
Natural resources and mining.................. 21 20 20 3.0 2.8 2.8
Construction.................................. 215 235 297 3.0 3.3 4.3
Manufacturing................................. 336 325 262 2.4 2.4 1.9
Durable goods................................ 192 188 149 2.2 2.2 1.7
Nondurable goods............................. 144 136 113 2.9 2.7 2.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 812 710 712 3.1 2.7 2.7
Wholesale trade.............................. 138 153 116 2.3 2.5 1.9
Retail trade................................. 539 463 469 3.6 3.0 3.1
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 135 94 127 2.7 1.9 2.5
Information................................... 55 61 41 1.8 2.1 1.4
Financial activities.......................... 175 168 206 2.1 2.1 2.5
Finance and insurance........................ 113 125 123 1.8 2.1 2.0
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 62 43 83 2.9 2.0 4.0
Professional and business services............ 832 887 728 4.7 5.0 4.1
Education and health services................. 459 482 463 2.5 2.6 2.5
Educational services......................... 81 65 64 2.7 2.2 2.0
Health care and social assistance............ 378 417 400 2.5 2.7 2.6
Leisure and hospitality....................... 742 628 680 5.8 4.8 5.2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 82 94 80 4.7 5.3 4.4
Accommodation and food services............. 660 533 599 6.0 4.7 5.3
Other services................................ 106 108 162 2.0 2.0 3.0
Government..................................... 274 357 271 1.2 1.6 1.2
Federal....................................... 51 66 64 1.9 2.4 2.4
State and local............................... 224 292 207 1.1 1.5 1.0
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 505 593 559 2.0 2.3 2.2
South......................................... 1,638 1,656 1,566 3.4 3.4 3.2
Midwest....................................... 954 851 769 3.1 2.7 2.5
West.......................................... 930 881 949 3.1 2.9 3.1
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 8, 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 Feb. Jan. Feb. Feb. Jan. Feb.
2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p
Total........................................... 3,730 4,349 3,697 2.7 3.2 2.7
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,529 4,117 3,519 3.1 3.6 3.1
Natural resources and mining.................. 18 28 23 2.6 3.9 3.1
Construction.................................. 316 343 290 4.4 4.9 4.2
Manufacturing................................. 364 338 317 2.6 2.5 2.3
Durable goods................................ 228 212 168 2.6 2.4 1.9
Nondurable goods............................. 137 127 149 2.7 2.5 3.0
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 824 1,118 800 3.2 4.2 3.1
Wholesale trade.............................. 114 164 133 1.9 2.7 2.2
Retail trade................................. 587 785 556 3.9 5.1 3.7
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 123 170 110 2.5 3.4 2.2
Information................................... 65 61 45 2.1 2.0 1.5
Financial activities.......................... 199 227 169 2.4 2.8 2.1
Finance and insurance........................ 130 159 109 2.1 2.6 1.8
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 69 68 59 3.2 3.2 2.8
Professional and business services............ 674 763 740 3.8 4.3 4.2
Education and health services................. 333 411 383 1.8 2.2 2.0
Educational services......................... 39 49 28 1.3 1.7 .9
Health care and social assistance............ 294 363 355 1.9 2.3 2.3
Leisure and hospitality....................... 617 684 648 4.8 5.2 4.9
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 72 101 87 4.1 5.7 4.8
Accommodation and food services............. 545 582 561 4.9 5.2 5.0
Other services................................ 118 143 105 2.2 2.6 1.9
Government..................................... 201 232 177 .9 1.0 .8
Federal....................................... 48 46 42 1.8 1.7 1.6
State and local............................... 153 186 135 .8 1.0 .7
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 518 686 609 2.0 2.7 2.4
South......................................... 1,509 1,605 1,390 3.1 3.3 2.8
Midwest....................................... 859 994 734 2.8 3.2 2.4
West.......................................... 843 1,065 963 2.8 3.5 3.1
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 8, 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 Feb. Jan. Feb. Feb. Jan. Feb.
2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p
Total........................................... 2,168 2,193 2,064 1.6 1.6 1.5
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 2,067 2,085 1,965 1.8 1.8 1.7
Natural resources and mining.................. 10 14 12 1.5 1.9 1.7
Construction.................................. 101 87 107 1.4 1.2 1.5
Manufacturing................................. 178 159 159 1.3 1.2 1.2
Durable goods................................ 96 88 87 1.1 1.0 1.0
Nondurable goods............................. 82 71 72 1.6 1.4 1.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 508 565 445 1.9 2.1 1.7
Wholesale trade.............................. 75 75 73 1.3 1.2 1.2
Retail trade................................. 368 413 309 2.4 2.7 2.0
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 65 77 63 1.3 1.5 1.3
Information................................... 37 36 27 1.2 1.2 .9
Financial activities.......................... 115 133 96 1.4 1.6 1.2
Finance and insurance........................ 84 92 72 1.4 1.5 1.2
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 31 41 24 1.5 2.0 1.1
Professional and business services............ 363 323 403 2.1 1.8 2.3
Education and health services................. 226 245 223 1.2 1.3 1.2
Educational services......................... 18 22 16 .6 .7 .5
Health care and social assistance............ 209 223 207 1.4 1.4 1.3
Leisure and hospitality....................... 446 438 434 3.5 3.4 3.3
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 33 41 41 1.9 2.3 2.2
Accommodation and food services............. 413 397 393 3.7 3.5 3.5
Other services................................ 82 85 59 1.5 1.6 1.1
Government..................................... 101 109 99 .4 .5 .4
Federal....................................... 17 14 16 .6 .5 .6
State and local............................... 84 94 83 .4 .5 .4
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 239 300 310 .9 1.2 1.2
South......................................... 947 927 853 1.9 1.9 1.7
Midwest....................................... 491 459 395 1.6 1.5 1.3
West.......................................... 490 507 506 1.6 1.7 1.7
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 8, 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 Feb. Jan. Feb. Feb. Jan. Feb.
2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p
Total........................................... 1,276 1,845 1,353 0.9 1.4 1.0
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 1,231 1,775 1,317 1.1 1.6 1.2
Natural resources and mining.................. 6 10 9 .9 1.4 1.3
Construction.................................. 193 245 168 2.7 3.5 2.4
Manufacturing................................. 148 152 132 1.1 1.1 1.0
Durable goods................................ 101 105 69 1.1 1.2 .8
Nondurable goods............................. 48 47 63 .9 .9 1.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 250 479 273 1.0 1.8 1.0
Wholesale trade.............................. 32 72 56 .5 1.2 .9
Retail trade................................. 181 326 179 1.2 2.1 1.2
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 37 81 38 .7 1.6 .8
Information................................... 25 22 15 .8 .8 .5
Financial activities.......................... 69 83 53 .8 1.0 .7
Finance and insurance........................ 37 59 24 .6 1.0 .4
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 32 24 29 1.5 1.1 1.4
Professional and business services............ 270 385 300 1.5 2.2 1.7
Education and health services................. 88 139 122 .5 .8 .7
Educational services......................... 18 24 11 .6 .8 .3
Health care and social assistance............ 70 115 111 .5 .7 .7
Leisure and hospitality....................... 158 203 201 1.2 1.6 1.5
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 37 58 45 2.1 3.2 2.5
Accommodation and food services............. 121 146 156 1.1 1.3 1.4
Other services................................ 25 56 44 .5 1.0 .8
Government..................................... 45 70 35 .2 .3 .2
Federal....................................... 11 15 10 .4 .6 .4
State and local............................... 34 55 25 .2 .3 .1
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 225 329 234 .9 1.3 .9
South......................................... 464 598 456 .9 1.2 .9
Midwest....................................... 314 439 270 1.0 1.4 .9
West.......................................... 272 479 392 .9 1.6 1.3
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 8, 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 Feb. Jan. Feb. Feb. Jan. Feb.
2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p
Total........................................... 286 311 281 0.2 0.2 0.2
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 231 257 237 .2 .2 .2
Natural resources and mining.................. 2 4 2 .2 .6 .2
Construction.................................. 23 11 15 .3 .2 .2
Manufacturing................................. 38 27 25 .3 .2 .2
Durable goods................................ 30 19 12 .3 .2 .1
Nondurable goods............................. 8 9 13 .1 .2 .3
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 66 74 82 .3 .3 .3
Wholesale trade.............................. 7 16 5 .1 .3 .1
Retail trade................................. 38 46 69 .3 .3 .5
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 21 12 9 .4 .2 .2
Information................................... 3 3 3 .1 .1 .1
Financial activities.......................... 16 11 20 .2 .1 .2
Finance and insurance........................ 10 8 13 .2 .1 .2
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 6 3 6 .3 .2 .3
Professional and business services............ 41 54 37 .2 .3 .2
Education and health services................. 19 27 38 .1 .1 .2
Educational services......................... 3 3 2 .1 .1 .1
Health care and social assistance............ 16 24 37 .1 .2 .2
Leisure and hospitality....................... 13 42 13 .1 .3 .1
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 2 2 1 .1 .1 .1
Accommodation and food services............. 11 40 12 .1 .4 .1
Other services................................ 11 2 2 .2 (4) (4)
Government..................................... 55 54 43 .2 .2 .2
Federal....................................... 21 17 16 .8 .6 .6
State and local............................... 35 37 27 .2 .2 .1
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 55 57 66 .2 .2 .3
South......................................... 98 79 81 .2 .2 .2
Midwest....................................... 54 96 69 .2 .3 .2
West.......................................... 80 79 65 .3 .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 8, table 1.
4 Data round to zero.
p = preliminary.
United States Department of Labor
