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1 Technical information: (202) 691-5870 http://www.bls.gov/jlt/ Media contact: USDL 07-0524 For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT Tuesday, April 10, 2007 691-5902 JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: FEBRUARY 2007 On the last business day of February, there were 4.1 million job openings in the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.9 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The job openings, hires, and total separations rates were essentially unchanged in February. 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 March 2004 - February 2007 Chart 2. Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted, Percent March 2004 - February 2007 3.9 3.9 3.7 3.7 3.5 Hires 3.3 3.5 3.1 2.9 3.3 Separations 2.7 3.1 2.5 2.3 2.9 2.1 1.9 2.7 1.7 1.5 2005 2.5 2006 2007 2005 2006 2007 Job Openings At 2.9 percent in February, the job openings rate has been essentially flat since September 2006. In February, the job openings rate rose in the construction industry and fell in the Northeast region; no other industry or region experienced a significant over-the-month change in the job openings rate. The seasonally adjusted job openings rate was highest in February for the following industries: accommodations and food services (4.0 percent), education and health services (3.6 percent), and professional and business services (3.5 percent). (See table 1.) Over the year, the job openings rate increased in nondurable goods manufacturing; transportation, warehousing, and utilities; information; and other services. The rate decreased in durable goods manufacturing; finance and insurance; professional and business services; accommodations and food services; and federal government. The job openings rate did not change significantly over the year in any of the regions. (See table 5.) 2 Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally adjusted Job openings Industry Feb. 2006 Jan. 2007 Feb.p 2007 Feb. 2006 Hires Jan. 2007 Feb.p 2007 Total separations Feb. Jan. Feb. 2006 2007 2007 p Levels (in thousands) 1 Total .................................................................... 3,972 1 Total private ..................................................... 3,550 Construction ................................................ 130 Manufacturing ............................................. 314 2 Trade, transportation, and utilities .......... 653 Retail trade ............................................... 394 Professional and business services ........ 732 Education and health services ................. 636 3 Leisure and hospitality .............................. 560 Accommodations and food services .. 509 4 Government ...................................................... 419 State and local government .................. 378 1 Total .................................................................... 1 Total private ..................................................... Construction ................................................ Manufacturing ............................................. 2 Trade, transportation, and utilities .......... Retail trade ............................................... Professional and business services ........ Education and health services ................. 3 Leisure and hospitality .............................. Accommodations and food services .. 4 Government ...................................................... State and local government. ................. 1 2 3 4 p 2.8 3.0 1.7 2.2 2.4 2.5 4.0 3.5 4.1 4.4 1.9 1.9 4,222 3,746 142 337 727 413 707 707 552 495 477 439 4,071 3,605 189 333 669 379 641 669 542 480 468 433 3.0 3.1 1.8 2.3 2.7 2.6 3.8 3.8 4.0 4.1 2.1 2.2 2.9 3.0 2.4 2.3 2.5 2.4 3.5 3.6 3.9 4.0 2.1 2.2 4,955 4,959 4,804 4,696 4,607 4,487 408 299 291 333 369 380 1,123 1,020 1,002 762 757 664 874 954 964 453 508 515 1,045 956 955 848 825 782 373 384 395 321 321 315 Rates (percent) 3.7 4.1 5.3 2.3 4.3 5.0 5.0 2.6 8.1 7.7 1.7 1.7 3.6 4.0 3.9 2.6 3.9 4.9 5.4 2.8 7.1 7.2 1.7 1.7 3.5 3.9 3.8 2.7 3.8 4.3 5.4 2.8 7.1 6.8 1.8 1.6 4,601 4,320 363 381 1,008 697 828 420 859 750 288 233 4,602 4,296 400 399 973 680 894 423 768 612 309 254 4,481 4,191 324 405 941 658 879 404 800 685 299 227 3.4 3.8 4.7 2.7 3.9 4.5 4.8 2.4 6.6 6.8 1.3 1.2 3.4 3.7 5.2 2.8 3.7 4.4 5.0 2.3 5.7 5.4 1.4 1.3 3.3 3.6 4.2 2.9 3.6 4.3 4.9 2.2 6.0 6.0 1.3 1.2 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately. Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately. Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately. Includes federal government, not shown separately. = preliminary. Hires The hires rate was essentially unchanged at 3.5 percent in February. Hires are any additions to the payroll during the month. In February, the hires rate fell in the retail trade industry and in the Northeast region; no other industry or region experienced a significant over-the-month change in the hires rate. The seasonally adjusted hires rate was highest in February in the leisure and hospitality industry (7.1 percent). (See table 2.) From February 2006 to February 2007, the hires rate rose in educational services and federal government, but fell in construction; retail trade; information; accommodations and food services; and other services. Regionally, the hires rate increased over the year in the Midwest but decreased in the South. (See table 6.) Separations The total separations, or turnover, rate was little changed at 3.3 percent in February. Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any time during the month. In February, the only industry to experience a change in the separations rate was state and local government, where the rate declined slightly. None of the regions experienced a significant change in the separations rate. From February 2006 to February 3 2007, the total separations rate rose significantly only in federal government; the rate did not decline significantly in any industry. Geographically, none of the regions experienced a significant change in the total separations rate over the year. (See tables 3 and 7.) 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 2.0 percent in February. Over the month, the quits rate rose in accommodations and food services but fell in state and local government. None of the regions experienced a significant change in the quits rate over the month. In February, the seasonally adjusted quits rate was highest in the accommodations and food services industry (4.6 percent). (See table 4.) Over the year, the quits rate rose in finance and insurance and professional and business services but fell in construction. Geographically, the quits rate declined over the year in the Northeast region. (See table 8.) The other two components of total separations—layoffs and discharges, and other separations—are not seasonally adjusted. For February, the layoffs and discharges rate (0.9 percent) and level (1.2 million) were little changed from the prior year. The construction industry had the highest layoffs and discharges rate (2.4 percent) in February. From February 2006 to February 2007, the other separations rate was unchanged at 0.2 percent and the level was little changed at 257,000. (See tables 9 and 10.) Quits as a Percentage of Separations The total separations rate is driven by the relative contribution of its three components (quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations), with quits contributing the largest portion. The percentage of total separations attributable to quits has risen and fallen over time along with employment levels. Total nonfarm employment had peaked in February 2001 at 132.6 million, and then had fallen to a low of 129.8 million in August 2003. During the same time period, the proportion of quits fell from 61 percent in February 2001 to 51 percent in August 2003 (seasonally adjusted). The proportion of quits has since risen to 60 percent in February 2007. Between early 2001 and mid-2003, total separations fell by 613,000 but quits fell by a greater amount, 759,000, causing the proportion of total separations attributable to quits to fall. This change in quits as a percentage of total separations is especially pronounced in manufacturing, retail trade, and professional and business services. Geographically, the regions averaged 61 percent of total separations attributable to quits at the employment peak in February 2001. All four regions experienced a decline in the proportion of quits during the period of employment decline. The Northeast region’s proportion declined the most, falling to a low of 39 percent. Since the employment trough in August 2003, the South and West have fully recovered to early 2001 levels of quits as a proportion of separations, but the Northeast and Midwest have not. Flows in the Labor Market Hires and separations data help show dynamic flows in the labor market. For the 12 months ending in February 2007, hires have averaged 4.9 million per month and separations have averaged 4.6 million per month (not seasonally adjusted). The comparable figures for the prior 12-month period were 4.8 million hires and 4.5 million separations. (See the Technical Note for additional information on these measures.) Several industries have high rates of both hires and separations. These include construction; retail trade; professional and business services; arts, entertainment, and recreation; and accommodations and food services. In the 12 months ending in February 2007, these five industries produced 34.9 million hires and 32.9 million separations. Thus, these five industries accounted for 59 percent of total nonfarm hires and 59 percent of total nonfarm separations while comprising only 39 percent of total nonfarm employment. 4 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 March 2007 is scheduled to be issued on Tuesday, May 8. Technical Note The data for the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) are collected and compiled monthly from a sample of business establishments by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Collection Each month, data are collected in a survey of business establishments for total employment, job openings, hires, quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Data collection methods include computer-assisted telephone interviewing, touchtone data entry, fax, and mail. Coverage The JOLTS program covers all private nonfarm establishments such as factories, offices, and stores, as well as federal, state, and local government entities in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Concepts Industry classification. The industry classifications in this release are in accordance with the 2002 version of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). In order to ensure the highest possible quality of data, State Workforce Agencies verify with employers and update, if necessary, the industry code, location, and ownership classification of all establishments on a 3-year cycle. Changes in establishment 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. Annual estimates. Annual estimates of rates and levels of hires, quits, layoffs and discharges, other separations, and total separations are released with the January news release each year. The JOLTS annual level estimates for hires, quits, layoffs and discharges, other separations, and total separations are the sum of the 12 published monthly levels. The annual rate estimates are computed by dividing the annual level by the Current Employment Statistics (CES) annual average employment level, and multiplying that quotient by 100. This figure will be approximately equal to the sum of the 12 monthly rates. Note that both the JOLTS and CES annual levels are rounded to the nearest thousand before the annual estimates are calculated. Consistent with BLS practices, annual estimates will be published only for not seasonally adjusted data. Annual estimates are not calculated for job openings because job openings are a stock, or point-in-time, measurement for the last business day of each month. Only jobs still open on the last day of the month are counted. For the same reason job openings cannot be cumulated throughout each month, annual figures for job openings cannot be created by summing the monthly estimates. Hires and separations are flow measures and are cumulated over the month with a total reported for the month. Therefore, the annual figures can be created by summing the monthly estimates. 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. Prior to the January 2007 benchmark release in March 2007, seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS series was conducted using the stable seasonal filter option since there were not enough data observations available for the standard use of moving averages as seasonal filters. Although the seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS series is conducted with fewer data observations than is customary, the number of observations is now above the minimum required by X-12-ARIMA to use the normal seasonal filters. Therefore, the standard use of moving averages as seasonal filters is now in place for JOLTS seasonal adjustment. JOLTS seasonal adjustment now includes both additive and multiplicative seasonal adjustment models and REGARIMA (regression with autocorrelated errors) modeling to improve the seasonal adjustment factors at the beginning and end of the series and to detect and adjust for outliers in the series. Due to the improved diagnostics, three additional industries are now seasonally adjusted: retail trade, accommodations and food services, and state and local government. It is expected that more series 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. Table 1. Job openings levels 1 and rates 2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted Feb. 2006 Sept. 2006 Levels 3 (in thousands) Oct. Nov. Dec. 2006 2006 2006 Jan. 2007 Total 4………………………………………………… 3,972 4,177 4,157 4,200 4,401 3,715 148 317 721 396 755 701 544 469 467 430 3,702 137 364 658 370 709 749 579 487 460 423 3,735 106 328 671 417 705 713 625 528 463 427 770 1,626 789 1,017 760 1,649 769 989 772 1,572 770 1,034 Industry and region 2007 p Feb. 2006 Sept. 2006 Oct. 2006 Rates Nov. 2006 Dec. 2006 Jan. 2007 2007 p 4,222 4,071 2.8 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.1 3.0 2.9 3,928 107 362 767 471 745 734 612 538 473 427 3,746 142 337 727 413 707 707 552 495 477 439 3,605 189 333 669 379 641 669 542 480 468 433 3.0 1.7 2.2 2.4 2.5 4.0 3.5 4.1 4.4 1.9 1.9 3.1 1.9 2.2 2.7 2.5 4.1 3.8 4.0 4.0 2.1 2.2 3.1 1.7 2.5 2.4 2.4 3.9 4.0 4.2 4.1 2.0 2.1 3.1 1.4 2.3 2.5 2.7 3.8 3.8 4.5 4.4 2.0 2.2 3.3 1.4 2.5 2.8 3.0 4.0 3.9 4.4 4.5 2.1 2.2 3.1 1.8 2.3 2.7 2.6 3.8 3.8 4.0 4.1 2.1 2.2 3.0 2.4 2.3 2.5 2.4 3.5 3.6 3.9 4.0 2.1 2.2 849 1,674 810 1,044 733 1,653 822 1,005 667 1,635 784 974 2.7 3.1 2.4 3.0 2.9 3.2 2.4 3.2 2.9 3.3 2.4 3.1 2.9 3.1 2.4 3.3 3.2 3.3 2.5 3.3 2.8 3.2 2.5 3.2 2.5 3.2 2.4 3.1 Feb. Feb. INDUSTRY Total private 4……………………………………… 3,550 Construction……………………………………… 130 Manufacturing…………………………………… 314 Trade, transportation, and utilities 5…………… 653 Retail trade…………………………………… 394 Professional and business services…………… 732 Education and health services………………… 636 Leisure and hospitality 6………………...……… 560 Accommodations and food services………… 509 Government 7……………………………………… 419 State and local government…………….……… 378 REGION 8 Northeast………………………………………… 693 South……………………………………………… 1,572 Midwest…………………………………………… 781 West……………………………………………… 922 1 8 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 New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and day of the month as a percent of total employment plus job openings. 3 Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, seasonal adjustment of the various series. 4 North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and West Virginia; Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, and other services, not shown separately. 5 The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, utilities, not shown separately. Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, 6 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately. 7 Includes federal government, not shown separately. and Wyoming. p = preliminary. Table 2. Hires levels 1 and rates 2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted Feb. 2006 Sept. 2006 Levels 3 (in thousands) Oct. Nov. Dec. 2006 2006 2006 Jan. 2007 Total 4………………………………………………… 4,955 4,917 4,983 4,994 4,959 4,482 336 314 965 710 1,028 467 859 756 386 318 4,616 345 366 1,008 713 994 529 893 758 363 320 4,665 395 363 1,012 737 1,010 492 903 748 348 303 720 2,019 1,031 1,163 727 1,969 1,097 1,198 713 1,979 1,061 1,249 Industry and region 2007 p Feb. 2006 Sept. 2006 Oct. 2006 Rates Nov. 2006 Dec. 2006 Jan. 2007 2007 p 4,959 4,804 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.5 4,662 341 375 990 699 963 515 969 793 371 313 4,607 299 369 1,020 757 954 508 956 825 384 321 4,487 291 380 1,002 664 964 515 955 782 395 315 4.1 5.3 2.3 4.3 5.0 5.0 2.6 8.1 7.7 1.7 1.7 3.9 4.4 2.2 3.7 4.6 5.8 2.6 6.5 6.7 1.7 1.6 4.0 4.5 2.6 3.8 4.7 5.6 2.9 6.7 6.7 1.6 1.7 4.1 5.1 2.6 3.8 4.8 5.7 2.7 6.8 6.6 1.6 1.6 4.1 4.4 2.7 3.8 4.6 5.4 2.8 7.2 6.9 1.7 1.6 4.0 3.9 2.6 3.9 4.9 5.4 2.8 7.1 7.2 1.7 1.7 3.9 3.8 2.7 3.8 4.3 5.4 2.8 7.1 6.8 1.8 1.6 768 1,900 1,150 1,209 833 1,899 1,167 1,142 709 1,854 1,160 1,150 3.2 4.3 3.3 3.7 2.8 4.1 3.3 3.8 2.8 4.0 3.5 3.9 2.8 4.0 3.4 4.1 3.0 3.9 3.6 3.9 3.2 3.9 3.7 3.7 2.8 3.8 3.7 3.7 Feb. Feb. INDUSTRY 4 Total private ……………………………………… 4,696 Construction……………………………………… 408 Manufacturing…………………………………… 333 Trade, transportation, and utilities 5…………… 1,123 Retail trade…………………………………… 762 Professional and business services…………… 874 Education and health services………………… 453 Leisure and hospitality 6………………...……… 1,045 Accommodations and food services………… 848 Government 7……………………………………… 373 State and local government…………….……… 321 REGION 8 Northeast………………………………………… 803 South……………………………………………… 2,104 Midwest…………………………………………… 1,034 West……………………………………………… 1,114 1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month. 2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series. 4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately. 5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately. 6 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately. 7 Includes federal government, not shown separately. 8 See footnote 8, table 1. p = preliminary. Table 3. Total separations levels 1 and rates 2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted Feb. 2006 Sept. 2006 Levels 3 (in thousands) Oct. Nov. Dec. 2006 2006 2006 Total 4…………………………………………… 4,601 4,470 4,613 4,844 4,540 4,602 4,481 3.4 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.3 3.4 3.3 4,123 346 389 990 686 824 396 726 607 315 251 4,323 373 359 987 688 921 424 791 673 298 248 4,543 413 360 1,020 719 974 430 838 721 305 256 4,253 387 372 962 707 851 430 835 757 283 255 4,296 400 399 973 680 894 423 768 612 309 254 4,191 324 405 941 658 879 404 800 685 299 227 3.8 4.7 2.7 3.9 4.5 4.8 2.4 6.6 6.8 1.3 1.2 3.6 4.5 2.7 3.8 4.5 4.7 2.2 5.5 5.4 1.4 1.3 3.8 4.8 2.5 3.8 4.5 5.2 2.4 6.0 5.9 1.3 1.3 4.0 5.4 2.5 3.9 4.7 5.5 2.4 6.3 6.3 1.4 1.3 3.7 5.0 2.6 3.7 4.6 4.8 2.4 6.2 6.6 1.3 1.3 3.7 5.2 2.8 3.7 4.4 5.0 2.3 5.7 5.4 1.4 1.3 3.6 4.2 2.9 3.6 4.3 4.9 2.2 6.0 6.0 1.3 1.2 731 1,742 970 1,031 745 1,709 1,072 1,081 707 2,011 985 1,079 670 1,796 1,054 1,036 740 1,783 1,034 1,037 669 1,738 1,067 997 2.8 3.6 3.3 3.6 2.9 3.6 3.1 3.4 2.9 3.5 3.4 3.5 2.8 4.1 3.1 3.5 2.6 3.7 3.3 3.4 2.9 3.6 3.3 3.4 2.6 3.5 3.4 3.2 Industry and region Jan. 2007 Feb. 2007p Feb. 2006 Sept. 2006 Oct. 2006 Rates Nov. 2006 Dec. 2006 Jan. 2007 Feb. 2007p INDUSTRY Total private 4………………………………… 4,320 Construction………………………………… 363 Manufacturing……………………………… 381 Trade, transportation, and utilities 5……… 1,008 Retail trade……………………………… 697 Professional and business services……… 828 Education and health services…………… 420 Leisure and hospitality 6………………...… 859 Accommodations and food services…… 750 Government 7………………………………… 288 State and local government…………….… 233 REGION 8 Northeast…………………………………… 713 South…………………………………………1,753 Midwest………………………………………1,019 West………………………………………… 1,075 1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month. The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series. 4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately. 5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately. 6 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately. 7 Includes federal government, not shown separately. 8 See footnote 8, table 1. p = preliminary. 2 Table 4. Quits levels 1 and rates 2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted Feb. 2006 Sept. 2006 Levels 3 (in thousands) Oct. Nov. Dec. 2006 2006 2006 Jan. 2007 Feb. 2007p Feb. 2006 Sept. 2006 Oct. 2006 Rates Nov. 2006 Dec. 2006 Jan. 2007 Feb. 2007p Total 4…………………………………………… 2,687 2,566 2,655 2,774 2,759 2,648 2,687 2.0 1.9 1.9 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.0 2,400 135 185 591 430 443 263 510 462 160 125 2,513 137 196 593 438 475 274 542 496 144 124 2,625 144 211 661 472 486 278 565 520 147 125 2,615 143 222 597 438 497 289 602 560 146 130 2,505 141 229 594 422 498 271 489 448 150 129 2,555 121 208 600 424 507 270 570 523 140 114 2.2 2.2 1.4 2.4 3.0 2.4 1.6 4.4 4.8 .6 .6 2.1 1.7 1.3 2.3 2.8 2.5 1.5 3.9 4.1 .7 .6 2.2 1.8 1.4 2.3 2.9 2.7 1.5 4.1 4.4 .7 .6 2.3 1.9 1.5 2.5 3.1 2.7 1.5 4.2 4.6 .7 .6 2.3 1.9 1.6 2.3 2.9 2.8 1.6 4.5 4.9 .7 .7 2.2 1.8 1.6 2.3 2.7 2.8 1.5 3.7 3.9 .7 .7 2.2 1.6 1.5 2.3 2.8 2.8 1.5 4.2 4.6 .6 .6 383 1,102 541 551 359 1,101 604 592 409 1,167 543 645 367 1,171 559 638 355 1,099 595 602 325 1,133 602 629 1.5 2.4 1.8 2.0 1.5 2.3 1.7 1.8 1.4 2.2 1.9 1.9 1.6 2.4 1.7 2.1 1.4 2.4 1.8 2.1 1.4 2.2 1.9 2.0 1.3 2.3 1.9 2.0 Industry and region INDUSTRY 4 Total private ………………………………… 2,553 Construction………………………………… 172 Manufacturing……………………………… 193 Trade, transportation, and utilities 5……… 616 Retail trade……………………………… 456 Professional and business services……… 424 Education and health services…………… 290 Leisure and hospitality 6………………...… 574 Accommodations and food services…… 533 Government 7………………………………… 141 State and local government…………….… 121 REGION 8 Northeast…………………………………… 374 South…………………………………………1,148 Midwest……………………………………… 576 West………………………………………… 602 1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month. The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series. 4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately. 5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately. 6 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately. 7 Includes federal government, not shown separately. 8 See footnote 8, table 1. p = preliminary. 2 Table 5. Job openings levels 1 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted Industry and region Feb. 2006 Levels (in thousands) Jan. Feb. 2007 2007p Total……………………………………………………… 3,832 Feb. 2006 Rates Jan. 2007 Feb. 2007p 3,902 3,882 2.8 2.8 2.8 3,460 15 115 331 207 123 642 166 352 124 161 215 180 35 680 669 57 612 492 53 439 141 3,452 13 168 341 208 134 603 143 321 139 144 203 163 40 627 655 60 596 509 62 447 189 3.0 1.8 1.6 2.2 2.6 1.7 2.3 2.5 2.2 2.2 3.7 3.7 4.3 2.0 4.1 3.4 2.2 3.7 4.1 3.1 4.3 1.3 3.0 2.1 1.6 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.7 2.3 2.4 5.0 2.5 2.8 1.6 3.8 3.6 1.9 3.9 3.7 3.0 3.8 2.6 3.0 1.8 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.5 2.3 2.4 2.1 2.7 4.5 2.4 2.5 1.8 3.5 3.5 1.9 3.8 3.8 3.4 3.9 3.4 386 44 342 442 37 405 430 39 391 1.7 1.6 1.7 2.0 1.3 2.1 1.9 1.4 1.9 644 1,559 745 884 649 1,558 749 947 615 1,614 743 911 2.5 3.1 2.4 2.9 2.5 3.1 2.3 3.0 2.4 3.2 2.3 2.9 INDUSTRY Total private…………………………………………… 3,446 12 Natural resources and mining…………………… 116 Construction………………………………………… 324 Manufacturing……………………………………… 236 Durable goods...………………………………… Nondurable goods...…………………………… 88 Trade, transportation, and utilities……………… 600 147 Wholesale trade………………………………… Retail trade……………………………………… 344 109 Transportation, warehousing, and utilities…… 116 Information………………………………………… 318 Financial activities……..…………………………… Finance and insurance………………………… 275 43 Real estate and rental and leasing…………… 727 Professional and business services……………… 630 Education and health services…………………… 69 Educational services…………………………… 562 Health care and social assistance……………… Leisure and hospitality………………...………… 534 Arts, entertainment, and recreation…………… 55 Accommodations and food services…………… 479 68 Other services……………………………………… Government…………………………………………… Federal……………………………………………… State and local…………….……………………… REGION 3 Northeast…………………………………………… South………………………………………………… Midwest……………………………………………… West………………………………………………… 1 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day of the month. The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business day of the month as a percent of total employment plus job openings. 3 See footnote 8, table 1. p = preliminary. 2 Table 6. Hires levels 1 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted Industry and region Feb. 2006 Levels (in thousands) Jan. Feb. 2007 2007p Total……………………………………………………… 4,226 Feb. 2006 Rates Jan. 2007 Feb. 2007p 4,294 4,035 3.2 3.2 3.0 3,947 23 224 362 226 136 787 135 529 124 90 200 141 59 907 474 74 399 740 94 646 140 3,755 22 230 356 207 149 780 132 506 142 58 176 112 63 874 443 74 369 743 87 656 73 3.6 2.7 4.6 2.2 2.0 2.6 3.4 2.1 4.0 3.1 3.3 2.4 2.0 3.7 4.6 2.2 2.1 2.2 6.5 5.2 6.7 2.5 3.5 3.4 3.1 2.6 2.5 2.7 3.0 2.3 3.5 2.5 2.9 2.4 2.3 2.7 5.2 2.6 2.6 2.6 5.8 5.4 5.8 2.6 3.3 3.2 3.2 2.5 2.3 2.9 3.0 2.2 3.4 2.8 1.9 2.1 1.8 2.9 5.0 2.4 2.4 2.4 5.8 4.9 5.9 1.4 259 35 224 347 55 293 280 60 220 1.2 1.3 1.1 1.6 2.0 1.5 1.2 2.2 1.1 583 1,881 820 941 631 1,734 986 943 505 1,641 935 955 2.3 3.9 2.7 3.1 2.5 3.6 3.2 3.1 2.0 3.4 3.0 3.1 INDUSTRY Total private…………………………………………… 3,967 17 Natural resources and mining…………………… 335 Construction………………………………………… 311 Manufacturing……………………………………… 177 Durable goods...………………………………… Nondurable goods...…………………………… 134 Trade, transportation, and utilities……………… 876 124 Wholesale trade………………………………… Retail trade……………………………………… 598 154 Transportation, warehousing, and utilities…… 101 Information………………………………………… 199 Financial activities……..…………………………… Finance and insurance………………………… 121 78 Real estate and rental and leasing…………… 792 Professional and business services……………… 388 Education and health services…………………… 63 Educational services…………………………… 325 Health care and social assistance……………… Leisure and hospitality………………...………… 809 Arts, entertainment, and recreation…………… 89 Accommodations and food services…………… 720 137 Other services……………………………………… Government…………………………………………… Federal……………………………………………… State and local…………….……………………… REGION 3 Northeast…………………………………………… South………………………………………………… Midwest……………………………………………… West………………………………………………… 1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month. The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 3 See footnote 8, table 1. p = preliminary. 2 Table 7. Total separations levels 1 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted Industry and region Feb. 2006 Levels (in thousands) Jan. Feb. 2007 2007p Total……………………………………………………… 3,802 Feb. 2006 Rates Jan. 2007 Feb. 2007p 4,467 3,685 2.8 3.3 2.7 4,211 20 481 389 242 148 1,025 116 765 144 77 154 110 45 853 395 61 333 664 106 558 153 3,491 22 272 362 220 142 801 113 572 116 59 199 128 71 752 325 41 284 591 62 529 109 3.2 2.4 4.6 2.3 2.1 2.7 3.4 2.4 4.2 2.2 2.1 2.3 1.9 3.4 4.1 1.9 1.0 2.1 5.1 3.3 5.4 2.4 3.7 2.9 6.6 2.8 2.7 2.9 3.9 2.0 5.0 2.9 2.5 1.8 1.8 2.1 4.9 2.2 2.1 2.2 5.2 6.1 5.1 2.8 3.1 3.2 3.8 2.6 2.5 2.8 3.1 1.9 3.8 2.3 1.9 2.4 2.0 3.3 4.3 1.8 1.3 1.9 4.6 3.5 4.8 2.0 189 37 151 255 50 205 193 54 140 .8 1.4 .8 1.2 1.9 1.1 .9 2.0 .7 555 1,506 842 898 723 1,694 1,043 1,008 507 1,460 898 820 2.2 3.1 2.7 3.0 2.9 3.5 3.3 3.3 2.0 3.0 2.9 2.7 INDUSTRY Total private…………………………………………… 3,613 15 Natural resources and mining…………………… 329 Construction………………………………………… 329 Manufacturing……………………………………… 192 Durable goods...………………………………… Nondurable goods...…………………………… 137 Trade, transportation, and utilities……………… 879 141 Wholesale trade………………………………… Retail trade……………………………………… 628 110 Transportation, warehousing, and utilities…… 64 Information………………………………………… 190 Financial activities……..…………………………… Finance and insurance………………………… 119 71 Real estate and rental and leasing…………… 702 Professional and business services……………… 345 Education and health services…………………… 30 Educational services…………………………… 315 Health care and social assistance……………… Leisure and hospitality………………...………… 631 Arts, entertainment, and recreation…………… 56 Accommodations and food services…………… 575 129 Other services……………………………………… Government…………………………………………… Federal……………………………………………… State and local…………….……………………… REGION 3 Northeast…………………………………………… South………………………………………………… Midwest……………………………………………… West………………………………………………… 1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month. The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 3 See footnote 8, table 1. p = preliminary. 2 Table 8. Quits levels 1 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted Industry and region Feb. 2006 Levels (in thousands) Jan. Feb. 2007 2007p Total……………………………………………………… 2,189 Feb. 2006 Rates Jan. 2007 Feb. 2007p 2,316 2,187 1.6 1.7 1.6 2,194 8 118 198 117 81 529 72 381 76 49 86 70 16 454 240 28 212 429 27 402 83 2,087 12 87 179 94 85 494 79 344 70 37 120 90 30 417 218 18 200 447 31 416 75 1.9 1.3 1.9 1.2 1.1 1.4 2.0 1.1 2.5 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.2 2.2 2.0 1.3 .7 1.5 3.6 1.4 3.9 1.4 1.9 1.2 1.6 1.4 1.3 1.6 2.0 1.2 2.5 1.5 1.6 1.0 1.1 .7 2.6 1.3 1.0 1.4 3.4 1.5 3.6 1.6 1.8 1.7 1.2 1.3 1.1 1.7 1.9 1.3 2.3 1.4 1.2 1.4 1.4 1.4 2.4 1.2 .6 1.3 3.5 1.7 3.7 1.4 104 17 87 121 16 105 100 18 82 .5 .6 .4 .6 .6 .5 .4 .7 .4 287 952 454 497 295 966 531 523 238 941 489 519 1.1 2.0 1.5 1.7 1.2 2.0 1.7 1.7 .9 1.9 1.6 1.7 INDUSTRY Total private…………………………………………… 2,084 8 Natural resources and mining…………………… 137 Construction………………………………………… 169 Manufacturing……………………………………… 96 Durable goods...………………………………… Nondurable goods...…………………………… 73 Trade, transportation, and utilities……………… 511 66 Wholesale trade………………………………… Retail trade……………………………………… 376 70 Transportation, warehousing, and utilities…… 44 Information………………………………………… 119 Financial activities……..…………………………… Finance and insurance………………………… 72 47 Real estate and rental and leasing…………… 341 Professional and business services……………… 236 Education and health services…………………… 21 Educational services…………………………… 215 Health care and social assistance……………… Leisure and hospitality………………...………… 444 Arts, entertainment, and recreation…………… 23 Accommodations and food services…………… 420 76 Other services……………………………………… Government…………………………………………… Federal……………………………………………… State and local…………….……………………… REGION 3 Northeast…………………………………………… South………………………………………………… Midwest……………………………………………… West………………………………………………… 1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month. The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 3 See footnote 8, table 1. p = preliminary. 2 Table 9. Layoffs and discharges levels 1 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted Industry and region Feb. 2006 Levels (in thousands) Jan. Feb. 2007 2007p Total……………………………………………………… 1,321 Feb. 2006 Rates Jan. 2007 Feb. 2007p 1,755 1,241 1.0 1.3 0.9 1,679 8 333 155 97 58 396 37 313 46 22 57 32 24 338 103 28 75 213 75 139 55 1,196 7 172 157 107 49 247 28 186 33 18 62 30 32 295 88 17 70 128 30 98 22 1.1 .9 2.4 .8 .7 1.0 1.1 .9 1.4 .6 .4 .7 .6 1.0 1.9 .5 .2 .5 1.3 1.8 1.2 .8 1.5 1.2 4.6 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.5 .6 2.1 .9 .7 .7 .5 1.1 1.9 .6 1.0 .5 1.7 4.3 1.3 1.0 1.1 1.0 2.4 1.1 1.2 1.0 1.0 .5 1.2 .7 .6 .7 .5 1.5 1.7 .5 .6 .5 1.0 1.7 .9 .4 47 9 39 75 13 62 45 13 32 .2 .3 .2 .3 .5 .3 .2 .5 .2 225 455 321 320 354 579 432 389 212 437 350 242 .9 .9 1.0 1.1 1.4 1.2 1.4 1.3 .8 .9 1.1 .8 INDUSTRY Total private…………………………………………… 1,274 6 Natural resources and mining…………………… 174 Construction………………………………………… 116 Manufacturing……………………………………… 66 Durable goods...………………………………… Nondurable goods...…………………………… 51 Trade, transportation, and utilities……………… 288 51 Wholesale trade………………………………… Retail trade……………………………………… 208 29 Transportation, warehousing, and utilities…… 13 Information………………………………………… 58 Financial activities……..…………………………… Finance and insurance………………………… 36 22 Real estate and rental and leasing…………… 323 Professional and business services……………… 88 Education and health services…………………… 8 Educational services…………………………… 80 Health care and social assistance……………… Leisure and hospitality………………...………… 163 Arts, entertainment, and recreation…………… 31 Accommodations and food services…………… 132 44 Other services……………………………………… Government…………………………………………… Federal……………………………………………… State and local…………….……………………… REGION 3 Northeast…………………………………………… South………………………………………………… Midwest……………………………………………… West………………………………………………… 1 Layoffs and discharges are the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire month. The layoffs and discharges rate is the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 3 See footnote 8, table 1. p = preliminary. 2 Table 10. Other separations levels 1 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted Industry and region Total……………………………………………………… Feb. 2006 Levels (in thousands) Jan. Feb. 2007 2007p Feb. 2006 Rates Jan. 2007 Feb. 2007p 292 396 257 0.2 0.3 0.2 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……………………………………… 255 1 19 43 30 14 79 25 44 11 6 14 11 3 38 21 2 19 25 2 23 9 337 4 31 36 28 9 100 8 71 22 5 12 7 5 61 51 5 46 22 4 18 15 208 3 13 26 19 8 59 6 41 12 3 16 8 8 40 19 5 14 17 2 15 11 .2 .2 .3 .3 .3 .3 .3 .4 .3 .2 .2 .2 .2 .1 .2 .1 .1 .1 .2 .1 .2 .2 .3 .6 .4 .3 .3 .2 .4 .1 .5 .4 .2 .1 .1 .2 .3 .3 .2 .3 .2 .2 .2 .3 .2 .5 .2 .2 .2 .1 .2 .1 .3 .2 .1 .2 .1 .4 .2 .1 .2 .1 .1 .1 .1 .2 Government…………………………………………… Federal……………………………………………… State and local…………….……………………… 37 11 25 59 21 38 49 23 26 .2 .4 .1 .3 .8 .2 .2 .8 .1 44 99 67 82 73 149 79 95 56 83 58 60 .2 .2 .2 .3 .3 .3 .3 .3 .2 .2 .2 .2 INDUSTRY REGION 3 Northeast…………………………………………… South………………………………………………… Midwest……………………………………………… West………………………………………………… 1 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 See footnote 8, table 1. p = preliminary. 2