Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 08-1142
http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 Tuesday, August 12,2008
JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: JUNE 2008
On the last business day of June, there were 3.6 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 rate, hires rate, and total
separations rate were all essentially unchanged in June. 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, followed by a downward trend until March 2008 when the
rate leveled off at 2.6 percent for four consecutive months. The
hires rate has trended downward since July 2006 and experienced a
large drop in May 2008. The uptick in the hires rate in June 2008 was
not statistically significant, and the rate remains at the lowest
levels since 2003. After remaining essentially flat for much of 2007,
the separations rate began an overall downward trend in December 2007.
(See tables 1, 2, and 3.)
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Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally
adjusted
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Job openings | Hires | Total separations
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Industry | June | May | June | June | May | June | June | May | June
| 2007 | 2008 | 2008p| 2007 | 2008 | 2008p| 2007 | 2008 | 2008p
-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Levels (in thousands)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........|4,267 |3,631 |3,627 |4,843 |4,123 |4,333 |4,609 |4,313 |4,251
| | | | | | | | |
Total private(1).|3,819 |3,185 |3,193 |4,419 |3,871 |4,081 |4,289 |4,046 |3,981
Construction...| 139 | 130 | 108 | 358 | 286 | 284 | 374 | 393 | 373
Manufacturing..| 336 | 249 | 250 | 370 | 274 | 301 | 378 | 359 | 368
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities(2)..| 723 | 572 | 541 | 943 | 828 | 900 |1,001 | 868 | 908
Retail trade..| 414 | 363 | 325 | 602 | 585 | 621 | 685 | 605 | 645
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 717 | 649 | 713 | 884 | 770 | 871 | 737 | 741 | 780
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 709 | 648 | 689 | 500 | 479 | 492 | 475 | 434 | 428
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality(3)| 577 | 503 | 475 | 874 | 847 | 761 | 839 | 801 | 767
Accommodation | | | | | | | | |
and food | | | | | | | | |
services.....| 504 | 438 | 427 | 735 | 731 | 670 | 715 | 675 | 659
Government(4)....| 453 | 451 | 427 | 395 | 329 | 308 | 315 | 269 | 272
State and local| | | | | | | | |
government....| 416 | 407 | 372 | 318 | 304 | 278 | 252 | 240 | 243
|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Rates (percent)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........| 3.0 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 3.1
| | | | | | | | |
Total private(1).| 3.2 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.5
Construction...| 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 4.9 | 5.4 | 5.2
Manufacturing..| 2.4 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 2.7 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 2.7 | 2.6 | 2.7
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities(2)..| 2.6 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 3.5 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 3.3 | 3.4
Retail trade..| 2.6 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 4.2
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 4.9 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.3
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 3.7 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 2.3
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality(3)| 4.1 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 6.5 | 6.2 | 5.5 | 6.2 | 5.8 | 5.6
Accommodation | | | | | | | | |
and food | | | | | | | | |
services.....| 4.2 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 6.4 | 6.3 | 5.7 | 6.2 | 5.8 | 5.6
Government(4)....| 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.2
State and local| | | | | | | | |
government....| 2.1 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.2
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and
other services, not shown separately.
2 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not
shown separately.
3 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately.
4 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
Job Openings
In June, the job openings rate was 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 changed significantly
only in state and local government and the West region, falling for
both. Since the series began in December 2000, three industries
consistently have had higher job openings rates than the other
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industries: professional and business services (3.8 percent in June),
education and health services (3.5 percent), and accommodation and
food services (3.5 percent). (See table 1.)
Over the year, the job openings rate (not seasonally adjusted)
rose significantly only in natural resources and mining (to 2.2
percent) and federal government (2.0 percent). The rate fell over the
year for total nonfarm (2.6 percent) and total private (2.7 percent)
as well as in most industries, including durable goods manufacturing
(1.7 percent); nondurable goods manufacturing (2.1 percent); wholesale
trade (2.1 percent); retail trade (1.9 percent); transportation,
warehousing, and utilities (1.8 percent); information (2.5 percent);
finance and insurance (2.5 percent); real estate and rental and
leasing (1.2 percent); educational services (1.9 percent); arts,
entertainment, and recreation (1.8 percent); accommodation and food
services (3.5 percent); and state and local government (2.1 percent).
Regionally, the job openings rate fell over the year in the Midwest
(2.2 percent), South (2.9 percent), and West (2.7 percent). (See
table 5.)
Hires
The hires rate was essentially unchanged in June at 3.1 percent.
After dropping in May, the hires rate remains at the lowest point
since June 2003. Hires are any additions to the payroll during the
month. The hires rate did not change significantly in any industry or
region in June. As occurs nearly every month, the seasonally adjusted
hires rate was highest in June in accommodation and food services (5.7
percent) and lowest in state and local government (1.4 percent). (See
table 2.)
From June 2007 to June 2008, the hires rate (not seasonally adjusted)
increased significantly only in real estate and rental and leasing (to
4.7 percent); the rate decreased significantly for total nonfarm (to
3.8 percent) and total private (4.2 percent), and in construction (4.9
percent); durable goods manufacturing (2.3 percent); wholesale trade
(2.6 percent); information (1.9 percent); arts, entertainment, and
recreation (6.5 percent); accommodation and food services (6.8
percent); federal government (1.2 percent); and state and local
government (1.9 percent). Regionally, the hires rate fell over the
year in the South (3.8 percent) and West (4.0 percent). (See table
6.)
Separations
The total separations, or turnover, rate was unchanged at 3.1
percent in June. 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 often
occurs, the seasonally adjusted separations rate was highest in June
in accommodation and food services (5.6 percent) and lowest in state
and local government (1.2 percent). From June 2007 to June 2008, the
total separations rate did not rise in any industry or region. The
rate fell for total nonfarm (to 3.2 percent) and total private (3.5
percent), and in wholesale trade (2.3 percent); finance and insurance
(1.6 percent); educational services (3.0 percent); other services (2.6
percent); and federal government (0.9 percent); and the West region
(3.6 percent). (See tables 3 and 7.)
Total separations include quits (voluntary separations), layoffs
and discharges (involuntary separations), and other separations
(including retirements). The quits rate, which can serve as a
barometer of workers' ability to change jobs, was unchanged in June
for total nonfarm (at 1.7 percent) and has been stable since November
2007. The quits rate did not change significantly in any industry or
region in June. As has occurred every month since the series began in
December 2000, the seasonally adjusted quits rate was highest in the
accommodation and food services industry (4.3 percent) and lowest in
state and local government (0.6 percent). (See table 4.)
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From June 2007 to June 2008, the quits rate (not seasonally
adjusted) did not rise significantly for any industry. The rate fell
for total nonfarm (to 1.9 percent) and total private (2.1 percent),
and for several industries, including nondurable goods manufacturing
(1.3 percent); wholesale trade (1.1 percent); finance and insurance
(1.0 percent); educational services (1.1 percent); and federal
government (0.3 percent). The quits rate did not change significantly
in June in any region. (See table 8.)
The other two components of total separations-layoffs and
discharges, and other separations-are not seasonally adjusted. For
June, the layoffs and discharges rate (1.2 percent) and level (1.6
million) are essentially unchanged from a year earlier. The layoffs
and discharges rate did not increase significantly in any industry or
region; the rate fell for educational services (to 1.8 percent); other
services (0.7 percent); and federal government (0.4 percent). The
layoffs and discharges rate in June 2008 was highest in construction
(2.4 percent) and lowest in federal government (0.4 percent). The
other separations rate (0.2 percent) and level (295,000) were lower in
June than a year earlier. The other separations rate was highest in
June 2008 for state and local government (0.4 percent). The other
separations rate for most of the other industries range 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 components (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
(seasonally adjusted) rose from a post-recession low of 50 percent in
December 2003 to a high of 61 percent in December 2006 before trending
downward again. The proportion has been essentially level in 2008;
quits accounted for 56 percent of total separations in June 2008. The
proportion of separations attributable to quits has varied the most
over the history of the series in the construction industry (ranging
from 26 percent to 55 percent) and in the Northeast region (ranging
from 39 percent to 65 percent). The proportion of separations
attributable to quits varies widely by industry with the highest
proportion regularly occurring in the accommodation and food services
industry (76 percent in June) and the lowest proportion regularly
occurring in the construction industry (37 percent in June). (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, entertainment, and recreation; and
accommodation and food services. In the 12 months ending in June
2008, these 5 industries produced 32.1 million hires and 31.5 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.
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 July 2008 is
scheduled to be issued on Tuesday, September 9.
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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 June Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June June Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June
2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008p
Total(4)................................. 4,267 3,889 3,799 3,672 3,612 3,631 3,627 3.0 2.7 2.7 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.6
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)........................ 3,819 3,449 3,350 3,225 3,192 3,185 3,193 3.2 2.9 2.8 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.7
Construction........................... 139 133 123 102 99 130 108 1.8 1.8 1.6 1.4 1.3 1.8 1.5
Manufacturing.......................... 336 286 239 251 244 249 250 2.4 2.0 1.7 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities(5) 723 643 598 562 550 572 541 2.6 2.4 2.2 2.1 2.0 2.1 2.0
Retail trade.......................... 414 346 326 344 338 363 325 2.6 2.2 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.3 2.1
Professional and business services..... 717 752 699 714 676 649 713 3.8 4.0 3.7 3.8 3.6 3.5 3.8
Education and health services.......... 709 680 737 696 684 648 689 3.7 3.5 3.8 3.6 3.5 3.3 3.5
Leisure and hospitality(6)............. 577 515 530 501 491 503 475 4.1 3.6 3.7 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.3
Accommodation and food services....... 504 467 477 450 433 438 427 4.2 3.9 3.9 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.5
Government(7)........................... 453 439 450 441 422 451 427 2.0 1.9 2.0 1.9 1.8 2.0 1.9
State and local government............. 416 401 413 389 395 407 372 2.1 2.0 2.1 1.9 2.0 2.0 1.9
REGION(8)
Northeast.............................. 696 662 576 602 618 600 637 2.6 2.5 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.4
South.................................. 1,675 1,536 1,485 1,386 1,364 1,386 1,487 3.3 3.0 2.9 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.9
Midwest................................ 798 749 766 781 752 721 703 2.5 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.3 2.2 2.2
West................................... 1,105 966 954 918 883 937 825 3.5 3.0 3.0 2.9 2.8 2.9 2.6
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 June Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June June Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June
2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008p
Total(4)................................. 4,843 4,639 4,586 4,569 4,715 4,123 4,333 3.5 3.4 3.3 3.3 3.4 3.0 3.1
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)........................ 4,419 4,227 4,203 4,147 4,311 3,871 4,081 3.8 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.7 3.4 3.5
Construction........................... 358 319 349 350 385 286 284 4.7 4.3 4.7 4.8 5.3 3.9 3.9
Manufacturing.......................... 370 326 285 309 300 274 301 2.7 2.4 2.1 2.3 2.2 2.0 2.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities(5) 943 916 882 884 943 828 900 3.5 3.4 3.3 3.3 3.6 3.1 3.4
Retail trade.......................... 602 656 603 598 642 585 621 3.9 4.2 3.9 3.9 4.2 3.8 4.0
Professional and business services..... 884 897 780 893 858 770 871 4.9 5.0 4.3 5.0 4.8 4.3 4.9
Education and health services.......... 500 516 522 501 510 479 492 2.7 2.8 2.8 2.7 2.7 2.5 2.6
Leisure and hospitality(6)............. 874 824 868 801 841 847 761 6.5 6.0 6.4 5.9 6.1 6.2 5.5
Accommodation and food services....... 735 702 730 654 719 731 670 6.4 6.0 6.3 5.6 6.2 6.3 5.7
Government(7)........................... 395 394 387 429 407 329 308 1.8 1.8 1.7 1.9 1.8 1.5 1.4
State and local government............. 318 319 306 315 315 304 278 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.4
REGION(8)
Northeast.............................. 691 767 713 715 743 646 733 2.7 3.0 2.8 2.8 2.9 2.5 2.9
South.................................. 1,927 1,814 1,769 1,703 1,725 1,538 1,627 3.9 3.6 3.6 3.4 3.5 3.1 3.3
Midwest................................ 1,076 998 944 986 986 914 987 3.4 3.2 3.0 3.1 3.1 2.9 3.1
West................................... 1,126 1,058 1,186 1,170 1,246 1,111 1,018 3.6 3.4 3.8 3.8 4.0 3.6 3.3
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 June Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June June Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June
2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008p
Total(4)................................. 4,609 4,477 4,503 4,390 4,404 4,313 4,251 3.3 3.2 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.1 3.1
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)........................ 4,289 4,188 4,224 4,100 4,112 4,046 3,981 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.5 3.5
Construction........................... 374 311 329 367 378 393 373 4.9 4.2 4.5 5.0 5.2 5.4 5.2
Manufacturing.......................... 378 348 350 304 390 359 368 2.7 2.5 2.6 2.2 2.9 2.6 2.7
Trade, transportation, and utilities(5) 1,001 1,005 957 941 1,003 868 908 3.8 3.8 3.6 3.5 3.8 3.3 3.4
Retail trade.......................... 685 689 669 688 716 605 645 4.4 4.4 4.3 4.5 4.7 3.9 4.2
Professional and business services..... 737 790 861 806 739 741 780 4.1 4.4 4.8 4.5 4.1 4.1 4.3
Education and health services.......... 475 447 459 449 429 434 428 2.6 2.4 2.5 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.3
Leisure and hospitality(6)............. 839 800 854 776 722 801 767 6.2 5.9 6.2 5.7 5.3 5.8 5.6
Accommodation and food services....... 715 657 718 656 619 675 659 6.2 5.7 6.2 5.6 5.3 5.8 5.6
Government(7)........................... 315 290 278 291 295 269 272 1.4 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.2
State and local government............. 252 237 229 228 248 240 243 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.2
REGION(8)
Northeast.............................. 677 697 770 737 709 685 654 2.6 2.7 3.0 2.9 2.8 2.7 2.5
South.................................. 1,728 1,699 1,673 1,617 1,666 1,614 1,647 3.5 3.4 3.4 3.3 3.4 3.3 3.3
Midwest................................ 1,016 975 902 918 949 915 935 3.2 3.1 2.9 2.9 3.0 2.9 3.0
West................................... 1,220 1,107 1,167 1,101 1,094 1,096 1,059 4.0 3.6 3.8 3.6 3.5 3.5 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 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 June Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June June Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June
2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008p
Total(4)................................. 2,612 2,493 2,522 2,375 2,444 2,336 2,383 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.7
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)........................ 2,460 2,355 2,384 2,258 2,301 2,210 2,249 2.1 2.0 2.1 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.0
Construction........................... 123 113 133 111 127 124 137 1.6 1.5 1.8 1.5 1.7 1.7 1.9
Manufacturing.......................... 191 183 187 157 182 163 162 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities(5) 634 598 532 535 550 495 541 2.4 2.2 2.0 2.0 2.1 1.9 2.0
Retail trade.......................... 470 437 374 399 404 352 400 3.0 2.8 2.4 2.6 2.6 2.3 2.6
Professional and business services..... 416 351 492 386 385 391 399 2.3 1.9 2.7 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.2
Education and health services.......... 274 276 271 279 270 229 249 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.2 1.3
Leisure and hospitality(6)............. 569 525 539 529 516 547 542 4.2 3.8 3.9 3.9 3.8 4.0 3.9
Accommodation and food services....... 534 465 488 494 473 500 501 4.6 4.0 4.2 4.2 4.1 4.3 4.3
Government(7)........................... 148 138 135 126 144 126 133 .7 .6 .6 .6 .6 .6 .6
State and local government............. 124 119 116 101 129 117 122 .6 .6 .6 .5 .7 .6 .6
REGION(8)
Northeast.............................. 382 358 410 334 368 327 335 1.5 1.4 1.6 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.3
South.................................. 1,050 1,045 1,021 996 1,001 937 969 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.0
Midwest................................ 548 502 475 491 500 485 509 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.6
West................................... 634 583 632 568 575 584 573 2.1 1.9 2.0 1.8 1.9 1.9 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 June May June June May June
2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p
Total........................................... 4,361 3,793 3,712 3.0 2.7 2.6
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,853 3,318 3,234 3.2 2.8 2.7
Natural resources and mining.................. 11 16 17 1.5 2.0 2.2
Construction.................................. 159 153 122 2.0 2.1 1.6
Manufacturing................................. 350 259 259 2.4 1.9 1.9
Durable goods................................ 210 152 153 2.3 1.7 1.7
Nondurable goods............................. 140 106 106 2.7 2.1 2.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 719 598 526 2.6 2.2 1.9
Wholesale trade.............................. 195 134 133 3.1 2.2 2.1
Retail trade................................. 396 368 299 2.5 2.4 1.9
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 128 96 95 2.5 1.8 1.8
Information................................... 148 66 78 4.6 2.1 2.5
Financial activities.......................... 263 184 183 3.0 2.2 2.2
Finance and insurance........................ 212 127 158 3.3 2.0 2.5
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 51 57 26 2.3 2.6 1.2
Professional and business services............ 742 656 745 3.9 3.5 4.0
Education and health services................. 721 660 699 3.8 3.4 3.6
Educational services......................... 79 56 56 2.8 1.8 1.9
Health care and social assistance............ 642 604 643 4.0 3.7 3.9
Leisure and hospitality....................... 580 588 470 4.0 4.1 3.2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 70 80 41 3.0 3.7 1.8
Accommodation and food services............. 509 508 429 4.1 4.1 3.5
Other services................................ 160 139 135 2.8 2.4 2.3
Government..................................... 508 474 477 2.2 2.0 2.1
Federal....................................... 35 43 55 1.2 1.5 2.0
State and local............................... 473 432 422 2.4 2.1 2.1
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 706 580 659 2.7 2.2 2.5
South......................................... 1,683 1,468 1,492 3.3 2.9 2.9
Midwest....................................... 802 753 695 2.5 2.3 2.2
West.......................................... 1,171 991 866 3.6 3.1 2.7
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 June May June June May June
2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p
Total........................................... 5,872 4,825 5,316 4.2 3.5 3.8
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 5,340 4,485 4,912 4.6 3.9 4.2
Natural resources and mining.................. 34 31 40 4.6 4.1 5.2
Construction.................................. 472 367 365 6.0 5.0 4.9
Manufacturing................................. 448 313 368 3.2 2.3 2.7
Durable goods................................ 249 176 196 2.8 2.0 2.3
Nondurable goods............................. 199 137 172 3.9 2.8 3.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 1,044 896 1,000 3.9 3.4 3.8
Wholesale trade.............................. 229 135 159 3.8 2.2 2.6
Retail trade................................. 659 626 688 4.3 4.1 4.5
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 155 135 153 3.0 2.7 3.0
Information................................... 81 54 58 2.7 1.8 1.9
Financial activities.......................... 265 207 284 3.2 2.5 3.4
Finance and insurance........................ 194 124 183 3.1 2.0 3.0
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 71 84 101 3.2 3.9 4.7
Professional and business services............ 1,002 834 994 5.5 4.6 5.5
Education and health services................. 589 472 574 3.2 2.5 3.1
Educational services......................... 85 57 96 3.1 1.9 3.4
Health care and social assistance............ 504 415 478 3.3 2.6 3.0
Leisure and hospitality....................... 1,139 1,100 968 8.1 7.9 6.8
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 222 204 149 9.9 9.8 6.5
Accommodation and food services............. 917 896 819 7.8 7.6 6.8
Other services................................ 265 210 261 4.8 3.8 4.7
Government..................................... 533 340 405 2.4 1.5 1.8
Federal....................................... 101 24 34 3.7 .9 1.2
State and local............................... 432 316 371 2.2 1.6 1.9
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 872 752 928 3.4 2.9 3.6
South......................................... 2,286 1,726 1,920 4.6 3.5 3.8
Midwest....................................... 1,323 1,140 1,218 4.2 3.6 3.8
West.......................................... 1,391 1,206 1,251 4.5 3.9 4.0
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 June May June June May June
2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p
Total........................................... 4,905 4,294 4,497 3.5 3.1 3.2
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 4,432 4,003 4,089 3.8 3.5 3.5
Natural resources and mining.................. 18 18 23 2.4 2.3 3.0
Construction.................................. 353 374 353 4.5 5.1 4.8
Manufacturing................................. 373 358 369 2.7 2.6 2.7
Durable goods................................ 232 216 231 2.6 2.5 2.7
Nondurable goods............................. 141 143 139 2.8 2.9 2.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 1,003 869 905 3.8 3.3 3.4
Wholesale trade.............................. 201 144 140 3.3 2.4 2.3
Retail trade................................. 677 615 630 4.4 4.0 4.1
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 124 111 135 2.4 2.2 2.6
Information................................... 79 53 58 2.6 1.8 1.9
Financial activities.......................... 194 185 152 2.3 2.2 1.8
Finance and insurance........................ 138 119 98 2.2 1.9 1.6
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 55 66 53 2.5 3.1 2.5
Professional and business services............ 757 654 779 4.2 3.6 4.3
Education and health services................. 573 493 506 3.2 2.6 2.7
Educational services......................... 126 95 84 4.6 3.1 3.0
Health care and social assistance............ 447 398 422 2.9 2.5 2.7
Leisure and hospitality....................... 868 792 798 6.2 5.7 5.6
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 98 113 88 4.4 5.4 3.9
Accommodation and food services............. 770 679 710 6.5 5.7 5.9
Other services................................ 215 207 144 3.9 3.7 2.6
Government..................................... 473 290 409 2.1 1.3 1.8
Federal....................................... 81 23 25 3.0 .8 .9
State and local............................... 392 267 383 2.0 1.3 1.9
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 743 605 702 2.9 2.3 2.7
South......................................... 1,806 1,711 1,714 3.6 3.4 3.4
Midwest....................................... 1,041 867 961 3.3 2.7 3.0
West.......................................... 1,315 1,111 1,120 4.2 3.6 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 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 June May June June May June
2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p
Total........................................... 2,838 2,471 2,573 2.0 1.8 1.9
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 2,632 2,325 2,388 2.3 2.0 2.1
Natural resources and mining.................. 13 12 16 1.8 1.6 2.1
Construction.................................. 134 136 161 1.7 1.9 2.2
Manufacturing................................. 199 172 166 1.4 1.3 1.2
Durable goods................................ 114 94 101 1.3 1.1 1.2
Nondurable goods............................. 85 78 65 1.7 1.6 1.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 634 534 545 2.4 2.0 2.1
Wholesale trade.............................. 106 87 65 1.7 1.4 1.1
Retail trade................................. 462 387 397 3.0 2.5 2.6
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 66 60 82 1.3 1.2 1.6
Information................................... 51 36 38 1.7 1.2 1.3
Financial activities.......................... 124 117 89 1.5 1.4 1.1
Finance and insurance........................ 94 83 64 1.5 1.4 1.0
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 30 34 25 1.4 1.6 1.2
Professional and business services............ 432 394 413 2.4 2.2 2.3
Education and health services................. 309 248 279 1.7 1.3 1.5
Educational services......................... 45 36 32 1.6 1.2 1.1
Health care and social assistance............ 264 213 247 1.7 1.3 1.6
Leisure and hospitality....................... 604 565 578 4.3 4.1 4.1
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 47 45 51 2.1 2.1 2.2
Accommodation and food services............. 556 520 527 4.7 4.4 4.4
Other services................................ 131 110 102 2.4 2.0 1.8
Government..................................... 206 146 185 .9 .6 .8
Federal....................................... 28 7 9 1.0 .3 .3
State and local............................... 179 138 176 .9 .7 .9
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 404 328 352 1.6 1.3 1.4
South......................................... 1,133 1,006 1,030 2.3 2.0 2.1
Midwest....................................... 572 510 536 1.8 1.6 1.7
West.......................................... 729 627 655 2.3 2.0 2.1
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 June May June June May June
2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p
Total........................................... 1,680 1,551 1,629 1.2 1.1 1.2
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 1,533 1,455 1,495 1.3 1.3 1.3
Natural resources and mining.................. 3 4 6 .5 .5 .7
Construction.................................. 212 213 176 2.7 2.9 2.4
Manufacturing................................. 135 162 170 1.0 1.2 1.2
Durable goods................................ 87 107 107 1.0 1.2 1.2
Nondurable goods............................. 49 55 64 1.0 1.1 1.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 287 280 302 1.1 1.1 1.1
Wholesale trade.............................. 80 51 68 1.3 .8 1.1
Retail trade................................. 164 189 190 1.1 1.2 1.2
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 43 40 44 .8 .8 .9
Information................................... 21 13 16 .7 .4 .5
Financial activities.......................... 53 51 55 .6 .6 .7
Finance and insurance........................ 35 27 31 .6 .4 .5
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 18 24 23 .8 1.1 1.1
Professional and business services............ 285 221 327 1.6 1.2 1.8
Education and health services................. 221 207 200 1.2 1.1 1.1
Educational services......................... 75 54 51 2.7 1.8 1.8
Health care and social assistance............ 146 153 149 .9 1.0 .9
Leisure and hospitality....................... 243 212 205 1.7 1.5 1.4
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 48 67 33 2.1 3.2 1.4
Accommodation and food services............. 196 145 172 1.7 1.2 1.4
Other services................................ 73 93 39 1.3 1.7 .7
Government..................................... 147 95 134 .7 .4 .6
Federal....................................... 23 6 10 .8 .2 .4
State and local............................... 124 90 125 .6 .4 .6
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 272 228 298 1.1 .9 1.2
South......................................... 558 609 587 1.1 1.2 1.2
Midwest....................................... 358 303 346 1.1 1.0 1.1
West.......................................... 492 411 398 1.6 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 June May June June May June
2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p
Total........................................... 387 272 295 0.3 0.2 0.2
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 268 223 206 .2 .2 .2
Natural resources and mining.................. 1 2 2 .2 .2 .2
Construction.................................. 7 25 16 .1 .3 .2
Manufacturing................................. 38 24 33 .3 .2 .2
Durable goods................................ 31 15 23 .3 .2 .3
Nondurable goods............................. 7 10 10 .1 .2 .2
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 82 56 58 .3 .2 .2
Wholesale trade.............................. 16 6 7 .3 .1 .1
Retail trade................................. 52 39 43 .3 .3 .3
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 15 10 8 .3 .2 .2
Information................................... 7 4 4 .2 .1 .1
Financial activities.......................... 16 17 8 .2 .2 .1
Finance and insurance........................ 9 8 4 .2 .1 .1
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 7 8 4 .3 .4 .2
Professional and business services............ 40 39 40 .2 .2 .2
Education and health services................. 43 37 27 .2 .2 .1
Educational services......................... 6 5 2 .2 .2 .1
Health care and social assistance............ 37 32 25 .2 .2 .2
Leisure and hospitality....................... 21 16 15 .1 .1 .1
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 3 2 4 .1 .1 .2
Accommodation and food services............. 18 14 12 .2 .1 .1
Other services................................ 11 3 2 .2 .1 (4)
Government..................................... 119 49 89 .5 .2 .4
Federal....................................... 30 10 7 1.1 .4 .2
State and local............................... 89 39 83 .5 .2 .4
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 67 48 51 .3 .2 .2
South......................................... 115 97 97 .2 .2 .2
Midwest....................................... 110 54 79 .3 .2 .2
West.......................................... 94 74 68 .3 .2 .2
1 Other separations are the number of other separations during the entire month.
2 The other separations rate is the number of other separations during the entire month as a percent of
total employment.
3 See footnote 8, table 1.
4 Data round to zero.
p = preliminary.
United States Department of Labor
