Full text of May 2005 : Text File, USDL-05-1290
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Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 05-1290
http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact: 691-5902 Tuesday, July 12, 2005
JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: MAY 2005
The job openings, hires, and total separations rates were all essentially
unchanged in May, 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 in-
dustry and geographic region.
Job Openings
On the last business day of May 2005, there were 3.5 million job
openings in the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.5 percent.
(See table 1.) The job openings rate was little changed in May, but has
generally trended upward since September 2003. In May, the job openings
rate decreased in the manufacturing industry and in the Northeast region.
Hires and Separations
The hires rate was little changed at 3.5 percent in May. (See table 2.)
Hires are any additions to the payroll during the month. In May, the hires
rate did not change significantly in any industry, but increased in the
South and Midwest regions.
The total separations, or turnover, rate was little changed at 3.3 per-
cent in May. (See table 3.) Separations are terminations of employment
that occur at any time during the month. In May, the total separations
rate did not change significantly in any industry, but decreased in the
Northeast region.
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, remained at 1.9 percent in May. (See table 4.)
The quits rate did not change significantly in any industry in May, but
decreased in the Northeast region. The other two components of total
separations--layoffs and discharges, and other separations--are not
seasonally adjusted. From May 2004 to May 2005, the layoffs and dis-
charges rate (1.1 percent) and the other separations rate (0.2 percent)
were unchanged. (See tables 9 and 10.)
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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
| 2004 | 2005 | 2005p| 2004 | 2005 | 2005p| 2004 | 2005 | 2005p
-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Levels (in thousands)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........|3,181 |3,576 |3,465 |4,339 |4,538 |4,708 |4,254 |4,562 |4,425
Total private(1).|2,819 |3,178 |3,090 |4,057 |4,212 |4,366 |3,986 |4,306 |4,180
Construction...| 114 | 113 | 111 | 369 | 412 | 422 | 388 | 421 | 392
Manufacturing..| 241 | 259 | 236 | 347 | 319 | 345 | 370 | 369 | 357
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities.....| 549 | 627 | 622 | 954 |1,042 |1,036 | 976 |1,018 | 946
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 582 | 691 | 645 | 691 | 792 | 834 | 648 | 869 | 824
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 540 | 608 | 604 | 445 | 487 | 460 | 390 | 433 | 413
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality...| 394 | 457 | 465 | 790 | 742 | 750 | 736 | 709 | 746
Government.......| 359 | 396 | 374 | 276 | 329 | 338 | 274 | 256 | 251
|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Rates (percent)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........| 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 3.3
Total private(1).| 2.5 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 3.7
Construction...| 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 5.3 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 5.6 | 5.8 | 5.4
Manufacturing..| 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.5
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities.....| 2.1 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 3.7 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.7
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 3.4 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 5.2 | 4.9
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.4
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality...| 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 6.3 | 5.8 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.6 | 5.9
Government.......| 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.2
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and
other services, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
Hires and separations data help show dynamic flows in the labor market.
Over the last 12 months, hires have averaged 4.6 million per month and sepa-
rations have averaged 4.3 million per month. The comparable figures a year
earlier were 4.3 million hires and 4.1 million separations. (See the Tech-
nical Note for additional information on these measures.)
For More Information
For additional information, please see the Technical Note or the JOLTS
Web site 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 Job Openings and Labor Turnover release for June 2005 is scheduled
to be issued on Wednesday, August 10, 2005.
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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.
- 4 -
Hires. Hires are the total number of additions to the payroll occurring
at any time during the reference month, including both new and rehired em-
ployees, full-time and part-time, permanent, short-term and seasonal em-
ployees, employees recalled to the location after a layoff lasting more
than 7 days, on-call or intermittent employees who returned to work after
having been formally separated, and transfers from other locations. The
hires count does not include transfers or promotions within the reporting
site, employees returning from strike, employees of temporary help agencies
or employee leasing companies, outside contractors, or consultants. The
hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by employment and
multiplying that quotient by 100.
Separations. Separations are the total number of terminations of
employment occurring at any time during the reference month, and are
reported by type of separation--quits, layoffs and discharges, and
other separations. Quits are voluntary separations by employees (ex-
cept for retirements, which are reported as other separations). Lay-
offs and discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the em-
ployer and include layoffs with no intent to rehire, formal layoffs
lasting or expected to last more than 7 days, discharges resulting
from mergers, downsizing, or closings, firings or other discharges
for cause, terminations of permanent or short-term employees, and
terminations of seasonal employees. Other separations include re-
tirements, transfers to other locations, deaths, and separations
due to disability. Separations do not include transfers within the
same location or employees on strike.
The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of separations
by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100. The quits, layoffs
and discharges, and other separations rates are computed similarly, divid-
ing the number by employment and multiplying by 100.
Sample methodology
The JOLTS sample design is a random sample of 16,000 nonfarm business
establishments, including factories, offices, and stores, as well as
federal, state, and local governments in the 50 states and the District
of Columbia. The establishments are drawn from a universe of over eight
million establishments compiled as part of the operations of the Quarterly
Census of Employment and Wages, or QCEW, program. This program includes
all employers subject to state Unemployment Insurance (UI) laws and federal
agencies subject to Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE).
The sampling frame is stratified by ownership, region, industry sector,
and size class. Large firms fall into the sample with virtual certainty.
JOLTS total employment estimates are controlled to the employment estimates
of the Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey. A ratio of CES to JOLTS
employment is used to adjust the levels for all other JOLTS data elements.
Rates are then computed from the adjusted levels.
- 5 -
Using JOLTS data
The JOLTS data series on job openings, hires, and separations are rel-
atively new. The full sample is divided into panels, with one panel
enrolled each month. A full complement of panels for the original data
series based on the 1987 Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system
was not completely enrolled in the survey until January 2002. The supple-
mental panels of establishments needed to create NAICS estimates were not
completely enrolled until May 2003. The data collected up until those
points are from less than a full sample. Therefore, estimates from earlier
months should be used with caution, as fewer sampled units were reporting
data at that time.
In March 2002, BLS procedures for collecting hires and separations data
were revised to address possible underreporting. As a result, JOLTS hires
and separations estimates for months prior to March 2002 may not be compar-
able with estimates for March 2002 and later.
The federal government reorganization that involved transferring approx-
imately 180,000 employees to the new Department of Homeland Security is not
reflected in the JOLTS hires and separations estimates for the federal gov-
ernment. The Office of Personnel Management's record shows these transfers
were completed in March 2003. The inclusion of transfers in the JOLTS defi-
nitions of hires and separations is intended to cover ongoing movements of
workers between establishments. The Department of Homeland Security reorgan-
ization was a massive one-time event, and the inclusion of these intergovern-
mental transfers would distort the federal government time series.
Seasonal adjustment
BLS seasonally adjusts several JOLTS series using the X-12-ARIMA
seasonal adjustment program. Seasonal adjustment is the process of
estimating and removing periodic fluctuations caused by events such
as weather, holidays, and the beginning and ending of the school year.
Seasonal adjustment makes it easier to observe fundamental changes in
the level of the series, particularly those associated with general
economic expansions and contractions. A concurrent seasonal adjust-
ment methodology is used in which new seasonal adjustment factors are
calculated each month, using all relevant data, up to and including
the data for the current month.
Data users should note that seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS series is
conducted with fewer data observations than is customary. The historical
data, therefore, may be subject to larger than normal revisions. Since the
seasonal patterns in economic data series typically emerge over time, the
standard use of moving averages as seasonal filters to capture these effects
requires longer series than are currently available. As a result, the stable
seasonal filter option is used in the seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS data.
When calculating seasonal factors, this filter takes an average for each cal-
endar month after detrending the series. The stable seasonal filter assumes
that the seasonal factors are fixed; a necessary assumption until sufficient
data are available. When the stable seasonal filter is no longer needed,
other program features also may be introduced, such as outlier adjustment
and extended diagnostic testing. Additionally, it is expected that more
series, such as layoffs and discharges and additional industries, may be
seasonally adjusted when more data are available.
- 6 -
Reliability of the estimates
JOLTS estimates are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error.
When a sample rather than the entire population is surveyed, there is a
chance that the sample estimates may differ from the "true" population
values they represent. The exact difference, or sampling error, varies
depending on the particular sample selected, and this variability is
measured by the standard error of the estimate. BLS analysis is generally
conducted at the 90-percent level of confidence. That means that there is
a 90-percent chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate based on a
sample will differ by no more than 1.6 standard errors from the "true"
population value because of sampling error. Estimates of sampling errors
are available upon request.
The JOLTS estimates also are affected by nonsampling error. Nonsampling
error can occur for many reasons, including the failure to include a seg-
ment of the population, the inability to obtain data from all units in the
sample, the inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide data on a
timely basis, mistakes made by respondents, errors made in the collection
or processing of the data, and errors from the employment benchmark data
used in estimation.
JOLTS hires and separations estimates cannot be used to exactly ex-
plain net changes in nonfarm payroll employment. Some reasons why it is
problematic to compare changes in payroll employment with JOLTS hires and
separations, especially on a monthly basis, are: 1) the reference period
for payroll employment is the pay period including the 12th of the month,
while the reference period for hires and separations is the calendar month;
and 2) payroll employment can vary from month to month simply because part-
time and on-call workers may not always work during the pay period that in-
cludes the 12th of the month. Additionally, research has found that some
reporters systematically underreport separations relative to hires due to a
number of factors, including the nature of their payroll systems and prac-
tices. The shortfall appears to be about 2 percent or less over a 12-month
period.
Other information
Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired
individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; TDD message referral
phone: 1-800-877-8339.
Table 1. Job openings levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels(3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May
2004 2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p 2004 2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p
Total(4)............................... 3,181 3,507 3,385 3,569 3,598 3,576 3,465 2.4 2.6 2.5 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.5
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 2,819 3,106 3,020 3,160 3,212 3,178 3,090 2.5 2.7 2.7 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.7
Construction......................... 114 132 127 133 170 113 111 1.6 1.8 1.8 1.8 2.3 1.5 1.5
Manufacturing........................ 241 266 252 252 258 259 236 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.8 1.8 1.6
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 549 561 564 668 624 627 622 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.5 2.4 2.4 2.4
Professional and business services... 582 699 682 607 646 691 645 3.4 4.0 3.9 3.5 3.7 3.9 3.7
Education and health services........ 540 557 560 602 616 608 604 3.1 3.1 3.2 3.4 3.5 3.4 3.4
Leisure and hospitality.............. 394 450 434 447 440 457 465 3.1 3.4 3.3 3.4 3.4 3.5 3.5
Government............................ 359 396 346 404 383 396 374 1.6 1.8 1.6 1.8 1.7 1.8 1.7
REGION
Northeast............................ 546 620 602 606 615 602 548 2.1 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.1
South................................ 1,224 1,329 1,342 1,399 1,447 1,414 1,335 2.6 2.8 2.8 2.9 3.0 2.9 2.7
Midwest.............................. 698 740 716 745 737 742 798 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.5
West................................. 720 792 718 823 806 818 801 2.5 2.7 2.4 2.8 2.7 2.7 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.
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
2004 2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p 2004 2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p
Total(4)............................... 4,339 4,639 4,709 4,760 4,841 4,538 4,708 3.3 3.5 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.4 3.5
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 4,057 4,337 4,374 4,430 4,497 4,212 4,366 3.7 3.9 3.9 4.0 4.0 3.8 3.9
Construction......................... 369 368 339 430 414 412 422 5.3 5.2 4.8 6.0 5.8 5.7 5.8
Manufacturing........................ 347 324 307 336 334 319 345 2.4 2.3 2.1 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 954 986 1,056 1,055 1,047 1,042 1,036 3.7 3.8 4.1 4.1 4.1 4.0 4.0
Professional and business services... 691 878 882 853 895 792 834 4.2 5.3 5.3 5.1 5.3 4.7 5.0
Education and health services........ 445 452 445 500 472 487 460 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.9 2.7 2.8 2.7
Leisure and hospitality.............. 790 834 826 771 798 742 750 6.3 6.6 6.6 6.1 6.3 5.8 5.9
Government............................ 276 307 341 329 336 329 338 1.3 1.4 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.6
REGION
Northeast............................ 769 858 762 820 856 825 768 3.1 3.4 3.0 3.2 3.4 3.3 3.0
South................................ 1,645 1,770 1,880 1,867 1,922 1,701 1,834 3.5 3.8 4.0 4.0 4.1 3.6 3.9
Midwest.............................. 982 1,043 1,092 1,081 1,034 1,020 1,113 3.2 3.3 3.5 3.5 3.3 3.3 3.5
West................................. 957 970 959 1,069 1,036 1,037 1,005 3.3 3.4 3.3 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.4
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
2004 2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p 2004 2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p
Total(4)............................... 4,254 4,435 4,352 4,295 4,502 4,562 4,425 3.2 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.4 3.4 3.3
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 3,986 4,146 4,091 4,035 4,237 4,306 4,180 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.8 3.9 3.7
Construction......................... 388 355 417 403 303 421 392 5.6 5.0 5.9 5.7 4.2 5.8 5.4
Manufacturing........................ 370 353 361 341 360 369 357 2.6 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 976 1,062 882 940 980 1,018 946 3.8 4.1 3.4 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.7
Professional and business services... 648 833 836 772 924 869 824 4.0 5.0 5.0 4.6 5.5 5.2 4.9
Education and health services........ 390 375 356 389 445 433 413 2.3 2.2 2.1 2.3 2.6 2.5 2.4
Leisure and hospitality.............. 736 758 832 790 743 709 746 5.9 6.0 6.6 6.3 5.9 5.6 5.9
Government............................ 274 274 258 260 267 256 251 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2
REGION
Northeast............................ 753 773 773 732 802 807 685 3.0 3.0 3.1 2.9 3.2 3.2 2.7
South................................ 1,594 1,707 1,747 1,647 1,763 1,766 1,728 3.4 3.6 3.7 3.5 3.7 3.7 3.6
Midwest.............................. 881 986 981 937 1,051 982 976 2.8 3.1 3.1 3.0 3.4 3.1 3.1
West................................. 1,026 953 964 961 926 1,006 984 3.6 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.4 3.4
1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month.
2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
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
2004 2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p 2004 2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p
Total(4)............................... 2,276 2,495 2,530 2,307 2,516 2,520 2,493 1.7 1.9 1.9 1.7 1.9 1.9 1.9
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 2,148 2,366 2,412 2,192 2,383 2,395 2,370 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.1
Construction......................... 142 162 171 139 150 146 151 2.0 2.3 2.4 2.0 2.1 2.0 2.1
Manufacturing........................ 170 194 185 181 186 178 168 1.2 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 533 570 563 512 583 577 589 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.0 2.3 2.2 2.3
Professional and business services... 311 415 417 410 424 417 413 1.9 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.5
Education and health services........ 229 232 230 259 280 272 260 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.5
Leisure and hospitality.............. 480 506 516 474 458 506 494 3.8 4.0 4.1 3.8 3.6 4.0 3.9
Government............................ 128 129 124 117 124 125 122 .6 .6 .6 .5 .6 .6 .6
REGION
Northeast............................ 331 392 424 340 410 446 364 1.3 1.5 1.7 1.3 1.6 1.8 1.4
South................................ 896 1,021 1,053 914 1,003 992 1,024 1.9 2.2 2.2 1.9 2.1 2.1 2.2
Midwest.............................. 502 544 539 509 561 540 556 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.8 1.7 1.8
West................................. 545 536 530 550 562 573 544 1.9 1.9 1.8 1.9 1.9 2.0 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 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
2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p
Total........................................... 3,456 3,711 3,761 2.6 2.7 2.7
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,059 3,323 3,349 2.7 2.9 2.9
Natural resources and mining.................. 5 9 13 .9 1.4 2.0
Construction.................................. 151 141 143 2.1 2.0 1.9
Manufacturing................................. 272 266 265 1.9 1.8 1.8
Durable goods................................ 168 178 176 1.8 1.9 1.9
Nondurable goods............................. 104 88 89 1.9 1.6 1.6
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 577 631 654 2.2 2.4 2.5
Wholesale trade.............................. 111 126 137 1.9 2.2 2.3
Retail trade................................. 379 413 381 2.5 2.7 2.5
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 87 92 135 1.8 1.8 2.7
Information................................... 83 78 79 2.6 2.4 2.4
Financial activities.......................... 199 226 224 2.4 2.7 2.7
Finance and insurance........................ 163 175 168 2.7 2.8 2.7
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 36 51 57 1.7 2.4 2.6
Professional and business services............ 627 707 683 3.7 4.0 3.9
Education and health services................. 559 604 630 3.2 3.3 3.5
Educational services......................... 47 62 72 1.6 2.0 2.4
Health care and social assistance............ 513 542 558 3.5 3.6 3.7
Leisure and hospitality....................... 449 543 533 3.4 4.1 4.0
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 64 67 53 3.3 3.6 2.7
Accommodations and food services............. 385 476 481 3.4 4.2 4.2
Other services................................ 137 118 125 2.4 2.1 2.2
Government..................................... 397 388 412 1.8 1.7 1.8
Federal....................................... 49 58 62 1.8 2.1 2.2
State and local............................... 348 330 350 1.8 1.7 1.8
REGION
Northeast..................................... 619 632 607 2.4 2.4 2.3
South......................................... 1,305 1,465 1,418 2.7 3.0 2.9
Midwest....................................... 730 774 843 2.3 2.4 2.6
West.......................................... 802 840 893 2.7 2.8 2.9
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
2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p
Total........................................... 4,935 4,774 5,354 3.7 3.6 4.0
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 4,653 4,535 5,007 4.2 4.1 4.5
Natural resources and mining.................. 22 28 25 3.7 4.6 4.1
Construction.................................. 461 541 541 6.6 7.6 7.4
Manufacturing................................. 391 326 398 2.7 2.3 2.8
Durable goods................................ 243 193 248 2.7 2.2 2.8
Nondurable goods............................. 148 132 149 2.7 2.5 2.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 1,044 1,031 1,131 4.1 4.0 4.4
Wholesale trade.............................. 147 167 165 2.6 2.9 2.9
Retail trade................................. 746 709 792 5.0 4.7 5.2
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 151 155 174 3.1 3.2 3.5
Information................................... 80 80 82 2.6 2.6 2.6
Financial activities.......................... 235 174 268 2.9 2.1 3.3
Finance and insurance........................ 118 117 166 2.0 1.9 2.7
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 117 57 102 5.6 2.7 4.8
Professional and business services............ 735 895 892 4.5 5.3 5.3
Education and health services................. 432 431 447 2.5 2.5 2.6
Educational services......................... 41 45 45 1.5 1.5 1.6
Health care and social assistance............ 391 386 403 2.8 2.7 2.8
Leisure and hospitality....................... 1,054 853 992 8.3 6.7 7.7
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 193 145 160 10.1 8.1 8.5
Accommodations and food services............. 862 709 832 8.0 6.5 7.5
Other services................................ 197 176 230 3.6 3.2 4.2
Government..................................... 282 239 347 1.3 1.1 1.6
Federal....................................... 45 34 44 1.6 1.3 1.6
State and local............................... 238 205 304 1.2 1.1 1.6
REGION
Northeast..................................... 905 803 891 3.6 3.2 3.5
South......................................... 1,839 1,749 2,052 3.9 3.7 4.3
Midwest....................................... 1,153 1,146 1,326 3.7 3.7 4.2
West.......................................... 1,038 1,075 1,085 3.6 3.7 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.
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
2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p
Total........................................... 4,222 4,231 4,368 3.2 3.2 3.3
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,931 4,039 4,104 3.6 3.6 3.7
Natural resources and mining.................. 19 15 18 3.2 2.5 2.9
Construction.................................. 344 355 348 4.9 5.0 4.8
Manufacturing................................. 351 366 337 2.4 2.6 2.4
Durable goods................................ 202 242 226 2.3 2.7 2.5
Nondurable goods............................. 150 124 111 2.8 2.3 2.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 1,001 891 966 3.9 3.5 3.7
Wholesale trade.............................. 183 135 158 3.2 2.4 2.8
Retail trade................................. 645 631 656 4.3 4.2 4.3
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 172 125 152 3.6 2.6 3.1
Information................................... 71 80 72 2.3 2.5 2.3
Financial activities.......................... 184 159 190 2.3 2.0 2.3
Finance and insurance........................ 110 99 101 1.8 1.6 1.7
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 74 61 89 3.5 2.9 4.2
Professional and business services............ 655 890 816 4.0 5.3 4.8
Education and health services................. 404 394 430 2.4 2.3 2.5
Educational services......................... 59 38 58 2.1 1.3 2.0
Health care and social assistance............ 345 356 371 2.4 2.5 2.6
Leisure and hospitality....................... 713 692 720 5.6 5.5 5.6
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 81 88 85 4.2 4.9 4.5
Accommodations and food services............. 632 604 635 5.9 5.6 5.8
Other services................................ 189 196 207 3.5 3.6 3.8
Government..................................... 291 192 264 1.3 .9 1.2
Federal....................................... 35 28 26 1.3 1.0 .9
State and local............................... 256 164 238 1.3 .8 1.2
REGION
Northeast..................................... 673 723 607 2.7 2.8 2.4
South......................................... 1,673 1,694 1,823 3.6 3.6 3.8
Midwest....................................... 860 870 950 2.8 2.8 3.0
West.......................................... 1,016 944 988 3.5 3.2 3.4
1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month.
2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of
total employment.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.
Table 8. Quits levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May
2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p
Total........................................... 2,396 2,420 2,625 1.8 1.8 2.0
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 2,251 2,321 2,486 2.0 2.1 2.2
Natural resources and mining.................. 7 9 12 1.1 1.4 1.9
Construction.................................. 143 148 152 2.0 2.1 2.1
Manufacturing................................. 179 183 176 1.2 1.3 1.2
Durable goods................................ 112 112 108 1.3 1.3 1.2
Nondurable goods............................. 67 71 67 1.2 1.3 1.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 551 545 616 2.2 2.1 2.4
Wholesale trade.............................. 101 71 71 1.8 1.2 1.2
Retail trade................................. 392 419 478 2.6 2.8 3.2
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 58 55 67 1.2 1.1 1.3
Information................................... 33 51 50 1.1 1.6 1.6
Financial activities.......................... 139 89 125 1.7 1.1 1.5
Finance and insurance........................ 78 55 65 1.3 .9 1.1
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 62 34 59 2.9 1.6 2.8
Professional and business services............ 315 399 412 1.9 2.4 2.4
Education and health services................. 243 254 276 1.4 1.5 1.6
Educational services......................... 27 21 31 1.0 .7 1.1
Health care and social assistance............ 216 234 245 1.5 1.6 1.7
Leisure and hospitality....................... 514 493 529 4.0 3.9 4.1
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 37 44 49 2.0 2.5 2.6
Accommodations and food services............. 476 449 480 4.4 4.1 4.4
Other services................................ 126 150 139 2.3 2.7 2.5
Government..................................... 145 99 139 .7 .4 .6
Federal....................................... 15 11 11 .5 .4 .4
State and local............................... 130 89 128 .7 .5 .7
REGION
Northeast..................................... 345 399 367 1.4 1.6 1.4
South......................................... 946 978 1,098 2.0 2.1 2.3
Midwest....................................... 533 503 592 1.7 1.6 1.9
West.......................................... 572 540 567 2.0 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
2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p
Total........................................... 1,509 1,549 1,451 1.1 1.2 1.1
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 1,420 1,495 1,376 1.3 1.3 1.2
Natural resources and mining.................. 8 5 4 1.4 .7 .6
Construction.................................. 190 194 180 2.7 2.7 2.5
Manufacturing................................. 136 150 133 .9 1.1 .9
Durable goods................................ 65 105 95 .7 1.2 1.1
Nondurable goods............................. 71 45 38 1.3 .9 .7
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 382 292 299 1.5 1.1 1.2
Wholesale trade.............................. 76 61 80 1.3 1.1 1.4
Retail trade................................. 206 182 150 1.4 1.2 1.0
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 99 49 70 2.1 1.0 1.4
Information................................... 33 19 19 1.1 .6 .6
Financial activities.......................... 30 51 54 .4 .6 .7
Finance and insurance........................ 21 28 26 .4 .5 .4
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 9 23 28 .4 1.1 1.3
Professional and business services............ 296 446 341 1.8 2.6 2.0
Education and health services................. 131 118 129 .8 .7 .7
Educational services......................... 28 13 25 1.0 .4 .9
Health care and social assistance............ 103 105 104 .7 .7 .7
Leisure and hospitality....................... 169 179 163 1.3 1.4 1.3
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 39 42 35 2.0 2.4 1.9
Accommodations and food services............. 130 137 128 1.2 1.3 1.2
Other services................................ 44 42 55 .8 .8 1.0
Government..................................... 89 54 75 .4 .2 .3
Federal....................................... 6 7 8 .2 .3 .3
State and local............................... 83 47 67 .4 .2 .3
REGION
Northeast..................................... 249 265 188 1.0 1.0 .7
South......................................... 632 624 636 1.4 1.3 1.3
Midwest....................................... 264 307 296 .8 1.0 .9
West.......................................... 364 353 331 1.3 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
2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p
Total........................................... 317 263 292 0.2 0.2 0.2
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 260 224 242 .2 .2 .2
Natural resources and mining.................. 4 2 3 .7 .4 .4
Construction.................................. 10 14 17 .1 .2 .2
Manufacturing................................. 36 33 29 .3 .2 .2
Durable goods................................ 25 25 23 .3 .3 .3
Nondurable goods............................. 11 8 6 .2 .2 .1
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 68 54 51 .3 .2 .2
Wholesale trade.............................. 7 3 7 .1 .1 .1
Retail trade................................. 47 30 28 .3 .2 .2
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 15 21 16 .3 .4 .3
Information................................... 4 9 4 .1 .3 .1
Financial activities.......................... 14 19 11 .2 .2 .1
Finance and insurance........................ 11 16 9 .2 .3 .1
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 3 3 2 .2 .1 .1
Professional and business services............ 44 46 63 .3 .3 .4
Education and health services................. 29 22 25 .2 .1 .1
Educational services......................... 4 5 2 .1 .2 .1
Health care and social assistance............ 25 17 23 .2 .1 .2
Leisure and hospitality....................... 30 20 28 .2 .2 .2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 4 2 1 .2 .1 .1
Accommodations and food services............. 26 18 26 .2 .2 .2
Other services................................ 19 4 13 .4 .1 .2
Government..................................... 57 39 50 .3 .2 .2
Federal....................................... 14 10 7 .5 .4 .3
State and local............................... 43 29 43 .2 .1 .2
REGION
Northeast..................................... 79 60 52 .3 .2 .2
South......................................... 95 92 89 .2 .2 .2
Midwest....................................... 62 61 62 .2 .2 .2
West.......................................... 80 51 90 .3 .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.