Full text of November 2005 : Text File, USDL-06-39
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Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 06-39
http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
For release: 10:00 A.M. EST
Media contact: 691-5902 Tuesday, January 10, 2006
JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: NOVEMBER 2005
The job openings, hires, and total separations rates were all little
changed in November, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department
of Labor reported today. This release includes estimates of the number and
rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector
by industry and geographic region.
Job Openings
On the last business day of November 2005, there were 3.9 million job
openings in the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.8 percent.
(See table 1.) The job openings rate did not change significantly in
November, but has generally trended upward since September 2003. In
November, the job openings rate increased in manufacturing and in the West
region, but decreased in professional and business services and in the
Northeast region.
Hires and Separations
The hires rate was little changed at 3.4 percent in November. (See
table 2.) Hires are any additions to the payroll during the month. Over
the month, the hires rate decreased in manufacturing, but did not change
significantly in any region.
The total separations, or turnover, rate was unchanged at 3.2 percent
in November. (See table 3.) Separations are terminations of employment
that occur at any time during the month. In November, the total separa-
tions rate did not change significantly in any industry. Geographically,
the total separations rate increased in the Midwest but decreased in the
Northeast.
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 November. (See
table 4.) The quits rate did not change significantly in any industry.
Geographically, the rate increased in the Midwest.
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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.
| 2004 | 2005 | 2005p| 2004 | 2005 | 2005p| 2004 | 2005 | 2005p
-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Levels (in thousands)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........|3,277 |3,937 |3,904 |4,990 |4,650 |4,586 |4,266 |4,331 |4,337
Total private(1).|2,910 |3,540 |3,483 |4,652 |4,308 |4,265 |3,996 |4,077 |4,071
Construction...| 118 | 148 | 136 | 373 | 414 | 395 | 351 | 396 | 378
Manufacturing..| 248 | 320 | 349 | 386 | 436 | 327 | 327 | 339 | 367
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities.....| 554 | 611 | 656 |1,077 | 919 | 883 | 943 | 902 | 928
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 620 | 848 | 713 | 935 | 780 | 802 | 822 | 805 | 801
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 543 | 597 | 594 | 447 | 460 | 470 | 408 | 402 | 413
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality...| 411 | 492 | 516 | 858 | 840 | 834 | 727 | 742 | 758
Government.......| 369 | 432 | 425 | 335 | 326 | 319 | 275 | 255 | 268
|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Rates (percent)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........| 2.4 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.2
Total private(1).| 2.6 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.6
Construction...| 1.6 | 2.0 | 1.8 | 5.3 | 5.7 | 5.4 | 5.0 | 5.4 | 5.1
Manufacturing..| 1.7 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 2.7 | 3.1 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.6
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities.....| 2.1 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.6
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 3.6 | 4.7 | 4.0 | 5.6 | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.7 | 4.7
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 3.1 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.4
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality...| 3.2 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 6.8 | 6.6 | 6.5 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.9
Government.......| 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.2
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and
other services, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
The other two components of total separations--layoffs and discharges,
and other separations--are not seasonally adjusted. In November, the
layoffs and discharges rate, at 1.1 percent, was little changed over the
year, and the other separations rate was unchanged at 0.2 percent. (See
tables 9 and 10.)
Hires and separations data help show dynamic flows in the labor market.
Over the last 12 months, hires have averaged 4.7 million per month and
separations have averaged 4.5 million per month (not seasonally adjusted).
The comparable figures a year earlier were 4.5 million hires and 4.2 mil-
lion 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 December 2005 is
scheduled to be issued on Tuesday, February 7, 2006.
- 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.
2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p
Total(4)............................... 3,277 3,647 3,588 3,487 3,836 3,937 3,904 2.4 2.7 2.6 2.5 2.8 2.9 2.8
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 2,910 3,239 3,204 3,130 3,406 3,540 3,483 2.6 2.8 2.8 2.7 2.9 3.1 3.0
Construction......................... 118 104 128 136 156 148 136 1.6 1.4 1.7 1.8 2.1 2.0 1.8
Manufacturing........................ 248 269 287 266 293 320 349 1.7 1.8 2.0 1.8 2.0 2.2 2.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 554 624 600 620 630 611 656 2.1 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.5
Professional and business services... 620 686 666 590 725 848 713 3.6 3.9 3.8 3.4 4.1 4.7 4.0
Education and health services........ 543 609 607 604 606 597 594 3.1 3.4 3.4 3.3 3.4 3.3 3.3
Leisure and hospitality.............. 411 517 439 427 469 492 516 3.2 3.9 3.3 3.2 3.5 3.7 3.9
Government............................ 369 394 388 370 420 432 425 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.9 1.9 1.9
REGION
Northeast............................ 560 634 610 609 728 781 673 2.2 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.8 3.0 2.6
South................................ 1,250 1,333 1,343 1,353 1,466 1,471 1,456 2.6 2.7 2.7 2.8 3.0 3.0 3.0
Midwest.............................. 726 781 764 704 754 777 768 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.4
West................................. 759 869 832 841 895 920 1,030 2.6 2.9 2.8 2.8 3.0 3.0 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 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.
2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p
Total(4)............................... 4,990 4,694 4,649 4,601 4,719 4,650 4,586 3.8 3.5 3.5 3.4 3.5 3.5 3.4
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 4,652 4,365 4,342 4,276 4,356 4,308 4,265 4.2 3.9 3.9 3.8 3.9 3.8 3.8
Construction......................... 373 393 381 435 422 414 395 5.3 5.4 5.3 6.0 5.8 5.7 5.4
Manufacturing........................ 386 347 345 344 338 436 327 2.7 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4 3.1 2.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 1,077 1,045 990 998 1,001 919 883 4.2 4.0 3.8 3.8 3.9 3.5 3.4
Professional and business services... 935 835 832 786 925 780 802 5.6 4.9 4.9 4.6 5.4 4.6 4.7
Education and health services........ 447 457 453 465 460 460 470 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.7 2.6 2.6 2.7
Leisure and hospitality.............. 858 877 834 771 808 840 834 6.8 6.9 6.5 6.0 6.3 6.6 6.5
Government............................ 335 337 330 337 336 326 319 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5
REGION
Northeast............................ 851 794 772 738 759 741 721 3.4 3.1 3.0 2.9 3.0 2.9 2.8
South................................ 1,903 1,786 1,689 1,750 1,840 1,774 1,679 4.1 3.8 3.6 3.7 3.9 3.7 3.5
Midwest.............................. 1,149 1,054 1,045 970 996 1,003 1,046 3.7 3.4 3.3 3.1 3.2 3.2 3.3
West................................. 1,014 1,070 1,081 1,144 1,136 1,125 1,103 3.5 3.7 3.7 3.9 3.9 3.8 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.
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.
2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p
Total(4)............................... 4,266 4,477 4,270 4,499 4,779 4,331 4,337 3.2 3.4 3.2 3.4 3.6 3.2 3.2
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 3,996 4,223 4,007 4,235 4,487 4,077 4,071 3.6 3.8 3.6 3.8 4.0 3.6 3.6
Construction......................... 351 380 370 452 417 396 378 5.0 5.3 5.1 6.2 5.7 5.4 5.1
Manufacturing........................ 327 350 361 369 408 339 367 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.9 2.4 2.6
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 943 980 948 1,019 1,039 902 928 3.7 3.8 3.7 3.9 4.0 3.5 3.6
Professional and business services... 822 818 747 670 897 805 801 4.9 4.8 4.4 3.9 5.3 4.7 4.7
Education and health services........ 408 401 391 406 430 402 413 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.5 2.3 2.4
Leisure and hospitality.............. 727 803 750 785 814 742 758 5.8 6.3 5.9 6.1 6.4 5.8 5.9
Government............................ 275 254 257 271 295 255 268 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.2
REGION
Northeast............................ 756 761 715 734 752 683 584 3.0 3.0 2.8 2.9 2.9 2.7 2.3
South................................ 1,594 1,653 1,567 1,639 1,787 1,615 1,586 3.4 3.5 3.3 3.4 3.8 3.4 3.3
Midwest.............................. 1,041 946 1,011 1,047 1,135 979 1,171 3.3 3.0 3.2 3.3 3.6 3.1 3.7
West................................. 826 1,062 1,001 1,094 1,085 1,012 957 2.9 3.6 3.4 3.7 3.7 3.4 3.3
1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month.
2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
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.
2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p
Total(4)............................... 2,436 2,475 2,474 2,605 2,778 2,578 2,612 1.8 1.9 1.8 1.9 2.1 1.9 1.9
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 2,319 2,348 2,351 2,467 2,630 2,441 2,471 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.2
Construction......................... 159 139 140 222 202 203 170 2.2 1.9 1.9 3.1 2.8 2.8 2.3
Manufacturing........................ 185 190 189 184 214 199 204 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.5 1.4 1.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 568 588 577 604 580 555 565 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.1 2.2
Professional and business services... 401 386 353 374 497 354 393 2.4 2.3 2.1 2.2 2.9 2.1 2.3
Education and health services........ 250 256 271 260 276 259 276 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.6
Leisure and hospitality.............. 499 510 525 517 563 569 572 4.0 4.0 4.1 4.0 4.4 4.5 4.5
Government............................ 118 124 125 139 149 134 141 .5 .6 .6 .6 .7 .6 .6
REGION
Northeast............................ 359 350 381 380 377 360 330 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.3
South................................ 1,014 960 964 1,054 1,147 1,032 1,009 2.2 2.0 2.0 2.2 2.4 2.2 2.1
Midwest.............................. 551 542 548 570 613 571 635 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.8 2.0
West................................. 492 653 577 585 643 598 615 1.7 2.2 2.0 2.0 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.
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.
2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p
Total........................................... 3,001 3,935 3,568 2.2 2.8 2.6
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 2,649 3,518 3,163 2.3 3.0 2.7
Natural resources and mining.................. 8 11 10 1.3 1.7 1.5
Construction.................................. 95 131 109 1.3 1.7 1.4
Manufacturing................................. 211 312 302 1.4 2.1 2.1
Durable goods................................ 135 215 214 1.5 2.3 2.3
Nondurable goods............................. 76 96 88 1.4 1.8 1.6
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 516 716 610 1.9 2.7 2.3
Wholesale trade.............................. 98 130 103 1.7 2.2 1.8
Retail trade................................. 328 457 374 2.1 2.9 2.3
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 91 128 132 1.8 2.5 2.6
Information................................... 73 111 98 2.3 3.4 3.0
Financial activities.......................... 191 273 257 2.3 3.2 3.0
Finance and insurance........................ 159 216 212 2.6 3.4 3.3
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 32 57 46 1.5 2.6 2.1
Professional and business services............ 573 791 660 3.3 4.4 3.7
Education and health services................. 526 587 568 2.9 3.2 3.1
Educational services......................... 50 61 66 1.6 2.0 2.1
Health care and social assistance............ 476 526 502 3.2 3.5 3.3
Leisure and hospitality....................... 341 437 444 2.7 3.3 3.4
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 44 56 42 2.5 3.0 2.4
Accommodations and food services............. 297 381 402 2.7 3.4 3.6
Other services................................ 115 149 106 2.1 2.7 1.9
Government..................................... 352 417 404 1.6 1.8 1.8
Federal....................................... 46 38 43 1.7 1.4 1.6
State and local............................... 306 379 361 1.6 1.9 1.8
REGION
Northeast..................................... 540 800 639 2.1 3.0 2.4
South......................................... 1,143 1,429 1,331 2.4 2.9 2.7
Midwest....................................... 647 778 683 2.0 2.4 2.1
West.......................................... 671 927 915 2.2 3.0 3.0
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.
2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p
Total........................................... 4,522 4,631 4,130 3.4 3.4 3.1
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 4,247 4,312 3,870 3.8 3.8 3.4
Natural resources and mining.................. 17 15 12 2.7 2.3 1.9
Construction.................................. 294 374 305 4.1 5.0 4.1
Manufacturing................................. 319 413 266 2.2 2.9 1.9
Durable goods................................ 178 262 167 2.0 2.9 1.9
Nondurable goods............................. 141 151 99 2.6 2.8 1.9
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 1,295 1,085 1,035 5.0 4.2 3.9
Wholesale trade.............................. 101 148 115 1.8 2.6 2.0
Retail trade................................. 991 777 726 6.4 5.1 4.7
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 203 159 194 4.1 3.2 3.9
Information................................... 75 84 89 2.4 2.7 2.8
Financial activities.......................... 185 181 188 2.3 2.2 2.3
Finance and insurance........................ 126 114 121 2.1 1.9 2.0
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 58 66 68 2.8 3.1 3.1
Professional and business services............ 837 783 706 5.0 4.5 4.1
Education and health services................. 380 465 399 2.2 2.6 2.3
Educational services......................... 43 54 49 1.4 1.8 1.6
Health care and social assistance............ 337 410 349 2.3 2.8 2.4
Leisure and hospitality....................... 694 756 688 5.6 5.9 5.5
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 70 68 76 4.2 3.8 4.5
Accommodations and food services............. 624 688 612 5.9 6.3 5.6
Other services................................ 151 158 181 2.8 2.9 3.3
Government..................................... 276 319 260 1.2 1.4 1.2
Federal....................................... 35 37 32 1.3 1.4 1.2
State and local............................... 241 282 228 1.2 1.4 1.2
REGION
Northeast..................................... 807 752 677 3.2 2.9 2.6
South......................................... 1,767 1,768 1,500 3.7 3.7 3.1
Midwest....................................... 1,005 965 939 3.2 3.0 3.0
West.......................................... 943 1,146 1,015 3.2 3.9 3.4
1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month.
2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
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.
2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p
Total........................................... 3,984 4,350 4,009 3.0 3.2 3.0
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,780 4,129 3,810 3.4 3.7 3.4
Natural resources and mining.................. 19 13 14 3.2 2.1 2.2
Construction.................................. 379 415 399 5.3 5.5 5.3
Manufacturing................................. 301 360 346 2.1 2.5 2.4
Durable goods................................ 180 225 217 2.0 2.5 2.4
Nondurable goods............................. 122 135 128 2.3 2.5 2.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 873 892 847 3.3 3.4 3.2
Wholesale trade.............................. 110 125 130 1.9 2.2 2.3
Retail trade................................. 611 615 580 3.9 4.0 3.7
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 152 152 136 3.1 3.0 2.7
Information................................... 52 72 71 1.7 2.3 2.2
Financial activities.......................... 161 162 135 2.0 2.0 1.6
Finance and insurance........................ 105 97 84 1.8 1.6 1.4
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 56 66 51 2.7 3.0 2.4
Professional and business services............ 770 781 742 4.6 4.5 4.3
Education and health services................. 332 369 339 1.9 2.1 1.9
Educational services......................... 31 36 37 1.0 1.2 1.2
Health care and social assistance............ 301 334 302 2.1 2.3 2.1
Leisure and hospitality....................... 708 880 734 5.7 6.9 5.9
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 125 139 99 7.4 7.8 5.9
Accommodations and food services............. 583 741 635 5.5 6.8 5.9
Other services................................ 185 184 182 3.4 3.4 3.3
Government..................................... 204 221 199 .9 1.0 .9
Federal....................................... 25 19 27 .9 .7 1.0
State and local............................... 179 202 172 .9 1.0 .9
REGION
Northeast..................................... 743 700 568 2.9 2.7 2.2
South......................................... 1,381 1,655 1,325 2.9 3.4 2.8
Midwest....................................... 1,048 969 1,212 3.3 3.1 3.8
West.......................................... 813 1,026 905 2.8 3.5 3.0
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.
2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p
Total........................................... 2,100 2,526 2,257 1.6 1.9 1.7
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 2,008 2,410 2,146 1.8 2.1 1.9
Natural resources and mining.................. 6 6 8 1.0 1.0 1.2
Construction.................................. 134 211 145 1.9 2.8 1.9
Manufacturing................................. 139 202 156 1.0 1.4 1.1
Durable goods................................ 69 116 103 .8 1.3 1.1
Nondurable goods............................. 70 86 53 1.3 1.6 1.0
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 506 559 502 1.9 2.2 1.9
Wholesale trade.............................. 49 65 48 .9 1.1 .8
Retail trade................................. 390 421 390 2.5 2.8 2.5
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 67 74 64 1.4 1.5 1.3
Information................................... 31 53 44 1.0 1.7 1.4
Financial activities.......................... 87 91 80 1.1 1.1 1.0
Finance and insurance........................ 60 62 59 1.0 1.0 1.0
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 27 29 21 1.3 1.3 1.0
Professional and business services............ 370 341 360 2.2 2.0 2.1
Education and health services................. 208 242 230 1.2 1.4 1.3
Educational services......................... 15 21 23 .5 .7 .8
Health care and social assistance............ 193 222 208 1.3 1.5 1.4
Leisure and hospitality....................... 436 591 504 3.5 4.7 4.0
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 41 59 30 2.5 3.3 1.8
Accommodations and food services............. 395 532 474 3.7 4.9 4.4
Other services................................ 91 114 117 1.7 2.1 2.2
Government..................................... 92 116 111 .4 .5 .5
Federal....................................... 9 9 15 .3 .3 .6
State and local............................... 83 107 96 .4 .5 .5
REGION
Northeast..................................... 317 374 280 1.2 1.5 1.1
South......................................... 860 1,040 852 1.8 2.2 1.8
Midwest....................................... 500 548 590 1.6 1.7 1.9
West.......................................... 423 564 535 1.5 1.9 1.8
1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month.
2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
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.
2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p
Total........................................... 1,621 1,559 1,498 1.2 1.2 1.1
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 1,547 1,484 1,438 1.4 1.3 1.3
Natural resources and mining.................. 9 6 4 1.4 .9 .6
Construction.................................. 235 180 223 3.3 2.4 3.0
Manufacturing................................. 145 122 148 1.0 .9 1.0
Durable goods................................ 99 79 80 1.1 .9 .9
Nondurable goods............................. 46 42 68 .9 .8 1.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 304 286 305 1.2 1.1 1.2
Wholesale trade.............................. 57 54 74 1.0 .9 1.3
Retail trade................................. 178 170 169 1.1 1.1 1.1
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 69 62 62 1.4 1.3 1.2
Information................................... 14 13 21 .4 .4 .7
Financial activities.......................... 65 63 43 .8 .8 .5
Finance and insurance........................ 36 30 15 .6 .5 .3
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 29 33 28 1.4 1.5 1.3
Professional and business services............ 356 408 352 2.1 2.4 2.1
Education and health services................. 103 95 88 .6 .5 .5
Educational services......................... 15 12 12 .5 .4 .4
Health care and social assistance............ 88 83 76 .6 .6 .5
Leisure and hospitality....................... 233 266 208 1.9 2.1 1.7
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 78 78 67 4.7 4.3 4.0
Accommodations and food services............. 155 188 142 1.5 1.7 1.3
Other services................................ 83 44 47 1.5 .8 .9
Government..................................... 75 75 60 .3 .3 .3
Federal....................................... 4 5 6 .2 .2 .2
State and local............................... 71 70 54 .4 .4 .3
REGION
Northeast..................................... 367 282 247 1.4 1.1 1.0
South......................................... 434 542 404 .9 1.1 .8
Midwest....................................... 484 353 549 1.5 1.1 1.7
West.......................................... 337 382 298 1.2 1.3 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.
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.
2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p
Total........................................... 262 266 254 0.2 0.2 0.2
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 225 235 226 .2 .2 .2
Natural resources and mining.................. 5 1 2 .8 .2 .3
Construction.................................. 10 24 32 .1 .3 .4
Manufacturing................................. 17 36 43 .1 .3 .3
Durable goods................................ 11 29 35 .1 .3 .4
Nondurable goods............................. 6 7 8 .1 .1 .2
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 63 46 41 .2 .2 .2
Wholesale trade.............................. 4 5 9 .1 .1 .2
Retail trade................................. 43 25 21 .3 .2 .1
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 15 16 11 .3 .3 .2
Information................................... 7 6 7 .2 .2 .2
Financial activities.......................... 10 9 11 .1 .1 .1
Finance and insurance........................ 9 5 9 .2 .1 .1
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 1 4 2 (3) .2 .1
Professional and business services............ 44 32 30 .3 .2 .2
Education and health services................. 21 32 21 .1 .2 .1
Educational services......................... 1 3 2 (3) .1 .1
Health care and social assistance............ 20 29 19 .1 .2 .1
Leisure and hospitality....................... 38 23 21 .3 .2 .2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 5 2 2 .3 .1 .1
Accommodations and food services............. 34 21 19 .3 .2 .2
Other services................................ 10 26 18 .2 .5 .3
Government..................................... 37 30 29 .2 .1 .1
Federal....................................... 12 5 6 .4 .2 .2
State and local............................... 26 26 22 .1 .1 .1
REGION
Northeast..................................... 59 44 41 .2 .2 .2
South......................................... 86 74 68 .2 .2 .1
Midwest....................................... 64 68 73 .2 .2 .2
West.......................................... 52 80 72 .2 .3 .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.