The full text on this page is automatically extracted from the file linked above and may contain errors and inconsistencies.
1 Technical information: (202) 691-5870 http://www.bls.gov/jlt/ Media contact: USDL 04-2098 For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT Wednesday, October 13, 2004 691-5902 JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: AUGUST 2004 The job openings, hires, and total separations rates showed little or no change from July to August, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The job openings rate was unchanged at 2.4 percent. The hires rate was essentially unchanged at 3.3 percent, and the total separations rate remained at 3.1 percent. 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. Chart 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted, Percent December 2000 - August 2004 Chart 2. Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted, Percent December 2000 - August 2004 4.0 4.0 3.8 3.8 3.6 3.6 3.4 3.4 3.2 3.2 3.0 3.0 2.8 2.8 2.6 2.6 2.4 2.4 2.2 2.2 2.0 2.0 Hires Separations 1.8 1.8 2001 2002 2003 2004 2001 2002 2003 2004 Job Openings On the last business day of August 2004, there were 3.2 million job openings in the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.4 percent. (See table 1.) The job openings rate has generally trended upward over the last 12 months. In August, the job openings rate showed little or no change for the major industry categories. Hires and Separations The hires rate (the number of hires during the month divided by employment) was 3.3 percent in August, little changed from a month earlier. (See table 2.) Hires are any additions to the payroll during the month. The hires rate increased in education and health services over the month, while other major industries showed little or no change in their hires rates. The hires rate in the West region increased from a month earlier. The total separations, or turnover, rate (the total number of separations during the month divided by employment) was 3.1 percent in August, unchanged from the month before. The total separations rate has 2 Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally adjusted Job openings Industry Aug. 2003 July 2004 Aug. 2004p Aug. 2003 Hires July 2004 Aug. 2004p Total separations Aug. July 2004 2004p Aug. 2003 Levels (in thousands) 1 Total ............................................................ 1 Total private ......................................... Construction ................................... Manufacturing ................................ Trade, transportation, and utilities ........................................... Professional and business services ......................................... Education and health services .... Leisure and hospitality ................. Government .......................................... 2,688 2,364 107 184 3,237 2,894 88 240 3,191 2,854 118 233 4,010 3,729 491 326 4,229 3,930 368 352 4,358 4,058 399 339 3,815 3,572 432 332 4,074 3,793 364 367 4,060 3,843 394 364 458 567 537 837 957 999 850 972 952 469 499 314 328 583 537 435 343 601 533 413 340 597 433 696 289 621 418 760 310 693 478 741 308 508 365 704 250 613 363 694 273 584 378 724 225 Rates (percent) Total 1......................................................... Total private 1....................................... Construction ................................... Manufacturing ................................ Trade, transportation, and utilities ........................................... Professional and business services ......................................... Education and health services .... Leisure and hospitality ................. Government .......................................... 1 2.0 2.1 1.6 1.3 2.4 2.6 1.3 1.6 2.4 2.5 1.7 1.6 3.1 3.4 7.3 2.3 3.2 3.6 5.3 2.4 3.3 3.7 5.8 2.4 2.9 3.3 6.4 2.3 3.1 3.5 5.3 2.5 3.1 3.5 5.7 2.5 1.8 2.2 2.1 3.3 3.8 3.9 3.4 3.8 3.7 2.8 2.9 2.5 1.5 3.4 3.1 3.4 1.6 3.5 3.0 3.2 1.6 3.7 2.6 5.7 1.3 3.8 2.5 6.2 1.4 4.2 2.8 6.0 1.4 3.2 2.2 5.8 1.2 3.7 2.1 5.6 1.3 3.5 2.2 5.9 1.0 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately. p = preliminary. been relatively unchanged since December 2001, ranging from 2.9 percent to 3.3 percent. Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any time during the month. (See table 3.) In August, the total separations rate decreased in government and showed little or no change for all other major industry categories. Total separations include quits (voluntary separations), layoffs and discharges (involuntary separations), and other separations (including retirements). The quits rate, which can serve as a barometer of workers’ ability to change jobs, was unchanged at 1.7 percent in August. (See table 4.) The quits rate increased in construction and decreased in education and health services and in government over the month. Hires and separations help show dynamic flows in the labor market. Over the last 12 months, hires have averaged 4.2 million per month and separations have averaged 4.0 million per month. (See the Technical Note for additional information on these measures.) 3 For More Information For additional information, please see the Technical Note or the JOLTS Web site at www.bls.gov/jlt/. Additional information about JOLTS also may be obtained by e-mailing Joltsinfo@bls.gov or by calling (202) 691-5870. _____________________________ The Job Openings and Labor Turnover release for September 2004 is scheduled to be issued on Tuesday, November 9, 2004. Technical Note The data for the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) are collected and compiled monthly from a sample of business establishments by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Collection Each month, data are collected in a survey of business establishments for total employment, job openings, hires, quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Data collection methods include computer-assisted telephone interviewing, touchtone data entry, fax, and mail. Coverage The JOLTS program covers all private nonfarm establishments such as factories, offices, and stores, as well as federal, state, and local government entities in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Concepts Industry classification. The industry classifications in this release are in accordance with the 2002 version of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). In order to ensure the highest possible quality of data, State Employment Security Agencies verify with employers and update, if necessary, the industry code, location, and ownership classification of all establishments on a 3-year cycle. Changes in establishment characteristics resulting from the verification process are always introduced into the JOLTS sampling frame with the data reported for the first month of the year. Employment. Employment includes persons on the payroll who worked or received pay for the pay period that includes the 12th day of the reference month. Full-time, part-time, permanent, short-term, seasonal, salaried, and hourly employees are included, as are employees on paid vacations or other paid leave. Proprietors or partners of unincorporated businesses, unpaid family workers, or persons on leave without pay or on strike for the entire pay period, are not counted as employed. Employees of temporary help agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors, and consultants are counted by their employer of record, not by the establishment where they are working. Job openings. Establishments submit job openings information for the last business day of the reference month. A job opening requires that: 1) a specific position exists and there is work available for that position, 2) work could start within 30 days regardless of whether a suitable candidate is found, and 3) the employer is actively recruiting from outside the establishment to fill the position. Included are full-time, part-time, permanent, short-term, and seasonal openings. Active recruiting means that the establishment is taking steps to fill a position by advertising in newspapers or on the Internet, posting help-wanted signs, accepting applications, or using other similar methods. Jobs to be filled only by internal transfers, promotions, demotions, or recall from layoffs are excluded. Also excluded are jobs with start dates more than 30 days in the future, jobs for which employees have been hired but have not yet reported for work, and jobs to be filled by employees of temporary help agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors, or consultants. The job openings rate is computed by dividing the number of job openings by the sum of employment and job openings and multiplying that quotient by 100. Hires. Hires are the total number of additions to the payroll occurring at any time during the reference month, including both new and rehired employees, full-time and part-time, permanent, short-term, and seasonal employees, employees recalled to the location after a layoff lasting more than 7 days, on-call or intermittent employees who returned to work after having been formally separated, and transfers from other locations. The hires count does not include transfers or promotions within the reporting site, employees returning from strike, employees of temporary help agencies or employee leasing companies, outside contractors, or consultants. The hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100. Separations. Separations are the total number of terminations of employment occurring at any time during the reference month, and are reported by type of separation— quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Quits are voluntary separations by employees (except for retirements, which are reported as other separations). Layoffs and discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the employer and include layoffs with no intent to rehire, formal layoffs lasting or expected to last more than 7 days, discharges resulting from mergers, downsizing, or closings, firings or other discharges for cause, terminations of permanent or short-term employees, and terminations of seasonal employees. Other separations include retirements, transfers to other locations, deaths, and separations due to disability. Separations do not include transfers within the same location or employees on strike. The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of separations by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100. The quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations rates are computed similarly, dividing the number by employment and multiplying by 100. Sample methodology The JOLTS sample design is a random sample of 16,000 nonfarm business establishments, including factories, offices, and stores, as well as federal, state, and local governments in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The establishments are drawn from a universe of over eight million establishments compiled as part of the operations of the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, or QCEW, program. This program includes all employers subject to state Unemployment Insurance (UI) laws and federal agencies subject to Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE). The sampling frame is stratified by ownership, region, industry sector, and size class. Large firms fall into the sample with virtual certainty. JOLTS total employment estimates are controlled to the employment estimates of the Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey. A ratio of CES to JOLTS employment is used to adjust the levels for all other JOLTS data elements. Rates are then computed from the adjusted levels. Using JOLTS data The JOLTS data series on job openings, hires, and separations are relatively new. The full sample is divided into panels, with one panel enrolled each month. A full complement of panels for the original data series based on the 1987 Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system was not completely enrolled in the survey until January 2002. The supplemental panels of establishments needed to create NAICS estimates were not completely enrolled until May 2003. The data collected up until those points are from less than a full sample. Therefore, estimates from earlier months should be used with caution, as fewer sampled units were reporting data at that time. In March 2002, BLS procedures for collecting hires and separations data were revised to address possible underreporting. As a result, JOLTS hires and separations estimates for months prior to March 2002 may not be comparable with estimates for March 2002 and later. The federal government reorganization that involved transferring approximately 180,000 employees to the new Department of Homeland Security is not reflected in the JOLTS hires and separations estimates for the federal government. The Office of Personnel Management’s record shows these transfers were completed in March 2003. The inclusion of transfers in the JOLTS definitions of hires and separations is intended to cover ongoing movements of workers between establishments. The Department of Homeland Security reorganization was a massive one-time event, and the inclusion of these intergovernmental transfers would distort the federal government time series. Seasonal adjustment BLS seasonally adjusts several JOLTS series using the X-12-ARIMA seasonal adjustment program. Seasonal adjustment is the process of estimating and removing periodic fluctuations caused by events such as weather, holidays, and the beginning and ending of the school year. Seasonal adjustment makes it easier to observe fundamental changes in the level of the series, particularly those associated with general economic expansions and contractions. A concurrent seasonal adjustment methodology is used in which new seasonal adjustment factors are calculated each month, using all relevant data, up to and including the data for the current month. Data users should note that seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS series is conducted with fewer data observations than is customary. The historical data, therefore, may be subject to larger than normal revisions. Since the seasonal patterns in economic data series typically emerge over time, the standard use of moving averages as seasonal filters to capture these effects requires longer series than are currently available. As a result, the stable seasonal filter option is used in the seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS data. When calculating seasonal factors, this filter takes an average for each calendar month after detrending the series. The stable seasonal filter assumes that the seasonal factors are fixed; a necessary assumption until sufficient data are available. When the stable seasonal filter is no longer needed, other program features also may be introduced, such as outlier adjustment and extended diagnostic testing. Additionally, it is expected that more series, such as layoffs and discharges and additional industries, may be seasonally adjusted when more data are available. Reliability of the estimates JOLTS estimates are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error. When a sample rather than the entire population is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample estimates may differ from the “true” population values they represent. The exact difference, or sampling error, varies depending on the particular sample selected, and this variability is measured by the standard error of the estimate. BLS analysis is generally conducted at the 90-percent level of confidence. That means that there is a 90-percent chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate based on a sample will differ by no more than 1.6 standard errors from the “true” population value because of sampling error. Estimates of sampling errors are available upon request. The JOLTS estimates also are affected by nonsampling error. Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, including the failure to include a segment of the population, the inability to obtain data from all units in the sample, the inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide data on a timely basis, mistakes made by respondents, errors made in the collection or processing of the data, and errors from the employment benchmark data used in estimation. JOLTS hires and separations estimates cannot be used to exactly explain net changes in nonfarm payroll employment. Some reasons why it is problematic to compare changes in payroll employment with JOLTS hires and separations, especially on a monthly basis, are: 1) the reference period for payroll employment is the pay period including the 12th of the month, while the reference period for hires and separations is the calendar month; and 2) payroll employment can vary from month to month simply because part-time and on-call workers may not always work during the pay period that includes the 12th of the month. Additionally, research has found that some reporters systematically underreport separations relative to hires due to a number of factors, including the nature of their payroll systems and practices. The shortfall appears to be about 2 percent or less over a 12-month period. Other information Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; TDD message referral phone: 1-800-877-8339. 1 2 Table 1. Job openings levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted 3 Levels (in thousands) Industry and region Aug. Mar. Apr. May June 2003 2004 2004 2004 Rates Aug. Aug. Mar. Apr. May June 2004 July 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 July 2004 2004p Total4…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2,688 3,079 3,135 3,105 3,022 3,237 3,191 2.0 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.4 94 247 503 494 496 421 380 2,894 88 240 567 583 537 435 343 2,854 118 233 537 601 533 413 340 2.1 1.6 1.3 1.8 2.8 2.9 2.5 1.5 2.5 1.6 1.6 2.0 3.0 3.2 2.9 1.6 2.5 1.5 1.7 2.0 3.1 3.3 3.0 1.6 2.4 1.5 1.7 2.0 3.1 3.1 3.1 1.6 2.3 1.3 1.7 1.9 2.9 2.9 3.3 1.7 2.6 1.3 1.6 2.2 3.4 3.1 3.4 1.6 2.5 1.7 1.6 2.1 3.5 3.0 3.2 1.6 546 1,164 631 677 545 1,280 635 738 545 1,290 598 761 1.9 2.2 1.8 2.2 2.2 2.5 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.5 2.2 2.4 2.0 2.5 2.2 2.6 2.1 2.4 2.0 2.3 2.1 2.7 2.0 2.5 2.1 2.7 1.9 2.6 Aug. INDUSTRY 4 Total private ……………………………………………………………………………….. 2,364 2,740 2,778 2,746 2,640 Construction……………………………………………………………… 107 113 105 108 Manufacturing………………………………………………………. 184 232 251 244 Trade, transportation, and utilities………………………… 458 524 531 521 Professional and business services……………………. 469 502 518 530 Education and health services…………………………………………. 499 559 576 542 Leisure and hospitality………………...…………………………… 314 370 376 391 Government…………………………………………………………………………….. 328 353 354 360 REGION Northeast………………………………………………………………. 485 569 560 526 South………………………………………………………………………………….. 1,021 1,176 1,191 1,164 Midwest…………………………………………………………………………….. 575 663 692 688 West………………………………………………………………………….. 629 655 694 1 765 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day the regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, of the month. 2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and day of the month as a percent of total employment plus job openings. 3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, seasonal adjustment of the various series. 4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and West Virginia; Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, and other services, not shown separately. P = preliminary. and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, NOTE: The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise and Wyoming. Table 2. Hires levels1 and rates2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted Levels3 (in thousands) Industry and region Aug. Mar. Apr. May June Rates Aug. Mar. Apr. May June 2004 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 July 2004 2004p 4,229 4,358 3.1 3.5 3.4 3.2 3.4 3.2 3.3 436 370 945 692 428 749 328 3,930 368 352 957 621 418 760 310 4,058 399 339 999 693 478 741 308 3.4 7.3 2.3 3.3 3.7 2.6 5.7 1.3 3.9 6.4 2.5 4.0 4.4 2.6 6.6 1.6 3.7 6.1 2.5 4.1 3.7 2.7 6.2 1.4 3.6 5.9 2.3 3.7 3.8 2.7 6.0 1.3 3.7 6.3 2.6 3.7 4.2 2.5 6.1 1.5 3.6 5.3 2.4 3.8 3.8 2.5 6.2 1.4 3.7 5.8 2.4 3.9 4.2 2.8 6.0 1.4 703 1,709 1,009 1,023 720 1,640 935 865 735 1,643 955 1,020 2.7 3.3 2.7 3.5 3.0 3.9 3.4 3.6 3.2 3.4 3.2 3.8 2.8 3.5 3.1 3.3 2.8 3.7 3.2 3.6 2.9 3.5 3.0 3.0 2.9 3.5 3.1 3.6 2004 July 2004 Total4…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4,010 4,603 4,398 4,206 4,433 2003 2004 2004 2004 Aug. p Aug. INDUSTRY 4 Total private ……………………………………………………………………………….. 3,729 4,256 4,090 3,938 4,110 Construction……………………………………………………………… 491 437 421 406 Manufacturing………………………………………………………. 326 361 354 336 Trade, transportation, and utilities………………………… 837 1,009 1,032 938 Professional and business services……………………. 597 713 609 631 Education and health services…………………………………………. 433 444 460 451 Leisure and hospitality………………...…………………………… 696 810 766 739 Government…………………………………………………………………………….. 289 343 300 272 REGION Northeast………………………………………………………………. 675 744 810 708 South………………………………………………………………………………….. 1,512 1,781 1,582 1,606 Midwest…………………………………………………………………………….. 843 1,040 991 956 West………………………………………………………………………….. 994 1,029 1,093 951 1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month. 2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series. 4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately. P = preliminary. NOTE: See NOTE, table 1. 1 2 Table 3. Total separations levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted 3 Levels (in thousands) Industry and region Aug. Mar. Apr. May June 2003 2004 2004 2004 Rates Aug. Aug. Mar. Apr. May June 2004 July 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 July 2004 2004p Total4…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3,815 4,134 4,088 4,040 4,069 4,074 4,060 2.9 3.2 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.1 382 343 927 607 362 734 270 3,793 364 367 972 613 363 694 273 3,843 394 364 952 584 378 724 225 3.3 6.4 2.3 3.4 3.2 2.2 5.8 1.2 3.5 5.7 2.6 3.8 3.7 2.3 5.8 1.3 3.5 5.7 2.5 4.0 3.7 2.3 5.5 1.1 3.4 5.3 2.6 3.6 3.4 2.2 5.6 1.2 3.5 5.5 2.4 3.6 3.7 2.1 5.9 1.3 3.5 5.3 2.5 3.8 3.7 2.1 5.6 1.3 3.5 5.7 2.5 3.7 3.5 2.2 5.9 1.0 704 1,533 853 979 674 1,545 935 945 717 1,500 827 1,041 2.6 3.1 2.8 3.2 2.7 3.5 3.0 3.5 2.9 3.3 2.8 3.4 2.6 3.2 2.7 3.5 2.8 3.3 2.7 3.4 2.7 3.3 3.0 3.3 2.8 3.2 2.7 3.6 Aug. INDUSTRY 4 Total private ……………………………………………………………………………….. 3,572 3,868 3,843 3,761 3,789 Construction……………………………………………………………… 432 392 391 367 Manufacturing………………………………………………………. 332 377 353 377 Trade, transportation, and utilities………………………… 850 978 1,013 917 Professional and business services……………………. 508 597 606 556 Education and health services…………………………………………. 365 382 386 379 Leisure and hospitality………………...…………………………… 704 715 679 696 Government…………………………………………………………………………….. 250 284 245 268 REGION Northeast………………………………………………………………. 644 666 716 648 South………………………………………………………………………………….. 1,428 1,612 1,524 1,504 Midwest…………………………………………………………………………….. 848 938 877 833 West………………………………………………………………………….. 903 1,003 959 1,008 1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month. 2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series. 4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately. P = preliminary. NOTE: See NOTE, table 1. Table 4. Quits levels1 and rates2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted Levels3 (in thousands) Industry and region Aug. Mar. Apr. May June 2003 2004 2004 2004 Rates Aug. Aug. Mar. Apr. May June 2004 July 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 July 2004 2004p Total4…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 1,984 2,271 2,278 2,173 2,284 2,265 2,229 1.5 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 156 171 536 322 225 480 123 2,141 101 174 559 322 271 442 126 2,122 144 157 552 309 238 465 111 1.7 2.0 1.0 1.8 1.6 1.3 3.6 .5 2.0 2.3 1.2 2.1 1.9 1.5 3.8 .6 2.0 2.2 1.3 2.2 2.0 1.5 3.5 .6 1.9 2.1 1.2 2.1 1.6 1.3 3.7 .6 2.0 2.3 1.2 2.1 2.0 1.3 3.9 .6 2.0 1.5 1.2 2.2 2.0 1.6 3.6 .6 1.9 2.1 1.1 2.2 1.9 1.4 3.8 .5 334 910 485 573 338 901 505 519 337 880 453 552 1.2 1.8 1.4 1.6 1.3 2.1 1.5 2.0 1.6 1.9 1.5 1.8 1.3 1.8 1.5 1.8 1.3 2.0 1.6 2.0 1.3 1.9 1.6 1.8 1.3 1.9 1.5 1.9 Aug. INDUSTRY Total private4……………………………………………………………………………….. 1,881 2,144 2,151 2,036 2,162 Construction……………………………………………………………… 138 154 149 144 Manufacturing………………………………………………………. 150 176 189 171 Trade, transportation, and utilities………………………… 462 530 563 525 Professional and business services……………………. 253 309 323 259 Education and health services…………………………………………. 222 252 245 223 Leisure and hospitality………………...…………………………… 431 465 429 455 Government…………………………………………………………………………….. 110 129 129 129 REGION Northeast………………………………………………………………. 295 314 390 318 South………………………………………………………………………………….. 805 957 888 857 Midwest…………………………………………………………………………….. 445 474 479 479 West………………………………………………………………………….. 457 565 524 521 1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month. 2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series. 4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately. P = preliminary. NOTE: See NOTE, table 1. Table 5. Job openings levels1 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted Levels (in thousands) Industry and region Rates Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug. 2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p 3,415 2.2 2.6 2.5 3,059 8 7 Construction………………………………………………………………………………………… 97 106 121 Manufacturing…………………………………………………………………………. 199 263 251 Durable goods...……………………………………………………………..…. 115 159 149 Nondurable goods...………………………………………………………..… 83 104 102 Trade, transportation, and utilities……………………………………………. 508 586 603 Wholesale trade………………………………………………………...……… 100 128 108 Retail trade………………………………………………………..…..……….. 338 366 405 Transportation, warehousing, and utilities………………....71 92 90 Information………………………………………………………………...……….. 53 81 77 Financial activities……..…………………………………………………….…… 179 207 214 Finance and insurance…………………………………………………………………………. 138 165 173 Real estate and rental and leasing…………………………….. 41 43 40 Professional and business services…………………………………. 470 601 627 Education and health services………………………………………….……………. 538 561 571 Educational services………………………………………………………. 45 49 52 Health care and social assistance……………………………. 492 512 519 Leisure and hospitality………………...……………………………...……… 350 497 459 Arts, entertainment, and recreation………………………………. 35 49 47 Accommodations and food services…………………………. 316 448 411 Other services……………………………………………………….…………….. 114 157 130 2.3 1.1 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.5 2.0 1.8 2.2 1.5 1.6 2.2 2.3 1.9 2.8 3.2 1.9 3.4 2.7 1.7 2.9 2.1 2.7 1.3 1.4 1.8 1.7 1.9 2.2 2.2 2.4 1.9 2.5 2.5 2.7 2.0 3.5 3.3 2.0 3.5 3.7 2.3 4.0 2.8 2.7 1.2 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.8 2.3 1.9 2.6 1.8 2.4 2.6 2.8 1.8 3.6 3.3 2.1 3.5 3.4 2.3 3.6 2.3 355 43 312 1.7 1.5 1.7 1.8 1.3 1.9 1.7 1.6 1.7 607 1,334 667 806 2.1 2.2 2.1 2.3 2.2 2.9 2.2 2.7 2.4 2.8 2.1 2.7 Total…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2,869 3,439 INDUSTRY Total private……………………………………………………………………………….. 2,515 3,068 Natural resources and mining…………………………………………… 6 Government…………………………………………………………………………….. 354 371 Federal……………………………………………………………………...…………… 41 37 State and local…………….………………………………………….………………. 312 334 REGION Northeast…………………………………………………………………………….. 537 574 South………………………………………………………………………………….. 1,026 1,373 Midwest………………………………………………………………………………..….. 652 686 West…………………………………………………………………………………………. 653 805 1 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day of the month. 2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business day of the month as a percent of total employment plus job openings. P = preliminary. NOTE: See NOTE, table 1. Table 6. Hires levels1 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted Levels (in thousands) Industry and region Rates Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug. 2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p 5,011 3.6 3.4 3.8 4,524 20 20 Construction………………………………………………………………………………………… 484 403 380 Manufacturing…………………………………………………………………………. 374 387 376 Durable goods...……………………………………………………………..…. 222 240 230 Nondurable goods...………………………………………………………..… 152 146 146 Trade, transportation, and utilities……………………………………………. 908 938 1,095 Wholesale trade………………………………………………………...……… 134 132 185 Retail trade………………………………………………………..…..……….. 652 662 725 Transportation, warehousing, and utilities……………….... 122 145 186 Information………………………………………………………………...……….. 72 60 74 Financial activities……..…………………………………………………….…… 164 186 181 Finance and insurance…………………………………………………………………………. 97 93 115 Real estate and rental and leasing…………………………….. 67 93 67 Professional and business services…………………………………. 652 647 773 Education and health services………………………………………….……………. 512 465 588 Educational services………………………………………………………. 106 64 90 Health care and social assistance……………………………. 406 401 498 Leisure and hospitality………………...……………………………...……… 776 804 825 Arts, entertainment, and recreation………………………………. 95 108 72 Accommodations and food services…………………………. 681 697 753 Other services……………………………………………………….…………….. 186 200 213 3.8 2.6 6.9 2.6 2.5 2.7 3.6 2.4 4.4 2.6 2.3 2.0 1.6 3.2 4.0 3.2 4.5 2.9 6.1 4.6 6.4 3.4 3.7 3.3 5.6 2.7 2.7 2.7 3.7 2.3 4.4 3.0 1.9 2.3 1.6 4.4 3.9 2.8 2.6 2.8 6.2 5.2 6.4 3.7 4.1 3.3 5.2 2.6 2.5 2.7 4.3 3.3 4.8 3.9 2.3 2.2 1.9 3.1 4.6 3.5 3.8 3.5 6.4 3.5 6.9 3.9 486 33 454 2.2 1.3 2.4 1.7 1.5 1.7 2.4 1.2 2.6 760 1,957 1,180 1,113 2.8 3.9 3.4 3.8 3.3 3.7 3.0 3.4 3.0 4.2 3.8 3.9 Total…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4,599 4,456 INDUSTRY Total private……………………………………………………………………………….. 4,143 4,110 Natural resources and mining…………………………………………… 15 Government…………………………………………………………………………….. 456 345 Federal……………………………………………………………………...…………… 37 40 State and local…………….………………………………………….………………. 419 305 REGION Northeast…………………………………………………………………………….. 691 820 South………………………………………………………………………………….. 1,797 1,736 Midwest………………………………………………………………………………..….. 1,042 923 West…………………………………………………………………………………………. 1,069 977 1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month. 2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment. P = preliminary. NOTE: See NOTE, table 1. Table 7. Total separations levels1 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted Levels (in thousands) Rates Industry and region Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug. 2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p 5,160 3.8 3.3 3.9 4,813 17 22 Construction………………………………………………………………………………………… 494 324 462 Manufacturing…………………………………………………………………………. 403 389 437 Durable goods...……………………………………………………………..…. 260 259 281 Nondurable goods...………………………………………………………..… 143 130 156 Trade, transportation, and utilities……………………………………………. 991 978 1,115 Wholesale trade………………………………………………………...……… 164 160 162 Retail trade………………………………………………………..…..……….. 694 669 780 Transportation, warehousing, and utilities……………….... 134 149 172 Information………………………………………………………………...……….. 63 58 86 Financial activities……..…………………………………………………….…… 198 182 206 Finance and insurance…………………………………………………………………………. 115 105 139 Real estate and rental and leasing…………………………….. 84 77 67 Professional and business services…………………………………. 649 669 739 Education and health services………………………………………….……………. 479 411 491 Educational services………………………………………………………. 69 54 64 Health care and social assistance……………………………. 410 357 426 Leisure and hospitality………………...……………………………...……… 899 735 942 Arts, entertainment, and recreation………………………………. 191 97 96 Accommodations and food services…………………………. 708 638 847 Other services……………………………………………………….…………….. 273 207 312 4.1 3.2 7.0 2.8 2.9 2.6 3.9 2.9 4.7 2.8 2.0 2.5 1.9 4.0 4.0 3.0 2.9 3.0 7.1 9.3 6.6 5.0 3.6 2.9 4.5 2.7 2.9 2.4 3.8 2.8 4.5 3.1 1.8 2.2 1.8 3.6 4.0 2.5 2.2 2.5 5.7 4.7 5.9 3.8 4.3 3.7 6.4 3.0 3.1 2.8 4.4 2.9 5.2 3.6 2.7 2.5 2.3 3.1 4.4 3.0 2.7 3.0 7.3 4.7 7.8 5.7 348 27 321 1.9 1.6 2.0 1.7 .9 1.8 1.7 1.0 1.8 953 1,896 1,097 1,215 3.4 4.0 3.7 3.7 2.7 3.6 3.0 3.5 3.8 4.1 3.5 4.2 Total…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4,863 4,320 INDUSTRY Total private……………………………………………………………………………….. 4,469 3,970 Natural resources and mining…………………………………………… 19 Government…………………………………………………………………………….. 394 351 Federal……………………………………………………………………...…………… 45 24 State and local…………….………………………………………….………………. 349 326 REGION Northeast…………………………………………………………………………….. 847 672 South………………………………………………………………………………….. 1,833 1,692 Midwest………………………………………………………………………………..….. 1,147 942 West…………………………………………………………………………………………. 1,036 1,015 1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month. 2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of total employment. P = preliminary. NOTE: See NOTE, table 1. Table 8. Quits levels1 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted Levels (in thousands) Industry and region Rates Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug. 2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p 3,056 2.1 1.9 2.3 2,877 11 11 Construction………………………………………………………………………………………… 178 137 186 Manufacturing…………………………………………………………………………. 218 206 224 Durable goods...……………………………………………………………..…. 136 137 132 Nondurable goods...………………………………………………………..… 82 69 92 Trade, transportation, and utilities……………………………………………. 616 586 737 Wholesale trade………………………………………………………...……… 95 95 85 Retail trade………………………………………………………..…..……….. 455 418 572 Transportation, warehousing, and utilities………………....66 74 80 Information………………………………………………………………...……….. 40 40 61 Financial activities……..…………………………………………………….…… 132 127 130 Finance and insurance…………………………………………………………………………. 73 66 81 Real estate and rental and leasing…………………………….. 59 60 48 Professional and business services…………………………………. 365 363 440 Education and health services………………………………………….……………. 295 291 313 Educational services………………………………………………………. 36 34 32 Health care and social assistance……………………………. 259 257 281 Leisure and hospitality………………...……………………………...……… 594 503 646 Arts, entertainment, and recreation………………………………. 89 50 55 Accommodations and food services…………………………. 506 453 591 Other services……………………………………………………….…………….. 127 124 132 2.4 1.6 2.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 2.4 1.7 3.1 1.4 1.2 1.6 1.2 2.8 2.3 1.8 1.6 1.9 4.7 4.3 4.7 2.3 2.2 1.8 1.9 1.4 1.5 1.3 2.3 1.7 2.8 1.5 1.2 1.6 1.1 2.8 2.2 1.7 1.4 1.8 3.9 2.4 4.2 2.3 2.6 1.8 2.6 1.5 1.5 1.7 2.9 1.5 3.8 1.7 1.9 1.6 1.4 2.3 2.6 1.9 1.3 2.0 5.0 2.7 5.4 2.4 179 13 165 .9 .9 .9 .7 .4 .8 .9 .5 .9 478 1,156 670 751 1.7 2.3 2.2 2.2 1.5 2.3 1.7 2.0 1.9 2.5 2.2 2.6 Total…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2,763 2,537 INDUSTRY Total private……………………………………………………………………………….. 2,575 2,385 Natural resources and mining…………………………………………… 9 Government…………………………………………………………………………….. 188 152 Federal……………………………………………………………………...…………… 26 11 State and local…………….………………………………………….………………. 162 141 REGION Northeast…………………………………………………………………………….. 414 367 South………………………………………………………………………………….. 1,063 1,056 Midwest………………………………………………………………………………..….. 669 540 West…………………………………………………………………………………………. 617 574 1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month. 2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment. P = preliminary. NOTE: See NOTE, table 1. Table 9. Layoffs and discharges levels1 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted Levels (in thousands) Rates Industry and region Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug. 2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p 1,758 1.4 1.1 1.3 1,646 5 7 Construction………………………………………………………………………………………… 304 170 258 Manufacturing…………………………………………………………………………. 147 155 179 Durable goods...……………………………………………………………..…. 101 102 127 Nondurable goods...………………………………………………………..… 46 53 52 Trade, transportation, and utilities……………………………………………. 325 324 303 Wholesale trade………………………………………………………...……… 59 58 63 Retail trade………………………………………………………..…..……….. 208 204 164 Transportation, warehousing, and utilities………………....58 63 76 Information………………………………………………………………...……….. 18 15 22 Financial activities……..…………………………………………………….…… 45 33 46 Finance and insurance…………………………………………………………………………. 27 23 30 Real estate and rental and leasing…………………………….. 19 11 16 Professional and business services…………………………………. 225 254 258 Education and health services………………………………………….……………. 156 97 143 Educational services………………………………………………………. 29 17 28 Health care and social assistance……………………………. 127 79 115 Leisure and hospitality………………...……………………………...……… 272 211 260 Arts, entertainment, and recreation………………………………. 100 44 40 Accommodations and food services…………………………. 172 167 220 Other services……………………………………………………….…………….. 137 57 171 1.5 1.2 4.3 1.0 1.1 .8 1.3 1.0 1.4 1.2 .6 .6 .4 .9 1.4 1.0 1.2 .9 2.1 4.9 1.6 2.5 1.2 .8 2.4 1.1 1.1 1.0 1.3 1.0 1.4 1.3 .5 .4 .4 .5 1.5 .6 .7 .6 1.6 2.1 1.5 1.0 1.5 1.2 3.6 1.2 1.4 1.0 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.6 .7 .6 .5 .7 1.5 .9 1.2 .8 2.0 1.9 2.0 3.1 112 7 106 .7 .4 .8 .6 .2 .7 .6 .2 .6 393 619 356 390 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.3 .9 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.6 1.3 1.1 1.4 Total…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 1,788 1,452 INDUSTRY Total private……………………………………………………………………………….. 1,638 1,322 Natural resources and mining…………………………………………… 7 Government…………………………………………………………………………….. 150 130 Federal……………………………………………………………………...…………… 11 5 State and local…………….………………………………………….………………. 139 125 REGION Northeast…………………………………………………………………………….. 377 236 South………………………………………………………………………………….. 640 526 Midwest………………………………………………………………………………..….. 413 334 West…………………………………………………………………………………………. 358 356 1 Layoffs and discharges are the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire month. 2 The layoffs and discharges rate is the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire month as a percent of total employment. P = preliminary. NOTE: See NOTE, table 1. Table 10. Other separations levels1 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted Levels (in thousands) Rates Industry and region Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug. 2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p 346 0.2 0.3 0.3 289 4 19 34 22 12 75 14 45 16 4 31 28 3 41 35 4 30 37 1 36 10 .2 .4 .2 .3 .3 .3 .2 .2 .2 .2 .2 .3 .3 .3 .4 .2 .2 .2 .3 .1 .3 .2 .2 .3 .2 .2 .2 .1 .3 .1 .3 .3 .1 .3 .3 .3 .3 .1 .1 .1 .2 .1 .2 .5 .3 .7 .3 .2 .2 .2 .3 .2 .3 .3 .1 .4 .5 .1 .2 .2 .2 .2 .3 .1 .3 .2 57 7 50 .3 .3 .3 .3 .3 .3 .3 .2 .3 82 120 71 73 .2 .3 .2 .2 .3 .2 .2 .3 .3 .3 .2 .3 Total…………………………………………………………………………………………….. 312 331 INDUSTRY Total private……………………………………………………………………………….. 256 263 Natural resources and mining…………………………………………… 2 2 Construction………………………………………………………………………………………… 12 18 Manufacturing…………………………………………………………………………. 37 28 Durable goods...……………………………………………………………..…. 23 20 Nondurable goods...………………………………………………………..… 15 8 Trade, transportation, and utilities……………………………………………. 50 68 Wholesale trade………………………………………………………...……… 10 7 Retail trade………………………………………………………..…..……….. 31 48 Transportation, warehousing, and utilities………………....10 13 Information………………………………………………………………...……….. 5 3 Financial activities……..…………………………………………………….…… 21 22 Finance and insurance…………………………………………………………………………. 16 16 Real estate and rental and leasing…………………………….. 6 6 Professional and business services…………………………………. 59 52 Education and health services………………………………………….……………. 28 23 Educational services………………………………………………………. 4 2 Health care and social assistance……………………………. 24 21 Leisure and hospitality………………...……………………………...……… 32 21 Arts, entertainment, and recreation………………………………. 2 3 Accommodations and food services…………………………. 30 18 Other services……………………………………………………….…………….. 9 26 Government…………………………………………………………………………….. 56 69 Federal……………………………………………………………………...…………… 8 9 State and local…………….………………………………………….………………. 48 60 REGION Northeast…………………………………………………………………………….. 56 69 South………………………………………………………………………………….. 130 110 Midwest………………………………………………………………………………..….. 65 68 West…………………………………………………………………………………………. 60 85 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. P = preliminary. NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.