Tennessee had 239,000 job openings in May 2023, compared to 252,000 openings in April, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table 1.) Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee noted that the job openings rate in Tennessee was 6.7 percent in May and 7.1 percent in the previous month. (See chart 1 and table 2.) The job openings rate nationally was 5.9 percent in May and 6.2 percent in April. (See table 3.) All data in this release are seasonally adjusted.

The ratio of unemployed persons per job opening in Tennessee was 0.5 in May. Nationwide, 34 states and the District of Columbia had ratios in May that were lower than the national measure of 0.6 unemployed persons per job opening; 11 states had ratios that were higher than the national ratio, and 5 states had ratios equal to the national measure. (See map 1.)

In May, Tennessee had 161,000 hires and 147,000 separations, compared to 160,000 hires and 133,000 separations in April. (See chart 2.) Over the 12 months ending in May, hires have averaged 160,000 per month and separations have averaged 154,000 per month. These averages include workers who may have been hired and separated more than once during the year.

Among the May separations in Tennessee, 103,000 were quits and 38,000 were layoffs and discharges, compared to 98,000 quits and 28,000 layoffs and discharges in April. (See chart 3.) Over the last 12 months, quits averaged 108,000 per month, ranging from 96,000 to 130,000. Layoffs and discharges have averaged 39,000 per month, ranging from 28,000 to 53,000.

The State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey estimates for June 2023 are scheduled to be released on Wednesday, August 16, 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 Tennessee, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)

Estimate	May 2022	February 2023	March 2023	April 2023	May 2023(p)	Change from April 2023 to May 2023(p)
Openings	266	255	244	252	239	-13
Hires	150	145	149	160	161	1
Total separations	142	148	158	133	147	14
Quits	104	105	99	98	103	5
Layoffs & discharges	31	34	53	28	38	10
Footnotes: (p) Preliminary.

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

Estimate	May 2022	February 2023	March 2023	April 2023	May 2023(p)	Change from April 2023 to May 2023(p)
Openings(1)	7.6	7.2	6.9	7.1	6.7	-0.4
Hires(2)	4.6	4.4	4.5	4.8	4.9	0.1
Total separations(3)	4.4	4.5	4.8	4.0	4.4	0.4
Quits(3)	3.2	3.2	3.0	3.0	3.1	0.1
Layoffs & discharges(3)	1.0	1.0	1.6	0.8	1.1	0.3
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	May 2022	February 2023	March 2023	April 2023	May 2023(p)	Change from April 2023 to May 2023(p)
Openings(1)	7.0	6.0	5.9	6.2	5.9	-0.3
Hires(2)	4.3	4.0	3.9	3.9	4.0	0.1
Total separations(3)	4.0	3.8	3.9	3.6	3.8	0.2
Quits(3)	2.8	2.6	2.5	2.4	2.6	0.2
Layoffs & discharges(3)	1.0	1.0	1.2	1.0	1.0	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.