Full text of April 2004 : Text File, USDL-04-1025
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Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 04-1025
http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact: 691-5902 Wednesday, June 9, 2004
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.
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 open-
ings) 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.
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.)
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Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally
adjusted
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Job openings | Hires | Total separations
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Industry | Apr. | Mar. | Apr. | Apr. | Mar. | Apr. | Apr. | Mar. | Apr.
| 2003 | 2004 | 2004p| 2003 | 2004 | 2004p| 2003 | 2004 | 2004p
-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Levels (in thousands)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total 1/...........|2,807 |3,079 |3,091 |3,911 |4,603 |4,358 |3,975 |4,134 |4,029
Total private 1/.|2,430 |2,740 |2,733 |3,610 |4,256 |4,044 |3,740 |3,868 |3,785
Construction...| 100 | 113 | 112 | 357 | 437 | 409 | 411 | 392 | 391
Manufacturing..| 183 | 232 | 259 | 282 | 361 | 349 | 391 | 377 | 364
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities.....| 439 | 524 | 518 | 838 |1,009 |1,028 | 867 | 978 | 958
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 460 | 502 | 494 | 624 | 713 | 600 | 568 | 597 | 589
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 569 | 559 | 566 | 419 | 444 | 459 | 387 | 382 | 385
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality...| 337 | 370 | 368 | 656 | 810 | 754 | 699 | 715 | 671
Government.......| 371 | 353 | 357 | 303 | 343 | 306 | 231 | 284 | 251
|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Rates (percent)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total 1/...........| 2.1 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.1
Total private 1/.| 2.2 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 3.3 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5
Construction...| 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 5.3 | 6.4 | 6.0 | 6.1 | 5.7 | 5.7
Manufacturing..| 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.7 | 2.6 | 2.5
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities.....| 1.7 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 3.3 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 3.8
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 2.8 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.6
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.3
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality...| 2.7 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 5.4 | 6.6 | 6.1 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.5
Government.......| 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.2
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/ Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and
other services, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
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 separa-
tions in April. In the education and health services industry, quits were
64.4 percent of total separations. The other two components of total sep-
arations, layoffs and discharges (1.0 percent) and other separations
(0.2 percent), are not seasonally adjusted. (See tables 9 and 10.)
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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 separa-
tions in each of the last 12 months. In March and April, hires outpaced
separations in every industry except manufacturing.
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.
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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 clas-
sification of all establishments on a 3-year cycle. Changes in establish-
ment 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 re-
ceived 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 tempo-
rary help agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors, and
consultants are counted by their employer of record, not by the establish-
ment 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 posi-
tion, 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 news-
papers 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.
- 5 -
Hires. Hires are the total number of additions to the payroll occurring
at any time during the reference month, including both new and rehired em-
ployees, full-time and part-time, permanent, short-term and seasonal em-
ployees, 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 (ex-
cept for retirements, which are reported as other separations). Lay-
offs and discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the em-
ployer 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 re-
tirements, 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, divid-
ing 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.
- 6 -
Using JOLTS data
The JOLTS data series on job openings, hires, and separations are rel-
atively 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 supple-
mental 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 compar-
able with estimates for March 2002 and later.
The federal government reorganization that involved transferring approx-
imately 180,000 employees to the new Department of Homeland Security is not
reflected in the JOLTS hires and separations estimates for the federal gov-
ernment. The Office of Personnel Management's record shows these transfers
were completed in March 2003. The inclusion of transfers in the JOLTS defi-
nitions of hires and separations is intended to cover ongoing movements of
workers between establishments. The Department of Homeland Security reorgan-
ization was a massive one-time event, and the inclusion of these intergovern-
mental 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 adjust-
ment 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 cal-
endar 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.
- 7 -
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 seg-
ment 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 ex-
plain 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 in-
cludes 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 prac-
tices. 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.
Table 1. Job openings levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels(3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr.
2003 2003 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2003 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004p
Total(4)............................... 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
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 2,430 2,593 2,719 2,518 2,534 2,740 2,733 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.5 2.4
Construction......................... 100 89 110 106 99 113 112 1.5 1.3 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.6 1.6
Manufacturing........................ 183 221 234 233 226 232 259 1.2 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 439 513 520 430 458 524 518 1.7 2.0 2.0 1.7 1.8 2.0 2.0
Professional and business services... 460 499 594 501 491 502 494 2.8 3.0 3.5 3.0 2.9 3.0 2.9
Education and health services........ 569 551 520 549 551 559 566 3.3 3.2 3.0 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.3
Leisure and hospitality.............. 337 364 399 368 383 370 368 2.7 2.9 3.2 2.9 3.0 2.9 2.9
Government............................ 371 358 351 350 364 353 357 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.6
REGION
Northeast............................ 509 526 541 476 500 569 559 2.0 2.1 2.1 1.9 2.0 2.2 2.2
South................................ 1,071 1,154 1,204 1,132 1,112 1,176 1,201 2.3 2.5 2.6 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.5
Midwest.............................. 616 655 666 679 680 663 659 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.1
West................................. 608 621 649 586 632 655 672 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.0 2.2 2.2 2.3
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.
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: The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of
Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas,
Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio,
South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah,
Washington, and Wyoming.
Table 2. Hires levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels(3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr.
2003 2003 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2003 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004p
Total(4)............................... 3,911 4,135 4,216 4,106 4,103 4,603 4,358 3.0 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.5 3.3
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 3,610 3,843 3,923 3,800 3,772 4,256 4,044 3.3 3.5 3.6 3.5 3.5 3.9 3.7
Construction......................... 357 397 404 358 382 437 409 5.3 5.9 6.0 5.3 5.6 6.4 6.0
Manufacturing........................ 282 345 340 349 355 361 349 1.9 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 838 875 913 957 945 1,009 1,028 3.3 3.5 3.6 3.8 3.7 4.0 4.0
Professional and business services... 624 613 650 708 529 713 600 3.9 3.8 4.0 4.4 3.3 4.4 3.7
Education and health services........ 419 436 427 416 447 444 459 2.5 2.6 2.5 2.5 2.7 2.6 2.7
Leisure and hospitality.............. 656 776 753 715 766 810 754 5.4 6.4 6.2 5.9 6.3 6.6 6.1
Government............................ 303 302 300 295 323 343 306 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.4
REGION
Northeast............................ 646 717 792 722 689 744 772 2.6 2.9 3.2 2.9 2.8 3.0 3.1
South................................ 1,499 1,508 1,517 1,585 1,608 1,781 1,567 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.9 3.4
Midwest.............................. 886 925 897 921 953 1,040 975 2.9 3.0 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.4 3.1
West................................. 919 924 992 883 876 1,029 1,089 3.2 3.3 3.5 3.1 3.1 3.6 3.8
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.
Table 3. Total separations levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels(3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr.
2003 2003 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2003 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004p
Total(4)............................... 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
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 3,740 3,543 3,723 3,716 3,807 3,868 3,785 3.5 3.3 3.4 3.4 3.5 3.5 3.5
Construction......................... 411 372 391 436 400 392 391 6.1 5.5 5.8 6.4 5.9 5.7 5.7
Manufacturing........................ 391 330 343 323 355 377 364 2.7 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.5 2.6 2.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 867 856 968 936 899 978 958 3.4 3.4 3.8 3.7 3.5 3.8 3.8
Professional and business services... 568 542 575 572 590 597 589 3.6 3.4 3.6 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.6
Education and health services........ 387 372 330 389 388 382 385 2.3 2.2 2.0 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3
Leisure and hospitality.............. 699 678 723 709 727 715 671 5.8 5.6 5.9 5.8 5.9 5.8 5.5
Government............................ 231 259 269 258 268 284 251 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.2
REGION
Northeast............................ 643 622 687 712 688 666 720 2.6 2.5 2.8 2.9 2.8 2.7 2.9
South................................ 1,533 1,438 1,518 1,505 1,499 1,612 1,486 3.3 3.1 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.5 3.2
Midwest.............................. 902 881 901 903 929 938 864 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.9 3.0 3.0 2.8
West................................. 889 858 898 896 941 1,003 955 3.1 3.0 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.5 3.3
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 levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels(3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr.
2003 2003 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2003 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004p
Total(4)............................... 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
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 1,933 1,999 2,010 2,002 2,051 2,144 2,096 1.8 1.8 1.9 1.8 1.9 2.0 1.9
Construction......................... 106 158 171 148 133 154 163 1.6 2.3 2.5 2.2 2.0 2.3 2.4
Manufacturing........................ 151 166 178 165 169 176 188 1.0 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 491 491 534 530 493 530 530 1.9 1.9 2.1 2.1 1.9 2.1 2.1
Professional and business services... 280 261 256 261 302 309 307 1.8 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.9 1.9 1.9
Education and health services........ 230 225 212 237 234 252 248 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.5
Leisure and hospitality.............. 436 463 462 428 447 465 420 3.6 3.8 3.8 3.5 3.7 3.8 3.4
Government............................ 113 100 119 116 126 129 127 .5 .5 .6 .5 .6 .6 .6
REGION
Northeast............................ 297 301 315 288 319 314 381 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.5
South................................ 817 869 894 852 867 957 872 1.8 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 2.1 1.9
Midwest.............................. 456 466 465 513 455 474 467 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.7 1.5 1.5 1.5
West................................. 472 464 436 475 520 565 517 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.7 1.8 2.0 1.8
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 levels(1) and rates(2) 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
Total........................................... 2,935 3,061 3,249 2.2 2.3 2.4
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 2,559 2,713 2,888 2.3 2.5 2.6
Natural resources and mining.................. 5 8 6 .8 1.3 1.0
Construction.................................. 128 112 146 1.9 1.7 2.1
Manufacturing................................. 180 230 260 1.2 1.6 1.8
Durable goods................................ 109 145 170 1.2 1.6 1.9
Nondurable goods............................. 71 85 90 1.3 1.6 1.6
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 454 518 537 1.8 2.0 2.1
Wholesale trade.............................. 78 94 115 1.4 1.7 2.0
Retail trade................................. 306 333 342 2.0 2.2 2.3
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 70 91 79 1.4 1.9 1.6
Information................................... 47 68 65 1.4 2.1 2.0
Financial activities.......................... 165 189 223 2.0 2.3 2.7
Finance and insurance........................ 118 157 178 2.0 2.6 2.9
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 47 32 45 2.2 1.6 2.1
Professional and business services............ 489 499 514 3.0 3.0 3.0
Education and health services................. 563 543 563 3.3 3.1 3.2
Educational services......................... 36 43 50 1.3 1.5 1.7
Health care and social assistance............ 527 500 513 3.7 3.4 3.5
Leisure and hospitality....................... 400 408 437 3.2 3.3 3.4
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 54 44 35 3.0 2.6 2.0
Accommodations and food services............. 346 364 401 3.3 3.4 3.7
Other services................................ 129 138 137 2.3 2.5 2.5
Government..................................... 376 348 362 1.7 1.6 1.6
Federal....................................... 39 40 46 1.4 1.4 1.7
State and local............................... 337 309 316 1.7 1.6 1.6
REGION
Northeast..................................... 522 556 576 2.1 2.2 2.2
South......................................... 1,121 1,173 1,263 2.4 2.5 2.7
Midwest....................................... 655 684 703 2.1 2.2 2.2
West.......................................... 636 648 707 2.2 2.2 2.4
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 levels(1) and rates(2) 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
Total........................................... 4,101 4,357 4,584 3.2 3.4 3.5
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,876 4,123 4,358 3.6 3.8 4.0
Natural resources and mining.................. 21 21 25 3.7 3.7 4.4
Construction.................................. 463 479 532 7.1 7.4 7.9
Manufacturing................................. 293 370 363 2.0 2.6 2.5
Durable goods................................ 168 237 214 1.9 2.7 2.4
Nondurable goods............................. 126 133 149 2.3 2.5 2.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 806 891 1,007 3.2 3.6 4.0
Wholesale trade.............................. 124 161 176 2.2 2.9 3.1
Retail trade................................. 580 613 694 3.9 4.2 4.7
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 101 116 136 2.1 2.4 2.9
Information................................... 67 65 68 2.1 2.1 2.1
Financial activities.......................... 182 177 197 2.3 2.2 2.5
Finance and insurance........................ 92 111 114 1.6 1.9 1.9
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 89 66 83 4.4 3.3 4.0
Professional and business services............ 727 725 680 4.6 4.5 4.2
Education and health services................. 360 411 401 2.2 2.4 2.4
Educational services......................... 38 39 36 1.3 1.4 1.2
Health care and social assistance............ 323 372 365 2.3 2.6 2.6
Leisure and hospitality....................... 794 823 899 6.6 6.9 7.4
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 186 110 162 10.7 6.6 9.3
Accommodations and food services............. 608 713 738 5.9 6.9 7.0
Other services................................ 163 160 186 3.0 3.0 3.5
Government..................................... 224 235 226 1.0 1.1 1.0
Federal....................................... 27 26 37 1.0 1.0 1.4
State and local............................... 197 208 189 1.0 1.1 1.0
REGION
Northeast..................................... 630 649 761 2.5 2.6 3.0
South......................................... 1,554 1,753 1,615 3.4 3.8 3.5
Midwest....................................... 981 985 1,083 3.2 3.2 3.5
West.......................................... 935 970 1,126 3.3 3.4 3.9
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 levels(1) and rates(2) 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
Total........................................... 3,630 3,632 3,677 2.8 2.8 2.8
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,452 3,437 3,492 3.2 3.2 3.2
Natural resources and mining.................. 13 16 18 2.4 2.8 3.1
Construction.................................. 339 360 324 5.2 5.5 4.8
Manufacturing................................. 379 345 354 2.6 2.4 2.5
Durable goods................................ 246 207 194 2.7 2.3 2.2
Nondurable goods............................. 133 137 159 2.4 2.5 3.0
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 746 876 828 3.0 3.5 3.3
Wholesale trade.............................. 104 148 134 1.8 2.6 2.4
Retail trade................................. 548 597 568 3.7 4.0 3.8
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 95 131 126 2.0 2.8 2.6
Information................................... 52 71 86 1.6 2.3 2.7
Financial activities.......................... 164 135 148 2.1 1.7 1.8
Finance and insurance........................ 90 87 88 1.5 1.5 1.5
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 74 48 60 3.6 2.4 2.9
Professional and business services............ 549 550 576 3.5 3.4 3.5
Education and health services................. 348 346 352 2.1 2.0 2.1
Educational services......................... 45 34 29 1.6 1.2 1.0
Health care and social assistance............ 303 313 323 2.2 2.2 2.3
Leisure and hospitality....................... 707 585 667 5.9 4.9 5.5
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 124 71 123 7.1 4.3 7.1
Accommodations and food services............. 583 514 544 5.7 5.0 5.2
Other services................................ 155 152 139 2.9 2.8 2.6
Government..................................... 178 195 185 .8 .9 .8
Federal....................................... 22 26 25 .8 1.0 .9
State and local............................... 156 168 160 .8 .9 .8
REGION
Northeast..................................... 536 538 625 2.2 2.2 2.5
South......................................... 1,460 1,412 1,406 3.2 3.1 3.0
Midwest....................................... 800 764 743 2.6 2.5 2.4
West.......................................... 835 917 903 2.9 3.2 3.2
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 levels(1) and rates(2) 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
Total........................................... 1,938 2,024 2,114 1.5 1.6 1.6
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 1,853 1,925 2,018 1.7 1.8 1.9
Natural resources and mining.................. 7 8 9 1.3 1.4 1.6
Construction.................................. 105 140 164 1.6 2.2 2.4
Manufacturing................................. 150 164 190 1.0 1.1 1.3
Durable goods................................ 89 94 114 1.0 1.1 1.3
Nondurable goods............................. 61 70 76 1.1 1.3 1.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 462 484 503 1.8 1.9 2.0
Wholesale trade.............................. 53 73 64 .9 1.3 1.1
Retail trade................................. 361 357 388 2.5 2.4 2.6
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 48 54 50 1.0 1.1 1.1
Information................................... 30 33 49 .9 1.0 1.6
Financial activities.......................... 120 76 97 1.5 1.0 1.2
Finance and insurance........................ 63 53 58 1.1 .9 1.0
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 57 23 39 2.8 1.2 1.9
Professional and business services............ 255 296 286 1.6 1.8 1.7
Education and health services................. 212 224 230 1.3 1.3 1.4
Educational services......................... 23 14 17 .8 .5 .6
Health care and social assistance............ 189 211 213 1.4 1.5 1.5
Leisure and hospitality....................... 425 391 403 3.6 3.3 3.3
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 38 29 47 2.2 1.7 2.7
Accommodations and food services............. 387 362 356 3.8 3.5 3.4
Other services................................ 88 109 87 1.6 2.0 1.6
Government..................................... 85 99 97 .4 .5 .4
Federal....................................... 11 12 12 .4 .5 .4
State and local............................... 74 87 85 .4 .5 .4
REGION
Northeast..................................... 254 252 327 1.0 1.0 1.3
South......................................... 809 855 857 1.8 1.9 1.9
Midwest....................................... 426 400 433 1.4 1.3 1.4
West.......................................... 451 517 497 1.6 1.8 1.7
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 levels(1) and rates(2) 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
Total........................................... 1,414 1,365 1,300 1.1 1.1 1.0
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 1,360 1,312 1,247 1.3 1.2 1.1
Natural resources and mining.................. 3 5 5 .5 .9 .8
Construction.................................. 221 211 145 3.4 3.2 2.2
Manufacturing................................. 191 150 139 1.3 1.1 1.0
Durable goods................................ 127 89 62 1.4 1.0 .7
Nondurable goods............................. 64 61 77 1.2 1.1 1.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 228 328 253 .9 1.3 1.0
Wholesale trade.............................. 33 68 61 .6 1.2 1.1
Retail trade................................. 164 195 142 1.1 1.3 1.0
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 31 66 50 .7 1.4 1.1
Information................................... 16 36 29 .5 1.1 .9
Financial activities.......................... 31 38 29 .4 .5 .4
Finance and insurance........................ 19 17 14 .3 .3 .2
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 11 22 15 .6 1.1 .7
Professional and business services............ 254 227 257 1.6 1.4 1.6
Education and health services................. 114 104 101 .7 .6 .6
Educational services......................... 18 18 10 .6 .6 .3
Health care and social assistance............ 96 86 91 .7 .6 .6
Leisure and hospitality....................... 255 177 241 2.1 1.5 2.0
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 84 40 75 4.8 2.4 4.3
Accommodations and food services............. 171 137 166 1.7 1.3 1.6
Other services................................ 48 36 48 .9 .7 .9
Government..................................... 54 54 53 .2 .2 .2
Federal....................................... 5 7 6 .2 .3 .2
State and local............................... 49 47 47 .3 .2 .2
REGION
Northeast..................................... 238 247 254 1.0 1.0 1.0
South......................................... 540 458 437 1.2 1.0 .9
Midwest....................................... 310 311 253 1.0 1.0 .8
West.......................................... 327 349 356 1.2 1.2 1.2
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 levels(1) and rates(2) 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
Total........................................... 278 242 263 0.2 0.2 0.2
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 239 200 227 .2 .2 .2
Natural resources and mining.................. 3 3 4 .5 .5 .8
Construction.................................. 13 9 15 .2 .1 .2
Manufacturing................................. 39 31 25 .3 .2 .2
Durable goods................................ 30 23 18 .3 .3 .2
Nondurable goods............................. 9 7 7 .2 .1 .1
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 56 64 73 .2 .3 .3
Wholesale trade.............................. 18 7 9 .3 .1 .2
Retail trade................................. 23 45 38 .2 .3 .3
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 16 12 25 .3 .2 .5
Information................................... 6 3 9 .2 .1 .3
Financial activities.......................... 14 20 21 .2 .3 .3
Finance and insurance........................ 8 18 16 .1 .3 .3
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 6 3 6 .3 .1 .3
Professional and business services............ 41 27 32 .3 .2 .2
Education and health services................. 22 18 21 .1 .1 .1
Educational services......................... 5 2 2 .2 .1 .1
Health care and social assistance............ 18 16 20 .1 .1 .1
Leisure and hospitality....................... 27 17 23 .2 .1 .2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 2 2 1 .1 .1 (3)
Accommodations and food services............. 25 15 22 .2 .1 .2
Other services................................ 19 8 4 .4 .1 .1
Government..................................... 39 42 36 .2 .2 .2
Federal....................................... 6 7 8 .2 .3 .3
State and local............................... 33 35 28 .2 .2 .1
REGION
Northeast..................................... 45 39 44 .2 .2 .2
South......................................... 112 99 111 .2 .2 .2
Midwest....................................... 64 53 57 .2 .2 .2
West.......................................... 57 51 50 .2 .2 .2
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.