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Bureau of Labor Statistics > Geographic Information > Southeast > News Release
News Release Information

23-2637-ATL
Wednesday, December 20, 2023

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (404) 893-4220

Alabama Job Openings and Labor Turnover — October 2023

Alabama had 123,000 job openings in October 2023, compared to 138,000 openings in September, 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 5.4 percent in October and 6.0 percent in the previous month. (See chart 1 and table 2.) The job openings rate nationally was 5.3 percent in October and 5.6 percent in September. (See table 3.) All data in this release are seasonally adjusted.

  Chart 1. Job openings as a percent of employment for the United States and Alabama, seasonally adjusted
View Chart Data

The ratio of unemployed persons per job opening in Alabama was 0.4 in October. The ratio has been less than 0.5 in Alabama since October 2021. Nationwide, 35 states and the District of Columbia had ratios in October that were lower than the national ratio of 0.7 unemployed persons per job opening; 10 states had ratios that were higher than the national ratio, and 5 states had ratios equal to the national measure. (See map 1.)

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

(U.S. ratio = 0.7)

 

In October, Alabama had 77,000 hires and 88,000 separations, compared to 92,000 hires and 86,000 separations in September. (See chart 2.) Over the 12 months ending in October, hires have averaged 96,000 per month and separations have averaged 93,000 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 Alabama, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
View Chart Data

Among the October separations in Alabama, 59,000 were quits and 24,000 were layoffs and discharges, compared to 56,000 quits and 25,000 layoffs and discharges in September. (See chart 3.) Over the last 12 months, quits averaged 65,000 per month, ranging from 55,000 to 81,000. Layoffs and discharges have averaged 23,000 per month, ranging from 17,000 to 34,000.

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

The State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey estimates for November 2023 are scheduled to be released on Thursday, January 18, 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 Alabama, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
EstimateOctober 2022July 2023August 2023September 2023October 2023(p)Change from September 2023 to October 2023(p)

Openings

150129137138123-15

Hires

10897949277-15

Total separations

921019586882

Quits

69636556593

Layoffs & discharges

2034242524-1

Footnotes:
(p) Preliminary.

Table 2. Job openings and labor turnover rates for Alabama, seasonally adjusted
EstimateOctober 2022July 2023August 2023September 2023October 2023(p)Change from September 2023 to October 2023(p)

Openings(1)

6.65.66.06.05.4-0.6

Hires(2)

5.14.54.44.33.6-0.7

Total separations(3)

4.34.74.44.04.10.1

Quits(3)

3.22.93.02.62.70.1

Layoffs & discharges(3)

0.91.61.11.21.1-0.1

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.

Table 3. Job openings and labor turnover rates for the United States, seasonally adjusted
EstimateOctober 2022July 2023August 2023September 2023October 2023(p)Change from September 2023 to October 2023(p)

Openings(1)

6.45.45.75.65.3-0.3

Hires(2)

4.03.73.73.83.7-0.1

Total separations(3)

3.83.63.63.63.60.0

Quits(3)

2.62.32.32.32.30.0

Layoffs & discharges(3)

1.01.11.11.01.00.0

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.

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, December 20, 2023