Full text of March 2006 : Text File, USDL-06-821
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Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 06-821
http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact: 691-5902 Tuesday, May 9, 2006
JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: MARCH 2006
The job openings, hires, and total separations rates showed little or
no change in March, 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 March 2006, there were 4.0 million job
openings in the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.9 percent.
The job openings rate was unchanged over the month but has generally
trended upward since September 2003. In March, the job openings rates
decreased in leisure and hospitality and in the Midwest. The industries
with the highest seasonally adjusted job openings rates in March 2006 were
professional and business services (3.8 percent), education and health
services (3.7 percent), and leisure and hospitality (3.5 percent). (See
table 1.)
Over the year, the job openings rates increased in many industries and
in the West region; none of the industries or regions experienced a signif-
icant decrease in their job openings rates from the prior year. (See
table 5.)
Hires and Separations
The hires rate was essentially unchanged at 3.6 percent in March. Hires
are any additions to the payroll during the month. Over the month, the hires
rate did not change significantly in any industry but decreased in the South.
In March, the seasonally adjusted hires rate was highest in the leisure and
hospitality industry (7.3 percent). (See table 2.)
From March 2005 to March 2006, the hires rates rose in accommodation and
food services and in federal government. Industries with over-the-year de-
clines in their hires rates were: construction; information; and healthcare
and social assistance. The only significant over-the-year change in the
hires rates for the regions was a decrease in the South. (See table 6.)
The total separations, or turnover, rate was unchanged at 3.4 percent
in March. Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any
time during the month. In March, the total separations rates increased in
construction and government and in the West region. (See table 3.)
- 2 -
Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally
adjusted
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Job openings | Hires | Total separations
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Industry | Mar. | Feb. | Mar. | Mar. | Feb. | Mar. | Mar. | Feb. | Mar.
| 2005 | 2006 | 2006p| 2005 | 2006 | 2006p| 2005 | 2006 | 2006p
-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Levels (in thousands)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........|3,658 |3,994 |3,989 |4,902 |4,954 |4,848 |4,610 |4,531 |4,642
| | | | | | | | |
Total private(1).|3,284 |3,531 |3,549 |4,558 |4,578 |4,483 |4,341 |4,252 |4,331
Construction...| 156 | 121 | 152 | 429 | 403 | 339 | 306 | 335 | 436
Manufacturing..| 261 | 318 | 319 | 337 | 333 | 337 | 384 | 380 | 396
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities.....| 638 | 660 | 645 |1,082 |1,117 |1,115 |1,037 | 997 | 986
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 636 | 716 | 687 | 880 | 841 | 854 | 896 | 826 | 776
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 616 | 640 | 673 | 472 | 435 | 434 | 444 | 403 | 400
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality...| 481 | 587 | 466 | 822 |1,019 | 945 | 775 | 881 | 818
Government.......| 378 | 460 | 444 | 340 | 379 | 374 | 279 | 285 | 330
|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Rates (percent)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........| 2.7 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.4
| | | | | | | | |
Total private(1).| 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.8
Construction...| 2.1 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 6.0 | 5.4 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 5.8
Manufacturing..| 1.8 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.8
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities.....| 2.4 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 3.8
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 3.7 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 5.3 | 4.9 | 5.0 | 5.4 | 4.8 | 4.5
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 2.3
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality...| 3.6 | 4.3 | 3.5 | 6.5 | 7.9 | 7.3 | 6.1 | 6.8 | 6.3
Government.......| 1.7 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.5
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and
other services, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
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, rose slightly to 2.1 percent in March. The quits
rate did not change significantly for any particular industry; however,
rates rose at the total nonfarm, total private, and total government
levels. The quits rate also rose in the Midwest region. In March, the
seasonally adjusted quits rate was highest in the leisure and hospitality
industry (4.7 percent), which also had the highest hires rate. (See
table 4.)
The other two components of total separations--layoffs and discharges,
and other separations--are not seasonally adjusted. From March 2005 to
March 2006, the layoffs and discharges rate fell to 0.9 percent, with
decreases for total private and three of the four regions--the Northeast,
South, and Midwest. For March 2006, the construction industry had the
highest layoffs and discharges rate. From March 2005 to March 2006, the
other separations rate was unchanged at 0.2 percent at the total nonfarm
level, but did increase in the West. (See tables 9 and 10.)
- 3 -
Hires and separations data help show dynamic flows in the labor market.
Over the last 12 months, hires have averaged 4.8 million per month and
separations have averaged 4.5 million per month (not seasonally adjusted).
The comparable figures a year earlier were 4.7 million hires and 4.4 mil-
lion separations. (See the Technical Note for additional information on
these measures.)
For More Information
For additional information, please read the Technical Note or visit the
JOLTS Web site at http://www.bls.gov/jlt/. Additional information about
JOLTS also may be obtained by e-mailing Joltsinfo@bls.gov or by calling
(202) 691-5870.
______________________________
The Job Openings and Labor Turnover release for April 2006 is scheduled
to be issued on Tuesday, June 6, 2006.
- 4 -
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 Mar. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Mar. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar.
2005 2005 2005 2005 2006 2006 2006p 2005 2005 2005 2005 2006 2006 2006p
Total(4)............................... 3,658 3,867 4,031 3,941 3,981 3,994 3,989 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.8 2.9 2.9 2.9
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 3,284 3,460 3,604 3,509 3,533 3,531 3,549 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0
Construction......................... 156 148 146 170 114 121 152 2.1 2.0 1.9 2.2 1.5 1.6 2.0
Manufacturing........................ 261 297 333 313 324 318 319 1.8 2.1 2.3 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 638 654 696 661 687 660 645 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.5 2.6 2.5 2.4
Professional and business services... 636 723 782 750 777 716 687 3.7 4.1 4.4 4.2 4.3 4.0 3.8
Education and health services........ 616 613 601 618 627 640 673 3.5 3.4 3.3 3.4 3.4 3.5 3.7
Leisure and hospitality.............. 481 498 519 522 507 587 466 3.6 3.7 3.9 3.9 3.8 4.3 3.5
Government............................ 378 416 434 435 449 460 444 1.7 1.9 1.9 2.0 2.0 2.1 2.0
REGION(5)
Northeast............................ 606 704 704 718 740 707 674 2.4 2.7 2.7 2.8 2.8 2.7 2.6
South................................ 1,467 1,515 1,562 1,612 1,550 1,547 1,601 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.1 3.1 3.2
Midwest.............................. 735 762 748 738 745 797 708 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.5 2.2
West................................. 829 873 1,046 919 928 957 985 2.7 2.9 3.4 3.0 3.0 3.1 3.2
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 Mar. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Mar. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar.
2005 2005 2005 2005 2006 2006 2006p 2005 2005 2005 2005 2006 2006 2006p
Total(4)............................... 4,902 4,822 4,813 4,694 4,941 4,954 4,848 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.5 3.7 3.7 3.6
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 4,558 4,488 4,498 4,397 4,584 4,578 4,483 4.1 4.0 4.0 3.9 4.1 4.1 4.0
Construction......................... 429 430 393 426 379 403 339 6.0 5.9 5.3 5.8 5.1 5.4 4.5
Manufacturing........................ 337 449 335 307 366 333 337 2.4 3.2 2.4 2.2 2.6 2.3 2.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 1,082 967 954 1,011 1,177 1,117 1,115 4.2 3.7 3.7 3.9 4.5 4.3 4.3
Professional and business services... 880 849 907 849 953 841 854 5.3 5.0 5.3 5.0 5.6 4.9 5.0
Education and health services........ 472 460 459 467 446 435 434 2.7 2.6 2.6 2.7 2.5 2.5 2.5
Leisure and hospitality.............. 822 859 895 853 847 1,019 945 6.5 6.7 6.9 6.6 6.6 7.9 7.3
Government............................ 340 319 314 293 352 379 374 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.6 1.7 1.7
REGION(5)
Northeast............................ 877 744 747 698 727 814 879 3.5 2.9 3.0 2.8 2.9 3.2 3.5
South................................ 1,913 1,886 1,813 1,817 1,946 2,061 1,817 4.0 3.9 3.8 3.8 4.1 4.3 3.8
Midwest.............................. 1,056 1,017 1,031 1,038 1,043 1,045 1,126 3.4 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.6
West................................. 1,077 1,154 1,188 1,127 1,176 1,083 1,057 3.7 3.9 4.0 3.8 4.0 3.6 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.
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 Mar. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Mar. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar.
2005 2005 2005 2005 2006 2006 2006p 2005 2005 2005 2005 2006 2006 2006p
Total(4)............................... 4,610 4,359 4,476 4,359 4,285 4,531 4,642 3.5 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.4 3.4
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 4,341 4,103 4,205 4,067 3,995 4,252 4,331 3.9 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.5 3.8 3.8
Construction......................... 306 392 371 348 374 335 436 4.3 5.3 5.0 4.7 5.0 4.5 5.8
Manufacturing........................ 384 340 388 355 353 380 396 2.7 2.4 2.7 2.5 2.5 2.7 2.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 1,037 935 1,003 1,027 880 997 986 4.0 3.6 3.9 3.9 3.4 3.8 3.8
Professional and business services... 896 757 753 735 780 826 776 5.4 4.5 4.4 4.3 4.6 4.8 4.5
Education and health services........ 444 404 418 400 353 403 400 2.6 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.0 2.3 2.3
Leisure and hospitality.............. 775 798 834 843 848 881 818 6.1 6.2 6.5 6.5 6.6 6.8 6.3
Government............................ 279 255 270 270 300 285 330 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.4 1.3 1.5
REGION(5)
Northeast............................ 823 657 619 685 701 736 676 3.3 2.6 2.4 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.7
South................................ 1,752 1,710 1,711 1,759 1,653 1,694 1,823 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.7 3.4 3.5 3.8
Midwest.............................. 1,109 961 1,081 934 987 1,032 1,029 3.6 3.1 3.5 3.0 3.1 3.3 3.3
West................................. 995 1,012 1,004 997 970 1,054 1,174 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.3 3.5 3.9
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 Mar. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Mar. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar.
2005 2005 2005 2005 2006 2006 2006p 2005 2005 2005 2005 2006 2006 2006p
Total(4)............................... 2,552 2,619 2,683 2,567 2,577 2,663 2,814 1.9 2.0 2.0 1.9 1.9 2.0 2.1
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 2,423 2,470 2,540 2,428 2,435 2,526 2,667 2.2 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.4
Construction......................... 145 205 183 189 179 153 191 2.0 2.8 2.5 2.6 2.4 2.0 2.5
Manufacturing........................ 182 200 210 184 196 202 212 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 606 573 606 634 551 602 611 2.3 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.1 2.3 2.3
Professional and business services... 422 345 359 365 415 422 427 2.5 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.4 2.5 2.5
Education and health services........ 297 258 277 254 225 279 270 1.7 1.5 1.6 1.4 1.3 1.6 1.5
Leisure and hospitality.............. 472 597 595 558 569 607 606 3.7 4.6 4.6 4.3 4.4 4.7 4.7
Government............................ 131 142 142 139 143 139 156 .6 .6 .6 .6 .7 .6 .7
REGION(5)
Northeast............................ 413 341 333 390 369 368 397 1.6 1.3 1.3 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.6
South................................ 1,003 1,109 1,102 1,069 1,068 1,114 1,175 2.1 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.2 2.3 2.4
Midwest.............................. 574 552 572 481 571 600 662 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.5 1.8 1.9 2.1
West................................. 581 601 657 618 569 567 607 2.0 2.0 2.2 2.1 1.9 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.
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 Mar. Feb. Mar. Mar. Feb. Mar.
2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p
Total........................................... 3,642 3,837 3,975 2.7 2.8 2.9
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,271 3,413 3,540 2.9 3.0 3.1
Natural resources and mining.................. 13 12 11 2.1 1.9 1.7
Construction.................................. 159 109 168 2.3 1.5 2.3
Manufacturing................................. 265 323 326 1.8 2.2 2.3
Durable goods................................ 172 228 225 1.9 2.5 2.5
Nondurable goods............................. 93 95 101 1.7 1.8 1.9
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 640 595 643 2.4 2.3 2.4
Wholesale trade.............................. 130 145 144 2.2 2.5 2.4
Retail trade................................. 409 337 380 2.7 2.2 2.5
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 101 112 119 2.0 2.2 2.4
Information................................... 74 116 121 2.3 3.7 3.8
Financial activities.......................... 215 298 300 2.6 3.5 3.5
Finance and insurance........................ 180 256 241 2.9 4.0 3.8
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 35 42 59 1.7 2.0 2.7
Professional and business services............ 621 707 663 3.6 4.0 3.7
Education and health services................. 609 629 671 3.4 3.4 3.6
Educational services......................... 55 66 76 1.8 2.2 2.5
Health care and social assistance............ 553 563 594 3.7 3.7 3.9
Leisure and hospitality....................... 542 557 516 4.2 4.3 3.9
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 59 51 49 3.3 3.0 2.7
Accommodations and food services............. 483 505 467 4.3 4.5 4.1
Other services................................ 134 69 120 2.4 1.3 2.2
Government..................................... 371 424 436 1.6 1.9 1.9
Federal....................................... 50 49 48 1.8 1.8 1.8
State and local............................... 321 375 388 1.6 1.9 1.9
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 594 659 653 2.3 2.6 2.5
South......................................... 1,456 1,531 1,596 3.0 3.1 3.2
Midwest....................................... 775 746 740 2.5 2.3 2.3
West.......................................... 817 900 986 2.7 3.0 3.2
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 Mar. Feb. Mar. Mar. Feb. Mar.
2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p
Total........................................... 4,699 4,132 4,644 3.6 3.1 3.5
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 4,464 3,863 4,382 4.1 3.5 3.9
Natural resources and mining.................. 24 17 20 3.9 2.7 3.2
Construction.................................. 476 333 371 7.0 4.7 5.2
Manufacturing................................. 350 309 351 2.5 2.2 2.5
Durable goods................................ 220 177 214 2.5 2.0 2.4
Nondurable goods............................. 130 132 137 2.5 2.6 2.6
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 995 856 1,030 3.9 3.3 4.0
Wholesale trade.............................. 148 121 122 2.6 2.1 2.1
Retail trade................................. 700 579 728 4.7 3.9 4.8
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 147 155 180 3.0 3.2 3.7
Information................................... 82 97 60 2.7 3.2 2.0
Financial activities.......................... 196 194 186 2.4 2.4 2.3
Finance and insurance........................ 113 119 118 1.9 2.0 1.9
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 84 75 68 4.0 3.5 3.2
Professional and business services............ 864 755 832 5.2 4.5 4.9
Education and health services................. 441 374 402 2.5 2.1 2.3
Educational services......................... 39 54 41 1.3 1.8 1.4
Health care and social assistance............ 402 320 361 2.8 2.2 2.4
Leisure and hospitality....................... 848 797 981 6.9 6.4 7.8
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 106 91 124 6.2 5.4 7.1
Accommodations and food services............. 741 707 857 7.0 6.6 7.9
Other services................................ 189 131 149 3.5 2.4 2.8
Government..................................... 235 269 262 1.1 1.2 1.2
Federal....................................... 34 40 45 1.2 1.5 1.7
State and local............................... 202 229 217 1.0 1.2 1.1
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 765 587 775 3.1 2.3 3.1
South......................................... 1,911 1,824 1,785 4.1 3.8 3.7
Midwest....................................... 994 811 1,091 3.2 2.6 3.5
West.......................................... 1,029 911 994 3.5 3.1 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.
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 Mar. Feb. Mar. Mar. Feb. Mar.
2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p
Total........................................... 4,038 3,735 4,109 3.1 2.8 3.1
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,850 3,538 3,883 3.5 3.2 3.5
Natural resources and mining.................. 18 17 25 3.0 2.7 3.9
Construction.................................. 282 314 403 4.1 4.5 5.6
Manufacturing................................. 355 332 371 2.5 2.4 2.6
Durable goods................................ 205 190 222 2.3 2.1 2.5
Nondurable goods............................. 150 142 149 2.8 2.7 2.9
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 942 863 898 3.7 3.4 3.5
Wholesale trade.............................. 120 140 136 2.1 2.4 2.3
Retail trade................................. 705 611 612 4.7 4.1 4.1
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 117 113 150 2.4 2.3 3.1
Information................................... 72 65 63 2.4 2.1 2.0
Financial activities.......................... 134 186 185 1.7 2.3 2.2
Finance and insurance........................ 96 118 117 1.6 1.9 1.9
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 38 68 69 1.8 3.2 3.2
Professional and business services............ 832 662 721 5.0 3.9 4.2
Education and health services................. 413 341 368 2.4 1.9 2.1
Educational services......................... 48 29 40 1.6 1.0 1.3
Health care and social assistance............ 365 313 328 2.5 2.1 2.2
Leisure and hospitality....................... 636 630 669 5.1 5.1 5.3
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 74 38 66 4.3 2.2 3.8
Accommodations and food services............. 562 592 603 5.3 5.5 5.5
Other services................................ 167 126 180 3.1 2.4 3.3
Government..................................... 188 197 226 .9 .9 1.0
Federal....................................... 26 43 50 1.0 1.6 1.9
State and local............................... 162 154 176 .8 .8 .9
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 689 571 556 2.8 2.3 2.2
South......................................... 1,536 1,441 1,608 3.3 3.0 3.4
Midwest....................................... 919 837 882 3.0 2.7 2.8
West.......................................... 894 886 1,063 3.1 3.0 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 Mar. Feb. Mar. Mar. Feb. Mar.
2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p
Total........................................... 2,277 2,185 2,550 1.7 1.6 1.9
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 2,178 2,077 2,430 2.0 1.9 2.2
Natural resources and mining.................. 11 8 13 1.8 1.2 2.0
Construction.................................. 131 132 179 1.9 1.9 2.5
Manufacturing................................. 172 171 203 1.2 1.2 1.4
Durable goods................................ 105 97 123 1.2 1.1 1.4
Nondurable goods............................. 67 74 80 1.3 1.4 1.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 564 500 571 2.2 1.9 2.2
Wholesale trade.............................. 81 68 96 1.4 1.2 1.6
Retail trade................................. 422 361 396 2.8 2.4 2.6
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 61 71 80 1.3 1.4 1.6
Information................................... 44 45 43 1.4 1.5 1.4
Financial activities.......................... 78 115 100 1.0 1.4 1.2
Finance and insurance........................ 58 69 76 1.0 1.1 1.2
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 20 46 24 .9 2.2 1.1
Professional and business services............ 414 326 425 2.5 1.9 2.5
Education and health services................. 269 234 247 1.6 1.3 1.4
Educational services......................... 29 21 21 1.0 .7 .7
Health care and social assistance............ 240 214 226 1.7 1.5 1.5
Leisure and hospitality....................... 394 471 509 3.2 3.8 4.0
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 45 22 39 2.6 1.3 2.2
Accommodations and food services............. 349 449 471 3.3 4.2 4.3
Other services................................ 100 75 138 1.9 1.4 2.6
Government..................................... 100 109 120 .4 .5 .5
Federal....................................... 9 19 21 .3 .7 .8
State and local............................... 91 90 99 .5 .5 .5
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 356 285 348 1.4 1.1 1.4
South......................................... 885 947 1,055 1.9 2.0 2.2
Midwest....................................... 499 479 583 1.6 1.5 1.9
West.......................................... 537 475 564 1.8 1.6 1.9
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 Mar. Feb. Mar. Mar. Feb. Mar.
2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p
Total........................................... 1,505 1,250 1,241 1.1 0.9 0.9
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 1,458 1,201 1,185 1.3 1.1 1.1
Natural resources and mining.................. 6 8 9 .9 1.3 1.4
Construction.................................. 144 165 205 2.1 2.3 2.9
Manufacturing................................. 154 118 134 1.1 .8 .9
Durable goods................................ 84 64 75 .9 .7 .8
Nondurable goods............................. 70 54 59 1.3 1.0 1.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 305 282 260 1.2 1.1 1.0
Wholesale trade.............................. 35 52 33 .6 .9 .6
Retail trade................................. 226 202 170 1.5 1.3 1.1
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 44 28 57 .9 .6 1.2
Information................................... 22 14 15 .7 .5 .5
Financial activities.......................... 45 58 71 .6 .7 .9
Finance and insurance........................ 29 38 32 .5 .6 .5
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 15 19 39 .7 .9 1.8
Professional and business services............ 377 296 228 2.3 1.8 1.3
Education and health services................. 127 85 97 .7 .5 .5
Educational services......................... 13 6 16 .4 .2 .5
Health care and social assistance............ 114 79 80 .8 .5 .5
Leisure and hospitality....................... 224 132 135 1.8 1.1 1.1
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 28 13 25 1.6 .7 1.4
Accommodations and food services............. 196 120 110 1.8 1.1 1.0
Other services................................ 55 43 31 1.0 .8 .6
Government..................................... 46 49 56 .2 .2 .3
Federal....................................... 7 10 11 .3 .4 .4
State and local............................... 39 39 45 .2 .2 .2
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 280 233 149 1.1 .9 .6
South......................................... 559 397 448 1.2 .8 .9
Midwest....................................... 364 288 250 1.2 .9 .8
West.......................................... 303 331 394 1.0 1.1 1.3
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 Mar. Feb. Mar. Mar. Feb. Mar.
2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p
Total........................................... 256 300 318 0.2 0.2 0.2
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 214 261 268 .2 .2 .2
Natural resources and mining.................. 1 1 3 .2 .2 .5
Construction.................................. 7 17 18 .1 .2 .3
Manufacturing................................. 28 43 33 .2 .3 .2
Durable goods................................ 16 30 23 .2 .3 .3
Nondurable goods............................. 12 14 10 .2 .3 .2
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 72 81 67 .3 .3 .3
Wholesale trade.............................. 4 19 7 .1 .3 .1
Retail trade................................. 56 47 46 .4 .3 .3
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 12 15 13 .2 .3 .3
Information................................... 6 6 5 .2 .2 .2
Financial activities.......................... 12 13 14 .1 .2 .2
Finance and insurance........................ 9 11 9 .1 .2 .1
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 3 2 6 .1 .1 .3
Professional and business services............ 41 41 68 .2 .2 .4
Education and health services................. 16 22 24 .1 .1 .1
Educational services......................... 5 2 3 .2 .1 .1
Health care and social assistance............ 11 21 21 .1 .1 .1
Leisure and hospitality....................... 18 27 25 .1 .2 .2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 1 3 2 (4) .2 .1
Accommodations and food services............. 17 24 22 .2 .2 .2
Other services................................ 13 9 11 .2 .2 .2
Government..................................... 42 39 49 .2 .2 .2
Federal....................................... 10 14 18 .4 .5 .7
State and local............................... 32 25 32 .2 .1 .2
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 54 53 60 .2 .2 .2
South......................................... 92 97 104 .2 .2 .2
Midwest....................................... 56 70 49 .2 .2 .2
West.......................................... 54 80 105 .2 .3 .4
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.
4 Data round to zero.
p = preliminary.