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Bureau of Labor Statistics > Geographic Information > Mid-Atlantic > News Release
News Release Information

24-2213-PHI
Tuesday, October 22, 2024

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:

Pennsylvania Job Openings and Labor Turnover — August 2024

Pennsylvania had 290,000 job openings in August 2024, compared to 285,000 openings in July, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table 1.) Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that the job openings rate in Pennsylvania was 4.5 percent in August and 4.4 percent in the previous month. (See chart 1 and table 2.) The job openings rate nationally was 4.8 percent in August and 4.6 percent in July. (See table 3.) All data in this release are seasonally adjusted.

The ratio of unemployed persons per job opening in Pennsylvania was 0.8 in August. The ratio has been less than 1.0 in Pennsylvania since May 2021.  Nationwide, 39 states and the District of Columbia had ratios in August that were lower than the national ratio of 0.9 unemployed persons per job opening; 9 states had ratios that were higher than the national ratio, and 2 states had ratios equal to the national measure. (See map 1.)

Map 1. Number of unemployed persons per job opening by state, August 2024, seasonally adjusted

(U.S. ratio = 0.9)

In August, Pennsylvania had 179,000 hires and 168,000 separations, compared to 210,000 hires and 217,000 separations in July. (See chart 2.) Over the 12 months ending in August, hires have averaged 188,000 per month and separations have averaged 187,000 per month. These averages include workers who may have been hired and separated more than once during the year.

Among the August separations in Pennsylvania, 100,000 were quits and 59,000 were layoffs and discharges, compared to 129,000 quits and 75,000 layoffs and discharges in July. (See chart 3.) Over the last 12 months, quits averaged 116,000 per month, ranging from 94,000 to 129,000. Layoffs and discharges have averaged 57,000 per month, ranging from 40,000 to 77,000.

The State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey estimates for September 2024 are scheduled to be released on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).


Technical Note

This news release presents statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). The JOLTS program provides information on labor demand and turnover. The state estimates produced by JOLTS are model-based, incorporating JOLTS sample, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), and Current Employment Statistics (CES) estimates. For more information see the JOLTS State Estimates Methodology.

Job Openings. Job openings include all positions that are open on the last business day of the reference month. A job is open only if it meets all three of these conditions:

  • A specific position exists and there is work available for that position.
  • The job could start within 30 days.
  • The employer is actively recruiting workers from outside the establishment to fill the position.

The number of unemployed persons per job opening is a ratio of the level of unemployed persons and the level of job openings. The number of unemployed persons at the national level is an estimate from the Current Population Survey (CPS), while state-level unemployment estimates are modeled by the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program. A ratio of 1.0 means there is a job available for every unemployed person. Lower ratios signal tighter labor markets, where firms have more job openings than there are unemployed persons available to work. Higher ratios indicate there are more unemployed persons competing for each job opening.

Hires. Hires include all additions to the payroll during the entire reference month.

Separations. Separations include all separations from the payroll during the entire reference month and is reported by type of separation: quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations.

  • Quits include employees who left voluntarily, except for retirements or transfers to other locations.
  • Layoffs and discharges include involuntary separations initiated by the employer.
  • Other separations include retirements, transfers to other locations, separations due to employee disability, and deaths.

Levels and rates of other separations represent a small portion of total separations and are not published with the release of state estimates.

Complete definitions, including exclusions, and additional information about the State JOLTS data presented in this release are available in the State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Technical Note.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

Table 1. Job openings and labor turnover for Pennsylvania, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
Estimate August 2023 May 2024 June 2024 July 2024 August 2024(p) Change from July 2024 to August 2024(p)

Openings

 370 318 314 285 290 5

Hires

 193 175 173 210 179 -31

Total separations

 181 185 159 217 168 -49

Quits

 113 113 94 129 100 -29

Layoffs & discharges

 46 59 52 75 59 -16

Footnotes:
(p) Preliminary.
Table 2. Job openings and labor turnover rates for Pennsylvania, seasonally adjusted
Estimate August 2023 May 2024 June 2024 July 2024 August 2024(p) Change from July 2024 to August 2024(p)

Openings(1)

 5.7 4.9 4.8 4.4 4.5 0.1

Hires(2)

 3.2 2.8 2.8 3.4 2.9 -0.5

Total separations(3)

 3.0 3.0 2.6 3.5 2.7 -0.8

Quits(3)

 1.9 1.8 1.5 2.1 1.6 -0.5

Layoffs & discharges(3)

 0.8 1.0 0.8 1.2 1.0 -0.2

Footnotes:
(p) Preliminary.
(1) The job openings rate is computed by dividing the number of job openings by the sum of employment and job openings and multiplying that quotient by 100.
(2) The hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100.
(3) The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of separations by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100. The quits and layoffs and discharges rates are computed similarly.
Table 3. Job openings and labor turnover rates for the United States, seasonally adjusted
Estimate August 2023 May 2024 June 2024 July 2024 August 2024(p) Change from July 2024 to August 2024(p)

Openings(1)

 5.6 4.9 4.8 4.6 4.8 0.2

Hires(2)

 3.8 3.6 3.3 3.4 3.3 -0.1

Total separations(3)

 3.6 3.4 3.2 3.4 3.1 -0.3

Quits(3)

 2.3 2.1 2.0 2.0 1.9 -0.1

Layoffs & discharges(3)

 1.1 1.1 1.0 1.1 1.0 -0.1

Footnotes:
(p) Preliminary.
(1) The job openings rate is computed by dividing the number of job openings by the sum of employment and job openings and multiplying that quotient by 100.
(2) The hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100.
(3) The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of separations by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100. The quits and layoffs and discharges rates are computed similarly.

 

Last Modified Date: Tuesday, October 22, 2024