Full text of April 2006 : Text File, USDL-06-943
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Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 06-943
http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact: 691-5902 Tuesday, June 6, 2006
JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: APRIL 2006
The job openings rate was unchanged, while the hires and total separations
rates decreased in April, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Depart-
ment of Labor reported today. This release includes 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 2006, there were 4.1 million job open-
ings in the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.9 percent. The
job openings rate was unchanged over the month in every industry and region,
but the overall rate has generally trended upward since September 2003. The
industries with the highest seasonally adjusted job openings rate in April
2006 were professional and business services (4.1 percent), leisure and hospi-
tality (3.8 percent), and education and health services (3.7 percent). (See
table 1.)
Over the year, the job openings rate increased in several industries, with
the largest gains in information and educational services. The job openings
rate also increased over the year in three of the four regions--the Northeast,
South, and West. None of the industries or regions experienced a significant
decrease in their job openings rate from the prior year. (See table 5.)
Hires
The hires rate decreased to 3.4 percent in April. Hires are any additions
to the payroll during the month. Over the month, the hires rate increased in
education and health services and decreased in trade, transportation, and util-
ities; leisure and hospitality; government; and in the Midwest region. In April,
the seasonally adjusted hires rate was highest in the leisure and hospitality
industry (5.8 percent). (See table 2.)
From April 2005 to April 2006, the hires rate rose in educational services,
but fell in construction and health care and social assistance. The hires rate
did not change significantly over the year in any geographic region. (See
table 6.)
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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.
| 2005 | 2006 | 2006p| 2005 | 2006 | 2006p| 2005 | 2006 | 2006p
-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Levels (in thousands)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........|3,589 |4,089 |4,095 |4,574 |4,884 |4,544 |4,614 |4,681 |4,419
| | | | | | | | |
Total private(1).|3,208 |3,633 |3,643 |4,246 |4,503 |4,227 |4,351 |4,360 |4,157
Construction...| 110 | 144 | 137 | 440 | 344 | 372 | 429 | 422 | 385
Manufacturing..| 266 | 318 | 333 | 320 | 341 | 320 | 378 | 427 | 355
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities.....| 642 | 651 | 662 |1,019 |1,103 | 969 |1,008 | 989 | 973
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 645 | 702 | 743 | 830 | 922 | 858 | 877 | 798 | 786
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 616 | 692 | 673 | 498 | 435 | 485 | 438 | 399 | 422
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality...| 465 | 506 | 516 | 707 | 899 | 750 | 707 | 769 | 769
Government.......| 378 | 458 | 451 | 328 | 397 | 331 | 263 | 326 | 268
|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Rates (percent)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........| 2.6 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.3
| | | | | | | | |
Total private(1).| 2.8 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.7
Construction...| 1.5 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 6.1 | 4.6 | 5.0 | 5.9 | 5.6 | 5.1
Manufacturing..| 1.8 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 2.7 | 3.0 | 2.5
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities.....| 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.7
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 3.7 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.9 | 5.4 | 5.0 | 5.2 | 4.6 | 4.6
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 3.5 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.4
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality...| 3.5 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 5.5 | 6.9 | 5.8 | 5.5 | 5.9 | 5.9
Government.......| 1.7 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 1.5 | 1.2
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and
other services, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
Separations
The total separations, or turnover, rate declined to 3.3 percent in April.
Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any time during the
month. In April, the total separations rate decreased in manufacturing, govern-
ment, and in the South region. (See table 3.)
Total separations include quits (voluntary separations), layoffs and dis-
charges (involuntary separations), and other separations (including retire-
ments). The quits rate, which can serve as a barometer of workers' ability
to change jobs, dropped to 1.8 percent in April. The quits rate declined in
the manufacturing industry and in the South region. In April, the seasonally
adjusted quits rate was highest in the leisure and hospitality industry (3.9
percent), which also had the highest hires rate. (See table 4.)
- 3 -
Over the year, the quits rate fell in health care and social assistance,
other services, and in the Northeast region. The quits rate did not rise
significantly in any industry or region over the year. (See table 8.)
The other two components of total separations--layoffs and discharges, and
other separations--are not seasonally adjusted. From April 2005 to April 2006,
the layoffs and discharges rate was little changed at 1.0 percent. For April
2006, the arts, entertainment, and recreation industry had the highest layoffs
and discharges rate (2.3 percent). From April 2005 to April 2006, the other
separations rate increased to 0.3 percent. (See tables 9 and 10.)
Flows in the Labor Market
Hires and separations data help show dynamic flows in the labor market.
Over the last 12 months, hires have averaged 4.8 million per month and separa-
tions have averaged 4.5 million per month (not seasonally adjusted). The com-
parable figures a year earlier were 4.7 million hires and 4.4 million separa-
tions. (See the Technical Note for additional information on these measures.)
For More Information
For additional information, please read the Technical Note or visit the Job
Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) Web site at http://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 Job Openings and Labor Turnover release for May 2006 is scheduled to be
issued on Tuesday, July 11, 2006.
- 4 -
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 Workforce 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 characteris-
tics 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.
Annual estimates. Annual estimates of rates and levels of hires, quits,
layoffs and discharges, other separations, and total separations are released
with the January news release each year.
The JOLTS annual level estimates for hires, quits, layoffs and discharges,
other separations, and total separations are the sum of the 12 published
monthly levels. The annual rate estimates are computed by dividing the an-
nual level by the Current Employment Statistics (CES) annual average employ-
ment level, and multiplying that quotient by 100. This figure will be ap-
proximately equal to the sum of the 12 monthly rates. Note that both the
JOLTS and CES annual levels are rounded to the nearest thousand before the
annual estimates are calculated. Consistent with BLS practices, annual es-
timates will be published only for not seasonally adjusted data.
Annual estimates are not calculated for job openings because job
openings are a stock, or point-in-time, measurement for the last business
day of each month. Only jobs still open on the last day of the month are
counted. For the same reason job openings cannot be cumulated throughout
each month, annual figures for job openings cannot be created by summing
the monthly estimates. Hires and separations are flow measures and are
cumulated over the month with a total reported for the month. Therefore,
the annual figures can be created by summing the monthly estimates.
- 6 -
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 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.
- 7 -
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.
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.
2005 2005 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006p 2005 2005 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006p
Total(4)............................... 3,589 4,031 3,941 3,981 3,994 4,089 4,095 2.6 2.9 2.8 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.9
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 3,208 3,604 3,509 3,533 3,531 3,633 3,643 2.8 3.1 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.1 3.1
Construction......................... 110 146 170 114 121 144 137 1.5 1.9 2.2 1.5 1.6 1.9 1.8
Manufacturing........................ 266 333 313 324 318 318 333 1.8 2.3 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 642 696 661 687 660 651 662 2.4 2.6 2.5 2.6 2.5 2.4 2.5
Professional and business services... 645 782 750 777 716 702 743 3.7 4.4 4.2 4.3 4.0 3.9 4.1
Education and health services........ 616 601 618 627 640 692 673 3.5 3.3 3.4 3.4 3.5 3.8 3.7
Leisure and hospitality.............. 465 519 522 507 587 506 516 3.5 3.9 3.9 3.8 4.3 3.8 3.8
Government............................ 378 434 435 449 460 458 451 1.7 1.9 2.0 2.0 2.1 2.0 2.0
REGION(5)
Northeast............................ 605 704 718 740 707 732 744 2.4 2.7 2.8 2.8 2.7 2.8 2.8
South................................ 1,405 1,562 1,612 1,550 1,547 1,634 1,653 2.9 3.2 3.3 3.1 3.1 3.3 3.3
Midwest.............................. 732 748 738 745 797 721 733 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.5 2.2 2.3
West................................. 839 1,046 919 928 957 985 956 2.8 3.4 3.0 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.1
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.
5 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.
p = preliminary.
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.
2005 2005 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006p 2005 2005 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006p
Total(4)............................... 4,574 4,813 4,694 4,941 4,954 4,884 4,544 3.4 3.6 3.5 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.4
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 4,246 4,498 4,397 4,584 4,578 4,503 4,227 3.8 4.0 3.9 4.1 4.1 4.0 3.7
Construction......................... 440 393 426 379 403 344 372 6.1 5.3 5.8 5.1 5.4 4.6 5.0
Manufacturing........................ 320 335 307 366 333 341 320 2.2 2.4 2.2 2.6 2.3 2.4 2.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 1,019 954 1,011 1,177 1,117 1,103 969 3.9 3.7 3.9 4.5 4.3 4.2 3.7
Professional and business services... 830 907 849 953 841 922 858 4.9 5.3 5.0 5.6 4.9 5.4 5.0
Education and health services........ 498 459 467 446 435 435 485 2.9 2.6 2.7 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.7
Leisure and hospitality.............. 707 895 853 847 1,019 899 750 5.5 6.9 6.6 6.6 7.9 6.9 5.8
Government............................ 328 314 293 352 379 397 331 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.5
REGION(5)
Northeast............................ 874 747 698 727 814 914 838 3.5 3.0 2.8 2.9 3.2 3.6 3.3
South................................ 1,696 1,813 1,817 1,946 2,061 1,803 1,742 3.6 3.8 3.8 4.1 4.3 3.7 3.6
Midwest.............................. 1,024 1,031 1,038 1,043 1,045 1,117 1,001 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.5 3.2
West................................. 1,073 1,188 1,127 1,176 1,083 1,127 1,087 3.6 4.0 3.8 4.0 3.6 3.8 3.6
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.
5 See footnote 5, table 1.
p = preliminary.
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.
2005 2005 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006p 2005 2005 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006p
Total(4)............................... 4,614 4,476 4,359 4,285 4,531 4,681 4,419 3.5 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.4 3.5 3.3
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 4,351 4,205 4,067 3,995 4,252 4,360 4,157 3.9 3.7 3.6 3.5 3.8 3.9 3.7
Construction......................... 429 371 348 374 335 422 385 5.9 5.0 4.7 5.0 4.5 5.6 5.1
Manufacturing........................ 378 388 355 353 380 427 355 2.7 2.7 2.5 2.5 2.7 3.0 2.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 1,008 1,003 1,027 880 997 989 973 3.9 3.9 3.9 3.4 3.8 3.8 3.7
Professional and business services... 877 753 735 780 826 798 786 5.2 4.4 4.3 4.6 4.8 4.6 4.6
Education and health services........ 438 418 400 353 403 399 422 2.5 2.4 2.3 2.0 2.3 2.3 2.4
Leisure and hospitality.............. 707 834 843 848 881 769 769 5.5 6.5 6.5 6.6 6.8 5.9 5.9
Government............................ 263 270 270 300 285 326 268 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.4 1.3 1.5 1.2
REGION(5)
Northeast............................ 840 619 685 701 736 714 718 3.3 2.4 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.8 2.8
South................................ 1,748 1,711 1,759 1,653 1,694 1,810 1,668 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.4 3.5 3.8 3.5
Midwest.............................. 1,030 1,081 934 987 1,032 1,014 981 3.3 3.5 3.0 3.1 3.3 3.2 3.1
West................................. 1,027 1,004 997 970 1,054 1,188 1,093 3.5 3.4 3.4 3.3 3.5 4.0 3.7
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.
5 See footnote 5, table 1.
p = preliminary.
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.
2005 2005 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006p 2005 2005 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006p
Total(4)............................... 2,586 2,683 2,567 2,577 2,663 2,763 2,488 1.9 2.0 1.9 1.9 2.0 2.0 1.8
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 2,452 2,540 2,428 2,435 2,526 2,606 2,345 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.3 2.1
Construction......................... 148 183 189 179 153 182 177 2.0 2.5 2.6 2.4 2.0 2.4 2.4
Manufacturing........................ 182 210 184 196 202 205 176 1.3 1.5 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 580 606 634 551 602 598 577 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.1 2.3 2.3 2.2
Professional and business services... 458 359 365 415 422 426 413 2.7 2.1 2.1 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.4
Education and health services........ 281 277 254 225 279 267 252 1.6 1.6 1.4 1.3 1.6 1.5 1.4
Leisure and hospitality.............. 500 595 558 569 607 561 508 3.9 4.6 4.3 4.4 4.7 4.3 3.9
Government............................ 131 142 139 143 139 156 144 .6 .6 .6 .7 .6 .7 .7
REGION(5)
Northeast............................ 441 333 390 369 368 383 366 1.8 1.3 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.4
South................................ 1,019 1,102 1,069 1,068 1,114 1,129 995 2.1 2.3 2.2 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.1
Midwest.............................. 540 572 481 571 600 619 568 1.7 1.8 1.5 1.8 1.9 2.0 1.8
West................................. 600 657 618 569 567 642 577 2.0 2.2 2.1 1.9 1.9 2.2 1.9
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.
5 See footnote 5, table 1.
p = preliminary.
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.
2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p
Total........................................... 3,723 4,088 4,258 2.7 3.0 3.1
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,347 3,637 3,810 2.9 3.2 3.3
Natural resources and mining.................. 10 14 10 1.6 2.2 1.6
Construction.................................. 132 155 164 1.8 2.1 2.2
Manufacturing................................. 267 323 337 1.8 2.2 2.3
Durable goods................................ 179 221 234 2.0 2.4 2.5
Nondurable goods............................. 88 102 103 1.6 1.9 1.9
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 646 648 665 2.5 2.5 2.5
Wholesale trade.............................. 135 151 136 2.3 2.5 2.3
Retail trade................................. 414 379 414 2.7 2.5 2.7
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 97 118 115 1.9 2.3 2.3
Information................................... 82 121 149 2.6 3.8 4.6
Financial activities.......................... 246 306 305 3.0 3.6 3.6
Finance and insurance........................ 193 242 243 3.1 3.8 3.8
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 53 64 63 2.5 2.9 2.8
Professional and business services............ 659 675 756 3.8 3.8 4.2
Education and health services................. 614 690 677 3.4 3.7 3.7
Educational services......................... 57 76 90 1.9 2.5 2.9
Health care and social assistance............ 557 614 587 3.7 4.0 3.8
Leisure and hospitality....................... 558 567 624 4.2 4.3 4.6
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 79 71 101 4.1 3.9 5.2
Accommodations and food services............. 479 495 523 4.2 4.4 4.5
Other services................................ 132 138 122 2.4 2.5 2.2
Government..................................... 376 451 447 1.7 2.0 2.0
Federal....................................... 42 45 34 1.5 1.6 1.3
State and local............................... 334 407 413 1.7 2.0 2.1
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 629 717 775 2.4 2.8 3.0
South......................................... 1,459 1,627 1,725 3.0 3.3 3.5
Midwest....................................... 768 755 768 2.4 2.4 2.4
West.......................................... 867 989 990 2.9 3.2 3.2
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 See footnote 5, table 1.
p = preliminary.
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.
2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p
Total........................................... 4,819 4,718 4,759 3.6 3.5 3.5
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 4,577 4,441 4,516 4.1 4.0 4.0
Natural resources and mining.................. 32 21 27 5.3 3.3 4.1
Construction.................................. 585 369 489 8.2 5.2 6.7
Manufacturing................................. 330 357 327 2.3 2.5 2.3
Durable goods................................ 197 216 205 2.2 2.4 2.3
Nondurable goods............................. 132 141 121 2.5 2.7 2.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 1,006 1,039 959 3.9 4.0 3.7
Wholesale trade.............................. 162 115 139 2.8 2.0 2.4
Retail trade................................. 695 754 679 4.6 5.0 4.5
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 149 170 141 3.1 3.5 2.9
Information................................... 82 62 76 2.7 2.0 2.5
Financial activities.......................... 178 186 187 2.2 2.3 2.3
Finance and insurance........................ 118 120 111 2.0 2.0 1.8
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 60 66 76 2.8 3.1 3.5
Professional and business services............ 920 914 943 5.5 5.4 5.5
Education and health services................. 442 400 432 2.5 2.3 2.4
Educational services......................... 42 41 74 1.4 1.4 2.5
Health care and social assistance............ 400 359 358 2.8 2.4 2.4
Leisure and hospitality....................... 822 943 868 6.5 7.5 6.7
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 161 135 172 8.7 7.8 9.3
Accommodations and food services............. 661 808 696 6.1 7.4 6.3
Other services................................ 179 149 209 3.3 2.8 3.9
Government..................................... 241 277 243 1.1 1.2 1.1
Federal....................................... 37 45 29 1.3 1.7 1.1
State and local............................... 205 232 214 1.1 1.2 1.1
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 850 801 819 3.4 3.2 3.2
South......................................... 1,748 1,752 1,751 3.7 3.7 3.6
Midwest....................................... 1,148 1,087 1,112 3.7 3.5 3.5
West.......................................... 1,073 1,077 1,076 3.6 3.6 3.6
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 See footnote 5, table 1.
p = preliminary.
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.
2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p
Total........................................... 4,267 4,132 4,087 3.2 3.1 3.0
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 4,068 3,909 3,886 3.7 3.5 3.4
Natural resources and mining.................. 16 25 24 2.6 3.9 3.6
Construction.................................. 347 392 311 4.9 5.5 4.2
Manufacturing................................. 374 400 348 2.6 2.8 2.5
Durable goods................................ 256 216 180 2.9 2.4 2.0
Nondurable goods............................. 118 184 169 2.3 3.5 3.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 872 902 840 3.4 3.5 3.3
Wholesale trade.............................. 132 132 137 2.3 2.3 2.3
Retail trade................................. 611 622 582 4.1 4.1 3.9
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 129 148 121 2.6 3.0 2.5
Information................................... 78 63 78 2.5 2.1 2.6
Financial activities.......................... 178 198 174 2.2 2.4 2.1
Finance and insurance........................ 114 133 120 1.9 2.2 2.0
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 64 64 54 3.0 3.0 2.5
Professional and business services............ 915 747 820 5.5 4.4 4.8
Education and health services................. 401 365 389 2.3 2.1 2.2
Educational services......................... 36 41 39 1.2 1.4 1.3
Health care and social assistance............ 365 324 350 2.5 2.2 2.4
Leisure and hospitality....................... 693 624 740 5.5 4.9 5.7
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 107 68 95 5.8 3.9 5.1
Accommodations and food services............. 586 556 645 5.4 5.1 5.8
Other services................................ 194 193 161 3.6 3.6 3.0
Government..................................... 199 223 201 .9 1.0 .9
Federal....................................... 29 51 25 1.1 1.9 .9
State and local............................... 171 173 176 .9 .9 .9
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 762 595 654 3.0 2.4 2.6
South......................................... 1,666 1,592 1,582 3.5 3.3 3.3
Midwest....................................... 899 868 849 2.9 2.8 2.7
West.......................................... 940 1,077 1,002 3.2 3.6 3.4
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 See footnote 5, table 1.
p = preliminary.
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.
2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p
Total........................................... 2,471 2,496 2,367 1.9 1.9 1.8
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 2,368 2,376 2,254 2.1 2.1 2.0
Natural resources and mining.................. 9 13 11 1.4 2.0 1.7
Construction.................................. 142 169 171 2.0 2.4 2.3
Manufacturing................................. 184 199 175 1.3 1.4 1.2
Durable goods................................ 116 117 103 1.3 1.3 1.1
Nondurable goods............................. 68 81 71 1.3 1.6 1.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 537 558 527 2.1 2.2 2.0
Wholesale trade.............................. 72 86 80 1.3 1.5 1.4
Retail trade................................. 407 398 377 2.7 2.6 2.5
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 58 74 70 1.2 1.5 1.4
Information................................... 52 44 59 1.7 1.4 1.9
Financial activities.......................... 93 106 103 1.1 1.3 1.2
Finance and insurance........................ 60 85 68 1.0 1.4 1.1
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 33 21 35 1.6 1.0 1.6
Professional and business services............ 454 424 410 2.7 2.5 2.4
Education and health services................. 268 246 239 1.5 1.4 1.3
Educational services......................... 20 19 19 .7 .6 .6
Health care and social assistance............ 248 227 220 1.7 1.5 1.5
Leisure and hospitality....................... 481 467 486 3.8 3.7 3.8
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 50 36 49 2.7 2.1 2.6
Accommodations and food services............. 431 431 438 4.0 4.0 4.0
Other services................................ 148 151 72 2.8 2.8 1.3
Government..................................... 103 120 113 .5 .5 .5
Federal....................................... 10 22 14 .4 .8 .5
State and local............................... 93 98 99 .5 .5 .5
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 396 335 321 1.6 1.3 1.3
South......................................... 1,010 1,017 983 2.1 2.1 2.0
Midwest....................................... 503 548 527 1.6 1.8 1.7
West.......................................... 563 595 536 1.9 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 See footnote 5, table 1.
p = preliminary.
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.
2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p
Total........................................... 1,522 1,319 1,368 1.1 1.0 1.0
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 1,467 1,262 1,317 1.3 1.1 1.2
Natural resources and mining.................. 5 10 10 .9 1.5 1.6
Construction.................................. 192 202 114 2.7 2.8 1.6
Manufacturing................................. 156 170 140 1.1 1.2 1.0
Durable goods................................ 115 78 58 1.3 .9 .6
Nondurable goods............................. 41 93 81 .8 1.8 1.6
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 280 265 238 1.1 1.0 .9
Wholesale trade.............................. 56 37 43 1.0 .6 .7
Retail trade................................. 174 173 169 1.2 1.1 1.1
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 51 56 25 1.0 1.1 .5
Information................................... 16 14 14 .5 .5 .5
Financial activities.......................... 62 74 44 .8 .9 .5
Finance and insurance........................ 36 38 28 .6 .6 .5
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 26 37 16 1.2 1.7 .8
Professional and business services............ 408 266 346 2.4 1.6 2.0
Education and health services................. 114 94 109 .7 .5 .6
Educational services......................... 13 17 17 .4 .6 .6
Health care and social assistance............ 100 77 93 .7 .5 .6
Leisure and hospitality....................... 193 135 225 1.5 1.1 1.7
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 54 30 44 2.9 1.7 2.3
Accommodations and food services............. 139 105 181 1.3 1.0 1.6
Other services................................ 41 31 78 .8 .6 1.4
Government..................................... 55 57 50 .2 .3 .2
Federal....................................... 7 11 4 .3 .4 .1
State and local............................... 48 45 47 .2 .2 .2
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 311 203 260 1.2 .8 1.0
South......................................... 551 470 457 1.2 1.0 .9
Midwest....................................... 332 267 260 1.1 .9 .8
West.......................................... 327 379 390 1.1 1.3 1.3
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.
3 See footnote 5, table 1.
p = preliminary.
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.
2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p
Total........................................... 274 317 353 0.2 0.2 0.3
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 233 270 315 .2 .2 .3
Natural resources and mining.................. 2 3 2 .4 .5 .3
Construction.................................. 13 21 26 .2 .3 .4
Manufacturing................................. 34 31 34 .2 .2 .2
Durable goods................................ 25 21 18 .3 .2 .2
Nondurable goods............................. 9 10 16 .2 .2 .3
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 55 78 76 .2 .3 .3
Wholesale trade.............................. 4 9 14 .1 .2 .2
Retail trade................................. 30 52 36 .2 .3 .2
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 20 18 26 .4 .4 .5
Information................................... 10 5 5 .3 .2 .2
Financial activities.......................... 23 17 27 .3 .2 .3
Finance and insurance........................ 19 11 24 .3 .2 .4
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 5 7 3 .2 .3 .1
Professional and business services............ 53 57 65 .3 .3 .4
Education and health services................. 19 24 41 .1 .1 .2
Educational services......................... 3 4 4 .1 .1 .1
Health care and social assistance............ 16 20 37 .1 .1 .3
Leisure and hospitality....................... 19 22 29 .1 .2 .2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 2 2 3 .1 .1 .2
Accommodations and food services............. 17 20 26 .2 .2 .2
Other services................................ 4 12 11 .1 .2 .2
Government..................................... 42 47 38 .2 .2 .2
Federal....................................... 12 17 7 .4 .6 .3
State and local............................... 30 29 30 .2 .2 .2
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 55 56 73 .2 .2 .3
South......................................... 105 105 142 .2 .2 .3
Midwest....................................... 64 54 62 .2 .2 .2
West.......................................... 50 102 76 .2 .3 .3
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 See footnote 5, table 1.
p = preliminary.