Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 08-0787
http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
For release: 10:00 A.M. (EDT)
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 Tuesday, June 10, 2008
JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: APRIL 2008
On the last business day of April, there were 3.7 million job openings in the
United States, and the job openings rate was 2.6 percent, the Bureau of Labor Sta-
tistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The job openings, hires,
and total separations rates were essentially unchanged in April. This release in-
cludes 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 down-
ward; in March and April, the rate has been at the lowest point since mid-2005. The
hires rate had an overall downward trend from July 2006 through March 2008, reaching
the lowest point since 2004. The over-the-month change in the hires rate in April
was positive, but the rise was not statistically significant. The separations rate
has had an overall downward trend since November 2006. (See tables 1, 2, and 3.)
Job Openings
In April, the job openings rate was unchanged at 2.6 percent. Job openings in-
clude 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 consistently have had
higher job openings rates than the other industries: professional and business ser-
vices (3.7 percent in April), education and health services (3.6 percent), and accom-
modation and food services (3.7 percent). (See table 1.)
Over the year, the job openings rate (not seasonally adjusted) did not rise signi-
ficantly for any industry. The rate fell over the year for total nonfarm (to 2.7 per-
cent) and total private (2.9 percent) as well as in several industries, including con-
struction (1.6 percent); durable goods manufacturing (1.7 percent); nondurable goods
manufacturing (2.1 percent); wholesale trade (2.0 percent); information (2.3 percent);
finance and insurance (2.0 percent); educational services (1.6 percent); and state and
local government (1.9 percent). Two industries--wholesale trade and information--have
experienced exceptionally steep declines in the job openings rate over the past year.
The job openings rate for wholesale trade fell from 4.1 percent in April 2007 to 2.0
percent in April 2008; the rate for information fell from 4.3 percent to 2.3 percent.
Regionally, the job openings rate fell over the year in the South (2.8 percent). (See
table 5.)
Hires
The hires rate, at 3.5 percent in April, did not change significantly over the
month. Hires are any additions to the payroll during the month. For the fourth month
in a row, the hires rate did not change significantly in any industry or region. As
occurs nearly every month, the seasonally adjusted hires rate was highest in April in
accommodation and food services (5.9 percent) and lowest in state and local government
(1.6 percent). (See table 2.)
From April 2007 to April 2008, the hires rate (not seasonally adjusted) increased
in natural resources and mining (to 4.9 percent), construction (7.0 percent), and fed-
eral government (4.0 percent). Over the year, the hires rate decreased significantly
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Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally
adjusted
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Job openings | Hires | Total separations
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Industry | Apr. | Mar. | Apr. | Apr. | Mar. | Apr. | Apr. | Mar. | Apr.
| 2007 | 2008 | 2008p| 2007 | 2008 | 2008p| 2007 | 2008 | 2008p
---------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Levels (in thousands)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total (1)............|4,148 |3,672 |3,705 |4,816 |4,569 |4,784 |4,523 |4,390 |4,465
| | | | | | | | |
Total private (1)..|3,670 |3,225 |3,276 |4,383 |4,147 |4,332 |4,214 |4,100 |4,159
Construction.....| 148 | 102 | 102 | 333 | 350 | 375 | 362 | 367 | 409
Manufacturing....| 336 | 251 | 246 | 343 | 309 | 307 | 383 | 304 | 383
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and | | | | | | | | |
utilities (2)...| 736 | 562 | 596 |1,008 | 884 | 911 | 970 | 941 |1,008
Retail trade... | 365 | 344 | 365 | 679 | 598 | 639 | 667 | 688 | 721
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services........| 693 | 714 | 691 | 826 | 893 | 934 | 786 | 806 | 735
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices...........| 694 | 696 | 692 | 510 | 501 | 510 | 416 | 449 | 431
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality (3).| 511 | 501 | 514 | 910 | 801 | 826 | 852 | 776 | 727
Accommodation | | | | | | | | |
and food | | | | | | | | |
services.......| 450 | 450 | 454 | 800 | 654 | 688 | 702 | 656 | 628
Government (4).....| 477 | 441 | 433 | 421 | 429 | 428 | 315 | 291 | 312
State and local | | | | | | | | |
government......| 430 | 389 | 392 | 331 | 315 | 311 | 246 | 228 | 253
|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Rates (percent)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total (1)............| 2.9 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.2
| | | | | | | | |
Total private (1)..| 3.1 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.6
Construction.....| 1.9 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 4.3 | 4.8 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 5.0 | 5.6
Manufacturing....| 2.4 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 2.2 | 2.8
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and | | | | | | | | |
utilities (2)...| 2.7 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 3.8 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.8
Retail trade....| 2.3 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.7
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services........| 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 4.6 | 5.0 | 5.2 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.1
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices...........| 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.3
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality (3).| 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 6.8 | 5.9 | 6.0 | 6.4 | 5.7 | 5.3
Accommodation | | | | | | | | |
and food | | | | | | | | |
services.......| 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 7.0 | 5.6 | 5.9 | 6.1 | 5.6 | 5.4
Government (4).....| 2.1 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.4
State and local | | | | | | | | |
government......| 2.2 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.3
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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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in wholesale trade (2.1 percent), information (1.9 percent), finance and insurance
(1.8 percent), and accommodation and food services (6.2 percent). The hires rate did
not change significantly in any region in April. (See table 6.) The steep downward
trend in the hires rate since 2006 continues in transportation, warehousing, and
utilities, but the rates have leveled off in construction, information, and profes-
sional and business services.
Separations
The total separations, or turnover, rate was unchanged at 3.2 percent in April.
Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any time during the month.
Over the month, the separations rate increased in two industries--manufacturing (to
2.8 percent) and state and local government (to 1.3 percent). The seasonally adjusted
separations rate was highest in April in construction (5.6 percent) and lowest in state
and local government (1.3 percent). From April 2007 to April 2008, the total separa-
tions rate did not rise in any industry or region; the rate fell in arts, entertain-
ment, and recreation (4.5 percent), accommodation and food services (5.0 percent), and
in the South region (3.3 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 little changed
in April for total nonfarm (at 1.8 percent). The quits rate did not decrease in any
industry in April, but rose in state and local government (to 0.7 percent). As has oc-
curred every month since the series began in December 2000, the seasonally adjusted
quits rate was highest in the accommodation and food services industry (4.0 percent)
and lowest in state and local government (0.7 percent). (See table 4.)
From April 2007 to April 2008, the quits rate (not seasonally adjusted) rose in real
estate and rental and leasing (to 2.4 percent). The quits rate fell over the year in
wholesale trade (1.1 percent), accommodation and food services (3.8 percent), and in the
South region (2.1 percent). (See table 8.)
The other two components of total separations--layoffs and discharges, and other se-
parations--are not seasonally adjusted. For April, the layoffs and discharges rate
(1.0 percent) and level (1.4 million) were little changed from a year earlier. The lay-
offs and discharges rate in April 2008 was highest in construction (2.6 percent) and
arts, entertainment, and recreation (2.4 percent), and lowest in state and local gov-
ernment (0.2 percent). The other separations rate (0.3 percent) and level (355,000)
were essentially unchanged in April from a year earlier. The highest other separations
rate in April 2008 was for the federal government (0.9 percent). The other separations
rate for most of the other industries ranged from 0.1 to 0.3 percent 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. 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 April 2008, quits accounted for
56 percent of total separations. The proportion of separations attributable to quits var-
ies widely by industry with the highest proportion regularly occurring in the accommoda-
tion and food services industry (74 percent in April) and the lowest proportion regularly
occurring in the construction industry (34 percent in April). (See tables 3 and 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
April 2008, these 5 industries produced 32.9 million hires and 31.7 million separations.
Therefore, 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.
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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 May 2008 is scheduled to be issued on
Wednesday, July 9.
- 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.
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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 Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr.
2007 2007 2007 2008 2008 2008 2008p 2007 2007 2007 2008 2008 2008 2008p
Total (4).................................. 4,148 3,972 3,974 3,889 3,799 3,672 3,705 2.9 2.8 2.8 2.7 2.7 2.6 2.6
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 3,670 3,520 3,526 3,449 3,350 3,225 3,276 3.1 3.0 3.0 2.9 2.8 2.7 2.8
Construction............................. 148 138 140 133 123 102 102 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.6 1.4 1.4
Manufacturing............................ 336 303 305 286 239 251 246 2.4 2.2 2.2 2.0 1.7 1.8 1.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 736 648 667 643 598 562 596 2.7 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.2 2.1 2.2
Retail trade............................ 365 344 358 346 326 344 365 2.3 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.1 2.2 2.3
Professional and business services....... 693 685 706 752 699 714 691 3.7 3.7 3.7 4.0 3.7 3.8 3.7
Education and health services............ 694 713 698 680 737 696 692 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.5 3.8 3.6 3.6
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 511 591 574 515 530 501 514 3.7 4.2 4.0 3.6 3.7 3.5 3.6
Accommodation and food services......... 450 518 514 467 477 450 454 3.8 4.3 4.2 3.9 3.9 3.7 3.7
Government (7)............................ 477 454 446 439 450 441 433 2.1 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.0 1.9 1.9
State and local government............... 430 404 398 401 413 389 392 2.2 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.1 1.9 2.0
REGION (8)
Northeast................................ 681 629 644 662 576 602 628 2.6 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.2 2.3 2.4
South.................................... 1,692 1,620 1,574 1,536 1,485 1,386 1,374 3.3 3.2 3.1 3.0 2.9 2.7 2.7
Midwest.................................. 763 755 779 749 766 781 767 2.4 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.4
West..................................... 1,016 957 988 966 954 918 937 3.2 3.0 3.1 3.0 3.0 2.9 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 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 Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr.
2007 2007 2007 2008 2008 2008 2008p 2007 2007 2007 2008 2008 2008 2008p
Total (4).................................. 4,816 4,672 4,717 4,639 4,586 4,569 4,784 3.5 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.3 3.3 3.5
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 4,383 4,305 4,314 4,227 4,203 4,147 4,332 3.8 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.8
Construction............................. 333 351 335 319 349 350 375 4.3 4.7 4.5 4.3 4.7 4.8 5.2
Manufacturing............................ 343 353 350 326 285 309 307 2.5 2.6 2.5 2.4 2.1 2.3 2.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 1,008 946 970 916 882 884 911 3.8 3.5 3.6 3.4 3.3 3.3 3.4
Retail trade............................ 679 655 693 656 603 598 639 4.4 4.2 4.5 4.2 3.9 3.9 4.2
Professional and business services....... 826 902 851 897 780 893 934 4.6 5.0 4.7 5.0 4.3 5.0 5.2
Education and health services............ 510 527 460 516 522 501 510 2.8 2.8 2.5 2.8 2.8 2.7 2.7
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 910 846 880 824 868 801 826 6.8 6.2 6.4 6.0 6.4 5.9 6.0
Accommodation and food services......... 800 708 713 702 730 654 688 7.0 6.1 6.1 6.0 6.3 5.6 5.9
Government (7)............................ 421 349 390 394 387 429 428 1.9 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.9 1.9
State and local government............... 331 287 326 319 306 315 311 1.7 1.5 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6
REGION (8)
Northeast................................ 737 761 770 767 713 715 751 2.9 3.0 3.0 3.0 2.8 2.8 2.9
South.................................... 1,917 1,828 1,802 1,814 1,769 1,703 1,769 3.9 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.4 3.6
Midwest.................................. 1,044 1,027 1,045 998 944 986 1,017 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.0 3.1 3.2
West..................................... 1,137 1,018 1,067 1,058 1,186 1,170 1,208 3.7 3.3 3.4 3.4 3.8 3.8 3.9
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 Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr.
2007 2007 2007 2008 2008 2008 2008p 2007 2007 2007 2008 2008 2008 2008p
Total (4).................................. 4,523 4,640 4,408 4,477 4,503 4,390 4,465 3.3 3.4 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.2 3.2
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 4,214 4,367 4,107 4,188 4,224 4,100 4,159 3.7 3.8 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.6 3.6
Construction............................. 362 322 331 311 329 367 409 4.7 4.3 4.4 4.2 4.5 5.0 5.6
Manufacturing............................ 383 400 325 348 350 304 383 2.7 2.9 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.2 2.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 970 1,065 981 1,005 957 941 1,008 3.7 4.0 3.7 3.8 3.6 3.5 3.8
Retail trade............................ 667 764 686 689 669 688 721 4.3 4.9 4.4 4.4 4.3 4.5 4.7
Professional and business services....... 786 878 814 790 861 806 735 4.4 4.9 4.5 4.4 4.8 4.5 4.1
Education and health services............ 416 423 417 447 459 449 431 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.4 2.5 2.4 2.3
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 852 799 803 800 854 776 727 6.4 5.9 5.9 5.9 6.2 5.7 5.3
Accommodation and food services......... 702 667 697 657 718 656 628 6.1 5.7 6.0 5.7 6.2 5.6 5.4
Government (7)............................ 315 286 295 290 278 291 312 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.4
State and local government............... 246 240 256 237 229 228 253 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3
REGION (8)
Northeast................................ 638 860 635 697 770 737 720 2.5 3.3 2.5 2.7 3.0 2.9 2.8
South.................................... 1,853 1,709 1,712 1,699 1,673 1,617 1,675 3.7 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.3 3.4
Midwest.................................. 998 974 980 975 902 918 991 3.2 3.1 3.1 3.1 2.9 2.9 3.1
West..................................... 1,052 1,117 1,117 1,107 1,167 1,101 1,092 3.4 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.8 3.6 3.5
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 Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr.
2007 2007 2007 2008 2008 2008 2008p 2007 2007 2007 2008 2008 2008 2008p
Total (4).................................. 2,604 2,501 2,494 2,493 2,522 2,375 2,521 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.7 1.8
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 2,452 2,361 2,358 2,355 2,384 2,258 2,370 2.1 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.1 2.0 2.1
Construction............................. 132 116 119 113 133 111 138 1.7 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.8 1.5 1.9
Manufacturing............................ 194 187 182 183 187 157 178 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.2 1.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 583 572 590 598 532 535 552 2.2 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.0 2.0 2.1
Retail trade............................ 422 433 445 437 374 399 408 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.8 2.4 2.6 2.6
Professional and business services....... 418 398 367 351 492 386 429 2.3 2.2 2.0 1.9 2.7 2.1 2.4
Education and health services............ 272 269 258 276 271 279 282 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 577 557 561 525 539 529 508 4.3 4.1 4.1 3.8 3.9 3.9 3.7
Accommodation and food services......... 529 516 513 465 488 494 467 4.6 4.4 4.4 4.0 4.2 4.2 4.0
Government (7)............................ 150 140 137 138 135 126 155 .7 .6 .6 .6 .6 .6 .7
State and local government............... 128 125 120 119 116 101 136 .7 .6 .6 .6 .6 .5 .7
REGION (8)
Northeast................................ 343 367 312 358 410 334 382 1.3 1.4 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.3 1.5
South.................................... 1,146 996 1,008 1,045 1,021 996 1,016 2.3 2.0 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.0 2.0
Midwest.................................. 541 529 521 502 475 491 536 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.7
West..................................... 586 607 632 583 632 568 588 1.9 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.0 1.8 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 Apr. Mar. Apr. Apr. Mar. Apr.
2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p
Total........................................... 4,326 3,722 3,829 3.1 2.6 2.7
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,841 3,291 3,392 3.2 2.8 2.9
Natural resources and mining.................. 12 13 16 1.7 1.7 2.1
Construction.................................. 182 102 119 2.4 1.4 1.6
Manufacturing................................. 352 253 253 2.5 1.8 1.8
Durable goods................................ 212 160 149 2.3 1.8 1.7
Nondurable goods............................. 141 94 104 2.7 1.9 2.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 759 566 613 2.8 2.1 2.3
Wholesale trade.............................. 257 131 121 4.1 2.1 2.0
Retail trade................................. 367 329 374 2.3 2.1 2.4
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 135 106 119 2.6 2.1 2.3
Information................................... 135 61 72 4.3 2.0 2.3
Financial activities.......................... 247 215 190 2.9 2.6 2.3
Finance and insurance........................ 178 157 126 2.8 2.5 2.0
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 68 58 64 3.1 2.7 3.0
Professional and business services............ 714 713 706 3.8 3.9 3.8
Education and health services................. 708 693 697 3.7 3.5 3.6
Educational services......................... 72 55 52 2.3 1.7 1.6
Health care and social assistance............ 636 638 645 4.0 3.9 3.9
Leisure and hospitality....................... 580 551 576 4.2 4.0 4.1
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 83 57 87 4.1 3.0 4.2
Accommodation and food services............. 497 494 489 4.2 4.1 4.0
Other services................................ 152 124 152 2.7 2.2 2.7
Government..................................... 486 431 437 2.1 1.9 1.9
Federal....................................... 49 60 39 1.8 2.2 1.4
State and local............................... 437 371 398 2.2 1.8 1.9
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 684 577 630 2.6 2.2 2.4
South......................................... 1,801 1,431 1,432 3.5 2.8 2.8
Midwest....................................... 784 813 787 2.4 2.5 2.4
West.......................................... 1,058 901 979 3.3 2.8 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 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 Apr. Mar. Apr. Apr. Mar. Apr.
2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p
Total........................................... 4,872 4,354 4,853 3.5 3.2 3.5
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 4,561 4,043 4,524 4.0 3.5 3.9
Natural resources and mining.................. 23 24 37 3.2 3.3 4.9
Construction.................................. 432 375 499 5.7 5.4 7.0
Manufacturing................................. 342 308 301 2.5 2.3 2.2
Durable goods................................ 198 179 176 2.2 2.1 2.0
Nondurable goods............................. 144 129 125 2.9 2.6 2.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 988 839 895 3.7 3.2 3.4
Wholesale trade.............................. 192 142 130 3.2 2.3 2.1
Retail trade................................. 658 568 622 4.3 3.7 4.1
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 138 129 143 2.7 2.6 2.8
Information................................... 78 49 58 2.6 1.6 1.9
Financial activities.......................... 232 166 183 2.8 2.0 2.2
Finance and insurance........................ 177 112 111 2.9 1.8 1.8
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 55 54 72 2.6 2.6 3.4
Professional and business services............ 857 879 999 4.8 4.9 5.6
Education and health services................. 462 449 463 2.5 2.4 2.4
Educational services......................... 56 46 49 1.8 1.5 1.5
Health care and social assistance............ 406 402 413 2.7 2.6 2.6
Leisure and hospitality....................... 991 793 898 7.5 6.0 6.6
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 145 122 174 7.6 6.5 8.9
Accommodation and food services............. 846 672 724 7.4 5.9 6.2
Other services................................ 156 160 191 2.8 2.9 3.5
Government..................................... 311 311 329 1.4 1.4 1.4
Federal....................................... 76 96 108 2.8 3.5 4.0
State and local............................... 235 216 220 1.2 1.1 1.1
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 750 654 773 2.9 2.6 3.0
South......................................... 1,897 1,635 1,761 3.8 3.3 3.5
Midwest....................................... 1,105 963 1,109 3.5 3.1 3.5
West.......................................... 1,120 1,102 1,210 3.6 3.6 3.9
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 Apr. Mar. Apr. Apr. Mar. Apr.
2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p
Total........................................... 4,224 3,915 4,154 3.1 2.9 3.0
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,992 3,714 3,917 3.5 3.3 3.4
Natural resources and mining.................. 21 20 23 3.0 2.7 3.1
Construction.................................. 293 326 347 3.9 4.7 4.9
Manufacturing................................. 379 301 380 2.7 2.2 2.8
Durable goods................................ 228 184 229 2.6 2.1 2.7
Nondurable goods............................. 151 117 151 3.0 2.4 3.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 865 839 908 3.3 3.2 3.5
Wholesale trade.............................. 154 121 135 2.6 2.0 2.2
Retail trade................................. 583 591 642 3.8 3.9 4.2
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 128 127 131 2.5 2.5 2.6
Information................................... 66 45 57 2.2 1.5 1.9
Financial activities.......................... 184 189 212 2.2 2.3 2.6
Finance and insurance........................ 126 124 132 2.1 2.0 2.2
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 58 66 80 2.7 3.1 3.8
Professional and business services............ 828 795 750 4.6 4.5 4.2
Education and health services................. 393 415 401 2.1 2.2 2.1
Educational services......................... 51 39 54 1.7 1.2 1.7
Health care and social assistance............ 342 376 347 2.2 2.4 2.2
Leisure and hospitality....................... 823 642 674 6.2 4.8 5.0
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 155 82 89 8.1 4.4 4.5
Accommodation and food services............. 668 560 586 5.9 4.9 5.0
Other services................................ 140 142 165 2.5 2.6 3.0
Government..................................... 232 201 237 1.0 .9 1.0
Federal....................................... 65 53 61 2.4 2.0 2.2
State and local............................... 167 148 176 .8 .7 .9
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 563 627 638 2.2 2.4 2.5
South......................................... 1,843 1,466 1,659 3.7 3.0 3.3
Midwest....................................... 859 805 866 2.7 2.6 2.8
West.......................................... 959 1,018 991 3.1 3.3 3.2
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 Apr. Mar. Apr. Apr. Mar. Apr.
2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p
Total........................................... 2,473 2,187 2,403 1.8 1.6 1.7
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 2,352 2,091 2,274 2.0 1.8 2.0
Natural resources and mining.................. 14 12 14 1.9 1.6 1.8
Construction.................................. 121 96 131 1.6 1.4 1.8
Manufacturing................................. 191 160 175 1.4 1.2 1.3
Durable goods................................ 108 92 104 1.2 1.1 1.2
Nondurable goods............................. 83 67 71 1.7 1.4 1.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 551 495 517 2.1 1.9 2.0
Wholesale trade.............................. 97 65 64 1.6 1.1 1.1
Retail trade................................. 391 357 374 2.6 2.3 2.5
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 64 74 79 1.3 1.5 1.6
Information................................... 46 28 37 1.5 .9 1.2
Financial activities.......................... 108 117 122 1.3 1.4 1.5
Finance and insurance........................ 81 71 73 1.3 1.2 1.2
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 27 46 49 1.3 2.2 2.4
Professional and business services............ 415 390 429 2.3 2.2 2.4
Education and health services................. 258 258 270 1.4 1.4 1.4
Educational services......................... 28 20 22 .9 .6 .7
Health care and social assistance............ 230 237 248 1.5 1.5 1.6
Leisure and hospitality....................... 554 448 477 4.2 3.4 3.5
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 47 30 35 2.4 1.6 1.8
Accommodation and food services............. 508 418 442 4.5 3.7 3.8
Other services................................ 93 89 103 1.7 1.6 1.9
Government..................................... 121 96 129 .5 .4 .6
Federal....................................... 22 19 22 .8 .7 .8
State and local............................... 99 76 106 .5 .4 .5
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 311 297 357 1.2 1.2 1.4
South......................................... 1,151 914 1,020 2.3 1.9 2.1
Midwest....................................... 479 456 496 1.5 1.5 1.6
West.......................................... 532 520 531 1.7 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 Apr. Mar. Apr. Apr. Mar. Apr.
2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p
Total........................................... 1,444 1,396 1,396 1.1 1.0 1.0
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 1,388 1,342 1,344 1.2 1.2 1.2
Natural resources and mining.................. 6 6 7 .9 .8 1.0
Construction.................................. 163 211 184 2.2 3.0 2.6
Manufacturing................................. 149 110 179 1.1 .8 1.3
Durable goods................................ 98 71 107 1.1 .8 1.2
Nondurable goods............................. 51 39 72 1.0 .8 1.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 251 263 276 1.0 1.0 1.1
Wholesale trade.............................. 51 52 64 .9 .9 1.1
Retail trade................................. 150 166 168 1.0 1.1 1.1
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 50 46 45 1.0 .9 .9
Information................................... 15 13 16 .5 .4 .5
Financial activities.......................... 53 60 66 .6 .7 .8
Finance and insurance........................ 30 46 40 .5 .8 .7
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 23 14 26 1.1 .7 1.2
Professional and business services............ 370 328 287 2.1 1.8 1.6
Education and health services................. 112 125 105 .6 .7 .6
Educational services......................... 19 14 29 .6 .4 .9
Health care and social assistance............ 93 111 75 .6 .7 .5
Leisure and hospitality....................... 239 179 175 1.8 1.3 1.3
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 103 51 47 5.4 2.8 2.4
Accommodation and food services............. 136 128 128 1.2 1.1 1.1
Other services................................ 31 47 48 .6 .9 .9
Government..................................... 56 54 52 .2 .2 .2
Federal....................................... 15 10 14 .6 .4 .5
State and local............................... 41 44 39 .2 .2 .2
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 192 259 208 .7 1.0 .8
South......................................... 588 467 528 1.2 .9 1.1
Midwest....................................... 314 269 278 1.0 .9 .9
West.......................................... 351 401 382 1.1 1.3 1.2
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 Apr. Mar. Apr. Apr. Mar. Apr.
2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p
Total........................................... 306 333 355 0.2 0.2 0.3
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 252 281 299 .2 .2 .3
Natural resources and mining.................. 2 3 2 .2 .4 .2
Construction.................................. 8 18 32 .1 .3 .5
Manufacturing................................. 39 31 26 .3 .2 .2
Durable goods................................ 22 21 18 .3 .2 .2
Nondurable goods............................. 17 10 8 .3 .2 .2
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 62 81 115 .2 .3 .4
Wholesale trade.............................. 6 4 7 .1 .1 .1
Retail trade................................. 42 68 101 .3 .5 .7
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 14 8 7 .3 .2 .1
Information................................... 5 5 4 .2 .2 .1
Financial activities.......................... 24 13 23 .3 .2 .3
Finance and insurance........................ 16 7 19 .3 .1 .3
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 8 6 4 .4 .3 .2
Professional and business services............ 42 77 35 .2 .4 .2
Education and health services................. 23 32 26 .1 .2 .1
Educational services......................... 4 5 2 .1 .1 .1
Health care and social assistance............ 19 28 24 .1 .2 .2
Leisure and hospitality....................... 30 15 23 .2 .1 .2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 5 1 7 .3 .1 .3
Accommodation and food services............. 25 14 16 .2 .1 .1
Other services................................ 16 6 13 .3 .1 .2
Government..................................... 55 52 56 .2 .2 .2
Federal....................................... 28 24 25 1.0 .9 .9
State and local............................... 27 28 31 .1 .1 .2
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 60 71 74 .2 .3 .3
South......................................... 104 85 112 .2 .2 .2
Midwest....................................... 66 80 92 .2 .3 .3
West.......................................... 76 97 78 .2 .3 .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.
p = preliminary.
United States Department of Labor
