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

24-106-ATL
Wednesday, January 24, 2024

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

Tennessee Job Openings and Labor Turnover — November 2023

Tennessee had 193,000 job openings in November 2023, compared to 215,000 openings in October, 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 5.5 percent in November and 6.1 percent in the previous month. (See chart 1 and table 2.) The job openings rate nationally was 5.3 percent in November, unchanged from October. (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 Tennessee, seasonally adjusted
View Chart Data

The ratio of unemployed persons per job opening in Tennessee was 0.6 in November. The ratio has been less than 1.0 in Tennessee since March 2021. Nationwide, 32 states and the District of Columbia had ratios in November 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 5 states had ratios equal to the national measure. (See map 1.)

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

(U.S. ratio = 0.7)

 

In November, Tennessee had 126,000 hires, compared to 140,000 hires in the prior month. Tennessee also had 126,000 separations in November, compared to 150,000 separations in October. (See chart 2.) Over the 12 months ending in November, hires have averaged 152,000 per month and separations have averaged 144,000 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 Tennessee, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
View Chart Data

Among the November separations in Tennessee, 80,000 were quits and 38,000 were layoffs and discharges, compared to 108,000 quits and 35,000 layoffs and discharges in October. (See chart 3.) Over the last 12 months, quits averaged 100,000 per month, ranging from 80,000 to 122,000. Layoffs and discharges have averaged 38,000 per month, ranging from 28,000 to 53,000.

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

State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey estimates for December 2023 are scheduled to be released on Wednesday, February 14, 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 Tennessee, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
EstimateNovember 2022August 2023September 2023October 2023November 2023(p)Change from October 2023 to November 2023(p)

Openings

266235293215193-22

Hires

163150159140126-14

Total separations

152142142150126-24

Quits

1091019610880-28

Layoffs & discharges

37344235383

Footnotes:
(p) Preliminary.

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

Openings(1)

7.56.68.16.15.5-0.6

Hires(2)

5.04.54.84.23.8-0.4

Total separations(3)

4.64.34.34.53.8-0.7

Quits(3)

3.33.02.93.32.4-0.9

Layoffs & discharges(3)

1.11.01.31.11.10.0

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
EstimateNovember 2022August 2023September 2023October 2023November 2023(p)Change from October 2023 to November 2023(p)

Openings(1)

6.55.75.65.35.30.0

Hires(2)

4.13.73.83.73.5-0.2

Total separations(3)

3.93.63.63.63.4-0.2

Quits(3)

2.72.32.32.32.2-0.1

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: Wednesday, January 24, 2024