Full text of March 2007 : Text File, USDL-07-0671
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Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 07-0671
http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact: 691-5902 Tuesday, May 8, 2007
JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: MARCH 2007
On the last business day of March, there were 4.2 million job openings
in the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.9 percent, the Bureau
of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The job
openings and hires rates were unchanged, and the total separations rate was
essentially unchanged in March. This release includes estimates of the num-
ber and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm
sector by industry and geographic region.
Job Openings
At 2.9 percent in March, the job openings rate has been essentially flat
since November 2005. In March, the job openings rate rose in professional
and business services and fell in construction. None of the regions expe-
rienced a significant over-the-month change in the job openings rate. The
seasonally adjusted job openings rate was highest in March for the follow-
ing industries: accommodations and food services (4.1 percent), profes-
sional and business services (4.1 percent), and education and health ser-
vices (3.6 percent). (See table 1.)
Over the year, the job openings rate increased in nondurable goods manu-
facturing, wholesale trade, and information. The rate decreased in finance
and insurance and in educational services. The job openings rate did not
change significantly over the year in any of the regions. (See table 5.)
Hires
The hires rate was unchanged at 3.5 percent in March. Hires are any
additions to the payroll during the month. In March, the hires rate fell
in manufacturing and government. None of the regions experienced a sig-
nificant over-the-month change in the hires rate. The seasonally adjusted
hires rate was highest in March in accommodations and food services (6.4
percent). (See table 2.)
From March 2006 to March 2007, the hires rate rose in wholesale trade
and educational services and fell in retail trade; transportation, ware-
housing, and utilities; professional and business services; federal gov-
ernment; and state and local government. Regionally, the hires rate de-
creased over the year in the Northeast. (See table 6.)
Separations
The total separations, or turnover, rate was little changed at 3.4 per-
cent in March. Separations are terminations of employment that occur at
any time during the month. In March, the only sector to experience a
change in the separations rate was government, where the rate declined
slightly. None of the regions experienced a significant change in the sep-
arations rate. From March 2006 to March 2007, the total separations rate
did not rise significantly in any industry; the rate declined in construc-
tion, other services, and federal government. Geographically, none of the
regions experienced a significant change in the total separations rate over
the year. (See tables 3 and 7.)
- 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.
| 2006 | 2007 | 2007p| 2006 | 2007 | 2007p| 2006 | 2007 | 2007p
-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Levels (in thousands)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........|3,999 |4,149 |4,173 |4,877 |4,815 |4,786 |4,846 |4,556 |4,629
| | | | | | | | |
Total private(1).|3,568 |3,666 |3,689 |4,503 |4,509 |4,442 |4,529 |4,263 |4,357
Construction...| 155 | 229 | 139 | 372 | 298 | 371 | 423 | 322 | 330
Manufacturing..| 320 | 330 | 319 | 344 | 371 | 323 | 429 | 422 | 394
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities(2)..| 663 | 660 | 679 |1,082 |1,018 |1,002 | 965 | 943 | 951
Retail trade..| 388 | 378 | 364 | 772 | 695 | 687 | 684 | 656 | 663
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 682 | 642 | 756 | 904 | 953 | 851 | 853 | 862 | 877
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 661 | 670 | 687 | 441 | 518 | 498 | 419 | 419 | 438
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality(3)| 525 | 566 | 550 | 846 | 934 | 881 | 810 | 835 | 820
Accommodations | | | | | | | | |
and food | | | | | | | | |
services......| 453 | 511 | 487 | 722 | 778 | 737 | 698 | 697 | 691
Government(4)....| 421 | 482 | 482 | 377 | 379 | 330 | 322 | 294 | 265
State and local| | | | | | | | |
government....| 392 | 438 | 436 | 322 | 317 | 304 | 256 | 243 | 240
|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Rates (percent)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........| 2.9 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.3 | 3.4
| | | | | | | | |
Total private(1).| 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 3.8
Construction...| 2.0 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 4.8 | 3.9 | 4.8 | 5.5 | 4.2 | 4.3
Manufacturing..| 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 2.8
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities(2)..| 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.6
Retail trade...| 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.3
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 3.8 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.9
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 2.5 | 2.9 | 2.7 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.4
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality(3)| 3.9 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 6.5 | 7.0 | 6.6 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.1
Accommodations | | | | | | | | |
and food | | | | | | | | |
services......| 3.9 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 6.5 | 6.8 | 6.4 | 6.3 | 6.1 | 6.0
Government(4)....| 1.9 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 1.2
State and local| | | | | | | | |
government....| 2.0 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.2
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and
other services, not shown separately.
2 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not
shown separately.
3 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately.
4 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
- 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 unchanged at 2.0 percent in March. Over the month, the
quits rate rose in state and local government; the rate did not fall in any
industry. None of the regions experienced a significant change in the quits
rate over the month. In March, the seasonally adjusted quits rate was high-
est in the accommodations and food services industry (4.7 percent). (See
table 4.)
Over the year, the quits rate rose in nondurable manufacturing; finance
and insurance; and real estate and rental and leasing. The quits rate fell
over the year in construction, other services, and federal government. Geo-
graphically, the quits rate declined over the year in the Northeast region.
(See table 8.)
The other two components of total separations--layoffs and discharges,
and other separations--are not seasonally adjusted. For March, the layoffs
and discharges rate (1.0 percent) and level (1.3 million) were unchanged
from a year earlier. As is typical many in months, the layoffs and dis-
charges rate in March was highest in construction (2.4 percent) and arts,
entertainment, and recreation (2.2 percent). From March 2006 to March 2007,
the other separations rate was essentially unchanged at 0.2 percent, and the
level was little changed at 288,000. (See tables 9 and 10.)
The total separations rate is driven by the relative contribution of its
three components (quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations),
with quits contributing the largest portion. The percentage of total sepa-
rations attributable to quits has risen and fallen over time along with em-
ployment levels. The proportion of quits fell from 61 percent in February
2001 to 51 percent in August 2003 (seasonally adjusted), and has since risen.
In March 2007, the percentage of quits was 58 percent.
Flows in the Labor Market
Hires and separations data help show dynamic flows in the labor market.
For the 12 months ending in March 2007, hires have averaged 4.9 million per
month and separations have averaged 4.6 million per month (not seasonally
adjusted). The comparable figures for the prior 12-month period were 4.8
million hires and 4.6 million separations. (See the Technical Note for
additional information on these measures.)
Several industries consistently have high rates of both hires and sepa-
rations. These include construction; retail trade; professional and busi-
ness services; arts, entertainment, and recreation; and accommodations and
food services. In the 12 months ending in March 2007, these 5 industries
produced 34.8 million hires and 32.8 million separations. Thus, these five
industries accounted for 59 percent of total nonfarm hires and 59 percent of
total nonfarm separations while comprising only 39 percent of total nonfarm
employment.
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 2007 is scheduled
to be issued on Tuesday, June 12.
- 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 -
Prior to the January 2007 benchmark release in March 2007, sea-
sonal adjustment of the JOLTS series was conducted using the stable
seasonal filter option since there were not enough data observations
available for the standard use of moving averages as seasonal filters.
Although the seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS series is conducted with
fewer data observations than is customary, the number of observations
is now above the minimum required by X-12-ARIMA to use the normal sea-
sonal filters. Therefore, the standard use of moving averages as seasonal
filter is now in place for JOLTS seasonal adjustment. JOLTS seasonal ad-
justment now includes both additive and multiplicative seasonal adjustment
models and REGARIMA (regression with autocorrelated errors) modeling to
improve the seasonal adjustment factors at the beginning and end of the
series and to detect and adjust for outliers in the series. Due to
the improved diagnostics, three additional industries are now season-
ally adjusted: retail trade, accommodations and food services, and
state and local government. It is expected that more series may be sea-
sonally 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.
2006 2006 2006 2006 2007 2007 2007p 2006 2006 2006 2006 2007 2007 2007p
Total (4).................................. 3,999 4,157 4,200 4,401 4,222 4,149 4,173 2.9 3.0 3.0 3.1 3.0 2.9 2.9
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 3,568 3,702 3,735 3,928 3,746 3,666 3,689 3.0 3.1 3.1 3.3 3.1 3.1 3.1
Construction............................. 155 137 106 107 142 229 139 2.0 1.7 1.4 1.4 1.8 2.9 1.8
Manufacturing............................ 320 364 328 362 337 330 319 2.2 2.5 2.3 2.5 2.3 2.3 2.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 663 658 671 767 727 660 679 2.5 2.4 2.5 2.8 2.7 2.4 2.5
Retail trade............................ 388 370 417 471 413 378 364 2.5 2.4 2.7 3.0 2.6 2.4 2.3
Professional and business services....... 682 709 705 745 707 642 756 3.8 3.9 3.8 4.0 3.8 3.5 4.1
Education and health services............ 661 749 713 734 707 670 687 3.6 4.0 3.8 3.9 3.8 3.6 3.6
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 525 579 625 612 552 566 550 3.9 4.2 4.5 4.4 4.0 4.0 3.9
Accommodations and food services........ 453 487 528 538 495 511 487 3.9 4.1 4.4 4.5 4.1 4.3 4.1
Government (7)............................ 421 460 463 473 477 482 482 1.9 2.0 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.1
State and local government............... 392 423 427 427 439 438 436 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2
REGION (8)
Northeast................................ 662 760 772 849 733 717 707 2.5 2.9 2.9 3.2 2.8 2.7 2.7
South.................................... 1,618 1,649 1,572 1,674 1,653 1,631 1,648 3.2 3.3 3.1 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.2
Midwest.................................. 733 769 770 810 822 783 783 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.4
West..................................... 998 989 1,034 1,044 1,005 1,011 1,035 3.2 3.1 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.3
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.
5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
6 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately.
7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
8 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.
2006 2006 2006 2006 2007 2007 2007p 2006 2006 2006 2006 2007 2007 2007p
Total (4)................................. 4,877 4,983 4,994 4,959 4,959 4,815 4,786 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.5 3.5
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 4,503 4,616 4,665 4,662 4,607 4,509 4,442 4.0 4.0 4.1 4.1 4.0 3.9 3.8
Construction............................. 372 345 395 341 299 298 371 4.8 4.5 5.1 4.4 3.9 3.9 4.8
Manufacturing............................ 344 366 363 375 369 371 323 2.4 2.6 2.6 2.7 2.6 2.6 2.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 1,082 1,008 1,012 990 1,020 1,018 1,002 4.1 3.8 3.8 3.8 3.9 3.9 3.8
Retail trade............................ 772 713 737 699 757 695 687 5.0 4.7 4.8 4.6 4.9 4.5 4.5
Professional and business services....... 904 994 1,010 963 954 953 851 5.2 5.6 5.7 5.4 5.4 5.3 4.8
Education and health services............ 441 529 492 515 508 518 498 2.5 2.9 2.7 2.8 2.8 2.9 2.7
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 846 893 903 969 956 934 881 6.5 6.7 6.8 7.2 7.1 7.0 6.6
Accommodations and food services........ 722 758 748 793 825 778 737 6.5 6.7 6.6 6.9 7.2 6.8 6.4
Government (7)............................ 377 363 348 371 384 379 330 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.5
State and local government............... 322 320 303 313 321 317 304 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.6
REGION (8)
Northeast................................ 830 727 713 768 833 709 704 3.3 2.8 2.8 3.0 3.2 2.8 2.7
South.................................... 1,798 1,969 1,979 1,900 1,899 1,837 1,836 3.7 4.0 4.0 3.9 3.9 3.7 3.7
Midwest.................................. 1,061 1,097 1,061 1,150 1,167 1,184 1,093 3.4 3.5 3.4 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.4
West..................................... 1,142 1,198 1,249 1,209 1,142 1,156 1,145 3.8 3.9 4.1 3.9 3.7 3.8 3.7
1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month.
2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
6 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately.
7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
8 See footnote 8, table 1.
p = preliminary.
Table 3. Total separations levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels (3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Mar. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Mar. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar.
2006 2006 2006 2006 2007 2007 2007p 2006 2006 2006 2006 2007 2007 2007p
Total (4).................................. 4,846 4,613 4,844 4,540 4,602 4,556 4,629 3.6 3.4 3.5 3.3 3.4 3.3 3.4
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 4,529 4,323 4,543 4,253 4,296 4,263 4,357 4.0 3.8 4.0 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.8
Construction............................. 423 373 413 387 400 322 330 5.5 4.8 5.4 5.0 5.2 4.2 4.3
Manufacturing............................ 429 359 360 372 399 422 394 3.0 2.5 2.5 2.6 2.8 3.0 2.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 965 987 1,020 962 973 943 951 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.6
Retail trade............................ 684 688 719 707 680 656 663 4.4 4.5 4.7 4.6 4.4 4.3 4.3
Professional and business services....... 853 921 974 851 894 862 877 4.9 5.2 5.5 4.8 5.0 4.8 4.9
Education and health services............ 419 424 430 430 423 419 438 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.4
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 810 791 838 835 768 835 820 6.2 6.0 6.3 6.2 5.7 6.2 6.1
Accommodations and food services........ 698 673 721 757 612 697 691 6.3 5.9 6.3 6.6 5.4 6.1 6.0
Government (7)............................ 322 298 305 283 309 294 265 1.5 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.2
State and local government............... 256 248 256 255 254 243 240 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.2
REGION(8)
Northeast................................ 699 745 707 670 740 675 659 2.8 2.9 2.8 2.6 2.9 2.6 2.6
South.................................... 1,858 1,709 2,011 1,796 1,783 1,763 1,782 3.8 3.5 4.1 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.6
Midwest.................................. 1,030 1,072 985 1,054 1,034 1,054 1,010 3.3 3.4 3.1 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.2
West..................................... 1,168 1,081 1,079 1,036 1,037 1,041 1,104 3.9 3.5 3.5 3.4 3.4 3.4 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 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
6 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately.
7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
8 See footnote 8, table 1.
p = preliminary.
Table 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.
2006 2006 2006 2006 2007 2007 2007p 2006 2006 2006 2006 2007 2007 2007p
Total (4).................................. 2,797 2,655 2,774 2,759 2,648 2,705 2,706 2.1 1.9 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.0 2.0
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 2,632 2,513 2,625 2,615 2,505 2,571 2,560 2.3 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.2 2.2
Construction............................. 196 137 144 143 141 120 115 2.5 1.8 1.9 1.9 1.8 1.6 1.5
Manufacturing............................ 206 196 211 222 229 212 223 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.6
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 601 593 661 597 594 606 573 2.3 2.3 2.5 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.2
Retail trade............................ 442 438 472 438 422 438 401 2.9 2.9 3.1 2.9 2.7 2.9 2.6
Professional and business services....... 437 475 486 497 498 486 461 2.5 2.7 2.7 2.8 2.8 2.7 2.6
Education and health services............ 271 274 278 289 271 280 277 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.5
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 564 542 565 602 489 579 590 4.3 4.1 4.2 4.5 3.7 4.3 4.4
Accommodations and food services........ 518 496 520 560 448 531 542 4.7 4.4 4.6 4.9 3.9 4.6 4.7
Government (7)............................ 154 144 147 146 150 139 141 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.6 0.6
State and local government............... 127 124 125 130 129 117 130 .7 .6 .6 .7 .7 .6 .7
REGION (8)
Northeast.............................. .. 379 359 409 367 355 322 331 1.5 1.4 1.6 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.3
South.................................... 1,179 1,101 1,167 1,171 1,099 1,152 1,139 2.4 2.2 2.4 2.4 2.2 2.3 2.3
Midwest.................................. 612 604 543 559 595 599 599 2.0 1.9 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.9 1.9
West..................................... 625 592 645 638 602 629 635 2.1 1.9 2.1 2.1 2.0 2.0 2.1
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 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
6 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately.
7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
8 See footnote 8, table 1.
p = preliminary.
Table 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.
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 4,100 3,967 4,259 3.0 2.8 3.0
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,688 3,521 3,788 3.2 3.0 3.2
Natural resources and mining.................. 14 12 13 2.2 1.7 1.8
Construction.................................. 163 209 145 2.2 2.8 1.9
Manufacturing................................. 337 341 333 2.3 2.4 2.3
Durable goods................................ 234 208 205 2.5 2.3 2.2
Nondurable goods............................. 103 132 128 2.0 2.5 2.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 671 594 683 2.5 2.2 2.5
Wholesale trade.............................. 158 132 194 2.6 2.2 3.2
Retail trade................................. 383 323 351 2.5 2.1 2.3
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 130 140 138 2.6 2.7 2.7
Information................................... 123 150 156 3.9 4.6 4.8
Financial activities.......................... 304 214 240 3.5 2.5 2.8
Finance and insurance........................ 246 176 186 3.8 2.7 2.9
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 58 38 54 2.6 1.7 2.4
Professional and business services............ 657 627 735 3.7 3.5 4.0
Education and health services................. 679 657 697 3.7 3.5 3.7
Educational services......................... 75 60 55 2.4 1.9 1.7
Health care and social assistance............ 603 597 642 3.9 3.8 4.0
Leisure and hospitality....................... 599 541 622 4.5 4.0 4.5
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 78 56 69 4.3 3.1 3.7
Accommodations and food services............. 520 485 553 4.5 4.2 4.7
Other services................................ 140 176 164 2.5 3.2 2.9
Government..................................... 412 447 471 1.8 1.9 2.0
Federal....................................... 36 49 53 1.3 1.8 1.9
State and local............................... 376 397 418 1.9 2.0 2.1
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 651 666 680 2.5 2.5 2.6
South......................................... 1,684 1,607 1,723 3.4 3.2 3.4
Midwest....................................... 769 741 816 2.4 2.3 2.5
West.......................................... 996 953 1,040 3.2 3.0 3.3
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 See footnote 8, 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.
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 4,724 4,068 4,587 3.5 3.0 3.4
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 4,457 3,796 4,358 4.0 3.3 3.8
Natural resources and mining.................. 22 21 20 3.4 3.1 2.8
Construction.................................. 409 237 407 5.6 3.3 5.5
Manufacturing................................. 357 351 335 2.5 2.5 2.4
Durable goods................................ 217 200 193 2.4 2.3 2.2
Nondurable goods............................. 140 150 141 2.7 2.9 2.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 1,040 806 966 4.0 3.1 3.7
Wholesale trade.............................. 125 125 166 2.1 2.1 2.8
Retail trade................................. 750 539 662 5.0 3.6 4.4
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 165 142 138 3.3 2.8 2.7
Information................................... 67 59 69 2.2 1.9 2.3
Financial activities.......................... 197 181 184 2.4 2.2 2.2
Finance and insurance........................ 133 117 114 2.2 1.9 1.8
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 64 64 71 3.0 2.9 3.3
Professional and business services............ 888 871 831 5.2 5.0 4.7
Education and health services................. 408 448 455 2.3 2.5 2.5
Educational services......................... 41 69 42 1.3 2.2 1.3
Health care and social assistance............ 367 379 413 2.5 2.5 2.7
Leisure and hospitality....................... 917 743 917 7.2 5.8 7.0
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 130 84 132 7.4 4.8 7.3
Accommodations and food services............. 787 659 785 7.2 5.9 7.0
Other services................................ 152 81 175 2.8 1.5 3.2
Government..................................... 267 272 229 1.2 1.2 1.0
Federal....................................... 43 49 22 1.6 1.8 .8
State and local............................... 223 223 208 1.1 1.1 1.0
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 761 506 643 3.0 2.0 2.5
South......................................... 1,808 1,625 1,823 3.7 3.3 3.7
Midwest....................................... 1,087 974 1,054 3.5 3.1 3.3
West.......................................... 1,068 962 1,067 3.5 3.2 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 See footnote 8, 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.
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 4,291 3,752 4,127 3.2 2.8 3.0
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 4,066 3,554 3,951 3.6 3.1 3.5
Natural resources and mining.................. 27 20 20 4.1 2.8 2.9
Construction.................................. 398 271 297 5.4 3.8 4.0
Manufacturing................................. 428 378 397 3.0 2.7 2.8
Durable goods................................ 239 234 235 2.7 2.6 2.6
Nondurable goods............................. 189 145 162 3.7 2.8 3.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 870 805 848 3.4 3.1 3.2
Wholesale trade.............................. 145 105 138 2.5 1.8 2.3
Retail trade................................. 606 574 574 4.0 3.8 3.8
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 119 126 135 2.4 2.5 2.7
Information................................... 60 69 76 2.0 2.2 2.5
Financial activities.......................... 210 201 240 2.5 2.4 2.8
Finance and insurance........................ 130 133 160 2.1 2.1 2.6
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 79 67 79 3.7 3.1 3.7
Professional and business services............ 834 729 860 4.8 4.2 4.9
Education and health services................. 380 337 401 2.1 1.8 2.2
Educational services......................... 42 44 34 1.4 1.4 1.1
Health care and social assistance............ 339 293 367 2.3 1.9 2.4
Leisure and hospitality....................... 667 625 677 5.3 4.9 5.2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 65 83 80 3.7 4.7 4.4
Accommodations and food services............. 602 542 597 5.5 4.9 5.3
Other services................................ 192 119 135 3.5 2.2 2.5
Government..................................... 225 198 176 1.0 0.9 0.8
Federal....................................... 50 46 16 1.9 1.7 .6
State and local............................... 175 152 160 0.9 .8 .8
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 582 518 540 2.3 2.0 2.1
South......................................... 1,703 1,495 1,626 3.5 3.1 3.3
Midwest....................................... 944 884 916 3.0 2.8 2.9
West.......................................... 1,063 856 1,045 3.5 2.8 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 See footnote 8, 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.
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 2,572 2,201 2,503 1.9 1.6 1.8
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 2,454 2,102 2,395 2.2 1.9 2.1
Natural resources and mining.................. 14 11 13 2.1 1.6 1.8
Construction.................................. 184 88 103 2.5 1.2 1.4
Manufacturing................................. 203 182 224 1.4 1.3 1.6
Durable goods................................ 125 95 128 1.4 1.1 1.4
Nondurable goods............................. 79 86 96 1.5 1.7 1.9
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 565 505 524 2.2 1.9 2.0
Wholesale trade.............................. 82 75 96 1.4 1.3 1.6
Retail trade................................. 412 365 364 2.7 2.4 2.4
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 71 65 64 1.4 1.3 1.3
Information................................... 42 37 51 1.4 1.2 1.7
Financial activities.......................... 117 117 160 1.4 1.4 1.9
Finance and insurance........................ 87 87 108 1.4 1.4 1.7
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 30 30 52 1.4 1.4 2.4
Professional and business services............ 465 397 474 2.7 2.3 2.7
Education and health services................. 251 229 256 1.4 1.3 1.4
Educational services......................... 20 19 20 0.7 0.6 0.7
Health care and social assistance............ 231 210 236 1.6 1.4 1.5
Leisure and hospitality....................... 466 453 497 3.7 3.5 3.8
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 34 31 37 1.9 1.7 2.0
Accommodations and food services............. 432 422 460 4.0 3.8 4.1
Other services................................ 147 84 92 2.7 1.5 1.7
Government..................................... 118 99 107 .5 .4 .5
Federal....................................... 21 15 7 .8 .6 .3
State and local............................... 97 84 100 .5 .4 .5
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 335 237 287 1.3 .9 1.1
South......................................... 1,077 961 1,044 2.2 2.0 2.1
Midwest....................................... 570 486 565 1.8 1.5 1.8
West.......................................... 591 517 607 2.0 1.7 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 See footnote 8, 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.
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 1,371 1,275 1,336 1.0 0.9 1.0
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 1,311 1,229 1,299 1.2 1.1 1.1
Natural resources and mining.................. 10 5 5 1.5 .7 .7
Construction.................................. 192 170 173 2.6 2.4 2.4
Manufacturing................................. 185 161 138 1.3 1.1 1.0
Durable goods................................ 85 108 82 0.9 1.2 0.9
Nondurable goods............................. 100 52 56 1.9 1.0 1.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 220 240 243 .8 .9 .9
Wholesale trade.............................. 40 25 38 .7 .4 .6
Retail trade................................. 149 171 155 1.0 1.1 1.0
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 31 44 50 .6 .9 1.0
Information................................... 13 29 17 .4 .9 .6
Financial activities.......................... 70 70 66 .8 .8 .8
Finance and insurance........................ 33 38 44 .5 .6 .7
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 37 32 21 1.7 1.5 1.0
Professional and business services............ 305 286 340 1.8 1.6 1.9
Education and health services................. 105 89 119 .6 .5 .7
Educational services......................... 18 20 13 .6 .6 .4
Health care and social assistance............ 88 68 107 .6 .5 .7
Leisure and hospitality....................... 178 154 161 1.4 1.2 1.2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 30 51 40 1.7 2.9 2.2
Accommodations and food services............. 148 104 120 1.4 .9 1.1
Other services................................ 32 25 37 .6 .5 .7
Government..................................... 60 46 37 .3 .2 .2
Federal....................................... 13 11 3 .5 .4 .1
State and local............................... 47 35 34 .2 .2 .2
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 190 226 188 .8 .9 .7
South......................................... 527 436 469 1.1 .9 1.0
Midwest....................................... 312 346 303 1.0 1.1 1.0
West.......................................... 341 268 376 1.1 .9 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 8, 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.
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 348 276 288 0.3 0.2 0.2
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 301 223 257 .3 .2 .2
Natural resources and mining.................. 3 3 3 .5 .5 .4
Construction.................................. 22 12 21 .3 .2 .3
Manufacturing................................. 40 36 35 .3 .3 .2
Durable goods................................ 29 30 26 .3 .3 .3
Nondurable goods............................. 11 6 9 .2 .1 .2
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 85 60 81 .3 .2 .3
Wholesale trade.............................. 24 5 4 .4 .1 .1
Retail trade................................. 45 38 55 .3 .3 .4
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 17 18 22 .3 .4 .4
Information................................... 5 3 8 .1 .1 .2
Financial activities.......................... 23 14 14 .3 .2 .2
Finance and insurance........................ 10 8 8 .2 .1 .1
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 12 6 6 .6 .3 .3
Professional and business services............ 64 46 45 .4 .3 .3
Education and health services................. 25 19 26 .1 .1 .1
Educational services......................... 4 4 1 .1 .1 (4)
Health care and social assistance............ 21 15 25 .1 .1 .2
Leisure and hospitality....................... 23 18 19 .2 .1 .1
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 2 2 2 .1 .1 .1
Accommodations and food services............. 22 16 16 .2 .1 .1
Other services................................ 12 11 6 .2 .2 .1
Government..................................... 47 53 31 .2 .2 .1
Federal....................................... 16 20 5 .6 .7 .2
State and local............................... 30 33 26 .2 .2 .1
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 56 55 65 .2 .2 .3
South......................................... 99 98 113 .2 .2 .2
Midwest....................................... 62 53 48 .2 .2 .2
West.......................................... 130 71 62 .4 .2 .2
1 Other separations are the number of other separations during the entire month.
2 The other separations rate is the number of other separations during the entire month as a percent of
total employment.
3 See footnote 8, table 1.
4 Data round to zero.
p = preliminary.