Full text of April 2007 : Text File, USDL-07-0842
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Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 07-0842
http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact: 691-5902 Tuesday, June 12, 2007
JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: APRIL 2007
On the last business day of April, there were 4.1 million job openings
in the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.9 percent, the Bureau
of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The
job openings and hires rates were unchanged in April, and the total separa-
tions rate was essentially unchanged. 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
In April, the job openings rate was unchanged at 2.9 percent. Job openings
include only those jobs still open on the last business day of the month. The
job openings rate fell over the month in the accommodations and food services
industry. None of the regions experienced a significant over-the-month change
in the job openings rate. The seasonally adjusted job openings rate was high-
est in April for the following industries: professional and business services
(4.2 percent), accommodations and food services (3.8 percent), and education
and health services (3.7 percent). (See table 1.)
Over the year, the job openings rate increased in nondurable goods manufac-
turing; health care and social assistance; and other services. The rate de-
creased in finance and insurance; educational services; and arts, entertainment,
and recreation. The job openings rate did not change significantly over the
year in any of the regions. (See table 5.)
Hires
The hires rate was unchanged at 3.5 percent in April. Hires are any addi-
tions to the payroll during the month. In April, the hires rate increased in
accommodations and food services. None of the regions experienced a significant
over-the-month change in the hires rate. The seasonally adjusted hires rate was
highest in April in accommodations and food services (7.1 percent). (See table 2.)
From April 2006 to April 2007, the hires rate rose in nondurable goods manu-
facturing; finance and insurance; accommodations and food services; and federal
government. The hires rate fell in real estate and rental and leasing; educational
services; and arts, entertainment, and recreation. None of the regions experienced
a significant over-the-year change in the hires rate. (See table 6.)
Separations
The total separations, or turnover, rate was little changed at 3.3 percent in
April. Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any time during
the month. In April, none of the industries or regions experienced a significant
change in the separations rate. From April 2006 to April 2007, the total separa-
tions rate increased in durable goods manufacturing; arts, entertainment, and re-
creation; and federal government. The total separations rate decreased in infor-
mation. Geographically, the total separations rate rose over the year in the
South region. (See tables 3 and 7.)
- 2 -
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.
| 2006 | 2007 | 2007p| 2006 | 2007 | 2007p| 2006 | 2007 | 2007p
--------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Levels (in thousands)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total (1)...........|3,999 |4,176 |4,145 |4,741 |4,815 |4,793 |4,405 |4,741 |4,579
| | | | | | | | |
Total private (1).|3,562 |3,702 |3,668 |4,351 |4,416 |4,433 |4,105 |4,417 |4,276
Construction....| 145 | 152 | 156 | 398 | 356 | 331 | 382 | 344 | 379
Manufacturing...| 323 | 316 | 336 | 314 | 318 | 346 | 342 | 400 | 389
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and | | | | | | | | |
utilities (2)..| 674 | 677 | 637 |1,054 |1,006 | 997 |1,009 | 974 | 940
Retail trade...| 410 | 375 | 364 | 748 | 691 | 688 | 719 | 682 | 660
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services.......| 690 | 758 | 782 | 831 | 881 | 894 | 737 | 876 | 864
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices..........| 683 | 685 | 702 | 489 | 497 | 505 | 425 | 429 | 418
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality (3)| 491 | 574 | 508 | 807 | 867 | 903 | 777 | 846 | 847
Accommodations | | | | | | | | |
and food | | | | | | | | |
services......| 412 | 506 | 451 | 702 | 726 | 813 | 699 | 702 | 693
Government (4)....| 434 | 470 | 476 | 370 | 404 | 424 | 316 | 315 | 315
State and local | | | | | | | | |
government.....| 395 | 430 | 430 | 304 | 313 | 327 | 246 | 238 | 238
|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Rates (percent)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total (1)...........| 2.9 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 3.3
| | | | | | | | |
Total private (1).| 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.7
Construction....| 1.9 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 5.2 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 4.9
Manufacturing...| 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.8 | 2.8
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and | | | | | | | | |
utilities (2)..| 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.6
Retail trade...| 2.6 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.3
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services.......| 3.8 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 5.0 | 4.2 | 4.9 | 4.8
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices..........| 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.3
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality (3)| 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 6.2 | 6.4 | 6.7 | 6.0 | 6.3 | 6.3
Accommodations | | | | | | | | |
and food | | | | | | | | |
services......| 3.6 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 7.1 | 6.3 | 6.1 | 6.0
Government (4)....| 1.9 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.4
State and local | | | | | | | | |
government.....| 2.0 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.2
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and
other services, not shown separately.
2 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not
shown separately.
3 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately.
4 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
- 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 little changed at 1.9 percent in April. None
of the industries or regions experienced a significant change in the quits
rate over the month. In April, the seasonally adjusted quits rate was
highest in the accommodations and food services industry (4.6 percent).
(See table 4.)
Over the year, the quits rate rose in nondurable goods manufacturing.
The quits rate fell over the year in transportation, warehousing, and
utilities; and information. Geographically, the quits rate rose over the
year in the South region. (See table 8.)
The other two components of total separations--layoffs and discharges,
and other separations--are not seasonally adjusted. For April, the layoffs
and discharges rate (1.1 percent) and level (1.5 million) were essentially
unchanged from a year earlier. As is typical many months, the layoffs and
discharges rate in April was highest in arts, entertainment, and recreation
(5.4 percent), construction (2.3 percent), and professional and business ser-
vices (2.3 percent). From April 2006 to April 2007, the other separations
rate decreased to 0.2 percent, and the level decreased to 308,000. (See
tables 9 and 10.)
The total separations rate is driven by the relative contribution of
its three components (quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations),
with quits contributing the largest portion. The percentage of total sepa-
rations attributable to quits has risen and fallen over time along with em-
ployment levels. The proportion of quits fell from 61 percent in February
2001 to 51 percent in August 2003 (seasonally adjusted), and has since risen.
In April 2007, the percentage of quits was 58 percent.
Flows in the Labor Market
Hires and separations data help show dynamic flows in the labor market.
For the 12 months ending in April 2007, hires have averaged 4.9 million per
month and separations have averaged 4.6 million per month (not seasonally
adjusted). The comparable figures for the prior 12-month period were 4.8
million hires and 4.6 million separations. (See the Technical Note for ad-
ditional information on these measures.)
Several industries consistently have high rates of both hires and separa-
tions. These include construction; retail trade; professional and business
services; arts, entertainment, and recreation; and accommodations and food
services. In the 12 months ending in April 2007, these five industries pro-
duced 34.8 million hires and 33.0 million separations. Thus, these five in-
dustries accounted for 59 percent of total nonfarm hires and 59 percent of
total nonfarm separations while comprising only 39 percent of total nonfarm
employment.
For More Information
For additional information, please read the Technical Note or visit
the 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 2007 is scheduled to
be issued on Tuesday, July 10.
- 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 -
Prior to the January 2007 benchmark release in March 2007, sea-
sonal adjustment of the JOLTS series was conducted using the stable
seasonal filter option since there were not enough data observations
available for the standard use of moving averages as seasonal filters.
Although the seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS series is conducted with
fewer data observations than is customary, the number of observations
is now above the minimum required by X-12-ARIMA to use the normal sea-
sonal filters. Therefore, the standard use of moving averages as seasonal
filter is now in place for JOLTS seasonal adjustment. JOLTS seasonal ad-
justment now includes both additive and multiplicative seasonal adjustment
models and REGARIMA (regression with autocorrelated errors) modeling to
improve the seasonal adjustment factors at the beginning and end of the
series and to detect and adjust for outliers in the series. Due to
the improved diagnostics, three additional industries are now season-
ally adjusted: retail trade, accommodations and food services, and
state and local government. It is expected that more series may be sea-
sonally 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.
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.
2006 2006 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007p 2006 2006 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007p
Total (4).................................. 3,999 4,200 4,401 4,222 4,149 4,176 4,145 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.0 2.9 2.9 2.9
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 3,562 3,735 3,928 3,746 3,666 3,702 3,668 3.0 3.1 3.3 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.1
Construction............................. 145 106 107 142 229 152 156 1.9 1.4 1.4 1.8 2.9 1.9 2.0
Manufacturing............................ 323 328 362 337 330 316 336 2.2 2.3 2.5 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 674 671 767 727 660 677 637 2.5 2.5 2.8 2.7 2.4 2.5 2.4
Retail trade............................ 410 417 471 413 378 375 364 2.6 2.7 3.0 2.6 2.4 2.4 2.3
Professional and business services....... 690 705 745 707 642 758 782 3.8 3.8 4.0 3.8 3.5 4.1 4.2
Education and health services............ 683 713 734 707 670 685 702 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.8 3.6 3.6 3.7
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 491 625 612 552 566 574 508 3.6 4.5 4.4 4.0 4.0 4.1 3.6
Accommodations and food services........ 412 528 538 495 511 506 451 3.6 4.4 4.5 4.1 4.3 4.2 3.8
Government (7)............................ 434 463 473 477 482 470 476 1.9 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.1
State and local government............... 395 427 427 439 438 430 430 2.0 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2
REGION (8)
Northeast................................ 685 772 849 733 717 703 692 2.6 2.9 3.2 2.8 2.7 2.7 2.6
South.................................... 1,599 1,572 1,674 1,653 1,631 1,658 1,663 3.2 3.1 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.3
Midwest.................................. 764 770 810 822 783 797 764 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.4 2.3
West..................................... 953 1,034 1,044 1,005 1,011 1,027 1,020 3.0 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.2 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 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 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
6 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately.
7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
8 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.
2006 2006 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007p 2006 2006 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007p
Total (4).................................. 4,741 4,994 4,959 4,959 4,815 4,815 4,793 3.5 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.5 3.5 3.5
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 4,351 4,665 4,662 4,607 4,509 4,416 4,433 3.8 4.1 4.1 4.0 3.9 3.8 3.8
Construction............................. 398 395 341 299 298 356 331 5.2 5.1 4.4 3.9 3.9 4.6 4.3
Manufacturing............................ 314 363 375 369 371 318 346 2.2 2.6 2.7 2.6 2.6 2.3 2.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 1,054 1,012 990 1,020 1,018 1,006 997 4.0 3.8 3.8 3.9 3.9 3.8 3.8
Retail trade............................ 748 737 699 757 695 691 688 4.9 4.8 4.6 4.9 4.5 4.5 4.5
Professional and business services....... 831 1,010 963 954 953 881 894 4.8 5.7 5.4 5.4 5.3 4.9 5.0
Education and health services............ 489 492 515 508 518 497 505 2.8 2.7 2.8 2.8 2.9 2.7 2.8
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 807 903 969 956 934 867 903 6.2 6.8 7.2 7.1 7.0 6.4 6.7
Accommodations and food services........ 702 748 793 825 778 726 813 6.3 6.6 6.9 7.2 6.8 6.3 7.1
Government (7)............................ 370 348 371 384 379 404 424 1.7 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.8 1.9
State and local government............... 304 303 313 321 317 313 327 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.7
REGION (8)
Northeast................................ 806 713 768 833 709 740 760 3.2 2.8 3.0 3.2 2.8 2.9 3.0
South.................................... 1,847 1,979 1,900 1,899 1,837 1,835 1,889 3.8 4.0 3.9 3.9 3.7 3.7 3.8
Midwest.................................. 966 1,061 1,150 1,167 1,184 1,105 1,068 3.1 3.4 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.5 3.4
West..................................... 1,173 1,249 1,209 1,142 1,156 1,157 1,163 3.9 4.1 3.9 3.7 3.8 3.8 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.
5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
6 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately.
7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
8 See footnote 8, 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.
2006 2006 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007p 2006 2006 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007p
Total (4).................................. 4,405 4,844 4,540 4,602 4,556 4,741 4,579 3.2 3.5 3.3 3.4 3.3 3.4 3.3
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 4,105 4,543 4,253 4,296 4,263 4,417 4,276 3.6 4.0 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.8 3.7
Construction............................. 382 413 387 400 322 344 379 5.0 5.4 5.0 5.2 4.2 4.5 4.9
Manufacturing............................ 342 360 372 399 422 400 389 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.8 3.0 2.8 2.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 1,009 1,020 962 973 943 974 940 3.8 3.9 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.6
Retail trade............................ 719 719 707 680 656 682 660 4.7 4.7 4.6 4.4 4.3 4.4 4.3
Professional and business services....... 737 974 851 894 862 876 864 4.2 5.5 4.8 5.0 4.8 4.9 4.8
Education and health services............ 425 430 430 423 419 429 418 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.3
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 777 838 835 768 835 846 847 6.0 6.3 6.2 5.7 6.2 6.3 6.3
Accommodations and food services........ 699 721 757 612 697 702 693 6.3 6.3 6.6 5.4 6.1 6.1 6.0
Government (7)............................ 316 305 283 309 294 315 315 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.4
State and local government............... 246 256 255 254 243 238 238 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2
REGION (8)
Northeast................................ 696 707 670 740 675 667 641 2.7 2.8 2.6 2.9 2.6 2.6 2.5
South.................................... 1,694 2,011 1,796 1,783 1,763 1,829 1,853 3.5 4.1 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.7 3.8
Midwest.................................. 926 985 1,054 1,034 1,054 1,006 997 3.0 3.1 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.1
West..................................... 1,128 1,079 1,036 1,037 1,041 1,165 1,124 3.7 3.5 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.8 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 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
6 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately.
7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
8 See footnote 8, 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.
2006 2006 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007p 2006 2006 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007p
Total (4).................................. 2,530 2,774 2,759 2,648 2,705 2,763 2,640 1.9 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.0 2.0 1.9
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 2,379 2,625 2,615 2,505 2,571 2,591 2,498 2.1 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2
Construction............................. 177 144 143 141 120 131 137 2.3 1.9 1.9 1.8 1.6 1.7 1.8
Manufacturing............................ 174 211 222 229 212 216 202 1.2 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 614 661 597 594 606 608 574 2.3 2.5 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.2
Retail trade............................ 450 472 438 422 438 428 423 2.9 3.1 2.9 2.7 2.9 2.8 2.8
Professional and business services....... 398 486 497 498 486 461 456 2.3 2.7 2.8 2.8 2.7 2.6 2.6
Education and health services............ 253 278 289 271 280 267 274 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 535 565 602 489 579 590 576 4.1 4.2 4.5 3.7 4.3 4.4 4.3
Accommodations and food services........ 490 520 560 448 531 539 524 4.4 4.6 4.9 3.9 4.6 4.7 4.6
Government (7)............................ 156 147 146 150 139 155 150 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.6 0.7 0.7
State and local government............... 125 125 130 129 117 130 126 .7 .6 .7 .7 .6 .7 .6
REGION (8)
Northeast................................ 363 409 367 355 322 352 335 1.4 1.6 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.3
South.................................... 1,053 1,167 1,171 1,099 1,152 1,150 1,151 2.2 2.4 2.4 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.3
Midwest.................................. 536 543 559 595 599 588 553 1.7 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.7
West..................................... 604 645 638 602 629 665 615 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.0 2.0 2.2 2.0
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 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
6 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately.
7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
8 See footnote 8, 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.
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 4,205 4,283 4,326 3.0 3.0 3.0
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,768 3,827 3,847 3.2 3.2 3.2
Natural resources and mining.................. 11 13 13 1.7 1.8 1.8
Construction.................................. 177 159 191 2.3 2.1 2.5
Manufacturing................................. 339 328 352 2.3 2.3 2.4
Durable goods................................ 239 206 217 2.6 2.3 2.4
Nondurable goods............................. 100 122 135 1.9 2.3 2.6
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 686 686 637 2.6 2.6 2.4
Wholesale trade.............................. 142 169 153 2.4 2.8 2.5
Retail trade................................. 407 365 355 2.6 2.3 2.3
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 137 152 129 2.7 2.9 2.5
Information................................... 134 140 135 4.2 4.4 4.2
Financial activities.......................... 326 258 243 3.8 3.0 2.8
Finance and insurance........................ 268 196 174 4.2 3.0 2.7
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 58 63 69 2.6 2.8 3.1
Professional and business services............ 710 727 815 3.9 4.0 4.4
Education and health services................. 705 693 725 3.8 3.6 3.8
Educational services......................... 107 57 73 3.4 1.8 2.3
Health care and social assistance............ 597 636 652 3.9 4.0 4.1
Leisure and hospitality....................... 578 663 583 4.3 4.8 4.2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 94 74 71 4.8 3.9 3.6
Accommodations and food services............. 484 589 512 4.2 5.0 4.3
Other services................................ 101 161 152 1.8 2.9 2.7
Government..................................... 438 456 478 1.9 2.0 2.1
Federal....................................... 44 45 52 1.6 1.6 1.9
State and local............................... 393 412 426 2.0 2.0 2.1
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 705 680 700 2.7 2.6 2.6
South......................................... 1,698 1,737 1,767 3.4 3.4 3.5
Midwest....................................... 810 835 804 2.5 2.6 2.5
West.......................................... 992 1,032 1,055 3.2 3.3 3.3
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 See footnote 8, 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.
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 4,864 4,630 4,930 3.6 3.4 3.6
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 4,598 4,343 4,618 4.1 3.8 4.0
Natural resources and mining.................. 27 20 23 4.1 2.8 3.3
Construction.................................. 524 394 448 6.9 5.4 6.0
Manufacturing................................. 320 328 353 2.3 2.3 2.5
Durable goods................................ 199 194 207 2.2 2.2 2.3
Nondurable goods............................. 121 134 146 2.3 2.6 2.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 1,028 974 966 4.0 3.7 3.7
Wholesale trade.............................. 143 166 167 2.4 2.8 2.8
Retail trade................................. 735 672 670 4.8 4.4 4.4
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 150 136 129 3.0 2.7 2.6
Information................................... 71 68 87 2.3 2.2 2.8
Financial activities.......................... 198 172 204 2.4 2.0 2.4
Finance and insurance........................ 117 109 152 1.9 1.8 2.4
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 81 62 52 3.8 2.9 2.4
Professional and business services............ 895 853 942 5.1 4.8 5.3
Education and health services................. 434 454 449 2.4 2.5 2.4
Educational services......................... 70 45 50 2.3 1.4 1.6
Health care and social assistance............ 364 408 399 2.5 2.7 2.6
Leisure and hospitality....................... 896 903 991 6.9 6.9 7.4
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 170 126 133 9.1 7.0 7.0
Accommodations and food services............. 726 777 857 6.5 6.9 7.5
Other services................................ 205 177 155 3.8 3.3 2.8
Government..................................... 266 287 312 1.2 1.3 1.4
Federal....................................... 53 72 79 2.0 2.7 2.9
State and local............................... 213 215 233 1.1 1.1 1.2
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 813 682 778 3.2 2.7 3.0
South......................................... 1,829 1,776 1,881 3.8 3.6 3.8
Midwest....................................... 1,057 1,092 1,109 3.4 3.5 3.5
West.......................................... 1,165 1,080 1,162 3.8 3.5 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 See footnote 8, 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.
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 4,141 4,258 4,286 3.0 3.1 3.1
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,911 4,035 4,056 3.4 3.5 3.5
Natural resources and mining.................. 23 21 22 3.5 3.0 3.1
Construction.................................. 313 308 319 4.1 4.2 4.2
Manufacturing................................. 341 405 385 2.4 2.9 2.7
Durable goods................................ 179 254 226 2.0 2.8 2.5
Nondurable goods............................. 162 152 159 3.1 3.0 3.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 900 900 824 3.5 3.4 3.1
Wholesale trade.............................. 132 161 141 2.2 2.7 2.4
Retail trade................................. 639 603 580 4.2 4.0 3.8
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 129 136 103 2.6 2.7 2.0
Information................................... 75 75 72 2.5 2.4 2.3
Financial activities.......................... 190 240 185 2.3 2.9 2.2
Finance and insurance........................ 136 159 131 2.2 2.5 2.1
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 54 81 54 2.5 3.7 2.5
Professional and business services............ 790 861 894 4.5 4.9 5.0
Education and health services................. 405 389 392 2.3 2.1 2.1
Educational services......................... 38 40 49 1.2 1.3 1.6
Health care and social assistance............ 367 349 343 2.5 2.3 2.2
Leisure and hospitality....................... 735 702 813 5.7 5.4 6.1
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 74 93 155 4.0 5.2 8.1
Accommodations and food services............. 660 609 659 6.0 5.4 5.7
Other services................................ 140 133 150 2.6 2.4 2.7
Government..................................... 230 223 231 1.0 1.0 1.0
Federal....................................... 56 63 67 2.1 2.3 2.5
State and local............................... 174 160 164 .9 .8 .8
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 635 553 567 2.5 2.2 2.2
South......................................... 1,654 1,682 1,829 3.4 3.4 3.7
Midwest....................................... 809 921 836 2.6 2.9 2.6
West.......................................... 1,043 1,101 1,055 3.4 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 8, 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.
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 2,438 2,579 2,500 1.8 1.9 1.8
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 2,315 2,457 2,380 2.0 2.2 2.1
Natural resources and mining.................. 11 12 12 1.7 1.7 1.7
Construction.................................. 168 121 133 2.2 1.7 1.8
Manufacturing................................. 179 219 200 1.3 1.6 1.4
Durable goods................................ 107 129 113 1.2 1.5 1.3
Nondurable goods............................. 72 89 88 1.4 1.7 1.7
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 584 577 535 2.2 2.2 2.0
Wholesale trade.............................. 80 116 83 1.4 2.0 1.4
Retail trade................................. 421 396 393 2.8 2.6 2.6
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 82 65 59 1.6 1.3 1.2
Information................................... 56 50 51 1.8 1.6 1.7
Financial activities.......................... 99 162 108 1.2 1.9 1.3
Finance and insurance........................ 75 108 81 1.2 1.7 1.3
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 24 54 26 1.1 2.5 1.2
Professional and business services............ 401 487 439 2.3 2.8 2.5
Education and health services................. 242 244 259 1.4 1.3 1.4
Educational services......................... 18 22 28 0.6 0.7 0.9
Health care and social assistance............ 225 223 231 1.5 1.5 1.5
Leisure and hospitality....................... 503 496 545 3.9 3.8 4.1
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 37 39 46 2.0 2.1 2.4
Accommodations and food services............. 466 457 499 4.2 4.0 4.3
Other services................................ 72 89 98 1.3 1.6 1.8
Government..................................... 123 122 119 .6 .5 .5
Federal....................................... 27 21 23 1.0 .8 .8
State and local............................... 96 101 97 .5 .5 .5
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 325 315 292 1.3 1.2 1.1
South......................................... 1,051 1,054 1,148 2.2 2.1 2.3
Midwest....................................... 496 570 487 1.6 1.8 1.5
West.......................................... 567 639 572 1.9 2.1 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 See footnote 8, 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.
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 1,340 1,374 1,479 1.0 1.0 1.1
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 1,281 1,327 1,423 1.1 1.2 1.2
Natural resources and mining.................. 10 6 7 1.5 0.8 0.9
Construction.................................. 114 164 176 1.5 2.2 2.3
Manufacturing................................. 132 158 147 0.9 1.1 1.1
Durable goods................................ 55 104 94 .6 1.2 1.1
Nondurable goods............................. 77 54 54 1.5 1.1 1.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 241 240 224 .9 .9 .9
Wholesale trade.............................. 40 41 50 .7 .7 .8
Retail trade................................. 178 151 144 1.2 1.0 .9
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 23 47 31 .5 .9 .6
Information................................... 14 18 16 .5 .6 .5
Financial activities.......................... 66 63 54 .8 .7 .6
Finance and insurance........................ 37 43 33 .6 .7 .5
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 29 20 21 1.3 .9 1.0
Professional and business services............ 322 333 413 1.8 1.9 2.3
Education and health services................. 120 119 107 .7 .7 .6
Educational services......................... 16 17 17 .5 .5 .5
Health care and social assistance............ 104 102 90 .7 .7 .6
Leisure and hospitality....................... 204 187 244 1.6 1.4 1.8
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 35 53 103 1.8 2.9 5.4
Accommodations and food services............. 169 134 140 1.5 1.2 1.2
Other services................................ 58 38 35 1.1 .7 .6
Government..................................... 60 48 55 .3 .2 .2
Federal....................................... 12 15 15 .5 .5 .6
State and local............................... 47 33 40 .2 .2 .2
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 246 183 218 1.0 .7 .8
South......................................... 444 511 577 .9 1.0 1.2
Midwest....................................... 252 290 284 .8 .9 .9
West.......................................... 398 390 400 1.3 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 8, 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.
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 363 305 308 0.3 0.2 0.2
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 315 251 252 .3 .2 .2
Natural resources and mining.................. 2 3 3 .3 .4 .4
Construction.................................. 31 23 9 .4 .3 .1
Manufacturing................................. 30 28 37 .2 .2 .3
Durable goods................................ 18 20 19 .2 .2 .2
Nondurable goods............................. 13 8 18 .2 .2 .3
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 75 83 65 .3 .3 .2
Wholesale trade.............................. 11 4 8 .2 .1 .1
Retail trade................................. 40 55 44 .3 .4 .3
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 24 23 13 .5 .5 .3
Information................................... 4 7 5 .1 .2 .1
Financial activities.......................... 25 15 23 .3 .2 .3
Finance and insurance........................ 24 8 16 .4 .1 .3
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 2 7 7 .1 .3 .3
Professional and business services............ 67 41 42 .4 .2 .2
Education and health services................. 43 26 27 .2 .1 .1
Educational services......................... 4 2 4 .1 .1 .1
Health care and social assistance............ 39 24 23 .3 .2 .1
Leisure and hospitality....................... 28 19 25 .2 .1 .2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 2 1 5 .1 .1 .3
Accommodations and food services............. 25 18 20 .2 .2 .2
Other services................................ 9 6 17 .2 .1 .3
Government..................................... 47 54 56 .2 .2 .2
Federal....................................... 17 27 29 .6 1.0 1.1
State and local............................... 30 27 27 .2 .1 .1
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 65 55 56 .3 .2 .2
South......................................... 159 117 104 .3 .2 .2
Midwest....................................... 61 62 65 .2 .2 .2
West.......................................... 77 72 83 .3 .2 .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 8, table 1.
p = preliminary.