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Job openings decreased by 388,000 to 5.4 million in August 2016

October 14, 2016

On the last business day of August 2016, the number of job openings was 5.4 million, a decrease of 388,000 from July 2016. Hires and separations were little changed at 5.2 million and 5.0 million, respectively.

Job openings, hires, quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations, seasonally adjusted, August 2006–August 2016
Month Job openings Hires Separations
Total Quits Layoffs Other separations

Aug 2006

4,560,000 5,208,000 5,001,000 3,003,000 1,621,000 377,000

Sep 2006

4,516,000 5,214,000 5,007,000 2,940,000 1,706,000 361,000

Oct 2006

4,472,000 5,179,000 5,171,000 2,931,000 1,830,000 411,000

Nov 2006

4,341,000 5,528,000 5,291,000 3,069,000 1,870,000 351,000

Dec 2006

4,278,000 5,223,000 5,108,000 3,046,000 1,725,000 337,000

Jan 2007

4,630,000 5,245,000 5,144,000 2,988,000 1,746,000 410,000

Feb 2007

4,465,000 5,202,000 5,094,000 2,993,000 1,750,000 352,000

Mar 2007

4,666,000 5,380,000 5,123,000 2,989,000 1,788,000 346,000

Apr 2007

4,824,000 5,158,000 5,138,000 2,901,000 1,879,000 357,000

May 2007

4,550,000 5,268,000 5,080,000 3,008,000 1,755,000 318,000

Jun 2007

4,608,000 5,187,000 5,065,000 2,841,000 1,851,000 373,000

Jul 2007

4,490,000 5,075,000 5,118,000 2,947,000 1,759,000 412,000

Aug 2007

4,555,000 5,106,000 5,105,000 2,950,000 1,811,000 343,000

Sep 2007

4,523,000 5,145,000 5,031,000 2,643,000 2,079,000 309,000

Oct 2007

4,300,000 5,227,000 5,129,000 2,884,000 1,917,000 328,000

Nov 2007

4,156,000 5,162,000 5,031,000 2,777,000 1,919,000 334,000

Dec 2007

4,123,000 4,968,000 4,926,000 2,792,000 1,770,000 363,000

Jan 2008

4,260,000 4,868,000 5,005,000 2,831,000 1,843,000 332,000

Feb 2008

4,042,000 4,943,000 5,010,000 2,789,000 1,908,000 313,000

Mar 2008

4,001,000 4,766,000 4,762,000 2,575,000 1,835,000 352,000

Apr 2008

4,098,000 4,875,000 5,121,000 2,882,000 1,845,000 394,000

May 2008

3,960,000 4,602,000 4,728,000 2,602,000 1,842,000 285,000

Jun 2008

3,767,000 4,751,000 4,900,000 2,662,000 1,974,000 264,000

Jul 2008

3,821,000 4,471,000 4,713,000 2,550,000 1,894,000 269,000

Aug 2008

3,665,000 4,522,000 4,815,000 2,416,000 2,075,000 324,000

Sep 2008

3,264,000 4,316,000 4,751,000 2,446,000 1,963,000 342,000

Oct 2008

3,292,000 4,454,000 4,895,000 2,412,000 2,138,000 346,000

Nov 2008

2,956,000 3,954,000 4,605,000 2,063,000 2,190,000 352,000

Dec 2008

2,830,000 4,218,000 4,814,000 2,104,000 2,405,000 305,000

Jan 2009

2,767,000 4,158,000 4,974,000 2,043,000 2,573,000 358,000

Feb 2009

2,791,000 4,011,000 4,674,000 1,906,000 2,501,000 266,000

Mar 2009

2,491,000 3,730,000 4,536,000 1,794,000 2,433,000 308,000

Apr 2009

2,357,000 3,853,000 4,655,000 1,734,000 2,559,000 362,000

May 2009

2,427,000 3,793,000 4,146,000 1,740,000 2,121,000 286,000

Jun 2009

2,428,000 3,675,000 4,192,000 1,782,000 2,115,000 295,000

Jul 2009

2,196,000 3,854,000 4,297,000 1,726,000 2,273,000 298,000

Aug 2009

2,306,000 3,744,000 4,060,000 1,676,000 2,063,000 321,000

Sep 2009

2,478,000 3,859,000 4,084,000 1,639,000 2,127,000 318,000

Oct 2009

2,400,000 3,767,000 3,951,000 1,671,000 1,964,000 317,000

Nov 2009

2,350,000 3,992,000 3,873,000 1,784,000 1,823,000 267,000

Dec 2009

2,407,000 3,806,000 3,989,000 1,697,000 1,994,000 298,000

Jan 2010

2,636,000 3,880,000 3,894,000 1,668,000 1,874,000 352,000

Feb 2010

2,578,000 3,781,000 3,830,000 1,724,000 1,790,000 317,000

Mar 2010

2,666,000 4,182,000 3,949,000 1,793,000 1,830,000 326,000

Apr 2010

3,220,000 4,082,000 3,892,000 1,914,000 1,676,000 302,000

May 2010

2,891,000 4,376,000 3,831,000 1,790,000 1,733,000 307,000

Jun 2010

2,664,000 4,064,000 4,223,000 1,940,000 1,959,000 325,000

Jul 2010

2,965,000 4,116,000 4,278,000 1,848,000 2,081,000 350,000

Aug 2010

2,920,000 3,910,000 4,009,000 1,904,000 1,748,000 357,000

Sep 2010

2,767,000 3,978,000 4,026,000 1,921,000 1,768,000 337,000

Oct 2010

3,033,000 4,061,000 3,784,000 1,852,000 1,645,000 287,000

Nov 2010

2,914,000 4,101,000 3,843,000 1,778,000 1,753,000 311,000

Dec 2010

2,857,000 4,155,000 4,026,000 1,937,000 1,776,000 312,000

Jan 2011

2,939,000 3,910,000 3,908,000 1,825,000 1,710,000 373,000

Feb 2011

3,056,000 4,061,000 3,838,000 1,872,000 1,652,000 314,000

Mar 2011

3,130,000 4,291,000 3,980,000 1,967,000 1,709,000 304,000

Apr 2011

3,287,000 4,218,000 3,924,000 1,925,000 1,676,000 323,000

May 2011

3,114,000 4,116,000 4,035,000 2,037,000 1,692,000 306,000

Jun 2011

3,224,000 4,297,000 4,094,000 1,949,000 1,826,000 319,000

Jul 2011

3,475,000 4,139,000 4,082,000 1,981,000 1,749,000 352,000

Aug 2011

3,168,000 4,168,000 4,120,000 2,087,000 1,715,000 318,000

Sep 2011

3,495,000 4,320,000 4,115,000 2,046,000 1,756,000 313,000

Oct 2011

3,421,000 4,239,000 4,011,000 1,953,000 1,707,000 352,000

Nov 2011

3,153,000 4,244,000 4,001,000 1,949,000 1,757,000 296,000

Dec 2011

3,369,000 4,234,000 3,994,000 1,955,000 1,740,000 299,000

Jan 2012

3,664,000 4,291,000 4,031,000 1,994,000 1,711,000 327,000

Feb 2012

3,501,000 4,470,000 4,174,000 2,083,000 1,777,000 314,000

Mar 2012

3,852,000 4,454,000 4,130,000 2,162,000 1,654,000 314,000

Apr 2012

3,663,000 4,290,000 4,247,000 2,103,000 1,840,000 305,000

May 2012

3,706,000 4,440,000 4,331,000 2,185,000 1,829,000 316,000

Jun 2012

3,792,000 4,435,000 4,374,000 2,189,000 1,819,000 367,000

Jul 2012

3,694,000 4,256,000 4,145,000 2,114,000 1,663,000 367,000

Aug 2012

3,655,000 4,421,000 4,352,000 2,174,000 1,825,000 353,000

Sep 2012

3,533,000 4,240,000 4,061,000 1,973,000 1,750,000 339,000

Oct 2012

3,713,000 4,314,000 4,177,000 2,032,000 1,779,000 366,000

Nov 2012

3,556,000 4,400,000 4,145,000 2,056,000 1,773,000 316,000

Dec 2012

3,576,000 4,345,000 4,069,000 2,102,000 1,615,000 352,000

Jan 2013

3,712,000 4,433,000 4,328,000 2,316,000 1,614,000 398,000

Feb 2013

3,972,000 4,557,000 4,163,000 2,257,000 1,599,000 307,000

Mar 2013

3,901,000 4,275,000 4,106,000 2,078,000 1,711,000 317,000

Apr 2013

3,962,000 4,503,000 4,357,000 2,298,000 1,717,000 342,000

May 2013

3,886,000 4,551,000 4,358,000 2,253,000 1,733,000 372,000

Jun 2013

3,913,000 4,411,000 4,278,000 2,247,000 1,637,000 393,000

Jul 2013

3,915,000 4,524,000 4,374,000 2,369,000 1,642,000 363,000

Aug 2013

3,921,000 4,694,000 4,514,000 2,384,000 1,716,000 414,000

Sep 2013

3,985,000 4,692,000 4,504,000 2,396,000 1,760,000 349,000

Oct 2013

4,104,000 4,457,000 4,262,000 2,399,000 1,539,000 324,000

Nov 2013

3,878,000 4,600,000 4,265,000 2,378,000 1,531,000 356,000

Dec 2013

3,742,000 4,488,000 4,383,000 2,309,000 1,715,000 360,000

Jan 2014

3,884,000 4,640,000 4,476,000 2,360,000 1,751,000 365,000

Feb 2014

4,098,000 4,700,000 4,465,000 2,421,000 1,672,000 372,000

Mar 2014

4,202,000 4,768,000 4,446,000 2,419,000 1,641,000 386,000

Apr 2014

4,575,000 4,763,000 4,499,000 2,442,000 1,677,000 379,000

May 2014

4,603,000 4,755,000 4,562,000 2,516,000 1,650,000 396,000

Jun 2014

4,690,000 4,839,000 4,543,000 2,467,000 1,697,000 379,000

Jul 2014

4,680,000 4,991,000 4,756,000 2,578,000 1,809,000 369,000

Aug 2014

4,952,000 4,787,000 4,634,000 2,543,000 1,673,000 418,000

Sep 2014

4,658,000 5,092,000 4,830,000 2,787,000 1,643,000 400,000

Oct 2014

4,896,000 5,103,000 4,914,000 2,767,000 1,760,000 387,000

Nov 2014

4,721,000 5,026,000 4,654,000 2,662,000 1,666,000 326,000

Dec 2014

4,815,000 5,186,000 4,840,000 2,655,000 1,749,000 436,000

Jan 2015

4,972,000 5,052,000 4,883,000 2,770,000 1,756,000 357,000

Feb 2015

5,131,000 5,091,000 4,740,000 2,703,000 1,683,000 354,000

Mar 2015

5,180,000 5,110,000 4,985,000 2,722,000 1,907,000 356,000

Apr 2015

5,580,000 5,071,000 4,887,000 2,681,000 1,798,000 407,000

May 2015

5,386,000 5,111,000 4,869,000 2,758,000 1,702,000 410,000

Jun 2015

5,168,000 5,147,000 4,937,000 2,746,000 1,783,000 407,000

Jul 2015

5,788,000 5,084,000 4,794,000 2,724,000 1,664,000 405,000

Aug 2015

5,308,000 5,060,000 4,951,000 2,855,000 1,693,000 403,000

Sep 2015

5,360,000 5,131,000 4,956,000 2,748,000 1,842,000 365,000

Oct 2015

5,422,000 5,212,000 4,912,000 2,797,000 1,721,000 394,000

Nov 2015

5,198,000 5,253,000 4,958,000 2,862,000 1,718,000 378,000

Dec 2015

5,281,000 5,401,000 5,128,000 3,088,000 1,672,000 368,000

Jan 2016

5,604,000 5,125,000 4,977,000 2,851,000 1,704,000 422,000

Feb 2016

5,608,000 5,510,000 5,159,000 2,955,000 1,808,000 397,000

Mar 2016

5,670,000 5,290,000 5,096,000 2,948,000 1,768,000 380,000

Apr 2016

5,845,000 5,085,000 5,015,000 2,909,000 1,708,000 398,000

May 2016

5,514,000 5,047,000 4,978,000 2,942,000 1,701,000 334,000

Jun 2016

5,643,000 5,172,000 4,964,000 2,979,000 1,622,000 363,000

Jul 2016

5,831,000 5,258,000 4,991,000 2,977,000 1,639,000 375,000

Aug 2016(p)

5,443,000 5,210,000 4,954,000 2,981,000 1,623,000 350,000
Footnotes:

(p) = preliminary.

There were 5.0 million total separations in August 2016. Over the month, the number of total separations was essentially unchanged for total private and for government. Total separations increased by 23,000 in state and local government and education and was little changed in all 4 geographic regions (Northeast, South, Midwest, and West).

In August 2016, there were 3.0 million quits, little changed from July 2016. Over the month, the number of quits was little changed for total private and for government. Quits decreased by 13,000 in state and local government and education and was little changed in all 4 regions.

There were 1.6 million layoffs and discharges in August 2016. The number of layoffs and discharges was essentially unchanged for total private from July 2016 to August 2016 and edged up for government (+22,000). Layoffs and discharges increased by 39,000 in healthcare and social assistance and increased by 14,000 in state and local government education. Layoffs and discharges was little changed in all 4 regions.

These data are from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey and are seasonally adjusted. Data for the most recent month are preliminary. To learn more, see "Job Openings and Labor Turnover — August 2016" (HTML) (PDF). More charts featuring data on job openings, hires, and employment separations can be found in Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey Highlights: August 2016 (PDF). Total separations (employment terminations) consist of quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Quits are generally voluntary separations initiated by employees. Therefore, the number of quits can serve as a measure of workers’ willingness or ability to leave jobs. Layoffs and discharges are involuntary separations initiated by employers. The other separations category includes separations due to retirement, death, and disability, as well as transfers to other locations of the same firm.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Job openings decreased by 388,000 to 5.4 million in August 2016 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2016/job-openings-decreased-by-388000-to-5-point-4-million-in-august-2016.htm (visited October 31, 2024).

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