Full text of December 2005 : Text File, USDL-06-225
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Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 06-225
http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
For release: 10:00 A.M. EST
Media contact: 691-5902 Tuesday, February 7, 2006
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.
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 Decem-
ber, 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 utili-
ties 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. Geographic-
ally, the total separations rate decreased in the Midwest, while remaining
essentially unchanged in all other regions.
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.
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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.
| 2004 | 2005 | 2005p| 2004 | 2005 | 2005p| 2004 | 2005 | 2005p
-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Levels (in thousands)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........|3,507 |3,927 |4,050 |4,639 |4,641 |4,507 |4,435 |4,315 |4,133
Total private(1).|3,106 |3,495 |3,624 |4,337 |4,321 |4,210 |4,146 |4,049 |3,856
Construction...| 132 | 161 | 152 | 368 | 389 | 420 | 355 | 373 | 331
Manufacturing..| 266 | 337 | 312 | 324 | 332 | 287 | 353 | 386 | 349
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities.....| 561 | 660 | 675 | 986 | 931 |1.073 |1.062 | 972 |1,030
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 699 | 707 | 813 | 878 | 770 | 704 | 833 | 685 | 625
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 557 | 611 | 626 | 452 | 471 | 468 | 375 | 419 | 389
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality...| 450 | 480 | 518 | 834 | 853 | 746 | 758 | 778 | 802
Government.......| 396 | 439 | 435 | 307 | 321 298 | 274 | 267 | 253
|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Rates (percent)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........| 2.6 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.1
Total private(1).| 2.7 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.4
Construction...| 1.8 | 2.2 | 2.0 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 5.7 | 5.0 | 5.1 | 4.5
Manufacturing..| 1.8 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 2.7 | 2.4
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities.....| 2.1 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 4.0
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 5.3 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 3.6
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 2.2
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality...| 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 6.6 | 6.7 | 5.8 | 6.0 | 6.1 | 6.2
Government.......| 1.8 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.2
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and
other services, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
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 mil-
lion separations. (See the Technical Note for additional information on
these measures.)
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 sched-
uled 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 incor- |
| porate the annual updates to the Current Employmen Statistics |
| employment estimates and the JOLTS seaasonal 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 publica- |
| tion of annual rates and levels for hires and separations in the |
| January release each year. |
------------------------------------------------------------------
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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.
2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p
Total(4)............................... 3,507 3,588 3,487 3,836 3,937 3,927 4,050 2.6 2.6 2.5 2.8 2.9 2.8 2.9
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 3,106 3,204 3,130 3,406 3,540 3,495 3,624 2.7 2.8 2.7 2.9 3.1 3.0 3.1
Construction......................... 132 128 136 156 148 161 152 1.8 1.7 1.8 2.1 2.0 2.2 2.0
Manufacturing........................ 266 287 266 293 320 337 312 1.8 2.0 1.8 2.0 2.2 2.3 2.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 561 600 620 630 611 660 675 2.1 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.5 2.5
Professional and business services... 699 666 590 725 848 707 813 4.0 3.8 3.4 4.1 4.7 4.0 4.5
Education and health services........ 557 607 604 606 597 611 626 3.1 3.4 3.3 3.4 3.3 3.4 3.5
Leisure and hospitality.............. 450 439 427 469 492 480 518 3.4 3.3 3.2 3.5 3.7 3.6 3.9
Government............................ 396 388 370 420 432 439 435 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.9 1.9 2.0 1.9
REGION
Northeast............................ 620 610 609 728 781 674 665 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.8 3.0 2.6 2.5
South................................ 1,329 1,343 1,353 1,466 1,471 1,558 1,601 2.8 2.7 2.8 3.0 3.0 3.2 3.2
Midwest.............................. 740 764 704 754 777 720 765 2.3 2.4 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.2 2.4
West................................. 792 832 841 895 920 971 1,056 2.7 2.8 2.8 3.0 3.0 3.2 3.5
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.
2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p
Total(4)............................... 4,639 4,649 4,601 4,719 4,650 4,641 4,507 3.5 3.5 3.4 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.4
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 4,337 4,342 4,276 4,356 4,308 4,321 4,210 3.9 3.9 3.8 3.9 3.8 3.8 3.7
Construction......................... 368 381 435 422 414 389 420 5.2 5.3 6.0 5.8 5.7 5.3 5.7
Manufacturing........................ 324 345 344 338 436 332 287 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.4 3.1 2.3 2.0
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 986 990 998 1,001 919 931 1,073 3.8 3.8 3.8 3.9 3.5 3.6 4.1
Professional and business services... 878 832 786 925 780 770 704 5.3 4.9 4.6 5.4 4.6 4.5 4.1
Education and health services........ 452 453 465 460 460 471 468 2.6 2.6 2.7 2.6 2.6 2.7 2.7
Leisure and hospitality.............. 834 834 771 808 840 853 746 6.6 6.5 6.0 6.3 6.6 6.7 5.8
Government............................ 307 330 337 336 326 321 298 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.4
REGION
Northeast............................ 858 772 738 759 741 727 635 3.4 3.0 2.9 3.0 2.9 2.8 2.5
South................................ 1,770 1,689 1,750 1,840 1,774 1,719 1,748 3.8 3.6 3.7 3.9 3.7 3.6 3.7
Midwest.............................. 1,043 1,045 970 996 1,003 1,018 1,001 3.3 3.3 3.1 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2
West................................. 970 1,081 1,144 1,136 1,125 1,143 1,110 3.4 3.7 3.9 3.9 3.8 3.9 3.8
1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month.
2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
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.
2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p
Total(4)............................... 4,435 4,270 4,499 4,779 4,331 4,315 4,133 3.3 3.2 3.4 3.6 3.2 3.2 3.1
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 4,146 4,007 4,235 4,487 4,077 4,049 3,856 3.7 3.6 3.8 4.0 3.6 3.6 3.4
Construction......................... 355 370 452 417 396 373 331 5.0 5.1 6.2 5.7 5.4 5.1 4.5
Manufacturing........................ 353 361 369 408 339 386 349 2.5 2.5 2.6 2.9 2.4 2.7 2.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 1,062 948 1,019 1,039 902 972 1,030 4.1 3.7 3.9 4.0 3.5 3.8 4.0
Professional and business services... 833 747 670 897 805 685 625 5.0 4.4 3.9 5.3 4.7 4.0 3.6
Education and health services........ 375 391 406 430 402 419 389 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.5 2.3 2.4 2.2
Leisure and hospitality.............. 758 750 785 814 742 778 802 6.0 5.9 6.1 6.4 5.8 6.1 6.2
Government............................ 274 257 271 295 255 267 253 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2
REGION
Northeast............................ 773 715 734 752 683 605 628 3.0 2.8 2.9 2.9 2.7 2.4 2.5
South................................ 1,707 1,567 1,639 1,787 1,615 1,637 1,643 3.6 3.3 3.4 3.8 3.4 3.4 3.4
Midwest.............................. 986 1,011 1,047 1,135 979 1,033 905 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.6 3.1 3.3 2.9
West................................. 953 1,001 1,094 1,085 1,012 995 947 3.3 3.4 3.7 3.7 3.4 3.4 3.2
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 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.
2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p
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
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 2,366 2,351 2,467 2,630 2,441 2,447 2,340 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.2 2.1
Construction......................... 162 140 222 202 203 176 185 2.3 1.9 3.1 2.8 2.8 2.4 2.5
Manufacturing........................ 194 189 184 214 199 208 179 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 570 577 604 580 555 585 589 2.2 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.1 2.3 2.3
Professional and business services... 415 353 374 497 354 327 354 2.5 2.1 2.2 2.9 2.1 1.9 2.1
Education and health services........ 232 271 260 276 259 287 247 1.4 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.4
Leisure and hospitality.............. 506 525 517 563 569 567 558 4.0 4.1 4.0 4.4 4.5 4.4 4.3
Government............................ 129 125 139 149 134 140 131 .6 .6 .6 .7 .6 .6 .6
REGION
Northeast............................ 392 381 380 377 360 344 362 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.4
South................................ 1,021 964 1,054 1,147 1,032 1,034 1,022 2.2 2.0 2.2 2.4 2.2 2.2 2.1
Midwest.............................. 544 548 570 613 571 556 490 1.7 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.5
West................................. 536 577 585 643 598 638 595 1.9 2.0 2.0 2.2 2.0 2.2 2.0
1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month.
2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
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.
2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p
Total........................................... 3,043 3,575 3,563 2.2 2.6 2.6
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 2,677 3,156 3,158 2.4 2.7 2.7
Natural resources and mining.................. 10 11 12 1.7 1.7 1.8
Construction.................................. 89 133 103 1.3 1.7 1.4
Manufacturing................................. 220 291 262 1.5 2.0 1.8
Durable goods................................ 140 199 174 1.5 2.2 1.9
Nondurable goods............................. 81 92 88 1.5 1.7 1.6
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 451 611 543 1.7 2.3 2.0
Wholesale trade.............................. 105 98 104 1.8 1.7 1.8
Retail trade................................. 269 390 335 1.7 2.4 2.1
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 76 123 104 1.5 2.4 2.1
Information................................... 87 101 101 2.7 3.1 3.1
Financial activities.......................... 198 274 286 2.4 3.2 3.3
Finance and insurance........................ 160 226 219 2.6 3.6 3.4
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 38 48 67 1.8 2.1 3.0
Professional and business services............ 638 646 764 3.7 3.6 4.3
Education and health services................. 526 582 584 2.9 3.2 3.2
Educational services......................... 51 71 66 1.7 2.3 2.2
Health care and social assistance............ 475 512 519 3.2 3.4 3.4
Leisure and hospitality....................... 355 396 416 2.8 3.1 3.2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 46 41 33 2.7 2.4 1.9
Accommodations and food services............. 309 355 384 2.8 3.2 3.4
Other services................................ 103 112 85 1.9 2.0 1.5
Government..................................... 366 419 405 1.6 1.8 1.8
Federal....................................... 38 47 41 1.4 1.7 1.5
State and local............................... 328 372 364 1.7 1.9 1.8
REGION
Northeast..................................... 527 651 535 2.0 2.5 2.0
South......................................... 1,165 1,436 1,408 2.4 2.9 2.8
Midwest....................................... 650 636 669 2.0 2.0 2.1
West.......................................... 702 852 951 2.4 2.8 3.1
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.
2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p
Total........................................... 3,449 4,204 3,330 2.6 3.1 2.5
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,244 3,941 3,133 2.9 3.5 2.8
Natural resources and mining.................. 14 13 13 2.4 1.9 2.0
Construction.................................. 228 299 258 3.3 4.0 3.6
Manufacturing................................. 225 271 197 1.6 1.9 1.4
Durable goods................................ 136 167 116 1.5 1.9 1.3
Nondurable goods............................. 89 105 81 1.7 2.0 1.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 810 1,093 888 3.1 4.1 3.4
Wholesale trade.............................. 70 111 97 1.2 1.9 1.7
Retail trade................................. 582 773 594 3.7 5.0 3.8
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 158 210 197 3.2 4.2 3.9
Information................................... 43 94 64 1.4 3.0 2.0
Financial activities.......................... 138 197 133 1.7 2.4 1.6
Finance and insurance........................ 84 122 98 1.4 2.0 1.6
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 53 75 36 2.5 3.5 1.6
Professional and business services............ 681 683 535 4.1 4.0 3.1
Education and health services................. 332 400 342 1.9 2.3 1.9
Educational services......................... 36 48 40 1.2 1.6 1.3
Health care and social assistance............ 295 351 302 2.1 2.4 2.1
Leisure and hospitality....................... 621 709 561 5.0 5.6 4.5
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 72 80 67 4.4 4.7 4.0
Accommodations and food services............. 549 629 494 5.2 5.8 4.6
Other services................................ 153 182 142 2.8 3.3 2.6
Government..................................... 205 263 197 .9 1.2 .9
Federal....................................... 32 32 24 1.2 1.2 .9
State and local............................... 173 231 173 .9 1.2 .9
REGION
Northeast..................................... 624 689 448 2.4 2.7 1.7
South......................................... 1,339 1,557 1,324 2.8 3.2 2.8
Midwest....................................... 718 898 688 2.3 2.8 2.2
West.......................................... 768 1,060 869 2.6 3.6 2.9
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.
2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p
Total........................................... 4,275 4,004 3,910 3.2 3.0 2.9
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 4,039 3,805 3,697 3.6 3.4 3.3
Natural resources and mining.................. 18 13 14 3.0 2.0 2.1
Construction.................................. 399 399 366 5.7 5.3 5.1
Manufacturing................................. 322 375 309 2.2 2.6 2.2
Durable goods................................ 199 220 187 2.2 2.5 2.1
Nondurable goods............................. 123 156 122 2.3 2.9 2.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 1,116 891 1,093 4.3 3.4 4.1
Wholesale trade.............................. 121 138 129 2.1 2.4 2.2
Retail trade................................. 789 597 711 5.0 3.8 4.5
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 206 156 253 4.2 3.1 5.1
Information................................... 55 82 70 1.8 2.6 2.2
Financial activities.......................... 171 137 150 2.1 1.7 1.8
Finance and insurance........................ 100 83 108 1.7 1.4 1.8
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 71 54 42 3.4 2.5 1.9
Professional and business services............ 824 623 593 4.9 3.6 3.5
Education and health services................. 339 348 324 2.0 2.0 1.8
Educational services......................... 38 38 40 1.3 1.3 1.3
Health care and social assistance............ 301 309 284 2.1 2.1 1.9
Leisure and hospitality....................... 625 756 664 5.1 6.0 5.3
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 97 114 77 5.8 6.7 4.6
Accommodations and food services............. 529 642 587 5.0 5.9 5.4
Other services................................ 170 181 113 3.1 3.3 2.1
Government..................................... 236 199 213 1.1 .9 1.0
Federal....................................... 41 29 32 1.5 1.1 1.2
State and local............................... 195 170 182 1.0 .9 .9
REGION
Northeast..................................... 790 587 628 3.1 2.3 2.4
South......................................... 1,597 1,394 1,510 3.4 2.9 3.1
Midwest....................................... 966 1,053 879 3.1 3.3 2.8
West.......................................... 922 970 894 3.2 3.3 3.0
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.
2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p
Total........................................... 2,073 2,242 2,040 1.6 1.7 1.5
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 1,972 2,131 1,939 1.8 1.9 1.7
Natural resources and mining.................. 6 8 6 .9 1.2 .9
Construction.................................. 122 152 146 1.7 2.0 2.0
Manufacturing................................. 137 160 125 1.0 1.1 .9
Durable goods................................ 85 103 80 .9 1.1 .9
Nondurable goods............................. 53 57 45 1.0 1.1 .9
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 502 527 521 1.9 2.0 2.0
Wholesale trade.............................. 63 52 55 1.1 .9 1.0
Retail trade................................. 371 412 380 2.4 2.6 2.4
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 68 63 85 1.4 1.3 1.7
Information................................... 33 54 39 1.0 1.7 1.2
Financial activities.......................... 88 80 80 1.1 1.0 1.0
Finance and insurance........................ 64 56 61 1.1 .9 1.0
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 24 24 19 1.1 1.1 .9
Professional and business services............ 354 290 297 2.1 1.7 1.7
Education and health services................. 207 241 215 1.2 1.4 1.2
Educational services......................... 20 25 21 .7 .8 .7
Health care and social assistance............ 187 216 194 1.3 1.5 1.3
Leisure and hospitality....................... 403 498 444 3.3 4.0 3.5
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 38 34 33 2.3 2.0 2.0
Accommodations and food services............. 365 464 411 3.4 4.3 3.8
Other services................................ 120 120 66 2.2 2.2 1.2
Government..................................... 102 111 101 .5 .5 .5
Federal....................................... 10 17 10 .4 .6 .4
State and local............................... 92 94 91 .5 .5 .5
REGION
Northeast..................................... 311 294 288 1.2 1.1 1.1
South......................................... 846 879 843 1.8 1.8 1.8
Midwest....................................... 460 508 410 1.5 1.6 1.3
West.......................................... 456 562 499 1.6 1.9 1.7
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.
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.
2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p
Total........................................... 1,923 1,486 1,552 1.4 1.1 1.1
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 1,839 1,425 1,483 1.7 1.3 1.3
Natural resources and mining.................. 7 3 6 1.2 .5 1.0
Construction.................................. 266 214 210 3.8 2.9 2.9
Manufacturing................................. 161 174 153 1.1 1.2 1.1
Durable goods................................ 98 85 89 1.1 1.0 1.0
Nondurable goods............................. 63 88 64 1.2 1.7 1.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 549 321 482 2.1 1.2 1.8
Wholesale trade.............................. 44 78 67 .8 1.4 1.2
Retail trade................................. 382 162 269 2.4 1.0 1.7
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 124 82 146 2.5 1.6 2.9
Information................................... 16 22 20 .5 .7 .6
Financial activities.......................... 66 47 45 .8 .6 .5
Finance and insurance........................ 26 19 23 .4 .3 .4
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 40 28 21 1.9 1.3 1.0
Professional and business services............ 430 288 257 2.6 1.7 1.5
Education and health services................. 110 88 84 .6 .5 .5
Educational services......................... 16 11 17 .6 .4 .6
Health care and social assistance............ 94 76 67 .7 .5 .5
Leisure and hospitality....................... 195 226 187 1.6 1.8 1.5
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 57 79 42 3.4 4.7 2.5
Accommodations and food services............. 138 147 145 1.3 1.4 1.3
Other services................................ 38 42 40 .7 .8 .7
Government..................................... 84 60 69 .4 .3 .3
Federal....................................... 17 7 16 .6 .3 .6
State and local............................... 68 53 53 .4 .3 .3
REGION
Northeast..................................... 412 253 291 1.6 1.0 1.1
South......................................... 653 442 584 1.4 .9 1.2
Midwest....................................... 456 455 386 1.4 1.4 1.2
West.......................................... 403 335 292 1.4 1.1 1.0
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.
2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p
Total........................................... 279 276 318 0.2 0.2 0.2
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 229 249 275 .2 .2 .2
Natural resources and mining.................. 5 2 2 .8 .3 .2
Construction.................................. 10 32 11 .1 .4 .2
Manufacturing................................. 24 42 31 .2 .3 .2
Durable goods................................ 16 32 18 .2 .4 .2
Nondurable goods............................. 7 10 13 .1 .2 .2
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 65 42 90 .2 .2 .3
Wholesale trade.............................. 14 8 6 .3 .1 .1
Retail trade................................. 36 23 62 .2 .1 .4
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 15 11 22 .3 .2 .4
Information................................... 6 6 12 .2 .2 .4
Financial activities.......................... 17 10 25 .2 .1 .3
Finance and insurance........................ 10 7 24 .2 .1 .4
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 7 2 1 .3 .1 .1
Professional and business services............ 40 45 39 .2 .3 .2
Education and health services................. 22 19 25 .1 .1 .1
Educational services......................... 2 2 1 .1 .1 (3)
Health care and social assistance............ 20 17 24 .1 .1 .2
Leisure and hospitality....................... 28 32 33 .2 .3 .3
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 2 (3) 2 .1 (3) .1
Accommodations and food services............. 26 31 31 .2 .3 .3
Other services................................ 12 19 8 .2 .3 .1
Government..................................... 50 28 43 .2 .1 .2
Federal....................................... 15 5 6 .5 .2 .2
State and local............................... 35 22 38 .2 .1 .2
REGION
Northeast..................................... 67 40 49 .3 .2 .2
South......................................... 98 73 83 .2 .2 .2
Midwest....................................... 51 90 83 .2 .3 .3
West.......................................... 63 73 103 .2 .2 .3
1 Other separations are the number of other separations during the entire month.
2 The other separations rate is the number of other separations during the entire month as a percent of
total employment.
3 Data round to zero.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.