Full text of July 2006 : Text File, USDL-06-1585
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Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 06-1585
http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact: 691-5902 Tuesday, September 12, 2006
JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: JULY 2006
The job openings, hires, and total separations rates were essentially
unchanged in July, 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 July 2006, there were 3.8 million job openings
in the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.8 percent. The job open-
ings rate was unchanged over the month and has been little changed since Novem-
ber 2005. In July, the job openings rate increased in government. There were
no significant decreases in the job openings rate in any industry or region.
The industries with the highest seasonally adjusted job openings rates in July
2006 were education and health services (3.6 percent), leisure and hospitality
(3.4 percent), and professional and business services (3.3 percent). (See
table 1.)
Over the year, the job openings rate increased in transportation, warehousing,
and utilities; information; health care and social assistance; state and local gov-
ernment; and the West region. The job openings rate declined significantly over
the year in the arts, entertainment, and recreation industry. (See table 5.)
Hires
The hires rate was essentially unchanged at 3.7 percent in July. Hires
are any additions to the payroll during the month. In July, the hires rate
increased in education and health services and in the Northeast region and de-
clined in government. The seasonally adjusted hires rate was highest in the
leisure and hospitality industry (6.4 percent). (See table 2.)
From July 2005 to July 2006, the hires rate rose in nondurable goods
manufacturing, information, finance and insurance, real estate rental and
leasing, and health care and social assistance. The hires rate declined in
natural resources and mining over the year. The hires rate did not change
significantly over the year in any geographic region. (See table 6.)
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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
| 2005 | 2006 | 2006p| 2005 | 2006 | 2006p| 2005 | 2006 | 2006p
-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Levels (in thousands)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........|3,580 |3,960 |3,844 |4,727 |4,899 |4,949 |4,464 |4,631 |4,447
| | | | | | | | |
Total private(1).|3,162 |3,476 |3,354 |4,430 |4,508 |4,623 |4,186 |4,299 |4,143
Construction...| 120 | 161 | 157 | 374 | 366 | 367 | 378 | 324 | 435
Manufacturing..| 281 | 301 | 304 | 335 | 378 | 379 | 389 | 370 | 363
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities.....| 625 | 640 | 622 |1,010 |1,099 |1,050 | 977 |1,082 | 953
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 643 | 616 | 591 | 909 | 905 | 878 | 804 | 755 | 702
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 598 | 659 | 662 | 448 | 465 | 536 | 405 | 424 | 403
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality...| 450 | 487 | 466 | 838 | 846 | 840 | 792 | 802 | 823
Government.......| 418 | 467 | 490 | 327 | 392 | 345 | 275 | 315 | 297
|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Rates (percent)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........| 2.6 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.3
| | | | | | | | |
Total private(1).| 2.8 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.7
Construction...| 1.6 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 5.1 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 5.2 | 4.3 | 5.8
Manufacturing..| 1.9 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.6 | 2.5
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities.....| 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 3.7
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 5.4 | 5.2 | 5.1 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 4.0
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 3.3 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.3
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality...| 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.4 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.3
Government.......| 1.9 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.4
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and
other services, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
Separations
The total separations, or turnover, rate was little changed at 3.3 percent
in July. Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any time
during the month. In July, the total separations rate increased in construc-
tion and in the Midwest region and declined in trade, transportation, and util-
ities and in the South and West regions. (See table 3.)
Total separations include quits (voluntary separations), layoffs and dis-
charges (involuntary separations), and other separations (including retire-
ments). The quits rate, which can serve as a barometer of workers' ability
to change jobs, was about unchanged at 1.9 percent in July. The quits rate
decreased in leisure and hospitality and in the South region. In July, the
seasonally adjusted quits rate was highest in the leisure and hospitality in-
dustry (4.2 percent), which also had the highest hires rate. (See table 4.)
- 3 -
Over the year, the quits rate grew in transportation, warehousing, and
utilities; information; real estate rental and leasing; and state and local
government. The quits rate declined in federal government. The quits rate
did not change significantly over the year in any geographic region. (See
table 8.)
The other two components of total separations--layoffs and discharges,
and other separations--are not seasonally adjusted. From July 2005 to
July 2006, the layoffs and discharges rate was about unchanged at 1.0 per-
cent. For July 2006, the construction industry had the highest layoffs
and discharges rate (2.6 percent). From July 2005 to July 2006, the other
separations rate increased to 0.3 percent. (See tables 9 and 10.)
Flows in the Labor Market
Hires and separations data help show dynamic flows in the labor market.
Over the 12 months ending in July 2006, hires have averaged 4.9 million per
month and separations have averaged 4.6 million per month (not seasonally ad-
justed). The comparable figures for the prior 12-month period were 4.7 mil-
lion hires and 4.5 million separations. (See the Technical Note for addi-
tional 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 August 2006 is scheduled
to be issued on Wednesday, October 11, 2006.
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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 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 characteris-
tics 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.
- 5 -
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.
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 an-
nual level by the Current Employment Statistics (CES) annual average employ-
ment level, and multiplying that quotient by 100. This figure will be ap-
proximately 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 es-
timates 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.
- 6 -
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 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.
- 7 -
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.
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
2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p
Total (4).............................. 3,580 3,994 4,089 4,070 3,945 3,960 3,844 2.6 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.8 2.8 2.8
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)..................... 3,162 3,531 3,633 3,603 3,496 3,476 3,354 2.8 3.0 3.1 3.1 3.0 3.0 2.9
Construction......................... 120 121 144 138 119 161 157 1.6 1.6 1.9 1.8 1.6 2.1 2.1
Manufacturing........................ 281 318 318 323 311 301 304 1.9 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.1 2.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 625 660 651 672 687 640 622 2.4 2.5 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.4 2.3
Professional and business services... 643 716 702 748 693 616 591 3.7 4.0 3.9 4.2 3.9 3.4 3.3
Education and health services........ 598 640 692 674 651 659 662 3.3 3.5 3.8 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.6
Leisure and hospitality.............. 450 587 506 485 496 487 466 3.4 4.3 3.8 3.6 3.7 3.6 3.4
Government............................ 418 460 458 467 452 467 490 1.9 2.1 2.0 2.1 2.0 2.1 2.2
REGION (5)
Northeast............................ 621 707 732 672 670 699 690 2.4 2.7 2.8 2.6 2.6 2.7 2.6
South................................ 1,368 1,547 1,634 1,600 1,591 1,507 1,472 2.8 3.1 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.0 3.0
Midwest.............................. 774 797 721 770 787 777 745 2.4 2.5 2.2 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.3
West................................. 778 957 985 1,022 918 935 914 2.6 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.0 3.0 3.0
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.
5 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.
p = preliminary.
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
2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p
Total (4).............................. 4,727 4,954 4,884 4,649 4,949 4,899 4,949 3.5 3.7 3.6 3.4 3.7 3.6 3.7
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)..................... 4,430 4,578 4,503 4,301 4,573 4,508 4,623 4.0 4.1 4.0 3.8 4.0 4.0 4.1
Construction......................... 374 403 344 376 374 366 367 5.1 5.4 4.6 5.0 5.0 4.9 4.9
Manufacturing........................ 335 333 341 328 385 378 379 2.4 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.7 2.7 2.7
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 1,010 1,117 1,103 1,029 1,018 1,099 1,050 3.9 4.3 4.2 4.0 3.9 4.2 4.0
Professional and business services... 909 841 922 858 1,006 905 878 5.4 4.9 5.4 5.0 5.8 5.2 5.1
Education and health services........ 448 435 435 481 549 465 536 2.6 2.5 2.5 2.7 3.1 2.6 3.0
Leisure and hospitality.............. 838 1,019 899 775 811 846 840 6.5 7.9 6.9 6.0 6.2 6.5 6.4
Government............................ 327 379 397 361 379 392 345 1.5 1.7 1.8 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.6
REGION (5)
Northeast............................ 785 814 914 849 852 729 831 3.1 3.2 3.6 3.3 3.3 2.9 3.3
South................................ 1,766 2,061 1,803 1,777 1,849 1,877 1,850 3.7 4.3 3.7 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.8
Midwest.............................. 1,034 1,045 1,117 965 1,133 1,072 1,092 3.3 3.3 3.5 3.1 3.6 3.4 3.5
West................................. 1,105 1,083 1,127 1,152 1,114 1,207 1,147 3.7 3.6 3.8 3.9 3.7 4.0 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.
5 See footnote 5, table 1.
p = preliminary.
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
2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p
Total (4).............................. 4,464 4,531 4,681 4,495 4,811 4,631 4,447 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.3 3.6 3.4 3.3
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)..................... 4,186 4,252 4,360 4,203 4,488 4,299 4,143 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.7 4.0 3.8 3.7
Construction......................... 378 335 422 373 478 324 435 5.2 4.5 5.6 5.0 6.4 4.3 5.8
Manufacturing........................ 389 380 427 346 381 370 363 2.7 2.7 3.0 2.4 2.7 2.6 2.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 977 997 989 1,022 1,046 1,082 953 3.8 3.8 3.8 3.9 4.0 4.2 3.7
Professional and business services... 804 826 798 790 833 755 702 4.8 4.8 4.6 4.6 4.8 4.4 4.0
Education and health services........ 405 403 399 437 487 424 403 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.5 2.8 2.4 2.3
Leisure and hospitality.............. 792 881 769 770 799 802 823 6.2 6.8 5.9 5.9 6.1 6.2 6.3
Government............................ 275 285 326 302 324 315 297 1.3 1.3 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.4
REGION (5)
Northeast............................ 721 736 714 711 779 724 741 2.9 2.9 2.8 2.8 3.1 2.8 2.9
South................................ 1,637 1,694 1,810 1,710 1,828 1,858 1,649 3.4 3.5 3.8 3.5 3.8 3.8 3.4
Midwest.............................. 1,058 1,032 1,014 992 1,045 871 1,048 3.4 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.3 2.8 3.3
West................................. 1,076 1,054 1,188 1,116 1,136 1,137 1,022 3.6 3.5 4.0 3.7 3.8 3.8 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.
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 See footnote 5, table 1.
p = preliminary.
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
2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p
Total (4)............................... 2,511 2,663 2,763 2,541 2,723 2,699 2,570 1.9 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.0 2.0 1.9
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)...................... 2,395 2,526 2,606 2,383 2,565 2,554 2,423 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.1 2.3 2.3 2.1
Construction......................... 151 153 182 167 207 154 145 2.1 2.0 2.4 2.2 2.8 2.0 1.9
Manufacturing........................ 190 202 205 175 202 190 187 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.2 1.4 1.3 1.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 587 602 598 613 622 615 598 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.3
Professional and business services... 373 422 426 409 434 386 385 2.2 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.5 2.2 2.2
Education and health services........ 281 279 267 253 276 290 271 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.6 1.6 1.5
Leisure and hospitality.............. 527 607 561 535 533 622 544 4.1 4.7 4.3 4.1 4.1 4.8 4.2
Government............................ 122 139 156 159 159 146 151 .6 .6 .7 .7 .7 .7 .7
REGION (5)
Northeast............................ 374 368 383 370 370 358 374 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.5
South................................ 988 1,114 1,129 1,026 1,152 1,153 1,066 2.1 2.3 2.3 2.1 2.4 2.4 2.2
Midwest.............................. 555 600 619 575 581 552 533 1.8 1.9 2.0 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.7
West................................. 591 567 642 593 612 631 593 2.0 1.9 2.2 2.0 2.0 2.1 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.
5 See footnote 5, table 1.
p = preliminary.
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
2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p
Total........................................... 3,783 4,081 4,045 2.8 2.9 2.9
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,333 3,568 3,515 2.9 3.0 3.0
Natural resources and mining.................. 14 14 13 2.2 2.1 1.9
Construction.................................. 135 193 180 1.7 2.4 2.3
Manufacturing................................. 303 319 325 2.1 2.2 2.2
Durable goods................................ 194 212 213 2.1 2.3 2.3
Nondurable goods............................. 109 106 112 2.0 2.0 2.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 648 633 640 2.4 2.4 2.4
Wholesale trade.............................. 133 136 128 2.2 2.3 2.1
Retail trade................................. 400 351 367 2.5 2.3 2.4
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 115 147 145 2.3 2.8 2.8
Information................................... 79 141 150 2.5 4.4 4.7
Financial activities.......................... 231 284 239 2.7 3.3 2.8
Finance and insurance........................ 190 219 185 3.1 3.4 2.9
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 42 65 54 1.9 2.9 2.4
Professional and business services............ 661 647 596 3.7 3.6 3.3
Education and health services................. 620 676 687 3.5 3.7 3.8
Educational services......................... 61 68 61 2.4 2.5 2.4
Health care and social assistance............ 559 608 625 3.7 3.9 4.0
Leisure and hospitality....................... 506 498 519 3.6 3.5 3.6
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 88 57 58 3.8 2.6 2.5
Accommodations and food services............. 418 442 461 3.6 3.7 3.8
Other services................................ 137 162 167 2.4 2.9 3.0
Government..................................... 450 513 530 2.1 2.3 2.5
Federal....................................... 43 40 52 1.6 1.4 1.9
State and local............................... 406 473 478 2.2 2.4 2.6
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 635 712 705 2.5 2.7 2.7
South......................................... 1,472 1,564 1,568 3.0 3.1 3.1
Midwest....................................... 840 804 805 2.6 2.5 2.5
West.......................................... 836 1,002 967 2.7 3.2 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.
3 See footnote 5, table 1.
p = preliminary.
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
2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p
Total........................................... 4,935 5,962 5,161 3.7 4.4 3.8
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 4,571 5,446 4,783 4.1 4.8 4.2
Natural resources and mining.................. 32 23 19 5.1 3.3 2.8
Construction.................................. 388 476 377 5.1 6.2 4.8
Manufacturing................................. 362 437 412 2.5 3.0 2.9
Durable goods................................ 215 280 231 2.4 3.1 2.6
Nondurable goods............................. 147 157 181 2.8 3.0 3.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 993 1,222 1,026 3.8 4.7 3.9
Wholesale trade.............................. 143 182 145 2.5 3.1 2.5
Retail trade................................. 697 833 712 4.6 5.5 4.7
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 154 207 169 3.1 4.1 3.4
Information................................... 68 96 97 2.2 3.1 3.2
Financial activities.......................... 190 240 272 2.3 2.9 3.2
Finance and insurance........................ 129 148 176 2.1 2.4 2.9
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 60 93 96 2.8 4.2 4.3
Professional and business services............ 939 1,031 896 5.5 5.9 5.1
Education and health services................. 481 561 586 2.8 3.2 3.4
Educational services......................... 70 86 75 2.8 3.3 3.0
Health care and social assistance............ 411 475 512 2.8 3.2 3.4
Leisure and hospitality....................... 883 1,092 883 6.5 8.0 6.4
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 129 183 124 5.9 8.5 5.6
Accommodations and food services............. 754 910 759 6.7 7.9 6.6
Other services................................ 235 268 213 4.3 4.9 3.9
Government..................................... 364 516 379 1.8 2.4 1.8
Federal....................................... 43 66 31 1.6 2.4 1.1
State and local............................... 321 450 347 1.8 2.3 1.9
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 871 969 926 3.5 3.8 3.6
South......................................... 1,854 2,229 1,950 3.9 4.6 4.0
Midwest....................................... 1,028 1,289 1,085 3.3 4.1 3.5
West.......................................... 1,183 1,476 1,200 4.0 4.9 4.0
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 See footnote 5, table 1.
p = preliminary.
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
2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p
Total........................................... 4,695 4,882 4,660 3.5 3.6 3.4
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 4,348 4,402 4,284 3.9 3.8 3.7
Natural resources and mining.................. 24 16 13 3.8 2.3 1.9
Construction.................................. 330 317 395 4.3 4.1 5.1
Manufacturing................................. 416 374 392 2.9 2.6 2.7
Durable goods................................ 269 216 242 3.0 2.4 2.7
Nondurable goods............................. 147 158 150 2.8 3.0 2.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 976 1,069 944 3.8 4.1 3.6
Wholesale trade.............................. 135 148 167 2.3 2.5 2.8
Retail trade................................. 702 753 630 4.6 4.9 4.1
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 139 168 147 2.9 3.4 3.0
Information................................... 74 91 79 2.4 2.9 2.6
Financial activities.......................... 171 225 239 2.1 2.7 2.8
Finance and insurance........................ 128 133 147 2.1 2.2 2.4
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 43 93 92 2.0 4.2 4.1
Professional and business services............ 915 798 778 5.4 4.6 4.4
Education and health services................. 450 491 444 2.6 2.8 2.6
Educational services......................... 62 83 64 2.5 3.1 2.5
Health care and social assistance............ 388 408 381 2.7 2.7 2.6
Leisure and hospitality....................... 796 814 835 5.9 6.0 6.1
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 86 86 102 3.9 4.0 4.6
Accommodations and food services............. 710 728 734 6.3 6.4 6.4
Other services................................ 194 206 165 3.6 3.8 3.0
Government..................................... 348 481 375 1.7 2.2 1.8
Federal....................................... 39 75 23 1.4 2.8 .8
State and local............................... 308 405 352 1.7 2.1 2.0
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 701 805 721 2.8 3.1 2.8
South......................................... 1,773 1,952 1,778 3.7 4.0 3.7
Midwest....................................... 1,063 946 1,067 3.4 3.0 3.4
West.......................................... 1,158 1,179 1,094 3.9 3.9 3.6
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 See footnote 5, table 1.
p = preliminary.
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
2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p
Total........................................... 2,780 2,920 2,827 2.1 2.1 2.1
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 2,636 2,716 2,650 2.3 2.4 2.3
Natural resources and mining.................. 12 8 9 1.9 1.1 1.3
Construction.................................. 173 183 159 2.3 2.4 2.0
Manufacturing................................. 224 201 217 1.6 1.4 1.5
Durable goods................................ 137 120 127 1.5 1.3 1.4
Nondurable goods............................. 87 81 91 1.6 1.5 1.7
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 611 614 620 2.4 2.3 2.4
Wholesale trade.............................. 78 89 84 1.3 1.5 1.4
Retail trade................................. 464 451 442 3.0 3.0 2.9
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 69 74 94 1.4 1.5 1.9
Information................................... 43 71 58 1.4 2.3 1.9
Financial activities.......................... 111 150 148 1.3 1.8 1.8
Finance and insurance........................ 83 93 96 1.4 1.5 1.6
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 27 58 52 1.3 2.6 2.3
Professional and business services............ 425 408 433 2.5 2.3 2.5
Education and health services................. 306 326 294 1.8 1.9 1.7
Educational services......................... 33 41 40 1.3 1.5 1.6
Health care and social assistance............ 273 286 254 1.9 1.9 1.7
Leisure and hospitality....................... 588 627 604 4.4 4.6 4.4
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 60 54 50 2.7 2.5 2.3
Accommodations and food services............. 528 573 553 4.7 5.0 4.8
Other services................................ 142 129 109 2.6 2.4 2.0
Government..................................... 144 204 176 .7 .9 .9
Federal....................................... 18 30 10 .6 1.1 .4
State and local............................... 127 174 166 .7 .9 .9
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 412 390 413 1.6 1.5 1.6
South......................................... 1,127 1,248 1,204 2.4 2.6 2.5
Midwest....................................... 583 588 553 1.9 1.9 1.8
West.......................................... 658 695 657 2.2 2.3 2.2
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 See footnote 5, table 1.
p = preliminary.
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
2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p
Total........................................... 1,591 1,534 1,418 1.2 1.1 1.0
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 1,456 1,355 1,284 1.3 1.2 1.1
Natural resources and mining.................. 5 3 2 .8 .4 .3
Construction.................................. 148 113 201 1.9 1.5 2.6
Manufacturing................................. 139 144 129 1.0 1.0 .9
Durable goods................................ 91 76 81 1.0 .8 .9
Nondurable goods............................. 49 68 48 .9 1.3 .9
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 303 352 246 1.2 1.3 .9
Wholesale trade.............................. 48 46 62 .8 .8 1.1
Retail trade................................. 198 234 145 1.3 1.5 1.0
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 57 72 39 1.2 1.4 .8
Information................................... 20 12 15 .7 .4 .5
Financial activities.......................... 40 54 63 .5 .6 .7
Finance and insurance........................ 27 24 29 .4 .4 .5
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 14 29 34 .6 1.3 1.5
Professional and business services............ 454 315 268 2.7 1.8 1.5
Education and health services................. 112 133 108 .7 .8 .6
Educational services......................... 23 36 21 .9 1.4 .8
Health care and social assistance............ 89 97 88 .6 .6 .6
Leisure and hospitality....................... 189 166 207 1.4 1.2 1.5
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 25 31 50 1.1 1.4 2.3
Accommodations and food services............. 164 135 157 1.5 1.2 1.4
Other services................................ 46 64 44 .8 1.2 .8
Government..................................... 135 179 134 .7 .8 .6
Federal....................................... 9 26 7 .3 .9 .3
State and local............................... 126 153 127 .7 .8 .7
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 241 330 241 1.0 1.3 .9
South......................................... 531 524 434 1.1 1.1 .9
Midwest....................................... 386 273 394 1.2 .9 1.3
West.......................................... 433 408 349 1.5 1.3 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.
3 See footnote 5, table 1.
p = preliminary.
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
2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p
Total........................................... 325 428 415 0.2 0.3 0.3
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 256 331 350 .2 .3 .3
Natural resources and mining.................. 8 5 3 1.2 .8 .4
Construction.................................. 9 21 35 .1 .3 .4
Manufacturing................................. 53 29 46 .4 .2 .3
Durable goods................................ 41 20 34 .5 .2 .4
Nondurable goods............................. 12 9 11 .2 .2 .2
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 62 103 77 .2 .4 .3
Wholesale trade.............................. 9 13 20 .2 .2 .3
Retail trade................................. 40 68 43 .3 .4 .3
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 14 21 14 .3 .4 .3
Information................................... 10 7 6 .3 .2 .2
Financial activities.......................... 21 21 28 .3 .3 .3
Finance and insurance........................ 18 16 23 .3 .3 .4
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 2 6 6 .1 .2 .3
Professional and business services............ 36 76 77 .2 .4 .4
Education and health services................. 32 32 42 .2 .2 .2
Educational services......................... 6 6 3 .2 .2 .1
Health care and social assistance............ 26 25 39 .2 .2 .3
Leisure and hospitality....................... 19 22 25 .1 .2 .2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 2 2 1 .1 .1 .1
Accommodations and food services............. 17 20 24 .2 .2 .2
Other services................................ 7 14 12 .1 .3 .2
Government..................................... 69 97 65 .3 .4 .3
Federal....................................... 13 19 6 .5 .7 .2
State and local............................... 56 78 59 .3 .4 .3
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 48 85 68 .2 .3 .3
South......................................... 115 181 139 .2 .4 .3
Midwest....................................... 94 86 120 .3 .3 .4
West.......................................... 67 76 88 .2 .3 .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 See footnote 5, table 1.
p = preliminary.