Alabama had 162,000 job openings in January 2023, compared to 161,000 openings in December, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table 1.) Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee noted that the job openings rate in Alabama was 7.0 percent in January and 7.1 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 Alabama was 0.4 in January. The ratio has been less than 0.5 in Alabama since March 2022. 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; 16 states had ratios that were higher than the national ratio, and 11 states had ratios equal to the national measure. (See map 1.)

In January, Alabama had 99,000 hires and 94,000 separations, compared to 103,000 hires and 99,000 separations in December. (See chart 2.) Over the 12 months ending in January, hires have averaged 101,000 per month and separations have averaged 96,000 per month. These averages include workers who may have been hired and separated more than once during the year.

Among the January separations in Alabama, 64,000 were quits and 24,000 were layoffs and discharges, compared to 70,000 quits and 23,000 layoffs and discharges in December. (See chart 3.) Over the last 12 months, quits averaged 68,000 per month, ranging from 62,000 to 76,000. Layoffs and discharges have averaged 22,000 per month, ranging from 17,000 to 29,000.

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 Alabama, 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	151	156	154	161	162	1
Hires	106	116	98	103	99	-4
Total separations	97	100	96	99	94	-5
Quits	69	76	71	70	64	-6
Layoffs & discharges	23	21	21	23	24	1
Footnotes: (p) Preliminary.

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

Estimate	January 2022	October 2022	November 2022	December 2022	January 2023(p)	Change from December 2022 to January 2023(p)
Openings(1)	6.8	6.9	6.8	7.1	7.0	-0.1
Hires(2)	5.2	5.5	4.7	4.9	4.6	-0.3
Total separations(3)	4.7	4.8	4.6	4.7	4.4	-0.3
Quits(3)	3.4	3.6	3.4	3.3	3.0	-0.3
Layoffs & discharges(3)	1.1	1.0	1.0	1.1	1.1	0.0
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.