Full text of May 2007 : Text File, USDL-07-1032
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Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 07-1032
http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact: 691-5902 Tuesday, July 10, 2007
JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: MAY 2007
On the last business day of May, there were 4.2 million job openings in
the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.9 percent, the Bureau of
Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The job
openings rate was unchanged in May, and the hires and total separations
rates were essentially unchanged. This release includes estimates of the
number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total non-
farm sector by industry and geographic region.
Job Openings
In May, the job openings rate was unchanged at 2.9 percent. Job openings
include only those jobs still open on the last business day of the month.
The job openings rate rose over the month in the accommodations and food ser-
vices industry. None of the regions experienced a significant over-the-month
change in the job openings rate. The seasonally adjusted job openings rate
was highest in May for the following industries: accommodations and food ser-
vices (4.2 percent), professional and business services (3.7 percent), and
education and health services (3.7 percent). (See table 1.)
Over the year, the job openings rate increased in construction; nondurable
goods manufacturing; health care and social assistance; and accommodations and
food services. The rate decreased in wholesale trade and retail trade. The
job openings rate did not change significantly over the year in any of the
regions. (See table 5.)
Hires
The hires rate was little changed at 3.6 percent in May. Hires are any
additions to the payroll during the month. In May, there were no significant
increases or decreases in the hires rate for any of the industries or regions.
The seasonally adjusted hires rate was highest in May in accommodations and
food services (6.9 percent). (See table 2.)
From May 2006 to May 2007, the hires rate rose in finance and insurance;
accommodations and food services; and federal government. The hires rate
fell in durable goods manufacturing; information; professional and business
services; and health care and social assistance. The hires rate decreased
over the year in the Northeast region. (See table 6.)
Separations
The total separations, or turnover, rate was little changed at 3.2 percent
in May. Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any time
during the month. Over the month, none of the industries or regions experi-
enced a significant change in the separations rate. From May 2006 to May 2007,
the total separations rate increased in natural resources and mining and in
federal government. The total separations rate decreased in construction; trade,
transportation, and utilities; professional and business services; educational
services; and state and local government. Geographically, the total separations
rate fell over the year in both the Northeast and Midwest regions. (See tables
3 and 7.)
- 2 -
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
| 2006 | 2007 | 2007p| 2006 | 2007 | 2007p| 2006 | 2007 | 2007p
---------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Levels (in thousands)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total (1)............|4,037 |4,170 |4,163 |5,068 |4,832 |4,929 |4,953 |4,524 |4,419
| | | | | | | | |
Total private (1)..|3,611 |3,683 |3,703 |4,618 |4,423 |4,499 |4,647 |4,227 |4,089
Construction.....| 138 | 154 | 159 | 378 | 330 | 332 | 479 | 360 | 330
Manufacturing....| 310 | 350 | 370 | 385 | 350 | 357 | 385 | 380 | 385
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and | | | | | | | | |
utilities (2)...| 703 | 669 | 614 |1,064 |1,028 |1,046 |1,061 | 975 | 943
Retail trade..| 405 | 389 | 345 | 749 | 706 | 721 | 780 | 678 | 685
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services........| 739 | 735 | 687 |1,095 | 828 | 927 | 931 | 805 | 720
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices...........| 648 | 706 | 713 | 545 | 507 | 498 | 445 | 414 | 431
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality (3) | 509 | 512 | 578 | 811 | 903 | 905 | 831 | 861 | 823
Accommodations | | | | | | | | |
and food | | | | | | | | |
services.......| 458 | 453 | 504 | 698 | 811 | 795 | 693 | 720 | 709
Government (4).....| 438 | 488 | 470 | 390 | 421 | 412 | 313 | 311 | 317
State and local | | | | | | | | |
government......| 396 | 439 | 434 | 332 | 333 | 334 | 253 | 241 | 240
|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Rates (percent)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total (1)............| 2.9 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.3 | 3.2
| | | | | | | | |
Total private (1)..| 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.5
Construction.....| 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 4.9 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 6.2 | 4.7 | 4.3
Manufacturing....| 2.1 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.7
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and | | | | | | | | |
utilities (2)...| 2.6 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.6
Retail trade..| 2.6 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 4.9 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 4.4 | 4.5
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services........| 4.1 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 6.3 | 4.6 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 4.5 | 4.0
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices...........| 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.4
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality (3) | 3.7 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 6.2 | 6.7 | 6.7 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.1
Accommodations | | | | | | | | |
and food | | | | | | | | |
services.......| 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 6.3 | 7.0 | 6.9 | 6.2 | 6.3 | 6.1
Government (4).....| 2.0 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.4
State and local | | | | | | | | |
government......| 2.0 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.2
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and
other services, not shown separately.
2 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not
shown separately.
3 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately.
4 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
- 3 -
Total separations include quits (voluntary separations), layoffs and
discharges (involuntary separations), and other separations (including
retirements). The quits rate, which can serve as a barometer of workers'
ability to change jobs, was unchanged at 1.9 percent in May. None of the
industries or regions experienced a significant change in the quits rate
over the month. In May, the seasonally adjusted quits rate among industries
was highest in the accommodations and food services industry (4.4 percent).
(See table 4.)
Over the year, the quits rate rose in natural resources and mining;
durable goods manufacturing; and finance and insurance. The quits rate
fell over the year in construction; information; professional and business
services; and educational services. Geographically, the quits rate fell
over the year in the Northeast and Midwest regions. (See table 8.)
The other two components of total separations--layoffs and discharges,
and other separations--are not seasonally adjusted. For May, the layoffs
and discharges rate (0.9 percent) and level (1.3 million) decreased from a
year earlier. As is the case in many months, the layoffs and discharges
rate in May was highest in arts, entertainment, and recreation (3.0 per-
cent) and construction (2.0 percent). From May 2006 to May 2007, the
other separations rate decreased slightly to 0.2 percent, and the level
decreased to 311,000. (See tables 9 and 10.)
The total separations rate is driven by the relative contribution of
its three components (quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations),
with quits contributing the largest portion. The percentage of total separa-
tions attributable to quits has risen and fallen over time along with total
nonfarm employment levels. The proportion of total separations due to quits
fell from 61 percent in February 2001 to 51 percent in August 2003 (season-
ally adjusted), and has since risen. In May 2007, quits accounted for 60
percent of total separations.
Flows in the Labor Market
Several industries consistently have high rates of both hires and separa-
tions. These include construction; retail trade; professional and business
services; arts, entertainment, and recreation; and accommodations and food
services. In the 12 months ending in May 2007, these 5 industries pro-
duced 34.6 million hires and 32.5 million separations. Thus, these five
industries accounted for 59 percent of total nonfarm hires and 59 percent
of total nonfarm separations while comprising only 39 percent of
total nonfarm employment.
For More Information
For additional information, please read the Technical Note or visit the
JOLTS Web site at http://www.bls.gov/jlt/. Additional information about
JOLTS also may be obtained by e-mailing Joltsinfo@bls.gov or by calling
(202) 691-5870.
______________________________
The Job Openings and Labor Turnover release for June 2007 is scheduled
to be issued on Wednesday, August 8.
- 4 -
Technical Note
The data for the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) are
collected and compiled monthly from a sample of business establishments
by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Collection
Each month, data are collected in a survey of business establishments
for total employment, job openings, hires, quits, layoffs and discharges,
and other separations. Data collection methods include computer-assisted
telephone interviewing, touchtone data entry, fax, and mail.
Coverage
The JOLTS program covers all private nonfarm establishments such as
factories, offices, and stores, as well as federal, state, and local
government entities in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Concepts
Industry classification. The industry classifications in this release
are in accordance with the 2002 version of the North American Industry
Classification System (NAICS). In order to ensure the highest possible
quality of data, State Workforce Agencies verify with employers and update,
if necessary, the industry code, location, and ownership classification of
all establishments on a 3-year cycle. Changes in establishment characteris-
tics resulting from the verification process are always introduced into the
JOLTS sampling frame with the data reported for the first month of the year.
Employment. Employment includes persons on the payroll who worked or re-
ceived pay for the pay period that includes the 12th day of the reference
month. Full-time, part-time, permanent, short-term, seasonal, salaried,
and hourly employees are included, as are employees on paid vacations or
other paid leave. Proprietors or partners of unincorporated businesses,
unpaid family workers, or persons on leave without pay or on strike for
the entire pay period, are not counted as employed. Employees of tempo-
rary help agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors, and
consultants are counted by their employer of record, not by the establish-
ment where they are working.
Job openings. Establishments submit job openings information for the
last business day of the reference month. A job opening requires that:
1) a specific position exists and there is work available for that posi-
tion, 2) work could start within 30 days regardless of whether a suitable
candidate is found, and 3) the employer is actively recruiting from outside
the establishment to fill the position. Included are full-time, part-time,
permanent, short-term, and seasonal openings. Active recruiting means that
the establishment is taking steps to fill a position by advertising in news-
papers or on the Internet, posting help-wanted signs, accepting applications,
or using other similar methods.
Jobs to be filled only by internal transfers, promotions, demotions, or
recall from layoffs are excluded. Also excluded are jobs with start dates
more than 30 days in the future, jobs for which employees have been hired
but have not yet reported for work, and jobs to be filled by employees of
temporary help agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors,
or consultants. The job openings rate is computed by dividing the number
of job openings by the sum of employment and job openings and multiplying
that quotient by 100.
- 5 -
Hires. Hires are the total number of additions to the payroll occurring
at any time during the reference month, including both new and rehired em-
ployees, full-time and part-time, permanent, short-term and seasonal em-
ployees, employees recalled to the location after a layoff lasting more
than 7 days, on-call or intermittent employees who returned to work after
having been formally separated, and transfers from other locations. The
hires count does not include transfers or promotions within the reporting
site, employees returning from strike, employees of temporary help agencies
or employee leasing companies, outside contractors, or consultants. The
hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by employment and
multiplying that quotient by 100.
Separations. Separations are the total number of terminations of
employment occurring at any time during the reference month, and are
reported by type of separation--quits, layoffs and discharges, and
other separations. Quits are voluntary separations by employees (ex-
cept for retirements, which are reported as other separations). Lay-
offs and discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the em-
ployer and include layoffs with no intent to rehire, formal layoffs
lasting or expected to last more than 7 days, discharges resulting
from mergers, downsizing, or closings, firings or other discharges
for cause, terminations of permanent or short-term employees, and
terminations of seasonal employees. Other separations include re-
tirements, transfers to other locations, deaths, and separations
due to disability. Separations do not include transfers within the
same location or employees on strike.
The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of separations
by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100. The quits, layoffs
and discharges, and other separations rates are computed similarly, divid-
ing the number by employment and multiplying by 100.
Annual estimates. Annual estimates of rates and levels of hires, quits,
layoffs and discharges, other separations, and total separations are released
with the January news release each year.
The JOLTS annual level estimates for hires, quits, layoffs and discharges,
other separations, and total separations are the sum of the 12 published
monthly levels. The annual rate estimates are computed by dividing the an-
nual level by the Current Employment Statistics (CES) annual average employ-
ment level, and multiplying that quotient by 100. This figure will be ap-
proximately equal to the sum of the 12 monthly rates. Note that both the
JOLTS and CES annual levels are rounded to the nearest thousand before the
annual estimates are calculated. Consistent with BLS practices, annual es-
timates will be published only for not seasonally adjusted data.
Annual estimates are not calculated for job openings because job
openings are a stock, or point-in-time, measurement for the last business
day of each month. Only jobs still open on the last day of the month are
counted. For the same reason job openings cannot be cumulated throughout
each month, annual figures for job openings cannot be created by summing
the monthly estimates. Hires and separations are flow measures and are
cumulated over the month with a total reported for the month. Therefore,
the annual figures can be created by summing the monthly estimates.
- 6 -
Sample methodology
The JOLTS sample design is a random sample of 16,000 nonfarm business
establishments, including factories, offices, and stores, as well as
federal, state, and local governments in the 50 states and the District
of Columbia. The establishments are drawn from a universe of over eight
million establishments compiled as part of the operations of the Quarterly
Census of Employment and Wages, or QCEW, program. This program includes
all employers subject to state Unemployment Insurance (UI) laws and federal
agencies subject to Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE).
The sampling frame is stratified by ownership, region, industry sector,
and size class. Large firms fall into the sample with virtual certainty.
JOLTS total employment estimates are controlled to the employment estimates
of the Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey. A ratio of CES to JOLTS
employment is used to adjust the levels for all other JOLTS data elements.
Rates are then computed from the adjusted levels.
Using JOLTS data
The JOLTS data series on job openings, hires, and separations are rel-
atively new. The full sample is divided into panels, with one panel
enrolled each month. A full complement of panels for the original data
series based on the 1987 Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system
was not completely enrolled in the survey until January 2002. The supple-
mental panels of establishments needed to create NAICS estimates were not
completely enrolled until May 2003. The data collected up until those
points are from less than a full sample. Therefore, estimates from earlier
months should be used with caution, as fewer sampled units were reporting
data at that time.
In March 2002, BLS procedures for collecting hires and separations data
were revised to address possible underreporting. As a result, JOLTS hires
and separations estimates for months prior to March 2002 may not be compar-
able with estimates for March 2002 and later.
The federal government reorganization that involved transferring approx-
imately 180,000 employees to the new Department of Homeland Security is not
reflected in the JOLTS hires and separations estimates for the federal gov-
ernment. The Office of Personnel Management's record shows these transfers
were completed in March 2003. The inclusion of transfers in the JOLTS defi-
nitions of hires and separations is intended to cover ongoing movements of
workers between establishments. The Department of Homeland Security reorgan-
ization was a massive one-time event, and the inclusion of these intergovern-
mental transfers would distort the federal government time series.
Seasonal adjustment
BLS seasonally adjusts several JOLTS series using the X-12-ARIMA
seasonal adjustment program. Seasonal adjustment is the process of
estimating and removing periodic fluctuations caused by events such
as weather, holidays, and the beginning and ending of the school year.
Seasonal adjustment makes it easier to observe fundamental changes in
the level of the series, particularly those associated with general
economic expansions and contractions. A concurrent seasonal adjust-
ment methodology is used in which new seasonal adjustment factors are
calculated each month, using all relevant data, up to and including
the data for the current month.
- 7 -
Data users should note that seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS series is
conducted with fewer data observations than is customary. The historical
data, therefore, may be subject to larger than normal revisions. Since the
seasonal patterns in economic data series typically emerge over time, the
standard use of moving averages as seasonal filters to capture these effects
requires longer series than are currently available. As a result, the stable
seasonal filter option is used in the seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS data.
When calculating seasonal factors, this filter takes an average for each cal-
endar month after detrending the series. The stable seasonal filter assumes
that the seasonal factors are fixed; a necessary assumption until sufficient
data are available. When the stable seasonal filter is no longer needed,
other program features also may be introduced, such as outlier adjustment
and extended diagnostic testing. Additionally, it is expected that more
series, such as layoffs and discharges and additional industries, may be
seasonally adjusted when more data are available.
Reliability of the estimates
JOLTS estimates are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error.
When a sample rather than the entire population is surveyed, there is a
chance that the sample estimates may differ from the "true" population
values they represent. The exact difference, or sampling error, varies
depending on the particular sample selected, and this variability is
measured by the standard error of the estimate. BLS analysis is generally
conducted at the 90-percent level of confidence. That means that there is
a 90-percent chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate based on a
sample will differ by no more than 1.6 standard errors from the "true"
population value because of sampling error. Estimates of sampling errors
are available upon request.
The JOLTS estimates also are affected by nonsampling error. Nonsampling
error can occur for many reasons, including the failure to include a seg-
ment of the population, the inability to obtain data from all units in the
sample, the inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide data on a
timely basis, mistakes made by respondents, errors made in the collection
or processing of the data, and errors from the employment benchmark data
used in estimation.
JOLTS hires and separations estimates cannot be used to exactly ex-
plain net changes in nonfarm payroll employment. Some reasons why it is
problematic to compare changes in payroll employment with JOLTS hires and
separations, especially on a monthly basis, are: 1) the reference period
for payroll employment is the pay period including the 12th of the month,
while the reference period for hires and separations is the calendar month;
and 2) payroll employment can vary from month to month simply because part-
time and on-call workers may not always work during the pay period that in-
cludes the 12th of the month. Additionally, research has found that some
reporters systematically underreport separations relative to hires due to a
number of factors, including the nature of their payroll systems and prac-
tices. The shortfall appears to be about 2 percent or less over a 12-month
period.
Other information
Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired
individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; TDD message referral
phone: 1-800-877-8339.
Table 1. Job openings levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels (3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May
2006 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p 2006 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p
Total (4).................................. 4,037 4,401 4,222 4,149 4,176 4,170 4,163 2.9 3.1 3.0 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.9
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 3,611 3,928 3,746 3,666 3,702 3,683 3,703 3.1 3.3 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.1
Construction............................. 138 107 142 229 152 154 159 1.8 1.4 1.8 2.9 1.9 2.0 2.0
Manufacturing............................ 310 362 337 330 316 350 370 2.1 2.5 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.4 2.6
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 703 767 727 660 677 669 614 2.6 2.8 2.7 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.3
Retail trade............................ 405 471 413 378 375 389 345 2.6 3.0 2.6 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.2
Professional and business services....... 739 745 707 642 758 735 687 4.1 4.0 3.8 3.5 4.1 4.0 3.7
Education and health services............ 648 734 707 670 685 706 713 3.5 3.9 3.8 3.6 3.6 3.7 3.7
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 509 612 552 566 574 512 578 3.7 4.4 4.0 4.0 4.1 3.7 4.1
Accommodations and food services........ 458 538 495 511 506 453 504 3.9 4.5 4.1 4.3 4.2 3.8 4.2
Government (7)............................ 438 473 477 482 470 488 470 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.1
State and local government............... 396 427 439 438 430 439 434 2.0 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2
REGION (8)
Northeast................................ 673 849 733 717 703 675 674 2.6 3.2 2.8 2.7 2.7 2.6 2.5
South.................................... 1,670 1,674 1,653 1,631 1,658 1,670 1,650 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.3 3.2
Midwest.................................. 757 810 822 783 797 779 814 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.5
West..................................... 949 1,044 1,005 1,011 1,027 1,038 1,042 3.0 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.3
1 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day of the month.
2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business day of the month as a percent of total employment plus
job openings.
3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
6 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately.
7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
8 The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of
Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas,
Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio,
South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah,
Washington, and Wyoming.
p = preliminary.
Table 2. Hires levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels (3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May
2006 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p 2006 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p
Total (4).................................. 5,068 4,959 4,959 4,815 4,815 4,832 4,929 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.6
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 4,618 4,662 4,607 4,509 4,416 4,423 4,499 4.1 4.1 4.0 3.9 3.8 3.8 3.9
Construction............................. 378 341 299 298 356 330 332 4.9 4.4 3.9 3.9 4.6 4.3 4.3
Manufacturing............................ 385 375 369 371 318 350 357 2.7 2.7 2.6 2.6 2.3 2.5 2.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 1,064 990 1,020 1,018 1,006 1,028 1,046 4.1 3.8 3.9 3.9 3.8 3.9 4.0
Retail trade............................ 749 699 757 695 691 706 721 4.9 4.6 4.9 4.5 4.5 4.6 4.7
Professional and business services....... 1,095 963 954 953 881 828 927 6.3 5.4 5.4 5.3 4.9 4.6 5.2
Education and health services............ 545 515 508 518 497 507 498 3.1 2.8 2.8 2.9 2.7 2.8 2.7
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 811 969 956 934 867 903 905 6.2 7.2 7.1 7.0 6.4 6.7 6.7
Accommodations and food services........ 698 793 825 778 726 811 795 6.3 6.9 7.2 6.8 6.3 7.0 6.9
Government (7)............................ 390 371 384 379 404 421 412 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.9
State and local government............... 332 313 321 317 313 333 334 1.7 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.7
REGION (8)
Northeast................................ 842 768 833 709 740 759 712 3.3 3.0 3.2 2.8 2.9 2.9 2.8
South.................................... 1,882 1,900 1,899 1,837 1,835 1,894 1,916 3.9 3.9 3.9 3.7 3.7 3.8 3.9
Midwest.................................. 1,096 1,150 1,167 1,184 1,105 1,069 1,098 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.5 3.4 3.4
West..................................... 1,172 1,209 1,142 1,156 1,157 1,122 1,163 3.9 3.9 3.7 3.8 3.8 3.6 3.8
1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month.
2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
6 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately.
7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
8 See footnote 8, table 1.
p = preliminary.
Table 3. Total separations levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels (3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May
2006 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p 2006 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p
Total (4).................................. 4,953 4,540 4,602 4,556 4,741 4,524 4,419 3.6 3.3 3.4 3.3 3.4 3.3 3.2
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 4,647 4,253 4,296 4,263 4,417 4,227 4,089 4.1 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.8 3.7 3.5
Construction............................. 479 387 400 322 344 360 330 6.2 5.0 5.2 4.2 4.5 4.7 4.3
Manufacturing.......................... . 385 372 399 422 400 380 385 2.7 2.6 2.8 3.0 2.8 2.7 2.7
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 1,061 962 973 943 974 975 943 4.1 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.6
Retail trade............................ 780 707 680 656 682 678 685 5.1 4.6 4.4 4.3 4.4 4.4 4.5
Professional and business services....... 931 851 894 862 876 805 720 5.3 4.8 5.0 4.8 4.9 4.5 4.0
Education and health services............ 445 430 423 419 429 414 431 2.5 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.4
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 831 835 768 835 846 861 823 6.4 6.2 5.7 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.1
Accommodations and food services........ 693 757 612 697 702 720 709 6.2 6.6 5.4 6.1 6.1 6.3 6.1
Government (7)............................ 313 283 309 294 315 311 317 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.4
State and local government............... 253 255 254 243 238 241 240 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2
REGION (8)
Northeast............................... 827 670 740 675 667 640 618 3.3 2.6 2.9 2.6 2.6 2.5 2.4
South................................... 1,899 1,796 1,783 1,763 1,829 1,904 1,756 3.9 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.7 3.9 3.6
Midwest................................. 1,076 1,054 1,034 1,054 1,006 981 978 3.4 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.1 3.1
West.................................... 1,122 1,036 1,037 1,041 1,165 1,040 1,053 3.7 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.8 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.
5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
6 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately.
7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
8 See footnote 8, table 1.
p = preliminary.
Table 4. Quits levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels (3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May
2006 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p 2006 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p
Total (4).................................. 2,785 2,759 2,648 2,705 2,763 2,637 2,635 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.0 2.0 1.9 1.9
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 2,628 2,615 2,505 2,571 2,591 2,486 2,479 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.1
Construction............................. 198 143 141 120 131 126 118 2.6 1.9 1.8 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.5
Manufacturing............................ 208 222 229 212 216 199 213 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 641 597 594 606 608 600 602 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3
Retail trade............................ 469 438 422 438 428 440 443 3.1 2.9 2.7 2.9 2.8 2.9 2.9
Professional and business services....... 437 497 498 486 461 418 394 2.5 2.8 2.8 2.7 2.6 2.3 2.2
Education and health services............ 280 289 271 280 267 274 280 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 563 602 489 579 590 592 551 4.3 4.5 3.7 4.3 4.4 4.4 4.1
Accommodations and food services........ 515 560 448 531 539 542 505 4.6 4.9 3.9 4.6 4.7 4.7 4.4
Government (7)............................ 157 146 150 139 155 153 157 .7 .7 .7 .6 .7 .7 .7
State and local government............... 131 130 129 117 130 129 131 .7 .7 .7 .6 .7 .7 .7
REGION (8)
Northeast.............................. 397 367 355 322 352 350 327 1.6 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.3
South.................................. 1,177 1,171 1,099 1,152 1,150 1,163 1,128 2.4 2.4 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.3
Midwest................................ 572 559 595 599 588 544 526 1.8 1.8 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.7 1.7
West................................... 627 638 602 629 665 590 644 2.1 2.1 2.0 2.0 2.2 1.9 2.1
1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month.
2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
6 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately.
7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
8 See footnote 8, table 1.
p = preliminary.
Table 5. Job openings levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 4,300 4,367 4,400 3.1 3.1 3.1
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,838 3,870 3,912 3.2 3.3 3.3
Natural resources and mining.................. 15 13 15 2.2 1.7 2.0
Construction.................................. 162 187 192 2.0 2.4 2.4
Manufacturing................................. 324 361 384 2.2 2.5 2.7
Durable goods................................ 218 212 222 2.4 2.3 2.4
Nondurable goods............................. 106 148 163 2.0 2.8 3.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 733 685 623 2.7 2.5 2.3
Wholesale trade.............................. 162 163 130 2.7 2.7 2.1
Retail trade................................. 424 391 351 2.7 2.5 2.2
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 147 131 142 2.8 2.5 2.7
Information................................... 132 143 139 4.1 4.4 4.3
Financial activities.......................... 289 242 267 3.3 2.8 3.1
Finance and insurance........................ 227 173 214 3.5 2.7 3.3
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 62 70 54 2.8 3.1 2.4
Professional and business services............ 761 767 698 4.2 4.1 3.8
Education and health services................. 676 724 742 3.6 3.8 3.9
Educational services......................... 78 74 75 2.6 2.3 2.4
Health care and social assistance............ 598 651 667 3.9 4.1 4.2
Leisure and hospitality....................... 583 594 665 4.2 4.3 4.6
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 64 83 87 3.1 4.2 4.1
Accommodations and food services............. 518 511 577 4.4 4.3 4.7
Other services................................ 164 153 187 2.9 2.7 3.3
Government..................................... 462 498 488 2.0 2.2 2.1
Federal....................................... 41 55 37 1.5 2.0 1.3
State and local............................... 421 443 451 2.1 2.2 2.2
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 708 682 695 2.7 2.6 2.6
South......................................... 1,785 1,790 1,753 3.5 3.5 3.4
Midwest....................................... 786 817 845 2.4 2.5 2.6
West.......................................... 1,021 1,078 1,106 3.2 3.4 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 8, table 1.
p = preliminary.
Table 6. Hires levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 5,752 4,883 5,658 4.2 3.5 4.1
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 5,352 4,575 5,231 4.7 4.0 4.5
Natural resources and mining.................. 23 23 35 3.4 3.2 4.8
Construction.................................. 494 442 430 6.3 5.9 5.6
Manufacturing................................. 446 353 419 3.1 2.5 3.0
Durable goods................................ 272 205 244 3.0 2.3 2.7
Nondurable goods............................. 174 148 175 3.4 2.9 3.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 1,162 1,001 1,157 4.4 3.8 4.4
Wholesale trade.............................. 156 182 193 2.6 3.0 3.2
Retail trade................................. 832 688 805 5.5 4.5 5.3
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 174 131 158 3.5 2.6 3.1
Information................................... 91 84 78 3.0 2.7 2.5
Financial activities.......................... 220 203 281 2.6 2.4 3.3
Finance and insurance........................ 130 149 182 2.1 2.4 2.9
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 90 54 99 4.1 2.5 4.5
Professional and business services............ 1,130 859 983 6.5 4.8 5.5
Education and health services................. 541 452 492 3.0 2.5 2.7
Educational services......................... 65 48 56 2.2 1.5 1.8
Health care and social assistance............ 475 404 436 3.2 2.6 2.8
Leisure and hospitality....................... 1,060 992 1,169 8.0 7.4 8.5
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 212 139 204 10.6 7.3 9.9
Accommodations and food services............. 849 852 965 7.5 7.4 8.3
Other services................................ 184 167 187 3.4 3.1 3.4
Government..................................... 401 308 427 1.8 1.4 1.9
Federal....................................... 68 73 87 2.5 2.7 3.2
State and local............................... 333 235 340 1.7 1.2 1.7
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 997 781 842 3.9 3.0 3.2
South......................................... 2,115 1,876 2,164 4.3 3.8 4.4
Midwest....................................... 1,366 1,118 1,383 4.3 3.5 4.3
West.......................................... 1,274 1,109 1,269 4.2 3.6 4.1
1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month.
2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
3 See footnote 8, table 1.
p = preliminary.
Table 7. Total separations levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 4,940 4,260 4,385 3.6 3.1 3.2
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 4,603 4,034 4,040 4.0 3.5 3.5
Natural resources and mining.................. 13 22 25 1.9 3.1 3.5
Construction.................................. 457 299 304 5.9 4.0 3.9
Manufacturing................................. 383 369 384 2.7 2.6 2.7
Durable goods................................ 205 211 220 2.3 2.4 2.5
Nondurable goods............................. 178 158 163 3.4 3.1 3.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 1,115 882 964 4.3 3.4 3.7
Wholesale trade.............................. 150 154 112 2.5 2.6 1.9
Retail trade................................. 791 604 708 5.2 4.0 4.6
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 174 125 143 3.5 2.5 2.8
Information................................... 77 71 71 2.5 2.3 2.3
Financial activities.......................... 200 197 225 2.4 2.3 2.7
Finance and insurance........................ 146 141 156 2.4 2.3 2.5
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 54 56 70 2.5 2.6 3.2
Professional and business services............ 909 835 653 5.2 4.7 3.7
Education and health services................. 496 386 482 2.8 2.1 2.6
Educational services......................... 88 45 64 3.0 1.4 2.1
Health care and social assistance............ 408 340 418 2.7 2.2 2.7
Leisure and hospitality....................... 800 835 790 6.0 6.3 5.8
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 118 155 102 5.9 8.2 5.0
Accommodations and food services............. 682 680 688 6.0 5.9 5.9
Other services................................ 153 138 143 2.8 2.5 2.6
Government..................................... 336 226 345 1.5 1.0 1.5
Federal....................................... 54 59 79 2.0 2.2 2.9
State and local............................... 282 167 266 1.4 .8 1.3
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 738 573 537 2.9 2.2 2.1
South......................................... 2,027 1,883 1,857 4.1 3.8 3.7
Midwest....................................... 1,038 842 916 3.3 2.7 2.9
West.......................................... 1,137 962 1,075 3.7 3.1 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 8, table 1.
p = preliminary.
Table 8. Quits levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 2,932 2,518 2,759 2.1 1.8 2.0
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 2,752 2,396 2,577 2.4 2.1 2.2
Natural resources and mining.................. 9 13 16 1.3 1.8 2.3
Construction.................................. 226 121 131 2.9 1.6 1.7
Manufacturing................................. 215 198 221 1.5 1.4 1.6
Durable goods................................ 109 109 130 1.2 1.2 1.5
Nondurable goods............................. 106 88 92 2.0 1.7 1.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 690 571 646 2.6 2.2 2.4
Wholesale trade.............................. 73 91 68 1.2 1.5 1.1
Retail trade................................. 514 412 491 3.4 2.7 3.2
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 102 68 88 2.0 1.3 1.7
Information................................... 62 50 42 2.0 1.6 1.4
Financial activities.......................... 126 121 159 1.5 1.4 1.9
Finance and insurance........................ 95 95 118 1.5 1.5 1.9
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 31 26 41 1.4 1.2 1.8
Professional and business services............ 460 403 387 2.6 2.3 2.2
Education and health services................. 297 258 299 1.7 1.4 1.6
Educational services......................... 41 29 26 1.4 .9 .9
Health care and social assistance............ 257 229 273 1.7 1.5 1.8
Leisure and hospitality....................... 581 572 565 4.4 4.3 4.1
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 41 45 38 2.1 2.4 1.9
Accommodations and food services............. 540 526 527 4.8 4.6 4.5
Other services................................ 86 90 110 1.6 1.6 2.0
Government..................................... 179 122 182 .8 .5 .8
Federal....................................... 27 22 27 1.0 .8 1.0
State and local............................... 152 100 155 .8 .5 .8
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 407 313 328 1.6 1.2 1.3
South......................................... 1,255 1,170 1,199 2.6 2.4 2.4
Midwest....................................... 618 485 552 2.0 1.5 1.7
West.......................................... 651 549 680 2.1 1.8 2.2
1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month.
2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
3 See footnote 8, table 1.
p = preliminary.
Table 9. Layoffs and discharges levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 1,598 1,451 1,316 1.2 1.1 0.9
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 1,498 1,398 1,226 1.3 1.2 1.1
Natural resources and mining.................. 2 5 6 .3 .8 .9
Construction.................................. 198 171 152 2.5 2.3 2.0
Manufacturing................................. 138 132 138 1.0 .9 1.0
Durable goods................................ 76 80 76 .8 .9 .9
Nondurable goods............................. 63 52 62 1.2 1.0 1.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 309 251 261 1.2 1.0 1.0
Wholesale trade.............................. 48 56 35 .8 .9 .6
Retail trade................................. 207 147 183 1.4 1.0 1.2
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 55 47 42 1.1 .9 .8
Information................................... 11 16 25 .3 .5 .8
Financial activities.......................... 49 52 48 .6 .6 .6
Finance and insurance........................ 29 31 26 .5 .5 .4
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 20 21 22 .9 1.0 1.0
Professional and business services............ 379 391 222 2.2 2.2 1.2
Education and health services................. 174 105 144 1.0 .6 .8
Educational services......................... 45 13 33 1.5 .4 1.1
Health care and social assistance............ 129 92 111 .9 .6 .7
Leisure and hospitality....................... 187 243 201 1.4 1.8 1.5
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 73 105 61 3.7 5.5 3.0
Accommodations and food services............. 114 139 139 1.0 1.2 1.2
Other services................................ 50 31 27 .9 .6 .5
Government..................................... 99 53 90 .4 .2 .4
Federal....................................... 12 13 18 .4 .5 .7
State and local............................... 87 40 72 .4 .2 .4
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 255 203 161 1.0 .8 .6
South......................................... 592 612 545 1.2 1.2 1.1
Midwest....................................... 349 291 303 1.1 .9 .9
West.......................................... 401 345 306 1.3 1.1 1.0
1 Layoffs and discharges are the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire month.
2 The layoffs and discharges rate is the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire month as a
percent of total employment.
3 See footnote 8, table 1.
p = preliminary.
Table 10. Other separations levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 411 292 311 0.3 0.2 0.2
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 353 241 238 .3 .2 .2
Natural resources and mining.................. 2 3 3 .3 .5 .4
Construction.................................. 33 7 21 .4 .1 .3
Manufacturing................................. 30 39 25 .2 .3 .2
Durable goods................................ 21 22 15 .2 .2 .2
Nondurable goods............................. 9 18 9 .2 .3 .2
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 116 61 57 .4 .2 .2
Wholesale trade.............................. 29 6 9 .5 .1 .1
Retail trade................................. 70 45 35 .5 .3 .2
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 17 10 13 .3 .2 .3
Information................................... 4 5 4 .1 .2 .1
Financial activities.......................... 25 24 18 .3 .3 .2
Finance and insurance........................ 22 16 11 .4 .3 .2
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 3 9 7 .1 .4 .3
Professional and business services............ 69 41 43 .4 .2 .2
Education and health services................. 24 23 38 .1 .1 .2
Educational services......................... 2 3 4 .1 .1 .1
Health care and social assistance............ 22 19 34 .1 .1 .2
Leisure and hospitality....................... 31 20 24 .2 .2 .2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 4 6 3 .2 .3 .1
Accommodations and food services............. 28 15 21 .2 .1 .2
Other services................................ 17 16 6 .3 .3 .1
Government..................................... 58 51 73 .3 .2 .3
Federal....................................... 15 24 34 .5 .9 1.2
State and local............................... 43 27 39 .2 .1 .2
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 76 57 48 .3 .2 .2
South......................................... 180 101 113 .4 .2 .2
Midwest....................................... 70 65 61 .2 .2 .2
West.......................................... 84 69 89 .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.
3 See footnote 8, table 1.
p = preliminary.