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

25-268-SAN
Wednesday, February 26, 2025

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (415) 625-2270

Arizona Job Openings and Labor Turnover — December 2024

Arizona had 173,000 job openings in December 2024, compared to 199,000 openings in November, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table 1.) Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that the job openings rate in Arizona was 5.0 percent in December and 5.7 percent in the previous month. (See chart 1 and table 2.) The job openings rate nationally was 4.5 percent in December and 4.9 percent in November. (See table 3.) All data in this release are seasonally adjusted.

The ratio of unemployed persons per job opening in Arizona was 0.8 in December. Nationwide, 36 states and the District of Columbia had ratios in December that were lower than the national measure of 0.9 unemployed persons per job opening; 10 states had ratios that were higher than the national ratio, and 4 states had ratios equal to the national measure. (See map 1.)

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

(U.S. ratio = 0.9)

 

In December, Arizona had 121,000 hires and 101,000 separations, compared to 115,000 hires and 96,000 separations in November. (See chart 2.) Over the 12 months ending in December, hires have averaged 121,000 per month and separations have averaged 120,000 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 Arizona, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
Month Hires Total separations

Mar 2020

 120 237

Apr 2020

 69 206

May 2020

 200 79

Jun 2020

 160 99

Jul 2020

 98 114

Aug 2020

 123 97

Sep 2020

 145 120

Oct 2020

 129 101

Nov 2020

 115 121

Dec 2020

 115 124

Jan 2021

 117 100

Feb 2021

 119 127

Mar 2021

 145 134

Apr 2021

 131 132

May 2021

 115 121

Jun 2021

 125 114

Jul 2021

 127 115

Aug 2021

 131 117

Sep 2021

 137 123

Oct 2021

 144 122

Nov 2021

 144 141

Dec 2021

 151 140

Jan 2022

 163 154

Feb 2022

 162 130

Mar 2022

 166 153

Apr 2022

 137 125

May 2022

 159 140

Jun 2022

 156 168

Jul 2022

 158 142

Aug 2022

 154 144

Sep 2022

 149 139

Oct 2022

 148 152

Nov 2022

 150 138

Dec 2022

 142 125

Jan 2023

 162 123

Feb 2023

 138 128

Mar 2023

 147 141

Apr 2023

 148 142

May 2023

 147 119

Jun 2023

 135 160

Jul 2023

 127 131

Aug 2023

 130 135

Sep 2023

 130 135

Oct 2023

 138 133

Nov 2023

 115 132

Dec 2023

 131 133

Jan 2024

 126 120

Feb 2024

 120 119

Mar 2024

 114 111

Among the December separations in Arizona, 61,000 were quits and 32,000 were layoffs and discharges, compared to 59,000 quits and 31,000 layoffs and discharges in November. (See chart 3.) Over the 12 months ending in December, quits averaged 73,000 per month, ranging from 59,000 to 88,000. Layoffs and discharges have averaged 39,000 per month, ranging from 31,000 to 50,000.

 

The State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey estimates for January 2025 are scheduled to be released on Thursday, March 20, 2025, 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 Arizona, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
Estimate December 2023 September 2024 October 2024 November 2024 December 2024(p) Change from November 2024 to December 2024(p)

Openings

 167 180 172 199 173 -26

Hires

 128 122 108 115 121 6

Total separations

 125 111 134 96 101 5

Quits

 72 65 88 59 61 2

Layoffs & discharges

 35 38 38 31 32 1

Footnotes:
(p) Preliminary.
Table 2. Job openings and labor turnover rates for Arizona, seasonally adjusted
Estimate December 2023 September 2024 October 2024 November 2024 December 2024(p) Change from November 2024 to December 2024(p)

Openings(1)

 4.9 5.2 5.0 5.7 5.0 -0.7

Hires(2)

 4.0 3.7 3.3 3.5 3.7 0.2

Total separations(3)

 3.9 3.4 4.1 2.9 3.1 0.2

Quits(3)

 2.2 2.0 2.7 1.8 1.9 0.1

Layoffs & discharges(3)

 1.1 1.2 1.2 0.9 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.
Table 3. Job openings and labor turnover rates for the United States, seasonally adjusted
Estimate December 2023 September 2024 October 2024 November 2024 December 2024(p) Change from November 2024 to December 2024(p)

Openings(1)

 5.3 4.4 4.7 4.9 4.5 -0.4

Hires(2)

 3.7 3.5 3.4 3.4 3.4 0.0

Total separations(3)

 3.4 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.3 0.0

Quits(3)

 2.2 1.9 2.1 2.0 2.0 0.0

Layoffs & discharges(3)

 1.0 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 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.

 

Last Modified Date: Wednesday, February 26, 2025