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

24-738-ATL
Wednesday, April 24, 2024

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

Kentucky Job Openings and Labor Turnover — February 2024

Kentucky had 114,000 job openings in February 2024, compared to 116,000 openings in January, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table 1.) Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee noted that the job openings rate in Kentucky was 5.3 percent in February and 5.4 percent in the previous month. (See chart 1 and table 2.) The job openings rate nationally was 5.3 percent in February, unchanged from January. (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 Kentucky, seasonally adjusted
View Chart Data

The ratio of unemployed persons per job opening in Kentucky was 0.8 in February. Nationwide, 31 states and the District of Columbia had ratios in February that were lower than the national measure of 0.7 unemployed persons per job opening; 13 states had ratios that were higher than the national ratio, and 6 states had ratios equal to the national measure. (See map 1.)

Map 1. Number of unemployed persons per job opening by state, February 2024, seasonally adjusted

(U.S. ratio = 0.7)

 

In February, Kentucky had 88,000 hires and 79,000 separations, compared to 91,000 hires and 79,000 separations in January. (See chart 2.) Over the 12 months ending in February, hires have averaged 89,000 per month and separations have averaged 84,000 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 Kentucky, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
View Chart Data

Among the February separations in Kentucky, 52,000 were quits and 22,000 were layoffs and discharges, compared to 54,000 quits and 20,000 layoffs and discharges in January. (See chart 3.) Over the last 12 months, quits averaged 58,000 per month, ranging from 49,000 to 73,000. Layoffs and discharges have averaged 21,000 per month, ranging from 18,000 to 24,000.

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

State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey estimates for March 2024 are scheduled to be released on Friday, May 17, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

Upcoming Revisions to the JOLTS State Estimates

Effective with the release of May 2024 data on July 24, 2024, the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) state estimates will be benchmarked and revised, to include the annual benchmark revisions to JOLTS national estimates, the Current Employment Statistics (CES) employment estimates, and the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) data. Seasonally adjusted and not seasonally adjusted data from January 2019 forward are subject to revision. In addition, 2023 annual estimates for states will be released at this time.


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 Kentucky, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
EstimateFebruary 2023November 2023December 2023January 2024February 2024(p)Change from January 2024 to February 2024(p)

Openings

133116118116114-2

Hires

103741039188-3

Total separations

93767179790

Quits

6851495452-2

Layoffs & discharges

21201820222

Footnotes:
(p) Preliminary.


Table 2. Job openings and labor turnover rates for Kentucky, seasonally adjusted
EstimateFebruary 2023November 2023December 2023January 2024February 2024(p)Change from January 2024 to February 2024(p)

Openings(1)

6.35.45.55.45.3-0.1

Hires(2)

5.23.75.14.54.3-0.2

Total separations(3)

4.73.73.53.93.90.0

Quits(3)

3.42.52.42.72.6-0.1

Layoffs & discharges(3)

1.11.00.91.01.10.1

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
EstimateFebruary 2023November 2023December 2023January 2024February 2024(p)Change from January 2024 to February 2024(p)

Openings(1)

6.05.45.35.35.30.0

Hires(2)

3.93.53.73.63.70.1

Total separations(3)

3.83.43.43.53.50.0

Quits(3)

2.62.22.22.22.20.0

Layoffs & discharges(3)

1.01.01.01.01.10.1

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.

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, April 24, 2024