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Job openings in professional and business services up by 166,000 since February 2020
February 16, 2021
On the last business day of December, the number of job openings were little changed at 6.6 million, a decrease of 358,000 from February 2020. There were 1,523,000 job openings in professional and business services, an increase of 296,000 from the prior month. Since February 2020, job openings in professional and business services increased by 166,000.
Change in the number of job openings by industry, February 2020 and December 2020
Industry
Net change
Job openings (Feb. 2020)
Job openings (Dec. 2020)
Professional and business services
166,000
1,357,000
1,523,000
Nondurable goods manufacturing
58,000
153,000
211,000
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities
41,000
270,000
311,000
Health care and social assistance
34,000
1,131,000
1,165,000
Retail trade
33,000
715,000
748,000
Durable goods manufacturing
-6,000
269,000
263,000
Other services
-6,000
232,000
226,000
Mining and logging
-10,000
26,000
16,000
Wholesale trade
-13,000
183,000
170,000
Federal government
-24,000
119,000
95,000
Information
-36,000
132,000
96,000
Real estate and rental and leasing
-37,000
94,000
57,000
Educational services
-39,000
121,000
82,000
Arts, entertainment, and recreation
-69,000
135,000
66,000
Finance and insurance
-83,000
306,000
223,000
Construction
-101,000
296,000
195,000
Accommodation and food services
-120,000
815,000
695,000
State and local government
-147,000
649,000
502,000
On the last business day of December 2020, job openings decreased in state and local government, excluding education (-65,000); arts, entertainment, and recreation (-50,000); and nondurable goods manufacturing (-30,000) from the prior month. In all of state and local government, job openings decreased by 147,000 since February 2020.
The December 2020 job openings rate for total nonfarm was 4.5 percent, little changed from the prior month. Job openings rates in professional and business services; accommodation and food services; health care and social assistance; transportation, warehousing, and utilities; and retail trade were higher than the overall rate.
Job openings rate, hires rate, and employment by industry, seasonally adjusted, January 2020-December 2020
Months
Mining and logging
Construction
Durable goods manufacturing
Hires rate
Job openings rate
Employment
Hires rate
Job openings rate
Employment
Hires rate
Job openings rate
Employment
Jan 2020
2.8%
2.7%
689,000
5.7%
3.4%
7,615,000
2.2%
3.1%
8,002,000
Feb 2020
3.4
3.4
690,000
5.1
3.7
7,648,000
2.4
3.2
8,007,000
Mar 2020
2.7
1.7
674,000
5.1
3.1
7,557,000
2.0
2.2
7,961,000
Apr 2020
2.1
1.5
622,000
3.7
3.6
6,535,000
2.3
2.3
7,062,000
May 2020
2.6
1.5
601,000
9.7
4.3
7,004,000
3.9
2.2
7,201,000
Jun 2020
1.8
2.5
597,000
7.0
3.3
7,171,000
3.4
2.3
7,472,000
Jul 2020
3.4
2.6
593,000
5.5
4.4
7,197,000
2.3
2.9
7,502,000
Aug 2020
2.6
2.4
589,000
5.5
3.7
7,223,000
2.7
3.2
7,500,000
Sep 2020
3.1
2.7
592,000
5.4
3.0
7,256,000
2.7
3.4
7,538,000
Oct 2020
2.8
3.2
594,000
5.5
3.2
7,329,000
2.9
3.7
7,550,000
Nov 2020
3.9
2.4
597,000
5.4
3.0
7,353,000
2.9
3.1
7,580,000
Dec 2020
4.0
2.4
600,000
5.6
2.6
7,395,000
2.9
3.3
7,598,000
Job openings rate, hires rate, and employment by industry, seasonally adjusted, January 2020-December 2020 (continued)
Months
Nondurable goods manufacturing
Wholesale trade
Retail trade
Hires rate
Job openings rate
Employment
Hires rate
Job openings rate
Employment
Hires rate
Job openings rate
Employment
Jan 2020
2.9%
3.1%
4,790,000
2.3%
2.8%
5,901,100
5.2%
4.6%
15,605,200
Feb 2020
2.9
3.1
4,792,000
2.6
3.0
5,895,200
5.2
4.4
15,609,800
Mar 2020
2.9
2.7
4,757,000
2.3
2.6
5,876,600
4.9
3.9
15,483,600
Apr 2020
3.8
3.2
4,352,000
2.1
2.5
5,486,000
5.4
3.8
13,235,300
May 2020
5.3
3.1
4,456,000
3.4
2.7
5,508,600
6.5
4.7
13,644,100
Jun 2020
3.9
3.6
4,527,000
2.9
2.8
5,556,900
6.3
4.4
14,502,800
Jul 2020
3.6
4.3
4,535,000
2.2
3.1
5,537,400
5.5
5.0
14,742,900
Aug 2020
3.9
4.6
4,568,000
2.4
3.2
5,544,500
5.7
4.5
14,995,800
Sep 2020
3.6
4.7
4,585,000
3.8
3.1
5,578,400
4.9
4.3
15,025,300
Oct 2020
3.4
4.9
4,605,000
2.4
3.1
5,587,600
5.1
4.1
15,131,800
Nov 2020
3.8
5.0
4,616,000
2.7
3.1
5,602,400
4.8
4.3
15,129,700
Dec 2020
3.8
4.4
4,629,000
2.9
2.9
5,617,900
5.4
4.7
15,264,600
Job openings rate, hires rate, and employment by industry, seasonally adjusted, January 2020-December 2020 (continued)
Months
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities
Information
Finance and insurance
Hires rate
Job openings rate
Employment
Hires rate
Job openings rate
Employment
Hires rate
Job openings rate
Employment
Jan 2020
4.2%
4.3%
6,345,700
3.0%
5.0%
2,910,000
2.2%
4.6%
6,498,500
Feb 2020
4.1
4.2
6,370,500
3.3
4.4
2,914,000
2.5
4.5
6,513,400
Mar 2020
3.8
4.4
6,369,100
2.6
4.0
2,898,000
2.3
3.9
6,506,200
Apr 2020
3.3
3.7
5,792,000
1.5
4.8
2,633,000
2.0
2.8
6,473,500
May 2020
4.8
3.0
5,781,000
2.5
2.9
2,594,000
1.7
3.2
6,474,300
Jun 2020
5.0
4.1
5,874,700
2.2
3.6
2,602,000
2.1
3.5
6,475,600
Jul 2020
5.1
3.8
5,924,700
2.6
3.9
2,592,000
2.2
3.3
6,480,300
Aug 2020
4.3
3.9
6,012,300
3.4
3.1
2,617,000
2.2
3.3
6,493,300
Sep 2020
5.1
4.7
6,058,000
3.9
4.4
2,659,000
2.5
3.6
6,509,300
Oct 2020
6.2
4.2
6,127,800
3.9
4.5
2,650,000
2.2
3.2
6,526,400
Nov 2020
6.7
5.0
6,250,800
2.8
3.0
2,650,000
2.2
3.1
6,532,800
Dec 2020
4.5
4.8
6,225,700
2.5
3.5
2,656,000
2.0
3.3
6,539,200
Job openings rate, hires rate, and employment by industry, seasonally adjusted, January 2020-December 2020 (continued)
Months
Real estate and rental and leasing
Professional and business services
Educational services
Hires rate
Job openings rate
Employment
Hires rate
Job openings rate
Employment
Hires rate
Job openings rate
Employment
Jan 2020
3.2%
4.7%
2,350,600
5.4%
5.6%
21,437,000
2.8%
3.4%
3,786,500
Feb 2020
3.4
3.8
2,361,600
5.1
5.9
21,469,000
2.5
3.1
3,778,700
Mar 2020
2.9
3.1
2,343,400
5.1
5.3
21,318,000
2.4
2.7
3,696,300
Apr 2020
1.6
3.0
2,122,000
4.2
4.9
19,082,000
2.1
3.0
3,253,500
May 2020
4.1
2.2
2,138,800
4.8
4.8
19,247,000
2.9
2.3
3,271,500
Jun 2020
2.6
2.9
2,158,000
6.0
5.2
19,568,000
3.4
2.5
3,359,600
Jul 2020
4.3
3.2
2,165,200
5.8
5.6
19,715,000
2.9
3.1
3,371,600
Aug 2020
3.3
2.7
2,181,000
5.8
5.6
19,915,000
2.6
3.0
3,460,900
Sep 2020
3.4
2.7
2,202,700
5.5
5.9
20,055,000
2.0
2.9
3,403,900
Oct 2020
3.8
3.3
2,219,600
5.5
5.6
20,296,000
2.6
3.4
3,393,800
Nov 2020
3.3
2.5
2,223,600
5.8
5.6
20,391,000
2.7
2.8
3,388,200
Dec 2020
3.3
2.5
2,234,600
5.7
6.9
20,547,000
2.3
2.4
3,318,700
Job openings rate, hires rate, and employment by industry, seasonally adjusted, January 2020-December 2020 (continued)
Months
Health care and social assistance
Arts, entertainment, and recreation
Accommodation and food services
Hires rate
Job openings rate
Employment
Hires rate
Job openings rate
Employment
Hires rate
Job openings rate
Employment
Jan 2020
3.1%
5.3%
20,726,900
7.1%
5.6%
2,502,500
6.6%
5.1%
14,355,000
Feb 2020
3.2
5.2
20,786,500
6.8
5.2
2,501,900
6.4
5.4
14,412,900
Mar 2020
2.8
5.0
20,650,400
5.2
5.1
2,406,200
3.9
3.7
13,726,600
Apr 2020
2.6
4.9
18,468,500
2.7
3.4
1,168,800
6.2
3.5
7,522,600
May 2020
5.3
4.5
18,835,800
12.1
7.8
1,224,100
15.6
5.6
8,922,100
Jun 2020
4.1
4.9
19,311,500
10.9
7.1
1,517,200
15.3
6.5
10,640,500
Jul 2020
3.5
5.7
19,512,900
10.6
5.6
1,626,500
9.1
5.8
11,197,700
Aug 2020
3.2
5.2
19,623,100
8.0
4.9
1,647,100
7.3
5.8
11,315,700
Sep 2020
3.3
5.3
19,748,000
6.8
4.8
1,735,200
8.2
5.7
11,622,000
Oct 2020
3.2
5.9
19,841,000
7.6
5.4
1,779,500
7.8
5.8
11,842,300
Nov 2020
3.1
5.6
19,889,400
7.8
6.1
1,816,500
8.0
6.2
11,815,600
Dec 2020
3.1
5.5
19,928,500
3.5
3.8
1,713,600
6.4
5.8
11,381,900
Job openings rate, hires rate, and employment by industry, seasonally adjusted, January 2020-December 2020 (continued)
Months
Other services
Federal government
State and local government
Hires rate
Job openings rate
Employment
Hires rate
Job openings rate
Employment
Hires rate
Job openings rate
Employment
Jan 2020
3.5%
4.3%
5,930,000
1.6%
3.8%
2,852,000
1.7%
3.3%
19,937,000
Feb 2020
3.8
3.8
5,937,000
1.8
4.0
2,863,000
1.6
3.2
19,972,000
Mar 2020
2.8
2.4
5,842,000
2.0
4.3
2,879,000
1.6
2.9
19,895,000
Apr 2020
3.6
3.1
4,527,000
1.6
3.8
2,883,000
1.0
2.8
18,943,000
May 2020
12.0
3.9
4,777,000
1.7
2.4
2,877,000
1.1
3.0
18,437,000
Jun 2020
5.9
4.9
5,153,000
1.4
3.7
2,876,000
1.3
2.9
18,477,000
Jul 2020
3.2
5.1
5,316,000
2.5
8.8
2,897,000
1.4
2.8
18,659,000
Aug 2020
4.1
4.3
5,390,000
10.0
3.7
3,153,000
1.3
3.1
18,920,000
Sep 2020
5.5
4.3
5,440,000
1.9
2.9
3,117,000
1.4
3.1
18,740,000
Oct 2020
5.1
4.1
5,488,000
1.7
3.1
2,975,000
1.5
3.1
18,608,000
Nov 2020
3.8
4.2
5,485,000
1.8
3.3
2,888,000
1.6
3.0
18,600,000
Dec 2020
3.3
4.0
5,467,000
1.8
3.2
2,889,000
1.5
2.6
18,576,000
The hires rate for total nonfarm in December was 3.9 percent, down from 4.2 percent in November 2020. Hires rates in accommodation and food services; professional and business services; construction; retail trade; transportation, warehousing, and utilities; and mining and logging were higher than the overall rate.
United States Department of Labor
