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Tuesday, February 20, 2024
Texas had 902,000 job openings in December 2023, compared to 854,000 openings in November, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table 1.) Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Michael Hirniak noted that the job openings rate in Texas was 6.0 percent in December and 5.7 percent in the previous month. (See chart 1 and table 2.) The job openings rate nationally was 5.4 percent in December, unchanged from November. (See table 3.) All data in this release are seasonally adjusted.
The ratio of unemployed persons per job opening in Texas was 0.7 in December. Nationwide, 32 states and the District of Columbia had ratios in December that were lower than the national measure of 0.7 unemployed persons per job opening; 8 states had ratios equal to the national ratio, and 10 states had ratios that were higher. (See map 1.)
In December, Texas had 579,000 hires and 529,000 separations, compared to 555,000 hires and 478,000 separations in November. (See chart 2.) Over the 12 months ending in December, hires have averaged 586,000 per month and separations have averaged 533,000 per month. These averages include workers who may have been hired and separated more than once during the year.
Among the December separations in Texas, 368,000 were quits and 137,000 were layoffs and discharges, compared to 334,000 quits and 128,000 layoffs and discharges in November. (See chart 3.) Over the last 12 months, quits averaged 385,000 per month, ranging from 334,000 to 439,000. Layoffs and discharges have averaged 125,000 per month, ranging from 106,000 to 153,000.
The State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey estimates for January 2024 are scheduled to be released on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. (CT).
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:
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.
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.
Estimate | December 2022 | September 2023 | October 2023 | November 2023 | December 2023(p) | Change from November 2023 to December 2023(p) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Openings | 1,029 | 795 | 742 | 854 | 902 | 48 |
Hires | 613 | 550 | 579 | 555 | 579 | 24 |
Total separations | 580 | 524 | 497 | 478 | 529 | 51 |
Quits | 441 | 383 | 363 | 334 | 368 | 34 |
Layoffs & discharges | 120 | 123 | 111 | 128 | 137 | 9 |
Estimate | December 2022 | September 2023 | October 2023 | November 2023 | December 2023(p) | Change from November 2023 to December 2023(p) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Openings(1) | 7.0 | 5.4 | 5.0 | 5.7 | 6.0 | 0.3 |
Hires(2) | 4.5 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 0.2 |
Total separations(3) | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 0.4 |
Quits(3) | 3.2 | 2.7 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 0.2 |
Layoffs & discharges(3) | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 0.1 |
(p) Preliminary. |
Estimate | December 2022 | September 2023 | October 2023 | November 2023 | December 2023(p) | Change from November 2023 to December 2023(p) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Openings(1) | 6.8 | 5.6 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 0.0 |
Hires(2) | 4.0 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 0.1 |
Total separations(3) | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 0.0 |
Quits(3) | 2.6 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 0.0 |
Layoffs & discharges(3) | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
(p) Preliminary. |
Last Modified Date: Tuesday, February 20, 2024