Full text of May 2006 : Text File, USDL-06-1200
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Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 06-1200
http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact: 691-5902 Tuesday, July 11, 2006
JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: MAY 2006
The hires rate increased, while the job openings and total separations
rates were essentially unchanged in May, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of
the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This release includes esti-
mates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for
the total nonfarm sector by industry and geographic region.
Job Openings
On the last business day of May 2006, there were 4.0 million job
openings in the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.9 percent.
The job openings rate was unchanged over the month and has been essen-
tially unchanged since November 2005. There were no significant over-the-
month changes in the job openings rate in any industry or region. The in-
dustries with the highest seasonally adjusted job openings rates in May 2006
were professional and business services, and leisure and hospitality (3.8 per-
cent each), and education and health services (3.5 percent). (See table 1.)
Over the year, the job openings rate increased in several industries and
in three of the four regions--the Northeast, South, and West. None of the
industries or regions experienced a significant decrease in the job openings
rate from the prior year. (See table 5.)
Hires
The hires rate increased to 3.7 percent in May, offsetting declines in
the previous 2 months. Hires are any additions to the payroll during the
month. In May, the hires rate increased in manufacturing, professional and
business services, and in the Midwest region. There were no significant
declines in the hires rate in any industry or region. The seasonally ad-
justed hires rate was highest in the leisure and hospitality industry
(6.2 percent). (See table 2.)
From May 2005 to May 2006, the hires rate rose in nondurable goods
manufacturing, professional and business services, and the federal
government and declined in construction. The hires rate did not change
significantly over the year in any geographic region. (See table 6.)
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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
| 2005 | 2006 | 2006p| 2005 | 2006 | 2006p| 2005 | 2006 | 2006p
-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Levels (in thousands)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........|3,364 |4,070 |3,989 |4,778 |4,649 |4,962 |4,543 |4,495 |4,654
| | | | | | | | |
Total private(1).|3,005 |3,603 |3,542 |4,454 |4,301 |4,586 |4,290 |4,203 |4,339
Construction...| 114 | 138 | 125 | 434 | 376 | 365 | 405 | 373 | 461
Manufacturing..| 235 | 323 | 308 | 344 | 328 | 377 | 384 | 346 | 382
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities.....| 613 | 672 | 706 |1,043 |1,029 |1,047 |1,013 |1,022 |1,005
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 623 | 748 | 677 | 862 | 858 |1,004 | 794 | 790 | 854
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 597 | 674 | 643 | 469 | 481 | 518 | 427 | 437 | 440
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality...| 447 | 485 | 518 | 782 | 775 | 810 | 762 | 770 | 742
Government.......| 361 | 467 | 452 | 325 | 361 | 380 | 260 | 302 | 321
|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Rates (percent)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........| 2.5 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.4
| | | | | | | | |
Total private(1).| 2.6 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.8
Construction...| 1.5 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 6.0 | 5.0 | 4.9 | 5.6 | 5.0 | 6.1
Manufacturing..| 1.6 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 2.4 | 2.7
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities.....| 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.9
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 3.6 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 5.1 | 5.0 | 5.8 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 5.0
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 3.3 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.9 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality...| 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 6.1 | 6.0 | 6.2 | 6.0 | 5.9 | 5.7
Government.......| 1.6 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.5
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and
other services, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
Separations
The total separations, or turnover, rate was little changed at 3.4 per-
cent in May. Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any
time during the month. In May, the total separations rate increased in
construction; all other industries and regions were about unchanged. (See
table 3.)
Total separations include quits (voluntary separations), layoffs and
discharges (involuntary separations), and other separations (including
retirements). The quits rate, which can serve as a barometer of workers'
ability to change jobs, rose to 2.0 percent in May. The quits rate in-
creased in the construction and manufacturing industries and in the South
region. In May, the seasonally adjusted quits rate was highest in the
leisure and hospitality industry (4.1 percent), which also had the highest
hires rate. (See table 4.)
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Over the year, the quits rate grew in several industries and in the
South region. The quits rate declined in real estate and rental and
leasing as well as in other services. (See table 8.)
The other two components of total separations--layoffs and discharges,
and other separations--are not seasonally adjusted. From May 2005 to May
2006, the layoffs and discharges rate was little changed at 1.0 percent.
For May 2006, the construction industry had the highest layoffs and dis-
charges rate (2.3 percent). From May 2005 to May 2006, the other sepa-
rations rate increased to 0.3 percent. (See tables 9 and 10.)
Flows in the Labor Market
Hires and separations data help show dynamic flows in the labor market.
Over the 12 months ending in May 2006, hires have averaged 4.8 million per
month and separations have averaged 4.5 million per month (not seasonally
adjusted). The comparable figures for the prior 12-month period were 4.7
million hires and 4.4 million separations. (See the Technical Note for
additional information on these measures.)
For More Information
For additional information, please read the Technical Note or visit the
JOLTS Web site at http://www.bls.gov/jlt/. Additional information about
JOLTS also may be obtained by e-mailing Joltsinfo@bls.gov or by calling
(202) 691-5870.
______________________________
The Job Openings and Labor Turnover release for June 2006 is scheduled
to be issued on Wednesday, August 9, 2006.
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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 Workforce Agencies verify with employers and update,
if necessary, the industry code, location, and ownership classification of
all establishments on a 3-year cycle. Changes in establishment characteris-
tics resulting from the verification process are always introduced into the
JOLTS sampling frame with the data reported for the first month of the year.
Employment. Employment includes persons on the payroll who worked or re-
ceived pay for the pay period that includes the 12th day of the reference
month. Full-time, part-time, permanent, short-term, seasonal, salaried,
and hourly employees are included, as are employees on paid vacations or
other paid leave. Proprietors or partners of unincorporated businesses,
unpaid family workers, or persons on leave without pay or on strike for
the entire pay period, are not counted as employed. Employees of tempo-
rary help agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors, and
consultants are counted by their employer of record, not by the establish-
ment where they are working.
Job openings. Establishments submit job openings information for the
last business day of the reference month. A job opening requires that:
1) a specific position exists and there is work available for that posi-
tion, 2) work could start within 30 days regardless of whether a suitable
candidate is found, and 3) the employer is actively recruiting from outside
the establishment to fill the position. Included are full-time, part-time,
permanent, short-term, and seasonal openings. Active recruiting means that
the establishment is taking steps to fill a position by advertising in news-
papers or on the Internet, posting help-wanted signs, accepting applications,
or using other similar methods.
Jobs to be filled only by internal transfers, promotions, demotions, or
recall from layoffs are excluded. Also excluded are jobs with start dates
more than 30 days in the future, jobs for which employees have been hired
but have not yet reported for work, and jobs to be filled by employees of
temporary help agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors,
or consultants. The job openings rate is computed by dividing the number
of job openings by the sum of employment and job openings and multiplying
that quotient by 100.
- 5 -
Hires. Hires are the total number of additions to the payroll occurring
at any time during the reference month, including both new and rehired em-
ployees, full-time and part-time, permanent, short-term and seasonal em-
ployees, employees recalled to the location after a layoff lasting more
than 7 days, on-call or intermittent employees who returned to work after
having been formally separated, and transfers from other locations. The
hires count does not include transfers or promotions within the reporting
site, employees returning from strike, employees of temporary help agencies
or employee leasing companies, outside contractors, or consultants. The
hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by employment and
multiplying that quotient by 100.
Separations. Separations are the total number of terminations of
employment occurring at any time during the reference month, and are
reported by type of separation--quits, layoffs and discharges, and
other separations. Quits are voluntary separations by employees (ex-
cept for retirements, which are reported as other separations). Lay-
offs and discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the em-
ployer and include layoffs with no intent to rehire, formal layoffs
lasting or expected to last more than 7 days, discharges resulting
from mergers, downsizing, or closings, firings or other discharges
for cause, terminations of permanent or short-term employees, and
terminations of seasonal employees. Other separations include re-
tirements, transfers to other locations, deaths, and separations
due to disability. Separations do not include transfers within the
same location or employees on strike.
The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of separations
by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100. The quits, layoffs
and discharges, and other separations rates are computed similarly, divid-
ing the number by employment and multiplying by 100.
Annual estimates. Annual estimates of rates and levels of hires, quits,
layoffs and discharges, other separations, and total separations are released
with the January news release each year.
The JOLTS annual level estimates for hires, quits, layoffs and discharges,
other separations, and total separations are the sum of the 12 published
monthly levels. The annual rate estimates are computed by dividing the an-
nual level by the Current Employment Statistics (CES) annual average employ-
ment level, and multiplying that quotient by 100. This figure will be ap-
proximately equal to the sum of the 12 monthly rates. Note that both the
JOLTS and CES annual levels are rounded to the nearest thousand before the
annual estimates are calculated. Consistent with BLS practices, annual es-
timates will be published only for not seasonally adjusted data.
Annual estimates are not calculated for job openings because job
openings are a stock, or point-in-time, measurement for the last business
day of each month. Only jobs still open on the last day of the month are
counted. For the same reason job openings cannot be cumulated throughout
each month, annual figures for job openings cannot be created by summing
the monthly estimates. Hires and separations are flow measures and are
cumulated over the month with a total reported for the month. Therefore,
the annual figures can be created by summing the monthly estimates.
- 6 -
Sample methodology
The JOLTS sample design is a random sample of 16,000 nonfarm business
establishments, including factories, offices, and stores, as well as
federal, state, and local governments in the 50 states and the District
of Columbia. The establishments are drawn from a universe of over eight
million establishments compiled as part of the operations of the Quarterly
Census of Employment and Wages, or QCEW, program. This program includes
all employers subject to state Unemployment Insurance (UI) laws and federal
agencies subject to Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE).
The sampling frame is stratified by ownership, region, industry sector,
and size class. Large firms fall into the sample with virtual certainty.
JOLTS total employment estimates are controlled to the employment estimates
of the Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey. A ratio of CES to JOLTS
employment is used to adjust the levels for all other JOLTS data elements.
Rates are then computed from the adjusted levels.
Using JOLTS data
The JOLTS data series on job openings, hires, and separations are rel-
atively new. The full sample is divided into panels, with one panel
enrolled each month. A full complement of panels for the original data
series based on the 1987 Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system
was not completely enrolled in the survey until January 2002. The supple-
mental panels of establishments needed to create NAICS estimates were not
completely enrolled until May 2003. The data collected up until those
points are from less than a full sample. Therefore, estimates from earlier
months should be used with caution, as fewer sampled units were reporting
data at that time.
In March 2002, BLS procedures for collecting hires and separations data
were revised to address possible underreporting. As a result, JOLTS hires
and separations estimates for months prior to March 2002 may not be compar-
able with estimates for March 2002 and later.
The federal government reorganization that involved transferring approx-
imately 180,000 employees to the new Department of Homeland Security is not
reflected in the JOLTS hires and separations estimates for the federal gov-
ernment. The Office of Personnel Management's record shows these transfers
were completed in March 2003. The inclusion of transfers in the JOLTS defi-
nitions of hires and separations is intended to cover ongoing movements of
workers between establishments. The Department of Homeland Security reorgan-
ization was a massive one-time event, and the inclusion of these intergovern-
mental transfers would distort the federal government time series.
Seasonal adjustment
BLS seasonally adjusts several JOLTS series using the X-12-ARIMA
seasonal adjustment program. Seasonal adjustment is the process of
estimating and removing periodic fluctuations caused by events such
as weather, holidays, and the beginning and ending of the school year.
Seasonal adjustment makes it easier to observe fundamental changes in
the level of the series, particularly those associated with general
economic expansions and contractions. A concurrent seasonal adjust-
ment methodology is used in which new seasonal adjustment factors are
calculated each month, using all relevant data, up to and including
the data for the current month.
- 7 -
Data users should note that seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS series is
conducted with fewer data observations than is customary. The historical
data, therefore, may be subject to larger than normal revisions. Since the
seasonal patterns in economic data series typically emerge over time, the
standard use of moving averages as seasonal filters to capture these effects
requires longer series than are currently available. As a result, the stable
seasonal filter option is used in the seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS data.
When calculating seasonal factors, this filter takes an average for each cal-
endar month after detrending the series. The stable seasonal filter assumes
that the seasonal factors are fixed; a necessary assumption until sufficient
data are available. When the stable seasonal filter is no longer needed,
other program features also may be introduced, such as outlier adjustment
and extended diagnostic testing. Additionally, it is expected that more
series, such as layoffs and discharges and additional industries, may be
seasonally adjusted when more data are available.
Reliability of the estimates
JOLTS estimates are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error.
When a sample rather than the entire population is surveyed, there is a
chance that the sample estimates may differ from the "true" population
values they represent. The exact difference, or sampling error, varies
depending on the particular sample selected, and this variability is
measured by the standard error of the estimate. BLS analysis is generally
conducted at the 90-percent level of confidence. That means that there is
a 90-percent chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate based on a
sample will differ by no more than 1.6 standard errors from the "true"
population value because of sampling error. Estimates of sampling errors
are available upon request.
The JOLTS estimates also are affected by nonsampling error. Nonsampling
error can occur for many reasons, including the failure to include a seg-
ment of the population, the inability to obtain data from all units in the
sample, the inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide data on a
timely basis, mistakes made by respondents, errors made in the collection
or processing of the data, and errors from the employment benchmark data
used in estimation.
JOLTS hires and separations estimates cannot be used to exactly ex-
plain net changes in nonfarm payroll employment. Some reasons why it is
problematic to compare changes in payroll employment with JOLTS hires and
separations, especially on a monthly basis, are: 1) the reference period
for payroll employment is the pay period including the 12th of the month,
while the reference period for hires and separations is the calendar month;
and 2) payroll employment can vary from month to month simply because part-
time and on-call workers may not always work during the pay period that in-
cludes the 12th of the month. Additionally, research has found that some
reporters systematically underreport separations relative to hires due to a
number of factors, including the nature of their payroll systems and prac-
tices. The shortfall appears to be about 2 percent or less over a 12-month
period.
Other information
Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired
individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; TDD message referral
phone: 1-800-877-8339.
Table 1. Job openings levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels(3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May
2005 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p 2005 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p
Total(4)............................... 3,364 3,941 3,981 3,994 4,089 4,070 3,989 2.5 2.8 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.9
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 3,005 3,509 3,533 3,531 3,633 3,603 3,542 2.6 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.1 3.1 3.0
Construction......................... 114 170 114 121 144 138 125 1.5 2.2 1.5 1.6 1.9 1.8 1.6
Manufacturing........................ 235 313 324 318 318 323 308 1.6 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 613 661 687 660 651 672 706 2.3 2.5 2.6 2.5 2.4 2.5 2.6
Professional and business services... 623 750 777 716 702 748 677 3.6 4.2 4.3 4.0 3.9 4.2 3.8
Education and health services........ 597 618 627 640 692 674 643 3.3 3.4 3.4 3.5 3.8 3.7 3.5
Leisure and hospitality.............. 447 522 507 587 506 485 518 3.4 3.9 3.8 4.3 3.8 3.6 3.8
Government............................ 361 435 449 460 458 467 452 1.6 2.0 2.0 2.1 2.0 2.1 2.0
REGION(5)
Northeast............................ 550 718 740 707 732 672 663 2.1 2.8 2.8 2.7 2.8 2.6 2.5
South................................ 1,320 1,612 1,550 1,547 1,634 1,600 1,627 2.7 3.3 3.1 3.1 3.3 3.2 3.3
Midwest.............................. 749 738 745 797 721 770 762 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.5 2.2 2.4 2.4
West................................. 773 919 928 957 985 1,022 960 2.6 3.0 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.1
1 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day of the month.
2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business day of the month as a percent of total employment plus
job openings.
3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
5 The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of
Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas,
Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio,
South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah,
Washington, and Wyoming.
p = preliminary.
Table 2. Hires levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels(3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May
2005 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p 2005 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p
Total(4)............................... 4,778 4,694 4,941 4,954 4,884 4,649 4,962 3.6 3.5 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.4 3.7
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 4,454 4,397 4,584 4,578 4,503 4,301 4,586 4.0 3.9 4.1 4.1 4.0 3.8 4.1
Construction......................... 434 426 379 403 344 376 365 6.0 5.8 5.1 5.4 4.6 5.0 4.9
Manufacturing........................ 344 307 366 333 341 328 377 2.4 2.2 2.6 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.6
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 1,043 1,011 1,177 1,117 1,103 1,029 1,047 4.0 3.9 4.5 4.3 4.2 4.0 4.0
Professional and business services... 862 849 953 841 922 858 1,004 5.1 5.0 5.6 4.9 5.4 5.0 5.8
Education and health services........ 469 467 446 435 435 481 518 2.7 2.7 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.7 2.9
Leisure and hospitality.............. 782 853 847 1,019 899 775 810 6.1 6.6 6.6 7.9 6.9 6.0 6.2
Government............................ 325 293 352 379 397 361 380 1.5 1.3 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.6 1.7
REGION(5)
Northeast............................ 805 698 727 814 914 849 834 3.2 2.8 2.9 3.2 3.6 3.3 3.3
South................................ 1,766 1,817 1,946 2,061 1,803 1,777 1,874 3.7 3.8 4.1 4.3 3.7 3.7 3.9
Midwest.............................. 1,110 1,038 1,043 1,045 1,117 965 1,136 3.6 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.5 3.1 3.6
West................................. 1,101 1,127 1,176 1,083 1,127 1,152 1,115 3.7 3.8 4.0 3.6 3.8 3.9 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 See footnote 5, table 1.
p = preliminary.
Table 3. Total separations levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels(3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May
2005 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p 2005 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p
Total(4)............................... 4,543 4,359 4,285 4,531 4,681 4,495 4,654 3.4 3.2 3.2 3.4 3.5 3.3 3.4
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 4,290 4,067 3,995 4,252 4,360 4,203 4,339 3.8 3.6 3.5 3.8 3.9 3.7 3.8
Construction......................... 405 348 374 335 422 373 461 5.6 4.7 5.0 4.5 5.6 5.0 6.1
Manufacturing........................ 384 355 353 380 427 346 382 2.7 2.5 2.5 2.7 3.0 2.4 2.7
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 1,013 1,027 880 997 989 1,022 1,005 3.9 3.9 3.4 3.8 3.8 3.9 3.9
Professional and business services... 794 735 780 826 798 790 854 4.7 4.3 4.6 4.8 4.6 4.6 5.0
Education and health services........ 427 400 353 403 399 437 440 2.5 2.3 2.0 2.3 2.3 2.5 2.5
Leisure and hospitality.............. 762 843 848 881 769 770 742 6.0 6.5 6.6 6.8 5.9 5.9 5.7
Government............................ 260 270 300 285 326 302 321 1.2 1.2 1.4 1.3 1.5 1.4 1.5
REGION(5)
Northeast............................ 739 685 701 736 714 711 781 2.9 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.8 2.8 3.1
South................................ 1,741 1,759 1,653 1,694 1,810 1,710 1,744 3.7 3.7 3.4 3.5 3.8 3.5 3.6
Midwest.............................. 985 934 987 1,032 1,014 992 1,052 3.2 3.0 3.1 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.3
West................................. 1,059 997 970 1,054 1,188 1,116 1,075 3.6 3.4 3.3 3.5 4.0 3.7 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 See footnote 5, table 1.
p = preliminary.
Table 4. Quits levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels(3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May
2005 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p 2005 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p
Total(4)............................... 2,534 2,567 2,577 2,663 2,763 2,541 2,737 1.9 1.9 1.9 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.0
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 2,406 2,428 2,435 2,526 2,606 2,383 2,579 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.3 2.1 2.3
Construction......................... 164 189 179 153 182 167 208 2.3 2.6 2.4 2.0 2.4 2.2 2.8
Manufacturing........................ 168 184 196 202 205 175 207 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.2 1.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 602 634 551 602 598 613 624 2.3 2.4 2.1 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.4
Professional and business services... 411 365 415 422 426 409 444 2.4 2.1 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.6
Education and health services........ 257 254 225 279 267 253 280 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.6
Leisure and hospitality.............. 494 558 569 607 561 535 529 3.9 4.3 4.4 4.7 4.3 4.1 4.1
Government............................ 127 139 143 139 156 159 159 .6 .6 .7 .6 .7 .7 .7
REGION(5)
Northeast............................ 380 390 369 368 383 370 386 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.5
South................................ 1,009 1,069 1,068 1,114 1,129 1,026 1,132 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.1 2.3
Midwest.............................. 551 481 571 600 619 575 590 1.8 1.5 1.8 1.9 2.0 1.8 1.9
West................................. 591 618 569 567 642 593 620 2.0 2.1 1.9 1.9 2.2 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 See footnote 5, table 1.
p = preliminary.
Table 5. Job openings levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May
2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p
Total........................................... 3,617 4,236 4,285 2.6 3.0 3.1
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,224 3,766 3,794 2.8 3.2 3.2
Natural resources and mining.................. 12 11 15 2.0 1.6 2.2
Construction.................................. 143 168 155 1.9 2.2 2.0
Manufacturing................................. 254 329 332 1.8 2.3 2.3
Durable goods................................ 166 233 222 1.8 2.5 2.4
Nondurable goods............................. 88 96 110 1.6 1.8 2.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 636 673 736 2.4 2.5 2.8
Wholesale trade.............................. 142 140 159 2.4 2.3 2.6
Retail trade................................. 374 395 440 2.4 2.6 2.8
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 120 138 137 2.4 2.7 2.7
Information................................... 74 142 138 2.3 4.4 4.3
Financial activities.......................... 220 314 307 2.6 3.7 3.6
Finance and insurance........................ 161 251 245 2.6 3.9 3.8
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 58 64 63 2.7 2.9 2.8
Professional and business services............ 639 768 685 3.7 4.3 3.8
Education and health services................. 627 686 675 3.5 3.7 3.7
Educational services......................... 70 106 82 2.4 3.4 2.7
Health care and social assistance............ 557 580 593 3.7 3.8 3.8
Leisure and hospitality....................... 505 574 585 3.7 4.3 4.2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 64 101 66 3.2 5.1 3.2
Accommodations and food services............. 441 473 520 3.8 4.1 4.4
Other services................................ 116 101 164 2.1 1.8 2.9
Government..................................... 393 470 491 1.7 2.1 2.2
Federal....................................... 41 48 48 1.5 1.7 1.8
State and local............................... 352 422 443 1.8 2.1 2.2
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 608 694 726 2.4 2.7 2.8
South......................................... 1,387 1,661 1,717 2.8 3.3 3.4
Midwest....................................... 774 810 790 2.4 2.5 2.4
West.......................................... 847 1,070 1,051 2.8 3.5 3.4
1 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day of the month.
2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business day of the month as a
percent of total employment plus job openings.
3 See footnote 5, table 1.
p = preliminary.
Table 6. Hires levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May
2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p
Total........................................... 5,444 4,871 5,675 4.1 3.6 4.2
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 5,113 4,604 5,285 4.6 4.1 4.7
Natural resources and mining.................. 27 27 24 4.4 4.1 3.5
Construction.................................. 559 495 464 7.6 6.7 6.1
Manufacturing................................. 390 333 437 2.7 2.3 3.1
Durable goods................................ 254 216 272 2.8 2.4 3.0
Nondurable goods............................. 137 117 165 2.6 2.3 3.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 1,144 1,011 1,144 4.4 3.9 4.4
Wholesale trade.............................. 160 146 161 2.8 2.5 2.7
Retail trade................................. 801 725 814 5.3 4.8 5.4
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 183 140 169 3.7 2.8 3.4
Information................................... 85 79 101 2.8 2.6 3.3
Financial activities.......................... 258 194 234 3.2 2.3 2.8
Finance and insurance........................ 159 114 135 2.7 1.9 2.2
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 99 80 99 4.7 3.7 4.6
Professional and business services............ 914 935 1,101 5.4 5.4 6.4
Education and health services................. 459 433 511 2.6 2.4 2.9
Educational services......................... 45 69 59 1.6 2.3 2.0
Health care and social assistance............ 414 364 452 2.9 2.5 3.0
Leisure and hospitality....................... 1,032 898 1,061 7.9 7.0 8.0
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 198 181 209 10.1 9.7 10.5
Accommodations and food services............. 834 717 851 7.6 6.5 7.6
Other services................................ 245 199 209 4.5 3.7 3.9
Government..................................... 331 266 390 1.5 1.2 1.7
Federal....................................... 43 53 74 1.6 2.0 2.7
State and local............................... 288 214 316 1.5 1.1 1.6
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 931 833 966 3.7 3.3 3.8
South......................................... 1,992 1,794 2,125 4.2 3.7 4.4
Midwest....................................... 1,320 1,080 1,371 4.2 3.4 4.3
West.......................................... 1,201 1,164 1,213 4.0 3.9 4.0
1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month.
2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
3 See footnote 5, table 1.
p = preliminary.
Table 7. Total separations levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May
2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p
Total........................................... 4,485 4,158 4,631 3.3 3.1 3.4
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 4,213 3,929 4,291 3.8 3.5 3.8
Natural resources and mining.................. 18 22 12 2.8 3.4 1.8
Construction.................................. 356 299 407 4.9 4.1 5.4
Manufacturing................................. 367 341 369 2.6 2.4 2.6
Durable goods................................ 259 183 199 2.9 2.0 2.2
Nondurable goods............................. 108 157 169 2.1 3.0 3.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 1,035 892 1,031 4.0 3.5 4.0
Wholesale trade.............................. 156 135 140 2.7 2.3 2.4
Retail trade................................. 691 622 750 4.6 4.1 4.9
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 187 135 141 3.8 2.7 2.8
Information................................... 76 95 81 2.5 3.1 2.6
Financial activities.......................... 190 182 205 2.3 2.2 2.5
Finance and insurance........................ 108 125 148 1.8 2.0 2.4
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 81 57 56 3.8 2.7 2.6
Professional and business services............ 767 814 860 4.6 4.7 5.0
Education and health services................. 449 406 471 2.6 2.3 2.6
Educational services......................... 65 37 85 2.3 1.2 2.9
Health care and social assistance............ 384 369 386 2.7 2.5 2.6
Leisure and hospitality....................... 732 745 702 5.6 5.8 5.3
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 80 83 56 4.1 4.4 2.8
Accommodations and food services............. 652 663 645 5.9 6.0 5.7
Other services................................ 223 134 155 4.1 2.5 2.8
Government..................................... 272 229 340 1.2 1.0 1.5
Federal....................................... 27 53 65 1.0 2.0 2.4
State and local............................... 245 176 275 1.3 .9 1.4
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 652 643 707 2.6 2.5 2.8
South......................................... 1,834 1,628 1,844 3.8 3.4 3.8
Midwest....................................... 952 858 1,022 3.0 2.7 3.2
West.......................................... 1,047 1,029 1,059 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 See footnote 5, table 1.
p = preliminary.
Table 8. Quits levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May
2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p
Total........................................... 2,641 2,421 2,868 2.0 1.8 2.1
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 2,498 2,294 2,687 2.2 2.0 2.4
Natural resources and mining.................. 12 11 8 1.9 1.6 1.3
Construction.................................. 167 159 213 2.3 2.2 2.8
Manufacturing................................. 173 176 215 1.2 1.2 1.5
Durable goods................................ 108 108 111 1.2 1.2 1.2
Nondurable goods............................. 65 68 104 1.2 1.3 2.0
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 634 568 661 2.5 2.2 2.5
Wholesale trade.............................. 72 79 69 1.3 1.4 1.2
Retail trade................................. 495 405 503 3.3 2.7 3.3
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 66 84 90 1.4 1.7 1.8
Information................................... 51 66 65 1.7 2.2 2.1
Financial activities.......................... 123 92 130 1.5 1.1 1.6
Finance and insurance........................ 68 65 98 1.1 1.1 1.6
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 54 28 32 2.6 1.3 1.5
Professional and business services............ 423 402 469 2.5 2.3 2.7
Education and health services................. 273 239 299 1.6 1.3 1.7
Educational services......................... 30 18 44 1.0 .6 1.5
Health care and social assistance............ 243 222 256 1.7 1.5 1.7
Leisure and hospitality....................... 514 510 541 4.0 3.9 4.1
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 44 42 34 2.2 2.2 1.7
Accommodations and food services............. 470 469 507 4.3 4.2 4.5
Other services................................ 128 70 85 2.4 1.3 1.6
Government..................................... 143 127 181 .6 .6 .8
Federal....................................... 12 27 30 .4 1.0 1.1
State and local............................... 132 100 151 .7 .5 .8
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 385 323 400 1.5 1.3 1.6
South......................................... 1,061 1,012 1,200 2.2 2.1 2.5
Midwest....................................... 581 532 623 1.9 1.7 2.0
West.......................................... 614 552 646 2.1 1.8 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 See footnote 5, table 1.
p = preliminary.
Table 9. Layoffs and discharges levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May
2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p
Total........................................... 1,533 1,370 1,373 1.1 1.0 1.0
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 1,450 1,313 1,273 1.3 1.2 1.1
Natural resources and mining.................. 3 10 2 .6 1.5 .3
Construction.................................. 179 110 173 2.4 1.5 2.3
Manufacturing................................. 150 131 124 1.1 .9 .9
Durable goods................................ 113 57 68 1.3 .6 .8
Nondurable goods............................. 36 75 56 .7 1.4 1.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 353 247 253 1.4 1.0 1.0
Wholesale trade.............................. 77 43 46 1.3 .7 .8
Retail trade................................. 170 180 173 1.1 1.2 1.1
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 106 23 33 2.2 .5 .7
Information................................... 20 24 11 .7 .8 .4
Financial activities.......................... 52 60 51 .6 .7 .6
Finance and insurance........................ 26 32 30 .4 .5 .5
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 26 28 21 1.2 1.3 1.0
Professional and business services............ 277 348 322 1.7 2.0 1.9
Education and health services................. 148 123 150 .9 .7 .8
Educational services......................... 32 15 39 1.1 .5 1.3
Health care and social assistance............ 116 108 111 .8 .7 .7
Leisure and hospitality....................... 186 205 136 1.4 1.6 1.0
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 35 38 20 1.8 2.1 1.0
Accommodations and food services............. 150 166 116 1.4 1.5 1.0
Other services................................ 82 54 52 1.5 1.0 1.0
Government..................................... 83 58 99 .4 .3 .4
Federal....................................... 8 12 15 .3 .4 .6
State and local............................... 75 46 84 .4 .2 .4
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 211 256 233 .8 1.0 .9
South......................................... 675 458 480 1.4 .9 1.0
Midwest....................................... 299 259 327 1.0 .8 1.0
West.......................................... 348 398 333 1.2 1.3 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.
3 See footnote 5, table 1.
p = preliminary.
Table 10. Other separations levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May
2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p
Total........................................... 312 367 390 0.2 0.3 0.3
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 265 323 330 .2 .3 .3
Natural resources and mining.................. 2 2 1 .4 .3 .2
Construction.................................. 11 29 22 .1 .4 .3
Manufacturing................................. 44 34 29 .3 .2 .2
Durable goods................................ 38 19 20 .4 .2 .2
Nondurable goods............................. 7 15 9 .1 .3 .2
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 47 77 117 .2 .3 .5
Wholesale trade.............................. 7 12 25 .1 .2 .4
Retail trade................................. 26 37 74 .2 .2 .5
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 15 28 18 .3 .6 .4
Information................................... 5 4 4 .2 .1 .1
Financial activities.......................... 16 30 23 .2 .4 .3
Finance and insurance........................ 14 28 20 .2 .5 .3
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 1 1 3 .1 .1 .2
Professional and business services............ 66 64 69 .4 .4 .4
Education and health services................. 28 43 22 .2 .2 .1
Educational services......................... 4 4 3 .1 .1 .1
Health care and social assistance............ 25 39 19 .2 .3 .1
Leisure and hospitality....................... 32 30 25 .2 .2 .2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 1 3 3 .1 .2 .1
Accommodations and food services............. 31 27 23 .3 .2 .2
Other services................................ 13 9 17 .2 .2 .3
Government..................................... 46 45 60 .2 .2 .3
Federal....................................... 8 15 19 .3 .5 .7
State and local............................... 39 30 41 .2 .2 .2
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 56 64 74 .2 .3 .3
South......................................... 98 158 164 .2 .3 .3
Midwest....................................... 72 67 72 .2 .2 .2
West.......................................... 85 79 80 .3 .3 .3
1 Other separations are the number of other separations during the entire month.
2 The other separations rate is the number of other separations during the entire month as a percent of
total employment.
3 See footnote 5, table 1.
p = preliminary.