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1 Technical information: (202) 691-5870 http://www.bls.gov/jlt/ Media contact: USDL 06-225 For release: 10:00 A.M. EST Tuesday, February 7, 2006 691-5902 JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: DECEMBER 2005 The job openings, hires, and total separations rates were all essentially unchanged in December, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector by industry and geographic region. Chart 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted, Percent January 2003 - December 2005 Chart 2. Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted, Percent January 2003 - December 2005 3.9 3.9 3.7 3.7 3.5 Hires 3.3 3.5 3.1 2.9 3.3 2.7 Separations 3.1 2.5 2.3 2.9 2.1 1.9 2.7 1.7 2.5 1.5 2003 2004 2005 2003 2004 2005 Job Openings On the last business day of December 2005, there were 4.1 million job openings in the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.9 percent. (See table 1.) The job openings rate did not change significantly in December but has generally trended upward since September 2003. In December, the job openings rate increased in professional and business services and in the West region, but decreased in manufacturing. Hires and Separations The hires rate was little changed at 3.4 percent in December. (See table 2.) Hires are any additions to the payroll during the month. Over the month, the hires rate increased in the trade, transportation, and utilities industry. At the same time, the hires rate decreased in manufacturing, leisure and hospitality, and in the Northeast region. The total separations, or turnover, rate was essentially unchanged at 3.1 percent in December. (See table 3.) Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any time during the month. In December, the total separations rate did not change significantly in any industry. Geographically, the total separations rate decreased in the Midwest, while remaining essentially unchanged in all other regions. 2 Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally adjusted Job openings Industry Dec. 2004 1 Total ........................................................... 3,507 Total private 1..................................... 3,106 Construction ..................................... 132 Manufacturing ................................ 266 Trade, transportation, and utilities ........................................... 561 Professional and business services ......................................... 699 Education and health services ..... 557 Leisure and hospitality .................. 450 Government .......................................... 396 Nov. 2005 Hires Nov. 2005 Total separations Dec. 2005p Dec. 2004 Dec. 2005p Dec. 2004 Nov. 2005 Dec. 2005p 3,927 3,495 161 337 4,050 3,624 152 312 Levels (in thousands) 4,641 4,507 4,639 4,337 4,321 4,210 368 389 420 324 332 287 4,435 4,146 355 353 4,315 4,049 373 386 4,133 3,856 331 349 660 675 986 931 1,073 1,062 972 1,030 707 611 480 439 813 626 518 435 878 452 834 307 770 471 853 321 704 468 746 298 833 375 758 274 685 419 778 267 625 389 802 253 Rates (percent) 1 Total .......................................................... Total private 1....................................... Construction .................................... Manufacturing ................................ Trade, transportation, and utilities ........................................... Professional and business services ......................................... Education and health services ..... Leisure and hospitality .................. Government .......................................... 1 2.6 2.7 1.8 1.8 2.8 3.0 2.2 2.3 2.9 3.1 2.0 2.1 3.5 3.9 5.2 2.3 3.5 3.8 5.3 2.3 3.4 3.7 5.7 2.0 3.3 3.7 5.0 2.5 3.2 3.6 5.1 2.7 3.1 3.4 4.5 2.4 2.1 2.5 2.5 3.8 3.6 4.1 4.1 3.8 4.0 4.0 3.1 3.4 1.8 4.0 3.4 3.6 2.0 4.5 3.5 3.9 1.9 5.3 2.6 6.6 1.4 4.5 2.7 6.7 1.5 4.1 2.7 5.8 1.4 5.0 2.2 6.0 1.3 4.0 2.4 6.1 1.2 3.6 2.2 6.2 1.2 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately. p = preliminary. Total separations include quits (voluntary separations), layoffs and discharges (involuntary separations), and other separations (including retirements). The quits rate, which can serve as a barometer of workers’ ability to change jobs, was little changed at 1.8 percent in December. (See table 4.) Over the month, the quits rate fell in manufacturing, education and health services, and in the Midwest region. The other two components of total separations—layoffs and discharges, and other separations—are not seasonally adjusted. From December 2004 to December 2005, the layoffs and discharges rate fell to 1.1 percent, while the other separations rate was unchanged at 0.2 percent. (See tables 9 and 10.) Hires and separations data help show dynamic flows in the labor market. Over the last 12 months, hires have averaged 4.7 million per month and separations have averaged 4.4 million per month (not seasonally adjusted). The comparable figures a year earlier were 4.5 million hires and 4.2 million separations. (See the Technical Note for additional information on these measures.) 3 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 January 2006 is scheduled to be issued on Tuesday, March 14, 2006. Revisions to the JOLTS Data With the release of January 2006 data on March 14, BLS will revise the job openings, hires, and separations data to incorporate the annual updates to the Current Employment Statistics employment estimates and the JOLTS seasonal adjustment factors. Unadjusted data since April 2004 and seasonally adjusted data since December 2000 are subject to revision. Additionally, starting with next month's release, BLS will begin the publication of annual rates and levels for hires and separations in the January release each year. Technical Note The data for the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) are collected and compiled monthly from a sample of business establishments by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Collection Each month, data are collected in a survey of business establishments for total employment, job openings, hires, quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Data collection methods include computer-assisted telephone interviewing, touchtone data entry, fax, and mail. Coverage The JOLTS program covers all private nonfarm establishments such as factories, offices, and stores, as well as federal, state, and local government entities in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Concepts Industry classification. The industry classifications in this release are in accordance with the 2002 version of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). In order to ensure the highest possible quality of data, State Employment Security Agencies verify with employers and update, if necessary, the industry code, location, and ownership classification of all establishments on a 3-year cycle. Changes in establishment characteristics resulting from the verification process are always introduced into the JOLTS sampling frame with the data reported for the first month of the year. Employment. Employment includes persons on the payroll who worked or received pay for the pay period that includes the 12th day of the reference month. Full-time, part-time, permanent, short-term, seasonal, salaried, and hourly employees are included, as are employees on paid vacations or other paid leave. Proprietors or partners of unincorporated businesses, unpaid family workers, or persons on leave without pay or on strike for the entire pay period, are not counted as employed. Employees of temporary help agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors, and consultants are counted by their employer of record, not by the establishment where they are working. Job openings. Establishments submit job openings information for the last business day of the reference month. A job opening requires that: 1) a specific position exists and there is work available for that position, 2) work could start within 30 days regardless of whether a suitable candidate is found, and 3) the employer is actively recruiting from outside the establishment to fill the position. Included are full-time, part-time, permanent, short-term, and seasonal openings. Active recruiting means that the establishment is taking steps to fill a position by advertising in newspapers or on the Internet, posting help-wanted signs, accepting applications, or using other similar methods. Jobs to be filled only by internal transfers, promotions, demotions, or recall from layoffs are excluded. Also excluded are jobs with start dates more than 30 days in the future, jobs for which employees have been hired but have not yet reported for work, and jobs to be filled by employees of temporary help agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors, or consultants. The job openings rate is computed by dividing the number of job openings by the sum of employment and job openings and multiplying that quotient by 100. Hires. Hires are the total number of additions to the payroll occurring at any time during the reference month, including both new and rehired employees, full-time and part-time, permanent, short-term, and seasonal employees, employees recalled to the location after a layoff lasting more than 7 days, on-call or intermittent employees who returned to work after having been formally separated, and transfers from other locations. The hires count does not include transfers or promotions within the reporting site, employees returning from strike, employees of temporary help agencies or employee leasing companies, outside contractors, or consultants. The hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100. Separations. Separations are the total number of terminations of employment occurring at any time during the reference month, and are reported by type of separation— quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Quits are voluntary separations by employees (except for retirements, which are reported as other separations). Layoffs and discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the employer and include layoffs with no intent to rehire, formal layoffs lasting or expected to last more than 7 days, discharges resulting from mergers, downsizing, or closings, firings or other discharges for cause, terminations of permanent or short-term employees, and terminations of seasonal employees. Other separations include retirements, transfers to other locations, deaths, and separations due to disability. Separations do not include transfers within the same location or employees on strike. The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of separations by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100. The quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations rates are computed similarly, dividing the number by employment and multiplying by 100. Sample methodology The JOLTS sample design is a random sample of 16,000 nonfarm business establishments, including factories, offices, and stores, as well as federal, state, and local governments in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The establishments are drawn from a universe of over eight million establishments compiled as part of the operations of the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, or QCEW, program. This program includes all employers subject to state Unemployment Insurance (UI) laws and federal agencies subject to Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE). The sampling frame is stratified by ownership, region, industry sector, and size class. Large firms fall into the sample with virtual certainty. JOLTS total employment estimates are controlled to the employment estimates of the Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey. A ratio of CES to JOLTS employment is used to adjust the levels for all other JOLTS data elements. Rates are then computed from the adjusted levels. Using JOLTS data The JOLTS data series on job openings, hires, and separations are relatively new. The full sample is divided into panels, with one panel enrolled each month. A full complement of panels for the original data series based on the 1987 Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system was not completely enrolled in the survey until January 2002. The supplemental panels of establishments needed to create NAICS estimates were not completely enrolled until May 2003. The data collected up until those points are from less than a full sample. Therefore, estimates from earlier months should be used with caution, as fewer sampled units were reporting data at that time. In March 2002, BLS procedures for collecting hires and separations data were revised to address possible underreporting. As a result, JOLTS hires and separations estimates for months prior to March 2002 may not be comparable with estimates for March 2002 and later. The federal government reorganization that involved transferring approximately 180,000 employees to the new Department of Homeland Security is not reflected in the JOLTS hires and separations estimates for the federal government. The Office of Personnel Management’s record shows these transfers were completed in March 2003. The inclusion of transfers in the JOLTS definitions of hires and separations is intended to cover ongoing movements of workers between establishments. The Department of Homeland Security reorganization was a massive one-time event, and the inclusion of these intergovernmental transfers would distort the federal government time series. Seasonal adjustment BLS seasonally adjusts several JOLTS series using the X-12-ARIMA seasonal adjustment program. Seasonal adjustment is the process of estimating and removing periodic fluctuations caused by events such as weather, holidays, and the beginning and ending of the school year. Seasonal adjustment makes it easier to observe fundamental changes in the level of the series, particularly those associated with general economic expansions and contractions. A concurrent seasonal adjustment methodology is used in which new seasonal adjustment factors are calculated each month, using all relevant data, up to and including the data for the current month. Data users should note that seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS series is conducted with fewer data observations than is customary. The historical data, therefore, may be subject to larger than normal revisions. Since the seasonal patterns in economic data series typically emerge over time, the standard use of moving averages as seasonal filters to capture these effects requires longer series than are currently available. As a result, the stable seasonal filter option is used in the seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS data. When calculating seasonal factors, this filter takes an average for each calendar month after detrending the series. The stable seasonal filter assumes that the seasonal factors are fixed; a necessary assumption until sufficient data are available. When the stable seasonal filter is no longer needed, other program features also may be introduced, such as outlier adjustment and extended diagnostic testing. Additionally, it is expected that more series, such as layoffs and discharges and additional industries, may be seasonally adjusted when more data are available. Reliability of the estimates JOLTS estimates are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error. When a sample rather than the entire population is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample estimates may differ from the “true” population values they represent. The exact difference, or sampling error, varies depending on the particular sample selected, and this variability is measured by the standard error of the estimate. BLS analysis is generally conducted at the 90-percent level of confidence. That means that there is a 90-percent chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate based on a sample will differ by no more than 1.6 standard errors from the “true” population value because of sampling error. Estimates of sampling errors are available upon request. The JOLTS estimates also are affected by nonsampling error. Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, including the failure to include a segment of the population, the inability to obtain data from all units in the sample, the inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide data on a timely basis, mistakes made by respondents, errors made in the collection or processing of the data, and errors from the employment benchmark data used in estimation. JOLTS hires and separations estimates cannot be used to exactly explain net changes in nonfarm payroll employment. Some reasons why it is problematic to compare changes in payroll employment with JOLTS hires and separations, especially on a monthly basis, are: 1) the reference period for payroll employment is the pay period including the 12th of the month, while the reference period for hires and separations is the calendar month; and 2) payroll employment can vary from month to month simply because part-time and on-call workers may not always work during the pay period that includes the 12th of the month. Additionally, research has found that some reporters systematically underreport separations relative to hires due to a number of factors, including the nature of their payroll systems and practices. The shortfall appears to be about 2 percent or less over a 12-month period. Other information Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; TDD message referral phone: 1-800-877-8339. 1 2 Table 1. Job openings levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted Levels3 (in thousands) Industry and region Dec. Rates Aug. 2005 Sept. 2005 Oct. 2005 Nov. 2005 Dec. Dec. 2004 July 2005 2005p Total 4……………………………………………… 3,507 3,588 3,487 3,836 3,937 3,927 3,204 128 287 600 666 607 439 388 3,130 136 266 620 590 604 427 370 3,406 156 293 630 725 606 469 420 3,540 148 320 611 848 597 492 432 610 1,343 764 832 609 1,353 704 841 728 1,466 754 895 781 1,471 777 920 2004 July 2005 Aug. 2005 Sept. 2005 Oct. 2005 Nov. 2005 2005p Dec. 4,050 2.6 2.6 2.5 2.8 2.9 2.8 2.9 3,495 161 337 660 707 611 480 439 3,624 152 312 675 813 626 518 435 2.7 1.8 1.8 2.1 4.0 3.1 3.4 1.8 2.8 1.7 2.0 2.3 3.8 3.4 3.3 1.7 2.7 1.8 1.8 2.3 3.4 3.3 3.2 1.7 2.9 2.1 2.0 2.4 4.1 3.4 3.5 1.9 3.1 2.0 2.2 2.3 4.7 3.3 3.7 1.9 3.0 2.2 2.3 2.5 4.0 3.4 3.6 2.0 3.1 2.0 2.1 2.5 4.5 3.5 3.9 1.9 674 1,558 720 971 665 1,601 765 1,056 2.4 2.8 2.3 2.7 2.3 2.7 2.4 2.8 2.3 2.8 2.2 2.8 2.8 3.0 2.3 3.0 3.0 3.0 2.4 3.0 2.6 3.2 2.2 3.2 2.5 3.2 2.4 3.5 INDUSTRY Total private4…………………………………… 3,106 132 Manufacturing………………………………… 266 Trade, transportation, and utilities………… 561 Professional and business services……… 699 Education and health services……………… 557 Leisure and hospitality………………...…… 450 Government……………………………………… 396 Construction………………………………… REGION Northeast……………………………………… 620 South………………………………………… 1,329 Midwest……………………………………… West…………………………………………… 1 740 792 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day the regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, of the month. 2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and day of the month as a percent of total employment plus job openings. 3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, seasonal adjustment of the various series. 4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and West Virginia; Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, and other services, not shown separately. p = preliminary. and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, NOTE: The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise and Wyoming. Table 2. Hires levels1 and rates2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted 3 Levels (in thousands) Industry and region Dec. Rates 2004 July 2005 Aug. 2005 Sept. 2005 Oct. 2005 Nov. 2005 Dec. 2005 Total 4……………………………………………… 4,639 4,649 4,601 4,719 4,650 4,641 4,342 381 345 990 832 453 834 330 4,276 435 344 998 786 465 771 337 4,356 422 338 1,001 925 460 808 336 4,308 414 436 919 780 460 840 326 772 1,689 1,045 1,081 738 1,750 970 1,144 759 1,840 996 1,136 741 1,774 1,003 1,125 Dec. 2004 July 2005 Aug. 2005 Sept. 2005 Oct. 2005 Nov. 2005 2005p 4,507 3.5 3.5 3.4 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.4 4,321 389 332 931 770 471 853 321 4,210 420 287 1,073 704 468 746 298 3.9 5.2 2.3 3.8 5.3 2.6 6.6 1.4 3.9 5.3 2.4 3.8 4.9 2.6 6.5 1.5 3.8 6.0 2.4 3.8 4.6 2.7 6.0 1.5 3.9 5.8 2.4 3.9 5.4 2.6 6.3 1.5 3.8 5.7 3.1 3.5 4.6 2.6 6.6 1.5 3.8 5.3 2.3 3.6 4.5 2.7 6.7 1.5 3.7 5.7 2.0 4.1 4.1 2.7 5.8 1.4 727 1,719 1,018 1,143 635 1,748 1,001 1,110 3.4 3.8 3.3 3.4 3.0 3.6 3.3 3.7 2.9 3.7 3.1 3.9 3.0 3.9 3.2 3.9 2.9 3.7 3.2 3.8 2.8 3.6 3.2 3.9 2.5 3.7 3.2 3.8 p Dec. INDUSTRY 4 Total private …………………………………… 4,337 368 Manufacturing………………………………… 324 Trade, transportation, and utilities………… 986 Professional and business services……… 878 Education and health services……………… 452 Leisure and hospitality………………...…… 834 Government……………………………………… 307 Construction………………………………… REGION Northeast……………………………………… 858 South………………………………………… 1,770 Midwest……………………………………… 1,043 West…………………………………………… 970 1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month. 2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series. 4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately. p = preliminary. NOTE: See NOTE, table 1. 1 2 Table 3. Total separations levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted Levels3 (in thousands) Industry and region Dec. Rates Aug. 2005 Sept. 2005 Oct. 2005 Nov. 2005 Dec. Dec. 2004 July 2005 2005p Total 4……………………………………………… 4,435 4,270 4,499 4,779 4,331 4,315 4,007 370 361 948 747 391 750 257 4,235 452 369 1,019 670 406 785 271 4,487 417 408 1,039 897 430 814 295 4,077 396 339 902 805 402 742 255 715 1,567 1,011 1,001 734 1,639 1,047 1,094 752 1,787 1,135 1,085 683 1,615 979 1,012 2004 July 2005 Aug. 2005 Sept. 2005 Oct. 2005 Nov. 2005 2005p Dec. 4,133 3.3 3.2 3.4 3.6 3.2 3.2 3.1 4,049 373 386 972 685 419 778 267 3,856 331 349 1,030 625 389 802 253 3.7 5.0 2.5 4.1 5.0 2.2 6.0 1.3 3.6 5.1 2.5 3.7 4.4 2.3 5.9 1.2 3.8 6.2 2.6 3.9 3.9 2.3 6.1 1.2 4.0 5.7 2.9 4.0 5.3 2.5 6.4 1.3 3.6 5.4 2.4 3.5 4.7 2.3 5.8 1.2 3.6 5.1 2.7 3.8 4.0 2.4 6.1 1.2 3.4 4.5 2.4 4.0 3.6 2.2 6.2 1.2 605 1,637 1,033 995 628 1,643 905 947 3.0 3.6 3.1 3.3 2.8 3.3 3.2 3.4 2.9 3.4 3.3 3.7 2.9 3.8 3.6 3.7 2.7 3.4 3.1 3.4 2.4 3.4 3.3 3.4 2.5 3.4 2.9 3.2 Aug. 2005 Sept. 2005 Oct. 2005 Nov. 2005 2005p INDUSTRY Total private4…………………………………… 4,146 355 Manufacturing………………………………… 353 Trade, transportation, and utilities………… 1,062 Professional and business services……… 833 Education and health services……………… 375 Leisure and hospitality………………...…… 758 Government……………………………………… 274 Construction………………………………… REGION Northeast……………………………………… 773 South………………………………………… 1,707 Midwest……………………………………… West…………………………………………… 986 953 1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month. 2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series. 4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately. p = preliminary. NOTE: See NOTE, table 1. Table 4. Quits levels1 and rates2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted 3 Levels (in thousands) Industry and region Dec. Rates Aug. 2005 Sept. 2005 Oct. 2005 Nov. 2005 Dec. Dec. 2004 July 2005 2005p 2004 July 2005 Total 4……………………………………………… 2,495 2,474 2,605 2,778 2,578 2,587 2,470 1.9 1.8 1.9 2.1 1.9 1.9 1.8 2,351 140 189 577 353 271 525 125 2,467 222 184 604 374 260 517 139 2,630 202 214 580 497 276 563 149 2,441 203 199 555 354 259 569 134 2,447 176 208 585 327 287 567 140 2,340 185 179 589 354 247 558 131 2.1 2.3 1.4 2.2 2.5 1.4 4.0 .6 2.1 1.9 1.3 2.2 2.1 1.6 4.1 .6 2.2 3.1 1.3 2.3 2.2 1.5 4.0 .6 2.3 2.8 1.5 2.2 2.9 1.6 4.4 .7 2.2 2.8 1.4 2.1 2.1 1.5 4.5 .6 2.2 2.4 1.5 2.3 1.9 1.6 4.4 .6 2.1 2.5 1.3 2.3 2.1 1.4 4.3 .6 381 964 548 577 380 1,054 570 585 377 1,147 613 643 360 1,032 571 598 344 1,034 556 638 362 1,022 490 595 1.5 2.2 1.7 1.9 1.5 2.0 1.7 2.0 1.5 2.2 1.8 2.0 1.5 2.4 1.9 2.2 1.4 2.2 1.8 2.0 1.3 2.2 1.8 2.2 1.4 2.1 1.5 2.0 Dec. INDUSTRY 4 Total private …………………………………… 2,366 162 Manufacturing………………………………… 194 Trade, transportation, and utilities………… 570 Professional and business services……… 415 Education and health services……………… 232 Leisure and hospitality………………...…… 506 Government……………………………………… 129 Construction………………………………… REGION Northeast……………………………………… 392 South………………………………………… 1,021 Midwest……………………………………… West…………………………………………… 544 536 1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month. 2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series. 4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately. p = preliminary. NOTE: See NOTE, table 1. Table 5. Job openings levels1 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted Levels (in thousands) Industry and region Total………………………………………………………… Rates Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec. 2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p 3,043 3,575 3,563 2.2 2.6 2.6 2,677 10 89 220 140 81 451 105 269 76 87 198 160 38 638 526 51 475 355 46 309 103 3,156 11 133 291 199 92 611 98 390 123 101 274 226 48 646 582 71 512 396 41 355 112 3,158 12 103 262 174 88 543 104 335 104 101 286 219 67 764 584 66 519 416 33 384 85 2.4 1.7 1.3 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.5 2.7 2.4 2.6 1.8 3.7 2.9 1.7 3.2 2.8 2.7 2.8 1.9 2.7 1.7 1.7 2.0 2.2 1.7 2.3 1.7 2.4 2.4 3.1 3.2 3.6 2.1 3.6 3.2 2.3 3.4 3.1 2.4 3.2 2.0 2.7 1.8 1.4 1.8 1.9 1.6 2.0 1.8 2.1 2.1 3.1 3.3 3.4 3.0 4.3 3.2 2.2 3.4 3.2 1.9 3.4 1.5 366 38 328 419 47 372 405 41 364 1.6 1.4 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.9 1.8 1.5 1.8 527 1,165 650 702 651 1,436 636 852 535 1,408 669 951 2.0 2.4 2.0 2.4 2.5 2.9 2.0 2.8 2.0 2.8 2.1 3.1 INDUSTRY Total private……………………………………………… Natural resources and mining……………………… Construction…………………………………………… Manufacturing………………………………………… Durable goods...…………………………………… Nondurable goods...……………………………… Trade, transportation, and utilities………………… Wholesale trade…………………………………… Retail trade………………………………………… Transportation, warehousing, and utilities……… Information…………………………………………… Financial activities……..……………………………… Finance and insurance…………………………… Real estate and rental and leasing……………… Professional and business services………………… Education and health services……………………… Educational services……………………………… Health care and social assistance……………… Leisure and hospitality………………...…………… Arts, entertainment, and recreation……………… Accommodations and food services…………… Other services………………………………………… Government……………………………………………… Federal………………………………………………… State and local…………….………………………… REGION Northeast……………………………………………… South…………………………………………………… Midwest………………………………………………… West…………………………………………………… 1 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day of the month. 2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business day of the month as a percent of total employment plus job openings. p = preliminary. NOTE: See NOTE, table 1. Table 6. Hires levels1 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted Levels (in thousands) Industry and region Total………………………………………………………… Rates Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec. 2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p 3,449 4,204 3,330 2.6 3.1 2.5 3,244 14 228 225 136 89 810 70 582 158 43 138 84 53 681 332 36 295 621 72 549 153 3,941 13 299 271 167 105 1,093 111 773 210 94 197 122 75 683 400 48 351 709 80 629 182 3,133 13 258 197 116 81 888 97 594 197 64 133 98 36 535 342 40 302 561 67 494 142 2.9 2.4 3.3 1.6 1.5 1.7 3.1 1.2 3.7 3.2 1.4 1.7 1.4 2.5 4.1 1.9 1.2 2.1 5.0 4.4 5.2 2.8 3.5 1.9 4.0 1.9 1.9 2.0 4.1 1.9 5.0 4.2 3.0 2.4 2.0 3.5 4.0 2.3 1.6 2.4 5.6 4.7 5.8 3.3 2.8 2.0 3.6 1.4 1.3 1.5 3.4 1.7 3.8 3.9 2.0 1.6 1.6 1.6 3.1 1.9 1.3 2.1 4.5 4.0 4.6 2.6 205 32 173 263 32 231 197 24 173 .9 1.2 .9 1.2 1.2 1.2 .9 .9 .9 624 1,339 718 768 689 1,557 898 1,060 448 1,324 688 869 2.4 2.8 2.3 2.6 2.7 3.2 2.8 3.6 1.7 2.8 2.2 2.9 INDUSTRY Total private……………………………………………… Natural resources and mining……………………… Construction…………………………………………… Manufacturing………………………………………… Durable goods...…………………………………… Nondurable goods...……………………………… Trade, transportation, and utilities………………… Wholesale trade…………………………………… Retail trade………………………………………… Transportation, warehousing, and utilities……… Information…………………………………………… Financial activities……..……………………………… Finance and insurance…………………………… Real estate and rental and leasing……………… Professional and business services………………… Education and health services……………………… Educational services……………………………… Health care and social assistance……………… Leisure and hospitality………………...…………… Arts, entertainment, and recreation……………… Accommodations and food services…………… Other services………………………………………… Government……………………………………………… Federal………………………………………………… State and local…………….………………………… REGION Northeast……………………………………………… South…………………………………………………… Midwest………………………………………………… West…………………………………………………… 1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month. 2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment. p = preliminary. NOTE: See NOTE, table 1. Table 7. Total separations levels1 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted Levels (in thousands) Rates Industry and region Total………………………………………………………… Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec. 2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p 4,275 4,004 3,910 3.2 3.0 2.9 4,039 18 399 322 199 123 1,116 121 789 206 55 171 100 71 824 339 38 301 625 97 529 170 3,805 13 399 375 220 156 891 138 597 156 82 137 83 54 623 348 38 309 756 114 642 181 3,697 14 366 309 187 122 1,093 129 711 253 70 150 108 42 593 324 40 284 664 77 587 113 3.6 3.0 5.7 2.2 2.2 2.3 4.3 2.1 5.0 4.2 1.8 2.1 1.7 3.4 4.9 2.0 1.3 2.1 5.1 5.8 5.0 3.1 3.4 2.0 5.3 2.6 2.5 2.9 3.4 2.4 3.8 3.1 2.6 1.7 1.4 2.5 3.6 2.0 1.3 2.1 6.0 6.7 5.9 3.3 3.3 2.1 5.1 2.2 2.1 2.3 4.1 2.2 4.5 5.1 2.2 1.8 1.8 1.9 3.5 1.8 1.3 1.9 5.3 4.6 5.4 2.1 236 41 195 199 29 170 213 32 182 1.1 1.5 1.0 .9 1.1 .9 1.0 1.2 .9 790 1,597 966 922 587 1,394 1,053 970 628 1,510 879 894 3.1 3.4 3.1 3.2 2.3 2.9 3.3 3.3 2.4 3.1 2.8 3.0 INDUSTRY Total private……………………………………………… Natural resources and mining……………………… Construction…………………………………………… Manufacturing………………………………………… Durable goods...…………………………………… Nondurable goods...……………………………… Trade, transportation, and utilities………………… Wholesale trade…………………………………… Retail trade………………………………………… Transportation, warehousing, and utilities……… Information…………………………………………… Financial activities……..……………………………… Finance and insurance…………………………… Real estate and rental and leasing……………… Professional and business services………………… Education and health services……………………… Educational services……………………………… Health care and social assistance……………… Leisure and hospitality………………...…………… Arts, entertainment, and recreation……………… Accommodations and food services…………… Other services………………………………………… Government……………………………………………… Federal………………………………………………… State and local…………….………………………… REGION Northeast……………………………………………… South…………………………………………………… Midwest………………………………………………… West…………………………………………………… 1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month. 2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of total employment. p = preliminary. NOTE: See NOTE, table 1. Table 8. Quits levels1 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted Levels (in thousands) Industry and region Total………………………………………………………… Rates Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec. 2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p 2,073 2,242 2,040 1.6 1.7 1.5 1,972 6 122 137 85 53 502 63 371 68 33 88 64 24 354 207 20 187 403 38 365 120 2,131 8 152 160 103 57 527 52 412 63 54 80 56 24 290 241 25 216 498 34 464 120 1,939 6 146 125 80 45 521 55 380 85 39 80 61 19 297 215 21 194 444 33 411 66 1.8 .9 1.7 1.0 .9 1.0 1.9 1.1 2.4 1.4 1.0 1.1 1.1 1.1 2.1 1.2 .7 1.3 3.3 2.3 3.4 2.2 1.9 1.2 2.0 1.1 1.1 1.1 2.0 .9 2.6 1.3 1.7 1.0 .9 1.1 1.7 1.4 .8 1.5 4.0 2.0 4.3 2.2 1.7 .9 2.0 .9 .9 .9 2.0 1.0 2.4 1.7 1.2 1.0 1.0 .9 1.7 1.2 .7 1.3 3.5 2.0 3.8 1.2 102 10 92 111 17 94 101 10 91 .5 .4 .5 .5 .6 .5 .5 .4 .5 311 846 460 456 294 879 508 562 288 843 410 499 1.2 1.8 1.5 1.6 1.1 1.8 1.6 1.9 1.1 1.8 1.3 1.7 INDUSTRY Total private……………………………………………… Natural resources and mining……………………… Construction…………………………………………… Manufacturing………………………………………… Durable goods...…………………………………… Nondurable goods...……………………………… Trade, transportation, and utilities………………… Wholesale trade…………………………………… Retail trade………………………………………… Transportation, warehousing, and utilities……… Information…………………………………………… Financial activities……..……………………………… Finance and insurance…………………………… Real estate and rental and leasing……………… Professional and business services………………… Education and health services……………………… Educational services……………………………… Health care and social assistance……………… Leisure and hospitality………………...…………… Arts, entertainment, and recreation……………… Accommodations and food services…………… Other services………………………………………… Government……………………………………………… Federal………………………………………………… State and local…………….………………………… REGION Northeast……………………………………………… South…………………………………………………… Midwest………………………………………………… West…………………………………………………… 1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month. 2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment. p = preliminary. NOTE: See NOTE, table 1. Table 9. Layoffs and discharges levels1 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted Levels (in thousands) Rates Industry and region Total………………………………………………………… Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec. 2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p 1,923 1,486 1,552 1.4 1.1 1.1 1,839 7 266 161 98 63 549 44 382 124 16 66 26 40 430 110 16 94 195 57 138 38 1,425 3 214 174 85 88 321 78 162 82 22 47 19 28 288 88 11 76 226 79 147 42 1,483 6 210 153 89 64 482 67 269 146 20 45 23 21 257 84 17 67 187 42 145 40 1.7 1.2 3.8 1.1 1.1 1.2 2.1 .8 2.4 2.5 .5 .8 .4 1.9 2.6 .6 .6 .7 1.6 3.4 1.3 .7 1.3 .5 2.9 1.2 1.0 1.7 1.2 1.4 1.0 1.6 .7 .6 .3 1.3 1.7 .5 .4 .5 1.8 4.7 1.4 .8 1.3 1.0 2.9 1.1 1.0 1.2 1.8 1.2 1.7 2.9 .6 .5 .4 1.0 1.5 .5 .6 .5 1.5 2.5 1.3 .7 84 17 68 60 7 53 69 16 53 .4 .6 .4 .3 .3 .3 .3 .6 .3 412 653 456 403 253 442 455 335 291 584 386 292 1.6 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.0 .9 1.4 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.0 INDUSTRY Total private……………………………………………… Natural resources and mining……………………… Construction…………………………………………… Manufacturing………………………………………… Durable goods...…………………………………… Nondurable goods...……………………………… Trade, transportation, and utilities………………… Wholesale trade…………………………………… Retail trade………………………………………… Transportation, warehousing, and utilities……… Information…………………………………………… Financial activities……..……………………………… Finance and insurance…………………………… Real estate and rental and leasing……………… Professional and business services………………… Education and health services……………………… Educational services……………………………… Health care and social assistance……………… Leisure and hospitality………………...…………… Arts, entertainment, and recreation……………… Accommodations and food services…………… Other services………………………………………… Government……………………………………………… Federal………………………………………………… State and local…………….………………………… REGION Northeast……………………………………………… South…………………………………………………… Midwest………………………………………………… West…………………………………………………… 1 Layoffs and discharges are the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire month. 2 The layoffs and discharges rate is the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire month as a percent of total employment. p = preliminary. NOTE: See NOTE, table 1. Table 10. Other separations levels1 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted Levels (in thousands) Rates Industry and region Total………………………………………………………… Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec. 2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p 279 276 318 .2 .2 .2 229 5 10 24 16 7 65 14 36 15 6 17 10 7 40 22 2 20 28 2 26 12 249 2 32 42 32 10 42 8 23 11 6 10 7 2 45 19 2 17 32 (³) 31 19 275 2 11 31 18 13 90 6 62 22 12 25 24 1 39 25 1 24 33 2 31 8 .2 .8 .1 .2 .2 .1 .2 .3 .2 .3 .2 .2 .2 .3 .2 .1 .1 .1 .2 .1 .2 .2 .2 .3 .4 .3 .4 .2 .2 .1 .1 .2 .2 .1 .1 .1 .3 .1 .1 .1 .3 (³) .3 .3 .2 .2 .2 .2 .2 .2 .3 .1 .4 .4 .4 .3 .4 .1 .2 .1 (³) .2 .3 .1 .3 .1 50 15 35 28 5 22 43 6 38 .2 .5 .2 .1 .2 .1 .2 .2 .2 67 98 51 63 40 73 90 73 49 83 83 103 .3 .2 .2 .2 .2 .2 .3 .2 .2 .2 .3 .3 INDUSTRY Total private……………………………………………… Natural resources and mining……………………… Construction…………………………………………… Manufacturing………………………………………… Durable goods...…………………………………… Nondurable goods...……………………………… Trade, transportation, and utilities………………… Wholesale trade…………………………………… Retail trade………………………………………… Transportation, warehousing, and utilities……… Information…………………………………………… Financial activities……..……………………………… Finance and insurance…………………………… Real estate and rental and leasing……………… Professional and business services………………… Education and health services……………………… Educational services……………………………… Health care and social assistance……………… Leisure and hospitality………………...…………… Arts, entertainment, and recreation……………… Accommodations and food services…………… Other services………………………………………… Government……………………………………………… Federal………………………………………………… State and local…………….………………………… REGION Northeast……………………………………………… South…………………………………………………… Midwest………………………………………………… West…………………………………………………… 1 2 Other separations are the number of other separations during the entire month. 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.