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Job openings fell to 6.9 million in November 2018

January 11, 2019

On the last business day of November, the number of job openings fell to 6.9 million, hires edged down to 5.7 million, and total separations were little changed at 5.5 million. Over the 12 months ending in November, hires totaled 68.0 million and separations totaled 65.6 million, yielding a net employment gain of 2.4 million. These totals include workers who may have been hired and separated more than once during the year.

Hires, job openings, and total separations, seasonally adjusted, November 2008-November 2018
Month Hires Job Openings Total Separations

Nov 2008

3,954,000 2,956,000 4,605,000

Dec 2008

4,218,000 2,830,000 4,814,000

Jan 2009

4,158,000 2,767,000 4,974,000

Feb 2009

4,011,000 2,791,000 4,674,000

Mar 2009

3,730,000 2,491,000 4,536,000

Apr 2009

3,853,000 2,357,000 4,655,000

May 2009

3,793,000 2,427,000 4,146,000

Jun 2009

3,675,000 2,428,000 4,192,000

Jul 2009

3,854,000 2,196,000 4,297,000

Aug 2009

3,744,000 2,306,000 4,060,000

Sep 2009

3,859,000 2,478,000 4,084,000

Oct 2009

3,767,000 2,400,000 3,951,000

Nov 2009

3,992,000 2,350,000 3,873,000

Dec 2009

3,806,000 2,407,000 3,989,000

Jan 2010

3,880,000 2,636,000 3,894,000

Feb 2010

3,781,000 2,578,000 3,830,000

Mar 2010

4,182,000 2,666,000 3,949,000

Apr 2010

4,082,000 3,220,000 3,892,000

May 2010

4,376,000 2,891,000 3,831,000

Jun 2010

4,064,000 2,664,000 4,223,000

Jul 2010

4,116,000 2,965,000 4,278,000

Aug 2010

3,910,000 2,920,000 4,009,000

Sep 2010

3,978,000 2,767,000 4,026,000

Oct 2010

4,061,000 3,033,000 3,784,000

Nov 2010

4,101,000 2,914,000 3,843,000

Dec 2010

4,155,000 2,857,000 4,026,000

Jan 2011

3,908,000 2,940,000 3,907,000

Feb 2011

4,059,000 3,062,000 3,838,000

Mar 2011

4,290,000 3,132,000 3,980,000

Apr 2011

4,216,000 3,286,000 3,924,000

May 2011

4,114,000 3,114,000 4,035,000

Jun 2011

4,295,000 3,223,000 4,093,000

Jul 2011

4,137,000 3,476,000 4,082,000

Aug 2011

4,168,000 3,176,000 4,113,000

Sep 2011

4,317,000 3,494,000 4,114,000

Oct 2011

4,236,000 3,422,000 4,010,000

Nov 2011

4,242,000 3,152,000 4,000,000

Dec 2011

4,228,000 3,372,000 3,993,000

Jan 2012

4,299,000 3,725,000 4,013,000

Feb 2012

4,416,000 3,497,000 4,175,000

Mar 2012

4,460,000 3,830,000 4,133,000

Apr 2012

4,295,000 3,641,000 4,260,000

May 2012

4,442,000 3,693,000 4,336,000

Jun 2012

4,429,000 3,800,000 4,366,000

Jul 2012

4,270,000 3,694,000 4,141,000

Aug 2012

4,444,000 3,684,000 4,359,000

Sep 2012

4,233,000 3,521,000 4,058,000

Oct 2012

4,296,000 3,708,000 4,193,000

Nov 2012

4,401,000 3,542,000 4,170,000

Dec 2012

4,350,000 3,570,000 4,037,000

Jan 2013

4,419,000 3,805,000 4,297,000

Feb 2013

4,481,000 3,970,000 4,174,000

Mar 2013

4,310,000 3,922,000 4,114,000

Apr 2013

4,495,000 3,935,000 4,370,000

May 2013

4,575,000 3,885,000 4,357,000

Jun 2013

4,382,000 3,903,000 4,298,000

Jul 2013

4,519,000 3,872,000 4,391,000

Aug 2013

4,710,000 3,914,000 4,530,000

Sep 2013

4,683,000 3,937,000 4,513,000

Oct 2013

4,433,000 4,108,000 4,296,000

Nov 2013

4,585,000 3,845,000 4,270,000

Dec 2013

4,537,000 3,782,000 4,297,000

Jan 2014

4,612,000 3,989,000 4,456,000

Feb 2014

4,652,000 4,145,000 4,427,000

Mar 2014

4,741,000 4,204,000 4,465,000

Apr 2014

4,793,000 4,538,000 4,517,000

May 2014

4,781,000 4,609,000 4,548,000

Jun 2014

4,798,000 4,676,000 4,559,000

Jul 2014

4,987,000 4,622,000 4,789,000

Aug 2014

4,804,000 4,945,000 4,640,000

Sep 2014

5,084,000 4,588,000 4,861,000

Oct 2014

5,121,000 4,941,000 4,937,000

Nov 2014

5,038,000 4,698,000 4,610,000

Dec 2014

5,157,000 4,819,000 4,774,000

Jan 2015

5,028,000 5,111,000 4,844,000

Feb 2015

5,020,000 5,162,000 4,710,000

Mar 2015

5,071,000 5,182,000 4,997,000

Apr 2015

5,113,000 5,599,000 4,894,000

May 2015

5,117,000 5,424,000 4,784,000

Jun 2015

5,125,000 5,165,000 5,011,000

Jul 2015

5,111,000 5,863,000 4,862,000

Aug 2015

5,083,000 5,365,000 5,003,000

Sep 2015

5,147,000 5,367,000 5,053,000

Oct 2015

5,310,000 5,536,000 4,988,000

Nov 2015

5,324,000 5,225,000 4,978,000

Dec 2015

5,485,000 5,396,000 5,172,000

Jan 2016

5,122,000 5,726,000 5,045,000

Feb 2016

5,466,000 5,601,000 5,181,000

Mar 2016

5,287,000 5,944,000 5,036,000

Apr 2016

5,232,000 5,892,000 5,117,000

May 2016

5,207,000 5,695,000 5,128,000

Jun 2016

5,228,000 5,650,000 5,032,000

Jul 2016

5,324,000 5,982,000 5,052,000

Aug 2016

5,294,000 5,515,000 5,190,000

Sep 2016

5,255,000 5,650,000 4,989,000

Oct 2016

5,208,000 5,485,000 5,072,000

Nov 2016

5,279,000 5,631,000 5,041,000

Dec 2016

5,315,000 5,490,000 5,021,000

Jan 2017

5,452,000 5,442,000 5,222,000

Feb 2017

5,255,000 5,616,000 5,030,000

Mar 2017

5,289,000 5,607,000 5,171,000

Apr 2017

5,219,000 6,101,000 5,110,000

May 2017

5,478,000 5,689,000 5,265,000

Jun 2017

5,460,000 6,125,000 5,294,000

Jul 2017

5,498,000 6,202,000 5,406,000

Aug 2017

5,507,000 6,044,000 5,345,000

Sep 2017

5,375,000 6,229,000 5,346,000

Oct 2017

5,600,000 6,059,000 5,272,000

Nov 2017

5,505,000 5,931,000 5,253,000

Dec 2017

5,516,000 5,669,000 5,314,000

Jan 2018

5,568,000 6,230,000 5,319,000

Feb 2018

5,503,000 6,074,000 5,172,000

Mar 2018

5,476,000 6,638,000 5,321,000

Apr 2018

5,581,000 6,840,000 5,424,000

May 2018

5,747,000 6,659,000 5,419,000

Jun 2018

5,677,000 6,822,000 5,514,000

Jul 2018

5,713,000 7,077,000 5,596,000

Aug 2018

5,906,000 7,293,000 5,779,000

Sep 2018

5,696,000 6,960,000 5,641,000

Oct 2018

5,928,000 7,131,000 5,621,000

Nov 2018

5,710,000 6,888,000 5,507,000

November job openings level fell to 6.9 million (-243,000). The number of job openings decreased for total private (-237,000) and was little changed for government. Job openings increased in transportation, warehousing, and utilities (+40,000). The job openings level decreased in a number of industries, with the largest decreases in other services (-66,000) and construction (-45,000).

The number of hires edged down to 5.7 million (-218,000) in November. The hires level fell for total private (-236,000) and was little changed for government. Hires increased in federal government (+8,000) but decreased in professional and business services (-167,000).

The number of total separations was little changed at 5.5 million in November. The number of total separations was little changed for total private and for government. Total separations decreased in professional and business services (-122,000) and in accommodation and food services (-88,000).

These data are from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. The data are seasonally adjusted. To learn more, see “Job Openings and Labor Turnover — November 2018.” We also have more charts on hires, separations, and job openings. Total separations include quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Quits usually are voluntary separations started by the employee. Layoffs and discharges are involuntary separations started by the employer. Other separations may result from retirement, death, disability, and transfers to other locations of the same firm.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Job openings fell to 6.9 million in November 2018 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2019/job-openings-fell-to-6-point-9-million-in-november-2018.htm (visited October 31, 2024).

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