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

24-1542-ATL
Monday, July 29, 2024

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

Kentucky Job Openings and Labor Turnover — May 2024

Kentucky had 136,000 job openings in May 2024, compared to 133,000 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 Kentucky was 6.2 percent in May and 6.1 percent in the previous month. (See chart 1 and table 2.) The job openings rate nationally was 4.9 percent in May and 4.8 percent in April. (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 0.7 in May. Nationwide, 36 states and the District of Columbia had ratios in May that were lower than the national measure of 0.8 unemployed persons per job opening; 11 states had ratios that were higher than the national ratio, and 3 states had ratios equal to the national measure. (See map 1.)

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

(U.S. ratio = 0.8)

 

In May, Kentucky had 83,000 hires and 80,000 separations, compared to 74,000 hires and 76,000 separations in April. (See chart 2.) Over the 12 months ending in May, hires have averaged 85,000 per month and separations have averaged 77,000 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 May separations in Kentucky, 55,000 were quits and 22,000 were layoffs and discharges, compared to 49,000 quits and 21,000 layoffs and discharges in April. (See chart 3.) Over the last 12 months, quits averaged 53,000 per month, ranging from 46,000 to 57,000. Layoffs and discharges have averaged 20,000 per month, ranging from 18,000 to 23,000.

  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 June 2024 are scheduled to be released on Friday, August 16, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

Annual Revisions to Job Openings and Labor Turnover State Data

The JOLTS state data are revised annually to reflect updates to the JOLTS national estimates, the Current Employment Statistics (CES) employment estimates, and the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) through fourth quarter 2023. This annual benchmarking process results in revisions to both the seasonally adjusted and not seasonally adjusted JOLTS state data series. Seasonally adjusted and not seasonally adjusted data from January 2019 forward are subject to revision.

Tables displaying revisions to seasonally adjusted JOLTS state data for the most recent benchmark period are available on the JOLTS website. The website also contains all revised seasonally adjusted and not seasonally adjusted data.


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)
EstimateMay 2023February 2024March 2024April 2024May 2024(p)Change from April 2024 to May 2024(p)

Openings

1311161221331363

Hires

89867974839

Total separations

92787276804

Quits

67524849556

Layoffs & discharges

20221921221

Footnotes:
(p) Preliminary.

Table 2. Job openings and labor turnover rates for Kentucky, seasonally adjusted
EstimateMay 2023February 2024March 2024April 2024May 2024(p)Change from April 2024 to May 2024(p)

Openings(1)

6.15.45.76.16.20.1

Hires(2)

4.44.23.93.64.10.5

Total separations(3)

4.63.83.53.73.90.2

Quits(3)

3.32.62.42.42.70.3

Layoffs & discharges(3)

1.01.10.91.01.10.1

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
EstimateMay 2023February 2024March 2024April 2024May 2024(p)Change from April 2024 to May 2024(p)

Openings(1)

5.65.35.04.84.90.1

Hires(2)

4.03.73.63.53.60.1

Total separations(3)

3.83.53.43.43.40.0

Quits(3)

2.62.22.22.22.20.0

Layoffs & discharges(3)

1.01.11.01.01.00.0

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: Monday, July 29, 2024