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Unemployed persons per job opening in May 2013

July 10, 2013

There were 3.8 million job openings on the last business day of May, little changed from April. The unemployed persons per job opening ratio has trended downward since the end of the recession and was 3.1 in May 2013.

Unemployed persons per job opening, seasonally adjusted,  January 2003–May 2013
Unemployed persons per job opening, seasonally adjusted,  January 2003–May 2013
DateNumber of unemployedNumber of job openingsNumber of unemployed per job opening

Jan 2003

8,520,0003,618,0002.35

Feb 2003

8,618,0003,378,0002.55

Mar 2003

8,588,0003,056,0002.81

Apr 2003

8,842,0003,107,0002.85

May 2003

8,957,0003,108,0002.88

Jun 2003

9,266,0003,196,0002.90

Jul 2003

9,011,0003,106,0002.90

Aug 2003

8,896,0003,182,0002.80

Sep 2003

8,921,0003,051,0002.92

Oct 2003

8,732,0003,140,0002.78

Nov 2003

8,576,0003,286,0002.61

Dec 2003

8,317,0003,255,0002.56

Jan 2004

8,370,0003,322,0002.52

Feb 2004

8,167,0003,415,0002.39

Mar 2004

8,491,0003,394,0002.50

Apr 2004

8,170,0003,524,0002.32

May 2004

8,212,0003,620,0002.27

Jun 2004

8,286,0003,423,0002.42

Jul 2004

8,136,0003,807,0002.14

Aug 2004

7,990,0003,623,0002.21

Sep 2004

7,927,0003,754,0002.11

Oct 2004

8,061,0003,836,0002.10

Nov 2004

7,932,0003,383,0002.34

Dec 2004

7,934,0003,808,0002.08

Jan 2005

7,784,0003,638,0002.14

Feb 2005

7,980,0003,757,0002.12

Mar 2005

7,737,0003,916,0001.98

Apr 2005

7,672,0004,057,0001.89

May 2005

7,651,0003,877,0001.97

Jun 2005

7,524,0004,064,0001.85

Jul 2005

7,406,0004,155,0001.78

Aug 2005

7,345,0004,102,0001.79

Sep 2005

7,553,0004,275,0001.77

Oct 2005

7,453,0004,221,0001.77

Nov 2005

7,566,0004,437,0001.71

Dec 2005

7,279,0004,278,0001.70

Jan 2006

7,064,0004,296,0001.64

Feb 2006

7,184,0004,282,0001.68

Mar 2006

7,072,0004,472,0001.58

Apr 2006

7,120,0004,438,0001.60

May 2006

6,980,0004,487,0001.56

Jun 2006

7,001,0004,333,0001.62

Jul 2006

7,175,0004,076,0001.76

Aug 2006

7,091,0004,498,0001.58

Sep 2006

6,847,0004,563,0001.50

Oct 2006

6,727,0004,434,0001.52

Nov 2006

6,872,0004,705,0001.46

Dec 2006

6,762,0004,583,0001.48

Jan 2007

7,116,0004,602,0001.55

Feb 2007

6,927,0004,483,0001.55

Mar 2007

6,731,0004,707,0001.43

Apr 2007

6,850,0004,498,0001.52

May 2007

6,766,0004,479,0001.51

Jun 2007

6,979,0004,690,0001.49

Jul 2007

7,149,0004,404,0001.62

Aug 2007

7,067,0004,491,0001.57

Sep 2007

7,170,0004,536,0001.58

Oct 2007

7,237,0004,275,0001.69

Nov 2007

7,240,0004,396,0001.65

Dec 2007

7,645,0004,256,0001.80

Jan 2008

7,685,0004,224,0001.82

Feb 2008

7,497,0004,026,0001.86

Mar 2008

7,822,0004,003,0001.95

Apr 2008

7,637,0003,906,0001.96

May 2008

8,395,0003,947,0002.13

Jun 2008

8,575,0003,777,0002.27

Jul 2008

8,937,0003,784,0002.36

Aug 2008

9,438,0003,643,0002.59

Sep 2008

9,494,0003,233,0002.94

Oct 2008

10,074,0003,384,0002.98

Nov 2008

10,538,0003,155,0003.34

Dec 2008

11,286,0003,011,0003.75

Jan 2009

12,079,0002,853,0004.23

Feb 2009

12,881,0002,807,0004.59

Mar 2009

13,421,0002,550,0005.26

Apr 2009

13,826,0002,292,0006.03

May 2009

14,492,0002,415,0006.00

Jun 2009

14,705,0002,377,0006.19

Jul 2009

14,607,0002,179,0006.70

Aug 2009

14,819,0002,282,0006.49

Sep 2009

15,005,0002,477,0006.06

Oct 2009

15,382,0002,409,0006.39

Nov 2009

15,223,0002,390,0006.37

Dec 2009

15,095,0002,451,0006.16

Jan 2010

15,016,0002,751,0005.46

Feb 2010

15,078,0002,577,0005.85

Mar 2010

15,192,0002,614,0005.81

Apr 2010

15,281,0003,142,0004.86

May 2010

14,856,0002,849,0005.21

Jun 2010

14,475,0002,645,0005.47

Jul 2010

14,542,0002,922,0004.98

Aug 2010

14,673,0002,905,0005.05

Sep 2010

14,577,0002,784,0005.24

Oct 2010

14,584,0003,033,0004.81

Nov 2010

15,094,0003,051,0004.95

Dec 2010

14,354,0002,930,0004.90

Jan 2011

13,992,0002,868,0004.88

Feb 2011

13,798,0003,017,0004.57

Mar 2011

13,716,0003,104,0004.42

Apr 2011

13,872,0003,025,0004.59

May 2011

13,871,0002,937,0004.72

Jun 2011

13,964,0003,180,0004.39

Jul 2011

13,817,0003,286,0004.20

Aug 2011

13,837,0003,172,0004.36

Sep 2011

13,910,0003,465,0004.01

Oct 2011

13,696,0003,308,0004.14

Nov 2011

13,325,0003,118,0004.27

Dec 2011

13,049,0003,384,0003.86

Jan 2012

12,748,0003,415,0003.73

Feb 2012

12,806,0003,526,0003.63

Mar 2012

12,686,0003,848,0003.30

Apr 2012

12,518,0003,523,0003.55

May 2012

12,695,0003,774,0003.36

Jun 2012

12,701,0003,792,0003.35

Jul 2012

12,745,0003,499,0003.64

Aug 2012

12,483,0003,632,0003.44

Sep 2012

12,082,0003,603,0003.35

Oct 2012

12,248,0003,646,0003.36

Nov 2012

12,042,0003,789,0003.18

Dec 2012

12,206,0003,612,0003.38

Jan 2013

12,332,0003,611,0003.42

Feb 2013

12,032,0003,899,0003.09

Mar 2013

11,742,0003,875,0003.03

Apr 2013

11,659,0003,800,0003.07

May 2013

11,760,000(p) 3,828,0003.07

(p) Preliminary
 

 

When the most recent recession began (December 2007), the number of unemployed persons per job opening was 1.8. When the recession ended (June 2009), there were 6.2 unemployed persons per job opening.

The number of job openings was little changed over the month in most industries but rose in retail trade and fell in professional and business services. The number of job openings rose in the Midwest but was essentially unchanged in the other three regions.

These data are from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey and the Current Population Survey. Job openings data for the most recent month are preliminary and subject to revision. For additional information, see "Job Openings and Labor Turnover — May 2013" (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL-13-1311. More charts featuring data on job openings, hires, and employment separations can be found in Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey Highlights: May 2013 (PDF).

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Unemployed persons per job opening in May 2013 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2013/ted_20130710.htm (visited October 31, 2024).

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