Full text of October 2007 : Text File, USDL-07-1881
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Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 07-1881
http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
For release: 10:00 A.M. EST
Media contact: 691-5902 Tuesday, December 11, 2007
JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: OCTOBER 2007
On the last business day of October, there were 4.1 million job openings
in the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.9 percent, the Bureau
of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The
job openings, hires, and total separations rates were all essentially un-
changed in October. This release includes estimates of the number and rate
of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector by in-
dustry and geographic region.
Job Openings
In October, the job openings rate remained at 2.9 percent. The rate has
been 2.9 percent for 8 of the past 9 months. Job openings include only
those jobs open on the last business day of the month. The job openings
rate changed significantly in October only in retail trade, falling from
2.3 percent in September to 1.9 percent in October. Over the month, the
job openings rate rose in the Northeast region (2.6 percent) and fell in
the Midwest region (2.3 percent). The seasonally adjusted job openings
rate was highest in October in accommodations and food services (4.9 per-
cent). (See table 1.)
Over the year, the job openings rate rose in wholesale trade (2.9 per-
cent); accommodations and food services (4.6 percent); and federal govern-
ment (1.7 percent). The rate fell over the year in natural resources and
mining (1.4 percent); durable goods manufacturing (1.9 percent); retail
trade (2.5 percent); information (2.7 percent); health care and social as-
sistance (3.9 percent); and arts, entertainment, and recreation (2.8 per-
cent). Regionally, the job openings rate fell over the year in the North-
east (2.8 percent). (See table 5.)
Hires
The hires rate was little changed at 3.5 percent in October. Hires are
any additions to the payroll during the month. In October, the hires rate
increased in education and health services (2.8 percent), in accommodations
and food services (7.1 percent), and in the West region (3.9 percent). The
hires rate did not fall significantly in October in any industry or region.
As occurs nearly every month, the seasonally adjusted hires rate in October
was highest in accommodations and food services (7.1 percent). (See
table 2.)
From October 2006 to October 2007, the hires rate decreased over the
year in professional and business services (4.7 percent), in other services
(3.0 percent), and in the Northeast region (2.5 percent). The hires rate
did not increase significantly in any industry or region over the year.
(See table 6.)
- 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.
| 2006 | 2007 | 2007p| 2006 | 2007 | 2007p| 2006 | 2007 | 2007p
---------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Levels (in thousands)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total (1)............|4,157 |4,119 |4,122 |4,983 |4,714 |4,903 |4,613 |4,430 |4,665
| | | | | | | | |
Total private (1)..|3,702 |3,664 |3,652 |4,616 |4,355 |4,502 |4,323 |4,146 |4,394
Construction.....| 137 | 138 | 163 | 345 | 336 | 336 | 373 | 364 | 384
Manufacturing....| 364 | 319 | 309 | 366 | 365 | 389 | 359 | 379 | 397
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and | | | | | | | | |
utilities (2)...| 658 | 691 | 638 |1,008 | 994 |1,019 | 987 | 954 | 994
Retail trade....| 370 | 367 | 303 | 713 | 709 | 708 | 688 | 676 | 682
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services........| 709 | 661 | 712 | 994 | 800 | 828 | 921 | 832 | 882
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices...........| 749 | 720 | 704 | 529 | 448 | 523 | 424 | 411 | 431
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality (3) | 579 | 653 | 664 | 893 | 906 | 960 | 791 | 723 | 811
Accommodations | | | | | | | | |
and food | | | | | | | | |
services.......| 487 | 587 | 598 | 758 | 749 | 835 | 673 | 627 | 692
Government (4).....| 460 | 455 | 470 | 363 | 370 | 378 | 298 | 289 | 292
State and local | | | | | | | | |
government......| 423 | 408 | 420 | 320 | 296 | 314 | 248 | 213 | 240
|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Rates (percent)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total (1)............| 3.0 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.4
| | | | | | | | |
Total private (1)..| 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.8
Construction.....| 1.7 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 5.1
Manufacturing....| 2.5 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 2.7 | 2.8
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and | | | | | | | | |
utilities (2)...| 2.4 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.8
Retail trade....| 2.4 | 2.3 | 1.9 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.4
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services........| 3.9 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 5.6 | 4.5 | 4.6 | 5.2 | 4.6 | 4.9
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices...........| 4.0 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 2.9 | 2.4 | 2.8 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 2.3
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality (3) | 4.2 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 6.7 | 6.6 | 7.0 | 6.0 | 5.3 | 5.9
Accommodations | | | | | | | | |
and food | | | | | | | | |
services.......| 4.1 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 6.7 | 6.4 | 7.1 | 5.9 | 5.4 | 5.9
Government (4).....| 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.1 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.3
State and local | | | | | | | | |
government......| 2.1 | 2.0 | 2.1 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.2
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and
other services, not shown separately.
2 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not
shown separately.
3 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately.
4 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
- 3 -
Separations
The total separations, or turnover, rate was essentially unchanged at
3.4 percent in October. Separations are terminations of employment that
occur at any time during the month. Over the month, the separations rate
changed significantly in state and local government (1.2 percent) and in
the West region (3.8 percent); both rates rose. From October 2006 to
October 2007, the total separations rate increased in durable goods manu-
facturing (2.7 percent) and wholesale trade (2.8 percent). Over the year,
the total separations rate decreased in information (1.7 percent) and fed-
eral government (0.9 percent). The total separations rate did not change
significantly in any region over the year. (See tables 3 and 7.)
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 unchanged in October. The quits rate increased over the
month in professional and business services (2.8 percent) and accommodations
and food services (4.4 percent). Geographically, the quits rate rose over
the month in the West (2.3 percent). As has occurred every month since the
series began in December 2000, the seasonally adjusted quits rate in October
was highest in accommodations and food services (4.4 percent). (See table 4.)
Over the year, the quits rate did not rise significantly in any industry
but did fall in several industries, including information (1.1 percent);
real estate and rental and leasing (1.4 percent); health care and social
assistance (1.4 percent); and federal government (0.3 percent). Geographi-
cally, the quits rate rose over the year in the West (2.1 percent) and fell
over the year in the Midwest (1.6 percent). (See table 8.)
The other two components of total separations--layoffs and discharges,
and other separations--are not seasonally adjusted. For October, the
layoffs and discharges rate (1.3 percent) and level (1.8 million) were
little changed from a year earlier. The layoffs and discharges rate in
October 2007 was highest in arts, entertainment, and recreation (5.4
percent). The other separations level decreased over the year to 247,000.
(See tables 9 and 10.)
Flows in the Labor Market
Several industries consistently have high rates of both hires and
separations. These include construction; retail trade; professional and
business services; arts, entertainment, and recreation; and accommodations
and food services. In the 12 months ending in October 2007, these 5
industries produced 33.9 million hires and 32.3 million separations. Thus,
these five industries accounted for 58 percent of total nonfarm hires and
59 percent of total nonfarm separations while comprising only 39 percent of
total nonfarm employment.
Although the month-to-month changes in job openings and turnover data
are often small, some industries are experiencing significant over-the-year
change. From October 2006 to October 2007, the information industry had
decreases in its job openings, hires, and total separations rates.
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 November 2007 is
scheduled to be issued on Thursday, January 10, 2008. Release dates for
the balance of 2008 are as follows:
Dec. - Feb. 12 March - May 15 June - Aug. 12 Sept - Nov. 13
Jan. - March 12 April - June 10 July - Sept. 9 Oct. - Dec. 9
Feb. - April 8 May - July 9 Aug. - Oct. 7
- 4 -
Technical Note
The data for the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) are
collected and compiled monthly from a sample of business establishments
by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Collection
Each month, data are collected in a survey of business establishments
for total employment, job openings, hires, quits, layoffs and discharges,
and other separations. Data collection methods include computer-assisted
telephone interviewing, touchtone data entry, fax, and mail.
Coverage
The JOLTS program covers all private nonfarm establishments such as
factories, offices, and stores, as well as federal, state, and local
government entities in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Concepts
Industry classification. The industry classifications in this release
are in accordance with the 2002 version of the North American Industry
Classification System (NAICS). In order to ensure the highest possible
quality of data, State Workforce Agencies verify with employers and update,
if necessary, the industry code, location, and ownership classification of
all establishments on a 3-year cycle. Changes in establishment characteris-
tics resulting from the verification process are always introduced into the
JOLTS sampling frame with the data reported for the first month of the year.
Employment. Employment includes persons on the payroll who worked or re-
ceived pay for the pay period that includes the 12th day of the reference
month. Full-time, part-time, permanent, short-term, seasonal, salaried,
and hourly employees are included, as are employees on paid vacations or
other paid leave. Proprietors or partners of unincorporated businesses,
unpaid family workers, or persons on leave without pay or on strike for
the entire pay period, are not counted as employed. Employees of tempo-
rary help agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors, and
consultants are counted by their employer of record, not by the establish-
ment where they are working.
Job openings. Establishments submit job openings information for the
last business day of the reference month. A job opening requires that:
1) a specific position exists and there is work available for that posi-
tion, 2) work could start within 30 days regardless of whether a suitable
candidate is found, and 3) the employer is actively recruiting from outside
the establishment to fill the position. Included are full-time, part-time,
permanent, short-term, and seasonal openings. Active recruiting means that
the establishment is taking steps to fill a position by advertising in news-
papers or on the Internet, posting help-wanted signs, accepting applications,
or using other similar methods.
Jobs to be filled only by internal transfers, promotions, demotions, or
recall from layoffs are excluded. Also excluded are jobs with start dates
more than 30 days in the future, jobs for which employees have been hired
but have not yet reported for work, and jobs to be filled by employees of
temporary help agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors,
or consultants. The job openings rate is computed by dividing the number
of job openings by the sum of employment and job openings and multiplying
that quotient by 100.
- 5 -
Hires. Hires are the total number of additions to the payroll occurring
at any time during the reference month, including both new and rehired em-
ployees, full-time and part-time, permanent, short-term and seasonal em-
ployees, employees recalled to the location after a layoff lasting more
than 7 days, on-call or intermittent employees who returned to work after
having been formally separated, and transfers from other locations. The
hires count does not include transfers or promotions within the reporting
site, employees returning from strike, employees of temporary help agencies
or employee leasing companies, outside contractors, or consultants. The
hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by employment and
multiplying that quotient by 100.
Separations. Separations are the total number of terminations of
employment occurring at any time during the reference month, and are
reported by type of separation--quits, layoffs and discharges, and
other separations. Quits are voluntary separations by employees (ex-
cept for retirements, which are reported as other separations). Lay-
offs and discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the em-
ployer and include layoffs with no intent to rehire, formal layoffs
lasting or expected to last more than 7 days, discharges resulting
from mergers, downsizing, or closings, firings or other discharges
for cause, terminations of permanent or short-term employees, and
terminations of seasonal employees. Other separations include re-
tirements, transfers to other locations, deaths, and separations
due to disability. Separations do not include transfers within the
same location or employees on strike.
The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of separations
by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100. The quits, layoffs
and discharges, and other separations rates are computed similarly, divid-
ing the number by employment and multiplying by 100.
Annual estimates. Annual estimates of rates and levels of hires, quits,
layoffs and discharges, other separations, and total separations are released
with the January news release each year.
The JOLTS annual level estimates for hires, quits, layoffs and discharges,
other separations, and total separations are the sum of the 12 published
monthly levels. The annual rate estimates are computed by dividing the an-
nual level by the Current Employment Statistics (CES) annual average employ-
ment level, and multiplying that quotient by 100. This figure will be ap-
proximately equal to the sum of the 12 monthly rates. Note that both the
JOLTS and CES annual levels are rounded to the nearest thousand before the
annual estimates are calculated. Consistent with BLS practices, annual es-
timates will be published only for not seasonally adjusted data.
Annual estimates are not calculated for job openings because job
openings are a stock, or point-in-time, measurement for the last business
day of each month. Only jobs still open on the last day of the month are
counted. For the same reason job openings cannot be cumulated throughout
each month, annual figures for job openings cannot be created by summing
the monthly estimates. Hires and separations are flow measures and are
cumulated over the month with a total reported for the month. Therefore,
the annual figures can be created by summing the monthly estimates.
- 6 -
Sample methodology
The JOLTS sample design is a random sample of 16,000 nonfarm business
establishments, including factories, offices, and stores, as well as
federal, state, and local governments in the 50 states and the District
of Columbia. The establishments are drawn from a universe of over eight
million establishments compiled as part of the operations of the Quarterly
Census of Employment and Wages, or QCEW, program. This program includes
all employers subject to state Unemployment Insurance (UI) laws and federal
agencies subject to Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE).
The sampling frame is stratified by ownership, region, industry sector,
and size class. Large firms fall into the sample with virtual certainty.
JOLTS total employment estimates are controlled to the employment estimates
of the Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey. A ratio of CES to JOLTS
employment is used to adjust the levels for all other JOLTS data elements.
Rates are then computed from the adjusted levels.
Using JOLTS data
The JOLTS data series on job openings, hires, and separations are rel-
atively new. The full sample is divided into panels, with one panel
enrolled each month. A full complement of panels for the original data
series based on the 1987 Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system
was not completely enrolled in the survey until January 2002. The supple-
mental panels of establishments needed to create NAICS estimates were not
completely enrolled until May 2003. The data collected up until those
points are from less than a full sample. Therefore, estimates from earlier
months should be used with caution, as fewer sampled units were reporting
data at that time.
In March 2002, BLS procedures for collecting hires and separations data
were revised to address possible underreporting. As a result, JOLTS hires
and separations estimates for months prior to March 2002 may not be compar-
able with estimates for March 2002 and later.
The federal government reorganization that involved transferring approx-
imately 180,000 employees to the new Department of Homeland Security is not
reflected in the JOLTS hires and separations estimates for the federal gov-
ernment. The Office of Personnel Management's record shows these transfers
were completed in March 2003. The inclusion of transfers in the JOLTS defi-
nitions of hires and separations is intended to cover ongoing movements of
workers between establishments. The Department of Homeland Security reorgan-
ization was a massive one-time event, and the inclusion of these intergovern-
mental transfers would distort the federal government time series.
Seasonal adjustment
BLS seasonally adjusts several JOLTS series using the X-12-ARIMA
seasonal adjustment program. Seasonal adjustment is the process of
estimating and removing periodic fluctuations caused by events such
as weather, holidays, and the beginning and ending of the school year.
Seasonal adjustment makes it easier to observe fundamental changes in
the level of the series, particularly those associated with general
economic expansions and contractions. A concurrent seasonal adjust-
ment methodology is used in which new seasonal adjustment factors are
calculated each month, using all relevant data, up to and including
the data for the current month.
- 7 -
Prior to the January 2007 benchmark release in March 2007, sea-
sonal adjustment of the JOLTS series was conducted using the stable
seasonal filter option since there were not enough data observations
available for the standard use of moving averages as seasonal filters.
Although the seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS series is conducted with
fewer data observations than is customary, the number of observations
is now above the minimum required by X-12-ARIMA to use the normal sea-
sonal filters. Therefore, the standard use of moving averages as seasonal
filter is now in place for JOLTS seasonal adjustment. JOLTS seasonal ad-
justment now includes both additive and multiplicative seasonal adjustment
models and REGARIMA (regression with autocorrelated errors) modeling to
improve the seasonal adjustment factors at the beginning and end of the
series and to detect and adjust for outliers in the series. Due to
the improved diagnostics, three additional industries are now season-
ally adjusted: retail trade, accommodations and food services, and
state and local government. It is expected that more series may be sea-
sonally adjusted when more data are available.
Reliability of the estimates
JOLTS estimates are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error.
When a sample rather than the entire population is surveyed, there is a
chance that the sample estimates may differ from the "true" population
values they represent. The exact difference, or sampling error, varies
depending on the particular sample selected, and this variability is
measured by the standard error of the estimate. BLS analysis is generally
conducted at the 90-percent level of confidence. That means that there is
a 90-percent chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate based on a
sample will differ by no more than 1.6 standard errors from the "true"
population value because of sampling error. Estimates of sampling errors
are available upon request.
The JOLTS estimates also are affected by nonsampling error. Nonsampling
error can occur for many reasons, including the failure to include a seg-
ment of the population, the inability to obtain data from all units in the
sample, the inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide data on a
timely basis, mistakes made by respondents, errors made in the collection
or processing of the data, and errors from the employment benchmark data
used in estimation.
JOLTS hires and separations estimates cannot be used to exactly ex-
plain net changes in nonfarm payroll employment. Some reasons why it is
problematic to compare changes in payroll employment with JOLTS hires and
separations, especially on a monthly basis, are: 1) the reference period
for payroll employment is the pay period including the 12th of the month,
while the reference period for hires and separations is the calendar month;
and 2) payroll employment can vary from month to month simply because part-
time and on-call workers may not always work during the pay period that in-
cludes the 12th of the month. Additionally, research has found that some
reporters systematically underreport separations relative to hires due to a
number of factors, including the nature of their payroll systems and prac-
tices. The shortfall appears to be about 2 percent or less over a 12-month
period.
Other information
Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired
individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; TDD message referral
phone: 1-800-877-8339.
Table 1. Job openings levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels (3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Oct. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Oct. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct.
2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p
Total (4).................................. 4,157 4,095 4,280 4,186 4,168 4,119 4,122 3.0 2.9 3.0 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.9
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 3,702 3,627 3,810 3,711 3,709 3,664 3,652 3.1 3.0 3.2 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.0
Construction............................. 137 157 139 167 149 138 163 1.7 2.0 1.8 2.1 1.9 1.8 2.1
Manufacturing............................ 364 345 344 340 328 319 309 2.5 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.3 2.2 2.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 658 609 676 684 703 691 638 2.4 2.3 2.5 2.5 2.6 2.5 2.4
Retail trade............................ 370 337 409 399 380 367 303 2.4 2.1 2.6 2.5 2.4 2.3 1.9
Professional and business services....... 709 654 763 693 676 661 712 3.9 3.5 4.1 3.7 3.6 3.5 3.8
Education and health services............ 749 703 711 717 700 720 704 4.0 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.7
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 579 571 568 547 585 653 664 4.2 4.0 4.0 3.9 4.1 4.6 4.6
Accommodations and food services........ 487 500 497 497 518 587 598 4.1 4.1 4.1 4.1 4.3 4.8 4.9
Government (7)............................ 460 468 465 475 449 455 470 2.0 2.1 2.0 2.1 2.0 2.0 2.1
State and local government............... 423 424 424 430 410 408 420 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.1 2.0 2.1
REGION (8)
Northeast................................ 760 674 732 741 682 611 687 2.9 2.5 2.8 2.8 2.6 2.3 2.6
South.................................... 1,649 1,648 1,635 1,612 1,690 1,651 1,663 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.2 3.2
Midwest.................................. 769 799 805 754 778 828 757 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.3
West..................................... 989 970 1,106 1,120 1,024 1,048 1,025 3.1 3.1 3.5 3.5 3.2 3.3 3.2
1 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day of the month.
2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business day of the month as a percent of total employment plus
job openings.
3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
6 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately.
7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
8 The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of
Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas,
Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio,
South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah,
Washington, and Wyoming.
p = preliminary.
Table 2. Hires levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels (3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Oct. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Oct. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct.
2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p
Total (4).................................. 4,983 4,982 4,741 4,802 4,836 4,714 4,903 3.6 3.6 3.4 3.5 3.5 3.4 3.5
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 4,616 4,503 4,335 4,443 4,369 4,355 4,502 4.0 3.9 3.7 3.8 3.8 3.8 3.9
Construction............................. 345 351 358 408 371 336 336 4.5 4.6 4.7 5.3 4.9 4.4 4.4
Manufacturing............................ 366 356 355 359 349 365 389 2.6 2.5 2.5 2.6 2.5 2.6 2.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 1,008 1,044 910 924 922 994 1,019 3.8 3.9 3.4 3.5 3.5 3.7 3.8
Retail trade............................ 713 715 605 613 666 709 708 4.7 4.6 3.9 4.0 4.3 4.6 4.6
Professional and business services....... 994 935 865 879 797 800 828 5.6 5.2 4.8 4.9 4.4 4.5 4.6
Education and health services............ 529 507 493 502 501 448 523 2.9 2.8 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.4 2.8
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 893 873 854 874 901 906 960 6.7 6.5 6.3 6.4 6.6 6.6 7.0
Accommodations and food services........ 758 755 736 748 758 749 835 6.7 6.5 6.4 6.5 6.5 6.4 7.1
Government (7)............................ 363 409 395 385 396 370 378 1.6 1.8 1.8 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.7
State and local government............... 320 330 312 293 314 296 314 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.6
REGION (8)
Northeast................................ 727 705 684 750 761 689 647 2.8 2.7 2.6 2.9 2.9 2.7 2.5
South.................................... 1,969 1,960 1,842 1,898 1,841 1,848 1,916 4.0 4.0 3.7 3.8 3.7 3.7 3.9
Midwest.................................. 1,097 1,101 1,082 1,039 1,081 1,125 1,114 3.5 3.5 3.4 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.5
West..................................... 1,198 1,143 1,117 1,135 1,148 1,068 1,211 3.9 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.5 3.9
1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month.
2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
6 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately.
7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
8 See footnote 8, table 1.
p = preliminary.
Table 3. Total separations levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels (3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Oct. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Oct. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct.
2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p
Total (4).................................. 4,613 4,544 4,543 4,507 4,446 4,430 4,665 3.4 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.4
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 4,323 4,233 4,234 4,173 4,120 4,146 4,394 3.8 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.8
Construction............................. 373 346 363 384 371 364 384 4.8 4.5 4.7 5.0 4.9 4.8 5.1
Manufacturing............................ 359 396 382 379 380 379 397 2.5 2.8 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 987 950 974 987 926 954 994 3.8 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.5 3.6 3.8
Retail trade............................ 688 685 688 687 652 676 682 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.2 4.4 4.4
Professional and business services....... 921 775 728 733 742 832 882 5.2 4.3 4.1 4.1 4.1 4.6 4.9
Education and health services............ 424 437 473 414 430 411 431 2.4 2.4 2.6 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.3
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 791 833 850 837 808 723 811 6.0 6.2 6.3 6.2 6.0 5.3 5.9
Accommodations and food services........ 673 715 730 735 703 627 692 5.9 6.2 6.3 6.3 6.1 5.4 5.9
Government(7)............................. 298 315 310 323 322 289 292 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.3
State and local government............... 248 239 239 254 255 213 240 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.1 1.2
REGION (8)
Northeast................................ 745 642 634 622 667 631 681 2.9 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.6 2.4 2.6
South.................................... 1,709 1,798 1,699 1,744 1,710 1,760 1,757 3.5 3.6 3.4 3.5 3.5 3.6 3.5
Midwest.................................. 1,072 1,024 1,033 1,014 1,038 998 1,005 3.4 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.1 3.1
West..................................... 1,081 1,062 1,191 1,149 1,053 1,018 1,190 3.5 3.4 3.9 3.7 3.4 3.3 3.8
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.
5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
6 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately.
7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
8 See footnote 8, table 1.
p = preliminary.
Table 4. Quits levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels (3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Oct. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Oct. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct.
2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p
Total (4).................................. 2,655 2,686 2,627 2,640 2,539 2,450 2,653 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.9
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 2,513 2,530 2,475 2,493 2,391 2,308 2,507 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.2 2.1 2.0 2.2
Construction............................. 137 124 129 176 145 135 136 1.8 1.6 1.7 2.3 1.9 1.8 1.8
Manufacturing............................ 196 216 195 186 202 189 200 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 593 606 618 572 545 559 589 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.1 2.1 2.2
Retail trade............................ 438 445 448 427 401 412 433 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.8 2.6 2.7 2.8
Professional and business services....... 475 424 411 418 395 420 504 2.7 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.3 2.8
Education and health services............ 274 284 271 276 270 253 256 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.4
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 542 551 595 597 557 410 561 4.1 4.1 4.4 4.4 4.1 3.0 4.1
Accommodations and food services........ 496 503 540 552 505 363 519 4.4 4.3 4.7 4.8 4.4 3.1 4.4
Government (7)............................ 144 157 152 148 148 146 146 .7 .7 .7 .7 .7 .7 .7
State and local government............... 124 130 123 125 126 123 128 .6 .7 .6 .6 .6 .6 .7
REGION (8)
Northeast................................ 359 331 380 314 313 306 336 1.4 1.3 1.5 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3
South.................................... 1,101 1,162 1,049 1,097 1,070 1,012 1,077 2.2 2.4 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.0 2.2
Midwest.................................. 604 551 555 553 564 543 549 1.9 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.7
West..................................... 592 643 648 669 598 582 702 1.9 2.1 2.1 2.2 1.9 1.9 2.3
1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month.
2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
6 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately.
7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
8 See footnote 8, table 1.
p = preliminary.
Table 5. Job openings levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Oct. Sept. Oct. Oct. Sept. Oct.
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 4,189 4,273 4,157 3.0 3.0 2.9
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,740 3,830 3,698 3.1 3.2 3.1
Natural resources and mining.................. 14 12 11 2.0 1.7 1.4
Construction.................................. 120 132 145 1.5 1.7 1.8
Manufacturing................................. 356 321 300 2.4 2.2 2.1
Durable goods................................ 226 191 174 2.5 2.1 1.9
Nondurable goods............................. 130 130 126 2.4 2.5 2.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 762 790 729 2.8 2.9 2.7
Wholesale trade.............................. 130 190 181 2.1 3.0 2.9
Retail trade................................. 489 445 401 3.1 2.8 2.5
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 143 156 148 2.7 2.9 2.8
Information................................... 153 90 86 4.8 2.8 2.7
Financial activities.......................... 227 244 233 2.6 2.8 2.7
Finance and insurance........................ 184 203 186 2.9 3.2 2.9
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 43 41 47 1.9 1.8 2.1
Professional and business services............ 711 669 721 3.8 3.6 3.8
Education and health services................. 740 750 698 3.9 3.9 3.6
Educational services......................... 68 69 65 2.1 2.3 2.0
Health care and social assistance............ 673 681 633 4.3 4.2 3.9
Leisure and hospitality....................... 517 639 614 3.8 4.4 4.3
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 81 67 55 4.1 3.2 2.8
Accommodations and food services............. 436 572 559 3.7 4.6 4.6
Other services................................ 140 184 161 2.5 3.3 2.9
Government..................................... 448 443 459 2.0 2.0 2.0
Federal....................................... 32 42 46 1.1 1.5 1.7
State and local............................... 417 401 413 2.1 2.0 2.0
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 810 661 744 3.1 2.5 2.8
South......................................... 1,620 1,662 1,637 3.2 3.2 3.2
Midwest....................................... 775 885 762 2.4 2.7 2.3
West.......................................... 984 1,064 1,015 3.1 3.3 3.2
1 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day of the month.
2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business day of the month as a
percent of total employment plus job openings.
3 See footnote 8, table 1.
p = preliminary.
Table 6. Hires levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Oct. Sept. Oct. Oct. Sept. Oct.
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 4,985 5,135 4,931 3.6 3.7 3.5
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 4,645 4,572 4,587 4.0 3.9 3.9
Natural resources and mining.................. 20 27 19 2.8 3.7 2.5
Construction.................................. 309 332 297 3.9 4.2 3.8
Manufacturing................................. 331 382 359 2.3 2.7 2.6
Durable goods................................ 187 214 211 2.1 2.4 2.4
Nondurable goods............................. 144 168 148 2.8 3.3 2.9
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 1,122 1,105 1,149 4.3 4.2 4.3
Wholesale trade.............................. 139 183 171 2.3 3.0 2.8
Retail trade................................. 823 756 831 5.4 4.9 5.4
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 159 167 147 3.1 3.2 2.9
Information................................... 74 60 60 2.4 2.0 2.0
Financial activities.......................... 217 236 224 2.6 2.8 2.7
Finance and insurance........................ 140 142 164 2.3 2.3 2.6
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 77 93 59 3.5 4.2 2.7
Professional and business services............ 1,013 830 854 5.7 4.6 4.7
Education and health services................. 535 561 539 2.9 3.0 2.9
Educational services......................... 73 130 68 2.3 4.4 2.1
Health care and social assistance............ 463 431 472 3.1 2.8 3.0
Leisure and hospitality....................... 810 866 920 6.1 6.3 6.8
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 81 124 93 4.3 6.1 4.8
Accommodations and food services............. 729 742 827 6.5 6.3 7.1
Other services................................ 215 172 166 4.0 3.2 3.0
Government..................................... 340 563 344 1.5 2.5 1.5
Federal....................................... 31 113 37 1.2 4.2 1.4
State and local............................... 308 451 307 1.6 2.3 1.5
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 738 848 642 2.9 3.3 2.5
South......................................... 1,962 1,922 1,938 4.0 3.9 3.9
Midwest....................................... 1,068 1,214 1,098 3.4 3.8 3.4
West.......................................... 1,218 1,150 1,253 4.0 3.7 4.0
1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month.
2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
3 See footnote 8, table 1.
p = preliminary.
Table 7. Total separations levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Oct. Sept. Oct. Oct. Sept. Oct.
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 4,621 4,896 4,689 3.4 3.5 3.4
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 4,380 4,526 4,462 3.8 3.9 3.8
Natural resources and mining.................. 16 30 19 2.3 4.1 2.5
Construction.................................. 380 379 407 4.8 4.8 5.2
Manufacturing................................. 357 400 399 2.5 2.8 2.9
Durable goods................................ 201 228 239 2.2 2.6 2.7
Nondurable goods............................. 157 173 160 3.0 3.3 3.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 926 1,008 948 3.5 3.8 3.6
Wholesale trade.............................. 119 152 172 2.0 2.5 2.8
Retail trade................................. 642 706 634 4.2 4.6 4.1
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 165 150 142 3.3 2.9 2.8
Information................................... 80 78 54 2.6 2.5 1.7
Financial activities.......................... 249 235 228 3.0 2.8 2.7
Finance and insurance........................ 149 153 155 2.4 2.5 2.5
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 100 82 74 4.6 3.7 3.3
Professional and business services............ 888 847 910 5.0 4.7 5.0
Education and health services................. 379 442 387 2.1 2.4 2.1
Educational services......................... 38 53 34 1.2 1.8 1.1
Health care and social assistance............ 342 389 353 2.3 2.5 2.3
Leisure and hospitality....................... 935 928 946 7.1 6.7 7.0
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 153 209 153 8.0 10.2 7.9
Accommodations and food services............. 782 719 793 6.9 6.1 6.8
Other services................................ 169 179 165 3.1 3.3 3.0
Government..................................... 241 370 227 1.1 1.7 1.0
Federal....................................... 32 103 24 1.2 3.8 .9
State and local............................... 209 267 203 1.1 1.4 1.0
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 754 802 711 2.9 3.1 2.7
South......................................... 1,731 1,839 1,771 3.5 3.7 3.5
Midwest....................................... 1,055 1,098 991 3.3 3.4 3.1
West.......................................... 1,081 1,157 1,217 3.5 3.7 3.9
1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month.
2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent
of total employment.
3 See footnote 8, table 1.
p = preliminary.
Table 8. Quits levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Oct. Sept. Oct. Oct. Sept. Oct.
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 2,593 2,671 2,604 1.9 1.9 1.9
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 2,473 2,498 2,486 2.1 2.1 2.1
Natural resources and mining.................. 10 20 11 1.5 2.7 1.5
Construction.................................. 140 144 141 1.8 1.8 1.8
Manufacturing................................. 196 207 202 1.4 1.5 1.4
Durable goods................................ 104 114 116 1.2 1.3 1.3
Nondurable goods............................. 93 93 86 1.8 1.8 1.7
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 567 610 566 2.2 2.3 2.1
Wholesale trade.............................. 65 87 78 1.1 1.4 1.3
Retail trade................................. 424 445 422 2.8 2.9 2.7
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 78 78 66 1.5 1.5 1.3
Information................................... 52 52 34 1.7 1.7 1.1
Financial activities.......................... 157 132 124 1.9 1.6 1.5
Finance and insurance........................ 100 91 92 1.6 1.5 1.5
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 57 41 32 2.6 1.9 1.4
Professional and business services............ 432 426 477 2.4 2.4 2.6
Education and health services................. 260 275 237 1.4 1.5 1.3
Educational services......................... 17 32 20 .6 1.1 .6
Health care and social assistance............ 243 243 217 1.6 1.6 1.4
Leisure and hospitality....................... 580 517 590 4.4 3.8 4.3
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 56 68 44 3.0 3.3 2.3
Accommodations and food services............. 524 450 545 4.6 3.8 4.7
Other services................................ 78 116 104 1.4 2.1 1.9
Government..................................... 120 173 118 .5 .8 .5
Federal....................................... 14 36 9 .5 1.3 .3
State and local............................... 105 137 109 .5 .7 .5
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 351 389 341 1.4 1.5 1.3
South......................................... 1,109 1,047 1,079 2.2 2.1 2.2
Midwest....................................... 584 595 527 1.8 1.9 1.6
West.......................................... 549 640 656 1.8 2.1 2.1
1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month.
2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
3 See footnote 8, table 1.
p = preliminary.
Table 9. Layoffs and discharges levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Oct. Sept. Oct. Oct. Sept. Oct.
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 1,706 1,924 1,838 1.2 1.4 1.3
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 1,620 1,800 1,762 1.4 1.5 1.5
Natural resources and mining.................. 4 8 6 .5 1.1 .8
Construction.................................. 206 221 251 2.6 2.8 3.2
Manufacturing................................. 134 167 178 .9 1.2 1.3
Durable goods................................ 80 101 113 .9 1.1 1.3
Nondurable goods............................. 54 67 64 1.0 1.3 1.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 282 327 337 1.1 1.2 1.3
Wholesale trade.............................. 46 59 89 .8 1.0 1.5
Retail trade................................. 174 210 189 1.1 1.4 1.2
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 62 59 59 1.2 1.1 1.2
Information................................... 23 19 12 .8 .6 .4
Financial activities.......................... 73 91 89 .9 1.1 1.1
Finance and insurance........................ 36 53 53 .6 .9 .9
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 37 38 36 1.7 1.7 1.6
Professional and business services............ 400 371 395 2.2 2.1 2.2
Education and health services................. 88 143 112 .5 .8 .6
Educational services......................... 17 18 11 .6 .6 .4
Health care and social assistance............ 71 126 100 .5 .8 .6
Leisure and hospitality....................... 337 397 333 2.6 2.9 2.4
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 94 139 106 4.9 6.8 5.4
Accommodations and food services............. 243 257 228 2.2 2.2 2.0
Other services................................ 71 55 50 1.3 1.0 .9
Government..................................... 87 124 76 .4 .6 .3
Federal....................................... 11 27 9 .4 1.0 .3
State and local............................... 76 97 67 .4 .5 .3
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 345 345 309 1.3 1.3 1.2
South......................................... 495 707 598 1.0 1.4 1.2
Midwest....................................... 411 438 414 1.3 1.4 1.3
West.......................................... 455 435 517 1.5 1.4 1.7
1 Layoffs and discharges are the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire month.
2 The layoffs and discharges rate is the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire month as a
percent of total employment.
3 See footnote 8, table 1.
p = preliminary.
Table 10. Other separations levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region Oct. Sept. Oct. Oct. Sept. Oct.
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 322 301 247 0.2 0.2 0.2
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 287 228 214 .2 .2 .2
Natural resources and mining.................. 2 2 2 .3 .3 .2
Construction.................................. 34 14 15 .4 .2 .2
Manufacturing................................. 27 26 19 .2 .2 .1
Durable goods................................ 17 13 10 .2 .1 .1
Nondurable goods............................. 10 13 10 .2 .2 .2
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 77 71 45 .3 .3 .2
Wholesale trade.............................. 7 6 5 .1 .1 .1
Retail trade................................. 44 51 23 .3 .3 .1
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 26 13 16 .5 .3 .3
Information................................... 5 7 8 .2 .2 .3
Financial activities.......................... 19 12 15 .2 .1 .2
Finance and insurance........................ 13 9 9 .2 .1 .1
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 7 3 6 .3 .1 .3
Professional and business services............ 55 50 39 .3 .3 .2
Education and health services................. 31 25 38 .2 .1 .2
Educational services......................... 3 3 3 .1 .1 .1
Health care and social assistance............ 27 21 35 .2 .1 .2
Leisure and hospitality....................... 17 14 23 .1 .1 .2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 2 2 3 .1 .1 .2
Accommodations and food services............. 15 12 20 .1 .1 .2
Other services................................ 20 8 10 .4 .1 .2
Government..................................... 35 73 32 .2 .3 .1
Federal....................................... 7 40 6 .3 1.5 .2
State and local............................... 27 33 27 .1 .2 .1
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 58 68 60 .2 .3 .2
South......................................... 127 86 94 .3 .2 .2
Midwest....................................... 60 65 49 .2 .2 .2
West.......................................... 77 82 44 .3 .3 .1
1 Other separations are the number of other separations during the entire month.
2 The other separations rate is the number of other separations during the entire month as a percent of
total employment.
3 See footnote 8, table 1.
p = preliminary.