Full text of October 2004 : Text File, USDL-04-2462
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Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 04-2462
http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
For release: 10:00 A.M. EST
Media contact: 691-5902 Wednesday, December 8, 2004
JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: OCTOBER 2004
The job openings, hires, and total separations rates showed little or no
change in October, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of
Labor reported today. The job openings rate was little changed at 2.5 per-
cent. The hires rate was essentially unchanged at 3.3 percent, and the total
separations rate was unchanged at 3.2 percent. 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 October 2004, there were 3.3 million job
openings in the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.5 percent.
(See table 1.) The job openings rate has generally trended upward since
August 2003. In October, the job openings rate dropped in the leisure and
hospitality industry and edged up in government.
Hires and Separations
The hires rate (the number of hires during the month divided by employ-
ment) was 3.3 percent in October, little changed from a month earlier. (See
table 2.) Hires are any additions to the payroll during the month. The
hires rate decreased in manufacturing and government and increased in trade,
transportation, and utilities over the month.
The total separations, or turnover, rate (the total number of separations
during the month divided by employment) was 3.2 percent in October. (See
table 3.) The overall total separations rate is 0.3 percentage point higher
than its most recent low in November 2003. Separations are terminations of
employment that occur at any time during the month. The total separations
rate increased in construction and fell in government in October.
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 1.7 percent in October and has been unchanged since
February 2004. (See table 4.) The quits rate increased in construction in
October. The other two components of total separations, layoffs and dis-
charges (1.3 percent) and other separations (0.2 percent) are not seasonally
adjusted. Both rates showed little or no change from a year earlier.
- 2 -
Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally
adjusted
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Job openings | Hires | Total separations
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Industry | Oct. | Sept.| Oct. | Oct. | Sept.| Oct. | Oct. | Sept.| Oct.
| 2003 | 2004 | 2004p| 2003 | 2004 | 2004p| 2003 | 2004 | 2004p
-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Levels (in thousands)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total 1/...........|2,823 |3,294 |3,330 |4,108 |4,253 |4,317 |3,859 |4,158 |4,159
Total private 1/.|2,479 |2,934 |2,950 |3,815 |3,906 |3,987 |3,612 |3,856 |3,891
Construction...| 78 | 113 | 121 | 391 | 383 | 350 | 365 | 350 | 469
Manufacturing..| 199 | 251 | 259 | 335 | 379 | 323 | 332 | 381 | 352
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities.....| 451 | 591 | 592 | 880 | 864 | 951 | 854 | 909 | 935
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 488 | 564 | 585 | 590 | 689 | 720 | 523 | 590 | 539
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 545 | 543 | 543 | 433 | 401 | 409 | 377 | 384 | 361
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality...| 367 | 425 | 356 | 729 | 782 | 747 | 725 | 756 | 743
Government.......| 346 | 350 | 382 | 269 | 337 | 301 | 257 | 306 | 269
|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Rates (percent)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total 1/...........| 2.1 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.2
Total private 1/.| 2.2 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.5
Construction...| 1.1 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 5.8 | 5.5 | 5.0 | 5.4 | 5.0 | 6.7
Manufacturing..| 1.4 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 2.4
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities.....| 1.8 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.7
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 2.9 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 3.2
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.1
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality...| 2.9 | 3.3 | 2.8 | 6.0 | 6.3 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.1 | 6.0
Government.......| 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 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 November 2004 is scheduled to be
issued on Wednesday, January 12, 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 Oct. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Oct. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct.
2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p
Total(4)............................... 2,823 3,105 3,022 3,237 3,195 3,294 3,330 2.1 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.5
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 2,479 2,746 2,640 2,894 2,859 2,934 2,950 2.2 2.4 2.3 2.6 2.5 2.6 2.6
Construction......................... 78 108 94 88 121 113 121 1.1 1.5 1.3 1.3 1.7 1.6 1.7
Manufacturing........................ 199 244 247 240 234 251 259 1.4 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 451 521 503 567 551 591 592 1.8 2.0 1.9 2.2 2.1 2.3 2.3
Professional and business services... 488 530 494 583 594 564 585 2.9 3.1 2.9 3.4 3.5 3.3 3.4
Education and health services........ 545 542 496 537 536 543 543 3.2 3.1 2.9 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.1
Leisure and hospitality.............. 367 391 421 435 410 425 356 2.9 3.1 3.3 3.4 3.2 3.3 2.8
Government............................ 346 360 380 343 337 350 382 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.7
REGION
Northeast............................ 499 526 546 545 540 562 599 2.0 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.3
South................................ 1,092 1,164 1,164 1,280 1,259 1,245 1,311 2.3 2.5 2.4 2.7 2.6 2.6 2.7
Midwest.............................. 628 688 631 635 613 699 640 2.0 2.2 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.2 2.0
West................................. 636 765 677 738 771 790 756 2.2 2.6 2.3 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.6
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 Oct. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Oct. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct.
2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p
Total(4)............................... 4,108 4,206 4,433 4,229 4,375 4,253 4,317 3.2 3.2 3.4 3.2 3.3 3.2 3.3
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 3,815 3,938 4,110 3,930 4,058 3,906 3,987 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.6 3.6
Construction......................... 391 406 436 368 401 383 350 5.8 5.9 6.3 5.3 5.8 5.5 5.0
Manufacturing........................ 335 336 370 352 356 379 323 2.3 2.3 2.6 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 880 938 945 957 984 864 951 3.5 3.7 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.4 3.7
Professional and business services... 590 631 692 621 690 689 720 3.7 3.8 4.2 3.8 4.2 4.2 4.3
Education and health services........ 433 451 428 418 470 401 409 2.6 2.7 2.5 2.5 2.8 2.4 2.4
Leisure and hospitality.............. 729 739 749 760 760 782 747 6.0 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.1 6.3 6.0
Government............................ 269 272 328 310 322 337 301 1.2 1.3 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.4
REGION
Northeast............................ 695 708 703 720 763 745 736 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.9 3.0 2.9 2.9
South................................ 1,500 1,606 1,709 1,640 1,643 1,635 1,646 3.3 3.5 3.7 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5
Midwest.............................. 905 956 1,009 935 945 942 1,010 2.9 3.1 3.2 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.2
West................................. 969 951 1,023 865 1,018 942 893 3.4 3.3 3.6 3.0 3.5 3.3 3.1
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 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 Oct. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Oct. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct.
2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p
Total(4)............................... 3,859 4,040 4,069 4,074 4,134 4,158 4,159 3.0 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.2 3.2
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 3,612 3,761 3,789 3,793 3,894 3,856 3,891 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5
Construction......................... 365 367 382 364 391 350 469 5.4 5.3 5.5 5.3 5.6 5.0 6.7
Manufacturing........................ 332 377 343 367 379 381 352 2.3 2.6 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.6 2.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 854 917 927 972 951 909 935 3.4 3.6 3.6 3.8 3.7 3.6 3.7
Professional and business services... 523 556 607 613 575 590 539 3.3 3.4 3.7 3.7 3.5 3.6 3.2
Education and health services........ 377 379 362 363 380 384 361 2.3 2.2 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.1
Leisure and hospitality.............. 725 696 734 694 760 756 743 6.0 5.6 5.9 5.6 6.2 6.1 6.0
Government............................ 257 268 270 273 246 306 269 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.1 1.4 1.2
REGION
Northeast............................ 615 648 704 674 717 730 693 2.5 2.6 2.8 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.7
South................................ 1,465 1,504 1,533 1,545 1,527 1,506 1,595 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.4
Midwest.............................. 859 833 853 935 831 931 894 2.8 2.7 2.7 3.0 2.7 3.0 2.9
West................................. 877 1,008 979 945 1,087 978 952 3.1 3.5 3.4 3.3 3.8 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 Oct. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Oct. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct.
2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p
Total(4)............................... 2,129 2,173 2,284 2,265 2,252 2,248 2,259 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 1,995 2,036 2,162 2,141 2,140 2,118 2,130 1.8 1.9 2.0 2.0 1.9 1.9 1.9
Construction......................... 139 144 156 101 147 138 198 2.1 2.1 2.3 1.5 2.1 2.0 2.8
Manufacturing........................ 162 171 171 174 165 183 173 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.3 1.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 482 525 536 559 552 536 520 1.9 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.0
Professional and business services... 266 259 322 322 308 325 284 1.7 1.6 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.0 1.7
Education and health services........ 230 223 225 271 239 240 235 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.6 1.4 1.4 1.4
Leisure and hospitality.............. 515 455 480 442 476 439 454 4.2 3.7 3.9 3.6 3.9 3.6 3.7
Government............................ 135 129 123 126 116 130 124 .6 .6 .6 .6 .5 .6 .6
REGION
Northeast............................ 288 318 334 338 339 325 333 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3
South................................ 840 857 910 901 897 903 888 1.8 1.8 2.0 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9
Midwest.............................. 464 479 485 505 447 472 480 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.4 1.5 1.5
West................................. 552 521 573 519 566 546 561 1.9 1.8 2.0 1.8 2.0 1.9 1.9
1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month.
2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.
Table 5. Job openings levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Oct. Sept. Oct. Oct. Sept. Oct.
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 2,763 3,439 3,274 2.1 2.5 2.4
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 2,434 3,104 2,911 2.2 2.7 2.6
Natural resources and mining.................. 6 9 11 1.1 1.5 1.9
Construction.................................. 70 113 111 1.0 1.6 1.5
Manufacturing................................. 191 260 251 1.3 1.8 1.7
Durable goods................................ 119 156 159 1.3 1.7 1.7
Nondurable goods............................. 72 104 92 1.3 1.9 1.7
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 513 677 680 2.0 2.6 2.6
Wholesale trade.............................. 64 118 85 1.1 2.0 1.5
Retail trade................................. 375 477 502 2.4 3.1 3.2
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 73 82 93 1.5 1.7 1.9
Information................................... 71 76 80 2.2 2.4 2.5
Financial activities.......................... 164 243 230 2.0 2.9 2.8
Finance and insurance........................ 134 207 190 2.2 3.3 3.1
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 30 36 40 1.4 1.7 1.9
Professional and business services............ 460 599 564 2.7 3.5 3.2
Education and health services................. 539 565 536 3.1 3.2 3.0
Educational services......................... 35 53 54 1.2 1.9 1.8
Health care and social assistance............ 504 511 482 3.5 3.5 3.3
Leisure and hospitality....................... 331 434 321 2.7 3.3 2.5
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 39 50 34 2.2 2.6 1.9
Accommodations and food services............. 291 384 287 2.7 3.5 2.6
Other services................................ 90 128 127 1.7 2.3 2.3
Government..................................... 330 335 364 1.5 1.5 1.6
Federal....................................... 39 39 37 1.4 1.4 1.3
State and local............................... 290 296 327 1.5 1.6 1.7
REGION
Northeast..................................... 484 589 610 1.9 2.3 2.3
South......................................... 1,022 1,270 1,265 2.2 2.7 2.6
Midwest....................................... 628 736 637 2.0 2.3 2.0
West.......................................... 630 844 762 2.2 2.8 2.6
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 Oct. Sept. Oct. Oct. Sept. Oct.
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 4,072 4,805 4,273 3.1 3.6 3.2
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,802 4,296 3,982 3.5 3.9 3.6
Natural resources and mining.................. 12 20 20 2.0 3.4 3.3
Construction.................................. 375 386 323 5.4 5.4 4.5
Manufacturing................................. 308 399 288 2.1 2.8 2.0
Durable goods................................ 185 249 183 2.1 2.8 2.0
Nondurable goods............................. 123 150 106 2.2 2.8 1.9
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 1,043 1,016 1,128 4.1 4.0 4.4
Wholesale trade.............................. 143 160 160 2.6 2.8 2.8
Retail trade................................. 789 660 812 5.3 4.4 5.4
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 112 195 156 2.3 4.0 3.2
Information................................... 70 72 71 2.2 2.3 2.3
Financial activities.......................... 149 188 174 1.9 2.3 2.1
Finance and insurance........................ 98 117 126 1.7 2.0 2.1
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 51 72 47 2.5 3.4 2.3
Professional and business services............ 578 729 750 3.6 4.4 4.4
Education and health services................. 444 518 412 2.6 3.1 2.4
Educational services......................... 70 110 61 2.4 4.1 2.1
Health care and social assistance............ 374 408 351 2.7 2.9 2.5
Leisure and hospitality....................... 638 788 652 5.3 6.3 5.3
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 87 102 59 5.0 5.5 3.4
Accommodations and food services............. 550 686 594 5.3 6.4 5.6
Other services................................ 185 178 164 3.4 3.3 3.0
Government..................................... 270 509 291 1.2 2.4 1.3
Federal....................................... 33 40 37 1.2 1.5 1.4
State and local............................... 237 470 254 1.2 2.5 1.3
REGION
Northeast..................................... 692 939 737 2.8 3.7 2.9
South......................................... 1,505 1,705 1,643 3.3 3.7 3.5
Midwest....................................... 886 1,130 1,002 2.9 3.6 3.2
West.......................................... 989 1,031 892 3.5 3.6 3.1
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.
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 Oct. Sept. Oct. Oct. Sept. Oct.
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 3,918 4,659 4,222 3.0 3.5 3.2
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,688 4,299 3,982 3.4 3.9 3.6
Natural resources and mining.................. 17 19 18 2.9 3.2 3.0
Construction.................................. 386 368 503 5.5 5.1 7.0
Manufacturing................................. 374 385 375 2.6 2.7 2.6
Durable goods................................ 220 243 235 2.5 2.7 2.6
Nondurable goods............................. 154 142 140 2.8 2.6 2.6
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 832 970 911 3.3 3.8 3.5
Wholesale trade.............................. 143 137 156 2.6 2.4 2.8
Retail trade................................. 568 704 623 3.8 4.7 4.1
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 121 130 132 2.5 2.7 2.7
Information................................... 68 66 75 2.1 2.1 2.4
Financial activities.......................... 145 200 183 1.8 2.5 2.3
Finance and insurance........................ 98 128 110 1.7 2.1 1.8
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 47 72 73 2.3 3.4 3.5
Professional and business services............ 519 635 518 3.2 3.8 3.1
Education and health services................. 357 418 334 2.1 2.5 1.9
Educational services......................... 40 61 46 1.4 2.3 1.6
Health care and social assistance............ 316 357 288 2.3 2.5 2.0
Leisure and hospitality....................... 847 1,015 872 7.0 8.1 7.1
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 136 218 151 7.8 11.7 8.7
Accommodations and food services............. 711 797 721 6.9 7.5 6.8
Other services................................ 145 222 193 2.7 4.1 3.6
Government..................................... 230 360 241 1.1 1.7 1.1
Federal....................................... 39 29 29 1.4 1.1 1.1
State and local............................... 191 332 212 1.0 1.8 1.1
REGION
Northeast..................................... 649 924 726 2.6 3.7 2.8
South......................................... 1,494 1,591 1,648 3.2 3.4 3.5
Midwest....................................... 851 1,072 886 2.7 3.4 2.8
West.......................................... 923 1,072 963 3.2 3.7 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.
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 Oct. Sept. Oct. Oct. Sept. Oct.
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 2,119 2,599 2,233 1.6 2.0 1.7
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 2,003 2,458 2,126 1.8 2.2 1.9
Natural resources and mining.................. 7 12 10 1.2 2.0 1.7
Construction.................................. 125 157 192 1.8 2.2 2.7
Manufacturing................................. 167 212 178 1.2 1.5 1.2
Durable goods................................ 97 129 118 1.1 1.4 1.3
Nondurable goods............................. 71 83 60 1.3 1.5 1.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 495 614 526 2.0 2.4 2.1
Wholesale trade.............................. 71 86 73 1.3 1.5 1.3
Retail trade................................. 363 461 385 2.4 3.1 2.5
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 60 67 68 1.3 1.4 1.4
Information................................... 40 36 35 1.3 1.2 1.1
Financial activities.......................... 74 107 90 .9 1.3 1.1
Finance and insurance........................ 49 72 58 .8 1.2 1.0
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 25 36 31 1.2 1.7 1.5
Professional and business services............ 268 364 278 1.6 2.2 1.6
Education and health services................. 219 274 221 1.3 1.6 1.3
Educational services......................... 18 32 30 .6 1.2 1.0
Health care and social assistance............ 201 242 191 1.4 1.7 1.3
Leisure and hospitality....................... 533 578 469 4.4 4.6 3.8
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 54 59 34 3.1 3.2 2.0
Accommodations and food services............. 479 518 435 4.6 4.9 4.1
Other services................................ 74 103 128 1.4 1.9 2.4
Government..................................... 115 141 106 .5 .7 .5
Federal....................................... 14 10 13 .5 .4 .5
State and local............................... 101 131 94 .5 .7 .5
REGION
Northeast..................................... 311 428 359 1.2 1.7 1.4
South......................................... 837 999 883 1.8 2.1 1.9
Midwest....................................... 446 552 462 1.4 1.8 1.5
West.......................................... 525 621 528 1.8 2.2 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 Oct. Sept. Oct. Oct. Sept. Oct.
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 1,507 1,755 1,697 1.2 1.3 1.3
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 1,434 1,580 1,597 1.3 1.4 1.4
Natural resources and mining.................. 7 4 5 1.2 .7 .9
Construction.................................. 247 194 279 3.6 2.7 3.9
Manufacturing................................. 169 144 177 1.2 1.0 1.2
Durable goods................................ 102 92 104 1.1 1.0 1.2
Nondurable goods............................. 67 52 73 1.2 1.0 1.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 282 295 306 1.1 1.2 1.2
Wholesale trade.............................. 59 43 76 1.1 .8 1.3
Retail trade................................. 178 205 175 1.2 1.4 1.2
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 45 46 55 .9 1.0 1.1
Information................................... 26 22 31 .8 .7 1.0
Financial activities.......................... 39 74 70 .5 .9 .9
Finance and insurance........................ 21 39 31 .4 .7 .5
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 18 35 40 .9 1.6 1.9
Professional and business services............ 211 237 198 1.3 1.4 1.2
Education and health services................. 112 112 86 .7 .7 .5
Educational services......................... 20 25 11 .7 .9 .4
Health care and social assistance............ 92 87 75 .7 .6 .5
Leisure and hospitality....................... 285 397 383 2.4 3.2 3.1
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 78 152 113 4.5 8.2 6.5
Accommodations and food services............. 207 245 271 2.0 2.3 2.6
Other services................................ 56 100 61 1.0 1.8 1.1
Government..................................... 73 175 100 .3 .8 .5
Federal....................................... 12 8 9 .4 .3 .3
State and local............................... 61 167 91 .3 .9 .5
REGION
Northeast..................................... 288 416 298 1.1 1.6 1.2
South......................................... 538 481 646 1.2 1.0 1.4
Midwest....................................... 345 465 379 1.1 1.5 1.2
West.......................................... 336 393 373 1.2 1.4 1.3
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 Oct. Sept. Oct. Oct. Sept. Oct.
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 292 304 293 0.2 0.2 0.2
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 251 260 258 .2 .2 .2
Natural resources and mining.................. 3 3 3 .5 .5 .4
Construction.................................. 13 16 32 .2 .2 .4
Manufacturing................................. 37 28 20 .3 .2 .1
Durable goods................................ 22 22 12 .2 .2 .1
Nondurable goods............................. 16 6 8 .3 .1 .1
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 54 61 79 .2 .2 .3
Wholesale trade.............................. 12 8 8 .2 .1 .1
Retail trade................................. 26 37 62 .2 .2 .4
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 15 16 8 .3 .3 .2
Information................................... 2 8 9 .1 .2 .3
Financial activities.......................... 32 19 23 .4 .2 .3
Finance and insurance........................ 28 17 21 .5 .3 .3
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 4 2 2 .2 .1 .1
Professional and business services............ 41 34 42 .2 .2 .3
Education and health services................. 25 32 26 .2 .2 .2
Educational services......................... 2 4 5 .1 .2 .2
Health care and social assistance............ 23 27 21 .2 .2 .1
Leisure and hospitality....................... 29 40 19 .2 .3 .2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 4 6 4 .2 .3 .2
Accommodations and food services............. 25 34 15 .2 .3 .1
Other services................................ 14 19 4 .3 .4 .1
Government..................................... 42 44 35 .2 .2 .2
Federal....................................... 13 10 8 .5 .4 .3
State and local............................... 29 34 27 .2 .2 .1
REGION
Northeast..................................... 51 80 68 .2 .3 .3
South......................................... 120 111 119 .3 .2 .3
Midwest....................................... 59 56 44 .2 .2 .1
West.......................................... 62 58 62 .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.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.