Full text of August 2007 : Text File, USDL-07-1547
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Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 07-1547
http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact: 691-5902 Wednesday, October 10, 2007
JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: AUGUST 2007
On the last business day of August, 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 rate was unchanged in August, while the hires rate and the
total separations rate were 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 August, the job openings rate remained at 2.9 percent. The rate has
been 2.9 percent for 6 of the past 7 months. Job openings include only
those jobs still open on the last business day of the month. The job open-
ings rate did not change significantly in August in any industry. Region-
ally, the job openings rate declined in the Northeast and West. The season-
ally adjusted job openings rate was highest in August in accommodations and
food services (4.1 percent). (See table 1.)
Over the year, the job openings rate rose in finance and insurance. The
rate fell over the year in natural resources and mining; transportation, ware-
housing, and utilities; and information. Regionally, the job openings rate
fell over the year in the Northeast and Midwest. (See table 5.)
Hires
The hires rate was little changed at 3.4 percent in August. Hires are
any additions to the payroll during the month. In August, the hires rate
did not change significantly in any industry or region. As in nearly every
month, the seasonally adjusted hires rate was highest in August in accommo-
dations and food services (6.4 percent). (See table 2.)
From August 2006 to August 2007, the hires rate increased in nondurable
manufacturing; finance and insurance; and federal government. The hires
rate decreased in durable manufacturing; retail trade; transportation, ware-
housing, and utilities; and state and local government. Regionally, the
hires rate fell over the year in the South. (See table 6.)
Separations
The total separations, or turnover, rate was essentially unchanged at
3.2 percent in August. Separations are terminations of employment that
occur at any time during the month. Over the month, the separations rate
did not change significantly in any industry or region. From August 2006
to August 2007, the total separations rate increased in finance and insur-
ance and in state and local government. Over the year, the total separa-
tions rate decreased in transportation, warehousing, and utilities and in
other services. Geographically, the total separations rate did not change
significantly in any 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 | Aug. | July | Aug. | Aug. | July | Aug. | Aug. | July | Aug.
| 2006 | 2007 | 2007p| 2006 | 2007 | 2007p| 2006 | 2007 | 2007p
---------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Levels (in thousands)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total (1)............|4,188 |4,186 |4,146 |4,912 |4,802 |4,741 |4,463 |4,507 |4,476
| | | | | | | | |
Total private (1)..|3,714 |3,711 |3,671 |4,434 |4,443 |4,318 |4,158 |4,173 |4,147
Construction.....| 185 | 167 | 152 | 369 | 408 | 377 | 346 | 384 | 383
Manufacturing....| 330 | 340 | 323 | 359 | 359 | 351 | 368 | 379 | 381
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and | | | | | | | | |
utilities (2)...| 741 | 684 | 706 |1,070 | 924 | 909 |1,002 | 987 | 936
Retail trade....| 431 | 399 | 401 | 724 | 613 | 652 | 699 | 687 | 668
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services........| 682 | 693 | 665 | 830 | 879 | 766 | 728 | 733 | 727
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices...........| 683 | 717 | 701 | 478 | 502 | 507 | 437 | 414 | 431
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality (3) | 525 | 547 | 559 | 834 | 874 | 875 | 804 | 837 | 826
Accommodations | | | | | | | | |
and food | | | | | | | | |
services.......| 471 | 497 | 493 | 713 | 748 | 742 | 688 | 735 | 721
Government (4).....| 469 | 475 | 470 | 407 | 385 | 398 | 307 | 323 | 326
State and local | | | | | | | | |
government......| 422 | 430 | 421 | 336 | 293 | 314 | 242 | 254 | 256
|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Rates (percent)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total (1)............| 3.0 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.2
| | | | | | | | |
Total private (1)..| 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.6
Construction.....| 2.3 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 4.8 | 5.3 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 5.0 | 5.0
Manufacturing....| 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 2.7
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and | | | | | | | | |
utilities (2)...| 2.7 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.5
Retail trade....| 2.7 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 4.7 | 4.0 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.3
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services........| 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.1
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices...........| 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 2.3
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality (3) | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 6.3 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.1 | 6.2 | 6.1
Accommodations | | | | | | | | |
and food | | | | | | | | |
services.......| 4.0 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 6.3 | 6.5 | 6.4 | 6.1 | 6.3 | 6.2
Government (4).....| 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.5
State and local | | | | | | | | |
government......| 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.3
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 unchanged in August and has been 1.9 percent
for 5 months in a row. None of the industries or regions experienced a
significant change in the quits rate over the month. As in every month
since the series began in December 2000, the seasonally adjusted quits
rate was highest in August in the accommodations and food services indus-
try (4.6 percent). (See table 4.)
Over the year, the quits rate rose in finance and insurance. The quits
rate fell over the year in many industries, including retail trade; trans-
portation, warehousing, and utilities; information; educational services;
other services; and federal government. Geographically, the quits rate
fell over the year in the Northeast region. (See table 8.)
The other two components of total separations--layoffs and discharges,
and other separations--are not seasonally adjusted. For August, the lay-
offs and discharges rate (1.3 percent) and level (1.8 million) were un-
changed from a year earlier. The layoffs and discharges rate in August
2007 was highest in construction (3.3 percent). Over the year, the other
separations rate (0.2 percent) and level (319,000) were essentially un-
changed. (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 to-
tal nonfarm employment levels. The proportion of total separations due to
quits fell from 61 percent in February 2001 to 51 percent in August 2003
(seasonally adjusted), and has since risen. In August 2007, quits accounted
for 58 percent of total separations.
Flows in the Labor Market
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 August 2007, these 5 industries produc-
ed 34.1 million hires and 32.3 million separations. Thus, these five indus-
tries accounted for 58 percent of total nonfarm hires and 59 percent of total
nonfarm separations while comprising only 39 percent of total nonfarm employ-
ment.
Although the month-to-month changes in job openings and turnover data are
often small, some industries are experiencing significant over-the-year change.
From August 2006 to August 2007, finance and insurance had increases in the
job openings, hires, and quits rates. Transportation, warehousing, and util-
ities had decreases in the job openings, hires, and quits rates; information
had decreases in the job openings and quits rates.
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 September 2007 is
scheduled to be issued on Tuesday, November 6.
- 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.
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 Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug.
2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p
Total (4).................................. 4,188 4,176 4,170 4,095 4,280 4,186 4,146 3.0 2.9 2.9 2.9 3.0 2.9 2.9
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 3,714 3,702 3,683 3,627 3,810 3,711 3,671 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.0 3.2 3.1 3.1
Construction............................. 185 152 154 157 139 167 152 2.3 1.9 2.0 2.0 1.8 2.1 2.0
Manufacturing............................ 330 316 350 345 344 340 323 2.3 2.2 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 741 677 669 609 676 684 706 2.7 2.5 2.5 2.3 2.5 2.5 2.6
Retail trade............................ 431 375 389 337 409 399 401 2.7 2.4 2.5 2.1 2.6 2.5 2.5
Professional and business services....... 682 758 735 654 763 693 665 3.7 4.1 4.0 3.5 4.1 3.7 3.6
Education and health services............ 683 685 706 703 711 717 701 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.7
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 525 574 512 571 568 547 559 3.8 4.1 3.7 4.0 4.0 3.9 4.0
Accommodations and food services........ 471 506 453 500 497 497 493 4.0 4.2 3.8 4.1 4.1 4.1 4.1
Government (7)............................ 469 470 488 468 465 475 470 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.0 2.1 2.1
State and local government............... 422 430 439 424 424 430 421 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.1
REGION (8)
Northeast................................ 746 703 675 674 732 741 681 2.8 2.7 2.6 2.5 2.8 2.8 2.6
South.................................... 1,599 1,658 1,670 1,648 1,635 1,612 1,678 3.2 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.3
Midwest.................................. 851 797 779 799 805 754 766 2.6 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.3 2.3
West..................................... 1,009 1,027 1,038 970 1,106 1,120 1,024 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.1 3.5 3.5 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 Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug.
2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p
Total (4).................................. 4,912 4,815 4,832 4,982 4,741 4,802 4,741 3.6 3.5 3.5 3.6 3.4 3.5 3.4
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 4,434 4,416 4,423 4,503 4,335 4,443 4,318 3.9 3.8 3.8 3.9 3.7 3.8 3.7
Construction............................. 369 356 330 351 358 408 377 4.8 4.6 4.3 4.6 4.7 5.3 4.9
Manufacturing............................ 359 318 350 356 355 359 351 2.5 2.3 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.6 2.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 1,070 1,006 1,028 1,044 910 924 909 4.1 3.8 3.9 3.9 3.4 3.5 3.4
Retail trade............................ 724 691 706 715 605 613 652 4.7 4.5 4.6 4.6 3.9 4.0 4.2
Professional and business services....... 830 881 828 935 865 879 766 4.7 4.9 4.6 5.2 4.8 4.9 4.3
Education and health services............ 478 497 507 507 493 502 507 2.7 2.7 2.8 2.8 2.7 2.7 2.7
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 834 867 903 873 854 874 875 6.3 6.4 6.7 6.5 6.3 6.4 6.4
Accommodations and food services........ 713 726 811 755 736 748 742 6.3 6.3 7.0 6.5 6.4 6.5 6.4
Government (7)............................ 407 404 421 409 395 385 398 1.8 1.8 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.7 1.8
State and local government............... 336 313 333 330 312 293 314 1.7 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.6
REGION (8)
Northeast................................ 729 740 759 705 684 750 756 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.7 2.6 2.9 2.9
South.................................... 1,927 1,835 1,894 1,960 1,842 1,898 1,816 3.9 3.7 3.8 4.0 3.7 3.8 3.7
Midwest.................................. 1,053 1,105 1,069 1,101 1,082 1,039 1,055 3.3 3.5 3.4 3.5 3.4 3.3 3.3
West..................................... 1,176 1,157 1,122 1,143 1,117 1,135 1,125 3.9 3.8 3.6 3.7 3.6 3.7 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 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 Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug.
2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p
Total (4).................................. 4,463 4,741 4,524 4,544 4,543 4,507 4,476 3.3 3.4 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.2
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 4,158 4,417 4,227 4,233 4,234 4,173 4,147 3.6 3.8 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.6
Construction............................. 346 344 360 346 363 384 383 4.5 4.5 4.7 4.5 4.7 5.0 5.0
Manufacturing............................ 368 400 380 396 382 379 381 2.6 2.8 2.7 2.8 2.7 2.7 2.7
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 1,002 974 975 950 974 987 936 3.8 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.5
Retail trade............................ 699 682 678 685 688 687 668 4.6 4.4 4.4 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.3
Professional and business services....... 728 876 805 775 728 733 727 4.1 4.9 4.5 4.3 4.1 4.1 4.1
Education and health services............ 437 429 414 437 473 414 431 2.4 2.4 2.3 2.4 2.6 2.2 2.3
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 804 846 861 833 850 837 826 6.1 6.3 6.4 6.2 6.3 6.2 6.1
Accommodations and food services........ 688 702 720 715 730 735 721 6.1 6.1 6.3 6.2 6.3 6.3 6.2
Government (7)............................ 307 315 311 315 310 323 326 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.5
State and local government............... 242 238 241 239 239 254 256 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.3
REGION (8)
Northeast................................ 697 667 640 642 634 622 660 2.7 2.6 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.6
South.................................... 1,828 1,829 1,904 1,798 1,699 1,744 1,745 3.7 3.7 3.9 3.6 3.4 3.5 3.5
Midwest.................................. 962 1,006 981 1,024 1,033 1,014 1,021 3.1 3.2 3.1 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2
West..................................... 1,044 1,165 1,040 1,062 1,191 1,149 1,073 3.4 3.8 3.4 3.4 3.9 3.7 3.5
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 Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug.
2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p
Total (4).................................. 2,692 2,763 2,637 2,686 2,627 2,640 2,594 2.0 2.0 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 2,532 2,591 2,486 2,530 2,475 2,493 2,443 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.2 2.1
Construction............................. 153 131 126 124 129 176 147 2.0 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.7 2.3 1.9
Manufacturing............................ 201 216 199 216 195 186 203 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 610 608 600 606 618 572 556 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.1
Retail trade............................ 435 428 440 445 448 427 405 2.8 2.8 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.8 2.6
Professional and business services....... 424 461 418 424 411 418 396 2.4 2.6 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.2
Education and health services............ 295 267 274 284 271 276 275 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.5
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 553 590 592 551 595 597 590 4.2 4.4 4.4 4.1 4.4 4.4 4.3
Accommodations and food services........ 508 539 542 503 540 552 533 4.5 4.7 4.7 4.3 4.7 4.8 4.6
Government (7)............................ 158 155 153 157 152 148 150 .7 .7 .7 .7 .7 .7 .7
State and local government............... 130 130 129 130 123 125 127 .7 .7 .7 .7 .6 .6 .7
REGION (8)
Northeast.............................. 409 352 350 331 380 314 327 1.6 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.5 1.2 1.3
South.................................. 1,140 1,150 1,163 1,162 1,049 1,097 1,094 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.1 2.2 2.2
Midwest................................ 558 588 544 551 555 553 548 1.8 1.9 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7
West................................... 575 665 590 643 648 669 629 1.9 2.2 1.9 2.1 2.1 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 Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug.
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 4,512 4,364 4,423 3.2 3.1 3.1
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,998 3,848 3,911 3.3 3.2 3.2
Natural resources and mining.................. 15 12 11 2.1 1.6 1.5
Construction.................................. 207 195 168 2.5 2.4 2.1
Manufacturing................................. 344 359 331 2.3 2.5 2.3
Durable goods................................ 224 222 210 2.4 2.4 2.3
Nondurable goods............................. 120 137 121 2.2 2.6 2.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 802 694 779 3.0 2.6 2.9
Wholesale trade.............................. 150 163 171 2.5 2.6 2.8
Retail trade................................. 478 400 455 3.0 2.5 2.9
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 174 131 153 3.4 2.5 2.9
Information................................... 160 123 108 4.9 3.8 3.4
Financial activities.......................... 258 273 292 3.0 3.1 3.3
Finance and insurance........................ 201 212 231 3.1 3.3 3.5
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 56 61 62 2.5 2.6 2.7
Professional and business services............ 734 708 704 4.0 3.8 3.7
Education and health services................. 723 728 739 4.0 3.9 3.9
Educational services......................... 64 71 65 2.4 2.6 2.4
Health care and social assistance............ 658 657 675 4.2 4.1 4.2
Leisure and hospitality....................... 572 592 607 4.0 4.0 4.1
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 58 59 76 2.6 2.5 3.3
Accommodations and food services............. 514 533 531 4.2 4.3 4.2
Other services................................ 184 164 171 3.2 2.9 3.0
Government..................................... 514 516 512 2.4 2.4 2.4
Federal....................................... 55 45 61 2.0 1.6 2.2
State and local............................... 458 471 452 2.5 2.5 2.4
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 833 759 751 3.2 2.9 2.8
South......................................... 1,656 1,643 1,738 3.3 3.2 3.4
Midwest....................................... 941 810 846 2.9 2.5 2.6
West.......................................... 1,081 1,152 1,089 3.4 3.6 3.4
1 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day of the month.
2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business day of the month as a
percent of total employment plus job openings.
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 Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug.
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 5,630 5,065 5,441 4.1 3.7 3.9
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 4,976 4,655 4,787 4.3 4.0 4.1
Natural resources and mining.................. 26 25 27 3.8 3.3 3.6
Construction.................................. 397 437 412 4.9 5.5 5.2
Manufacturing................................. 415 393 405 2.9 2.8 2.9
Durable goods................................ 267 209 229 2.9 2.3 2.6
Nondurable goods............................. 149 184 176 2.8 3.5 3.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 1,214 902 1,013 4.6 3.4 3.8
Wholesale trade.............................. 175 183 154 3.0 3.0 2.5
Retail trade................................. 793 577 719 5.2 3.8 4.7
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 246 141 141 4.9 2.8 2.8
Information................................... 94 70 83 3.1 2.3 2.7
Financial activities.......................... 198 222 233 2.4 2.6 2.7
Finance and insurance........................ 125 142 153 2.0 2.3 2.4
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 74 80 79 3.3 3.6 3.5
Professional and business services............ 945 912 841 5.3 5.1 4.6
Education and health services................. 598 533 631 3.4 3.0 3.5
Educational services......................... 99 101 110 3.9 3.8 4.1
Health care and social assistance............ 499 432 520 3.3 2.8 3.4
Leisure and hospitality....................... 920 914 956 6.7 6.4 6.7
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 102 140 109 4.6 6.1 4.9
Accommodations and food services............. 818 774 847 7.0 6.5 7.1
Other services................................ 167 247 186 3.1 4.4 3.4
Government..................................... 654 410 654 3.1 2.0 3.1
Federal....................................... 85 104 113 3.1 3.8 4.2
State and local............................... 569 306 541 3.1 1.7 3.0
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 787 843 826 3.1 3.3 3.2
South......................................... 2,280 1,982 2,135 4.7 4.0 4.3
Midwest....................................... 1,198 1,028 1,183 3.8 3.2 3.7
West.......................................... 1,365 1,211 1,297 4.5 3.9 4.2
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 rate s(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug.
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 5,699 4,709 5,666 4.2 3.4 4.1
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 5,236 4,279 5,166 4.5 3.7 4.4
Natural resources and mining.................. 25 25 32 3.5 3.4 4.3
Construction.................................. 416 355 477 5.2 4.5 6.0
Manufacturing................................. 453 390 466 3.2 2.8 3.3
Durable goods................................ 269 221 275 3.0 2.5 3.1
Nondurable goods............................. 184 169 192 3.5 3.3 3.7
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 1,214 976 1,116 4.6 3.7 4.2
Wholesale trade.............................. 184 157 186 3.1 2.6 3.1
Retail trade................................. 847 669 800 5.5 4.4 5.2
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 182 151 130 3.7 3.0 2.6
Information................................... 104 72 88 3.4 2.3 2.8
Financial activities.......................... 242 206 289 2.9 2.4 3.4
Finance and insurance........................ 159 146 208 2.6 2.3 3.3
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 82 60 81 3.7 2.7 3.6
Professional and business services............ 879 782 841 4.9 4.3 4.6
Education and health services................. 587 455 580 3.3 2.5 3.2
Educational services......................... 93 63 106 3.6 2.4 4.0
Health care and social assistance............ 494 392 473 3.3 2.5 3.1
Leisure and hospitality....................... 1,041 848 1,060 7.5 6.0 7.5
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 173 76 158 7.9 3.4 7.1
Accommodations and food services............. 868 772 902 7.5 6.5 7.5
Other services................................ 276 169 218 5.1 3.0 3.9
Government..................................... 463 430 500 2.2 2.1 2.4
Federal....................................... 97 85 96 3.5 3.1 3.5
State and local............................... 367 346 404 2.0 1.9 2.2
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 917 614 900 3.6 2.4 3.5
South......................................... 2,300 1,846 2,200 4.7 3.7 4.5
Midwest....................................... 1,215 1,050 1,282 3.9 3.3 4.0
West.......................................... 1,267 1,199 1,285 4.2 3.9 4.2
1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month.
2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of
total employment.
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 Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug.
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 3,713 2,874 3,547 2.7 2.1 2.6
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,459 2,688 3,305 3.0 2.3 2.8
Natural resources and mining.................. 17 15 20 2.4 2.1 2.6
Construction.................................. 209 209 207 2.6 2.6 2.6
Manufacturing................................. 281 210 283 2.0 1.5 2.0
Durable goods................................ 164 114 169 1.8 1.3 1.9
Nondurable goods............................. 117 96 114 2.2 1.9 2.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 840 580 751 3.2 2.2 2.8
Wholesale trade.............................. 127 67 125 2.1 1.1 2.1
Retail trade................................. 602 430 549 3.9 2.8 3.6
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 111 82 76 2.2 1.6 1.5
Information................................... 73 39 47 2.4 1.3 1.5
Financial activities.......................... 146 111 196 1.7 1.3 2.3
Finance and insurance........................ 102 85 146 1.6 1.3 2.3
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 44 26 50 2.0 1.1 2.2
Professional and business services............ 559 450 501 3.1 2.5 2.8
Education and health services................. 408 302 378 2.3 1.7 2.1
Educational services......................... 61 42 42 2.4 1.6 1.6
Health care and social assistance............ 347 261 336 2.3 1.7 2.2
Leisure and hospitality....................... 767 664 817 5.6 4.7 5.7
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 88 51 103 4.0 2.2 4.6
Accommodations and food services............. 680 613 713 5.9 5.1 6.0
Other services................................ 157 108 105 2.9 1.9 1.9
Government..................................... 254 186 242 1.2 .9 1.2
Federal....................................... 46 29 37 1.7 1.1 1.4
State and local............................... 208 157 205 1.1 .9 1.1
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 611 344 490 2.4 1.3 1.9
South......................................... 1,533 1,203 1,459 3.1 2.4 3.0
Midwest....................................... 804 581 776 2.6 1.8 2.4
West.......................................... 765 746 822 2.5 2.4 2.7
1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month.
2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
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 Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug.
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 1,626 1,471 1,800 1.2 1.1 1.3
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 1,490 1,310 1,627 1.3 1.1 1.4
Natural resources and mining.................. 6 6 9 .8 .8 1.2
Construction.................................. 189 131 258 2.4 1.6 3.3
Manufacturing................................. 141 160 164 1.0 1.1 1.2
Durable goods................................ 83 95 95 .9 1.1 1.1
Nondurable goods............................. 58 65 69 1.1 1.2 1.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 297 327 305 1.1 1.2 1.2
Wholesale trade.............................. 51 75 52 .9 1.2 .9
Retail trade................................. 194 198 207 1.3 1.3 1.3
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 53 54 45 1.1 1.1 .9
Information................................... 20 28 28 .6 .9 .9
Financial activities.......................... 76 66 75 .9 .8 .9
Finance and insurance........................ 43 38 49 .7 .6 .8
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 33 28 26 1.5 1.3 1.2
Professional and business services............ 275 287 288 1.5 1.6 1.6
Education and health services................. 144 111 175 .8 .6 1.0
Educational services......................... 29 16 59 1.1 .6 2.2
Health care and social assistance............ 114 95 115 .8 .6 .7
Leisure and hospitality....................... 238 151 215 1.7 1.1 1.5
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 80 20 43 3.6 .9 1.9
Accommodations and food services............. 158 131 172 1.4 1.1 1.4
Other services................................ 105 42 110 1.9 .8 2.0
Government..................................... 135 161 173 .6 .8 .8
Federal....................................... 31 23 24 1.1 .9 .9
State and local............................... 105 138 149 .6 .8 .8
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 256 209 357 1.0 .8 1.4
South......................................... 630 515 633 1.3 1.0 1.3
Midwest....................................... 333 382 429 1.1 1.2 1.4
West.......................................... 406 365 380 1.3 1.2 1.2
1 Layoffs and discharges are the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire month.
2 The layoffs and discharges rate is the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire month as a
percent of total employment.
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 Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug.
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 361 365 319 0.3 0.3 0.2
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 287 281 234 .2 .2 .2
Natural resources and mining.................. 2 3 3 .3 .4 .4
Construction.................................. 17 15 11 .2 .2 .1
Manufacturing................................. 31 21 18 .2 .1 .1
Durable goods................................ 22 13 11 .2 .1 .1
Nondurable goods............................. 9 8 8 .2 .2 .2
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 76 69 60 .3 .3 .2
Wholesale trade.............................. 7 14 8 .1 .2 .1
Retail trade................................. 51 40 44 .3 .3 .3
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 18 15 8 .4 .3 .2
Information................................... 11 6 14 .4 .2 .4
Financial activities.......................... 20 29 17 .2 .3 .2
Finance and insurance........................ 15 23 12 .2 .4 .2
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 5 6 5 .2 .3 .2
Professional and business services............ 45 45 52 .3 .3 .3
Education and health services................. 35 42 27 .2 .2 .1
Educational services......................... 3 5 5 .1 .2 .2
Health care and social assistance............ 32 37 22 .2 .2 .1
Leisure and hospitality....................... 36 33 29 .3 .2 .2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 6 5 12 .3 .2 .5
Accommodations and food services............. 30 28 17 .3 .2 .1
Other services................................ 14 19 3 .3 .3 (4)
Government..................................... 74 83 85 .4 .4 .4
Federal....................................... 19 32 35 .7 1.2 1.3
State and local............................... 54 51 50 .3 .3 .3
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 49 61 52 .2 .2 .2
South......................................... 137 128 108 .3 .3 .2
Midwest....................................... 78 87 76 .2 .3 .2
West.......................................... 97 88 82 .3 .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 8, table 1.
4 Data round to zero.
p = preliminary.