Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary

For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Tuesday, August 29, 2023    USDL-23-1890
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                              JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER – JULY 2023

The number of job openings edged down to 8.8 million on the last business day of July, the U.S. Bureau 
of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the month, the number of hires and total separations changed 
little at 5.8 million and 5.5 million, respectively. Within separations, quits (3.5 million) decreased, while 
layoffs and discharges (1.6 million) changed little. This release includes estimates of the number and 
rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector, by industry, and by 
establishment size class.
   
Job Openings

On the last business day of July, the number of job openings edged down to 8.8 million (-338,000), 
while the rate changed little at 5.3 percent. Over the month, job openings decreased in professional and 
business services (-198,000); health care and social assistance (-130,000); state and local government, 
excluding education (-67,000); state and local government education (-62,000); and federal government 
(-27,000). By contrast, job openings increased in information (+101,000) and in transportation, 
warehousing, and utilities (+75,000). (See table 1.)

Hires

In July, the number and rate of hires changed little at 5.8 million and 3.7 percent, respectively. The 
number of hires changed little in all industries. (See table 2.)

Separations

Total separations include quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. 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, disability, and transfers 
to other locations of the same firm.

The number and rate of total separations in July were little changed at 5.5 million and 3.5 percent, 
respectively. Over the month, the number of total separations decreased in accommodation and food 
services (-132,000). (See table 3.)

In July, the number of quits decreased to 3.5 million (-253,000), while the rate changed little at 2.3 
percent. The number of quits declined in accommodation and food services (-166,000); wholesale trade  
(-27,000); and arts, entertainment, and recreation (-17,000). The number of quits increased in state and 
local government education (+18,000). (See table 4.)

In July, the number of layoffs and discharges changed little at 1.6 million, and the rate held at 1.0 
percent. The number of layoffs and discharges changed little in all industries. (See table 5.)

The number of other separations was little changed in July at 378,000. (See table 6.)

Establishment Size Class

In July, establishments with 1 to 9 employees saw little change in all data elements. Establishments with 
more than 5,000 employees had decreases in their quits rates and total separations rates. (See table 7.)
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The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey estimates for August 2023 are scheduled to be 
released on Tuesday, October 3, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).