Full text of September 2006 : Text File, USDL-06-1943
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Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 06-1943
http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
For release: 10:00 A.M. EST
Media contact: 691-5902 Tuesday, November 7, 2006
JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: SEPTEMBER 2006
The job openings and total separations rates were unchanged in September,
while the hires rate was essentially unchanged, the Bureau of Labor Statistics
of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This release includes esti-
mates 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 2006, there were 4.1 million job
openings in the United States and the job openings rate was 2.9 percent.
The job openings rate was unchanged over the month and has been little
changed since November 2005. In September, the job openings rate did not
change significantly in any industry or region. The industries with the
highest seasonally adjusted job openings rate in September 2006 were edu-
cation and health services (3.8 percent), leisure and hospitality (3.8 per-
cent), and professional and business services (3.7 percent). (See table 1.)
Over the year, the job openings rate rose in several of the private sector
industries, in state and local government, and in the Northeast region. The
job openings rate did not decline significantly over the year in any industry
or region. (See table 5.)
Hires
The hires rate was little changed at 3.5 percent in September. Hires are
any additions to the payroll during the month. In September, the hires rate
did not rise significantly in any industry but fell in trade, transportation,
and utilities and in government. Geographically, the hires rate did not
change significantly in any region over the month. The seasonally adjusted
hires rate was highest in September in the leisure and hospitality industry
(6.2 percent). (See table 2.)
From September 2005 to September 2006, the hires rate increased in mining
and in finance and insurance but decreased in construction; arts, entertain-
ment, and recreation; federal government; and the Northeast region. (See
table 6.)
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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.
| 2005 | 2006 | 2006p| 2005 | 2006 | 2006p| 2005 | 2006 | 2006p
-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Levels (in thousands)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........|3,728 |4,061 |4,053 |4,748 |4,831 |4,684 |4,798 |4,386 |4,339
| | | | | | | | |
Total private(1).|3,285 |3,604 |3,570 |4,418 |4,396 |4,349 |4,503 |4,083 |4,054
Construction...| 152 | 162 | 144 | 436 | 351 | 328 | 423 | 348 | 312
Manufacturing..| 285 | 310 | 300 | 346 | 353 | 316 | 437 | 364 | 387
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities.....| 629 | 686 | 690 | 983 |1,070 | 966 |1,000 | 997 | 975
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 671 | 661 | 663 | 904 | 860 | 959 | 856 | 705 | 762
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 630 | 678 | 699 | 468 | 482 | 475 | 433 | 460 | 407
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality...| 431 | 501 | 515 | 836 | 794 | 807 | 871 | 801 | 764
Government.......| 443 | 464 | 480 | 314 | 409 | 324 | 302 | 304 | 291
|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Rates (percent)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........| 2.7 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 3.2
| | | | | | | | |
Total private(1).| 2.8 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 3.6
Construction...| 2.0 | 2.1 | 1.9 | 6.0 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 5.8 | 4.6 | 4.1
Manufacturing..| 2.0 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 2.7
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and| | | | | | | | |
utilities.....| 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.7
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services......| 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 5.3 | 4.9 | 5.5 | 5.0 | 4.1 | 4.4
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices.........| 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.3
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality...| 3.3 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 6.5 | 6.1 | 6.2 | 6.8 | 6.1 | 5.8
Government.......| 2.0 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.3
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and
other services, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
Separations
The total separations, or turnover, rate was unchanged at 3.2 percent in
September. Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any time
during the month. In September, the total separations rate did not increase
significantly in any industry but did decrease in education and health ser-
vices. Geographically, the separations rate did not change significantly in
any region over the month. (See table 3.)
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, edged down to 1.8 percent in September. Over the month, the
quits rate did not rise significantly in any industry or region but declined
in leisure and hospitality and in the South region. In September, the sea-
sonally adjusted quits rate was highest in the leisure and hospitality in-
dustry (3.6 percent), which also had the highest hires rate. (See table 4.)
- 3 -
Over the year, the quits rate fell in many industries and in three of the
four regions--the Midwest, South, and West. The quits rate rose significantly
over the year in only one industry: real estate and rental and leasing. (See
table 8.)
The other two components of total separations--layoffs and discharges, and
other separations--are not seasonally adjusted. From September 2005 to Septem-
ber 2006, the layoffs and discharges rate fell to 1.3 percent. For September
2006, the arts, entertainment, and recreation industry had the highest layoffs
and discharges rate (12.5 percent). From September 2005 to September 2006,
the other separations rate was little changed at 0.2 percent. (See tables 9
and 10.)
Flows in the Labor Market
Hires and separations data help show dynamic flows in the labor market.
Over the 12 months ending in September 2006, hires have averaged 4.9 million
per month and separations have averaged 4.5 million per month (not seasonally
adjusted). The comparable figures for the prior 12-month period were 4.8 mil-
lion hires and 4.6 million separations. (See the Technical Note for additio-
nal information on these measures.)
For More Information
For additional information, please read the Technical Note or visit the
JOLTS Web site at http://www.bls.gov/jlt/. Additional information about
JOLTS also may be obtained by e-mailing Joltsinfo@bls.gov or by calling
(202) 691-5870.
______________________________
The Job Openings and Labor Turnover release for October 2006 is scheduled
to be issued on Tuesday, December 12, 2006.
- 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 -
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.
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.
2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p
Total (4)............................... 3,728 4,070 3,945 3,960 3,844 4,061 4,053 2.7 2.9 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.9 2.9
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)...................... 3,285 3,603 3,496 3,476 3,363 3,604 3,570 2.8 3.1 3.0 3.0 2.9 3.1 3.0
Construction......................... 152 138 119 161 148 162 144 2.0 1.8 1.6 2.1 1.9 2.1 1.9
Manufacturing........................ 285 323 311 301 305 310 300 2.0 2.2 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 629 672 687 640 605 686 690 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.4 2.3 2.6 2.6
Professional and business services... 671 748 693 616 651 661 663 3.8 4.2 3.9 3.4 3.6 3.7 3.7
Education and health services........ 630 674 651 659 643 678 699 3.5 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.5 3.7 3.8
Leisure and hospitality.............. 431 485 496 487 482 501 515 3.3 3.6 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.7 3.8
Government............................ 443 467 452 467 478 464 480 2.0 2.1 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.1
REGION (5)
Northeast............................ 661 672 670 699 699 747 773 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.7 2.7 2.8 2.9
South................................ 1,451 1,600 1,591 1,507 1,498 1,548 1,543 2.9 3.2 3.2 3.0 3.0 3.1 3.1
Midwest.............................. 760 770 787 777 739 809 790 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.3 2.5 2.4
West................................. 890 1,022 918 935 911 955 972 2.9 3.3 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.1 3.1
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 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 Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept.
2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p
Total (4)............................... 4,748 4,649 4,949 4,899 4,995 4,831 4,684 3.5 3.4 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.6 3.5
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)..................... 4,418 4,301 4,573 4,508 4,741 4,396 4,349 3.9 3.8 4.0 4.0 4.2 3.9 3.8
Construction......................... 436 376 374 366 365 351 328 6.0 5.0 5.0 4.9 4.9 4.7 4.4
Manufacturing........................ 346 328 385 378 380 353 316 2.4 2.3 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.5 2.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 983 1,029 1,018 1,099 1,045 1,070 966 3.8 4.0 3.9 4.2 4.0 4.1 3.7
Professional and business services... 904 858 1,006 905 967 860 959 5.3 5.0 5.8 5.2 5.6 4.9 5.5
Education and health services........ 468 481 549 465 521 482 475 2.7 2.7 3.1 2.6 2.9 2.7 2.7
Leisure and hospitality.............. 836 775 811 846 850 794 807 6.5 6.0 6.2 6.5 6.5 6.1 6.2
Government............................ 314 361 379 392 338 409 324 1.4 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.5 1.9 1.5
REGION (5)
Northeast............................ 796 849 852 729 841 738 697 3.2 3.3 3.3 2.9 3.3 2.9 2.7
South................................ 1,842 1,777 1,849 1,877 1,849 1,907 1,946 3.9 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.8 3.9 4.0
Midwest.............................. 965 965 1,133 1,072 1,123 1,008 965 3.1 3.1 3.6 3.4 3.6 3.2 3.1
West................................. 1,139 1,152 1,114 1,207 1,177 1,160 1,104 3.8 3.9 3.7 4.0 3.9 3.9 3.7
1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month.
2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
5 See footnote 5, 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 Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept.
2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p
Total (4)............................... 4,798 4,495 4,811 4,631 4,479 4,386 4,339 3.6 3.3 3.6 3.4 3.3 3.2 3.2
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)...................... 4,503 4,203 4,488 4,299 4,168 4,083 4,054 4.0 3.7 4.0 3.8 3.7 3.6 3.6
Construction......................... 423 373 478 324 415 348 312 5.8 5.0 6.4 4.3 5.5 4.6 4.1
Manufacturing........................ 437 346 381 370 358 364 387 3.1 2.4 2.7 2.6 2.5 2.6 2.7
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 1,000 1,022 1,046 1,082 935 997 975 3.9 3.9 4.0 4.2 3.6 3.8 3.7
Professional and business services... 856 790 833 755 735 705 762 5.0 4.6 4.8 4.4 4.2 4.1 4.4
Education and health services........ 433 437 487 424 431 460 407 2.5 2.5 2.8 2.4 2.4 2.6 2.3
Leisure and hospitality.............. 871 770 799 802 818 801 764 6.8 5.9 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.1 5.8
Government............................ 302 302 324 315 306 304 291 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.3
REGION (5)
Northeast............................ 797 711 779 724 763 695 760 3.2 2.8 3.1 2.8 3.0 2.7 3.0
South................................ 1,779 1,710 1,828 1,858 1,687 1,703 1,634 3.7 3.5 3.8 3.8 3.5 3.5 3.4
Midwest.............................. 1,065 992 1,045 871 1,087 942 896 3.4 3.2 3.3 2.8 3.4 3.0 2.8
West................................. 1,127 1,116 1,136 1,137 979 1,070 1,046 3.8 3.7 3.8 3.8 3.3 3.6 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.
5 See footnote 5, 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 Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept.
2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p
Total (4).............................. 2,681 2,541 2,723 2,699 2,623 2,597 2,401 2.0 1.9 2.0 2.0 1.9 1.9 1.8
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)..................... 2,529 2,383 2,565 2,554 2,469 2,442 2,260 2.3 2.1 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.2 2.0
Construction......................... 210 167 207 154 157 143 123 2.9 2.2 2.8 2.0 2.1 1.9 1.6
Manufacturing........................ 213 175 202 190 189 194 181 1.5 1.2 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities. 566 613 622 615 586 604 582 2.2 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.2
Professional and business services... 448 409 434 386 412 388 393 2.6 2.4 2.5 2.2 2.4 2.2 2.3
Education and health services........ 283 253 276 290 277 300 272 1.6 1.4 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.5
Leisure and hospitality.............. 557 535 533 622 549 542 476 4.3 4.1 4.1 4.8 4.2 4.1 3.6
Government............................ 154 159 159 146 156 153 146 .7 .7 .7 .7 .7 .7 .7
REGION (5)
Northeast............................ 361 370 370 358 378 404 378 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.5
South................................ 1,125 1,026 1,152 1,153 1,081 1,095 983 2.4 2.1 2.4 2.4 2.2 2.3 2.0
Midwest.............................. 574 575 581 552 562 551 511 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.7 1.6
West................................. 627 593 612 631 598 553 543 2.1 2.0 2.0 2.1 2.0 1.8 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.
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 See footnote 5, 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 Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Aug. Sept.
2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p
Total........................................... 3,897 4,396 4,235 2.8 3.1 3.0
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,465 3,890 3,765 3.0 3.3 3.2
Natural resources and mining.................. 17 16 23 2.5 2.3 3.2
Construction.................................. 153 180 143 2.0 2.2 1.8
Manufacturing................................. 294 336 309 2.0 2.3 2.1
Durable goods................................ 196 218 198 2.1 2.4 2.2
Nondurable goods............................. 99 117 110 1.8 2.2 2.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 708 764 780 2.7 2.8 2.9
Wholesale trade.............................. 119 146 165 2.0 2.4 2.7
Retail trade................................. 461 453 465 2.9 2.9 3.0
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 128 165 150 2.5 3.2 2.9
Information................................... 112 153 166 3.5 4.7 5.2
Financial activities.......................... 257 253 235 3.1 2.9 2.7
Finance and insurance........................ 209 200 196 3.4 3.1 3.1
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 48 53 38 2.2 2.3 1.7
Professional and business services............ 708 726 699 4.0 4.0 3.8
Education and health services................. 652 722 728 3.6 4.0 3.9
Educational services......................... 69 62 61 2.4 2.4 2.1
Health care and social assistance............ 583 660 667 3.8 4.2 4.3
Leisure and hospitality....................... 407 557 506 3.0 3.9 3.7
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 46 62 59 2.3 2.7 2.9
Accommodations and food services............. 361 496 447 3.2 4.1 3.8
Other services................................ 157 182 177 2.8 3.2 3.2
Government..................................... 432 506 469 2.0 2.4 2.1
Federal....................................... 48 52 38 1.7 1.9 1.4
State and local............................... 384 455 432 2.0 2.4 2.2
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 702 829 834 2.7 3.2 3.2
South......................................... 1,491 1,631 1,581 3.0 3.3 3.2
Midwest....................................... 810 905 840 2.5 2.8 2.6
West.......................................... 895 1,030 979 2.9 3.3 3.1
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 5, 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 Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Aug. Sept.
2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p
Total........................................... 5,268 5,588 5,153 3.9 4.1 3.8
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 4,788 4,933 4,666 4.3 4.3 4.1
Natural resources and mining.................. 15 26 30 2.3 3.7 4.4
Construction.................................. 449 351 333 6.0 4.5 4.3
Manufacturing................................. 362 408 329 2.5 2.8 2.3
Durable goods................................ 213 254 184 2.4 2.8 2.0
Nondurable goods............................. 149 154 145 2.8 2.9 2.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 1,113 1,200 1,069 4.3 4.6 4.1
Wholesale trade.............................. 151 168 142 2.6 2.9 2.4
Retail trade................................. 762 783 741 5.0 5.1 4.9
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 200 250 186 4.0 5.0 3.7
Information................................... 81 93 81 2.6 3.0 2.6
Financial activities.......................... 188 199 233 2.3 2.4 2.8
Finance and insurance........................ 117 127 152 2.0 2.1 2.5
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 71 72 82 3.3 3.3 3.7
Professional and business services............ 929 968 989 5.4 5.5 5.6
Education and health services................. 606 601 611 3.5 3.4 3.4
Educational services......................... 131 94 128 4.7 3.7 4.6
Health care and social assistance............ 475 507 483 3.3 3.4 3.2
Leisure and hospitality....................... 845 891 807 6.5 6.5 6.1
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 147 99 71 7.4 4.5 3.6
Accommodations and food services............. 697 792 736 6.3 6.9 6.5
Other services................................ 201 196 183 3.7 3.6 3.4
Government..................................... 480 655 488 2.2 3.1 2.2
Federal....................................... 59 83 43 2.2 3.1 1.6
State and local............................... 420 572 444 2.2 3.2 2.3
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 1,037 802 884 4.1 3.2 3.5
South......................................... 1,860 2,275 1,985 3.9 4.7 4.1
Midwest....................................... 1,117 1,201 1,082 3.6 3.8 3.4
West.......................................... 1,255 1,309 1,203 4.2 4.4 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 5, 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 Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Aug. Sept.
2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p
Total........................................... 5,419 5,617 4,865 4.0 4.1 3.6
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 5,046 5,152 4,512 4.5 4.5 4.0
Natural resources and mining.................. 17 23 22 2.7 3.3 3.2
Construction.................................. 463 400 336 6.1 5.1 4.3
Manufacturing................................. 444 449 396 3.1 3.1 2.8
Durable goods................................ 276 265 244 3.1 2.9 2.7
Nondurable goods............................. 168 183 153 3.2 3.5 2.9
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 1,065 1,179 1,028 4.1 4.5 4.0
Wholesale trade.............................. 135 183 135 2.3 3.1 2.3
Retail trade................................. 742 810 710 4.9 5.3 4.7
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 188 186 183 3.8 3.8 3.6
Information................................... 97 102 83 3.2 3.3 2.7
Financial activities.......................... 184 243 202 2.3 2.9 2.4
Finance and insurance........................ 113 160 122 1.9 2.6 2.0
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 71 83 80 3.3 3.7 3.7
Professional and business services............ 884 896 783 5.2 5.1 4.5
Education and health services................. 475 588 446 2.7 3.4 2.5
Educational services......................... 85 97 60 3.0 3.8 2.1
Health care and social assistance............ 390 491 386 2.7 3.3 2.6
Leisure and hospitality....................... 1,199 1,010 1,042 9.2 7.4 7.8
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 313 152 314 15.8 6.9 15.9
Accommodations and food services............. 886 858 728 8.0 7.4 6.4
Other services................................ 217 263 174 4.0 4.8 3.2
Government..................................... 373 465 353 1.7 2.2 1.6
Federal....................................... 57 88 33 2.1 3.2 1.2
State and local............................... 316 377 320 1.7 2.1 1.7
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 1,000 908 959 4.0 3.6 3.8
South......................................... 1,878 2,201 1,680 3.9 4.5 3.5
Midwest....................................... 1,244 1,237 1,031 4.0 3.9 3.3
West.......................................... 1,297 1,270 1,195 4.4 4.2 4.0
1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month.
2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of
total employment.
3 See footnote 5, 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 Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Aug. Sept.
2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p
Total........................................... 3,105 3,623 2,764 2.3 2.7 2.0
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 2,936 3,373 2,606 2.6 2.9 2.3
Natural resources and mining.................. 9 16 12 1.4 2.3 1.7
Construction.................................. 233 190 141 3.1 2.4 1.8
Manufacturing................................. 247 274 206 1.7 1.9 1.4
Durable goods................................ 153 161 120 1.7 1.8 1.3
Nondurable goods............................. 95 113 86 1.8 2.1 1.6
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 643 814 656 2.5 3.1 2.5
Wholesale trade.............................. 85 125 86 1.5 2.1 1.5
Retail trade................................. 465 573 472 3.1 3.8 3.1
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 93 116 98 1.9 2.3 1.9
Information................................... 68 72 61 2.2 2.3 2.0
Financial activities.......................... 107 147 124 1.3 1.8 1.5
Finance and insurance........................ 77 103 75 1.3 1.7 1.2
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 29 44 49 1.4 2.0 2.2
Professional and business services............ 463 553 402 2.7 3.1 2.3
Education and health services................. 318 404 302 1.8 2.3 1.7
Educational services......................... 45 60 34 1.6 2.4 1.2
Health care and social assistance............ 273 345 268 1.9 2.3 1.8
Leisure and hospitality....................... 719 748 607 5.5 5.4 4.6
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 72 75 62 3.6 3.4 3.1
Accommodations and food services............. 647 673 545 5.9 5.8 4.8
Other services................................ 129 155 95 2.4 2.8 1.8
Government..................................... 169 250 157 .8 1.2 .7
Federal....................................... 23 41 20 .8 1.5 .8
State and local............................... 146 209 137 .8 1.2 .7
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 470 589 492 1.9 2.3 1.9
South......................................... 1,236 1,467 1,064 2.6 3.0 2.2
Midwest....................................... 675 815 588 2.2 2.6 1.9
West.......................................... 722 752 620 2.4 2.5 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 5, 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 Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Aug. Sept.
2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p
Total........................................... 1,967 1,644 1,779 1.5 1.2 1.3
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 1,817 1,504 1,624 1.6 1.3 1.4
Natural resources and mining.................. 8 3 8 1.2 .5 1.2
Construction.................................. 215 193 161 2.8 2.5 2.1
Manufacturing................................. 154 141 161 1.1 1.0 1.1
Durable goods................................ 89 80 105 1.0 .9 1.2
Nondurable goods............................. 65 61 56 1.2 1.2 1.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 358 289 286 1.4 1.1 1.1
Wholesale trade.............................. 30 52 39 .5 .9 .7
Retail trade................................. 242 185 177 1.6 1.2 1.2
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 86 53 69 1.7 1.1 1.4
Information................................... 20 19 15 .7 .6 .5
Financial activities.......................... 67 77 57 .8 .9 .7
Finance and insurance........................ 27 43 29 .4 .7 .5
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 41 34 29 1.9 1.5 1.3
Professional and business services............ 336 306 342 2.0 1.7 1.9
Education and health services................. 126 148 116 .7 .9 .7
Educational services......................... 37 34 19 1.3 1.3 .7
Health care and social assistance............ 89 115 98 .6 .8 .7
Leisure and hospitality....................... 460 233 416 3.5 1.7 3.1
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 239 75 248 12.0 3.4 12.5
Accommodations and food services............. 221 158 168 2.0 1.4 1.5
Other services................................ 73 94 62 1.4 1.7 1.2
Government..................................... 151 140 155 .7 .7 .7
Federal....................................... 15 29 6 .5 1.1 .2
State and local............................... 136 111 149 .7 .6 .8
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 493 268 401 2.0 1.1 1.6
South......................................... 536 612 514 1.1 1.3 1.1
Midwest....................................... 464 341 367 1.5 1.1 1.2
West.......................................... 474 424 498 1.6 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 5, 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 Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Aug. Sept.
2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p
Total........................................... 347 350 322 0.3 0.3 0.2
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 293 275 281 .3 .2 .2
Natural resources and mining.................. 1 4 3 .1 .6 .4
Construction.................................. 15 17 33 .2 .2 .4
Manufacturing................................. 43 34 30 .3 .2 .2
Durable goods................................ 34 24 19 .4 .3 .2
Nondurable goods............................. 8 10 11 .2 .2 .2
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 63 77 86 .2 .3 .3
Wholesale trade.............................. 20 7 9 .4 .1 .2
Retail trade................................. 34 52 61 .2 .3 .4
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 9 17 16 .2 .4 .3
Information................................... 9 11 7 .3 .4 .2
Financial activities.......................... 10 18 21 .1 .2 .2
Finance and insurance........................ 9 14 18 .2 .2 .3
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 1 5 2 .1 .2 .1
Professional and business services............ 86 36 40 .5 .2 .2
Education and health services................. 31 35 28 .2 .2 .2
Educational services......................... 3 4 7 .1 .1 .3
Health care and social assistance............ 28 32 21 .2 .2 .1
Leisure and hospitality....................... 20 29 18 .2 .2 .1
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 2 2 4 .1 .1 .2
Accommodations and food services............. 18 27 15 .2 .2 .1
Other services................................ 15 14 16 .3 .3 .3
Government..................................... 54 75 40 .2 .4 .2
Federal....................................... 19 18 6 .7 .7 .2
State and local............................... 35 57 34 .2 .3 .2
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 37 52 66 .1 .2 .3
South......................................... 105 123 101 .2 .3 .2
Midwest....................................... 105 81 76 .3 .3 .2
West.......................................... 100 95 78 .3 .3 .3
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 5, table 1.
p = preliminary.