Full text of December 2004 : Text File, USDL-05-206
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Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 05-206
http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
For release: 10:00 A.M. EST
Media contact: 691-5902 Wednesday, February 9, 2005
JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: DECEMBER 2004
The job openings rate, at 2.5 percent, was up slightly in December,
while the hires rate decreased to 3.4 percent and the total separations
rate was little changed at 3.2 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of
the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This release includes esti-
mates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for
the total nonfarm sector by industry and geographic region.
Job Openings
On the last business day of December 2004, there were 3.4 million job
openings in the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.5 percent.
(See table 1.) The job openings rate has generally trended upward since
August 2003. In December, the job openings rate increased for private
industries overall, and for the professional and business services and
leisure and hospitality industries. The job openings rate rose in the
South region, but showed little or no change in the other regions of the
country.
Hires and Separations
The hires rate (the number of hires during the month divided by employ-
ment) was 3.4 percent in December, a slight decrease from a month earlier.
(See table 2.) Hires are any additions to the payroll during the month.
The hires rate decreased in manufacturing, professional and business ser-
vices, and government over the month. The hires rate also fell in the Mid-
west region.
The total separations, or turnover, rate (the total number of separations
during the month divided by employment) was 3.2 percent in December. The
overall total separations rate is 0.3 percentage point higher than its most
recent low in November 2003. Separations are terminations of employment that
occur at any time during the month. (See table 3.) The total separations
rate increased in the trade, transportation, and utilities industry in Decem-
ber, but decreased in government.
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 1.8 percent in December, after
holding steady at 1.7 percent from February through October 2004. (See
table 4.) The quits rate did not change significantly from November to
December for any industry or region. The other two components of total
separations, layoffs and discharges (1.4 percent) and other separations
(0.2 percent), are not seasonally adjusted. Both rates showed no change
from a year earlier.
- 2 -
Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally
adjusted
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Job openings | Hires | Total separations
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Industry | Dec. | Nov. | Dec. | Dec. | Nov. | Dec. | Dec. | Nov. | Dec.
| 2003 | 2004 | 2004p| 2003 | 2004 | 2004p| 2003 | 2004 | 2004p
-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Levels (in thousands)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total 1/...........|3,062 |3,205 |3,385 |4,216 |4,780 |4,488 |4,022 |4,131 |4,278
Total private 1/.|2,719 |2,864 |3,027 |3,923 |4,467 |4,198 |3,723 |3,832 |3,994
Construction...| 110 | 108 | 126 | 404 | 388 | 385 | 391 | 360 | 343
Manufacturing..| 234 | 248 | 251 | 340 | 376 | 327 | 343 | 334 | 372
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities.....| 520 | 532 | 536 | 913 |1,081 |1,022 | 968 | 934 |1,073
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 594 | 593 | 662 | 650 | 801 | 718 | 575 | 694 | 649
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 520 | 561 | 586 | 427 | 447 | 439 | 330 | 422 | 380
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality...| 399 | 387 | 430 | 753 | 802 | 803 | 723 | 692 | 750
Government.......| 351 | 356 | 370 | 300 | 325 | 287 | 269 | 307 | 277
|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Rates (percent)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total 1/...........| 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.2
Total private 1/.| 2.4 | 2.5 | 2.7 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.6
Construction...| 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 6.0 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.8 | 5.1 | 4.9
Manufacturing..| 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.6
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities.....| 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.1 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 4.2
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.8 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 3.9
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 2.2
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality...| 3.2 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 6.2 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 5.9 | 5.6 | 6.1
Government.......| 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.3
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/ Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and
other services, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
Hires and separations help show dynamic flows in the labor market.
Over the last 12 months, hires have averaged 4.4 million per month and
separations have averaged 4.1 million per month. (See the Technical
Note for additional information on these measures.)
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 January 2005 is scheduled
to be issued on Tuesday, March 15, 2005.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
| Revisions to the JOLTS data |
| |
| With the release of January data on March 15, BLS will revise |
| the job openings, hires, and separations data to incorporate the |
| annual updates to the Current Employment Statistics employment |
| counts. Unadjusted data since April 2003 and seasonally adjusted |
| data since December 2000 are subject to change. |
-------------------------------------------------------------------
- 3 -
Technical Note
The data for the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) are
collected and compiled monthly from a sample of business establishments
by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Collection
Each month, data are collected in a survey of business establishments
for total employment, job openings, hires, quits, layoffs and discharges,
and other separations. Data collection methods include computer-assisted
telephone interviewing, touchtone data entry, fax, and mail.
Coverage
The JOLTS program covers all private nonfarm establishments such as
factories, offices, and stores, as well as federal, state, and local
government entities in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Concepts
Industry classification. The industry classifications in this release
are in accordance with the 2002 version of the North American Industry
Classification System (NAICS). In order to ensure the highest possible
quality of data, State Employment Security Agencies verify with employers
and update, if necessary, the industry code, location, and ownership clas-
sification of all establishments on a 3-year cycle. Changes in establish-
ment characteristics resulting from the verification process are always
introduced into the JOLTS sampling frame with the data reported for the
first month of the year.
Employment. Employment includes persons on the payroll who worked or re-
ceived pay for the pay period that includes the 12th day of the reference
month. Full-time, part-time, permanent, short-term, seasonal, salaried,
and hourly employees are included, as are employees on paid vacations or
other paid leave. Proprietors or partners of unincorporated businesses,
unpaid family workers, or persons on leave without pay or on strike for
the entire pay period, are not counted as employed. Employees of tempo-
rary help agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors, and
consultants are counted by their employer of record, not by the establish-
ment where they are working.
Job openings. Establishments submit job openings information for the
last business day of the reference month. A job opening requires that:
1) a specific position exists and there is work available for that posi-
tion, 2) work could start within 30 days regardless of whether a suitable
candidate is found, and 3) the employer is actively recruiting from outside
the establishment to fill the position. Included are full-time, part-time,
permanent, short-term, and seasonal openings. Active recruiting means that
the establishment is taking steps to fill a position by advertising in news-
papers or on the Internet, posting help-wanted signs, accepting applications,
or using other similar methods.
Jobs to be filled only by internal transfers, promotions, demotions, or
recall from layoffs are excluded. Also excluded are jobs with start dates
more than 30 days in the future, jobs for which employees have been hired
but have not yet reported for work, and jobs to be filled by employees of
temporary help agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors,
or consultants. The job openings rate is computed by dividing the number
of job openings by the sum of employment and job openings and multiplying
that quotient by 100.
- 4 -
Hires. Hires are the total number of additions to the payroll occurring
at any time during the reference month, including both new and rehired em-
ployees, full-time and part-time, permanent, short-term and seasonal em-
ployees, employees recalled to the location after a layoff lasting more
than 7 days, on-call or intermittent employees who returned to work after
having been formally separated, and transfers from other locations. The
hires count does not include transfers or promotions within the reporting
site, employees returning from strike, employees of temporary help agencies
or employee leasing companies, outside contractors, or consultants. The
hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by employment and
multiplying that quotient by 100.
Separations. Separations are the total number of terminations of
employment occurring at any time during the reference month, and are
reported by type of separation--quits, layoffs and discharges, and
other separations. Quits are voluntary separations by employees (ex-
cept for retirements, which are reported as other separations). Lay-
offs and discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the em-
ployer and include layoffs with no intent to rehire, formal layoffs
lasting or expected to last more than 7 days, discharges resulting
from mergers, downsizing, or closings, firings or other discharges
for cause, terminations of permanent or short-term employees, and
terminations of seasonal employees. Other separations include re-
tirements, transfers to other locations, deaths, and separations
due to disability. Separations do not include transfers within the
same location or employees on strike.
The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of separations
by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100. The quits, layoffs
and discharges, and other separations rates are computed similarly, divid-
ing the number by employment and multiplying by 100.
Sample methodology
The JOLTS sample design is a random sample of 16,000 nonfarm business
establishments, including factories, offices, and stores, as well as
federal, state, and local governments in the 50 states and the District
of Columbia. The establishments are drawn from a universe of over eight
million establishments compiled as part of the operations of the Quarterly
Census of Employment and Wages, or QCEW, program. This program includes
all employers subject to state Unemployment Insurance (UI) laws and federal
agencies subject to Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE).
The sampling frame is stratified by ownership, region, industry sector,
and size class. Large firms fall into the sample with virtual certainty.
JOLTS total employment estimates are controlled to the employment estimates
of the Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey. A ratio of CES to JOLTS
employment is used to adjust the levels for all other JOLTS data elements.
Rates are then computed from the adjusted levels.
- 5 -
Using JOLTS data
The JOLTS data series on job openings, hires, and separations are rel-
atively new. The full sample is divided into panels, with one panel
enrolled each month. A full complement of panels for the original data
series based on the 1987 Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system
was not completely enrolled in the survey until January 2002. The supple-
mental panels of establishments needed to create NAICS estimates were not
completely enrolled until May 2003. The data collected up until those
points are from less than a full sample. Therefore, estimates from earlier
months should be used with caution, as fewer sampled units were reporting
data at that time.
In March 2002, BLS procedures for collecting hires and separations data
were revised to address possible underreporting. As a result, JOLTS hires
and separations estimates for months prior to March 2002 may not be compar-
able with estimates for March 2002 and later.
The federal government reorganization that involved transferring approx-
imately 180,000 employees to the new Department of Homeland Security is not
reflected in the JOLTS hires and separations estimates for the federal gov-
ernment. The Office of Personnel Management's record shows these transfers
were completed in March 2003. The inclusion of transfers in the JOLTS defi-
nitions of hires and separations is intended to cover ongoing movements of
workers between establishments. The Department of Homeland Security reorgan-
ization was a massive one-time event, and the inclusion of these intergovern-
mental transfers would distort the federal government time series.
Seasonal adjustment
BLS seasonally adjusts several JOLTS series using the X-12-ARIMA
seasonal adjustment program. Seasonal adjustment is the process of
estimating and removing periodic fluctuations caused by events such
as weather, holidays, and the beginning and ending of the school year.
Seasonal adjustment makes it easier to observe fundamental changes in
the level of the series, particularly those associated with general
economic expansions and contractions. A concurrent seasonal adjust-
ment methodology is used in which new seasonal adjustment factors are
calculated each month, using all relevant data, up to and including
the data for the current month.
Data users should note that seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS series is
conducted with fewer data observations than is customary. The historical
data, therefore, may be subject to larger than normal revisions. Since the
seasonal patterns in economic data series typically emerge over time, the
standard use of moving averages as seasonal filters to capture these effects
requires longer series than are currently available. As a result, the stable
seasonal filter option is used in the seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS data.
When calculating seasonal factors, this filter takes an average for each cal-
endar month after detrending the series. The stable seasonal filter assumes
that the seasonal factors are fixed; a necessary assumption until sufficient
data are available. When the stable seasonal filter is no longer needed,
other program features also may be introduced, such as outlier adjustment
and extended diagnostic testing. Additionally, it is expected that more
series, such as layoffs and discharges and additional industries, may be
seasonally adjusted when more data are available.
- 6 -
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 Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.
2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p
Total(4)............................... 3,062 3,237 3,195 3,294 3,420 3,205 3,385 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.4 2.5
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 2,719 2,894 2,859 2,934 3,042 2,864 3,027 2.4 2.6 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.5 2.7
Construction......................... 110 88 121 113 114 108 126 1.6 1.3 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.8
Manufacturing........................ 234 240 234 251 263 248 251 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.7
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 520 567 551 591 630 532 536 2.0 2.2 2.1 2.3 2.4 2.0 2.1
Professional and business services... 594 583 594 564 614 593 662 3.5 3.4 3.5 3.3 3.6 3.4 3.8
Education and health services........ 520 537 536 543 550 561 586 3.0 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.2 3.3
Leisure and hospitality.............. 399 435 410 425 405 387 430 3.2 3.4 3.2 3.3 3.2 3.0 3.4
Government............................ 351 343 337 350 403 356 370 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.8 1.6 1.7
REGION
Northeast............................ 541 545 540 562 606 535 569 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.1 2.2
South................................ 1,204 1,280 1,259 1,245 1,385 1,217 1,297 2.6 2.7 2.6 2.6 2.9 2.5 2.7
Midwest.............................. 666 635 613 699 711 715 762 2.1 2.0 1.9 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.4
West................................. 649 738 771 790 756 753 745 2.2 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.6 2.5 2.5
1 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day of the month.
2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business day of the month as a percent of total employment plus
job openings.
3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of
Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas,
Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio,
South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah,
Washington, and Wyoming.
Table 2. Hires levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels(3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.
2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p
Total(4)............................... 4,216 4,229 4,375 4,253 4,469 4,780 4,488 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.2 3.4 3.6 3.4
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 3,923 3,930 4,058 3,906 4,149 4,467 4,198 3.6 3.6 3.7 3.6 3.8 4.0 3.8
Construction......................... 404 368 401 383 361 388 385 6.0 5.3 5.8 5.5 5.1 5.5 5.5
Manufacturing........................ 340 352 356 379 333 376 327 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.3 2.6 2.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 913 957 984 864 976 1,081 1,022 3.6 3.8 3.9 3.4 3.8 4.2 4.0
Professional and business services... 650 621 690 689 783 801 718 4.0 3.8 4.2 4.2 4.7 4.8 4.3
Education and health services........ 427 418 470 401 411 447 439 2.5 2.5 2.8 2.4 2.4 2.6 2.6
Leisure and hospitality.............. 753 760 760 782 769 802 803 6.2 6.2 6.1 6.3 6.2 6.5 6.5
Government............................ 300 310 322 337 321 325 287 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.3
REGION
Northeast............................ 792 720 763 745 755 793 796 3.2 2.9 3.0 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.1
South................................ 1,517 1,640 1,643 1,635 1,694 1,799 1,704 3.3 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.6 3.9 3.6
Midwest.............................. 897 935 945 942 1,054 1,114 998 2.9 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.4 3.6 3.2
West................................. 992 865 1,018 942 928 1,022 951 3.5 3.0 3.5 3.3 3.2 3.5 3.3
1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month.
2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.
Table 3. Total separations levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels(3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.
2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p
Total(4)............................... 4,022 4,074 4,134 4,158 4,129 4,131 4,278 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.2 3.1 3.1 3.2
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 3,723 3,793 3,894 3,856 3,877 3,832 3,994 3.4 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.6
Construction......................... 391 364 391 350 423 360 343 5.8 5.3 5.6 5.0 6.0 5.1 4.9
Manufacturing........................ 343 367 379 381 338 334 372 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.6 2.3 2.3 2.6
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 968 972 951 909 922 934 1,073 3.8 3.8 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.7 4.2
Professional and business services... 575 613 575 590 580 694 649 3.6 3.7 3.5 3.6 3.5 4.2 3.9
Education and health services........ 330 363 380 384 373 422 380 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.5 2.2
Leisure and hospitality.............. 723 694 760 756 747 692 750 5.9 5.6 6.2 6.1 6.0 5.6 6.1
Government............................ 269 273 246 306 260 307 277 1.2 1.3 1.1 1.4 1.2 1.4 1.3
REGION
Northeast............................ 687 674 717 730 670 738 782 2.8 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.6 2.9 3.1
South................................ 1,518 1,545 1,527 1,506 1,568 1,572 1,599 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.4 3.4 3.4
Midwest.............................. 901 935 831 931 948 986 949 2.9 3.0 2.7 3.0 3.0 3.1 3.0
West................................. 898 945 1,087 978 914 817 938 3.2 3.3 3.8 3.4 3.2 2.8 3.3
1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month.
2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.
Table 4. Quits levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels(3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.
2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p
Total(4)............................... 2,131 2,265 2,252 2,248 2,283 2,325 2,408 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.8 1.8
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 2,010 2,141 2,140 2,118 2,147 2,206 2,283 1.9 2.0 1.9 1.9 1.9 2.0 2.1
Construction......................... 171 101 147 138 161 155 162 2.5 1.5 2.1 2.0 2.3 2.2 2.3
Manufacturing........................ 178 174 165 183 172 182 191 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 534 559 552 536 515 551 553 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.0 2.2 2.2
Professional and business services... 256 322 308 325 296 357 356 1.6 2.0 1.9 2.0 1.8 2.1 2.1
Education and health services........ 212 271 239 240 242 258 234 1.3 1.6 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.4
Leisure and hospitality.............. 462 442 476 439 476 453 498 3.8 3.6 3.9 3.6 3.9 3.7 4.0
Government............................ 119 126 116 130 122 119 127 .6 .6 .5 .6 .6 .5 .6
REGION
Northeast............................ 315 338 339 325 316 355 350 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.4 1.4
South................................ 894 901 897 903 910 971 995 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 2.0 2.1 2.1
Midwest.............................. 465 505 447 472 510 508 512 1.5 1.6 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.6
West................................. 436 519 566 546 539 468 519 1.5 1.8 2.0 1.9 1.9 1.6 1.8
1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month.
2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.
Table 5. Job openings levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec.
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 2,662 2,944 2,937 2.0 2.2 2.2
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 2,342 2,599 2,597 2.1 2.3 2.3
Natural resources and mining.................. 8 8 8 1.4 1.3 1.3
Construction.................................. 71 83 87 1.1 1.1 1.2
Manufacturing................................. 190 213 202 1.3 1.5 1.4
Durable goods................................ 114 136 134 1.3 1.5 1.5
Nondurable goods............................. 76 76 68 1.4 1.4 1.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 417 493 422 1.6 1.9 1.6
Wholesale trade.............................. 81 97 93 1.4 1.7 1.6
Retail trade................................. 244 294 245 1.6 1.9 1.5
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 92 102 83 1.9 2.0 1.7
Information................................... 61 70 88 1.9 2.2 2.7
Financial activities.......................... 168 202 199 2.1 2.4 2.4
Finance and insurance........................ 139 171 165 2.3 2.8 2.7
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 28 30 34 1.4 1.4 1.6
Professional and business services............ 524 526 602 3.1 3.0 3.5
Education and health services................. 484 533 547 2.8 3.0 3.1
Educational services......................... 31 48 49 1.1 1.6 1.6
Health care and social assistance............ 453 485 498 3.1 3.3 3.3
Leisure and hospitality....................... 305 334 335 2.5 2.7 2.7
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 26 39 40 1.5 2.3 2.4
Accommodations and food services............. 280 295 294 2.6 2.7 2.7
Other services................................ 113 139 107 2.1 2.5 1.9
Government..................................... 321 344 340 1.4 1.5 1.5
Federal....................................... 38 35 33 1.4 1.3 1.2
State and local............................... 283 309 308 1.5 1.6 1.6
REGION
Northeast..................................... 461 516 500 1.8 2.0 1.9
South......................................... 1,059 1,118 1,129 2.2 2.3 2.3
Midwest....................................... 570 634 665 1.8 2.0 2.1
West.......................................... 572 675 644 2.0 2.3 2.2
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.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.
Table 6. Hires levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec.
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 3,145 4,361 3,335 2.4 3.3 2.5
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 2,935 4,094 3,140 2.7 3.7 2.8
Natural resources and mining.................. 10 16 15 1.8 2.7 2.6
Construction.................................. 249 299 236 3.7 4.2 3.4
Manufacturing................................. 233 307 218 1.6 2.1 1.5
Durable goods................................ 152 177 124 1.7 2.0 1.4
Nondurable goods............................. 82 130 94 1.5 2.4 1.7
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 760 1,301 846 2.9 5.0 3.2
Wholesale trade.............................. 76 104 66 1.4 1.8 1.2
Retail trade................................. 573 1,004 619 3.7 6.5 4.0
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 111 193 161 2.3 4.0 3.3
Information................................... 39 75 41 1.2 2.4 1.3
Financial activities.......................... 118 190 132 1.5 2.3 1.6
Finance and insurance........................ 92 136 81 1.6 2.3 1.3
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 26 54 51 1.3 2.6 2.4
Professional and business services............ 521 714 582 3.2 4.3 3.5
Education and health services................. 306 381 316 1.8 2.2 1.8
Educational services......................... 32 43 33 1.1 1.5 1.1
Health care and social assistance............ 275 338 283 2.0 2.4 2.0
Leisure and hospitality....................... 554 661 597 4.6 5.4 4.9
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 76 68 72 4.6 4.2 4.4
Accommodations and food services............. 478 593 526 4.7 5.6 5.0
Other services................................ 144 150 156 2.7 2.8 2.9
Government..................................... 210 267 195 1.0 1.2 .9
Federal....................................... 35 27 31 1.3 1.0 1.1
State and local............................... 175 240 163 .9 1.2 .8
REGION
Northeast..................................... 556 746 605 2.2 2.9 2.4
South......................................... 1,155 1,681 1,281 2.5 3.6 2.7
Midwest....................................... 633 973 692 2.0 3.1 2.2
West.......................................... 802 961 757 2.8 3.3 2.6
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.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.
Table 7. Total separations levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec.
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 3,835 3,834 4,101 2.9 2.9 3.1
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,608 3,602 3,871 3.3 3.2 3.5
Natural resources and mining.................. 23 20 20 4.0 3.3 3.3
Construction.................................. 461 398 390 6.9 5.6 5.6
Manufacturing................................. 317 312 353 2.2 2.2 2.5
Durable goods................................ 192 183 221 2.2 2.0 2.5
Nondurable goods............................. 125 129 132 2.3 2.4 2.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 1,001 852 1,132 3.9 3.3 4.3
Wholesale trade.............................. 144 124 111 2.6 2.2 2.0
Retail trade................................. 682 589 808 4.4 3.8 5.2
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 176 139 213 3.7 2.9 4.3
Information................................... 69 46 49 2.2 1.4 1.6
Financial activities.......................... 130 172 180 1.6 2.1 2.2
Finance and insurance........................ 78 114 109 1.3 1.9 1.8
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 52 58 70 2.5 2.8 3.4
Professional and business services............ 570 628 637 3.5 3.7 3.8
Education and health services................. 280 338 319 1.7 2.0 1.8
Educational services......................... 34 31 33 1.2 1.0 1.1
Health care and social assistance............ 246 307 286 1.8 2.1 2.0
Leisure and hospitality....................... 597 665 618 5.0 5.5 5.1
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 89 123 91 5.3 7.5 5.6
Accommodations and food services............. 509 542 528 5.0 5.2 5.0
Other services................................ 160 171 173 3.0 3.2 3.2
Government..................................... 226 231 231 1.0 1.0 1.0
Federal....................................... 53 23 43 1.9 .9 1.6
State and local............................... 173 208 188 .9 1.1 1.0
REGION
Northeast..................................... 688 705 799 2.7 2.8 3.1
South......................................... 1,398 1,375 1,481 3.0 2.9 3.2
Midwest....................................... 885 947 930 2.9 3.0 3.0
West.......................................... 863 806 892 3.0 2.8 3.1
1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month.
2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of
total employment.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.
Table 8. Quits levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec.
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 1,764 1,992 2,000 1.3 1.5 1.5
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 1,673 1,899 1,901 1.5 1.7 1.7
Natural resources and mining.................. 6 8 7 1.0 1.3 1.1
Construction.................................. 132 129 128 2.0 1.8 1.9
Manufacturing................................. 124 137 137 .9 1.0 1.0
Durable goods................................ 71 70 84 .8 .8 .9
Nondurable goods............................. 53 68 53 1.0 1.2 1.0
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 476 484 496 1.8 1.9 1.9
Wholesale trade.............................. 71 52 65 1.3 .9 1.1
Retail trade................................. 338 365 366 2.2 2.4 2.3
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 66 68 66 1.4 1.4 1.3
Information................................... 27 28 29 .9 .9 .9
Financial activities.......................... 67 87 85 .8 1.1 1.0
Finance and insurance........................ 47 62 61 .8 1.0 1.0
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 20 25 23 1.0 1.2 1.1
Professional and business services............ 213 322 300 1.3 1.9 1.8
Education and health services................. 189 213 207 1.1 1.2 1.2
Educational services......................... 14 15 19 .5 .5 .6
Health care and social assistance............ 175 198 188 1.3 1.4 1.3
Leisure and hospitality....................... 356 392 391 3.0 3.2 3.2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 33 38 35 2.0 2.3 2.1
Accommodations and food services............. 323 354 356 3.1 3.4 3.4
Other services................................ 83 99 122 1.5 1.8 2.3
Government..................................... 91 92 98 .4 .4 .4
Federal....................................... 10 11 11 .4 .4 .4
State and local............................... 81 82 88 .4 .4 .5
REGION
Northeast..................................... 262 306 293 1.0 1.2 1.1
South......................................... 737 834 833 1.6 1.8 1.8
Midwest....................................... 391 443 433 1.3 1.4 1.4
West.......................................... 374 408 440 1.3 1.4 1.5
1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month.
2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.
Table 9. Layoffs and discharges levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec.
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 1,809 1,611 1,799 1.4 1.2 1.4
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 1,711 1,505 1,714 1.6 1.4 1.5
Natural resources and mining.................. 16 9 8 2.9 1.5 1.4
Construction.................................. 309 262 250 4.6 3.7 3.6
Manufacturing................................. 158 157 170 1.1 1.1 1.2
Durable goods................................ 98 102 99 1.1 1.1 1.1
Nondurable goods............................. 60 55 71 1.1 1.0 1.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 470 313 564 1.8 1.2 2.2
Wholesale trade.............................. 58 69 37 1.0 1.2 .7
Retail trade................................. 317 187 398 2.0 1.2 2.5
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 94 57 129 2.0 1.2 2.6
Information................................... 36 13 14 1.1 .4 .5
Financial activities.......................... 47 73 80 .6 .9 1.0
Finance and insurance........................ 20 41 39 .3 .7 .6
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 27 32 42 1.3 1.5 2.0
Professional and business services............ 329 279 301 2.0 1.7 1.8
Education and health services................. 63 104 87 .4 .6 .5
Educational services......................... 15 14 12 .5 .5 .4
Health care and social assistance............ 48 89 75 .3 .6 .5
Leisure and hospitality....................... 216 231 200 1.8 1.9 1.7
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 54 80 53 3.3 4.9 3.3
Accommodations and food services............. 163 151 147 1.6 1.4 1.4
Other services................................ 67 65 38 1.2 1.2 .7
Government..................................... 98 106 84 .4 .5 .4
Federal....................................... 37 3 19 1.3 .1 .7
State and local............................... 62 103 66 .3 .5 .3
REGION
Northeast..................................... 354 350 447 1.4 1.4 1.7
South......................................... 583 463 540 1.3 1.0 1.1
Midwest....................................... 433 454 425 1.4 1.4 1.4
West.......................................... 440 343 387 1.5 1.2 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.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.
Table 10. Other separations levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec.
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 261 231 303 0.2 0.2 0.2
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 224 197 256 .2 .2 .2
Natural resources and mining.................. (3) 3 5 .1 .5 .8
Construction.................................. 20 8 11 .3 .1 .2
Manufacturing................................. 35 18 46 .2 .1 .3
Durable goods................................ 23 11 39 .3 .1 .4
Nondurable goods............................. 12 7 7 .2 .1 .1
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 56 55 72 .2 .2 .3
Wholesale trade.............................. 14 3 10 .3 .1 .2
Retail trade................................. 27 38 44 .2 .2 .3
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 15 14 18 .3 .3 .4
Information................................... 6 5 6 .2 .2 .2
Financial activities.......................... 16 12 15 .2 .1 .2
Finance and insurance........................ 11 11 10 .2 .2 .2
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 5 1 5 .2 (3) .3
Professional and business services............ 27 27 36 .2 .2 .2
Education and health services................. 28 21 25 .2 .1 .1
Educational services......................... 6 1 2 .2 (3) .1
Health care and social assistance............ 23 19 23 .2 .1 .2
Leisure and hospitality....................... 25 42 27 .2 .3 .2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 2 5 3 .1 .3 .2
Accommodations and food services............. 23 37 24 .2 .4 .2
Other services................................ 11 7 12 .2 .1 .2
Government..................................... 37 33 48 .2 .2 .2
Federal....................................... 6 10 13 .2 .4 .5
State and local............................... 31 24 34 .2 .1 .2
REGION
Northeast..................................... 72 49 59 .3 .2 .2
South......................................... 78 77 108 .2 .2 .2
Midwest....................................... 62 49 72 .2 .2 .2
West.......................................... 49 55 65 .2 .2 .2
1 Other separations are the number of other separations during the entire month.
2 The other separations rate is the number of other separations during the entire month as a percent of
total employment.
3 Data round to zero.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.