Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 08-0669
http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
For release: 10:00 A.M. (EDT)
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 Thursday, May 15, 2008
JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: MARCH 2008
On the last business day of March, there were 3.7 million job openings in
the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.6 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
March. 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 essentially flat from August 2006 through September 2007 then began
trending downward; the rate in March was at the lowest point since mid-2005.
The hires rate has had an overall downward trend since July 2006, and has
reached the lowest level since early 2004. The separations rate has had an
overall downward trend since November 2006. (See tables 1, 2, and 3.)
Job Openings
In March, the job openings rate was essentially unchanged at 2.6 percent.
Job openings include only those jobs open on the last business day of the month.
Over the month, the job openings rate did not rise or fall significantly in any
industry or region. Since the series began in December 2000, three industries
have consistently had higher job openings rates than the other industries: edu-
cation and health services (3.7 percent in March), accommodation and food ser-
vices (3.8 percent), and professional and business services (3.9 percent). (See
table 1.)
Over the year, the job openings rate (not seasonally adjusted) rose signifi-
cantly only for federal government. The rate fell over the year for total nonfarm
(to 2.7 percent) and total private (2.9 percent) as well as in several industries,
including construction (1.4 percent); durable goods manufacturing (1.8 percent);
wholesale trade (2.2 percent); transportation, warehousing, and utilities (1.9 per-
cent); information (1.7 percent); and finance and insurance (2.7 percent). Two in-
dustries--wholesale trade and information--have experienced exceptionally steep de-
clines in the job openings rate over the past year. The job openings rate for whole-
sale trade fell from 3.8 percent in March 2007 to 2.2 percent in March 2008; the rate
for information fell from 4.5 percent in March 2007 to 1.7 percent in March 2008.
Regionally, the job openings rate fell over the year in the Northeast (2.3 percent)
and in the South (2.8 percent). (See table 5.)
Hires
The hires rate was unchanged at 3.3 percent in March. Hires are any additions
to the payroll during the month. Over the month, the hires rate did not change
significantly in any industry or region. As occurs nearly every month, the sea-
sonally adjusted hires rate was highest in March in accommodation and food ser-
vices (5.7 percent) and lowest in state and local government (1.6 percent). (See
table 2.)
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Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally
adjusted
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Job openings | Hires | Total separations
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Industry | Mar. | Feb. | Mar. | Mar. | Feb. | Mar. | Mar. | Feb. | Mar.
| 2007 | 2008 | 2008p| 2007 | 2008 | 2008p| 2007 | 2008 | 2008p
---------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Levels (in thousands)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total (1)............|4,201 |3,799 |3,733 |4,828 |4,586 |4,547 |4,663 |4,503 |4,378
| | | | | | | | |
Total private (1)..|3,736 |3,350 |3,293 |4,438 |4,203 |4,159 |4,339 |4,224 |4,103
Construction.....| 152 | 123 | 94 | 358 | 349 | 362 | 336 | 329 | 349
Manufacturing....| 313 | 239 | 252 | 325 | 285 | 313 | 401 | 350 | 310
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and | | | | | | | | |
utilities (2)...| 738 | 598 | 566 |1,000 | 882 | 905 | 995 | 957 | 932
Retail trade....| 384 | 326 | 344 | 695 | 603 | 617 | 678 | 669 | 681
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services........| 722 | 699 | 722 | 873 | 780 | 856 | 802 | 861 | 797
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices...........| 692 | 737 | 715 | 504 | 522 | 498 | 427 | 459 | 459
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality (3).| 540 | 530 | 520 | 841 | 868 | 802 | 826 | 854 | 774
Accommodation | | | | | | | | |
and food | | | | | | | | |
services.......| 465 | 477 | 465 | 703 | 730 | 663 | 691 | 718 | 648
Government (4).....| 460 | 450 | 441 | 389 | 387 | 385 | 315 | 278 | 271
State and local | | | | | | | | |
government......| 425 | 413 | 393 | 309 | 306 | 317 | 250 | 229 | 226
|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Rates (percent)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total (1)............| 3.0 | 2.7 | 2.6 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.2
| | | | | | | | |
Total private (1)..| 3.1 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.6
Construction.....| 1.9 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.8
Manufacturing....| 2.2 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 2.3 | 2.9 | 2.6 | 2.3
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and | | | | | | | | |
utilities (2)...| 2.7 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 3.8 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.5
Retail trade....| 2.4 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.4
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services........| 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.4
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices...........| 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 2.5
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality (3).| 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 6.3 | 6.4 | 5.9 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 5.7
Accommodation | | | | | | | | |
and food | | | | | | | | |
services.......| 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 6.2 | 6.3 | 5.7 | 6.1 | 6.2 | 5.6
Government(4)......| 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.2
State and local | | | | | | | | |
government......| 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
- 3 -
From March 2007 to March 2008, the hires rate (not seasonally adjusted) did not
increase significantly in any industry or region. Over the year, the hires rate did
fall significantly for total nonfarm (to 3.2 percent) and total private (3.6 percent)
as well as in the information industry (1.4 percent), in the South region (3.3 per-
cent), and in the Midwest region (3.0 percent). (See table 6.) The downward trend
in the hires rate since 2006 was steepest in construction; transportation, warehousing,
and utilities; information; and professional and business services.
Separations
The total separations, or turnover, rate was essentially unchanged at 3.2 percent
in March. 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 March in accommodation and food services (5.6 percent) and lowest
in state and local government (1.1 percent). From March 2007 to March 2008, the total
separations rate did not rise in any industry or region; the rate fell for total non-
farm (to 2.8 percent); durable goods manufacturing (2.2 percent); nondurable goods man-
ufacturing (2.3 percent); wholesale trade (2.0 percent); federal government (1.4 per-
cent); and in the Midwest (2.4 percent) and South (3.0 percent) regions. (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 little changed
in March for total nonfarm (1.7 percent). The quits rate fell over the month in manu-
facturing (to 1.2 percent); professional and business services (2.1 percent); state and
local government (0.5 percent); and in the Northeast region (1.3 percent). As has occur-
red every month since the series began in December 2000, the seasonally adjusted quits
rate was highest in the accommodation and food services industry (4.2 percent) and low-
est in state and local government (0.5 percent). (See table 4.)
From March 2007 to March 2008, the quits rate (not seasonally adjusted) did not
increase significantly in any industry. The quits rate fell over the year for total
nonfarm (to 1.6 percent) and total private (1.8 percent), as well as in many industries,
including durable goods manufacturing (1.1 percent); nondurable goods manufacturing
(1.3 percent); wholesale trade (1.0 percent); information (1.0 percent); professional
and business services (2.1 percent); and state and local government (0.4 percent).
Geographically, the quits rate fell over the year in the Midwest (1.3 percent) and
South (1.9 percent). (See table 8.)
The other two components of total separations--layoffs and discharges, and other
separations--are not seasonally adjusted. For March, the layoffs and discharges rate
(1.0 percent) and level (1.4 million) were unchanged from a year earlier. The layoffs
and discharges rate in March 2008 was highest in arts, entertainment, and recreation
(2.9 percent) and lowest in state and local government (0.2 percent). The other se-
parations rate (0.2 percent) and level (310,000) were essentially unchanged in March
from a year earlier. The highest other separations rate in March was for federal gov-
ernment (0.6 percent). The other separations rate for most of the other industries
range from 0.1 to 0.3 each month. (See tables 9 and 10.)
The total separations rate is driven by the relative contribution of its three com-
ponents (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
separations 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 March 2008, quits accounted for 54 percent of total separations. The proportion of se-
parations attributable to quits varies widely by industry with the highest proportion
regularly occurring in the accommodation and food services industry (76 percent in March)
and the lowest proportion regularly occurring in the construction industry (30 percent in
March). (See tables 3 and 4.)
- 4 -
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
March 2008, these 5 industries produced 32.9 million hires and 31.8 million separations.
Thus, these five industries accounted for 58 percent of total nonfarm hires and 59 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 April 2008 is scheduled to be issued
on Tuesday, June 10.
- 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 Mar. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Mar. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar.
2007 2007 2007 2007 2008 2008 2008p 2007 2007 2007 2007 2008 2008 2008p
Total (4).................................. 4,201 4,044 3,972 3,974 3,889 3,799 3,733 3.0 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.7 2.7 2.6
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 3,736 3,597 3,520 3,526 3,449 3,350 3,293 3.1 3.0 3.0 3.0 2.9 2.8 2.8
Construction............................. 152 150 138 140 133 123 94 1.9 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.6 1.3
Manufacturing............................ 313 303 303 305 286 239 252 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.0 1.7 1.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 738 644 648 667 643 598 566 2.7 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.2 2.1
Retail trade............................ 384 321 344 358 346 326 344 2.4 2.0 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.1 2.2
Professional and business services....... 722 758 685 706 752 699 722 3.9 4.0 3.7 3.7 4.0 3.7 3.9
Education and health services............ 692 704 713 698 680 737 715 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.5 3.8 3.7
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 540 614 591 574 515 530 520 3.9 4.3 4.2 4.0 3.6 3.7 3.7
Accommodation and food services......... 465 543 518 514 467 477 465 3.9 4.5 4.3 4.2 3.9 3.9 3.8
Government (7)............................ 460 448 454 446 439 450 441 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.0 1.9
State and local government............... 425 408 404 398 401 413 393 2.1 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.1 2.0
REGION (8)
Northeast................................ 688 657 629 644 662 576 614 2.6 2.5 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.2 2.3
South.................................... 1,718 1,629 1,620 1,574 1,536 1,485 1,390 3.4 3.2 3.2 3.1 3.0 2.9 2.7
Midwest.................................. 772 747 755 779 749 766 789 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.4 2.4
West..................................... 1,016 1,014 957 988 966 954 943 3.2 3.2 3.0 3.1 3.0 3.0 3.0
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 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 Mar. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Mar. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar.
2007 2007 2007 2007 2008 2008 2008p 2007 2007 2007 2007 2008 2008 2008p
Total (4).................................. 4,828 4,914 4,672 4,717 4,639 4,586 4,547 3.5 3.6 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.3 3.3
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 4,438 4,552 4,305 4,314 4,227 4,203 4,159 3.9 3.9 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.6
Construction............................. 358 331 351 335 319 349 362 4.7 4.4 4.7 4.5 4.3 4.7 4.9
Manufacturing............................ 325 396 353 350 326 285 313 2.3 2.9 2.6 2.5 2.4 2.1 2.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 1,000 1,018 946 970 916 882 905 3.8 3.8 3.5 3.6 3.4 3.3 3.4
Retail trade............................ 695 699 655 693 656 603 617 4.5 4.5 4.2 4.5 4.2 3.9 4.0
Professional and business services....... 873 855 902 851 897 780 856 4.9 4.7 5.0 4.7 5.0 4.3 4.7
Education and health services............ 504 517 527 460 516 522 498 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.5 2.8 2.8 2.7
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 841 924 846 880 824 868 802 6.3 6.8 6.2 6.4 6.0 6.4 5.9
Accommodation and food services......... 703 803 708 713 702 730 663 6.2 6.9 6.1 6.1 6.0 6.3 5.7
Government (7)............................ 389 373 349 390 394 387 385 1.8 1.7 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.7
State and local government............... 309 315 287 326 319 306 317 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.6
REGION (8)
Northeast................................ 708 653 761 770 767 713 714 2.8 2.5 3.0 3.0 3.0 2.8 2.8
South.................................... 1,893 1,924 1,828 1,802 1,814 1,769 1,710 3.8 3.9 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.4
Midwest.................................. 1,072 1,097 1,027 1,045 998 944 966 3.4 3.5 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.0 3.1
West..................................... 1,166 1,216 1,018 1,067 1,058 1,186 1,167 3.8 3.9 3.3 3.4 3.4 3.8 3.8
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 Mar. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Mar. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar.
2007 2007 2007 2007 2008 2008 2008p 2007 2007 2007 2007 2008 2008 2008p
Total (4).................................. 4,663 4,594 4,640 4,408 4,477 4,503 4,378 3.4 3.3 3.4 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.2
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 4,339 4,314 4,367 4,107 4,188 4,224 4,103 3.8 3.7 3.8 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.6
Construction............................. 336 355 322 331 311 329 349 4.4 4.7 4.3 4.4 4.2 4.5 4.8
Manufacturing............................ 401 393 400 325 348 350 310 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 995 1,010 1,065 981 1,005 957 932 3.7 3.8 4.0 3.7 3.8 3.6 3.5
Retail trade............................ 678 702 764 686 689 669 681 4.4 4.5 4.9 4.4 4.4 4.3 4.4
Professional and business services....... 802 935 878 814 790 861 797 4.5 5.2 4.9 4.5 4.4 4.8 4.4
Education and health services............ 427 434 423 417 447 459 459 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.4 2.5 2.5
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 826 761 799 803 800 854 774 6.2 5.6 5.9 5.9 5.9 6.2 5.7
Accommodation and food services......... 691 651 667 697 657 718 648 6.1 5.6 5.7 6.0 5.7 6.2 5.6
Government (7)............................ 315 286 286 295 290 278 271 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.2
State and local government............... 250 238 240 256 237 229 226 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.1
REGION(8)
Northeast................................ 661 652 860 635 697 770 732 2.6 2.5 3.3 2.5 2.7 3.0 2.8
South.................................... 1,843 1,764 1,709 1,712 1,699 1,673 1,633 3.7 3.5 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.3
Midwest.................................. 993 994 974 980 975 902 867 3.2 3.2 3.1 3.1 3.1 2.9 2.8
West..................................... 1,095 1,186 1,117 1,117 1,107 1,167 1,126 3.6 3.8 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.8 3.6
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 Mar. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Mar. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar.
2007 2007 2007 2007 2008 2008 2008p 2007 2007 2007 2007 2008 2008 2008p
Total (4).................................. 2,684 2,648 2,501 2,494 2,493 2,522 2,376 2.0 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.7
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 2,526 2,508 2,361 2,358 2,355 2,384 2,253 2.2 2.2 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.1 2.0
Construction............................. 132 137 116 119 113 133 105 1.7 1.8 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.8 1.4
Manufacturing............................ 219 199 187 182 183 187 160 1.6 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 593 588 572 590 598 532 538 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.0 2.0
Retail trade............................ 412 432 433 445 437 374 405 2.7 2.8 2.8 2.9 2.8 2.4 2.6
Professional and business services....... 441 479 398 367 351 492 377 2.5 2.7 2.2 2.0 1.9 2.7 2.1
Education and health services............ 268 264 269 258 276 271 283 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.5
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 573 545 557 561 525 539 530 4.3 4.0 4.1 4.1 3.8 3.9 3.9
Accommodation and food services......... 528 503 516 513 465 488 492 4.6 4.3 4.4 4.4 4.0 4.2 4.2
Government (7)............................ 157 144 140 137 138 135 117 .7 .6 .6 .6 .6 .6 .5
State and local government............... 137 128 125 120 119 116 102 .7 .7 .6 .6 .6 .6 .5
REGION (8)
Northeast................................ 353 338 367 312 358 410 326 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.3
South.................................... 1,148 1,088 996 1,008 1,045 1,021 1,003 2.3 2.2 2.0 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.0
Midwest.................................. 578 524 529 521 502 475 449 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.4
West..................................... 613 691 607 632 583 632 591 2.0 2.2 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.0 1.9
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 Mar. Feb. Mar. Mar. Feb. Mar.
2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p
Total........................................... 4,296 3,620 3,784 3.1 2.6 2.7
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,848 3,204 3,355 3.3 2.7 2.9
Natural resources and mining.................. 13 14 15 1.9 1.9 2.0
Construction.................................. 162 113 96 2.2 1.6 1.4
Manufacturing................................. 323 237 255 2.3 1.7 1.8
Durable goods................................ 204 137 155 2.3 1.6 1.8
Nondurable goods............................. 119 100 100 2.3 2.0 2.0
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 759 536 571 2.8 2.0 2.1
Wholesale trade.............................. 238 158 138 3.8 2.6 2.2
Retail trade................................. 374 261 335 2.4 1.7 2.2
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 146 117 98 2.8 2.3 1.9
Information................................... 143 51 52 4.5 1.7 1.7
Financial activities.......................... 282 230 230 3.3 2.7 2.7
Finance and insurance........................ 219 177 169 3.4 2.8 2.7
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 63 52 61 2.8 2.4 2.9
Professional and business services............ 711 670 718 3.9 3.6 3.9
Education and health services................. 694 735 718 3.7 3.8 3.7
Educational services......................... 56 53 60 1.8 1.6 1.9
Health care and social assistance............ 637 682 658 4.0 4.2 4.0
Leisure and hospitality....................... 604 500 575 4.4 3.7 4.1
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 78 55 62 4.2 2.9 3.2
Accommodation and food services............. 525 445 513 4.5 3.8 4.3
Other services................................ 157 118 126 2.8 2.1 2.2
Government..................................... 448 416 429 1.9 1.8 1.8
Federal....................................... 40 42 53 1.4 1.5 1.9
State and local............................... 409 373 376 2.0 1.8 1.8
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 672 543 594 2.6 2.1 2.3
South......................................... 1,813 1,451 1,435 3.6 2.9 2.8
Midwest....................................... 798 734 820 2.5 2.3 2.6
West.......................................... 1,013 892 936 3.2 2.8 3.0
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 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 Mar. Feb. Mar. Mar. Feb. Mar.
2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p
Total........................................... 4,651 3,788 4,343 3.4 2.8 3.2
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 4,376 3,517 4,071 3.8 3.1 3.6
Natural resources and mining.................. 19 21 24 2.6 2.9 3.3
Construction.................................. 395 275 404 5.4 4.0 5.8
Manufacturing................................. 330 263 316 2.4 1.9 2.3
Durable goods................................ 189 149 186 2.1 1.7 2.2
Nondurable goods............................. 141 114 130 2.8 2.3 2.6
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 968 688 869 3.7 2.6 3.3
Wholesale trade.............................. 151 110 140 2.5 1.8 2.3
Retail trade................................. 683 456 598 4.5 3.0 3.9
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 134 122 131 2.7 2.4 2.6
Information................................... 68 40 43 2.2 1.3 1.4
Financial activities.......................... 194 197 166 2.3 2.4 2.0
Finance and insurance........................ 125 123 111 2.0 2.0 1.8
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 69 74 55 3.2 3.6 2.6
Professional and business services............ 857 693 845 4.8 3.9 4.7
Education and health services................. 456 464 445 2.5 2.5 2.4
Educational services......................... 45 71 47 1.5 2.3 1.5
Health care and social assistance............ 411 393 399 2.7 2.5 2.5
Leisure and hospitality....................... 892 716 794 6.9 5.5 6.0
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 137 79 112 7.6 4.3 6.0
Accommodation and food services............. 755 637 682 6.8 5.6 6.0
Other services................................ 198 159 163 3.6 2.9 3.0
Government..................................... 275 271 271 1.2 1.2 1.2
Federal....................................... 63 60 54 2.3 2.2 2.0
State and local............................... 212 211 217 1.1 1.1 1.1
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 656 504 655 2.6 2.0 2.6
South......................................... 1,835 1,553 1,638 3.7 3.2 3.3
Midwest....................................... 1,074 748 944 3.4 2.4 3.0
West.......................................... 1,086 983 1,106 3.5 3.2 3.6
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 Mar. Feb. Mar. Mar. Feb. Mar.
2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p
Total........................................... 4,173 3,719 3,903 3.1 2.7 2.8
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,950 3,542 3,717 3.5 3.1 3.3
Natural resources and mining.................. 19 24 21 2.7 3.4 2.8
Construction.................................. 298 286 318 4.1 4.1 4.6
Manufacturing................................. 409 319 304 2.9 2.3 2.2
Durable goods................................ 253 173 189 2.9 2.0 2.2
Nondurable goods............................. 156 146 116 3.1 2.9 2.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 912 808 830 3.5 3.1 3.2
Wholesale trade.............................. 180 123 121 3.0 2.0 2.0
Retail trade................................. 589 573 587 3.9 3.8 3.9
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 143 112 122 2.8 2.2 2.4
Information................................... 75 46 72 2.5 1.5 2.4
Financial activities.......................... 242 170 211 2.9 2.1 2.6
Finance and insurance........................ 157 109 137 2.5 1.8 2.2
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 86 62 74 4.0 3.0 3.5
Professional and business services............ 792 750 770 4.5 4.2 4.3
Education and health services................. 389 375 427 2.1 2.0 2.3
Educational services......................... 40 32 39 1.3 1.0 1.2
Health care and social assistance............ 349 343 389 2.3 2.2 2.5
Leisure and hospitality....................... 681 647 632 5.2 4.9 4.8
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 87 82 85 4.8 4.5 4.6
Accommodation and food services............. 594 565 548 5.3 5.0 4.8
Other services................................ 134 118 131 2.4 2.2 2.4
Government..................................... 223 177 186 1.0 .8 .8
Federal....................................... 56 40 37 2.1 1.5 1.4
State and local............................... 167 138 149 .8 .7 .7
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 555 616 623 2.2 2.4 2.4
South......................................... 1,718 1,399 1,486 3.5 2.8 3.0
Midwest....................................... 899 741 754 2.9 2.4 2.4
West.......................................... 1,001 963 1,041 3.3 3.1 3.4
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 Mar. Feb. Mar. Mar. Feb. Mar.
2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p
Total........................................... 2,510 2,076 2,177 1.8 1.5 1.6
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 2,387 1,977 2,088 2.1 1.7 1.8
Natural resources and mining.................. 11 13 11 1.6 1.8 1.5
Construction.................................. 120 102 90 1.6 1.5 1.3
Manufacturing................................. 223 165 162 1.6 1.2 1.2
Durable goods................................ 128 93 95 1.5 1.1 1.1
Nondurable goods............................. 95 72 67 1.9 1.5 1.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 561 441 498 2.1 1.7 1.9
Wholesale trade.............................. 119 66 61 2.0 1.1 1.0
Retail trade................................. 380 309 365 2.5 2.0 2.4
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 62 65 72 1.2 1.3 1.4
Information................................... 50 29 31 1.6 1.0 1.0
Financial activities.......................... 147 111 120 1.8 1.4 1.5
Finance and insurance........................ 91 76 73 1.5 1.2 1.2
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 55 35 47 2.6 1.7 2.2
Professional and business services............ 458 402 381 2.6 2.3 2.1
Education and health services................. 246 224 265 1.3 1.2 1.4
Educational services......................... 21 17 21 .7 .6 .7
Health care and social assistance............ 224 207 243 1.5 1.3 1.6
Leisure and hospitality....................... 484 423 444 3.7 3.2 3.3
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 39 38 31 2.2 2.1 1.7
Accommodation and food services............. 445 384 414 4.0 3.4 3.6
Other services................................ 88 67 86 1.6 1.2 1.6
Government..................................... 123 99 89 .5 .4 .4
Federal....................................... 18 16 12 .7 .6 .5
State and local............................... 105 83 77 .5 .4 .4
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 320 308 290 1.3 1.2 1.1
South......................................... 1,065 855 924 2.2 1.7 1.9
Midwest....................................... 552 394 416 1.8 1.3 1.3
West.......................................... 573 519 547 1.9 1.7 1.8
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 Mar. Feb. Mar. Mar. Feb. Mar.
2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p
Total........................................... 1,350 1,384 1,416 1.0 1.0 1.0
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 1,301 1,348 1,363 1.1 1.2 1.2
Natural resources and mining.................. 4 10 7 .6 1.3 .9
Construction.................................. 157 172 209 2.1 2.5 3.0
Manufacturing................................. 159 130 112 1.1 1.0 .8
Durable goods................................ 106 68 73 1.2 .8 .8
Nondurable goods............................. 53 63 40 1.1 1.3 .8
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 261 293 258 1.0 1.1 1.0
Wholesale trade.............................. 56 52 55 .9 .9 .9
Retail trade................................. 150 202 161 1.0 1.3 1.1
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 55 39 42 1.1 .8 .8
Information................................... 18 14 37 .6 .5 1.2
Financial activities.......................... 71 41 78 .9 .5 1.0
Finance and insurance........................ 49 21 57 .8 .3 .9
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 22 20 21 1.0 1.0 1.0
Professional and business services............ 296 318 320 1.7 1.8 1.8
Education and health services................. 118 113 130 .6 .6 .7
Educational services......................... 17 13 13 .5 .4 .4
Health care and social assistance............ 102 100 117 .7 .6 .7
Leisure and hospitality....................... 176 212 170 1.4 1.6 1.3
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 45 42 53 2.5 2.3 2.9
Accommodation and food services............. 131 170 117 1.2 1.5 1.0
Other services................................ 40 45 39 .7 .8 .7
Government..................................... 49 37 53 .2 .2 .2
Federal....................................... 13 9 9 .5 .3 .3
State and local............................... 36 27 45 .2 .1 .2
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 179 254 263 .7 1.0 1.0
South......................................... 526 468 491 1.1 1.0 1.0
Midwest....................................... 283 278 264 .9 .9 .8
West.......................................... 361 384 398 1.2 1.3 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 Mar. Feb. Mar. Mar. Feb. Mar.
2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p
Total........................................... 313 259 310 0.2 0.2 0.2
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 262 217 267 .2 .2 .2
Natural resources and mining.................. 3 2 3 .4 .2 .4
Construction.................................. 22 11 20 .3 .2 .3
Manufacturing................................. 26 23 30 .2 .2 .2
Durable goods................................ 18 13 21 .2 .1 .2
Nondurable goods............................. 8 11 9 .2 .2 .2
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 90 74 74 .3 .3 .3
Wholesale trade.............................. 5 5 5 .1 .1 .1
Retail trade................................. 59 61 62 .4 .4 .4
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 26 8 8 .5 .2 .1
Information................................... 7 3 3 .2 .1 .1
Financial activities.......................... 24 18 13 .3 .2 .2
Finance and insurance........................ 16 12 7 .3 .2 .1
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 8 6 6 .4 .3 .3
Professional and business services............ 38 30 68 .2 .2 .4
Education and health services................. 25 37 32 .1 .2 .2
Educational services......................... 2 2 4 .1 (4) .1
Health care and social assistance............ 23 36 28 .1 .2 .2
Leisure and hospitality....................... 21 12 18 .2 .1 .1
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 4 1 1 .2 .1 .1
Accommodation and food services............. 18 11 17 .2 .1 .1
Other services................................ 6 6 6 .1 .1 .1
Government..................................... 51 42 44 .2 .2 .2
Federal....................................... 24 14 16 .9 .5 .6
State and local............................... 27 28 27 .1 .1 .1
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 56 55 70 .2 .2 .3
South......................................... 127 76 71 .3 .2 .1
Midwest....................................... 63 68 73 .2 .2 .2
West.......................................... 67 60 96 .2 .2 .3
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
