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Job openings increase to 4.2 million in February; hires and separations rates unchanged

April 10, 2014

There were 4.2 million job openings on the last business day of February 2014, up from 3.9 million in January; the job openings rate was 2.9 percent.

Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted, February 2004–February 2014
MonthJob openings rate

Feb 2004

2.6

Mar 2004

2.5

Apr 2004

2.6

May 2004

2.7

Jun 2004

2.5

Jul 2004

2.8

Aug 2004

2.6

Sep 2004

2.7

Oct 2004

2.8

Nov 2004

2.5

Dec 2004

2.8

Jan 2005

2.6

Feb 2005

2.8

Mar 2005

2.8

Apr 2005

3.0

May 2005

2.8

Jun 2005

2.9

Jul 2005

3.0

Aug 2005

2.9

Sep 2005

3.0

Oct 2005

3.0

Nov 2005

3.1

Dec 2005

3.0

Jan 2006

3.1

Feb 2006

3.1

Mar 2006

3.2

Apr 2006

3.2

May 2006

3.2

Jun 2006

3.1

Jul 2006

2.9

Aug 2006

3.1

Sep 2006

3.2

Oct 2006

3.2

Nov 2006

3.3

Dec 2006

3.2

Jan 2007

3.2

Feb 2007

3.2

Mar 2007

3.3

Apr 2007

3.2

May 2007

3.2

Jun 2007

3.3

Jul 2007

3.1

Aug 2007

3.2

Sep 2007

3.1

Oct 2007

3.0

Nov 2007

3.0

Dec 2007

3.0

Jan 2008

3.0

Feb 2008

2.8

Mar 2008

2.8

Apr 2008

2.7

May 2008

2.8

Jun 2008

2.6

Jul 2008

2.7

Aug 2008

2.5

Sep 2008

2.3

Oct 2008

2.3

Nov 2008

2.2

Dec 2008

2.2

Jan 2009

2.0

Feb 2009

2.1

Mar 2009

1.8

Apr 2009

1.7

May 2009

1.8

Jun 2009

1.8

Jul 2009

1.6

Aug 2009

1.7

Sep 2009

1.8

Oct 2009

1.8

Nov 2009

1.8

Dec 2009

1.9

Jan 2010

2.0

Feb 2010

1.9

Mar 2010

2.0

Apr 2010

2.3

May 2010

2.2

Jun 2010

2.1

Jul 2010

2.2

Aug 2010

2.2

Sep 2010

2.1

Oct 2010

2.3

Nov 2010

2.3

Dec 2010

2.2

Jan 2011

2.2

Feb 2011

2.3

Mar 2011

2.3

Apr 2011

2.3

May 2011

2.3

Jun 2011

2.4

Jul 2011

2.5

Aug 2011

2.4

Sep 2011

2.6

Oct 2011

2.5

Nov 2011

2.4

Dec 2011

2.6

Jan 2012

2.6

Feb 2012

2.6

Mar 2012

2.8

Apr 2012

2.6

May 2012

2.7

Jun 2012

2.8

Jul 2012

2.6

Aug 2012

2.7

Sep 2012

2.6

Oct 2012

2.7

Nov 2012

2.7

Dec 2012

2.6

Jan 2013

2.7

Feb 2013

2.9

Mar 2013

2.8

Apr 2013

2.7

May 2013

2.8

Jun 2013

2.8

Jul 2013

2.7

Aug 2013

2.8

Sep 2013

2.8

Oct 2013

2.8

Nov 2013

2.9

Dec 2013

2.8

Jan 2014

2.7

Feb 2014

2.9(p)
Footnotes:

(p) = preliminary

Over the month, the number of job openings increased in retail trade and in professional and business services in February, while the number of job openings decreased in arts, entertainment, and recreation. The South region experienced a rise in job openings.

The hires rate (3.3 percent) and the separations rate (3.2 percent) were unchanged in February.

Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted, February 2004–February 2014
MonthHires rateSeparations rate

Feb 2004

3.63.5

Mar 2004

3.93.7

Apr 2004

3.93.7

May 2004

3.83.6

Jun 2004

3.83.7

Jul 2004

3.73.7

Aug 2004

3.93.8

Sep 2004

3.83.6

Oct 2004

3.93.6

Nov 2004

3.93.9

Dec 2004

4.03.8

Jan 2005

3.93.8

Feb 2005

3.93.7

Mar 2005

3.93.9

Apr 2005

4.03.7

May 2005

3.93.8

Jun 2005

3.93.8

Jul 2005

3.93.7

Aug 2005

4.03.8

Sep 2005

4.03.9

Oct 2005

3.83.7

Nov 2005

3.93.6

Dec 2005

3.73.7

Jan 2006

3.93.6

Feb 2006

3.93.8

Mar 2006

3.93.7

Apr 2006

3.83.6

May 2006

4.04.0

Jun 2006

3.93.8

Jul 2006

3.93.8

Aug 2006

3.83.6

Sep 2006

3.83.7

Oct 2006

3.83.7

Nov 2006

4.03.9

Dec 2006

3.83.8

Jan 2007

3.83.6

Feb 2007

3.83.7

Mar 2007

3.83.7

Apr 2007

3.73.7

May 2007

3.83.7

Jun 2007

3.83.7

Jul 2007

3.73.7

Aug 2007

3.73.7

Sep 2007

3.73.6

Oct 2007

3.83.7

Nov 2007

3.73.7

Dec 2007

3.63.6

Jan 2008

3.53.6

Feb 2008

3.53.6

Mar 2008

3.43.5

Apr 2008

3.53.7

May 2008

3.33.4

Jun 2008

3.53.6

Jul 2008

3.33.4

Aug 2008

3.33.5

Sep 2008

3.13.5

Oct 2008

3.33.6

Nov 2008

2.93.4

Dec 2008

3.23.6

Jan 2009

3.13.6

Feb 2009

3.03.5

Mar 2009

2.83.4

Apr 2009

2.93.5

May 2009

2.83.1

Jun 2009

2.83.2

Jul 2009

2.93.2

Aug 2009

2.93.1

Sep 2009

3.03.1

Oct 2009

2.93.0

Nov 2009

3.13.0

Dec 2009

2.93.1

Jan 2010

3.03.0

Feb 2010

2.93.0

Mar 2010

3.23.1

Apr 2010

3.13.0

May 2010

3.43.0

Jun 2010

3.13.2

Jul 2010

3.23.2

Aug 2010

3.03.0

Sep 2010

3.13.1

Oct 2010

3.12.9

Nov 2010

3.23.0

Dec 2010

3.23.1

Jan 2011

3.02.9

Feb 2011

3.12.9

Mar 2011

3.23.1

Apr 2011

3.23.0

May 2011

3.13.1

Jun 2011

3.33.1

Jul 2011

3.13.1

Aug 2011

3.23.1

Sep 2011

3.33.1

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

3.33.2

Apr 2012

3.23.2

May 2012

3.33.3

Jun 2012

3.23.2

Jul 2012

3.23.0

Aug 2012

3.33.3

Sep 2012

3.13.0

Oct 2012

3.23.1

Nov 2012

3.33.1

Dec 2012

3.23.0

Jan 2013

3.23.2

Feb 2013

3.43.1

Mar 2013

3.23.1

Apr 2013

3.33.1

May 2013

3.33.2

Jun 2013

3.23.1

Jul 2013

3.33.2

Aug 2013

3.43.2

Sep 2013

3.43.3

Oct 2013

3.33.1

Nov 2013

3.33.1

Dec 2013

3.33.3

Jan 2014

3.33.2

Feb 2014

3.3(p)3.2(p)
Footnotes:

(p) = preliminary

There were 4.6 million hires in February, little changed from January. The number of hires was essentially unchanged for total private and government. The number of hires rose in February in retail trade and was little changed in all four regions.

There were 4.4 million total separations in February, little changed from January. Total separations includes quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. The number of total separations was essentially unchanged for total private and government.

These data are from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. Data for the most recent month are preliminary and subject to revision. To learn more, see “Job Openings and Labor Turnover — February 2014” (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL‑14‑0564. More charts featuring data on job openings, hires, and employment separations can be found in Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey Highlights: February 2014 (PDF).

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Job openings increase to 4.2 million in February; hires and separations rates unchanged at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2014/ted_20140410.htm (visited October 31, 2024).

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