Full text of November 2004 : Text File, USDL-05-055
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Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 05-055
http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
For release: 10:00 A.M. EST
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 Wednesday, January 12, 2005
JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: NOVEMBER 2004
The job openings rate edged down in November, while the hires rate
increased and the total separations rate remained unchanged, the Bureau
of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The
job openings rate decreased slightly to 2.4 percent. The hires rate in-
creased to 3.6 percent; the total separations rate was unchanged at 3.1 per-
cent. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job open-
ings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector by industry and
geographic region.
Job Openings
On the last business day of November 2004, there were 3.2 million job
openings in the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.4 percent.
(See table 1.) The job openings rate edged down in November, although it
has followed a generally upward trend since August 2003. In November, the
job openings rate decreased in government; manufacturing; and trade, trans-
portation, and utilities. The job openings rate was down in the Northeast
and South regions.
Hires and Separations
The hires rate (the number of hires during the month divided by employ-
ment) was 3.6 percent in November, a slight increase from a month earlier.
(See table 2.) Hires are any additions to the payroll during the month.
The hires rate increased in the manufacturing; trade, transportation, and
utilities; and education and health services industries over the month.
The hires rate rose in the Midwest region.
The total separations, or turnover, rate (the total number of separations
during the month divided by employment) was 3.1 percent in November. The
overall total separations rate is 0.2 percentage point higher than its most
recent low in November 2003. Separations are terminations of employment that
occur at any time during the month. (See table 3.) The total separations
rate increased in professional and business services in November.
Total separations include quits (voluntary separations), layoffs and dis-
charges (involuntary separations), and other separations (including retire-
ments). The quits rate, which can serve as a barometer of workers' ability
to change jobs, was essentially unchanged at 1.8 percent in November, after
holding steady at 1.7 percent from February through October 2004. (See
table 4.) The quits rate increased in professional and business services
and edged down in government in November. The other two components of total
separations, layoffs and discharges (1.2 percent) and other separations
(0.2 percent), are not seasonally adjusted. Both rates showed little change
from a year earlier.
- 2 -
Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally
adjusted
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Job openings | Hires | Total separations
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Industry | Nov. | Oct. | Nov. | Nov. | Oct. | Nov. | Nov. | Oct. | Nov.
| 2003 | 2004 | 2004p| 2003 | 2004 | 2004p| 2003 | 2004 | 2004p
-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Levels (in thousands)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total 1/...........|2,952 |3,420 |3,204 |4,135 |4,469 |4,821 |3,797 |4,129 |4,098
Total private 1/.|2,593 |3,042 |2,867 |3,843 |4,149 |4,521 |3,543 |3,877 |3,843
Construction...| 89 | 114 | 108 | 397 | 361 | 388 | 372 | 423 | 358
Manufacturing..| 221 | 263 | 236 | 345 | 333 | 389 | 330 | 338 | 307
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities.....| 513 | 630 | 551 | 875 | 976 |1,088 | 856 | 922 | 930
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 499 | 614 | 595 | 613 | 783 | 843 | 542 | 580 | 721
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 551 | 550 | 540 | 436 | 411 | 453 | 372 | 373 | 403
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality...| 364 | 405 | 385 | 776 | 769 | 805 | 678 | 747 | 732
Government.......| 358 | 403 | 335 | 302 | 321 | 310 | 259 | 260 | 255
|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Rates (percent)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total 1/...........| 2.2 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.1
Total private 1/.| 2.3 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.5
Construction...| 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 5.9 | 5.1 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 6.0 | 5.1
Manufacturing..| 1.5 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.1
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities.....| 2.0 | 2.4 | 2.1 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 4.3 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.6
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 3.0 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 4.3
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 2.7 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.4
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality...| 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 6.4 | 6.2 | 6.5 | 5.6 | 6.0 | 5.9
Government.......| 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.2
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/ Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and
other services, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
Hires and separations help show dynamic flows in the labor market. Over
the last 12 months, hires have averaged 4.3 million per month and separations
have averaged 4.1 million per month. (See the Technical Note for additional
information on these measures.)
For More Information
For additional information, please see the Technical Note or the JOLTS
Web site at www.bls.gov/jlt/. Additional information about JOLTS also may
be obtained by e-mailing Joltsinfo@bls.gov or by calling (202) 691-5870.
______________________________
The Job Openings and Labor Turnover release for December 2004 is
scheduled to be issued on Wednesday, February 9, 2005.
- 3 -
Technical Note
The data for the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) are
collected and compiled monthly from a sample of business establishments
by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Collection
Each month, data are collected in a survey of business establishments
for total employment, job openings, hires, quits, layoffs and discharges,
and other separations. Data collection methods include computer-assisted
telephone interviewing, touchtone data entry, fax, and mail.
Coverage
The JOLTS program covers all private nonfarm establishments such as
factories, offices, and stores, as well as federal, state, and local
government entities in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Concepts
Industry classification. The industry classifications in this release
are in accordance with the 2002 version of the North American Industry
Classification System (NAICS). In order to ensure the highest possible
quality of data, State Employment Security Agencies verify with employers
and update, if necessary, the industry code, location, and ownership clas-
sification of all establishments on a 3-year cycle. Changes in establish-
ment characteristics resulting from the verification process are always
introduced into the JOLTS sampling frame with the data reported for the
first month of the year.
Employment. Employment includes persons on the payroll who worked or re-
ceived pay for the pay period that includes the 12th day of the reference
month. Full-time, part-time, permanent, short-term, seasonal, salaried,
and hourly employees are included, as are employees on paid vacations or
other paid leave. Proprietors or partners of unincorporated businesses,
unpaid family workers, or persons on leave without pay or on strike for
the entire pay period, are not counted as employed. Employees of tempo-
rary help agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors, and
consultants are counted by their employer of record, not by the establish-
ment where they are working.
Job openings. Establishments submit job openings information for the
last business day of the reference month. A job opening requires that:
1) a specific position exists and there is work available for that posi-
tion, 2) work could start within 30 days regardless of whether a suitable
candidate is found, and 3) the employer is actively recruiting from outside
the establishment to fill the position. Included are full-time, part-time,
permanent, short-term, and seasonal openings. Active recruiting means that
the establishment is taking steps to fill a position by advertising in news-
papers or on the Internet, posting help-wanted signs, accepting applications,
or using other similar methods.
Jobs to be filled only by internal transfers, promotions, demotions, or
recall from layoffs are excluded. Also excluded are jobs with start dates
more than 30 days in the future, jobs for which employees have been hired
but have not yet reported for work, and jobs to be filled by employees of
temporary help agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors,
or consultants. The job openings rate is computed by dividing the number
of job openings by the sum of employment and job openings and multiplying
that quotient by 100.
- 4 -
Hires. Hires are the total number of additions to the payroll occurring
at any time during the reference month, including both new and rehired em-
ployees, full-time and part-time, permanent, short-term and seasonal em-
ployees, employees recalled to the location after a layoff lasting more
than 7 days, on-call or intermittent employees who returned to work after
having been formally separated, and transfers from other locations. The
hires count does not include transfers or promotions within the reporting
site, employees returning from strike, employees of temporary help agencies
or employee leasing companies, outside contractors, or consultants. The
hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by employment and
multiplying that quotient by 100.
Separations. Separations are the total number of terminations of
employment occurring at any time during the reference month, and are
reported by type of separation--quits, layoffs and discharges, and
other separations. Quits are voluntary separations by employees (ex-
cept for retirements, which are reported as other separations). Lay-
offs and discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the em-
ployer and include layoffs with no intent to rehire, formal layoffs
lasting or expected to last more than 7 days, discharges resulting
from mergers, downsizing, or closings, firings or other discharges
for cause, terminations of permanent or short-term employees, and
terminations of seasonal employees. Other separations include re-
tirements, transfers to other locations, deaths, and separations
due to disability. Separations do not include transfers within the
same location or employees on strike.
The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of separations
by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100. The quits, layoffs
and discharges, and other separations rates are computed similarly, divid-
ing the number by employment and multiplying by 100.
Sample methodology
The JOLTS sample design is a random sample of 16,000 nonfarm business
establishments, including factories, offices, and stores, as well as
federal, state, and local governments in the 50 states and the District
of Columbia. The establishments are drawn from a universe of over eight
million establishments compiled as part of the operations of the Quarterly
Census of Employment and Wages, or QCEW, program. This program includes
all employers subject to state Unemployment Insurance (UI) laws and federal
agencies subject to Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE).
The sampling frame is stratified by ownership, region, industry sector,
and size class. Large firms fall into the sample with virtual certainty.
JOLTS total employment estimates are controlled to the employment estimates
of the Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey. A ratio of CES to JOLTS
employment is used to adjust the levels for all other JOLTS data elements.
Rates are then computed from the adjusted levels.
- 5 -
Using JOLTS data
The JOLTS data series on job openings, hires, and separations are rel-
atively new. The full sample is divided into panels, with one panel
enrolled each month. A full complement of panels for the original data
series based on the 1987 Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system
was not completely enrolled in the survey until January 2002. The supple-
mental panels of establishments needed to create NAICS estimates were not
completely enrolled until May 2003. The data collected up until those
points are from less than a full sample. Therefore, estimates from earlier
months should be used with caution, as fewer sampled units were reporting
data at that time.
In March 2002, BLS procedures for collecting hires and separations data
were revised to address possible underreporting. As a result, JOLTS hires
and separations estimates for months prior to March 2002 may not be compar-
able with estimates for March 2002 and later.
The federal government reorganization that involved transferring approx-
imately 180,000 employees to the new Department of Homeland Security is not
reflected in the JOLTS hires and separations estimates for the federal gov-
ernment. The Office of Personnel Management's record shows these transfers
were completed in March 2003. The inclusion of transfers in the JOLTS defi-
nitions of hires and separations is intended to cover ongoing movements of
workers between establishments. The Department of Homeland Security reorgan-
ization was a massive one-time event, and the inclusion of these intergovern-
mental transfers would distort the federal government time series.
Seasonal adjustment
BLS seasonally adjusts several JOLTS series using the X-12-ARIMA
seasonal adjustment program. Seasonal adjustment is the process of
estimating and removing periodic fluctuations caused by events such
as weather, holidays, and the beginning and ending of the school year.
Seasonal adjustment makes it easier to observe fundamental changes in
the level of the series, particularly those associated with general
economic expansions and contractions. A concurrent seasonal adjust-
ment methodology is used in which new seasonal adjustment factors are
calculated each month, using all relevant data, up to and including
the data for the current month.
Data users should note that seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS series is
conducted with fewer data observations than is customary. The historical
data, therefore, may be subject to larger than normal revisions. Since the
seasonal patterns in economic data series typically emerge over time, the
standard use of moving averages as seasonal filters to capture these effects
requires longer series than are currently available. As a result, the stable
seasonal filter option is used in the seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS data.
When calculating seasonal factors, this filter takes an average for each cal-
endar month after detrending the series. The stable seasonal filter assumes
that the seasonal factors are fixed; a necessary assumption until sufficient
data are available. When the stable seasonal filter is no longer needed,
other program features also may be introduced, such as outlier adjustment
and extended diagnostic testing. Additionally, it is expected that more
series, such as layoffs and discharges and additional industries, may be
seasonally adjusted when more data are available.
- 6 -
Reliability of the estimates
JOLTS estimates are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error.
When a sample rather than the entire population is surveyed, there is a
chance that the sample estimates may differ from the "true" population
values they represent. The exact difference, or sampling error, varies
depending on the particular sample selected, and this variability is
measured by the standard error of the estimate. BLS analysis is generally
conducted at the 90-percent level of confidence. That means that there is
a 90-percent chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate based on a
sample will differ by no more than 1.6 standard errors from the "true"
population value because of sampling error. Estimates of sampling errors
are available upon request.
The JOLTS estimates also are affected by nonsampling error. Nonsampling
error can occur for many reasons, including the failure to include a seg-
ment of the population, the inability to obtain data from all units in the
sample, the inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide data on a
timely basis, mistakes made by respondents, errors made in the collection
or processing of the data, and errors from the employment benchmark data
used in estimation.
JOLTS hires and separations estimates cannot be used to exactly ex-
plain net changes in nonfarm payroll employment. Some reasons why it is
problematic to compare changes in payroll employment with JOLTS hires and
separations, especially on a monthly basis, are: 1) the reference period
for payroll employment is the pay period including the 12th of the month,
while the reference period for hires and separations is the calendar month;
and 2) payroll employment can vary from month to month simply because part-
time and on-call workers may not always work during the pay period that in-
cludes the 12th of the month. Additionally, research has found that some
reporters systematically underreport separations relative to hires due to a
number of factors, including the nature of their payroll systems and prac-
tices. The shortfall appears to be about 2 percent or less over a 12-month
period.
Other information
Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired
individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; TDD message referral
phone: 1-800-877-8339.
Table 1. Job openings levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels(3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Nov. June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Nov. June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov.
2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p
Total(4)............................... 2,952 3,022 3,237 3,195 3,294 3,420 3,204 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.4
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 2,593 2,640 2,894 2,859 2,934 3,042 2,867 2.3 2.3 2.6 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.5
Construction......................... 89 94 88 121 113 114 108 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.5
Manufacturing........................ 221 247 240 234 251 263 236 1.5 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.6
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 513 503 567 551 591 630 551 2.0 1.9 2.2 2.1 2.3 2.4 2.1
Professional and business services... 499 494 583 594 564 614 595 3.0 2.9 3.4 3.5 3.3 3.6 3.4
Education and health services........ 551 496 537 536 543 550 540 3.2 2.9 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.1
Leisure and hospitality.............. 364 421 435 410 425 405 385 2.9 3.3 3.4 3.2 3.3 3.2 3.0
Government............................ 358 380 343 337 350 403 335 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.8 1.5
REGION
Northeast............................ 526 546 545 540 562 606 523 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.0
South................................ 1,154 1,164 1,280 1,259 1,245 1,385 1,214 2.5 2.4 2.7 2.6 2.6 2.9 2.5
Midwest.............................. 655 631 635 613 699 711 713 2.1 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.2 2.2 2.2
West................................. 621 677 738 771 790 756 750 2.1 2.3 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.6 2.5
1 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day of the month.
2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business day of the month as a percent of total employment plus
job openings.
3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of
Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas,
Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio,
South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah,
Washington, and Wyoming.
Table 2. Hires levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels(3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Nov. June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Nov. June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov.
2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p
Total(4)............................... 4,135 4,433 4,229 4,375 4,253 4,469 4,821 3.2 3.4 3.2 3.3 3.2 3.4 3.6
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 3,843 4,110 3,930 4,058 3,906 4,149 4,521 3.5 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.6 3.8 4.1
Construction......................... 397 436 368 401 383 361 388 5.9 6.3 5.3 5.8 5.5 5.1 5.5
Manufacturing........................ 345 370 352 356 379 333 389 2.4 2.6 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.3 2.7
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 875 945 957 984 864 976 1,088 3.5 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.4 3.8 4.3
Professional and business services... 613 692 621 690 689 783 843 3.8 4.2 3.8 4.2 4.2 4.7 5.1
Education and health services........ 436 428 418 470 401 411 453 2.6 2.5 2.5 2.8 2.4 2.4 2.7
Leisure and hospitality.............. 776 749 760 760 782 769 805 6.4 6.1 6.2 6.1 6.3 6.2 6.5
Government............................ 302 328 310 322 337 321 310 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.4
REGION
Northeast............................ 717 703 720 763 745 755 812 2.9 2.8 2.9 3.0 2.9 3.0 3.2
South................................ 1,508 1,709 1,640 1,643 1,635 1,694 1,809 3.3 3.7 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.6 3.9
Midwest.............................. 925 1,009 935 945 942 1,054 1,149 3.0 3.2 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.4 3.7
West................................. 924 1,023 865 1,018 942 928 994 3.3 3.6 3.0 3.5 3.3 3.2 3.5
1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month.
2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.
Table 3. Total separations levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels(3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Nov. June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Nov. June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov.
2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p
Total(4)............................... 3,797 4,069 4,074 4,134 4,158 4,129 4,098 2.9 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.2 3.1 3.1
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 3,543 3,789 3,793 3,894 3,856 3,877 3,843 3.3 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5
Construction......................... 372 382 364 391 350 423 358 5.5 5.5 5.3 5.6 5.0 6.0 5.1
Manufacturing........................ 330 343 367 379 381 338 307 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.6 2.3 2.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 856 927 972 951 909 922 930 3.4 3.6 3.8 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.6
Professional and business services... 542 607 613 575 590 580 721 3.4 3.7 3.7 3.5 3.6 3.5 4.3
Education and health services........ 372 362 363 380 384 373 403 2.2 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.4
Leisure and hospitality.............. 678 734 694 760 756 747 732 5.6 5.9 5.6 6.2 6.1 6.0 5.9
Government............................ 259 270 273 246 306 260 255 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.1 1.4 1.2 1.2
REGION
Northeast............................ 622 704 674 717 730 670 716 2.5 2.8 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.6 2.8
South................................ 1,438 1,533 1,545 1,527 1,506 1,568 1,549 3.1 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.4 3.3
Midwest.............................. 881 853 935 831 931 948 1,028 2.9 2.7 3.0 2.7 3.0 3.0 3.3
West................................. 858 979 945 1,087 978 914 800 3.0 3.4 3.3 3.8 3.4 3.2 2.8
1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month.
2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.
Table 4. Quits levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels(3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Nov. June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Nov. June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov.
2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p
Total(4)............................... 2,104 2,284 2,265 2,252 2,248 2,283 2,363 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.8
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 1,999 2,162 2,141 2,140 2,118 2,147 2,269 1.8 2.0 2.0 1.9 1.9 1.9 2.1
Construction......................... 158 156 101 147 138 161 152 2.3 2.3 1.5 2.1 2.0 2.3 2.2
Manufacturing........................ 166 171 174 165 183 172 176 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.3 1.2 1.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 491 536 559 552 536 515 559 1.9 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.0 2.2
Professional and business services... 261 322 322 308 325 296 374 1.6 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.0 1.8 2.2
Education and health services........ 225 225 271 239 240 242 250 1.3 1.3 1.6 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.5
Leisure and hospitality.............. 463 480 442 476 439 476 488 3.8 3.9 3.6 3.9 3.6 3.9 3.9
Government............................ 100 123 126 116 130 122 106 .5 .6 .6 .5 .6 .6 .5
REGION
Northeast............................ 301 334 338 339 325 316 353 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.4
South................................ 869 910 901 897 903 910 955 1.9 2.0 1.9 1.9 1.9 2.0 2.0
Midwest.............................. 466 485 505 447 472 510 558 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.8
West................................. 464 573 519 566 546 539 483 1.6 2.0 1.8 2.0 1.9 1.9 1.7
1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month.
2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.
Table 5. Job openings levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Nov. Oct. Nov. Nov. Oct. Nov.
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 2,714 3,458 2,934 2.0 2.5 2.2
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 2,365 3,071 2,610 2.1 2.7 2.3
Natural resources and mining.................. 7 10 9 1.2 1.6 1.4
Construction.................................. 72 102 86 1.0 1.4 1.2
Manufacturing................................. 193 258 205 1.3 1.8 1.4
Durable goods................................ 122 164 126 1.3 1.8 1.4
Nondurable goods............................. 71 93 79 1.3 1.7 1.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 481 765 511 1.8 2.9 1.9
Wholesale trade.............................. 77 82 99 1.4 1.4 1.7
Retail trade................................. 307 591 316 2.0 3.8 2.0
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 97 92 96 2.0 1.8 1.9
Information................................... 53 78 64 1.6 2.4 2.0
Financial activities.......................... 160 220 206 2.0 2.7 2.5
Finance and insurance........................ 133 185 177 2.2 3.0 2.9
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 27 35 29 1.3 1.7 1.4
Professional and business services............ 441 603 537 2.6 3.5 3.1
Education and health services................. 533 546 519 3.1 3.1 2.9
Educational services......................... 37 59 49 1.3 2.0 1.6
Health care and social assistance............ 496 487 470 3.4 3.3 3.2
Leisure and hospitality....................... 323 366 336 2.6 2.9 2.7
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 32 35 38 1.9 2.0 2.2
Accommodations and food services............. 290 331 298 2.7 3.0 2.8
Other services................................ 103 122 137 1.9 2.2 2.5
Government..................................... 349 388 323 1.6 1.7 1.4
Federal....................................... 45 42 31 1.6 1.5 1.1
State and local............................... 304 345 292 1.6 1.8 1.5
REGION
Northeast..................................... 515 635 503 2.0 2.4 1.9
South......................................... 1,060 1,345 1,118 2.2 2.8 2.3
Midwest....................................... 583 718 641 1.8 2.2 2.0
West.......................................... 555 759 672 1.9 2.5 2.3
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.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.
Table 6. Hires levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Nov. Oct. Nov. Nov. Oct. Nov.
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 3,706 4,411 4,392 2.8 3.3 3.3
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,459 4,096 4,143 3.2 3.7 3.7
Natural resources and mining.................. 11 21 18 1.9 3.5 2.9
Construction.................................. 309 336 299 4.5 4.7 4.2
Manufacturing................................. 282 302 322 2.0 2.1 2.2
Durable goods................................ 167 190 176 1.9 2.1 2.0
Nondurable goods............................. 116 112 146 2.1 2.1 2.7
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 1,056 1,144 1,310 4.1 4.5 5.0
Wholesale trade.............................. 87 159 96 1.6 2.8 1.7
Retail trade................................. 836 830 1,037 5.5 5.5 6.7
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 134 155 177 2.8 3.2 3.6
Information................................... 54 61 75 1.7 1.9 2.4
Financial activities.......................... 139 179 183 1.7 2.2 2.3
Finance and insurance........................ 96 129 129 1.6 2.2 2.2
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 44 50 54 2.1 2.4 2.6
Professional and business services............ 500 813 730 3.1 4.8 4.3
Education and health services................. 366 414 388 2.2 2.4 2.2
Educational services......................... 40 59 50 1.4 2.0 1.7
Health care and social assistance............ 326 356 338 2.3 2.5 2.4
Leisure and hospitality....................... 626 671 670 5.2 5.5 5.5
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 87 73 67 5.2 4.2 4.1
Accommodations and food services............. 540 598 604 5.3 5.7 5.8
Other services................................ 115 155 148 2.1 2.9 2.7
Government..................................... 247 315 249 1.1 1.4 1.1
Federal....................................... 44 37 27 1.6 1.3 1.0
State and local............................... 203 279 221 1.1 1.4 1.1
REGION
Northeast..................................... 653 754 762 2.6 3.0 3.0
South......................................... 1,394 1,689 1,694 3.0 3.6 3.6
Midwest....................................... 803 1,034 1,009 2.6 3.3 3.2
West.......................................... 855 933 927 3.0 3.2 3.2
1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month.
2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.
Table 7. Total separations levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Nov. Oct. Nov. Nov. Oct. Nov.
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 3,557 4,196 3,814 2.7 3.2 2.9
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,365 3,966 3,629 3.1 3.6 3.3
Natural resources and mining.................. 11 18 16 1.8 3.0 2.7
Construction.................................. 426 453 394 6.2 6.3 5.5
Manufacturing................................. 310 375 276 2.2 2.6 1.9
Durable goods................................ 204 230 148 2.3 2.6 1.6
Nondurable goods............................. 106 146 128 1.9 2.7 2.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 799 890 866 3.1 3.5 3.3
Wholesale trade.............................. 106 132 109 1.9 2.3 1.9
Retail trade................................. 587 629 637 3.8 4.2 4.1
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 105 130 121 2.2 2.7 2.5
Information................................... 54 81 51 1.7 2.6 1.6
Financial activities.......................... 128 190 171 1.6 2.4 2.1
Finance and insurance........................ 75 124 111 1.3 2.1 1.9
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 53 67 59 2.6 3.2 2.8
Professional and business services............ 487 561 646 3.0 3.3 3.8
Education and health services................. 289 347 323 1.7 2.0 1.9
Educational services......................... 25 45 26 .8 1.5 .9
Health care and social assistance............ 264 302 296 1.9 2.1 2.1
Leisure and hospitality....................... 668 882 716 5.6 7.2 5.9
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 129 153 130 7.8 8.8 7.9
Accommodations and food services............. 539 729 586 5.2 6.9 5.6
Other services................................ 194 169 170 3.6 3.1 3.2
Government..................................... 192 230 186 .9 1.0 .8
Federal....................................... 39 29 21 1.4 1.1 .8
State and local............................... 153 201 165 .8 1.0 .8
REGION
Northeast..................................... 591 695 682 2.3 2.7 2.7
South......................................... 1,267 1,612 1,354 2.7 3.4 2.9
Midwest....................................... 833 938 989 2.7 3.0 3.1
West.......................................... 866 952 789 3.0 3.3 2.7
1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month.
2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of
total employment.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.
Table 8. Quits levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Nov. Oct. Nov. Nov. Oct. Nov.
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 1,810 2,241 2,040 1.4 1.7 1.5
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 1,730 2,135 1,958 1.6 1.9 1.8
Natural resources and mining.................. 5 10 7 .8 1.7 1.2
Construction.................................. 120 156 128 1.7 2.2 1.8
Manufacturing................................. 125 176 133 .9 1.2 .9
Durable goods................................ 71 112 64 .8 1.2 .7
Nondurable goods............................. 54 64 69 1.0 1.2 1.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 429 517 502 1.7 2.0 1.9
Wholesale trade.............................. 61 66 48 1.1 1.2 .9
Retail trade................................. 324 386 386 2.1 2.6 2.5
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 44 65 68 .9 1.3 1.4
Information................................... 26 44 29 .8 1.4 .9
Financial activities.......................... 69 95 89 .9 1.2 1.1
Finance and insurance........................ 41 67 63 .7 1.1 1.1
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 29 28 26 1.4 1.4 1.2
Professional and business services............ 232 292 334 1.4 1.7 2.0
Education and health services................. 184 228 204 1.1 1.3 1.2
Educational services......................... 12 27 16 .4 .9 .5
Health care and social assistance............ 172 201 188 1.2 1.4 1.3
Leisure and hospitality....................... 401 499 433 3.4 4.1 3.6
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 33 45 40 2.0 2.6 2.4
Accommodations and food services............. 368 453 393 3.6 4.3 3.7
Other services................................ 138 118 99 2.6 2.2 1.8
Government..................................... 80 106 81 .4 .5 .4
Federal....................................... 10 11 7 .4 .4 .3
State and local............................... 71 95 74 .4 .5 .4
REGION
Northeast..................................... 253 337 306 1.0 1.3 1.2
South......................................... 739 906 830 1.6 1.9 1.8
Midwest....................................... 404 491 488 1.3 1.6 1.5
West.......................................... 415 507 416 1.4 1.7 1.4
1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month.
2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.
Table 9. Layoffs and discharges levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Nov. Oct. Nov. Nov. Oct. Nov.
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 1,530 1,689 1,535 1.2 1.3 1.2
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 1,452 1,600 1,462 1.3 1.4 1.3
Natural resources and mining.................. 5 5 6 .9 .9 1.0
Construction.................................. 297 271 256 4.3 3.8 3.6
Manufacturing................................. 159 180 126 1.1 1.2 .9
Durable goods................................ 115 105 73 1.3 1.2 .8
Nondurable goods............................. 44 74 53 .8 1.4 1.0
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 319 305 305 1.2 1.2 1.2
Wholesale trade.............................. 37 59 57 .7 1.0 1.0
Retail trade................................. 236 194 210 1.5 1.3 1.4
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 46 51 38 1.0 1.0 .8
Information................................... 25 33 16 .8 1.0 .5
Financial activities.......................... 47 69 69 .6 .8 .9
Finance and insurance........................ 24 32 36 .4 .5 .6
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 23 36 33 1.1 1.7 1.6
Professional and business services............ 232 232 278 1.4 1.4 1.7
Education and health services................. 82 95 99 .5 .6 .6
Educational services......................... 9 14 10 .3 .5 .3
Health care and social assistance............ 73 81 89 .5 .6 .6
Leisure and hospitality....................... 232 367 242 1.9 3.0 2.0
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 92 104 85 5.6 6.0 5.2
Accommodations and food services............. 141 262 157 1.4 2.5 1.5
Other services................................ 53 44 64 1.0 .8 1.2
Government..................................... 78 89 73 .4 .4 .3
Federal....................................... 22 9 3 .8 .3 .1
State and local............................... 56 80 71 .3 .4 .4
REGION
Northeast..................................... 297 296 320 1.2 1.2 1.3
South......................................... 448 603 449 1.0 1.3 1.0
Midwest....................................... 378 405 448 1.2 1.3 1.4
West.......................................... 407 385 318 1.4 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.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.
Table 10. Other separations levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Nov. Oct. Nov. Nov. Oct. Nov.
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 218 266 239 0.2 0.2 0.2
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 184 231 208 .2 .2 .2
Natural resources and mining.................. 1 3 3 .1 .5 .5
Construction.................................. 9 25 9 .1 .4 .1
Manufacturing................................. 26 19 17 .2 .1 .1
Durable goods................................ 18 13 11 .2 .1 .1
Nondurable goods............................. 8 7 6 .1 .1 .1
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 50 68 60 .2 .3 .2
Wholesale trade.............................. 9 7 3 .2 .1 .1
Retail trade................................. 27 48 41 .2 .3 .3
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 15 14 15 .3 .3 .3
Information................................... 4 5 6 .1 .2 .2
Financial activities.......................... 11 26 13 .1 .3 .2
Finance and insurance........................ 10 24 12 .2 .4 .2
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 1 2 1 (3) .1 (3)
Professional and business services............ 23 36 34 .1 .2 .2
Education and health services................. 22 24 20 .1 .1 .1
Educational services......................... 3 3 1 .1 .1 (3)
Health care and social assistance............ 19 20 19 .1 .1 .1
Leisure and hospitality....................... 34 16 40 .3 .1 .3
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 4 3 5 .2 .2 .3
Accommodations and food services............. 30 13 36 .3 .1 .3
Other services................................ 3 7 7 .1 .1 .1
Government..................................... 34 36 31 .2 .2 .1
Federal....................................... 8 9 10 .3 .4 .4
State and local............................... 26 26 21 .1 .1 .1
REGION
Northeast..................................... 42 62 56 .2 .2 .2
South......................................... 81 103 76 .2 .2 .2
Midwest....................................... 51 42 53 .2 .1 .2
West.......................................... 44 60 54 .2 .2 .2
1 Other separations are the number of other separations during the entire month.
2 The other separations rate is the number of other separations during the entire month as a percent of
total employment.
3 Data round to zero.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.