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

24-2183-ATL
Tuesday, October 22, 2024

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

Kentucky Job Openings and Labor Turnover — August 2024

Kentucky had 133,000 job openings in August 2024, compared to 134,000 openings in July, 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 6.1 percent in August and 6.2 percent in the previous month. (See chart 1 and table 2.) The job openings rate nationally was 4.8 percent in August and 4.6 percent in July. (See table 3.) All data in this release are seasonally adjusted.

  Line chart of job openings as a percent of employment for the United States and Kentucky, August 2020 to August 2024, seasonally adjusted. Accessible version is available in View Chart Data link below the chart.
View Chart Data

The ratio of unemployed persons per job opening in Kentucky was 0.7 in August. Nationwide, 39 states and the District of Columbia had ratios in August that were lower than the national measure of 0.9 unemployed persons per job opening; 9 states had ratios that were higher than the national ratio, and 2 states had ratios equal to the national measure. (See map 1.)

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

(U.S. ratio = 0.9)

In August, Kentucky had 76,000 hires and 66,000 separations, compared to 73,000 hires and 78,000 separations in July. (See chart 2.) Over the 12 months ending in August, hires have averaged 82,000 per month and separations have averaged 76,000 per month. These averages include workers who may have been hired and separated more than once during the year.

  Line chart of hires and total separations in Kentucky, August 2020 to August 2024, seasonally adjusted (in thousands). Accessible version is available in View Chart Data link below the chart.
View Chart Data

Among the August separations in Kentucky, 38,000 were quits and 20,000 were layoffs and discharges, compared to 50,000 quits and 20,000 layoffs and discharges in July. (See chart 3.) Over the last 12 months, quits averaged 51,000 per month, ranging from 38,000 to 57,000. Layoffs and discharges have averaged 20,000 per month, ranging from 18,000 to 22,000.

  Line chart of quits and discharges in Kentucky, August 2020 to August 2024, seasonally adjusted (in thousands). Accessible version is available in View Chart Data link below the chart.
View Chart Data

State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey estimates for September 2024 are scheduled to be released on Wednesday, November 20, 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 Kentucky, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
Estimate August 2023 May 2024 June 2024 July 2024 August 2024(p) Change from July 2024 to August 2024(p)

Openings

 120 137 139 134 133 -1

Hires

 92 81 72 73 76 3

Total separations

 76 80 77 78 66 -12

Quits

 54 56 51 50 38 -12

Layoffs & discharges

 18 20 21 20 20 0

Footnotes:
(p) Preliminary.

Table 2. Job openings and labor turnover rates for Kentucky, seasonally adjusted
Estimate August 2023 May 2024 June 2024 July 2024 August 2024(p) Change from July 2024 to August 2024(p)

Openings(1)

 5.6 6.3 6.4 6.2 6.1 -0.1

Hires(2)

 4.6 4.0 3.5 3.6 3.7 0.1

Total separations(3)

 3.8 3.9 3.8 3.8 3.2 -0.6

Quits(3)

 2.7 2.7 2.5 2.5 1.9 -0.6

Layoffs & discharges(3)

 0.9 1.0 1.0 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.

Table 3. Job openings and labor turnover rates for the United States, seasonally adjusted
Estimate August 2023 May 2024 June 2024 July 2024 August 2024(p) Change from July 2024 to August 2024(p)

Openings(1)

 5.6 4.9 4.8 4.6 4.8 0.2

Hires(2)

 3.8 3.6 3.3 3.4 3.3 -0.1

Total separations(3)

 3.6 3.4 3.2 3.4 3.1 -0.3

Quits(3)

 2.3 2.1 2.0 2.0 1.9 -0.1

Layoffs & discharges(3)

 1.1 1.1 1.0 1.1 1.0 -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.

 

Last Modified Date: Tuesday, October 22, 2024