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Total private job openings, hires, and quits in May

July 09, 2014

In May 2014, there were 4.2 million total private job openings, little changed from 4.0 million in April. Job openings in the private sector have increased since their low in July 2009, returning to prerecession levels in May 2014.

Total private job openings, hires, and quits, seasonally adjusted, January 2004–May 2014
MonthJob openingsHiresQuits

Jan 2004

3,064,0004,561,0002,292,000

Feb 2004

3,103,0004,379,0002,318,000

Mar 2004

3,072,0004,833,0002,517,000

Apr 2004

3,116,0004,806,0002,480,000

May 2004

3,314,0004,670,0002,344,000

Jun 2004

3,057,0004,662,0002,528,000

Jul 2004

3,504,0004,559,0002,531,000

Aug 2004

3,257,0004,843,0002,506,000

Sep 2004

3,365,0004,666,0002,460,000

Oct 2004

3,392,0004,794,0002,455,000

Nov 2004

3,095,0004,861,0002,681,000

Dec 2004

3,450,0004,911,0002,631,000

Jan 2005

3,256,0004,850,0002,693,000

Feb 2005

3,478,0004,895,0002,537,000

Mar 2005

3,535,0004,895,0002,701,000

Apr 2005

3,755,0004,966,0002,626,000

May 2005

3,472,0004,968,0002,704,000

Jun 2005

3,664,0004,998,0002,648,000

Jul 2005

3,759,0004,949,0002,631,000

Aug 2005

3,712,0005,125,0002,788,000

Sep 2005

3,835,0005,116,0002,896,000

Oct 2005

3,872,0004,761,0002,778,000

Nov 2005

3,965,0004,888,0002,764,000

Dec 2005

3,829,0004,727,0002,674,000

Jan 2006

3,895,0004,916,0002,695,000

Feb 2006

3,909,0005,004,0002,852,000

Mar 2006

4,113,0004,923,0002,875,000

Apr 2006

4,076,0004,783,0002,646,000

May 2006

4,021,0005,135,0002,879,000

Jun 2006

3,897,0004,910,0002,853,000

Jul 2006

3,582,0005,001,0002,787,000

Aug 2006

3,976,0004,838,0002,778,000

Sep 2006

4,020,0004,807,0002,764,000

Oct 2006

4,050,0004,872,0002,782,000

Nov 2006

4,196,0005,140,0002,934,000

Dec 2006

4,130,0004,874,0002,919,000

Jan 2007

4,143,0004,847,0002,804,000

Feb 2007

4,030,0004,804,0002,847,000

Mar 2007

4,213,0004,933,0002,815,000

Apr 2007

4,078,0004,791,0002,724,000

May 2007

4,097,0004,852,0002,802,000

Jun 2007

4,205,0004,832,0002,675,000

Jul 2007

3,983,0004,760,0002,728,000

Aug 2007

4,039,0004,745,0002,734,000

Sep 2007

4,049,0004,769,0002,489,000

Oct 2007

3,854,0004,891,0002,698,000

Nov 2007

3,849,0004,853,0002,670,000

Dec 2007

3,883,0004,681,0002,690,000

Jan 2008

3,822,0004,573,0002,679,000

Feb 2008

3,612,0004,555,0002,670,000

Mar 2008

3,591,0004,442,0002,490,000

Apr 2008

3,481,0004,567,0002,693,000

May 2008

3,538,0004,294,0002,511,000

Jun 2008

3,266,0004,486,0002,487,000

Jul 2008

3,360,0004,171,0002,373,000

Aug 2008

3,199,0004,301,0002,234,000

Sep 2008

2,803,0004,030,0002,286,000

Oct 2008

2,889,0004,167,0002,313,000

Nov 2008

2,696,0003,635,0001,973,000

Dec 2008

2,745,0004,005,0001,999,000

Jan 2009

2,372,0003,789,0001,937,000

Feb 2009

2,436,0003,748,0001,857,000

Mar 2009

2,133,0003,459,0001,704,000

Apr 2009

1,904,0003,508,0001,632,000

May 2009

2,128,0003,484,0001,614,000

Jun 2009

2,071,0003,399,0001,646,000

Jul 2009

1,875,0003,572,0001,609,000

Aug 2009

2,003,0003,472,0001,549,000

Sep 2009

2,178,0003,623,0001,542,000

Oct 2009

1,996,0003,438,0001,579,000

Nov 2009

2,077,0003,690,0001,681,000

Dec 2009

2,162,0003,581,0001,585,000

Jan 2010

2,270,0003,615,0001,580,000

Feb 2010

2,185,0003,530,0001,621,000

Mar 2010

2,237,0003,827,0001,708,000

Apr 2010

2,452,0003,754,0001,802,000

May 2010

2,549,0003,648,0001,685,000

Jun 2010

2,419,0003,781,0001,780,000

Jul 2010

2,602,0003,846,0001,733,000

Aug 2010

2,607,0003,667,0001,754,000

Sep 2010

2,466,0003,749,0001,769,000

Oct 2010

2,689,0003,773,0001,772,000

Nov 2010

2,778,0003,836,0001,713,000

Dec 2010

2,508,0003,896,0001,837,000

Jan 2011

2,547,0003,625,0001,700,000

Feb 2011

2,741,0003,830,0001,761,000

Mar 2011

2,792,0003,992,0001,883,000

Apr 2011

2,754,0003,937,0001,829,000

May 2011

2,780,0003,880,0001,871,000

Jun 2011

2,871,0004,008,0001,843,000

Jul 2011

3,094,0003,919,0001,844,000

Aug 2011

2,881,0003,936,0001,920,000

Sep 2011

3,131,0004,057,0001,918,000

Oct 2011

3,062,0003,987,0001,856,000

Nov 2011

2,855,0003,993,0001,853,000

Dec 2011

3,183,0003,962,0001,833,000

Jan 2012

3,227,0003,998,0001,854,000

Feb 2012

3,115,0004,147,0001,960,000

Mar 2012

3,428,0004,182,0002,060,000

Apr 2012

3,278,0004,033,0001,963,000

May 2012

3,354,0004,134,0002,029,000

Jun 2012

3,450,0004,056,0002,010,000

Jul 2012

3,228,0003,964,0001,972,000

Aug 2012

3,287,0004,131,0001,989,000

Sep 2012

3,193,0003,959,0001,828,000

Oct 2012

3,391,0004,105,0001,903,000

Nov 2012

3,386,0004,182,0001,963,000

Dec 2012

3,262,0004,061,0002,013,000

Jan 2013

3,272,0004,112,0002,171,000

Feb 2013

3,591,0004,234,0002,141,000

Mar 2013

3,506,0004,020,0001,972,000

Apr 2013

3,416,0004,152,0002,090,000

May 2013

3,495,0004,268,0002,063,000

Jun 2013

3,559,0004,133,0002,067,000

Jul 2013

3,433,0004,250,0002,172,000

Aug 2013

3,552,0004,301,0002,220,000

Sep 2013

3,559,0004,408,0002,267,000

Oct 2013

3,603,0004,232,0002,290,000

Nov 2013

3,757,0004,286,0002,325,000

Dec 2013

3,552,0004,291,0002,286,000

Jan 2014

3,477,0004,228,0002,240,000

Feb 2014

3,736,0004,401,0002,341,000

Mar 2014

3,758,0004,398,0002,330,000

Apr 2014

4,043,0004,477,0002,331,000

May 2014(p)

4,212,0004,428,0002,395,000
Footnotes:

(p) Preliminary.

Hires in the private sector have increased 30 percent since their low in June 2009, but remained below prerecession levels at 4.4 million in May 2014. There were 2.4 million private-sector quits in May, a 55-percent increase from their low in September 2009. However, the number of quits remained below prerecession levels. 

These data are from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. Data for the most recent month are preliminary and subject to revision. Quits are generally voluntary separations initiated by the employee. To learn more, see "Job Openings and Labor Turnover — May 2014" (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL‑14‑1285. More charts featuring data on job openings, hires, and employment separations can be found in Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey Highlights: May 2014 (PDF).

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Total private job openings, hires, and quits in May at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2014/ted_20140709.htm (visited October 31, 2024).

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