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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.

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 — December 2020." Also see more charts on job openings, hires, and separations, and Impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on Job Openings and Labor Turnover data for December 2020.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Job openings in professional and business services up by 166,000 since February 2020 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2021/job-openings-in-professional-and-business-services-up-by-166000-since-february-2020.htm (visited October 31, 2024).

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