For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Wednesday, December 9, 2020	USDL-20-2216
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 – OCTOBER 2020

The number of job openings was little changed at 6.7 million on the last business day of October, the 
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Hires were little changed at 5.8 million while total 
separations increased to 5.1 million. Within separations, the quits rate was unchanged at 2.2 percent 
while the layoffs and discharges rate increased to 1.2 percent. This release includes estimates of the 
number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector, by industry, and by 
four geographic regions.
   
Job Openings

On the last business day of October, the number and rate of job openings were little changed at 6.7 
million and 4.5 percent, respectively. Job openings increased in health care and social assistance 
(+122,000) and state and local government education (+23,000). The number of job openings was little 
changed in all four regions. (See table 1.)

The number of job openings in October (not seasonally adjusted) decreased over the year to 7.1 million 
(-596,000) reflecting the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the labor market. Job 
openings decreased in a number of industries with the largest decreases in retail trade, accommodation 
and food services, and finance and insurance. Only nondurable goods manufacturing and durable goods
manufacturing had increases in job openings. The number of job openings decreased in the Midwest 
region. (See table 7.)

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
|		       Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact on October 2020 JOLTS Data                  |
|													  |
|Data collection for the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey was affected by the coronavirus           |
|(COVID-19) pandemic. More information is available at the end of this news release and at                |
|www.bls.gov/covid19/job-openings-and-labor-turnover-covid19-october-2020.htm.				  |
|_________________________________________________________________________________________________________|

Hires

In October, the number and rate of hires were little changed at 5.8 million and 4.1 percent, respectively. 
Hires decreased in wholesale trade (-81,000), other services (-74,000), and federal government              
(-12,000). The number of hires was little changed in all four regions. (See table 2.)

The number of hires in October (not seasonally adjusted) was little changed over the year. Hires 
increased in a number of industries over the year, with the largest increases in transportation, 
warehousing, and utilities and in durable goods manufacturing. Hires decreased in construction and state 
and local government education. The number of hires was little changed in all four regions. (See table 
8.)

Separations

Total separations includes quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Total separations is 
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 includes separations 
due to retirement, death, disability, and transfers to other locations of the same firm.

In October, the number of total separations increased to 5.1 million (+263,000). The total separations 
rate was little changed at 3.6 percent. The total separations level increased in federal government 
(+109,000), largely the result of separations of temporary 2020 Census workers. Total separations 
increased in the Northeast region. (See table 3.)

Over the year, the number of total separations (not seasonally adjusted) decreased to 5.3 million  
(-408,000). Total separations decreased in a number of industries with the largest decreases in 
accommodation and food services and construction. Total separations increased in federal government 
and nondurable goods manufacturing. The number of total separations decreased in the West region. 
(See table 9.)

In October, the number of quits was little changed at 3.1 million and the quits rate was unchanged at 2.2 
percent. Quits increased in arts, entertainment, and recreation (+17,000) and federal government 
(+7,000). The number of quits was little changed in all four regions. (See table 4.)

Over the year, the number of quits (not seasonally adjusted) decreased to 3.3 million (-261,000). Quits 
declined in several industries, with the largest decreases in accommodation and food services and other 
services. The quits level increased in a number of industries with the largest increases in retail trade and 
wholesale trade. Over the year, the number of quits decreased in the Midwest and West regions. (See 
table 10.)

The number and rate of layoffs and discharges increased to 1.7 million (+243,000) and 1.2 percent, 
respectively in October. The number of layoffs and discharges increased in federal government 
(+91,000), largely due to the release of temporary 2020 Census workers. Layoffs and discharges 
increased in the Northeast region. (See table 5.)

Over the year, the layoffs and discharges level (not seasonally adjusted) was little changed. Layoffs and 
discharges decreased in arts, entertainment, and recreation and in wholesale trade. The number of 
layoffs and discharges increased in federal government. The number of layoffs and discharges decreased 
over the year in the West region. (See table 11.)

The number of other separations was little changed in October at 336,000. Other separations increased 
in federal government (+10,000). Other separations were little changed in all four regions. (See table 6.)

Over the year, the other separations level (not seasonally adjusted) was little changed at 321,000. Other 
separations decreased in a number of industries with the largest decrease in information. Other 
separations increased in federal government. The number of other separations was little changed in all 
four regions. (See table 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 October, hires totaled 70.4 million and separations totaled 76.1 million, 
yielding a net employment loss of 5.7 million. These totals include workers who may have been hired 
and separated more than once during the year.

____________	
The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey estimates for November 2020 are scheduled to be 
released on Tuesday, January 12, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. (ET).


__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
|			Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact on October 2020				 |
| 			      Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey Data				 |
|													 |
|Data collection for the JOLTS survey was affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. While 42 	 |
|percent of data are usually collected by phone at the JOLTS data collection center, most phone 	 |
|respondents were asked to report electronically. However, data collection was adversely impacted due to | 
|the inability to reach some respondents that normally respond by phone. The JOLTS response rate for	 | 
|October was 45 percent, while response rates prior to the pandemic averaged 54 percent.		 |
|													 |
|BLS modified the JOLTS estimation methods in March through October to better reflect the impact of the  |
|coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The estimation process usually includes an alignment of monthly hires  |
|minus separations to the over-the-month change in the Current Employment Statistics (CES) employment    |
|estimates. For October estimates, as in earlier months, BLS suspended the alignment process. The	 | 
|differing reference periods for the CES employment estimates (pay period including the 12th of the      |
|onth) and the JOLTS hires and separations estimates (the entire reference month) led to different 	 |
|measurement outcomes. More information about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the JOLTS survey,   | 
including information about the JOLTS estimation methodology, is available at 				 |
|www.bls.gov/covid19/job-openings-and-labor-turnover-covid19-october-2020.htm.				 |
|________________________________________________________________________________________________________|