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On the last business day of December 2019, there were 5,892,000 job openings, a decrease of 14.9 percent from 6,921,000 job openings on the last business day of December 2018. For private industry, job openings on the last business day of December 2019 were 5,221,000, representing a 17.4-percent decrease from the 6,321,000 job openings on the last business day of December 2018.
Industry | 12-month percent change[p] | 12-month net change[p] | December 2018 | December 2019[p] |
---|---|---|---|---|
Total nonfarm |
-14.9% | -1,029,000 | 6,921,000 | 5,892,000 |
Total private |
-17.4 | -1,100,000 | 6,321,000 | 5,221,000 |
Mining and logging |
-51.7 | -15,000 | 29,000 | 14,000 |
Construction |
-20.1 | -60,000 | 299,000 | 239,000 |
Manufacturing |
-17.2 | -75,000 | 435,000 | 360,000 |
Durable goods |
-24.8 | -74,000 | 298,000 | 224,000 |
Nondurable goods |
-0.7 | -1,000 | 137,000 | 136,000 |
Trade, transportation, and utilities |
-25.7 | -347,000 | 1,350,000 | 1,003,000 |
Wholesale trade |
2.5 | 4,000 | 163,000 | 167,000 |
Retail trade |
-30.5 | -265,000 | 868,000 | 603,000 |
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities |
-26.7 | -85,000 | 318,000 | 233,000 |
Information |
-8.1 | -10,000 | 123,000 | 113,000 |
Financial activities |
-20.1 | -75,000 | 373,000 | 298,000 |
Finance and insurance |
-25.5 | -79,000 | 310,000 | 231,000 |
Real estate and rental and leasing |
7.9 | 5,000 | 63,000 | 68,000 |
Professional and business services |
-18.2 | -232,000 | 1,275,000 | 1,043,000 |
Education and health services |
-11.0 | -142,000 | 1,294,000 | 1,152,000 |
Educational services |
23.1 | 21,000 | 91,000 | 112,000 |
Health care and social assistance |
-13.7 | -165,000 | 1,204,000 | 1,039,000 |
Leisure and hospitality |
-13.2 | -118,000 | 893,000 | 775,000 |
Arts, entertainment, and recreation |
6.9 | 7,000 | 102,000 | 109,000 |
Accommodation and food services |
-15.8 | -125,000 | 791,000 | 666,000 |
Other services |
-10.0 | -25,000 | 250,000 | 225,000 |
Government |
11.7 | 70,000 | 600,000 | 670,000 |
Federal government |
-6.9 | -6,000 | 87,000 | 81,000 |
State and local government |
14.8 | 76,000 | 514,000 | 590,000 |
[p] = preliminary. |
From the last business day of December 2018 to that of December 2019, job openings decreased for most industries, including mining and logging (−51.7 percent), retail trade (−30.5 percent), transportation, warehousing, and utilities (−26.7 percent), finance and insurance (−25.5 percent), and durable goods manufacturing (−24.8 percent).
In educational services, job openings increased 23.1 percent from 91,000 on the last business day of December 2018 to 112,000 on the last business day of December 2019. Over the same period, job openings increased 14.8 percent for state and local government.
These data are from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey and are not seasonally adjusted. To learn more, see “Job Openings and Labor Turnover — December 2019.” We also have more charts on hires, separations, and job openings.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Job openings decrease 14.9 percent for the year ended December 2019 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2020/job-openings-decrease-14-point-9-percent-for-the-year-ended-december-2019.htm (visited October 31, 2024).