Full text of July 2004 : Text File, USDL-04-1762
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Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 04-1762
http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact: 691-5902 Wednesday, September 8, 2004
JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: JULY 2004
The hires rate fell in July but remained above the separations rate,
the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported
today. The hires rate was 3.2 percent in July, and the separations rate
was 3.1 percent. The job openings rate edged up to 2.4 percent. This
report 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 July 2004, there were 3.2 million job
openings in the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.4 percent.
(See table 1.) The job openings rate continued to remain in the range of
2.0 to 2.4 percent, as it has since October 2001. In July, the job open-
ings rate increased in the trade, transportation, and utilities industry
group and continued on an upward trend in leisure and hospitality. The
job openings rate edged down in government and showed little or no change
for the other major industry categories in July.
Hires and Separations
The hires rate (the number of hires during the month divided by
employment) was 3.2 percent in July, down from 3.4 percent a month ago.
(See table 2.) Hires are any additions to the payroll during the month.
The hires rate decreased in construction and edged down in government
(including federal, state, and local) over the month, while other major
industries showed little or no change in their hires rates. The hires
rates in the Midwest and West decreased from a month ago.
The total separations, or turnover, rate (the number of separations
during the month divided by employment) was 3.1 percent in July, unchanged
from the month before. The total separations rate has been relatively
unchanged since December 2001, ranging from 2.9 percent to 3.3 percent.
Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any time during
the month. (See table 3.) In July, the total separations rate showed
little or no change for all major industry categories.
Total separations include quits (voluntary separations), layoffs and
discharges (involuntary separations), and other separations (including
retirements). The quits rate, which can serve as a barometer of workers'
ability to change jobs, was unchanged at 1.7 percent in July. (See table
4.) The quits rate increased in education and health services over the
month. The other two components of total separations, layoffs and
discharges (1.1 percent) and other separations (0.2 percent), are not
seasonally adjusted. (See tables 9 and 10.)
- 2 -
Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally
adjusted
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Job openings | Hires | Total separations
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Industry | July | June | July | July | June | July | July | June | July
| 2003 | 2004 | 2004p| 2003 | 2004 | 2004p| 2003 | 2004 | 2004p
-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Levels (in thousands)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total 1/...........|2,738 |3,022 |3,190 |4,014 |4,433 |4,233 |3,861 |4,069 |4,011
Total private 1/.|2,390 |2,640 |2,836 |3,715 |4,110 |3,936 |3,579 |3,789 |3,725
Construction...| 95 | 94 | 85 | 383 | 436 | 351 | 380 | 382 | 380
Manufacturing..| 183 | 247 | 230 | 319 | 370 | 349 | 396 | 343 | 365
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities.....| 428 | 503 | 571 | 812 | 945 | 939 | 842 | 927 | 939
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 503 | 494 | 529 | 631 | 692 | 621 | 513 | 607 | 576
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 519 | 496 | 513 | 427 | 428 | 435 | 368 | 362 | 368
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality...| 331 | 421 | 452 | 709 | 749 | 771 | 665 | 734 | 680
Government.......| 345 | 380 | 353 | 289 | 328 | 301 | 272 | 270 | 273
|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Rates (percent)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total 1/...........| 2.1 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.1
Total private 1/.| 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.4
Construction...| 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 5.7 | 6.3 | 5.1 | 5.7 | 5.5 | 5.5
Manufacturing..| 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 2.7 | 2.4 | 2.5
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities.....| 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 3.7
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 3.5
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 3.0 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 2.2
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality...| 2.7 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 5.8 | 6.1 | 6.2 | 5.5 | 5.9 | 5.5
Government.......| 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.3
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/ Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and
other services, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
Hires and separations help show dynamic flows in the labor market.
Over the last 12 months, hires have averaged 4.2 million per month and
separations have averaged 4.0 million per month. (See the Technical Note
for additional information on these measures.)
For More Information
For additional information, please see the Technical Note or the JOLTS
Web site at www.bls.gov/jlt/. Additional information about JOLTS also may
be obtained by e-mailing Joltsinfo@bls.gov or by calling (202) 691-5870.
______________________________
The report on Job Openings and Labor Turnover for August 2004 is
scheduled to be released on Wednesday, October 13, 2004.
- 3 -
Technical Note
The data for the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) are
collected and compiled monthly from a sample of business establishments
by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Collection
Each month, data are collected in a survey of business establishments
for total employment, job openings, hires, quits, layoffs and discharges,
and other separations. Data collection methods include computer-assisted
telephone interviewing, touchtone data entry, fax, and mail.
Coverage
The JOLTS program covers all private nonfarm establishments such as
factories, offices, and stores, as well as federal, state, and local
government entities in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Concepts
Industry classification. The industry classifications in this release
are in accordance with the 2002 version of the North American Industry
Classification System (NAICS). In order to ensure the highest possible
quality of data, State Employment Security Agencies verify with employers
and update, if necessary, the industry code, location, and ownership clas-
sification of all establishments on a 3-year cycle. Changes in establish-
ment characteristics resulting from the verification process are always
introduced into the JOLTS sampling frame with the data reported for the
first month of the year.
Employment. Employment includes persons on the payroll who worked or re-
ceived pay for the pay period that includes the 12th day of the reference
month. Full-time, part-time, permanent, short-term, seasonal, salaried,
and hourly employees are included, as are employees on paid vacations or
other paid leave. Proprietors or partners of unincorporated businesses,
unpaid family workers, or persons on leave without pay or on strike for
the entire pay period, are not counted as employed. Employees of tempo-
rary help agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors, and
consultants are counted by their employer of record, not by the establish-
ment where they are working.
Job openings. Establishments submit job openings information for the
last business day of the reference month. A job opening requires that:
1) a specific position exists and there is work available for that posi-
tion, 2) work could start within 30 days regardless of whether a suitable
candidate is found, and 3) the employer is actively recruiting from outside
the establishment to fill the position. Included are full-time, part-time,
permanent, short-term, and seasonal openings. Active recruiting means that
the establishment is taking steps to fill a position by advertising in news-
papers or on the Internet, posting help-wanted signs, accepting applications,
or using other similar methods.
Jobs to be filled only by internal transfers, promotions, demotions, or
recall from layoffs are excluded. Also excluded are jobs with start dates
more than 30 days in the future, jobs for which employees have been hired
but have not yet reported for work, and jobs to be filled by employees of
temporary help agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors,
or consultants. The job openings rate is computed by dividing the number
of job openings by the sum of employment and job openings and multiplying
that quotient by 100.
- 4 -
Hires. Hires are the total number of additions to the payroll occurring
at any time during the reference month, including both new and rehired em-
ployees, full-time and part-time, permanent, short-term and seasonal em-
ployees, employees recalled to the location after a layoff lasting more
than 7 days, on-call or intermittent employees who returned to work after
having been formally separated, and transfers from other locations. The
hires count does not include transfers or promotions within the reporting
site, employees returning from strike, employees of temporary help agencies
or employee leasing companies, outside contractors, or consultants. The
hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by employment and
multiplying that quotient by 100.
Separations. Separations are the total number of terminations of
employment occurring at any time during the reference month, and are
reported by type of separation--quits, layoffs and discharges, and
other separations. Quits are voluntary separations by employees (ex-
cept for retirements, which are reported as other separations). Lay-
offs and discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the em-
ployer and include layoffs with no intent to rehire, formal layoffs
lasting or expected to last more than 7 days, discharges resulting
from mergers, downsizing, or closings, firings or other discharges
for cause, terminations of permanent or short-term employees, and
terminations of seasonal employees. Other separations include re-
tirements, transfers to other locations, deaths, and separations
due to disability. Separations do not include transfers within the
same location or employees on strike.
The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of separations
by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100. The quits, layoffs
and discharges, and other separations rates are computed similarly, divid-
ing the number by employment and multiplying by 100.
Sample methodology
The JOLTS sample design is a random sample of 16,000 nonfarm business
establishments, including factories, offices, and stores, as well as
federal, state, and local governments in the 50 states and the District
of Columbia. The establishments are drawn from a universe of over eight
million establishments compiled as part of the operations of the Quarterly
Census of Employment and Wages, or QCEW, program. This program includes
all employers subject to state Unemployment Insurance (UI) laws and federal
agencies subject to Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE).
The sampling frame is stratified by ownership, region, industry sector,
and size class. Large firms fall into the sample with virtual certainty.
JOLTS total employment estimates are controlled to the employment estimates
of the Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey. A ratio of CES to JOLTS
employment is used to adjust the levels for all other JOLTS data elements.
Rates are then computed from the adjusted levels.
- 5 -
Using JOLTS data
The JOLTS data series on job openings, hires, and separations are rel-
atively new. The full sample is divided into panels, with one panel
enrolled each month. A full complement of panels for the original data
series based on the 1987 Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system
was not completely enrolled in the survey until January 2002. The supple-
mental panels of establishments needed to create NAICS estimates were not
completely enrolled until May 2003. The data collected up until those
points are from less than a full sample. Therefore, estimates from earlier
months should be used with caution, as fewer sampled units were reporting
data at that time.
In March 2002, BLS procedures for collecting hires and separations data
were revised to address possible underreporting. As a result, JOLTS hires
and separations estimates for months prior to March 2002 may not be compar-
able with estimates for March 2002 and later.
The federal government reorganization that involved transferring approx-
imately 180,000 employees to the new Department of Homeland Security is not
reflected in the JOLTS hires and separations estimates for the federal gov-
ernment. The Office of Personnel Management's record shows these transfers
were completed in March 2003. The inclusion of transfers in the JOLTS defi-
nitions of hires and separations is intended to cover ongoing movements of
workers between establishments. The Department of Homeland Security reorgan-
ization was a massive one-time event, and the inclusion of these intergovern-
mental transfers would distort the federal government time series.
Seasonal adjustment
BLS seasonally adjusts several JOLTS series using the X-12-ARIMA
seasonal adjustment program. Seasonal adjustment is the process of
estimating and removing periodic fluctuations caused by events such
as weather, holidays, and the beginning and ending of the school year.
Seasonal adjustment makes it easier to observe fundamental changes in
the level of the series, particularly those associated with general
economic expansions and contractions. A concurrent seasonal adjust-
ment methodology is used in which new seasonal adjustment factors are
calculated each month, using all relevant data, up to and including
the data for the current month.
Data users should note that seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS series is
conducted with fewer data observations than is customary. The historical
data, therefore, may be subject to larger than normal revisions. Since the
seasonal patterns in economic data series typically emerge over time, the
standard use of moving averages as seasonal filters to capture these effects
requires longer series than are currently available. As a result, the stable
seasonal filter option is used in the seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS data.
When calculating seasonal factors, this filter takes an average for each cal-
endar month after detrending the series. The stable seasonal filter assumes
that the seasonal factors are fixed; a necessary assumption until sufficient
data are available. When the stable seasonal filter is no longer needed,
other program features also may be introduced, such as outlier adjustment
and extended diagnostic testing. Additionally, it is expected that more
series, such as layoffs and discharges and additional industries, may be
seasonally adjusted when more data are available.
- 6 -
Reliability of the estimates
JOLTS estimates are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error.
When a sample rather than the entire population is surveyed, there is a
chance that the sample estimates may differ from the "true" population
values they represent. The exact difference, or sampling error, varies
depending on the particular sample selected, and this variability is
measured by the standard error of the estimate. BLS analysis is generally
conducted at the 90-percent level of confidence. That means that there is
a 90-percent chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate based on a
sample will differ by no more than 1.6 standard errors from the "true"
population value because of sampling error. Estimates of sampling errors
are available upon request.
The JOLTS estimates also are affected by nonsampling error. Nonsampling
error can occur for many reasons, including the failure to include a seg-
ment of the population, the inability to obtain data from all units in the
sample, the inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide data on a
timely basis, mistakes made by respondents, errors made in the collection
or processing of the data, and errors from the employment benchmark data
used in estimation.
JOLTS hires and separations estimates cannot be used to exactly ex-
plain net changes in nonfarm payroll employment. Some reasons why it is
problematic to compare changes in payroll employment with JOLTS hires and
separations, especially on a monthly basis, are: 1) the reference period
for payroll employment is the pay period including the 12th of the month,
while the reference period for hires and separations is the calendar month;
and 2) payroll employment can vary from month to month simply because part-
time and on-call workers may not always work during the pay period that in-
cludes the 12th of the month. Additionally, research has found that some
reporters systematically underreport separations relative to hires due to a
number of factors, including the nature of their payroll systems and prac-
tices. The shortfall appears to be about 2 percent or less over a 12-month
period.
Other information
Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired
individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; TDD message referral
phone: 1-800-877-8339.
Table 1. Job openings levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels(3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region July Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July July Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July
2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p
Total(4)............................... 2,738 2,906 3,079 3,135 3,105 3,022 3,190 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.4
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 2,390 2,534 2,740 2,778 2,746 2,640 2,836 2.2 2.3 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.3 2.5
Construction......................... 95 99 113 105 108 94 85 1.4 1.4 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.3 1.2
Manufacturing........................ 183 226 232 251 244 247 230 1.3 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.6
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 428 458 524 531 521 503 571 1.7 1.8 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.2
Professional and business services... 503 491 502 518 530 494 529 3.0 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.1 2.9 3.1
Education and health services........ 519 551 559 576 542 496 513 3.0 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.1 2.9 2.9
Leisure and hospitality.............. 331 383 370 376 391 421 452 2.7 3.0 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.3 3.5
Government............................ 345 364 353 354 360 380 353 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.6
REGION
Northeast............................ 529 500 569 560 526 546 530 2.1 2.0 2.2 2.2 2.0 2.1 2.1
South................................ 1,055 1,112 1,176 1,191 1,164 1,164 1,236 2.2 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.6
Midwest.............................. 567 680 663 692 688 631 655 1.8 2.2 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.0 2.1
West................................. 565 632 655 694 765 677 725 2.0 2.2 2.2 2.4 2.6 2.3 2.5
1 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day of the month.
2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business day of the month as a percent of total employment plus
job openings.
3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of
Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas,
Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio,
South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah,
Washington, and Wyoming.
Table 2. Hires levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels(3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region July Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July July Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July
2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p
Total(4)............................... 4,014 4,103 4,603 4,398 4,206 4,433 4,233 3.1 3.2 3.5 3.4 3.2 3.4 3.2
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 3,715 3,772 4,256 4,090 3,938 4,110 3,936 3.4 3.5 3.9 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.6
Construction......................... 383 382 437 421 406 436 351 5.7 5.6 6.4 6.1 5.9 6.3 5.1
Manufacturing........................ 319 355 361 354 336 370 349 2.2 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.3 2.6 2.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 812 945 1,009 1,032 938 945 939 3.2 3.7 4.0 4.1 3.7 3.7 3.7
Professional and business services... 631 529 713 609 631 692 621 3.9 3.3 4.4 3.7 3.8 4.2 3.8
Education and health services........ 427 447 444 460 451 428 435 2.6 2.7 2.6 2.7 2.7 2.5 2.6
Leisure and hospitality.............. 709 766 810 766 739 749 771 5.8 6.3 6.6 6.2 6.0 6.1 6.2
Government............................ 289 323 343 300 272 328 301 1.3 1.5 1.6 1.4 1.3 1.5 1.4
REGION
Northeast............................ 681 689 744 810 708 703 760 2.7 2.8 3.0 3.2 2.8 2.8 3.0
South................................ 1,513 1,608 1,781 1,582 1,606 1,709 1,628 3.3 3.5 3.9 3.4 3.5 3.7 3.5
Midwest.............................. 865 953 1,040 991 956 1,009 914 2.8 3.1 3.4 3.2 3.1 3.2 2.9
West................................. 903 876 1,029 1,093 951 1,023 844 3.2 3.1 3.6 3.8 3.3 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.
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 July Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July July Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July
2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p
Total(4)............................... 3,861 4,073 4,134 4,088 4,040 4,069 4,011 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.1
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 3,579 3,807 3,868 3,843 3,761 3,789 3,725 3.3 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.4 3.5 3.4
Construction......................... 380 400 392 391 367 382 380 5.7 5.9 5.7 5.7 5.3 5.5 5.5
Manufacturing........................ 396 355 377 353 377 343 365 2.7 2.5 2.6 2.5 2.6 2.4 2.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 842 899 978 1,013 917 927 939 3.3 3.5 3.8 4.0 3.6 3.6 3.7
Professional and business services... 513 590 597 606 556 607 576 3.2 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.4 3.7 3.5
Education and health services........ 368 388 382 386 379 362 368 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.1 2.2
Leisure and hospitality.............. 665 727 715 679 696 734 680 5.5 5.9 5.8 5.5 5.6 5.9 5.5
Government............................ 272 268 284 245 268 270 273 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.3
REGION
Northeast............................ 648 688 666 716 648 704 699 2.6 2.8 2.7 2.9 2.6 2.8 2.8
South................................ 1,474 1,499 1,612 1,524 1,504 1,533 1,505 3.2 3.3 3.5 3.3 3.2 3.3 3.2
Midwest.............................. 866 929 938 877 833 853 904 2.8 3.0 3.0 2.8 2.7 2.7 2.9
West................................. 887 941 1,003 959 1,008 979 915 3.1 3.3 3.5 3.4 3.5 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 July Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July July Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July
2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p
Total(4)............................... 2,024 2,178 2,271 2,278 2,173 2,284 2,235 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 1,897 2,051 2,144 2,151 2,036 2,162 2,113 1.8 1.9 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.0 1.9
Construction......................... 121 133 154 149 144 156 123 1.8 2.0 2.3 2.2 2.1 2.3 1.8
Manufacturing........................ 157 169 176 189 171 171 180 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 477 493 530 563 525 536 547 1.9 1.9 2.1 2.2 2.1 2.1 2.1
Professional and business services... 268 302 309 323 259 322 306 1.7 1.9 1.9 2.0 1.6 2.0 1.9
Education and health services........ 220 234 252 245 223 225 264 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.3 1.3 1.6
Leisure and hospitality.............. 429 447 465 429 455 480 430 3.5 3.7 3.8 3.5 3.7 3.9 3.5
Government............................ 126 126 129 129 129 123 123 .6 .6 .6 .6 .6 .6 .6
REGION
Northeast............................ 294 319 314 390 318 334 347 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.6 1.3 1.3 1.4
South................................ 814 867 957 888 857 910 869 1.8 1.9 2.1 1.9 1.8 2.0 1.9
Midwest.............................. 455 455 474 479 479 485 501 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.6
West................................. 456 520 565 524 521 573 508 1.6 1.8 2.0 1.8 1.8 2.0 1.8
1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month.
2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.
Table 5. Job openings levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region July June July July June July
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 2,878 3,125 3,369 2.2 2.3 2.5
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 2,503 2,704 2,989 2.2 2.4 2.6
Natural resources and mining.................. 6 10 8 1.0 1.6 1.3
Construction.................................. 125 114 106 1.8 1.6 1.4
Manufacturing................................. 199 266 251 1.4 1.8 1.7
Durable goods................................ 114 163 153 1.3 1.8 1.7
Nondurable goods............................. 84 104 97 1.5 1.9 1.7
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 429 493 590 1.7 1.9 2.3
Wholesale trade.............................. 93 123 136 1.6 2.1 2.3
Retail trade................................. 270 288 368 1.8 1.9 2.4
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 66 82 86 1.4 1.7 1.8
Information................................... 48 75 83 1.5 2.3 2.5
Financial activities.......................... 179 203 201 2.2 2.4 2.4
Finance and insurance........................ 133 157 153 2.2 2.5 2.5
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 46 47 48 2.1 2.1 2.2
Professional and business services............ 508 523 544 3.1 3.0 3.2
Education and health services................. 546 512 537 3.3 3.0 3.1
Educational services......................... 47 43 48 1.9 1.7 1.9
Health care and social assistance............ 500 469 489 3.5 3.2 3.3
Leisure and hospitality....................... 363 404 517 2.8 3.0 3.8
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 32 40 43 1.5 1.9 2.0
Accommodations and food services............. 331 364 474 3.0 3.2 4.2
Other services................................ 101 105 153 1.8 1.9 2.7
Government..................................... 375 421 380 1.8 1.9 1.8
Federal....................................... 46 37 41 1.6 1.3 1.5
State and local............................... 329 384 339 1.8 2.0 1.9
REGION
Northeast..................................... 553 565 556 2.2 2.2 2.2
South......................................... 1,110 1,230 1,322 2.4 2.6 2.8
Midwest....................................... 606 634 699 1.9 2.0 2.2
West.......................................... 610 697 792 2.1 2.4 2.7
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 July June July July June July
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 4,275 5,399 4,455 3.3 4.1 3.4
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,953 4,972 4,122 3.6 4.5 3.7
Natural resources and mining.................. 16 23 23 2.7 3.9 3.8
Construction.................................. 443 580 389 6.3 8.1 5.4
Manufacturing................................. 351 431 378 2.4 3.0 2.6
Durable goods................................ 210 272 243 2.4 3.0 2.7
Nondurable goods............................. 141 159 135 2.5 2.9 2.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 811 1,058 925 3.2 4.1 3.6
Wholesale trade.............................. 132 193 133 2.4 3.4 2.4
Retail trade................................. 559 725 646 3.8 4.8 4.3
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 120 140 145 2.6 2.9 3.0
Information................................... 52 94 61 1.6 2.9 1.9
Financial activities.......................... 172 256 177 2.1 3.2 2.2
Finance and insurance........................ 109 144 89 1.8 2.4 1.5
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 63 112 88 3.0 5.3 4.1
Professional and business services............ 674 766 647 4.2 4.6 3.9
Education and health services................. 483 508 492 3.0 3.0 3.0
Educational services......................... 59 77 72 2.5 3.1 3.0
Health care and social assistance............ 424 431 419 3.1 3.0 3.0
Leisure and hospitality....................... 747 978 819 5.9 7.6 6.3
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 100 169 126 4.8 8.3 6.1
Accommodations and food services............. 647 809 694 6.1 7.5 6.4
Other services................................ 204 278 210 3.7 5.1 3.8
Government..................................... 322 427 334 1.6 2.0 1.6
Federal....................................... 39 46 38 1.4 1.7 1.4
State and local............................... 283 381 296 1.6 2.0 1.7
REGION
Northeast..................................... 775 953 887 3.1 3.8 3.5
South......................................... 1,609 1,991 1,718 3.5 4.3 3.7
Midwest....................................... 862 1,227 899 2.8 3.9 2.9
West.......................................... 1,029 1,228 951 3.6 4.2 3.3
1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month.
2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
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 July June July July June July
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 4,095 4,310 4,234 3.2 3.3 3.2
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,753 3,902 3,883 3.4 3.5 3.5
Natural resources and mining.................. 18 17 18 3.1 2.8 3.0
Construction.................................. 354 366 349 5.0 5.1 4.8
Manufacturing................................. 413 357 387 2.9 2.5 2.7
Durable goods................................ 250 249 260 2.8 2.8 2.9
Nondurable goods............................. 164 108 127 2.9 2.0 2.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 837 930 935 3.3 3.6 3.7
Wholesale trade.............................. 155 182 146 2.8 3.2 2.6
Retail trade................................. 560 588 623 3.8 3.9 4.2
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 122 160 166 2.6 3.3 3.5
Information................................... 81 69 57 2.5 2.1 1.8
Financial activities.......................... 145 217 176 1.8 2.7 2.2
Finance and insurance........................ 92 126 104 1.5 2.1 1.7
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 53 91 72 2.5 4.3 3.4
Professional and business services............ 553 614 615 3.4 3.7 3.7
Education and health services................. 422 431 418 2.6 2.6 2.5
Educational services......................... 59 73 59 2.5 2.9 2.4
Health care and social assistance............ 363 358 359 2.6 2.5 2.5
Leisure and hospitality....................... 711 735 715 5.6 5.7 5.5
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 104 88 89 5.0 4.3 4.3
Accommodations and food services............. 606 647 627 5.7 6.0 5.8
Other services................................ 220 168 212 4.0 3.1 3.9
Government..................................... 342 408 352 1.7 1.9 1.7
Federal....................................... 31 35 25 1.1 1.3 .9
State and local............................... 310 373 327 1.8 2.0 1.8
REGION
Northeast..................................... 656 789 705 2.6 3.1 2.8
South......................................... 1,606 1,605 1,634 3.5 3.4 3.5
Midwest....................................... 868 929 917 2.8 3.0 3.0
West.......................................... 965 988 978 3.4 3.4 3.4
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 July June July July June July
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 2,257 2,464 2,489 1.7 1.9 1.9
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 2,107 2,297 2,343 1.9 2.1 2.1
Natural resources and mining.................. 8 10 11 1.4 1.7 1.9
Construction.................................. 164 192 158 2.3 2.7 2.2
Manufacturing................................. 179 181 208 1.2 1.2 1.4
Durable goods................................ 108 118 138 1.2 1.3 1.5
Nondurable goods............................. 71 63 70 1.3 1.2 1.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 497 532 572 2.0 2.1 2.2
Wholesale trade.............................. 85 106 97 1.5 1.9 1.7
Retail trade................................. 351 375 396 2.4 2.5 2.6
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 61 51 79 1.3 1.1 1.6
Information................................... 48 50 38 1.5 1.6 1.2
Financial activities.......................... 79 133 123 1.0 1.6 1.5
Finance and insurance........................ 48 77 67 .8 1.3 1.1
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 31 56 57 1.5 2.6 2.7
Professional and business services............ 297 336 340 1.8 2.0 2.0
Education and health services................. 232 247 282 1.4 1.5 1.7
Educational services......................... 25 29 36 1.1 1.1 1.5
Health care and social assistance............ 207 218 246 1.5 1.5 1.7
Leisure and hospitality....................... 493 495 487 3.9 3.8 3.8
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 45 40 43 2.1 2.0 2.1
Accommodations and food services............. 448 455 443 4.2 4.2 4.1
Other services................................ 111 120 126 2.0 2.2 2.3
Government..................................... 150 168 146 .7 .8 .7
Federal....................................... 16 9 11 .6 .3 .4
State and local............................... 133 158 135 .8 .8 .8
REGION
Northeast..................................... 314 372 382 1.3 1.5 1.5
South......................................... 947 992 1,010 2.1 2.1 2.2
Midwest....................................... 486 515 536 1.6 1.6 1.7
West.......................................... 510 586 562 1.8 2.0 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.
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 July June July July June July
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 1,532 1,497 1,440 1.2 1.1 1.1
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 1,404 1,346 1,294 1.3 1.2 1.2
Natural resources and mining.................. 8 4 5 1.4 .7 .9
Construction.................................. 171 160 171 2.4 2.2 2.4
Manufacturing................................. 204 145 152 1.4 1.0 1.1
Durable goods................................ 123 110 102 1.4 1.2 1.1
Nondurable goods............................. 81 35 49 1.5 .6 .9
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 277 323 292 1.1 1.3 1.1
Wholesale trade.............................. 58 63 43 1.0 1.1 .8
Retail trade................................. 174 166 179 1.2 1.1 1.2
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 46 94 70 1.0 1.9 1.5
Information................................... 26 14 16 .8 .4 .5
Financial activities.......................... 46 56 31 .6 .7 .4
Finance and insurance........................ 28 28 21 .5 .5 .4
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 18 28 10 .9 1.3 .5
Professional and business services............ 215 234 238 1.3 1.4 1.4
Education and health services................. 161 151 118 1.0 .9 .7
Educational services......................... 29 37 21 1.2 1.5 .9
Health care and social assistance............ 132 114 97 1.0 .8 .7
Leisure and hospitality....................... 198 219 208 1.6 1.7 1.6
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 58 46 42 2.8 2.3 2.0
Accommodations and food services............. 140 173 166 1.3 1.6 1.5
Other services................................ 97 39 64 1.8 .7 1.2
Government..................................... 128 152 146 .6 .7 .7
Federal....................................... 9 16 5 .3 .6 .2
State and local............................... 118 135 141 .7 .7 .8
REGION
Northeast..................................... 283 337 256 1.1 1.3 1.0
South......................................... 541 502 518 1.2 1.1 1.1
Midwest....................................... 326 330 315 1.1 1.1 1.0
West.......................................... 382 328 351 1.3 1.1 1.2
1 Layoffs and discharges are the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire month.
2 The layoffs and discharges rate is the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire month as a
percent of total employment.
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 July June July July June July
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 306 349 305 0.2 0.3 0.2
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 242 260 245 .2 .2 .2
Natural resources and mining.................. 2 3 1 .3 .5 .2
Construction.................................. 19 13 21 .3 .2 .3
Manufacturing................................. 31 30 28 .2 .2 .2
Durable goods................................ 19 20 20 .2 .2 .2
Nondurable goods............................. 12 10 8 .2 .2 .1
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 63 75 72 .2 .3 .3
Wholesale trade.............................. 12 14 6 .2 .2 .1
Retail trade................................. 36 48 48 .2 .3 .3
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 15 14 17 .3 .3 .4
Information................................... 7 5 3 .2 .2 .1
Financial activities.......................... 20 28 21 .2 .3 .3
Finance and insurance........................ 16 20 16 .3 .3 .3
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 3 8 5 .2 .4 .2
Professional and business services............ 41 44 37 .3 .3 .2
Education and health services................. 28 33 19 .2 .2 .1
Educational services......................... 5 7 3 .2 .3 .1
Health care and social assistance............ 23 26 16 .2 .2 .1
Leisure and hospitality....................... 20 21 20 .2 .2 .2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 1 2 3 .1 .1 .1
Accommodations and food services............. 18 18 17 .2 .2 .2
Other services................................ 12 8 22 .2 .2 .4
Government..................................... 64 89 60 .3 .4 .3
Federal....................................... 6 9 9 .2 .3 .3
State and local............................... 58 80 51 .3 .4 .3
REGION
Northeast..................................... 60 80 67 .2 .3 .3
South......................................... 117 112 106 .3 .2 .2
Midwest....................................... 56 83 66 .2 .3 .2
West.......................................... 73 73 66 .3 .3 .2
1 Other separations are the number of other separations during the entire month.
2 The other separations rate is the number of other separations during the entire month as a percent of
total employment.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.