Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary

For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Tuesday, February 4, 2025   USDL-25-0130
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                             JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER – DECEMBER 2024

The number of job openings decreased to 7.6 million on the last business day of December, the U.S. 
Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the month, hires and total separations were little 
changed at 5.5 million and 5.3 million, respectively. Within separations, quits (3.2 million) and layoffs 
and discharges (1.8 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

The number of job openings decreased to 7.6 million (-556,000) on the last business day of December 
and was down by 1.3 million over the year. The job openings rate, at 4.5 percent, decreased over the 
month. The number of job openings decreased in professional and business services (-225,000), health 
care and social assistance (-180,000), and finance and insurance (-136,000). Job openings increased in 
arts, entertainment, and recreation (+65,000). (See table 1.)

Hires

In December, the number of hires changed little at 5.5 million but was down by 325,000 over the year. 
The hires rate remained unchanged at 3.4 percent over the month. Hires increased in finance and 
insurance (+48,000). (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 of total separations in December was little changed at 5.3 million. The total separations 
rate remained unchanged at 3.3 percent over the month. (See table 3.)

In December, the number of quits was little changed at 3.2 million but declined by 242,000 over the 
year. Over the month, the quits rate was unchanged at 2.0 percent. Quits decreased in transportation, 
warehousing, and utilities (-42,000). (See table 4.)

In December, the number of layoffs and discharges changed little at 1.8 million. The rate remained 
unchanged at 1.1 percent. Layoffs and discharges increased in transportation, warehousing, and utilities 
(+87,000), and in mining and logging (+6,000). (See table 5.)

The number of other separations was essentially unchanged at 302,000 in December. (See table 6.)

Establishment Size Class

In December, establishments with 1 to 9 employees showed little or no change in job openings, hires, 
total separations, quits, and layoffs and discharges rates. For establishments with 5,000 or more 
employees, the layoffs and discharges rate and total separations rate increased, while the job openings, 
hires, and quits rates showed little or no change. (See table 7.)

November 2024 Revisions

The number of job openings for November was revised up by 58,000 to 8.2 million, the number of hires 
was revised up by 104,000 to 5.4 million, and the number of total separations was revised up by 105,000 
to 5.2 million. Within separations, the number of quits was revised up by 65,000 to 3.1 million, and the 
number of layoffs and discharges was revised up by 35,000 to 1.8 million. (Monthly revisions result 
from additional reports received from businesses and government agencies since the last published 
estimates and from the recalculation of seasonal factors.)
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The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey estimates for January 2025 are scheduled to be 
released on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

______________________________________________________________________________________________________                         
|                         Upcoming Revisions to the JOLTS Estimates                                   |
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|As part of its regular annual process, the release of January 2025 estimates on March 11, 2025, will | 
|incorporate the annual updates to the Current Employment Statistics employment estimates and the     | 
|JOLTS seasonal adjustment factors. Unadjusted data and seasonally adjusted data from January 2020    |
|forward are subject to revision.                                                                     |
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