For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Wednesday, October 10, 2012 USDL-12-2030
Technical information: (202) 691-5870 • JoltsInfo@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/jlt
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 • PressOffice@bls.gov
Job Openings and Labor Turnover – August 2012
There were 3.6 million job openings on the last business day of
August, essentially unchanged from July, the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics reported today. The hires rate (3.3 percent) and
separations rate (3.3 percent) were little changed in August. This
release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings,
hires, and separations for the nonfarm sector by industry and by
geographic region.
Job Openings
The number of job openings in August was 3.6 million, essentially
unchanged from July. (See table 1.) The number of openings was little
changed in all industries except accommodation and food services,
where the number decreased. The number of openings was also little
changed in all four regions in August. The level of total nonfarm job
openings in August was up from 2.4 million at the end of the recession
in June 2009. (Recession dates are determined by the National Bureau
of Economic Research.)
The number of job openings in August (not seasonally adjusted)
increased over the year for total nonfarm and total private, and was
little changed for government. Job openings increased over the year
for nondurable goods manufacturing, wholesale trade, finance and
insurance, and federal government, but fell in mining and logging. The
Northeast and South regions experienced a rise in job openings over
the year. (See table 7.)
Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally adjusted
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Job openings | Hires | Total separations
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Industry | Aug. | July | Aug. | Aug. | July | Aug. | Aug. | July | Aug.
| 2011 | 2012 | 2012p| 2011 | 2012 | 2012p| 2011 | 2012 | 2012p
-------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Levels (in thousands)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total..........................|3,152 |3,593 |3,561 |4,221 |4,278 |4,390 |4,112 |4,088 |4,354
| | | | | | | | |
Total private(1)..............|2,818 |3,211 |3,192 |3,932 |3,989 |4,087 |3,835 |3,789 |4,042
Construction.................| 103 | 67 | 82 | 325 | 359 | 308 | 338 | 358 | 312
Manufacturing................| 238 | 273 | 255 | 257 | 244 | 233 | 247 | 228 | 248
Trade, transportation, | | | | | | | | |
and utilities(2)............| 491 | 585 | 605 | 823 | 848 | 888 | 805 | 815 | 876
Retail trade................| 321 | 334 | 353 | 544 | 570 | 582 | 544 | 556 | 585
Professional and | | | | | | | | |
business services...........| 622 | 641 | 708 | 890 | 871 | 934 | 845 | 807 | 935
Education and health | | | | | | | | |
services(3).................| 606 | 689 | 657 | 489 | 500 | 505 | 460 | 463 | 480
Health care and | | | | | | | | |
social assistance..........| 542 | 604 | 596 | 414 | 427 | 433 | 382 | 396 | 405
Leisure and hospitality......| 362 | 469 | 414 | 711 | 720 | 731 | 716 | 685 | 721
Arts, entertainment | | | | | | | | |
and recreation.............| 41 | 50 | 56 | 115 | 106 | 98 | 116 | 105 | 85
Accommodation and | | | | | | | | |
food services..............| 321 | 419 | 358 | 596 | 614 | 633 | 600 | 579 | 636
Government(4).................| 334 | 382 | 369 | 290 | 288 | 302 | 276 | 299 | 312
State and local government...| 287 | 329 | 307 | 263 | 268 | 273 | 245 | 271 | 281
|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Rates (percent)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total..........................| 2.3 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.3
| | | | | | | | |
Total private(1)..............| 2.5 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.6
Construction.................| 1.8 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 5.9 | 6.5 | 5.6 | 6.1 | 6.5 | 5.7
Manufacturing................| 2.0 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 2.1
Trade, transportation, | | | | | | | | |
and utilities(2)............| 1.9 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.5
Retail trade................| 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.0
Professional and | | | | | | | | |
business services...........| 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 5.1 | 4.9 | 5.2 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 5.2
Education and health | | | | | | | | |
services(3).................| 3.0 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.4
Health care and | | | | | | | | |
social assistance..........| 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.4
Leisure and hospitality......| 2.6 | 3.3 | 2.9 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 5.0 | 5.3
Arts, entertainment | | | | | | | | |
and recreation.............| 2.1 | 2.5 | 2.8 | 6.0 | 5.5 | 5.1 | 6.1 | 5.5 | 4.4
Accommodation and | | | | | | | | |
food services..............| 2.7 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.4 | 5.2 | 4.9 | 5.4
Government(4).................| 1.5 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.4
State and local government...| 1.5 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.5
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, and other services, not
shown separately.
2 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown
separately.
3 Includes educational services, not shown separately.
4 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
p Preliminary
Hires
In August, the hires rate was little changed at 3.3 percent. The hires
rate also was little changed in all industries and regions. (See table
2.) The number of hires in August was 4.4 million, up from 3.7 million
at the end of the recession in June 2009.
Over the 12 months ending in August, the hires rate (not seasonally
adjusted) was little changed for total nonfarm, total private, and
government. The hires rate was up for finance and insurance and little
changed in all other industries and all four regions. (See table 8.)
Separations
The total separations figure includes quits, layoffs and discharges,
and other separations. Total separations is also referred to as
turnover. Quits are generally voluntary separations initiated by the
employee. Therefore, the quits rate can serve as a measure of workers’
willingness or ability to leave jobs. Layoffs and discharges are
involuntary separations initiated by the employer. Other separations
include separations due to retirement, death, and disability, as well
as transfers to other locations of the same firm.
In August, the total separations rate was essentially unchanged for
total nonfarm and total private, and unchanged for government. (See
table 3.) Over the year, the total separations rate (not seasonally
adjusted) was essentially unchanged for total nonfarm and total
private but rose for government. (See table 9.)
In August, the quits rate was unchanged for total nonfarm, total
private, and government. (See table 4.) The number of quits was 2.1
million in August, up from 1.8 million at the end of the recession in
June 2009.
The number of quits (not seasonally adjusted) in August was little
changed over the year for total nonfarm and total private but rose for
government. Quits also increased over the year in several industries
and in the Northeast. (See table 10.)
The layoffs and discharges component of total separations is
seasonally adjusted at the total nonfarm, total private, and
government levels and for the four regions. The layoffs and discharges
rate rose in August for total nonfarm and total private but was
unchanged for government. The layoffs and discharges rate increased in
the South in August. (See table 5.) The number of layoffs and
discharges for total nonfarm was 1.8 million in August, down from 2.1
million at the end of the recession in June 2009.
The layoffs and discharges level (not seasonally adjusted) was little
changed for total nonfarm, total private, and government over the 12
months ending in August 2012. Two industries experienced increases in
layoffs and discharges over the year, while one reported a decrease.
The number of layoffs and discharges was essentially unchanged over
the year in all four regions. (See table 11.)
In August, there were 365,000 other separations for total nonfarm,
little changed from the previous month but up over the year. (See
tables 6 and 12.)
Net Change in Employment
Large numbers of hires and separations occur every month throughout
the business cycle. Net employment change results from the
relationship between hires and separations. When the number of hires
exceeds the number of separations, employment rises, even if the hires
level is steady or declining. Conversely, when the number of hires is
less than the number of separations, employment declines, even if the
hires level is steady or rising. Over the 12 months ending in August
2012, hires totaled 51.6 million and separations totaled 49.8 million,
yielding a net employment gain of 1.8 million. These figures include
workers who may have been hired and separated more than once during
the year.
____________
The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey results for September 2012
are scheduled to be released on Tuesday, November 6, 2012 at 10:00
a.m. (EST).
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
In a monthly survey of business establishments, data are
collected for total employment, job openings, hires, quits, layoffs
and discharges, and other separations. Data collection methods
include computer-assisted telephone interviewing, touchtone data
entry, web, fax, e-mail, 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 2012 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 update, if necessary, the
industry code, location, and ownership classification of all
establishments on a 3-year cycle. Changes in establishment
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 reference month. Full-time, part-time, permanent, short-
term, seasonal, salaried, and hourly employees are included, as are
employees on paid vacations 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 contractors, 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 position, 2) work could start within 30 days
regardless of whether a suitable candidate is found, and 3) the
employer is actively recruiting from outside the establishment to
fill the position. Included are full-time, part-time, permanent,
short-term, and seasonal openings. Active recruiting 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, outside 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.
Hires. Hires are the total number of additions to the payroll
occurring 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 contractors, 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 (except for retirements, which are reported as other
separations). Layoffs and discharges are involuntary separations
initiated by the employer 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 retirements, 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
separations by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100.
The quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations rates are
computed similarly, 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
discharges, 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. Consistent with BLS practices, annual
estimates are 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
business 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 measures 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.
Special collection procedures
An implied measure of employment change can be derived from the
JOLTS data by subtracting separations from hires for a given
month. Aggregating these monthly changes historically produced
employment levels that overstated employment change as measured by
CES at the total nonfarm level. Research into this problem showed
that a significant amount of the divergence between the CES
employment levels and the derived JOLTS employment levels was
traceable to the Employment Services industry and to the State
Government Education industry. In the former industry, businesses
have a difficult time reporting hires and separations of temporary
help workers. In the latter industry, employers have difficulty
reporting hires and separations of student workers. BLS now
devotes additional resources to the collection, editing, and review
of data for these industries. BLS analysts more closely examine
reported data that do not provide a consistent picture over time,
and re-contact the respondents as necessary. Analysts work with
the respondents to adjust their reporting practices as possible.
Units that cannot be reconciled but are clearly incorrect on a
consistent basis are not used, they are replaced by imputed values
using standard techniques.
Sample and estimation methodology
The JOLTS survey design is a stratified random sample of 16,400
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 9.1 million establishments compiled as part
of the operations of the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
(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 establishment size class. The JOLTS sample is constructed
from individual panels of sample units drawn on an annual basis. The
full annual sample consists of one certainty panel composed of only
large units selected with virtual certainty based on their size and
24 non-certainty panels. Each month a new non-certainty panel is
rolled into collection, and the oldest non-certainty panel is
rolled out. This means that at any given time the JOLTS sample is
constructed from panels from three different annual sampling
frames. The entire sample of old plus new panels is post-
stratified and re-weighted annually to represent the most recent
sampling frame. Additionally, the out-of-business establishments
are removed from the old panels. The annual sample is supplemented
with a quarterly sample of birth establishments (i.e., new
establishments) to better reflect the impact of younger
establishments in the JOLTS sample.
JOLTS total employment estimates are benchmarked or ratio adjusted
monthly to the strike-adjusted employment estimates 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.
JOLTS business birth/death model
As with any sample survey, the JOLTS sample can only be as
current as its sampling frame. The time lag from the birth of an
establishment until its appearance on the sampling frame is
approximately one year. In addition, many of these new units may
fail within the first year. Since these universe units cannot be
reflected on the sampling frame immediately, the JOLTS
sample cannot capture job openings, hires, and separations from
these units during their early existence. BLS has developed a model
to estimate birth/death activity for current months by examining the
birth/death activity from previous years on the QCEW and projecting
forward using the ratio of over-the-year CES employment change.
The birth/death model also uses historical JOLTS data to estimate the
amount of “churn” (hires and separations) that exists in establishments
of various sizes. The model then combines the estimated churn with
the projected employment change to estimate the number of hires and
separations taking place in these units that cannot be measured
through sampling.
The model-based estimate of total separations is distributed to
the three components–-quits; layoffs and discharges; and other
separations--in proportion to their contribution to the sample-
based estimate of total separations. Additionally, job openings
for the modeled units are estimated by computing the ratio of
openings to hires in the collected data and applying that ratio to
the modeled hires. The estimates of job openings, hires, and
separations produced by the birth/death model are then added to the
sample-based estimates produced from the survey to arrive at the
estimates for openings, hires, and separations.
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, particularly those associated
with general economic expansions and contractions. 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.
JOLTS uses moving averages as seasonal filters in seasonal
adjustment. JOLTS seasonal adjustment 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.
Alignment procedure
JOLTS hires minus separations should be comparable to the CES net
employment change. However, definitional differences as well as
sampling and non-sampling errors between the two surveys
historically caused JOLTS to diverge from CES over time. To limit
the divergence, and improve the quality of the JOLTS hires and
separations series, BLS implemented the Monthly Alignment Method.
The Monthly Alignment Method applies the CES employment trends to
the seasonally adjusted JOLTS implied employment trend (hires minus
separations) forcing them to be approximately the same, while
preserving the seasonality of the JOLTS data. First, the two
series are seasonally adjusted and the difference between the JOLTS
implied employment trend and the CES net employment change is
calculated. Next, the JOLTS implied employment trend is adjusted to
equal the CES net employment change through a proportional
adjustment. This proportional adjustment procedure adjusts the two
components (hires, separations) proportionally to their
contribution to the total churn (hires plus separations). For
example, if hires are 40 percent of the churn for a given month,
they will receive 40 percent of the needed adjustment and
separations will receive 60 percent of the needed adjustment. The
adjusted hires and separations are converted back to not seasonally
adjusted data by reversing the application of the original seasonal
factors. After the Monthly Alignment Method has been used to
adjust the level estimates, rate estimates are computed from the
adjusted levels. The monthly alignment procedure assures a close
match of the JOLTS implied employment trend with the CES trend. The
CES series is considered a highly accurate measure of net
employment change owing to its very large sample size and annual
benchmarking to universe counts of employment from the QCEW
program.
Historical changes in JOLTS data
The JOLTS data series on job openings, hires, and separations are
relatively new. The full sample is divided into panels, with one
panel enrolled 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 supplemental 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 comparable to estimates for March 2002 and
later.
The federal government reorganization that involved transferring
approximately 180,000 employees to the new Department of Homeland
Security is not reflected in the JOLTS hires and separations
estimates for the federal government. The Office of Personnel
Management's record shows these transfers were completed in March
2003. The inclusion of transfers in the JOLTS definitions of hires
and separations is intended to cover ongoing movements of workers
between establishments. The Department of Homeland Security
reorganization was a massive one-time event, and the inclusion of
these intergovernmental transfers would distort the federal government
time 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 segment 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.
Other information
Information in this release will be made available to sensory
impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200;
Federal Relay Service: (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 Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug.
2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012p 2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012p
Total.................................... 3,152 3,741 3,447 3,657 3,722 3,593 3,561 2.3 2.7 2.5 2.7 2.7 2.6 2.6
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)........................ 2,818 3,362 3,093 3,285 3,346 3,211 3,192 2.5 2.9 2.7 2.9 2.9 2.8 2.8
Construction........................... 103 92 69 69 68 67 82 1.8 1.6 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.5
Manufacturing.......................... 238 308 259 297 296 273 255 2.0 2.5 2.1 2.4 2.4 2.2 2.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities(5) 491 598 562 591 588 585 605 1.9 2.3 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3
Retail trade.......................... 321 368 338 348 348 334 353 2.1 2.4 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.3
Professional and business services..... 622 787 660 718 693 641 708 3.5 4.2 3.6 3.9 3.7 3.5 3.8
Education and health services(6)....... 606 670 665 687 713 689 657 3.0 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.3 3.1
Health care and social assistance..... 542 605 610 629 660 604 596 3.1 3.5 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.4 3.4
Leisure and hospitality................ 362 431 419 432 460 469 414 2.6 3.1 3.0 3.1 3.3 3.3 2.9
Arts, entertainment, and recreation... 41 57 61 52 47 50 56 2.1 2.8 3.1 2.6 2.4 2.5 2.8
Accommodation and food services....... 321 375 358 381 413 419 358 2.7 3.1 3.0 3.2 3.4 3.5 3.0
Government(7)........................... 334 378 354 372 376 382 369 1.5 1.7 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7
State and local government............. 287 310 282 302 304 329 307 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.6
REGION(8)
Northeast.............................. 552 688 679 675 664 671 662 2.2 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.5
South.................................. 1,135 1,453 1,370 1,474 1,490 1,399 1,409 2.3 2.9 2.8 3.0 3.0 2.8 2.8
Midwest................................ 714 853 666 755 777 759 760 2.3 2.7 2.2 2.4 2.5 2.4 2.4
West................................... 750 746 732 754 792 763 731 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.6 2.5 2.4
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 and because not all series are shown.
4 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
6 Includes educational services, 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 Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug.
2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012p 2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012p
Total.................................... 4,221 4,335 4,213 4,461 4,284 4,278 4,390 3.2 3.3 3.2 3.4 3.2 3.2 3.3
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)........................ 3,932 4,041 3,916 4,176 4,000 3,989 4,087 3.6 3.6 3.5 3.8 3.6 3.6 3.7
Construction........................... 325 286 276 314 355 359 308 5.9 5.1 5.0 5.7 6.4 6.5 5.6
Manufacturing.......................... 257 263 260 262 270 244 233 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.3 2.0 1.9
Trade, transportation, and utilities(5) 823 827 826 872 821 848 888 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.4 3.2 3.3 3.5
Retail trade.......................... 544 550 556 577 556 570 582 3.7 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.8 3.9 3.9
Professional and business services..... 890 888 888 982 931 871 934 5.1 5.0 5.0 5.5 5.2 4.9 5.2
Education and health services(6)....... 489 523 495 540 494 500 505 2.5 2.6 2.4 2.7 2.4 2.5 2.5
Health care and social assistance..... 414 442 427 466 425 427 433 2.5 2.6 2.5 2.7 2.5 2.5 2.5
Leisure and hospitality................ 711 795 717 715 700 720 731 5.3 5.8 5.3 5.3 5.1 5.3 5.3
Arts, entertainment, and recreation... 115 154 123 115 108 106 98 6.0 7.9 6.4 6.0 5.7 5.5 5.1
Accommodation and food services....... 596 640 594 600 592 614 633 5.2 5.5 5.1 5.1 5.1 5.2 5.4
Government(7)........................... 290 294 297 285 284 288 302 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.4
State and local government............. 263 264 263 254 256 268 273 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.4
REGION(8)
Northeast.............................. 685 711 673 696 701 675 678 2.7 2.8 2.7 2.7 2.8 2.7 2.7
South.................................. 1,617 1,677 1,676 1,781 1,691 1,674 1,721 3.4 3.5 3.5 3.7 3.5 3.5 3.6
Midwest................................ 978 1,004 938 1,030 985 993 1,044 3.3 3.3 3.1 3.4 3.3 3.3 3.4
West................................... 942 943 925 953 908 935 946 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.1 3.2 3.2
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 and because not all series are shown.
4 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
6 Includes educational services, 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 Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug.
2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012p 2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012p
Total.................................... 4,112 4,167 4,142 4,463 4,249 4,088 4,354 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.4 3.2 3.1 3.3
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)........................ 3,835 3,869 3,838 4,163 3,943 3,789 4,042 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.7 3.5 3.4 3.6
Construction........................... 338 281 290 359 342 358 312 6.1 5.1 5.2 6.5 6.2 6.5 5.7
Manufacturing.......................... 247 234 239 248 263 228 248 2.1 2.0 2.0 2.1 2.2 1.9 2.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities(5) 805 832 817 835 827 815 876 3.2 3.3 3.2 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.5
Retail trade.......................... 544 566 560 586 558 556 585 3.7 3.8 3.8 4.0 3.8 3.8 4.0
Professional and business services..... 845 835 855 1,035 921 807 935 4.9 4.7 4.8 5.8 5.1 4.5 5.2
Education and health services(6)....... 460 473 470 479 493 463 480 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.3 2.4
Health care and social assistance..... 382 414 408 414 409 396 405 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.3 2.4
Leisure and hospitality................ 716 753 710 712 679 685 721 5.4 5.5 5.2 5.2 5.0 5.0 5.3
Arts, entertainment, and recreation... 116 128 133 135 101 105 85 6.1 6.6 6.9 7.0 5.3 5.5 4.4
Accommodation and food services....... 600 625 577 577 578 579 636 5.2 5.4 4.9 4.9 4.9 4.9 5.4
Government(7)........................... 276 299 304 300 306 299 312 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4
State and local government............. 245 267 271 270 276 271 281 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.5
REGION(8)
Northeast.............................. 677 624 697 690 668 711 674 2.7 2.5 2.8 2.7 2.6 2.8 2.7
South.................................. 1,578 1,678 1,556 1,772 1,690 1,579 1,697 3.3 3.5 3.2 3.7 3.5 3.3 3.5
Midwest................................ 951 943 971 1,038 912 894 1,054 3.2 3.1 3.2 3.4 3.0 3.0 3.5
West................................... 906 923 918 963 979 905 929 3.1 3.2 3.1 3.3 3.4 3.1 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 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series and because not all series are shown.
4 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
6 Includes educational services, 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 Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug.
2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012p 2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012p
Total.................................... 2,048 2,159 2,114 2,176 2,133 2,163 2,140 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)........................ 1,932 2,025 1,969 2,041 1,998 2,033 2,002 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8
Construction........................... 69 74 70 79 86 87 70 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.6 1.6 1.3
Manufacturing.......................... 99 112 114 117 108 107 113 .8 .9 1.0 1.0 .9 .9 .9
Trade, transportation, and utilities(5) 439 472 455 440 465 482 478 1.8 1.9 1.8 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.9
Retail trade.......................... 327 343 332 318 330 340 339 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.2 2.3 2.3
Professional and business services..... 387 380 396 439 400 386 378 2.2 2.1 2.2 2.5 2.2 2.2 2.1
Education and health services(6)....... 270 284 266 269 269 279 282 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.4
Health care and social assistance..... 223 253 238 239 229 248 237 1.3 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.5 1.4
Leisure and hospitality................ 439 471 445 448 440 432 424 3.3 3.5 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.1
Arts, entertainment, and recreation... 45 47 47 52 49 47 46 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.7 2.6 2.5 2.4
Accommodation and food services....... 394 425 398 396 391 385 377 3.4 3.6 3.4 3.4 3.3 3.3 3.2
Government(7)........................... 116 134 145 136 135 130 139 .5 .6 .7 .6 .6 .6 .6
State and local government............. 106 122 132 124 126 119 129 .6 .6 .7 .6 .7 .6 .7
REGION(8)
Northeast.............................. 283 278 309 305 300 315 322 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3
South.................................. 831 908 855 899 925 945 900 1.7 1.9 1.8 1.9 1.9 2.0 1.9
Midwest................................ 495 508 495 521 474 449 497 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.6
West................................... 439 465 456 452 434 454 420 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.4
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 and because not all series are shown.
4 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
6 Includes educational services, not shown separately.
7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
8 See footnote 8, table 1.
p Preliminary
Table 5. Layoffs and discharges levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels(3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug.
2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012p 2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012p
Total.................................... 1,755 1,652 1,743 1,956 1,761 1,582 1,848 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.5 1.3 1.2 1.4
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)........................ 1,648 1,552 1,644 1,852 1,655 1,482 1,742 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.7 1.5 1.3 1.6
Construction........................... - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Manufacturing.......................... - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Trade, transportation, and utilities(5) - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Retail trade.......................... - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Professional and business services..... - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Education and health services(6)....... - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Health care and social assistance..... - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Leisure and hospitality................ - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Arts, entertainment, and recreation... - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Accommodation and food services....... - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Government(7)........................... 108 100 98 104 106 100 106 .5 .5 .4 .5 .5 .5 .5
State and local government............. - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
REGION(8)
Northeast.............................. 327 277 334 331 298 323 275 1.3 1.1 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.1
South.................................. 640 648 614 761 633 522 691 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.6 1.3 1.1 1.4
Midwest................................ 389 364 406 443 366 365 440 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.5 1.2 1.2 1.5
West................................... 400 364 388 421 464 372 442 1.4 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.6 1.3 1.5
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 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series and because not all series are shown.
4 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
6 Includes educational services, not shown separately.
7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
8 See footnote 8, table 1.
p Preliminary
- Data not available.
Table 6. Other separations levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels(3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug.
2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012p 2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012p
Total.................................... 308 356 285 331 355 343 365 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)........................ 255 292 224 270 290 274 298 .2 .3 .2 .2 .3 .2 .3
Construction........................... - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Manufacturing.......................... - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Trade, transportation, and utilities(5) - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Retail trade.......................... - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Professional and business services..... - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Education and health services(6)....... - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Health care and social assistance..... - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Leisure and hospitality................ - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Arts, entertainment, and recreation... - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Accommodation and food services....... - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Government(7)........................... 53 64 61 61 65 69 67 .2 .3 .3 .3 .3 .3 .3
State and local government............. - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
REGION(8)
Northeast.............................. - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
South.................................. - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Midwest................................ - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
West................................... - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series and because not all series are shown.
4 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
6 Includes educational services, not shown separately.
7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
8 See footnote 8, table 1.
p Preliminary
- Data not available.
Table 7. Job openings levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug.
2011 2012 2012p 2011 2012 2012p
Total........................................... 3,216 3,912 3,624 2.4 2.9 2.7
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 2,855 3,504 3,230 2.5 3.0 2.8
Mining and Logging............................ 26 15 16 3.1 1.7 1.8
Construction.................................. 103 78 93 1.7 1.3 1.6
Manufacturing................................. 245 305 262 2.0 2.5 2.1
Durable goods................................ 170 205 156 2.3 2.6 2.0
Nondurable goods............................. 75 101 107 1.6 2.2 2.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 526 658 649 2.1 2.5 2.5
Wholesale trade.............................. 68 152 147 1.2 2.6 2.5
Retail trade................................. 351 382 385 2.3 2.5 2.5
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 108 124 118 2.2 2.5 2.3
Information................................... 97 118 106 3.5 4.3 3.8
Financial activities.......................... 171 269 246 2.2 3.3 3.1
Finance and insurance........................ 126 192 197 2.1 3.2 3.3
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 45 77 48 2.2 3.7 2.4
Professional and business services............ 602 657 698 3.3 3.5 3.7
Education and health services................. 604 741 645 3.0 3.6 3.1
Educational services......................... 69 93 66 2.3 3.0 2.1
Health care and social assistance............ 535 648 579 3.1 3.7 3.3
Leisure and hospitality....................... 396 531 435 2.8 3.6 3.0
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 47 49 63 2.1 2.2 2.8
Accommodation and food services.............. 349 481 372 2.9 3.8 3.0
Other services................................ 85 132 80 1.6 2.4 1.5
Government..................................... 360 407 394 1.7 1.9 1.9
Federal....................................... 52 49 66 1.8 1.7 2.3
State and local............................... 309 359 328 1.7 2.0 1.8
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 585 727 694 2.3 2.8 2.7
South......................................... 1,122 1,520 1,392 2.3 3.1 2.8
Midwest....................................... 761 845 809 2.5 2.7 2.6
West.......................................... 748 821 730 2.5 2.7 2.4
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 8. Hires levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug.
2011 2012 2012p 2011 2012 2012p
Total........................................... 4,655 4,732 4,843 3.5 3.6 3.6
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 4,154 4,403 4,345 3.8 3.9 3.9
Mining and Logging............................ 28 32 34 3.4 3.8 4.0
Construction.................................. 319 425 295 5.5 7.4 5.1
Manufacturing................................. 286 282 255 2.4 2.3 2.1
Durable goods................................ 153 159 149 2.1 2.1 2.0
Nondurable goods............................. 132 123 106 2.9 2.7 2.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 842 872 931 3.4 3.4 3.7
Wholesale trade.............................. 132 141 150 2.4 2.5 2.6
Retail trade................................. 566 569 613 3.9 3.9 4.2
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 145 162 168 3.0 3.3 3.4
Information................................... 67 68 77 2.5 2.6 2.9
Financial activities.......................... 168 192 200 2.2 2.5 2.6
Finance and insurance........................ 97 125 132 1.7 2.2 2.3
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 71 67 68 3.6 3.4 3.4
Professional and business services............ 894 904 947 5.1 5.0 5.2
Education and health services................. 620 584 636 3.2 2.9 3.2
Educational services......................... 125 98 118 4.3 3.2 3.9
Health care and social assistance............ 495 487 518 3.0 2.9 3.0
Leisure and hospitality....................... 768 806 799 5.5 5.6 5.6
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 107 115 87 4.9 5.2 4.0
Accommodation and food services.............. 660 691 712 5.6 5.7 5.9
Other services................................ 162 238 171 3.0 4.4 3.2
Government..................................... 501 329 498 2.4 1.6 2.4
Federal....................................... 30 19 34 1.0 .7 1.2
State and local............................... 471 310 464 2.6 1.7 2.6
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 698 809 679 2.8 3.2 2.7
South......................................... 1,852 1,788 1,965 3.9 3.7 4.1
Midwest....................................... 1,066 1,035 1,157 3.6 3.4 3.8
West.......................................... 1,039 1,100 1,043 3.6 3.8 3.6
1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month.
2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
3 See footnote 8, table 1.
p Preliminary
Table 9. Total separations levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug.
2011 2012 2012p 2011 2012 2012p
Total........................................... 4,856 4,552 5,124 3.7 3.4 3.9
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 4,434 4,162 4,645 4.0 3.7 4.1
Mining and Logging............................ 25 31 36 3.1 3.6 4.1
Construction.................................. 347 377 316 6.0 6.5 5.4
Manufacturing................................. 287 238 297 2.4 2.0 2.5
Durable goods................................ 160 132 187 2.2 1.8 2.5
Nondurable goods............................. 127 106 110 2.8 2.3 2.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 888 857 979 3.5 3.4 3.9
Wholesale trade.............................. 127 143 139 2.3 2.5 2.5
Retail trade................................. 622 572 674 4.2 3.9 4.6
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 140 142 165 2.9 2.9 3.4
Information................................... 72 64 72 2.7 2.4 2.7
Financial activities.......................... 179 186 215 2.3 2.4 2.8
Finance and insurance........................ 103 117 131 1.8 2.0 2.3
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 76 69 84 3.9 3.5 4.2
Professional and business services............ 901 882 982 5.1 4.9 5.4
Education and health services................. 586 571 603 3.0 2.9 3.0
Educational services......................... 118 109 114 4.0 3.6 3.8
Health care and social assistance............ 468 462 489 2.8 2.7 2.9
Leisure and hospitality....................... 900 744 895 6.4 5.2 6.3
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 175 92 130 8.1 4.1 6.0
Accommodation and food services.............. 725 653 765 6.1 5.4 6.3
Other services................................ 248 213 250 4.6 3.9 4.6
Government..................................... 422 390 480 2.0 1.9 2.3
Federal....................................... 45 30 43 1.6 1.1 1.5
State and local............................... 377 360 437 2.1 2.0 2.4
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 817 788 816 3.3 3.1 3.2
South......................................... 1,885 1,787 2,011 4.0 3.7 4.2
Midwest....................................... 1,126 951 1,266 3.8 3.2 4.2
West.......................................... 1,028 1,026 1,031 3.6 3.5 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 See footnote 8, table 1.
p Preliminary
Table 10. Quits levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug.
2011 2012 2012p 2011 2012 2012p
Total........................................... 2,672 2,518 2,794 2.0 1.9 2.1
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 2,484 2,360 2,568 2.2 2.1 2.3
Mining and Logging............................ 17 20 24 2.1 2.3 2.8
Construction.................................. 92 115 90 1.6 2.0 1.5
Manufacturing................................. 138 121 160 1.2 1.0 1.3
Durable goods................................ 72 62 95 1.0 .8 1.3
Nondurable goods............................. 66 59 65 1.5 1.3 1.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 558 528 610 2.2 2.1 2.4
Wholesale trade.............................. 62 89 74 1.1 1.6 1.3
Retail trade................................. 423 366 440 2.9 2.5 3.0
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 73 73 96 1.5 1.5 2.0
Information................................... 49 43 43 1.8 1.6 1.6
Financial activities.......................... 105 100 125 1.4 1.3 1.6
Finance and insurance........................ 60 62 80 1.0 1.1 1.4
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 45 39 44 2.3 1.9 2.2
Professional and business services............ 476 455 458 2.7 2.5 2.5
Education and health services................. 347 327 364 1.8 1.6 1.8
Educational services......................... 69 44 72 2.4 1.5 2.4
Health care and social assistance............ 277 283 292 1.7 1.7 1.7
Leisure and hospitality....................... 588 517 563 4.2 3.6 3.9
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 84 60 85 3.9 2.7 3.9
Accommodation and food services.............. 504 457 479 4.3 3.8 4.0
Other services................................ 114 134 131 2.1 2.5 2.4
Government..................................... 188 158 227 .9 .8 1.1
Federal....................................... 16 12 15 .6 .4 .5
State and local............................... 172 146 211 1.0 .8 1.2
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 372 363 429 1.5 1.4 1.7
South......................................... 1,062 1,103 1,146 2.2 2.3 2.4
Midwest....................................... 676 517 693 2.3 1.7 2.3
West.......................................... 562 535 526 1.9 1.8 1.8
1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month.
2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
3 See footnote 8, table 1.
p Preliminary
Table 11. Layoffs and discharges levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug.
2011 2012 2012p 2011 2012 2012p
Total........................................... 1,866 1,619 1,940 1.4 1.2 1.5
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 1,693 1,489 1,767 1.5 1.3 1.6
Mining and Logging............................ 7 7 11 .9 .8 1.2
Construction.................................. 247 250 211 4.2 4.3 3.6
Manufacturing................................. 127 96 112 1.1 .8 .9
Durable goods................................ 73 59 77 1.0 .8 1.0
Nondurable goods............................. 54 36 35 1.2 .8 .8
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 251 246 290 1.0 1.0 1.1
Wholesale trade.............................. 40 43 54 .7 .8 .9
Retail trade................................. 164 146 182 1.1 1.0 1.2
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 48 57 54 1.0 1.2 1.1
Information................................... 20 19 26 .7 .7 1.0
Financial activities.......................... 53 52 58 .7 .7 .7
Finance and insurance........................ 28 27 31 .5 .5 .5
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 25 25 27 1.2 1.2 1.4
Professional and business services............ 378 356 475 2.2 2.0 2.6
Education and health services................. 202 208 179 1.0 1.0 .9
Educational services......................... 38 59 35 1.3 2.0 1.2
Health care and social assistance............ 163 149 143 1.0 .9 .8
Leisure and hospitality....................... 284 192 303 2.0 1.3 2.1
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 89 30 43 4.1 1.4 2.0
Accommodation and food services.............. 195 162 261 1.7 1.3 2.2
Other services................................ 125 64 103 2.3 1.2 1.9
Government..................................... 173 131 172 .8 .6 .8
Federal....................................... 21 6 18 .7 .2 .6
State and local............................... 152 124 155 .8 .7 .9
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 383 330 310 1.5 1.3 1.2
South......................................... 709 546 756 1.5 1.1 1.6
Midwest....................................... 372 345 429 1.2 1.1 1.4
West.......................................... 402 399 445 1.4 1.4 1.5
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 12. Other separations levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug.
2011 2012 2012p 2011 2012 2012p
Total........................................... 318 415 390 0.2 0.3 0.3
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 258 313 310 .2 .3 .3
Mining and Logging............................ 1 4 1 .1 .4 .1
Construction.................................. 9 12 16 .1 .2 .3
Manufacturing................................. 22 21 25 .2 .2 .2
Durable goods................................ 15 11 16 .2 .1 .2
Nondurable goods............................. 7 11 9 .2 .2 .2
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 79 83 79 .3 .3 .3
Wholesale trade.............................. 25 11 12 .4 .2 .2
Retail trade................................. 35 60 52 .2 .4 .4
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 20 12 15 .4 .2 .3
Information................................... 3 3 3 .1 .1 .1
Financial activities.......................... 21 33 33 .3 .4 .4
Finance and insurance........................ 15 28 20 .3 .5 .3
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 7 6 13 .3 .3 .7
Professional and business services............ 46 72 48 .3 .4 .3
Education and health services................. 38 36 60 .2 .2 .3
Educational services......................... 10 6 6 .4 .2 .2
Health care and social assistance............ 28 30 53 .2 .2 .3
Leisure and hospitality....................... 28 36 29 .2 .3 .2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 2 2 2 .1 .1 .1
Accommodation and food services.............. 26 34 26 .2 .3 .2
Other services................................ 9 15 16 .2 .3 .3
Government..................................... 60 102 81 .3 .5 .4
Federal....................................... 8 12 10 .3 .4 .3
State and local............................... 53 90 71 .3 .5 .4
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 62 96 77 .2 .4 .3
South......................................... 115 137 109 .2 .3 .2
Midwest....................................... 78 90 144 .3 .3 .5
West.......................................... 64 93 61 .2 .3 .2
1 Other separations are the number of other separations during the entire month.
2 The other separations rate is the number of other separations during the entire month as a percent of
total employment.
3 See footnote 8, table 1.
p Preliminary
United States Department of Labor
