Full text of May 2004 : Text File, USDL-04-1199
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Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 04-1199
http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact: 691-5902 Wednesday, July 7, 2004
JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: MAY 2004
There were 4.2 million hires and 4.0 million separations in May, the
Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.
The number of hires outpaced the number of separations for the 13th straight
month, and there were fewer hires and separations than in April. The job
openings rate was unchanged at 2.3 percent in May. The series in this report
include estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separa-
tions for the total nonfarm sector by industry and geographic region.
Job Openings
On the last business day of May 2004, there were 3.1 million job openings
in the United States, and the job openings rate (the number of job openings
on the last business day of the month divided by employment plus job openings)
was 2.3 percent. (See table 1.) The job openings rate has ranged from
2.0 percent to 2.4 percent since October 2001. In May, the job openings rate
edged down in manufacturing and showed little or no change for other major
industry categories.
Hires and Separations
The hires rate (the number of hires during the month divided by employment)
decreased to 3.2 percent in May. (See table 2.) Hires are any additions to
the payroll during the month. The hires rate decreased in trade, transporta-
tion, and utilities and government over the month, while other major indus-
tries showed little or no change in their hires rates.
The total separations, or turnover, rate (the number of separations
during the month divided by employment) was 3.1 percent in May and has
remained in the range of 2.9 percent to 3.3 percent since December 2001.
Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any time during
the month. The total separations rate for trade, transportation, and
utilities decreased to 3.5 percent in May, and the total separations rate
in construction continued on a downward trend. The other major industries
showed little change in their total separations rates over the month.
(See table 3.)
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Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally
adjusted
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Job openings | Hires | Total separations
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Industry | May | Apr. | May | May | Apr. | May | May | Apr. | May
| 2003 | 2004 | 2004p| 2003 | 2004 | 2004p| 2003 | 2004 | 2004p
-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Levels (in thousands)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total 1/...........|2,723 |3,135 |3,104 |3,958 |4,398 |4,173 |3,736 |4,088 |4,003
Total private 1/.|2,370 |2,778 |2,727 |3,652 |4,090 |3,907 |3,456 |3,843 |3,745
Construction...| 90 | 105 | 98 | 430 | 421 | 405 | 364 | 391 | 360
Manufacturing..| 180 | 251 | 231 | 305 | 354 | 332 | 375 | 353 | 375
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities.....| 422 | 531 | 522 | 837 |1,032 | 927 | 784 |1,013 | 903
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 461 | 518 | 521 | 527 | 609 | 624 | 437 | 606 | 571
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 563 | 576 | 556 | 425 | 460 | 452 | 410 | 386 | 375
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality...| 326 | 376 | 387 | 686 | 766 | 725 | 700 | 679 | 697
Government.......| 350 | 354 | 375 | 307 | 300 | 268 | 267 | 245 | 257
|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Rates (percent)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total 1/...........| 2.1 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.1
Total private 1/.| 2.1 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 3.4
Construction...| 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 6.4 | 6.1 | 5.9 | 5.4 | 5.7 | 5.2
Manufacturing..| 1.2 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 2.6
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities.....| 1.6 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 3.3 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 4.0 | 3.5
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 2.8 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 2.7 | 3.7 | 3.5
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.2
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality...| 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 5.7 | 6.2 | 5.9 | 5.8 | 5.5 | 5.6
Government.......| 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.2
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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, edged down to 1.6 percent in May. (See table 4.)
The quits rate fell in professional and business services and edged down
in manufacturing over the month. Quits as a percent of total separations
fell to 53.8 percent in May, after increasing each month since December
2003. The other two components of total separations, layoffs and discharges
(1.0 percent) and other separations (0.2 percent), are not seasonally ad-
justed and were unchanged over the year. (See tables 9 and 10.)
Hires and separations help show dynamic flows in the labor market. Over
the last 12 months, hires have averaged 4.2 million per month and separations
have averaged 4.0 million per month. (See the Technical Note for additional
information on these measures.) Hires have outpaced separations in each of
the last 13 months. In April and May, hires outpaced separations in every
industry except manufacturing.
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For More Information
For additional information, please see the Technical Note or the JOLTS
website at www.bls.gov/jlt/. Additional information about JOLTS also may
be obtained by e-mailing Joltsinfo@bls.gov or by calling (202) 691-5870.
The report on Job Openings and Labor Turnover for June 2004 is scheduled
to be released on Wednesday, August 11, 2004.
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Technical Note
The data for the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) are
collected and compiled monthly from a sample of business establishments
by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Collection
Each month, data are collected in a survey of business establishments
for total employment, job openings, hires, quits, layoffs and discharges,
and other separations. Data collection methods include computer-assisted
telephone interviewing, touchtone data entry, fax, and mail.
Coverage
The JOLTS program covers all private nonfarm establishments such as
factories, offices, and stores, as well as federal, state, and local
government entities in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Concepts
Industry classification. The industry classifications in this release
are in accordance with the 2002 version of the North American Industry
Classification System (NAICS). In order to ensure the highest possible
quality of data, State Employment Security Agencies verify with employers
and update, if necessary, the industry code, location, and ownership clas-
sification of all establishments on a 3-year cycle. Changes in establish-
ment characteristics resulting from the verification process are always
introduced into the JOLTS sampling frame with the data reported for the
first month of the year.
Employment. Employment includes persons on the payroll who worked or re-
ceived pay for the pay period that includes the 12th day of the reference
month. Full-time, part-time, permanent, short-term, seasonal, salaried,
and hourly employees are included, as are employees on paid vacations or
other paid leave. Proprietors or partners of unincorporated businesses,
unpaid family workers, or persons on leave without pay or on strike for
the entire pay period, are not counted as employed. Employees of tempo-
rary help agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors, and
consultants are counted by their employer of record, not by the establish-
ment where they are working.
Job openings. Establishments submit job openings information for the
last business day of the reference month. A job opening requires that:
1) a specific position exists and there is work available for that posi-
tion, 2) work could start within 30 days regardless of whether a suitable
candidate is found, and 3) the employer is actively recruiting from outside
the establishment to fill the position. Included are full-time, part-time,
permanent, short-term, and seasonal openings. Active recruiting means that
the establishment is taking steps to fill a position by advertising in news-
papers or on the Internet, posting help-wanted signs, accepting applications,
or using other similar methods.
Jobs to be filled only by internal transfers, promotions, demotions, or
recall from layoffs are excluded. Also excluded are jobs with start dates
more than 30 days in the future, jobs for which employees have been hired
but have not yet reported for work, and jobs to be filled by employees of
temporary help agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors,
or consultants. The job openings rate is computed by dividing the number
of job openings by the sum of employment and job openings and multiplying
that quotient by 100.
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Hires. Hires are the total number of additions to the payroll occurring
at any time during the reference month, including both new and rehired em-
ployees, full-time and part-time, permanent, short-term and seasonal em-
ployees, employees recalled to the location after a layoff lasting more
than 7 days, on-call or intermittent employees who returned to work after
having been formally separated, and transfers from other locations. The
hires count does not include transfers or promotions within the reporting
site, employees returning from strike, employees of temporary help agencies
or employee leasing companies, outside contractors, or consultants. The
hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by employment and
multiplying that quotient by 100.
Separations. Separations are the total number of terminations of
employment occurring at any time during the reference month, and are
reported by type of separation--quits, layoffs and discharges, and
other separations. Quits are voluntary separations by employees (ex-
cept for retirements, which are reported as other separations). Lay-
offs and discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the em-
ployer and include layoffs with no intent to rehire, formal layoffs
lasting or expected to last more than 7 days, discharges resulting
from mergers, downsizing, or closings, firings or other discharges
for cause, terminations of permanent or short-term employees, and
terminations of seasonal employees. Other separations include re-
tirements, transfers to other locations, deaths, and separations
due to disability. Separations do not include transfers within the
same location or employees on strike.
The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of separations
by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100. The quits, layoffs
and discharges, and other separations rates are computed similarly, divid-
ing the number by employment and multiplying by 100.
Sample methodology
The JOLTS sample design is a random sample of 16,000 nonfarm business
establishments, including factories, offices, and stores, as well as
federal, state, and local governments in the 50 states and the District
of Columbia. The establishments are drawn from a universe of over eight
million establishments compiled as part of the operations of the Quarterly
Census of Employment and Wages, or QCEW, program. This program includes
all employers subject to state Unemployment Insurance (UI) laws and federal
agencies subject to Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE).
The sampling frame is stratified by ownership, region, industry sector,
and size class. Large firms fall into the sample with virtual certainty.
JOLTS total employment estimates are controlled to the employment estimates
of the Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey. A ratio of CES to JOLTS
employment is used to adjust the levels for all other JOLTS data elements.
Rates are then computed from the adjusted levels.
- 6 -
Using JOLTS data
The JOLTS data series on job openings, hires, and separations are rel-
atively new. The full sample is divided into panels, with one panel
enrolled each month. A full complement of panels for the original data
series based on the 1987 Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system
was not completely enrolled in the survey until January 2002. The supple-
mental panels of establishments needed to create NAICS estimates were not
completely enrolled until May 2003. The data collected up until those
points are from less than a full sample. Therefore, estimates from earlier
months should be used with caution, as fewer sampled units were reporting
data at that time.
In March 2002, BLS procedures for collecting hires and separations data
were revised to address possible underreporting. As a result, JOLTS hires
and separations estimates for months prior to March 2002 may not be compar-
able with estimates for March 2002 and later.
The federal government reorganization that involved transferring approx-
imately 180,000 employees to the new Department of Homeland Security is not
reflected in the JOLTS hires and separations estimates for the federal gov-
ernment. The Office of Personnel Management's record shows these transfers
were completed in March 2003. The inclusion of transfers in the JOLTS defi-
nitions of hires and separations is intended to cover ongoing movements of
workers between establishments. The Department of Homeland Security reorgan-
ization was a massive one-time event, and the inclusion of these intergovern-
mental transfers would distort the federal government time series.
Seasonal adjustment
BLS seasonally adjusts several JOLTS series using the X-12-ARIMA
seasonal adjustment program. Seasonal adjustment is the process of
estimating and removing periodic fluctuations caused by events such
as weather, holidays, and the beginning and ending of the school year.
Seasonal adjustment makes it easier to observe fundamental changes in
the level of the series, particularly those associated with general
economic expansions and contractions. A concurrent seasonal adjust-
ment methodology is used in which new seasonal adjustment factors are
calculated each month, using all relevant data, up to and including
the data for the current month.
Data users should note that seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS series is
conducted with fewer data observations than is customary. The historical
data, therefore, may be subject to larger than normal revisions. Since the
seasonal patterns in economic data series typically emerge over time, the
standard use of moving averages as seasonal filters to capture these effects
requires longer series than are currently available. As a result, the stable
seasonal filter option is used in the seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS data.
When calculating seasonal factors, this filter takes an average for each cal-
endar month after detrending the series. The stable seasonal filter assumes
that the seasonal factors are fixed; a necessary assumption until sufficient
data are available. When the stable seasonal filter is no longer needed,
other program features also may be introduced, such as outlier adjustment
and extended diagnostic testing. Additionally, it is expected that more
series, such as layoffs and discharges and additional industries, may be
seasonally adjusted when more data are available.
- 7 -
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 May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May
2003 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p
Total(4)............................... 2,723 3,062 2,868 2,906 3,079 3,135 3,104 2.1 2.3 2.2 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.3
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 2,370 2,719 2,518 2,534 2,740 2,778 2,727 2.1 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.5 2.5 2.4
Construction......................... 90 110 106 99 113 105 98 1.3 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.6 1.5 1.4
Manufacturing........................ 180 234 233 226 232 251 231 1.2 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.6
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 422 520 430 458 524 531 522 1.6 2.0 1.7 1.8 2.0 2.0 2.0
Professional and business services... 461 594 501 491 502 518 521 2.8 3.5 3.0 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.1
Education and health services........ 563 520 549 551 559 576 556 3.3 3.0 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.2
Leisure and hospitality.............. 326 399 368 383 370 376 387 2.6 3.2 2.9 3.0 2.9 3.0 3.0
Government............................ 350 351 350 364 353 354 375 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.7
REGION
Northeast............................ 513 541 476 500 569 560 515 2.0 2.1 1.9 2.0 2.2 2.2 2.0
South................................ 1,026 1,204 1,132 1,112 1,176 1,191 1,195 2.2 2.6 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.5
Midwest.............................. 591 666 679 680 663 692 679 1.9 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.2 2.1
West................................. 607 649 586 632 655 694 734 2.1 2.2 2.0 2.2 2.2 2.4 2.5
1 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day of the month.
2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business day of the month as a percent of total employment plus
job openings.
3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of
Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas,
Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio,
South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah,
Washington, and Wyoming.
Table 2. Hires levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels(3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May
2003 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p
Total(4)............................... 3,958 4,216 4,106 4,103 4,603 4,398 4,173 3.0 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.5 3.4 3.2
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 3,652 3,923 3,800 3,772 4,256 4,090 3,907 3.4 3.6 3.5 3.5 3.9 3.7 3.6
Construction......................... 430 404 358 382 437 421 405 6.4 6.0 5.3 5.6 6.4 6.1 5.9
Manufacturing........................ 305 340 349 355 361 354 332 2.1 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 837 913 957 945 1,009 1,032 927 3.3 3.6 3.8 3.7 4.0 4.1 3.6
Professional and business services... 527 650 708 529 713 609 624 3.3 4.0 4.4 3.3 4.4 3.7 3.8
Education and health services........ 425 427 416 447 444 460 452 2.6 2.5 2.5 2.7 2.6 2.7 2.7
Leisure and hospitality.............. 686 753 715 766 810 766 725 5.7 6.2 5.9 6.3 6.6 6.2 5.9
Government............................ 307 300 295 323 343 300 268 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.4 1.2
REGION
Northeast............................ 675 792 722 689 744 810 695 2.7 3.2 2.9 2.8 3.0 3.2 2.8
South................................ 1,468 1,517 1,585 1,608 1,781 1,582 1,612 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.9 3.4 3.5
Midwest.............................. 881 897 921 953 1,040 991 941 2.9 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.4 3.2 3.0
West................................. 927 992 883 876 1,029 1,093 944 3.3 3.5 3.1 3.1 3.6 3.8 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 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.
Table 3. Total separations levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels(3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May
2003 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p
Total(4)............................... 3,736 4,022 3,968 4,073 4,134 4,088 4,003 2.9 3.1 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.1 3.1
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 3,456 3,723 3,716 3,807 3,868 3,843 3,745 3.2 3.4 3.4 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.4
Construction......................... 364 391 436 400 392 391 360 5.4 5.8 6.4 5.9 5.7 5.7 5.2
Manufacturing........................ 375 343 323 355 377 353 375 2.6 2.4 2.3 2.5 2.6 2.5 2.6
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 784 968 936 899 978 1,013 903 3.1 3.8 3.7 3.5 3.8 4.0 3.5
Professional and business services... 437 575 572 590 597 606 571 2.7 3.6 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.5
Education and health services........ 410 330 389 388 382 386 375 2.5 2.0 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.2
Leisure and hospitality.............. 700 723 709 727 715 679 697 5.8 5.9 5.8 5.9 5.8 5.5 5.6
Government............................ 267 269 258 268 284 245 257 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.1 1.2
REGION
Northeast............................ 697 687 712 688 666 716 644 2.8 2.8 2.9 2.8 2.7 2.9 2.6
South................................ 1,337 1,518 1,505 1,499 1,612 1,524 1,483 2.9 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.5 3.3 3.2
Midwest.............................. 848 901 903 929 938 877 837 2.8 2.9 2.9 3.0 3.0 2.8 2.7
West................................. 867 898 896 941 1,003 959 1,001 3.1 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.5 3.4 3.5
1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month.
2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.
Table 4. Quits levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels(3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May
2003 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p
Total(4)............................... 2,013 2,131 2,118 2,178 2,271 2,278 2,152 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.6
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 1,889 2,010 2,002 2,051 2,144 2,151 2,014 1.7 1.9 1.8 1.9 2.0 2.0 1.8
Construction......................... 134 171 148 133 154 149 139 2.0 2.5 2.2 2.0 2.3 2.2 2.0
Manufacturing........................ 149 178 165 169 176 189 167 1.0 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 475 534 530 493 530 563 520 1.9 2.1 2.1 1.9 2.1 2.2 2.0
Professional and business services... 240 256 261 302 309 323 257 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.9 1.9 2.0 1.6
Education and health services........ 228 212 237 234 252 245 220 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.3
Leisure and hospitality.............. 439 462 428 447 465 429 454 3.6 3.8 3.5 3.7 3.8 3.5 3.7
Government............................ 120 119 116 126 129 129 130 .6 .6 .5 .6 .6 .6 .6
REGION
Northeast............................ 311 315 288 319 314 390 312 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.6 1.2
South................................ 798 894 852 867 957 888 851 1.7 1.9 1.9 1.9 2.1 1.9 1.8
Midwest.............................. 459 465 513 455 474 479 473 1.5 1.5 1.7 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5
West................................. 426 436 475 520 565 524 518 1.5 1.5 1.7 1.8 2.0 1.8 1.8
1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month.
2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.
Table 5. Job openings levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 2,954 3,307 3,381 2.2 2.5 2.5
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 2,575 2,951 2,970 2.3 2.6 2.6
Natural resources and mining.................. 5 6 6 .9 1.0 1.0
Construction.................................. 118 137 126 1.7 2.0 1.8
Manufacturing................................. 198 254 259 1.3 1.7 1.8
Durable goods................................ 114 166 165 1.3 1.8 1.8
Nondurable goods............................. 84 88 95 1.5 1.6 1.7
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 435 553 541 1.7 2.1 2.1
Wholesale trade.............................. 75 118 120 1.3 2.0 2.1
Retail trade................................. 283 351 345 1.9 2.3 2.2
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 77 84 76 1.6 1.7 1.6
Information................................... 45 70 77 1.4 2.2 2.4
Financial activities.......................... 171 220 199 2.1 2.7 2.4
Finance and insurance........................ 138 177 154 2.3 2.9 2.5
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 33 43 45 1.6 2.1 2.1
Professional and business services............ 497 546 561 3.0 3.2 3.3
Education and health services................. 581 578 575 3.4 3.3 3.3
Educational services......................... 45 51 52 1.6 1.7 1.8
Health care and social assistance............ 536 527 523 3.7 3.6 3.6
Leisure and hospitality....................... 381 446 457 3.0 3.5 3.5
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 36 45 59 1.9 2.5 3.1
Accommodations and food services............. 344 401 398 3.2 3.7 3.6
Other services................................ 142 141 168 2.6 2.5 3.0
Government..................................... 379 355 411 1.7 1.6 1.8
Federal....................................... 41 46 42 1.5 1.6 1.5
State and local............................... 338 310 369 1.7 1.6 1.9
REGION
Northeast..................................... 580 585 572 2.3 2.3 2.2
South......................................... 1,102 1,249 1,289 2.3 2.6 2.7
Midwest....................................... 614 746 710 2.0 2.4 2.2
West.......................................... 657 727 810 2.3 2.5 2.7
1 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day of the month.
2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business day of the month as a
percent of total employment plus job openings.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.
Table 6. Hires levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 4,527 4,668 4,761 3.5 3.6 3.6
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 4,200 4,444 4,476 3.9 4.1 4.1
Natural resources and mining.................. 26 27 23 4.6 4.7 4.0
Construction.................................. 532 552 502 7.9 8.2 7.2
Manufacturing................................. 359 377 382 2.5 2.6 2.7
Durable goods................................ 225 227 232 2.5 2.5 2.6
Nondurable goods............................. 133 150 150 2.4 2.8 2.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 921 1,013 1,026 3.7 4.0 4.0
Wholesale trade.............................. 133 174 136 2.4 3.1 2.4
Retail trade................................. 689 708 728 4.6 4.8 4.9
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 99 130 163 2.1 2.7 3.4
Information................................... 70 66 64 2.2 2.1 2.0
Financial activities.......................... 192 190 218 2.4 2.4 2.7
Finance and insurance........................ 112 112 119 1.9 1.9 2.0
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 81 78 99 3.9 3.8 4.7
Professional and business services............ 582 695 692 3.7 4.3 4.2
Education and health services................. 410 401 439 2.5 2.4 2.6
Educational services......................... 40 37 37 1.5 1.3 1.3
Health care and social assistance............ 370 365 401 2.7 2.6 2.8
Leisure and hospitality....................... 914 930 956 7.4 7.6 7.6
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 191 167 148 10.2 9.5 7.9
Accommodations and food services............. 724 763 808 7.0 7.3 7.6
Other services................................ 192 192 174 3.6 3.5 3.2
Government..................................... 327 224 285 1.5 1.0 1.3
Federal....................................... 54 36 35 1.9 1.3 1.3
State and local............................... 273 188 250 1.4 1.0 1.3
REGION
Northeast..................................... 814 794 821 3.3 3.2 3.2
South......................................... 1,625 1,638 1,789 3.5 3.5 3.8
Midwest....................................... 1,067 1,115 1,122 3.5 3.6 3.6
West.......................................... 1,021 1,121 1,029 3.6 3.9 3.6
1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month.
2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.
Table 7. Total separations levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 3,689 3,759 3,870 2.8 2.9 2.9
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,402 3,578 3,595 3.1 3.3 3.3
Natural resources and mining.................. 16 18 19 2.9 3.1 3.2
Construction.................................. 322 322 305 4.8 4.8 4.4
Manufacturing................................. 347 339 357 2.4 2.4 2.5
Durable goods................................ 215 196 207 2.4 2.2 2.3
Nondurable goods............................. 132 143 150 2.4 2.6 2.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 804 886 878 3.2 3.5 3.5
Wholesale trade.............................. 134 135 149 2.4 2.4 2.6
Retail trade................................. 566 629 605 3.8 4.2 4.0
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 104 122 124 2.2 2.6 2.6
Information................................... 63 85 57 2.0 2.7 1.8
Financial activities.......................... 144 146 155 1.8 1.8 1.9
Finance and insurance........................ 91 86 96 1.5 1.5 1.6
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 53 60 59 2.6 2.9 2.8
Professional and business services............ 469 606 598 2.9 3.7 3.6
Education and health services................. 424 355 384 2.5 2.1 2.3
Educational services......................... 68 30 56 2.5 1.0 2.0
Health care and social assistance............ 356 325 328 2.6 2.3 2.3
Leisure and hospitality....................... 675 678 659 5.5 5.5 5.2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 80 118 71 4.3 6.7 3.8
Accommodations and food services............. 596 560 588 5.7 5.3 5.5
Other services................................ 138 144 183 2.6 2.7 3.4
Government..................................... 287 181 276 1.3 .8 1.3
Federal....................................... 32 26 29 1.2 .9 1.1
State and local............................... 255 156 247 1.3 .8 1.3
REGION
Northeast..................................... 634 624 569 2.5 2.5 2.3
South......................................... 1,388 1,456 1,517 3.0 3.1 3.3
Midwest....................................... 848 776 824 2.7 2.5 2.6
West.......................................... 820 903 960 2.9 3.2 3.3
1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month.
2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of
total employment.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.
Table 8. Quits levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 2,098 2,184 2,233 1.6 1.7 1.7
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 1,962 2,085 2,085 1.8 1.9 1.9
Natural resources and mining.................. 7 10 8 1.2 1.7 1.4
Construction.................................. 137 151 140 2.0 2.2 2.0
Manufacturing................................. 158 191 176 1.1 1.3 1.2
Durable goods................................ 95 116 108 1.1 1.3 1.2
Nondurable goods............................. 63 75 68 1.1 1.4 1.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 501 543 531 2.0 2.2 2.1
Wholesale trade.............................. 68 65 92 1.2 1.1 1.6
Retail trade................................. 377 422 384 2.5 2.8 2.6
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 56 56 55 1.2 1.2 1.1
Information................................... 37 51 32 1.2 1.6 1.0
Financial activities.......................... 80 95 110 1.0 1.2 1.4
Finance and insurance........................ 53 57 66 .9 1.0 1.1
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 27 38 44 1.3 1.9 2.1
Professional and business services............ 262 305 266 1.6 1.9 1.6
Education and health services................. 244 231 231 1.5 1.4 1.4
Educational services......................... 30 16 24 1.1 .6 .9
Health care and social assistance............ 215 214 207 1.5 1.5 1.5
Leisure and hospitality....................... 452 413 473 3.7 3.4 3.8
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 39 44 35 2.1 2.5 1.9
Accommodations and food services............. 413 369 438 4.0 3.5 4.1
Other services................................ 84 96 116 1.6 1.8 2.1
Government..................................... 136 98 149 .6 .4 .7
Federal....................................... 16 12 13 .6 .4 .5
State and local............................... 120 86 136 .6 .4 .7
REGION
Northeast..................................... 319 339 313 1.3 1.3 1.2
South......................................... 837 888 881 1.8 1.9 1.9
Midwest....................................... 488 450 500 1.6 1.5 1.6
West.......................................... 454 507 540 1.6 1.8 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.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.
Table 9. Layoffs and discharges levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 1,308 1,328 1,323 1.0 1.0 1.0
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 1,212 1,280 1,250 1.1 1.2 1.1
Natural resources and mining.................. 6 5 7 1.1 .9 1.3
Construction.................................. 179 155 156 2.6 2.3 2.2
Manufacturing................................. 158 122 146 1.1 .9 1.0
Durable goods................................ 100 61 75 1.1 .7 .8
Nondurable goods............................. 58 61 71 1.0 1.1 1.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 240 287 287 1.0 1.1 1.1
Wholesale trade.............................. 51 61 51 .9 1.1 .9
Retail trade................................. 151 176 178 1.0 1.2 1.2
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 38 50 58 .8 1.1 1.2
Information................................... 23 25 22 .7 .8 .7
Financial activities.......................... 43 30 32 .5 .4 .4
Finance and insurance........................ 24 14 21 .4 .2 .3
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 19 16 12 .9 .8 .6
Professional and business services............ 176 270 281 1.1 1.7 1.7
Education and health services................. 150 103 117 .9 .6 .7
Educational services......................... 34 10 27 1.2 .3 1.0
Health care and social assistance............ 116 93 89 .8 .7 .6
Leisure and hospitality....................... 199 238 155 1.6 1.9 1.2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 39 72 34 2.1 4.1 1.8
Accommodations and food services............. 160 166 121 1.5 1.6 1.1
Other services................................ 39 44 49 .7 .8 .9
Government..................................... 96 47 72 .4 .2 .3
Federal....................................... 6 6 6 .2 .2 .2
State and local............................... 90 42 67 .5 .2 .3
REGION
Northeast..................................... 252 238 187 1.0 .9 .7
South......................................... 456 473 539 1.0 1.0 1.2
Midwest....................................... 303 272 266 1.0 .9 .9
West.......................................... 296 345 331 1.0 1.2 1.1
1 Layoffs and discharges are the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire month.
2 The layoffs and discharges rate is the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire month as a
percent of total employment.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.
Table 10. Other separations levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 284 248 314 0.2 0.2 0.2
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 229 213 260 .2 .2 .2
Natural resources and mining.................. 3 3 3 .6 .5 .5
Construction.................................. 6 16 10 .1 .2 .1
Manufacturing................................. 31 26 35 .2 .2 .2
Durable goods................................ 19 19 24 .2 .2 .3
Nondurable goods............................. 12 7 11 .2 .1 .2
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 62 56 60 .2 .2 .2
Wholesale trade.............................. 14 10 7 .3 .2 .1
Retail trade................................. 38 30 43 .3 .2 .3
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 10 16 11 .2 .3 .2
Information................................... 2 9 4 .1 .3 .1
Financial activities.......................... 22 21 12 .3 .3 .1
Finance and insurance........................ 15 15 9 .2 .2 .1
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 7 6 3 .3 .3 .1
Professional and business services............ 31 32 50 .2 .2 .3
Education and health services................. 30 21 36 .2 .1 .2
Educational services......................... 5 4 5 .2 .1 .2
Health care and social assistance............ 25 17 32 .2 .1 .2
Leisure and hospitality....................... 25 26 30 .2 .2 .2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 2 1 2 .1 .1 .1
Accommodations and food services............. 23 25 29 .2 .2 .3
Other services................................ 15 4 19 .3 .1 .3
Government..................................... 55 36 54 .3 .2 .2
Federal....................................... 9 8 10 .3 .3 .4
State and local............................... 46 28 45 .2 .1 .2
REGION
Northeast..................................... 62 47 70 .2 .2 .3
South......................................... 95 96 96 .2 .2 .2
Midwest....................................... 57 54 58 .2 .2 .2
West.......................................... 69 51 90 .2 .2 .3
1 Other separations are the number of other separations during the entire month.
2 The other separations rate is the number of other separations during the entire month as a percent of
total employment.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.