Full text of June 2004 : Text File, USDL-04-1519
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Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 04-1519
http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact: 691-5902 Wednesday, August 11, 2004
JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: JUNE 2004
The number of hires continued to outpace the number of separations in
June, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor
reported today. There were 4.3 million hires and 4.1 million separations
in June, little changed from the month before. The job openings rate was
unchanged at 2.3 percent in June. The series in this report include
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 June 2004, there were 3.0 million job openings
in the United States, and the job openings rate (the number of job openings
on the last business day of the month divided by employment plus job openings)
was 2.3 percent. (See table 1.) The job openings rate has remained in the
range of 2.0 percent to 2.4 percent since October 2001. In June, the job
openings rate showed little or no change for all major industry categories.
Hires and Separations
The hires rate (the number of hires during the month divided by employ-
ment) was 3.3 percent in June, little changed from a month earlier. (See
table 2.) Hires are any additions to the payroll during the month. Most
major industries showed little or no change in their hires rates.
The total separations, or turnover, rate (the number of separations
during the month divided by employment) was 3.1 percent in June, unchanged
from the month before. The total separations rate has remained in the
range of 2.9 percent to 3.3 percent since December 2001. Separations are
terminations of employment that occur at any time during the month. (See
table 3.)
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 June. (See table
4.) The quits rate increased in professional and business services over
the month. Quits as a percent of the total separations increased to
55.2 percent in June. The other two components of total separations,
layoffs and discharges (1.1 percent) and other separations (0.3 percent),
are not seasonally adjusted. The layoffs and discharges rate was lower than
a year ago, and the other separations rate was little changed over the year.
(See tables 9 and 10.)
- 2 -
Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally
adjusted
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Job openings | Hires | Total separations
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Industry | June | May | June | June | May | June | June | May | June
| 2003 | 2004 | 2004p| 2003 | 2004 | 2004p| 2003 | 2004 | 2004p
-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Levels (in thousands)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........|2,859 |3,105 |3,029 |4,035 |4,206 |4,329 |4,002 |4,040 |4,052
Total private(1).|2,498 |2,746 |2,688 |3,742 |3,938 |4,028 |3,735 |3,761 |3,766
Construction...| 88 | 108 | 87 | 385 | 406 | 403 | 377 | 367 | 365
Manufacturing..| 178 | 244 | 256 | 315 | 336 | 364 | 368 | 377 | 362
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities.....| 433 | 521 | 500 | 852 | 938 | 917 | 872 | 917 | 914
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 516 | 530 | 515 | 629 | 631 | 677 | 545 | 556 | 576
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 551 | 542 | 516 | 424 | 451 | 429 | 375 | 379 | 357
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality...| 382 | 391 | 413 | 713 | 739 | 735 | 749 | 696 | 700
Government.......| 357 | 360 | 342 | 296 | 272 | 305 | 259 | 268 | 272
|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Rates (percent)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........| 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.1
Total private(1).| 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.4
Construction...| 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 5.7 | 5.9 | 5.8 | 5.6 | 5.3 | 5.3
Manufacturing..| 1.2 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.5
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities.....| 1.7 | 2.0 | 1.9 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.6
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.5
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 2.1
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality...| 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 5.9 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.2 | 5.6 | 5.7
Government.......| 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 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.) Hires have outpaced separations in each of
the last 14 months. In June, hires outpaced separations in every industry.
For More Information
For additional information, please see the Technical Note or the JOLTS
Web site at http://www.bls.gov/jlt/. Additional information about JOLTS also
maybe obtained by e-mailing Joltsinfo@bls.gov or by calling (202) 691-5870.
______________________________
The report on Job Openings and Labor Turnover for July 2004 is scheduled
to be released on Wednesday, September 8, 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 June Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June June Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June
2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p
Total(4)............................... 2,859 2,868 2,906 3,079 3,135 3,105 3,029 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 2,498 2,518 2,534 2,740 2,778 2,746 2,688 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.4
Construction......................... 88 106 99 113 105 108 87 1.3 1.5 1.4 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.2
Manufacturing........................ 178 233 226 232 251 244 256 1.2 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 433 430 458 524 531 521 500 1.7 1.7 1.8 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.9
Professional and business services... 516 501 491 502 518 530 515 3.1 3.0 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.1 3.0
Education and health services........ 551 549 551 559 576 542 516 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.1 3.0
Leisure and hospitality.............. 382 368 383 370 376 391 413 3.1 2.9 3.0 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.2
Government............................ 357 350 364 353 354 360 342 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6
REGION
Northeast............................ 517 476 500 569 560 526 543 2.0 1.9 2.0 2.2 2.2 2.0 2.1
South................................ 1,045 1,132 1,112 1,176 1,191 1,164 1,135 2.2 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.4
Midwest.............................. 586 679 680 663 692 688 675 1.9 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.1
West................................. 690 586 632 655 694 765 659 2.4 2.0 2.2 2.2 2.4 2.6 2.3
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 June Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June June Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June
2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p
Total(4)............................... 4,035 4,106 4,103 4,603 4,398 4,206 4,329 3.1 3.2 3.2 3.5 3.4 3.2 3.3
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 3,742 3,800 3,772 4,256 4,090 3,938 4,028 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.9 3.7 3.6 3.7
Construction......................... 385 358 382 437 421 406 403 5.7 5.3 5.6 6.4 6.1 5.9 5.8
Manufacturing........................ 315 349 355 361 354 336 364 2.2 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.3 2.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 852 957 945 1,009 1,032 938 917 3.4 3.8 3.7 4.0 4.1 3.7 3.6
Professional and business services... 629 708 529 713 609 631 677 3.9 4.4 3.3 4.4 3.7 3.8 4.1
Education and health services........ 424 416 447 444 460 451 429 2.6 2.5 2.7 2.6 2.7 2.7 2.5
Leisure and hospitality.............. 713 715 766 810 766 739 735 5.9 5.9 6.3 6.6 6.2 6.0 6.0
Government............................ 296 295 323 343 300 272 305 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.4 1.3 1.4
REGION
Northeast............................ 661 722 689 744 810 708 693 2.7 2.9 2.8 3.0 3.2 2.8 2.8
South................................ 1,507 1,585 1,608 1,781 1,582 1,606 1,666 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.9 3.4 3.5 3.6
Midwest.............................. 862 921 953 1,040 991 956 971 2.8 3.0 3.1 3.4 3.2 3.1 3.1
West................................. 1,037 883 876 1,029 1,093 951 1,016 3.7 3.1 3.1 3.6 3.8 3.3 3.5
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 June Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June June Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June
2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p
Total(4)............................... 4,002 3,968 4,073 4,134 4,088 4,040 4,052 3.1 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.1 3.1 3.1
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 3,735 3,716 3,807 3,868 3,843 3,761 3,766 3.4 3.4 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.4 3.4
Construction......................... 377 436 400 392 391 367 365 5.6 6.4 5.9 5.7 5.7 5.3 5.3
Manufacturing........................ 368 323 355 377 353 377 362 2.5 2.3 2.5 2.6 2.5 2.6 2.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 872 936 899 978 1,013 917 914 3.5 3.7 3.5 3.8 4.0 3.6 3.6
Professional and business services... 545 572 590 597 606 556 576 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.4 3.5
Education and health services........ 375 389 388 382 386 379 357 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.1
Leisure and hospitality.............. 749 709 727 715 679 696 700 6.2 5.8 5.9 5.8 5.5 5.6 5.7
Government............................ 259 258 268 284 245 268 272 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.1 1.2 1.3
REGION
Northeast............................ 695 712 688 666 716 648 670 2.8 2.9 2.8 2.7 2.9 2.6 2.7
South................................ 1,539 1,505 1,499 1,612 1,524 1,504 1,534 3.4 3.3 3.3 3.5 3.3 3.2 3.3
Midwest.............................. 851 903 929 938 877 833 820 2.8 2.9 3.0 3.0 2.8 2.7 2.6
West................................. 891 896 941 1,003 959 1,008 977 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.5 3.4 3.5 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.
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 June Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June June Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June
2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p
Total(4)............................... 2,052 2,118 2,178 2,271 2,278 2,173 2,238 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 1,936 2,002 2,051 2,144 2,151 2,036 2,120 1.8 1.8 1.9 2.0 2.0 1.9 1.9
Construction......................... 134 148 133 154 149 144 159 2.0 2.2 2.0 2.3 2.2 2.1 2.3
Manufacturing........................ 144 165 169 176 189 171 169 1.0 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 468 530 493 530 563 525 531 1.9 2.1 1.9 2.1 2.2 2.1 2.1
Professional and business services... 278 261 302 309 323 259 305 1.7 1.6 1.9 1.9 2.0 1.6 1.9
Education and health services........ 212 237 234 252 245 223 223 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.3 1.3
Leisure and hospitality.............. 492 428 447 465 429 455 461 4.1 3.5 3.7 3.8 3.5 3.7 3.7
Government............................ 121 116 126 129 129 129 118 .6 .5 .6 .6 .6 .6 .5
REGION
Northeast............................ 304 288 319 314 390 318 318 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.6 1.3 1.3
South................................ 829 852 867 957 888 857 878 1.8 1.9 1.9 2.1 1.9 1.8 1.9
Midwest.............................. 442 513 455 474 479 479 476 1.4 1.7 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5
West................................. 482 475 520 565 524 521 567 1.7 1.7 1.8 2.0 1.8 1.8 2.0
1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month.
2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.
Table 5. Job openings levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region June May June June May June
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 2,971 3,402 3,139 2.2 2.5 2.3
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 2,577 3,008 2,765 2.3 2.7 2.4
Natural resources and mining.................. 5 6 7 .8 1.0 1.1
Construction.................................. 110 145 103 1.6 2.0 1.4
Manufacturing................................. 186 263 269 1.3 1.8 1.8
Durable goods................................ 102 165 165 1.1 1.8 1.8
Nondurable goods............................. 85 98 104 1.5 1.8 1.9
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 429 543 496 1.7 2.1 1.9
Wholesale trade.............................. 81 120 119 1.4 2.1 2.1
Retail trade................................. 284 346 295 1.9 2.3 1.9
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 64 77 82 1.3 1.6 1.7
Information................................... 53 74 83 1.6 2.3 2.5
Financial activities.......................... 181 210 216 2.2 2.6 2.6
Finance and insurance........................ 138 171 166 2.3 2.8 2.7
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 42 39 50 2.0 1.8 2.3
Professional and business services............ 561 575 558 3.4 3.4 3.2
Education and health services................. 572 564 530 3.4 3.2 3.1
Educational services......................... 46 50 39 1.8 1.8 1.5
Health care and social assistance............ 526 514 491 3.6 3.5 3.3
Leisure and hospitality....................... 365 457 404 2.8 3.5 3.0
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 44 58 35 2.1 3.0 1.7
Accommodations and food services............. 322 399 369 2.9 3.6 3.3
Other services................................ 115 170 100 2.1 3.0 1.8
Government..................................... 394 394 375 1.8 1.8 1.7
Federal....................................... 38 42 44 1.4 1.5 1.6
State and local............................... 356 352 331 1.9 1.8 1.7
REGION
Northeast..................................... 532 586 560 2.1 2.3 2.2
South......................................... 1,112 1,255 1,205 2.3 2.6 2.5
Midwest....................................... 605 722 693 1.9 2.3 2.2
West.......................................... 722 839 682 2.5 2.8 2.3
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 June May June June May June
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 4,859 4,802 5,232 3.7 3.6 4.0
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 4,479 4,513 4,838 4.1 4.1 4.4
Natural resources and mining.................. 22 22 23 3.8 3.8 3.9
Construction.................................. 499 505 520 7.2 7.3 7.3
Manufacturing................................. 363 383 422 2.5 2.7 2.9
Durable goods................................ 225 234 259 2.5 2.6 2.9
Nondurable goods............................. 139 149 163 2.5 2.8 3.0
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 954 1,034 1,018 3.8 4.1 4.0
Wholesale trade.............................. 135 139 172 2.4 2.5 3.0
Retail trade................................. 704 744 686 4.7 5.0 4.6
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 115 152 160 2.4 3.2 3.3
Information................................... 88 70 89 2.7 2.2 2.8
Financial activities.......................... 203 206 268 2.5 2.6 3.3
Finance and insurance........................ 123 119 151 2.1 2.0 2.5
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 80 87 117 3.8 4.2 5.5
Professional and business services............ 685 691 753 4.3 4.2 4.5
Education and health services................. 509 439 507 3.1 2.6 3.0
Educational services......................... 65 36 68 2.6 1.3 2.7
Health care and social assistance............ 443 403 439 3.2 2.8 3.1
Leisure and hospitality....................... 939 981 963 7.4 7.8 7.5
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 161 165 141 7.9 8.8 7.0
Accommodations and food services............. 778 816 822 7.3 7.6 7.6
Other services................................ 218 180 274 4.0 3.3 5.0
Government..................................... 380 289 394 1.8 1.3 1.8
Federal....................................... 46 36 42 1.7 1.3 1.6
State and local............................... 334 253 351 1.8 1.3 1.9
REGION
Northeast..................................... 906 845 939 3.6 3.3 3.7
South......................................... 1,728 1,776 1,928 3.7 3.8 4.1
Midwest....................................... 1,030 1,147 1,163 3.3 3.7 3.7
West.......................................... 1,194 1,034 1,202 4.2 3.6 4.1
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 June May June June May June
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 4,207 3,923 4,209 3.2 3.0 3.2
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,819 3,633 3,797 3.5 3.3 3.4
Natural resources and mining.................. 15 19 16 2.6 3.3 2.8
Construction.................................. 366 316 344 5.3 4.5 4.8
Manufacturing................................. 388 361 383 2.7 2.5 2.6
Durable goods................................ 238 211 251 2.6 2.4 2.8
Nondurable goods............................. 150 150 132 2.7 2.8 2.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 893 904 907 3.5 3.6 3.5
Wholesale trade.............................. 121 151 169 2.1 2.7 3.0
Retail trade................................. 596 623 571 4.0 4.2 3.8
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 176 130 167 3.7 2.7 3.5
Information................................... 73 63 65 2.3 2.0 2.0
Financial activities.......................... 162 160 202 2.0 2.0 2.5
Finance and insurance........................ 107 107 112 1.8 1.8 1.9
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 55 53 90 2.6 2.5 4.2
Professional and business services............ 545 577 560 3.4 3.5 3.4
Education and health services................. 449 391 424 2.7 2.3 2.5
Educational services......................... 79 54 73 3.2 1.9 2.9
Health care and social assistance............ 370 337 351 2.7 2.4 2.5
Leisure and hospitality....................... 733 657 689 5.8 5.2 5.3
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 67 72 80 3.3 3.8 4.0
Accommodations and food services............. 666 585 609 6.3 5.5 5.6
Other services................................ 194 184 206 3.6 3.4 3.8
Government..................................... 389 291 412 1.8 1.3 1.9
Federal....................................... 46 30 41 1.6 1.1 1.5
State and local............................... 343 260 371 1.8 1.4 2.0
REGION
Northeast..................................... 771 577 745 3.1 2.3 2.9
South......................................... 1,602 1,553 1,597 3.5 3.3 3.4
Midwest....................................... 947 824 889 3.1 2.6 2.8
West.......................................... 887 968 978 3.1 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 June May June June May June
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 2,186 2,265 2,385 1.7 1.7 1.8
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 2,020 2,116 2,225 1.8 1.9 2.0
Natural resources and mining.................. 6 8 9 1.0 1.3 1.5
Construction.................................. 164 143 194 2.4 2.1 2.7
Manufacturing................................. 154 181 181 1.1 1.3 1.2
Durable goods................................ 95 113 118 1.1 1.3 1.3
Nondurable goods............................. 59 68 63 1.1 1.3 1.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 468 538 527 1.9 2.1 2.1
Wholesale trade.............................. 64 92 100 1.1 1.6 1.8
Retail trade................................. 343 391 363 2.3 2.6 2.4
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 61 56 65 1.3 1.2 1.3
Information................................... 39 33 45 1.2 1.0 1.4
Financial activities.......................... 98 114 120 1.2 1.4 1.5
Finance and insurance........................ 68 76 70 1.1 1.3 1.2
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 30 39 50 1.4 1.8 2.3
Professional and business services............ 283 273 316 1.8 1.7 1.9
Education and health services................. 240 235 247 1.5 1.4 1.5
Educational services......................... 33 24 27 1.3 .8 1.1
Health care and social assistance............ 207 211 220 1.5 1.5 1.5
Leisure and hospitality....................... 478 474 457 3.8 3.8 3.5
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 43 34 36 2.1 1.8 1.8
Accommodations and food services............. 435 440 421 4.1 4.1 3.9
Other services................................ 90 117 130 1.7 2.2 2.4
Government..................................... 166 149 160 .8 .7 .7
Federal....................................... 21 14 9 .8 .5 .3
State and local............................... 145 135 151 .8 .7 .8
REGION
Northeast..................................... 341 327 350 1.4 1.3 1.4
South......................................... 888 889 944 1.9 1.9 2.0
Midwest....................................... 473 512 508 1.5 1.6 1.6
West.......................................... 484 538 583 1.7 1.9 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 June May June June May June
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 1,709 1,320 1,483 1.3 1.0 1.1
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 1,567 1,240 1,315 1.4 1.1 1.2
Natural resources and mining.................. 8 8 4 1.4 1.3 .7
Construction.................................. 193 163 138 2.8 2.3 1.9
Manufacturing................................. 204 146 172 1.4 1.0 1.2
Durable goods................................ 125 74 113 1.4 .8 1.2
Nondurable goods............................. 80 72 59 1.4 1.3 1.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 362 301 300 1.4 1.2 1.2
Wholesale trade.............................. 49 51 55 .9 .9 1.0
Retail trade................................. 219 188 155 1.5 1.3 1.0
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 94 62 90 2.0 1.3 1.9
Information................................... 29 26 14 .9 .8 .5
Financial activities.......................... 44 33 58 .6 .4 .7
Finance and insurance........................ 23 22 27 .4 .4 .4
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 22 12 31 1.0 .6 1.5
Professional and business services............ 226 240 199 1.4 1.5 1.2
Education and health services................. 172 120 148 1.1 .7 .9
Educational services......................... 40 26 42 1.6 .9 1.6
Health care and social assistance............ 132 94 106 .9 .7 .7
Leisure and hospitality....................... 230 154 212 1.8 1.2 1.6
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 22 34 42 1.1 1.8 2.1
Accommodations and food services............. 208 120 171 2.0 1.1 1.6
Other services................................ 97 48 69 1.8 .9 1.3
Government..................................... 142 80 168 .7 .4 .8
Federal....................................... 12 6 17 .4 .2 .6
State and local............................... 131 74 151 .7 .4 .8
REGION
Northeast..................................... 358 174 322 1.4 .7 1.3
South......................................... 602 561 535 1.3 1.2 1.1
Midwest....................................... 417 247 309 1.3 .8 1.0
West.......................................... 331 338 318 1.2 1.2 1.1
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 June May June June May June
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 312 338 341 0.2 0.3 0.3
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 231 276 257 .2 .3 .2
Natural resources and mining.................. 1 4 3 .2 .7 .5
Construction.................................. 9 10 13 .1 .1 .2
Manufacturing................................. 29 34 31 .2 .2 .2
Durable goods................................ 18 23 20 .2 .3 .2
Nondurable goods............................. 11 10 10 .2 .2 .2
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 63 64 80 .2 .3 .3
Wholesale trade.............................. 8 8 14 .1 .1 .2
Retail trade................................. 34 44 54 .2 .3 .4
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 21 12 12 .4 .2 .3
Information................................... 5 4 5 .1 .1 .2
Financial activities.......................... 20 13 25 .3 .2 .3
Finance and insurance........................ 16 10 16 .3 .2 .3
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 4 3 9 .2 .1 .4
Professional and business services............ 36 65 45 .2 .4 .3
Education and health services................. 37 36 29 .2 .2 .2
Educational services......................... 6 5 4 .3 .2 .2
Health care and social assistance............ 31 31 25 .2 .2 .2
Leisure and hospitality....................... 25 29 19 .2 .2 .1
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 1 4 3 .1 .2 .1
Accommodations and food services............. 23 25 17 .2 .2 .2
Other services................................ 7 18 7 .1 .3 .1
Government..................................... 81 62 84 .4 .3 .4
Federal....................................... 13 11 15 .5 .4 .6
State and local............................... 68 51 69 .4 .3 .4
REGION
Northeast..................................... 72 77 73 .3 .3 .3
South......................................... 111 103 118 .2 .2 .3
Midwest....................................... 56 66 72 .2 .2 .2
West.......................................... 72 92 78 .3 .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.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.