Full text of September 2004 : Text File, USDL-04-2275
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Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 04-2275
http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
For release: 10:00 A.M. EST
Media contact: 691-5902 Tuesday, November 9, 2004
JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: SEPTEMBER 2004
The job openings, hires, and total separations rates showed little or no
change in September, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department
of Labor reported today. The job openings rate was unchanged at 2.4 per-
cent. The hires rate remained at 3.3 percent, and the total separations
rate was essentially 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 September 2004, there were 3.2 million job
openings in the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.4 percent.
(See table 1.) The overall job openings rate is 0.4 percentage point
higher than its most recent low in August 2003. In September, the job
openings rate showed little or no change for the major industry categories.
Hires and Separations
The hires rate (the number of hires during the month divided by
employment) was 3.3 percent in September, unchanged from a month earlier.
(See table 2.) Hires are any additions to the payroll during the month.
The hires rate decreased in trade, transportation, and utilities and in
education and health services over the month, while other major industries
showed little change in their hires rates.
The total separations, or turnover, rate (the total number of
separations during the month divided by employment) was 3.2 percent in
September and has remained in the range of 2.9 to 3.3 percent since
December 2001. Separations are terminations of employment that occur at
any time during the month. (See table 3.) The total separations rate
increased in government in September, following a decrease in August.
Other major industries showed little or no change in their total
separations rates in September.
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 1.7 percent in September and has been unchanged
since February 2004. (See table 4.) The quits rate increased in manufac-
turing from a month earlier. The other two components of total separations,
layoffs and discharges (1.3 percent) and other separations (0.2 percent) are
not seasonally adjusted. The layoffs and discharges rate was little changed
from a year earlier, and the other separations rate was unchanged.
- 2 -
Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally
adjusted
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Job openings | Hires | Total separations
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Industry | Sept.| Aug. | Sept.| Sept.| Aug. | Sept.| Sept.| Aug. | Sept.
| 2003 | 2004 | 2004p| 2003 | 2004 | 2004p| 2003 | 2004 | 2004p
-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Levels (in thousands)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total 1/...........|2,755 |3,195 |3,235 |4,061 |4,375 |4,297 |3,845 |4,134 |4,165
Total private 1/.|2,399 |2,859 |2,889 |3,787 |4,058 |3,948 |3,588 |3,894 |3,876
Construction...| 58 | 121 | 126 | 405 | 401 | 388 | 408 | 391 | 367
Manufacturing..| 183 | 234 | 246 | 336 | 356 | 379 | 340 | 379 | 379
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities.....| 484 | 551 | 561 | 859 | 984 | 879 | 821 | 951 | 906
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 467 | 594 | 564 | 606 | 690 | 674 | 524 | 575 | 588
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 499 | 536 | 546 | 439 | 470 | 403 | 399 | 380 | 386
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality...| 348 | 410 | 411 | 732 | 760 | 834 | 657 | 760 | 769
Government.......| 364 | 337 | 339 | 290 | 322 | 339 | 259 | 246 | 290
|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Rates (percent)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total 1/...........| 2.1 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.2
Total private 1/.| 2.2 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.5
Construction...| .9 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 6.0 | 5.8 | 5.6 | 6.0 | 5.6 | 5.3
Manufacturing..| 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.6
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities.....| 1.9 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 3.6
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 2.8 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.6
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 2.3
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality...| 2.8 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 6.0 | 6.1 | 6.7 | 5.4 | 6.2 | 6.2
Government.......| 1.7 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.3
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 4.0 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 October 2004 is
scheduled to be issued on Wednesday, December 8, 2004.
- 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 Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept.
2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p
Total(4)............................... 2,755 3,135 3,105 3,022 3,237 3,195 3,235 2.1 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.4
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 2,399 2,778 2,746 2,640 2,894 2,859 2,889 2.2 2.5 2.4 2.3 2.6 2.5 2.6
Construction......................... 58 105 108 94 88 121 126 .9 1.5 1.5 1.3 1.3 1.7 1.8
Manufacturing........................ 183 251 244 247 240 234 246 1.3 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.7
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 484 531 521 503 567 551 561 1.9 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.2 2.1 2.2
Professional and business services... 467 518 530 494 583 594 564 2.8 3.1 3.1 2.9 3.4 3.5 3.3
Education and health services........ 499 576 542 496 537 536 546 2.9 3.3 3.1 2.9 3.1 3.1 3.1
Leisure and hospitality.............. 348 376 391 421 435 410 411 2.8 3.0 3.1 3.3 3.4 3.2 3.2
Government............................ 364 354 360 380 343 337 339 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.5
REGION
Northeast............................ 488 560 526 546 545 540 547 1.9 2.2 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.1
South................................ 1,039 1,191 1,164 1,164 1,280 1,259 1,210 2.2 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.7 2.6 2.5
Midwest.............................. 581 692 688 631 635 613 696 1.9 2.2 2.2 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.2
West................................. 657 694 765 677 738 771 778 2.3 2.4 2.6 2.3 2.5 2.6 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 Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept.
2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p
Total(4)............................... 4,061 4,398 4,206 4,433 4,229 4,375 4,297 3.1 3.4 3.2 3.4 3.2 3.3 3.3
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 3,787 4,090 3,938 4,110 3,930 4,058 3,948 3.5 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.6
Construction......................... 405 421 406 436 368 401 388 6.0 6.1 5.9 6.3 5.3 5.8 5.6
Manufacturing........................ 336 354 336 370 352 356 379 2.3 2.5 2.3 2.6 2.4 2.5 2.6
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 859 1,032 938 945 957 984 879 3.4 4.1 3.7 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.4
Professional and business services... 606 609 631 692 621 690 674 3.8 3.7 3.8 4.2 3.8 4.2 4.1
Education and health services........ 439 460 451 428 418 470 403 2.6 2.7 2.7 2.5 2.5 2.8 2.4
Leisure and hospitality.............. 732 766 739 749 760 760 834 6.0 6.2 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.1 6.7
Government............................ 290 300 272 328 310 322 339 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.6
REGION
Northeast............................ 705 810 708 703 720 763 758 2.8 3.2 2.8 2.8 2.9 3.0 3.0
South................................ 1,524 1,582 1,606 1,709 1,640 1,643 1,659 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.7 3.5 3.5 3.6
Midwest.............................. 885 991 956 1,009 935 945 939 2.9 3.2 3.1 3.2 3.0 3.0 3.0
West................................. 973 1,093 951 1,023 865 1,018 960 3.4 3.8 3.3 3.6 3.0 3.5 3.3
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 Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept.
2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p
Total(4)............................... 3,845 4,088 4,040 4,069 4,074 4,134 4,165 3.0 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.2
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 3,588 3,843 3,761 3,789 3,793 3,894 3,876 3.3 3.5 3.4 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5
Construction......................... 408 391 367 382 364 391 367 6.0 5.7 5.3 5.5 5.3 5.6 5.3
Manufacturing........................ 340 353 377 343 367 379 379 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.6
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 821 1,013 917 927 972 951 906 3.3 4.0 3.6 3.6 3.8 3.7 3.6
Professional and business services... 524 606 556 607 613 575 588 3.3 3.7 3.4 3.7 3.7 3.5 3.6
Education and health services........ 399 386 379 362 363 380 386 2.4 2.3 2.2 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.3
Leisure and hospitality.............. 657 679 696 734 694 760 769 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.9 5.6 6.2 6.2
Government............................ 259 245 268 270 273 246 290 1.2 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.1 1.3
REGION
Northeast............................ 660 716 648 704 674 717 724 2.6 2.9 2.6 2.8 2.7 2.8 2.9
South................................ 1,468 1,524 1,504 1,533 1,545 1,527 1,504 3.2 3.3 3.2 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.2
Midwest.............................. 832 877 833 853 935 831 934 2.7 2.8 2.7 2.7 3.0 2.7 3.0
West................................. 878 959 1,008 979 945 1,087 991 3.1 3.4 3.5 3.4 3.3 3.8 3.5
1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month.
2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
3 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 Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept.
2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p
Total(4)............................... 2,072 2,278 2,173 2,284 2,265 2,252 2,258 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)...................... 1,949 2,151 2,036 2,162 2,141 2,140 2,130 1.8 2.0 1.9 2.0 2.0 1.9 1.9
Construction......................... 151 149 144 156 101 147 132 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.3 1.5 2.1 1.9
Manufacturing........................ 142 189 171 171 174 165 186 1.0 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 473 563 525 536 559 552 539 1.9 2.2 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.1
Professional and business services... 276 323 259 322 322 308 309 1.7 2.0 1.6 2.0 2.0 1.9 1.9
Education and health services........ 252 245 223 225 271 239 244 1.5 1.5 1.3 1.3 1.6 1.4 1.4
Leisure and hospitality.............. 392 429 455 480 442 476 457 3.2 3.5 3.7 3.9 3.6 3.9 3.7
Government............................ 123 129 129 123 126 116 129 .6 .6 .6 .6 .6 .5 .6
REGION
Northeast............................ 295 390 318 334 338 339 323 1.2 1.6 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3
South................................ 811 888 857 910 901 897 916 1.8 1.9 1.8 2.0 1.9 1.9 2.0
Midwest.............................. 462 479 479 485 505 447 464 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.4 1.5
West................................. 504 524 521 573 519 566 552 1.8 1.8 1.8 2.0 1.8 2.0 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 Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Aug. Sept.
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 2,844 3,413 3,373 2.1 2.5 2.5
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 2,486 3,061 3,043 2.2 2.7 2.7
Natural resources and mining.................. 6 7 9 1.0 1.2 1.5
Construction.................................. 59 115 135 .8 1.6 1.8
Manufacturing................................. 192 252 256 1.3 1.7 1.7
Durable goods................................ 111 146 163 1.2 1.6 1.8
Nondurable goods............................. 82 105 94 1.4 1.9 1.7
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 539 620 637 2.1 2.4 2.4
Wholesale trade.............................. 82 112 113 1.4 1.9 2.0
Retail trade................................. 389 424 438 2.6 2.7 2.8
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 68 84 86 1.4 1.7 1.7
Information................................... 59 76 68 1.8 2.3 2.1
Financial activities.......................... 172 215 242 2.1 2.6 2.9
Finance and insurance........................ 134 175 203 2.2 2.8 3.3
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 38 40 38 1.8 1.9 1.8
Professional and business services............ 490 620 602 2.9 3.6 3.5
Education and health services................. 523 571 568 3.1 3.3 3.3
Educational services......................... 33 54 55 1.2 2.2 2.0
Health care and social assistance............ 490 518 513 3.4 3.5 3.5
Leisure and hospitality....................... 342 455 407 2.7 3.4 3.1
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 37 51 53 2.0 2.5 2.7
Accommodations and food services............. 306 403 355 2.8 3.6 3.2
Other services................................ 104 130 118 1.9 2.3 2.1
Government..................................... 358 352 329 1.7 1.7 1.5
Federal....................................... 41 41 37 1.5 1.5 1.3
State and local............................... 317 311 292 1.7 1.7 1.5
REGION
Northeast..................................... 509 600 579 2.0 2.3 2.2
South......................................... 1,058 1,312 1,240 2.2 2.8 2.6
Midwest....................................... 607 688 735 1.9 2.2 2.3
West.......................................... 669 813 818 2.3 2.8 2.8
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 Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Aug. Sept.
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 4,612 5,038 4,868 3.5 3.8 3.7
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 4,193 4,534 4,356 3.9 4.1 3.9
Natural resources and mining.................. 14 20 20 2.3 3.3 3.4
Construction.................................. 400 385 383 5.7 5.3 5.3
Manufacturing................................. 347 397 400 2.4 2.7 2.8
Durable goods................................ 211 245 250 2.4 2.7 2.8
Nondurable goods............................. 137 152 151 2.5 2.8 2.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 1,028 1,071 1,026 4.1 4.2 4.0
Wholesale trade.............................. 169 176 169 3.0 3.1 3.0
Retail trade................................. 698 726 650 4.7 4.8 4.3
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 161 169 207 3.4 3.5 4.3
Information................................... 59 76 68 1.9 2.4 2.2
Financial activities.......................... 195 185 201 2.4 2.3 2.5
Finance and insurance........................ 122 122 118 2.1 2.0 2.0
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 73 62 83 3.5 2.9 3.9
Professional and business services............ 637 767 715 3.9 4.6 4.3
Education and health services................. 585 577 523 3.5 3.5 3.1
Educational services......................... 117 89 111 4.5 3.7 4.2
Health care and social assistance............ 468 488 411 3.4 3.4 2.9
Leisure and hospitality....................... 728 841 838 5.9 6.5 6.7
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 84 111 122 4.6 5.5 6.6
Accommodations and food services............. 644 730 716 6.1 6.7 6.7
Other services................................ 201 215 182 3.7 3.9 3.4
Government..................................... 418 504 512 2.0 2.5 2.4
Federal....................................... 38 35 42 1.4 1.3 1.5
State and local............................... 381 469 470 2.1 2.7 2.5
REGION
Northeast..................................... 870 802 960 3.5 3.2 3.8
South......................................... 1,605 1,956 1,740 3.5 4.2 3.7
Midwest....................................... 1,078 1,167 1,134 3.5 3.8 3.6
West.......................................... 1,059 1,113 1,035 3.7 3.9 3.6
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 Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Aug. Sept.
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 4,309 5,269 4,672 3.3 4.0 3.5
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 4,007 4,887 4,330 3.7 4.4 3.9
Natural resources and mining.................. 18 22 19 3.2 3.6 3.2
Construction.................................. 443 466 388 6.3 6.4 5.4
Manufacturing................................. 338 455 378 2.3 3.1 2.6
Durable goods................................ 201 298 244 2.3 3.3 2.7
Nondurable goods............................. 136 157 135 2.5 2.9 2.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 883 1,117 967 3.5 4.4 3.8
Wholesale trade.............................. 150 160 146 2.7 2.8 2.6
Retail trade................................. 621 796 682 4.2 5.3 4.6
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 113 162 139 2.4 3.4 2.9
Information................................... 66 87 66 2.1 2.7 2.1
Financial activities.......................... 202 204 197 2.5 2.5 2.4
Finance and insurance........................ 112 141 117 1.9 2.4 2.0
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 91 63 80 4.4 2.9 3.7
Professional and business services............ 548 727 617 3.4 4.3 3.7
Education and health services................. 430 492 420 2.6 3.0 2.5
Educational services......................... 49 62 61 1.9 2.6 2.3
Health care and social assistance............ 381 431 358 2.7 3.0 2.5
Leisure and hospitality....................... 883 1,019 1,050 7.2 7.9 8.4
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 212 145 232 11.4 7.2 12.4
Accommodations and food services............. 672 874 818 6.4 8.0 7.7
Other services................................ 197 299 229 3.7 5.5 4.2
Government..................................... 302 381 342 1.4 1.9 1.6
Federal....................................... 36 26 26 1.3 .9 1.0
State and local............................... 265 356 316 1.4 2.0 1.7
REGION
Northeast..................................... 825 951 914 3.3 3.8 3.6
South......................................... 1,574 1,957 1,600 3.4 4.2 3.4
Midwest....................................... 945 1,107 1,075 3.1 3.6 3.4
West.......................................... 964 1,254 1,083 3.4 4.4 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.
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 Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Aug. Sept.
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 2,406 3,103 2,613 1.8 2.4 2.0
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 2,276 2,916 2,475 2.1 2.6 2.2
Natural resources and mining.................. 8 11 12 1.4 1.8 2.0
Construction.................................. 175 191 153 2.5 2.6 2.1
Manufacturing................................. 161 237 215 1.1 1.6 1.5
Durable goods................................ 98 139 131 1.1 1.5 1.5
Nondurable goods............................. 63 98 84 1.1 1.8 1.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 544 740 608 2.2 2.9 2.4
Wholesale trade.............................. 85 82 90 1.5 1.4 1.6
Retail trade................................. 398 586 453 2.7 3.9 3.0
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 61 72 65 1.3 1.5 1.3
Information................................... 40 61 37 1.3 1.9 1.2
Financial activities.......................... 97 129 110 1.2 1.6 1.4
Finance and insurance........................ 60 83 65 1.0 1.4 1.1
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 37 46 46 1.8 2.1 2.1
Professional and business services............ 301 438 333 1.9 2.6 2.0
Education and health services................. 293 315 279 1.8 1.9 1.7
Educational services......................... 31 32 34 1.2 1.3 1.3
Health care and social assistance............ 262 283 245 1.9 2.0 1.7
Leisure and hospitality....................... 529 664 619 4.3 5.1 4.9
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 75 56 67 4.1 2.7 3.6
Accommodations and food services............. 454 609 552 4.3 5.6 5.2
Other services................................ 127 131 107 2.4 2.4 2.0
Government..................................... 131 186 139 .6 .9 .6
Federal....................................... 14 13 10 .5 .5 .4
State and local............................... 117 173 129 .6 1.0 .7
REGION
Northeast..................................... 398 484 425 1.6 1.9 1.7
South......................................... 893 1,181 1,016 1.9 2.5 2.2
Midwest....................................... 541 665 541 1.8 2.1 1.7
West.......................................... 575 773 631 2.0 2.7 2.2
1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month.
2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
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 Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Aug. Sept.
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 1,607 1,832 1,760 1.2 1.4 1.3
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 1,487 1,692 1,604 1.4 1.5 1.5
Natural resources and mining.................. 8 7 4 1.4 1.2 .7
Construction.................................. 257 259 214 3.7 3.6 3.0
Manufacturing................................. 147 186 135 1.0 1.3 .9
Durable goods................................ 86 136 92 1.0 1.5 1.0
Nondurable goods............................. 61 49 44 1.1 .9 .8
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 265 303 302 1.1 1.2 1.2
Wholesale trade.............................. 52 64 47 .9 1.1 .8
Retail trade................................. 175 165 194 1.2 1.1 1.3
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 39 74 61 .8 1.5 1.3
Information................................... 24 22 20 .7 .7 .6
Financial activities.......................... 90 46 70 1.1 .6 .9
Finance and insurance........................ 37 31 37 .6 .5 .6
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 53 15 32 2.5 .7 1.5
Professional and business services............ 206 249 247 1.3 1.5 1.5
Education and health services................. 106 144 107 .6 .9 .6
Educational services......................... 14 26 23 .5 1.1 .9
Health care and social assistance............ 91 119 84 .7 .8 .6
Leisure and hospitality....................... 331 313 397 2.7 2.4 3.2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 133 88 159 7.2 4.4 8.5
Accommodations and food services............. 198 224 238 1.9 2.1 2.2
Other services................................ 55 163 109 1.0 3.0 2.0
Government..................................... 120 139 156 .6 .7 .7
Federal....................................... 13 6 9 .5 .2 .3
State and local............................... 106 133 147 .6 .8 .8
REGION
Northeast..................................... 369 389 413 1.5 1.6 1.6
South......................................... 580 660 480 1.3 1.4 1.0
Midwest....................................... 342 369 475 1.1 1.2 1.5
West.......................................... 315 413 392 1.1 1.4 1.4
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 Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Aug. Sept.
2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p
Total........................................... 295 335 298 0.2 0.3 0.2
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 244 279 251 .2 .3 .2
Natural resources and mining.................. 2 4 3 .3 .6 .5
Construction.................................. 11 15 22 .2 .2 .3
Manufacturing................................. 30 32 28 .2 .2 .2
Durable goods................................ 18 22 21 .2 .2 .2
Nondurable goods............................. 13 10 7 .2 .2 .1
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 74 75 56 .3 .3 .2
Wholesale trade.............................. 13 14 8 .2 .2 .1
Retail trade................................. 48 45 35 .3 .3 .2
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 13 16 13 .3 .3 .3
Information................................... 2 4 9 .1 .1 .3
Financial activities.......................... 16 29 17 .2 .4 .2
Finance and insurance........................ 14 27 15 .2 .5 .2
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 1 2 2 .1 .1 .1
Professional and business services............ 41 39 37 .3 .2 .2
Education and health services................. 31 34 33 .2 .2 .2
Educational services......................... 4 4 4 .1 .2 .2
Health care and social assistance............ 27 29 29 .2 .2 .2
Leisure and hospitality....................... 23 42 34 .2 .3 .3
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 3 1 6 .2 .1 .3
Accommodations and food services............. 20 40 28 .2 .4 .3
Other services................................ 14 5 13 .3 .1 .2
Government..................................... 52 56 48 .2 .3 .2
Federal....................................... 10 6 7 .4 .2 .3
State and local............................... 42 49 40 .2 .3 .2
REGION
Northeast..................................... 58 78 77 .2 .3 .3
South......................................... 101 115 104 .2 .2 .2
Midwest....................................... 61 73 58 .2 .2 .2
West.......................................... 75 68 59 .3 .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.