Massachusetts had 290,000 job openings in January 2023, compared to 281,000 openings in December, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table 1.) Regional Commissioner William J. Sibley noted that the job openings rate in Massachusetts was 7.2 percent in January and 7.0 percent in the previous month. (See chart 1 and table 2.) The job openings rate nationally was 6.5 percent in January and 6.8 percent in December. (See table 3.) All data in this release are seasonally adjusted.

The ratio of unemployed persons per job opening in Massachusetts was 0.5 in January. The ratio has been less than 1.0 in Massachusetts since July 2021. Nationwide, 23 states and the District of Columbia had ratios in January that were lower than the national measure of 0.5 unemployed persons per job opening; 11 states had ratios equal to the national ratio, and 16 states had ratios that were higher. (See map 1.)

In January, Massachusetts had 133,000 hires and 102,000 separations, compared to 126,000 hires and 109,000 separations in December. (See chart 2.) Over the 12 months ending in January, hires have averaged 133,000 per month and separations have averaged 114,000 per month. These averages include workers who may have been hired and separated more than once during the year.

Among the January separations in Massachusetts, 57,000 were quits and 34,000 were layoffs and discharges, compared to 65,000 quits and 37,000 layoffs and discharges in December. (See chart 3.) Over the last 12 months, quits averaged 77,000 per month, ranging from 57,000 to 98,000. Layoffs and discharges have averaged 31,000 per month, ranging from 21,000 to 70,000.

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey State estimates for February 2023 are scheduled to be released on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, 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 Massachusetts, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)

Estimate	January 2022	October 2022	November 2022	December 2022	January 2023(p)	Change from December 2022 to January 2023(p)
Openings	270	264	239	281	290	9
Hires	167	142	123	126	133	7
Total separations	112	98	104	109	102	-7
Quits	76	69	74	65	57	-8
Layoffs & discharges	29	27	24	37	34	-3
Footnotes: (p) Preliminary.

Table 2. Job openings and labor turnover rates for Massachusetts, seasonally adjusted

Estimate	January 2022	October 2022	November 2022	December 2022	January 2023(p)	Change from December 2022 to January 2023(p)
Openings(1)	7.0	6.6	6.0	7.0	7.2	0.2
Hires(2)	4.6	3.8	3.3	3.4	3.6	0.2
Total separations(3)	3.1	2.6	2.8	2.9	2.7	-0.2
Quits(3)	2.1	1.9	2.0	1.7	1.5	-0.2
Layoffs & discharges(3)	0.8	0.7	0.6	1.0	0.9	-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.

Table 3. Job openings and labor turnover rates for the United States, seasonally adjusted

Estimate	January 2022	October 2022	November 2022	December 2022	January 2023(p)	Change from December 2022 to January 2023(p)
Openings(1)	7.1	6.4	6.5	6.8	6.5	-0.3
Hires(2)	4.3	4.0	4.1	4.0	4.1	0.1
Total separations(3)	4.2	3.8	3.9	3.8	3.8	0.0
Quits(3)	2.9	2.6	2.7	2.6	2.5	-0.1
Layoffs & discharges(3)	0.9	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.1	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.