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Job openings for total nonfarm are little changed in October 2012

December 12, 2012

There were 3.7 million job openings on the last business day of October, essentially unchanged from September. 

Job openings level and rate, total nonfarm, seasonally adjusted, October 2009–October 2012
Job openings level and rate, total nonfarm, seasonally adjusted, October 2009–October 2012
MonthNumber of job openingsJob openings rate

Oct 2009

2,400,0001.8

Nov 2009

2,392,0001.8

Dec 2009

2,432,0001.8

Jan 2010

2,728,0002.1

Feb 2010

2,571,0002.0

Mar 2010

2,669,0002.0

Apr 2010

3,167,0002.4

May 2010

2,843,0002.1

Jun 2010

2,666,0002.0

Jul 2010

2,919,0002.2

Aug 2010

2,924,0002.2

Sep 2010

2,772,0002.1

Oct 2010

3,030,0002.3

Nov 2010

3,057,0002.3

Dec 2010

2,902,0002.2

Jan 2011

2,860,0002.1

Feb 2011

3,012,0002.3

Mar 2011

3,189,0002.4

Apr 2011

3,014,0002.2

May 2011

3,077,0002.3

Jun 2011

3,241,0002.4

Jul 2011

3,366,0002.5

Aug 2011

3,152,0002.3

Sep 2011

3,501,0002.6

Oct 2011

3,408,0002.5

Nov 2011

3,274,0002.4

Dec 2011

3,540,0002.6

Jan 2012

3,477,0002.6

Feb 2012

3,565,0002.6

Mar 2012

3,741,0002.7

Apr 2012

3,447,0002.5

May 2012

3,657,0002.7

Jun 2012

3,722,0002.7

Jul 2012

3,593,0002.6

Aug 2012

3,661,0002.7

Sep 2012

3,547,0002.6

Oct 2012(p)

3,675,0002.7

Footnotes:
(p) Preliminary.
 

In October 2012, the number of openings was little changed over the month in all industries except construction, manufacturing, and accommodation and food services, which increased. The number of openings was also little changed in all four U.S. regions. The level of total nonfarm job openings in October 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 hires rate (3.2 percent) and separations rate (3.1 percent) were little changed over the month in October 2012.  The hires rate was also little changed in all industries and regions over the month. The number of hires in October was 4.3 million, up from 3.7 million at the end of the recession in June 2009.

Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted, October 2009–October 2012
Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted, October 2009–October 2012
MonthHires rateSeparations rate

Oct 2009

2.93.0

Nov 2009

3.13.0

Dec 2009

3.03.0

Jan 2010

3.03.0

Feb 2010

3.03.0

Mar 2010

3.33.1

Apr 2010

3.23.0

May 2010

3.43.0

Jun 2010

3.13.3

Jul 2010

3.13.2

Aug 2010

3.03.1

Sep 2010

3.03.0

Oct 2010

3.12.9

Nov 2010

3.13.0

Dec 2010

3.13.1

Jan 2011

3.02.9

Feb 2011

3.13.0

Mar 2011

3.33.0

Apr 2011

3.12.9

May 2011

3.23.2

Jun 2011

3.23.1

Jul 2011

3.13.1

Aug 2011

3.23.1

Sep 2011

3.23.1

Oct 2011

3.23.1

Nov 2011

3.23.1

Dec 2011

3.23.0

Jan 2012

3.23.0

Feb 2012

3.33.1

Mar 2012

3.33.1

Apr 2012

3.23.1

May 2012

3.43.4

Jun 2012

3.23.2

Jul 2012

3.23.1

Aug 2012

3.33.3

Sep 2012

3.13.0

Oct 2012(p)

3.23.1

Footnotes:
(p) Preliminary.
 

From September 2012 to October 2012, the total separations rate was unchanged for total private, and rose for government.  Total separations includes quits (voluntary separations), layoffs and discharges (involuntary separations), and other separations (including retirements).  

From September 2012 to October 2012, the quits rate was unchanged for total nonfarm and total private, and little changed for government. The number of quits was 2.1 million in October compared to 1.8 million at the end of the recession in June 2009. The layoffs and discharges rate was little changed in October for total nonfarm, total private, government, and all four regions. The number of layoffs and discharges for total nonfarm was 1.7 million in October, down from 2.1 million at the end of the recession in June 2009. In October 2012, there were 357,000 other separations for total nonfarm, little changed from the previous month.  

These data are from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. Data for the most recent month are preliminary and subject to revision. Find additional information in "Job Openings and Labor Turnover — October 2012" (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL-12-2405. More charts featuring data on job openings, hires, and employment separations can be found in Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey Highlights: October 2012 (PDF). 

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Job openings for total nonfarm are little changed in October 2012 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2012/ted_20121212.htm (visited March 29, 2024).

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