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1 Technical information: (202) 691-5870 http://www.bls.gov/jlt/ Media contact: USDL 04-1025 For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT Wednesday, June 9, 2004 691-5902 JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: APRIL 2004 There were 4.4 million hires and 4.0 million separations during April, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The number of hires dropped by 245,000 from March to April, but remained above the number of separations for the 12th straight month. The job openings rate was unchanged at 2.3 percent in April. The series in this report include estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector by industry and geographic region. Chart 2. Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted, Percent December 2000 - April 2004 Chart 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted, Percent December 2000 - April 2004 4.0 4.0 3.8 3.8 3.6 3.6 3.4 3.4 3.2 3.2 3.0 3.0 2.8 2.8 2.6 2.6 2.4 2.4 2.2 2.2 2.0 2.0 Hires Separations 1.8 1.8 2001 2002 2003 2004 2001 2002 2003 2004 Job Openings On the last business day of April, there were 3.1 million job openings in the United States, and the job openings rate (the number of job openings on the last business day of the month divided by employment plus job openings) was 2.3 percent. (See table 1.) The job openings rate has ranged from 2.0 to 2.4 percent since October 2001. Over the month, the job openings rate edged up for manufacturing, while showing little or no change in other major industry categories. Hires and Separations The hires rate (the number of hires during the month divided by employment) decreased to 3.3 percent in April. (See table 2.) Hires are any additions to the payroll during the month. The hires rate decreased in professional and business services in April, following an increase in March. The hires rate for government decreased to 1.4 percent in April. Other major industries showed little or no change in their hires rates over the month. However, in the leisure and hospitality industry, there were approximately 100,000 more hires each month in February, March, and April 2004 than in the same months in 2003. 2 Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally adjusted Job openings Industry Apr. 2003 Mar. 2004 Apr. 2004p Apr. 2003 Hires Mar. 2004 Apr. 2004p Total separations Apr. Mar. Apr. 2004 2004p 2003 Levels (in thousands) 1 Total .................................................... Total private 1..................................... Construction ................................... Manufacturing ................................ Trade, transportation, and utilities ........................................... Professional and business services ......................................... Education and health services .... Leisure and hospitality ................. Government .......................................... 2,807 2,430 100 183 3,079 2,740 113 232 3,091 2,733 112 259 3,911 3,610 357 282 4,603 4,256 437 361 4,358 4,044 409 349 3,975 3,740 411 391 4,134 3,868 392 377 4,029 3,785 391 364 439 524 518 838 1,009 1,028 867 978 958 460 569 337 371 502 559 370 353 494 566 368 357 624 713 600 419 444 459 656 810 754 303 343 306 Rates (percent) 568 387 699 231 597 382 715 284 589 385 671 251 Total 1................................................... Total private 1................................... Construction ................................... Manufacturing ................................ Trade, transportation, and utilities ........................................... Professional and business services ......................................... Education and health services .... Leisure and hospitality ................. Government .......................................... 2.1 2.2 1.5 1.2 2.3 2.5 1.6 1.6 2.3 2.4 1.6 1.8 3.0 3.3 5.3 1.9 3.5 3.9 6.4 2.5 3.3 3.7 6.0 2.4 3.1 3.5 6.1 2.7 3.2 3.5 5.7 2.6 3.1 3.5 5.7 2.5 1.7 2.0 2.0 3.3 4.0 4.0 3.4 3.8 3.8 2.8 3.3 2.7 1.7 3.0 3.2 2.9 1.6 2.9 3.3 2.9 1.6 3.9 2.5 5.4 1.4 4.4 2.6 6.6 1.6 3.7 2.7 6.1 1.4 3.6 2.3 5.8 1.1 3.7 2.3 5.8 1.3 3.6 2.3 5.5 1.2 1 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately. p = preliminary. The total separations, or turnover, rate (the number of separations during the month divided by employment) was 3.1 percent in April and has remained in the range of 2.9 to 3.3 percent since December 2001. Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any time during the month. The total separations rate for government edged down in April, and the other major industries showed little or no change in their total separations rates over the month. (See table 3.) Total separations include quits (voluntary separations), layoffs and discharges (involuntary separations), and other separations (including retirements). The quits rate, which can serve as a barometer of workers’ ability to change jobs, was unchanged at 1.7 percent in April. (See table 4.) There were more quits in February, March, and April 2004 than in the same months in 2003. Quits as a percent of total separations has been increasing since December 2003; quits were 55.2 percent of total separations in April. In the education and health services industry, quits were 64.4 percent of total separations. The other two components of total separations, layoffs and discharges (1.0 percent) and other separations (0.2 percent), are not seasonally adjusted. (See tables 9 and 10.) Hires and separations help show dynamic flows in the labor market. Over the last 12 months, hires have averaged 4.1 million per month and separations have averaged 3.9 million per month. (See the Technical Note for additional information on these measures.) Hires have outpaced separations in each of the last 12 months. In March and April, hires outpaced separations in every industry except manufacturing. 3 The trade, transportation, and utilities industry reported 23.6 percent of the 4.4 million hires and 23.8 percent of the 4.0 million separations in April. The South region reported 36.0 percent of hires and 36.9 percent of separations. For More Information For additional information, please see the Technical Note or the JOLTS Web site at www.bls.gov/jlt/. Additional information about JOLTS also may be obtained by e-mailing Joltsinfo@bls.gov or by calling (202) 691-5870. ______________________________ The report on Job Openings and Labor Turnover for May 2004 is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, July 7, 2004. Technical Note The data for the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) are collected and compiled monthly from a sample of business establishments by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Collection Each month, data are collected in a survey of business establishments for total employment, job openings, hires, quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Data collection methods include computer-assisted telephone interviewing, touchtone data entry, fax, and mail. Coverage The JOLTS program covers all private nonfarm establishments such as factories, offices, and stores, as well as federal, state, and local government entities in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Concepts Industry classification. The industry classifications in this release are in accordance with the 2002 version of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). In order to ensure the highest possible quality of data, State Employment Security Agencies verify with employers and update, if necessary, the industry code, location, and ownership classification of all establishments on a 3-year cycle. Changes in establishment characteristics resulting from the verification process are always introduced into the JOLTS sampling frame with the data reported for the first month of the year. Employment. Employment includes persons on the payroll who worked or received pay for the pay period that includes the 12th day of the reference month. Full-time, part-time, permanent, short-term, seasonal, salaried, and hourly employees are included, as are employees on paid vacations or other paid leave. Proprietors or partners of unincorporated businesses, unpaid family workers, or persons on leave without pay or on strike for the entire pay period, are not counted as employed. Employees of temporary help agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors, and consultants are counted by their employer of record, not by the establishment where they are working. Job openings. Establishments submit job openings information for the last business day of the reference month. A job opening requires that: 1) a specific position exists and there is work available for that position, 2) work could start within 30 days regardless of whether a suitable candidate is found, and 3) the employer is actively recruiting from outside the establishment to fill the position. Included are full-time, part-time, permanent, short-term, and seasonal openings. Active recruiting means that the establishment is taking steps to fill a position by advertising in newspapers or on the Internet, posting help-wanted signs, accepting applications, or using other similar methods. Jobs to be filled only by internal transfers, promotions, demotions, or recall from layoffs are excluded. Also excluded are jobs with start dates more than 30 days in the future, jobs for which employees have been hired but have not yet reported for work, and jobs to be filled by employees of temporary help agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors, or consultants. 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. Hires. Hires are the total number of additions to the payroll occurring at any time during the reference month, including both new and rehired employees, full-time and part-time, permanent, short-term, and seasonal employees, employees recalled to the location after a layoff lasting more than 7 days, on-call or intermittent employees who returned to work after having been formally separated, and transfers from other locations. The hires count does not include transfers or promotions within the reporting site, employees returning from strike, employees of temporary help agencies or employee leasing companies, outside contractors, or consultants. The hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100. Separations. Separations are the total number of terminations of employment occurring at any time during the reference month, and are reported by type of separation— quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Quits are voluntary separations by employees (except for retirements, which are reported as other separations). Layoffs and discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the employer and include layoffs with no intent to rehire, formal layoffs lasting or expected to last more than 7 days, discharges resulting from mergers, downsizing, or closings, firings or other discharges for cause, terminations of permanent or short-term employees, and terminations of seasonal employees. Other separations include retirements, transfers to other locations, deaths, and separations due to disability. Separations do not include transfers within the same location or employees on strike. The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of separations by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100. The quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations rates are computed similarly, dividing the number by employment and multiplying by 100. Sample methodology The JOLTS sample design is a random sample of 16,000 nonfarm business establishments, including factories, offices, and stores, as well as federal, state, and local governments in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The establishments are drawn from a universe of over eight million establishments compiled as part of the operations of the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, or QCEW, program. This program includes all employers subject to state Unemployment Insurance (UI) laws and federal agencies subject to Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE). The sampling frame is stratified by ownership, region, industry sector, and size class. Large firms fall into the sample with virtual certainty. JOLTS total employment estimates are controlled to the employment estimates of the Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey. A ratio of CES to JOLTS employment is used to adjust the levels for all other JOLTS data elements. Rates are then computed from the adjusted levels. Using JOLTS data The JOLTS data series on job openings, hires, and separations are relatively new. The full sample is divided into panels, with one panel enrolled each month. A full complement of panels for the original data series based on the 1987 Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system was not completely enrolled in the survey until January 2002. The supplemental panels of establishments needed to create NAICS estimates were not completely enrolled until May 2003. The data collected up until those points are from less than a full sample. Therefore, estimates from earlier months should be used with caution, as fewer sampled units were reporting data at that time. In March 2002, BLS procedures for collecting hires and separations data were revised to address possible underreporting. As a result, JOLTS hires and separations estimates for months prior to March 2002 may not be comparable with estimates for March 2002 and later. The federal government reorganization that involved transferring approximately 180,000 employees to the new Department of Homeland Security is not reflected in the JOLTS hires and separations estimates for the federal government. The Office of Personnel Management’s record shows these transfers were completed in March 2003. The inclusion of transfers in the JOLTS definitions of hires and separations is intended to cover ongoing movements of workers between establishments. The Department of Homeland Security reorganization was a massive one-time event, and the inclusion of these intergovernmental transfers would distort the federal government time series. Seasonal adjustment BLS seasonally adjusts several JOLTS series using the X-12-ARIMA seasonal adjustment program. Seasonal adjustment is the process of estimating and removing periodic fluctuations caused by events such as weather, holidays, and the beginning and ending of the school year. Seasonal adjustment makes it easier to observe fundamental changes in the level of the series, particularly those associated with general economic expansions and contractions. A concurrent seasonal adjustment methodology is used in which new seasonal adjustment factors are calculated each month, using all relevant data, up to and including the data for the current month. Data users should note that seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS series is conducted with fewer data observations than is customary. The historical data, therefore, may be subject to larger than normal revisions. Since the seasonal patterns in economic data series typically emerge over time, the standard use of moving averages as seasonal filters to capture these effects requires longer series than are currently available. As a result, the stable seasonal filter option is used in the seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS data. When calculating seasonal factors, this filter takes an average for each calendar month after detrending the series. The stable seasonal filter assumes that the seasonal factors are fixed; a necessary assumption until sufficient data are available. When the stable seasonal filter is no longer needed, other program features also may be introduced, such as outlier adjustment and extended diagnostic testing. Additionally, it is expected that more series, such as layoffs and discharges and additional industries, may be seasonally adjusted when more data are available. Reliability of the estimates JOLTS estimates are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error. When a sample rather than the entire population is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample estimates may differ from the “true” population values they represent. The exact difference, or sampling error, varies depending on the particular sample selected, and this variability is measured by the standard error of the estimate. BLS analysis is generally conducted at the 90-percent level of confidence. That means that there is a 90-percent chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate based on a sample will differ by no more than 1.6 standard errors from the “true” population value because of sampling error. Estimates of sampling errors are available upon request. The JOLTS estimates also are affected by nonsampling error. Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, including the failure to include a segment of the population, the inability to obtain data from all units in the sample, the inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide data on a timely basis, mistakes made by respondents, errors made in the collection or processing of the data, and errors from the employment benchmark data used in estimation. JOLTS hires and separations estimates cannot be used to exactly explain net changes in nonfarm payroll employment. Some reasons why it is problematic to compare changes in payroll employment with JOLTS hires and separations, especially on a monthly basis, are: 1) the reference period for payroll employment is the pay period including the 12th of the month, while the reference period for hires and separations is the calendar month; and 2) payroll employment can vary from month to month simply because part-time and on-call workers may not always work during the pay period that includes the 12th of the month. Additionally, research has found that some reporters systematically underreport separations relative to hires due to a number of factors, including the nature of their payroll systems and practices. The shortfall appears to be about 2 percent or less over a 12-month period. Other information Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; TDD message referral phone: 1-800-877-8339. 1 2 Table 1. Job openings levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted 3 Levels (in thousands) Industry and region Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. 2003 2003 2003 2004 Rates Apr. Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. 2004 Mar. 2004 2004p 2003 2003 2003 2004 2004 Mar. 2004 2004p Total4…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2,807 2,952 3,062 2,868 2,906 3,079 3,091 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.2 2.3 2.3 99 226 458 491 551 383 364 2,740 113 232 524 502 559 370 353 2,733 112 259 518 494 566 368 357 2.2 1.5 1.2 1.7 2.8 3.3 2.7 1.7 2.3 1.3 1.5 2.0 3.0 3.2 2.9 1.6 2.4 1.6 1.6 2.0 3.5 3.0 3.2 1.6 2.3 1.5 1.6 1.7 3.0 3.2 2.9 1.6 2.3 1.4 1.6 1.8 2.9 3.2 3.0 1.7 2.5 1.6 1.6 2.0 3.0 3.2 2.9 1.6 2.4 1.6 1.8 2.0 2.9 3.3 2.9 1.6 500 1,112 680 632 569 1,176 663 655 559 1,201 659 672 2.0 2.3 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.5 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.6 2.1 2.2 1.9 2.4 2.2 2.0 2.0 2.4 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.5 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.5 2.1 2.3 Apr. INDUSTRY 4 Total private ……………………………………………………………………………….. 2,430 2,593 2,719 2,518 2,534 Construction……………………………………………………………… 100 89 110 106 Manufacturing………………………………………………………. 183 221 234 233 Trade, transportation, and utilities………………………… 439 513 520 430 Professional and business services……………………. 460 499 594 501 Education and health services…………………………………………. 569 551 520 549 Leisure and hospitality………………...…………………………… 337 364 399 368 Government…………………………………………………………………………….. 371 358 351 350 REGION Northeast………………………………………………………………. 509 526 541 476 South………………………………………………………………………………….. 1,071 1,154 1,204 1,132 Midwest…………………………………………………………………………….. 616 655 666 679 West………………………………………………………………………….. 608 621 649 1 586 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day the regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, of the month. 2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and day of the month as a percent of total employment plus job openings. 3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, seasonal adjustment of the various series. 4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and West Virginia; Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, and other services, not shown separately. P = preliminary. and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, NOTE: The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise and Wyoming. Table 2. Hires levels1 and rates2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted Levels3 (in thousands) Industry and region Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Rates Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. 2004 2003 2003 2003 2004 2004 Mar. 2004 2004p 4,603 4,358 3.0 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.5 3.3 382 355 945 529 447 766 323 4,256 437 361 1,009 713 444 810 343 4,044 409 349 1,028 600 459 754 306 3.3 5.3 1.9 3.3 3.9 2.5 5.4 1.4 3.5 5.9 2.4 3.5 3.8 2.6 6.4 1.4 3.6 6.0 2.4 3.6 4.0 2.5 6.2 1.4 3.5 5.3 2.4 3.8 4.4 2.5 5.9 1.4 3.5 5.6 2.5 3.7 3.3 2.7 6.3 1.5 3.9 6.4 2.5 4.0 4.4 2.6 6.6 1.6 3.7 6.0 2.4 4.0 3.7 2.7 6.1 1.4 689 1,608 953 876 744 1,781 1,040 1,029 772 1,567 975 1,089 2.6 3.3 2.9 3.2 2.9 3.3 3.0 3.3 3.2 3.3 2.9 3.5 2.9 3.4 3.0 3.1 2.8 3.5 3.1 3.1 3.0 3.9 3.4 3.6 3.1 3.4 3.1 3.8 2004 Mar. 2004 Total4…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3,911 4,135 4,216 4,106 4,103 2003 2003 2003 2004 Apr. p Apr. INDUSTRY 4 Total private ……………………………………………………………………………….. 3,610 3,843 3,923 3,800 3,772 Construction……………………………………………………………… 357 397 404 358 Manufacturing………………………………………………………. 282 345 340 349 Trade, transportation, and utilities………………………… 838 875 913 957 Professional and business services……………………. 624 613 650 708 Education and health services…………………………………………. 419 436 427 416 Leisure and hospitality………………...…………………………… 656 776 753 715 Government…………………………………………………………………………….. 303 302 300 295 REGION Northeast………………………………………………………………. 646 717 792 722 South………………………………………………………………………………….. 1,499 1,508 1,517 1,585 Midwest…………………………………………………………………………….. 886 925 897 921 West………………………………………………………………………….. 919 924 992 883 1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month. 2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series. 4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately. P = preliminary. NOTE: See NOTE, table 1. 1 2 Table 3. Total separations levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted 3 Levels (in thousands) Industry and region Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. 2003 2003 2003 2004 Rates Apr. Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. 2004 Mar. 2004 2004p 2003 2003 2003 2004 2004 Mar. 2004 2004p Total4…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3,975 3,797 4,022 3,968 4,073 4,134 4,029 3.1 2.9 3.1 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.1 400 355 899 590 388 727 268 3,868 392 377 978 597 382 715 284 3,785 391 364 958 589 385 671 251 3.5 6.1 2.7 3.4 3.6 2.3 5.8 1.1 3.3 5.5 2.3 3.4 3.4 2.2 5.6 1.2 3.4 5.8 2.4 3.8 3.6 2.0 5.9 1.2 3.4 6.4 2.3 3.7 3.5 2.3 5.8 1.2 3.5 5.9 2.5 3.5 3.6 2.3 5.9 1.2 3.5 5.7 2.6 3.8 3.7 2.3 5.8 1.3 3.5 5.7 2.5 3.8 3.6 2.3 5.5 1.2 688 1,499 929 941 666 1,612 938 1,003 720 1,486 864 955 2.6 3.3 2.9 3.1 2.5 3.1 2.9 3.0 2.8 3.3 2.9 3.2 2.9 3.3 2.9 3.2 2.8 3.3 3.0 3.3 2.7 3.5 3.0 3.5 2.9 3.2 2.8 3.3 Apr. INDUSTRY 4 Total private ……………………………………………………………………………….. 3,740 3,543 3,723 3,716 3,807 Construction……………………………………………………………… 411 372 391 436 Manufacturing………………………………………………………. 391 330 343 323 Trade, transportation, and utilities………………………… 867 856 968 936 Professional and business services……………………. 568 542 575 572 Education and health services…………………………………………. 387 372 330 389 Leisure and hospitality………………...…………………………… 699 678 723 709 Government…………………………………………………………………………….. 231 259 269 258 REGION Northeast………………………………………………………………. 643 622 687 712 South………………………………………………………………………………….. 1,533 1,438 1,518 1,505 Midwest…………………………………………………………………………….. 902 881 901 903 West………………………………………………………………………….. 889 858 898 896 1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month. 2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series. 4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately. P = preliminary. NOTE: See NOTE, table 1. Table 4. Quits levels1 and rates2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted Levels3 (in thousands) Industry and region Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. 2003 2003 2003 2004 Rates Apr. Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. 2004 Mar. 2004 2004p 2003 2003 2003 2004 2004 Mar. 2004 2004p Total4…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2,048 2,104 2,131 2,118 2,178 2,271 2,225 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.7 133 169 493 302 234 447 126 2,144 154 176 530 309 252 465 129 2,096 163 188 530 307 248 420 127 1.8 1.6 1.0 1.9 1.8 1.4 3.6 .5 1.8 2.3 1.2 1.9 1.6 1.3 3.8 .5 1.9 2.5 1.2 2.1 1.6 1.3 3.8 .6 1.8 2.2 1.2 2.1 1.6 1.4 3.5 .5 1.9 2.0 1.2 1.9 1.9 1.4 3.7 .6 2.0 2.3 1.2 2.1 1.9 1.5 3.8 .6 1.9 2.4 1.3 2.1 1.9 1.5 3.4 .6 319 867 455 520 314 957 474 565 381 872 467 517 1.2 1.8 1.5 1.7 1.2 1.9 1.5 1.6 1.3 1.9 1.5 1.5 1.2 1.9 1.7 1.7 1.3 1.9 1.5 1.8 1.3 2.1 1.5 2.0 1.5 1.9 1.5 1.8 Apr. INDUSTRY Total private4……………………………………………………………………………….. 1,933 1,999 2,010 2,002 2,051 Construction……………………………………………………………… 106 158 171 148 Manufacturing………………………………………………………. 151 166 178 165 Trade, transportation, and utilities………………………… 491 491 534 530 Professional and business services……………………. 280 261 256 261 Education and health services…………………………………………. 230 225 212 237 Leisure and hospitality………………...…………………………… 436 463 462 428 Government…………………………………………………………………………….. 113 100 119 116 REGION Northeast………………………………………………………………. 297 301 315 288 South………………………………………………………………………………….. 817 869 894 852 Midwest…………………………………………………………………………….. 456 466 465 513 West………………………………………………………………………….. 472 464 436 475 1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month. 2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series. 4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately. P = preliminary. NOTE: See NOTE, table 1. Table 5. Job openings levels1 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted Levels (in thousands) Industry and region Rates Apr. Mar. Apr. Apr. Mar. Apr. 2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p 3,249 2.2 2.3 2.4 2,888 8 6 Construction………………………………………………………………………………………… 128 112 146 Manufacturing…………………………………………………………………………. 180 230 260 Durable goods...……………………………………………………………..…. 109 145 170 Nondurable goods...………………………………………………………..… 71 85 90 Trade, transportation, and utilities……………………………………………. 454 518 537 Wholesale trade………………………………………………………...……… 78 94 115 Retail trade………………………………………………………..…..……….. 306 333 342 Transportation, warehousing, and utilities………………....70 91 79 Information………………………………………………………………...……….. 47 68 65 Financial activities……..…………………………………………………….…… 165 189 223 Finance and insurance…………………………………………………………………………. 118 157 178 Real estate and rental and leasing…………………………….. 47 32 45 Professional and business services…………………………………. 489 499 514 Education and health services………………………………………….……………. 563 543 563 Educational services………………………………………………………. 36 43 50 Health care and social assistance……………………………. 527 500 513 Leisure and hospitality………………...……………………………...……… 400 408 437 Arts, entertainment, and recreation………………………………. 54 44 35 Accommodations and food services…………………………. 346 364 401 Other services……………………………………………………….…………….. 129 138 137 2.3 .8 1.9 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.8 1.4 2.0 1.4 1.4 2.0 2.0 2.2 3.0 3.3 1.3 3.7 3.2 3.0 3.3 2.3 2.5 1.3 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.6 2.0 1.7 2.2 1.9 2.1 2.3 2.6 1.6 3.0 3.1 1.5 3.4 3.3 2.6 3.4 2.5 2.6 1.0 2.1 1.8 1.9 1.6 2.1 2.0 2.3 1.6 2.0 2.7 2.9 2.1 3.0 3.2 1.7 3.5 3.4 2.0 3.7 2.5 362 46 316 1.7 1.4 1.7 1.6 1.4 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.6 576 1,263 703 707 2.1 2.4 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.5 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.7 2.2 2.4 Total…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2,935 3,061 INDUSTRY Total private……………………………………………………………………………….. 2,559 2,713 Natural resources and mining…………………………………………… 5 Government…………………………………………………………………………….. 376 348 Federal……………………………………………………………………...…………… 39 40 State and local…………….………………………………………….………………. 337 309 REGION Northeast…………………………………………………………………………….. 522 556 South………………………………………………………………………………….. 1,121 1,173 Midwest………………………………………………………………………………..….. 655 684 West…………………………………………………………………………………………. 636 648 1 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day of the month. 2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business day of the month as a percent of total employment plus job openings. P = preliminary. NOTE: See NOTE, table 1. Table 6. Hires levels1 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted Levels (in thousands) Industry and region Rates Apr. Mar. Apr. Apr. Mar. Apr. 2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p 4,584 3.2 3.4 3.5 4,358 21 25 Construction………………………………………………………………………………………… 463 479 532 Manufacturing…………………………………………………………………………. 293 370 363 Durable goods...……………………………………………………………..…. 168 237 214 Nondurable goods...………………………………………………………..… 126 133 149 Trade, transportation, and utilities……………………………………………. 806 891 1,007 Wholesale trade………………………………………………………...……… 124 161 176 Retail trade………………………………………………………..…..……….. 580 613 694 Transportation, warehousing, and utilities……………….... 101 116 136 Information………………………………………………………………...……….. 67 65 68 Financial activities……..…………………………………………………….…… 182 177 197 Finance and insurance…………………………………………………………………………. 92 111 114 Real estate and rental and leasing…………………………….. 89 66 83 Professional and business services…………………………………. 727 725 680 Education and health services………………………………………….……………. 360 411 401 Educational services………………………………………………………. 38 39 36 Health care and social assistance……………………………. 323 372 365 Leisure and hospitality………………...……………………………...……… 794 823 899 Arts, entertainment, and recreation………………………………. 186 110 162 Accommodations and food services…………………………. 608 713 738 Other services……………………………………………………….…………….. 163 160 186 3.6 3.7 7.1 2.0 1.9 2.3 3.2 2.2 3.9 2.1 2.1 2.3 1.6 4.4 4.6 2.2 1.3 2.3 6.6 10.7 5.9 3.0 3.8 3.7 7.4 2.6 2.7 2.5 3.6 2.9 4.2 2.4 2.1 2.2 1.9 3.3 4.5 2.4 1.4 2.6 6.9 6.6 6.9 3.0 4.0 4.4 7.9 2.5 2.4 2.8 4.0 3.1 4.7 2.9 2.1 2.5 1.9 4.0 4.2 2.4 1.2 2.6 7.4 9.3 7.0 3.5 226 37 189 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.1 1.0 1.1 1.0 1.4 1.0 761 1,615 1,083 1,126 2.5 3.4 3.2 3.3 2.6 3.8 3.2 3.4 3.0 3.5 3.5 3.9 Total…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4,101 4,357 INDUSTRY Total private……………………………………………………………………………….. 3,876 4,123 Natural resources and mining…………………………………………… 21 Government…………………………………………………………………………….. 224 235 Federal……………………………………………………………………...…………… 27 26 State and local…………….………………………………………….………………. 197 208 REGION Northeast…………………………………………………………………………….. 630 649 South………………………………………………………………………………….. 1,554 1,753 Midwest………………………………………………………………………………..….. 981 985 West…………………………………………………………………………………………. 935 970 1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month. 2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment. P = preliminary. NOTE: See NOTE, table 1. Table 7. Total separations levels1 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted Levels (in thousands) Rates Industry and region Apr. Mar. Apr. Apr. Mar. Apr. 2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p 3,677 2.8 2.8 2.8 3,492 16 18 Construction………………………………………………………………………………………… 339 360 324 Manufacturing…………………………………………………………………………. 379 345 354 Durable goods...……………………………………………………………..…. 246 207 194 Nondurable goods...………………………………………………………..… 133 137 159 Trade, transportation, and utilities……………………………………………. 746 876 828 Wholesale trade………………………………………………………...……… 104 148 134 Retail trade………………………………………………………..…..……….. 548 597 568 Transportation, warehousing, and utilities………………....95 131 126 Information………………………………………………………………...……….. 52 71 86 Financial activities……..…………………………………………………….…… 164 135 148 Finance and insurance…………………………………………………………………………. 90 87 88 Real estate and rental and leasing…………………………….. 74 48 60 Professional and business services…………………………………. 549 550 576 Education and health services………………………………………….……………. 348 346 352 Educational services………………………………………………………. 45 34 29 Health care and social assistance……………………………. 303 313 323 Leisure and hospitality………………...……………………………...……… 707 585 667 Arts, entertainment, and recreation………………………………. 124 71 123 Accommodations and food services…………………………. 583 514 544 Other services……………………………………………………….…………….. 155 152 139 3.2 2.4 5.2 2.6 2.7 2.4 3.0 1.8 3.7 2.0 1.6 2.1 1.5 3.6 3.5 2.1 1.6 2.2 5.9 7.1 5.7 2.9 3.2 2.8 5.5 2.4 2.3 2.5 3.5 2.6 4.0 2.8 2.3 1.7 1.5 2.4 3.4 2.0 1.2 2.2 4.9 4.3 5.0 2.8 3.2 3.1 4.8 2.5 2.2 3.0 3.3 2.4 3.8 2.6 2.7 1.8 1.5 2.9 3.5 2.1 1.0 2.3 5.5 7.1 5.2 2.6 185 25 160 .8 .8 .8 .9 1.0 .9 .8 .9 .8 625 1,406 743 903 2.2 3.2 2.6 2.9 2.2 3.1 2.5 3.2 2.5 3.0 2.4 3.2 Total…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3,630 3,632 INDUSTRY Total private……………………………………………………………………………….. 3,452 3,437 Natural resources and mining…………………………………………… 13 Government…………………………………………………………………………….. 178 195 Federal……………………………………………………………………...…………… 22 26 State and local…………….………………………………………….………………. 156 168 REGION Northeast…………………………………………………………………………….. 536 538 South………………………………………………………………………………….. 1,460 1,412 Midwest………………………………………………………………………………..….. 800 764 West…………………………………………………………………………………………. 835 917 1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month. 2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of total employment. P = preliminary. NOTE: See NOTE, table 1. Table 8. Quits levels1 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted Levels (in thousands) Industry and region Rates Apr. Mar. Apr. Apr. Mar. Apr. 2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p 2,114 1.5 1.6 1.6 2,018 8 9 Construction………………………………………………………………………………………… 105 140 164 Manufacturing…………………………………………………………………………. 150 164 190 Durable goods...……………………………………………………………..…. 89 94 114 Nondurable goods...………………………………………………………..… 61 70 76 Trade, transportation, and utilities……………………………………………. 462 484 503 Wholesale trade………………………………………………………...……… 53 73 64 Retail trade………………………………………………………..…..……….. 361 357 388 Transportation, warehousing, and utilities………………....48 54 50 Information………………………………………………………………...……….. 30 33 49 Financial activities……..…………………………………………………….…… 120 76 97 Finance and insurance…………………………………………………………………………. 63 53 58 Real estate and rental and leasing…………………………….. 57 23 39 Professional and business services…………………………………. 255 296 286 Education and health services………………………………………….……………. 212 224 230 Educational services………………………………………………………. 23 14 17 Health care and social assistance……………………………. 189 211 213 Leisure and hospitality………………...……………………………...……… 425 391 403 Arts, entertainment, and recreation………………………………. 38 29 47 Accommodations and food services…………………………. 387 362 356 Other services……………………………………………………….…………….. 88 109 87 1.7 1.3 1.6 1.0 1.0 1.1 1.8 .9 2.5 1.0 .9 1.5 1.1 2.8 1.6 1.3 .8 1.4 3.6 2.2 3.8 1.6 1.8 1.4 2.2 1.1 1.1 1.3 1.9 1.3 2.4 1.1 1.0 1.0 .9 1.2 1.8 1.3 .5 1.5 3.3 1.7 3.5 2.0 1.9 1.6 2.4 1.3 1.3 1.4 2.0 1.1 2.6 1.1 1.6 1.2 1.0 1.9 1.7 1.4 .6 1.5 3.3 2.7 3.4 1.6 97 12 85 .4 .4 .4 .5 .5 .5 .4 .4 .4 327 857 433 497 1.0 1.8 1.4 1.6 1.0 1.9 1.3 1.8 1.3 1.9 1.4 1.7 Total…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 1,938 2,024 INDUSTRY Total private……………………………………………………………………………….. 1,853 1,925 Natural resources and mining…………………………………………… 7 Government…………………………………………………………………………….. 85 99 Federal……………………………………………………………………...…………… 11 12 State and local…………….………………………………………….………………. 74 87 REGION Northeast…………………………………………………………………………….. 254 252 South………………………………………………………………………………….. 809 855 Midwest………………………………………………………………………………..….. 426 400 West…………………………………………………………………………………………. 451 517 1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month. 2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment. P = preliminary. NOTE: See NOTE, table 1. Table 9. Layoffs and discharges levels1 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted Levels (in thousands) Rates Industry and region Apr. Mar. Apr. Apr. Mar. Apr. 2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p 1,300 1.1 1.1 1.0 1,247 5 5 Construction………………………………………………………………………………………… 221 211 145 Manufacturing…………………………………………………………………………. 191 150 139 Durable goods...……………………………………………………………..…. 127 89 62 Nondurable goods...………………………………………………………..… 64 61 77 Trade, transportation, and utilities……………………………………………. 228 328 253 Wholesale trade………………………………………………………...……… 33 68 61 Retail trade………………………………………………………..…..……….. 164 195 142 Transportation, warehousing, and utilities………………....31 66 50 Information………………………………………………………………...……….. 16 36 29 Financial activities……..…………………………………………………….…… 31 38 29 Finance and insurance…………………………………………………………………………. 19 17 14 Real estate and rental and leasing…………………………….. 11 22 15 Professional and business services…………………………………. 254 227 257 Education and health services………………………………………….……………. 114 104 101 Educational services………………………………………………………. 18 18 10 Health care and social assistance……………………………. 96 86 91 Leisure and hospitality………………...……………………………...……… 255 177 241 Arts, entertainment, and recreation………………………………. 84 40 75 Accommodations and food services…………………………. 171 137 166 Other services……………………………………………………….…………….. 48 36 48 1.3 .5 3.4 1.3 1.4 1.2 .9 .6 1.1 .7 .5 .4 .3 .6 1.6 .7 .6 .7 2.1 4.8 1.7 .9 1.2 .9 3.2 1.1 1.0 1.1 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.1 .5 .3 1.1 1.4 .6 .6 .6 1.5 2.4 1.3 .7 1.1 .8 2.2 1.0 .7 1.4 1.0 1.1 1.0 1.1 .9 .4 .2 .7 1.6 .6 .3 .6 2.0 4.3 1.6 .9 53 6 47 .2 .2 .3 .2 .3 .2 .2 .2 .2 254 437 253 356 1.0 1.2 1.0 1.2 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.2 1.0 .9 .8 1.2 Total…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 1,414 1,365 INDUSTRY Total private……………………………………………………………………………….. 1,360 1,312 Natural resources and mining…………………………………………… 3 Government…………………………………………………………………………….. 54 54 Federal……………………………………………………………………...…………… 5 7 State and local…………….………………………………………….………………. 49 47 REGION Northeast…………………………………………………………………………….. 238 247 South………………………………………………………………………………….. 540 458 Midwest………………………………………………………………………………..….. 310 311 West…………………………………………………………………………………………. 327 349 1 Layoffs and discharges are the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire month. 2 The layoffs and discharges rate is the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire month as a percent of total employment. P = preliminary. NOTE: See NOTE, table 1. Table 10. Other separations levels1 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted Levels (in thousands) Rates Industry and region Apr. Mar. Apr. Apr. Mar. Apr. 2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p 263 0.2 0.2 0.2 227 4 15 25 18 7 73 9 38 25 9 21 16 6 32 21 2 20 23 1 22 4 .2 .5 .2 .3 .3 .2 .2 .3 .2 .3 .2 .2 .1 .3 .3 .1 .2 .1 .2 .1 .2 .4 .2 .5 .1 .2 .3 .1 .3 .1 .3 .2 .1 .3 .3 .1 .2 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .1 .2 .8 .2 .2 .2 .1 .3 .2 .3 .5 .3 .3 .3 .3 .2 .1 .1 .1 .2 (3) .2 .1 36 8 28 .2 .2 .2 .2 .3 .2 .2 .3 .1 44 111 57 50 .2 .2 .2 .2 .2 .2 .2 .2 .2 .2 .2 .2 Total…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 278 242 INDUSTRY Total private……………………………………………………………………………….. 239 200 Natural resources and mining…………………………………………… 3 3 Construction………………………………………………………………………………………… 13 9 Manufacturing…………………………………………………………………………. 39 31 Durable goods...……………………………………………………………..…. 30 23 Nondurable goods...………………………………………………………..… 9 7 Trade, transportation, and utilities……………………………………………. 56 64 Wholesale trade………………………………………………………...……… 18 7 Retail trade………………………………………………………..…..……….. 23 45 Transportation, warehousing, and utilities………………....16 12 Information………………………………………………………………...……….. 6 3 Financial activities……..…………………………………………………….…… 14 20 Finance and insurance…………………………………………………………………………. 8 18 Real estate and rental and leasing…………………………….. 6 3 Professional and business services…………………………………. 41 27 Education and health services………………………………………….……………. 22 18 Educational services………………………………………………………. 5 2 Health care and social assistance……………………………. 18 16 Leisure and hospitality………………...……………………………...……… 27 17 Arts, entertainment, and recreation………………………………. 2 2 Accommodations and food services…………………………. 25 15 Other services……………………………………………………….…………….. 19 8 Government…………………………………………………………………………….. 39 42 Federal……………………………………………………………………...…………… 6 7 State and local…………….………………………………………….………………. 33 35 REGION Northeast…………………………………………………………………………….. 45 39 South………………………………………………………………………………….. 112 99 Midwest………………………………………………………………………………..….. 64 53 West…………………………………………………………………………………………. 57 51 1 Other separations are the number of other separations during the entire month. 2 The other separations rate is the number of other separations during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 3 Data round to zero. P = preliminary. NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.