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Bureau of Labor Statistics > Geographic Information > Mountain-Plains > News Release
News Release Information

23-825-KAN
Thursday, April 27, 2023

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (816) 285-7000

Kansas Job Openings and Labor Turnover — February 2023

Kansas had 92,000 job openings in February 2023, compared to 97,000 openings in January, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table 1.) Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Michael Hirniak noted that the job openings rate in Kansas was 6.0 percent in February and 6.3 percent in the previous month. (See chart 1 and table 2.) The job openings rate nationally was 6.0 percent in February and 6.4 percent in January. (See table 3.) All data in this release are seasonally adjusted.

  Chart 1. Job openings rates for the United States and Kansas, seasonally adjusted
View Chart Data
 

The ratio of unemployed persons per job opening in Kansas was 0.5 in February. The ratio has been less than 1.0 in Kansas since December 2020. Nationwide, 31 states and the District of Columbia had ratios in February that were lower than the national measure of 0.6 unemployed persons per job opening; 12 states had ratios that were higher than the national ratio, and 7 states had ratios equal to the national measure. (See map 1.)

Map 1. Number of unemployed persons per job opening by state, February 2023, seasonally adjusted

(U.S. ratio = 0.6)

 

In February, Kansas had 60,000 hires and 53,000 separations, compared to 57,000 hires and 52,000 separations in January. (See chart 2.) Over the 12 months ending in February, hires have averaged 55,000 per month and separations have averaged 53,000 per month. These averages include workers who may have been hired and separated more than once during the year.

  Chart 2. Hires and total separations in Kansas, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
View Chart Data
 

Among the February separations in Kansas, 35,000 were quits and 14,000 were layoffs and discharges, compared to 34,000 quits and 14,000 layoffs and discharges in January. (See chart 3.) Over the last 12 months, quits averaged 37,000 per month, ranging from 34,000 to 44,000. Layoffs and discharges have averaged 13,000 per month, ranging from 9,000 to 17,000.

  Chart 3. Quits and layoffs and discharges in Kansas, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
View Chart Data

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey State estimates for March 2023 are scheduled to be released on Wednesday, May 17, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. (CT).

Changes to Annual Estimates for States from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey

Effective with the release of the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) national data for January on March 8, 2023, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) published historical annual average job openings levels and rates for states. State annual averages for 2001 through 2021 are available in the BLS JOLTS database.

Also effective with the release of national data on March 8, 2023, JOLTS modified its method for calculating annual estimates for hires and separations rates. Annual rates are computed as annual averages, instead of annual totals, to make the estimates more helpful for data users and to be consistent with other BLS programs. State annual average hires and separations rates for 2001 through 2021 are available in the BLS database.

The 2022 state annual estimates will be published with the issuance of the State Job Openings and Labor Turnover news release on July 26, 2023.

Additional information about these changes, including the annual average calculation method, is available at upcoming changes to JOLTS annual estimates for states.


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 Kansas, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
EstimateFebruary 2022November 2022December 2022January 2023February 2023(p)Change from January 2023 to February 2023(p)

Openings

98901009792-5

Hires

45565957603

Total separations

55555952531

Quits

37383834351

Layoffs & discharges

14141714140

(p) Preliminary.

Table 2. Job openings and labor turnover rates for Kansas, seasonally adjusted
EstimateFebruary 2022November 2022December 2022January 2023February 2023(p)Change from January 2023 to February 2023(p)

Openings(1)

6.66.06.66.36.0-0.3

Hires(2)

3.24.04.23.94.10.2

Total separations(3)

3.93.94.23.63.70.1

Quits(3)

2.72.72.72.32.40.1

Layoffs & discharges(3)

1.01.01.21.01.00.0

(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
EstimateFebruary 2022November 2022December 2022January 2023February 2023(p)Change from January 2023 to February 2023(p)

Openings(1)

7.16.56.86.46.0-0.4

Hires(2)

4.54.14.04.14.0-0.1

Total separations(3)

4.03.93.83.83.7-0.1

Quits(3)

2.92.72.62.52.60.1

Layoffs & discharges(3)

0.91.01.01.11.0-0.1

(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: Thursday, April 27, 2023