Full text of September 2007 : Text File, USDL-07-1727
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Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 07-1727
http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
For release: 10:00 A.M. EST
Media contact: 691-5902 Tuesday, November 6, 2007
JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: SEPTEMBER 2007
On the last business day of September, 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 rate and total separations rate were unchanged
in September, while the hires rate was essentially unchanged. This re-
lease 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
In September, the job openings rate remained at 2.9 percent. The rate
has been 2.9 percent for 7 of the past 8 months. Job openings include only
those jobs still open on the last business day of the month. The job open-
ings rate changed significantly in September only in the construction in-
dustry, rising from 1.9 in August to 2.4 in September. The job openings
rate did not change significantly in any region. The seasonally adjusted
job openings rate was highest in September in the accommodations and food
services industry (4.6 percent). (See table 1.)
Over the year, the job openings rate rose in construction (2.4 percent);
nondurable manufacturing (2.7 percent); and accommodations and food services
(4.5 percent). The rate fell over the year in natural resources and mining
(1.7 percent); transportation, warehousing, and utilities (2.7 percent); in-
formation (3.0 percent); professional and business services (3.7 percent);
and state and local government (2.1 percent). Regionally, the job openings
rate fell over the year in the Northeast (2.7 percent). (See table 5.)
Hires
The hires rate was little changed at 3.4 percent in September. Hires are
any additions to the payroll during the month. In September, the hires rate
changed significantly only in the education and health services sector, in
which it fell. As in nearly every month, the seasonally adjusted hires rate
was highest in September in accommodations and food services (6.3 percent).
(See table 2.)
From September 2006 to September 2007, the hires rate increased in arts,
entertainment, and recreation (6.4 percent) and in federal government (4.8
percent). The hires rate decreased over the year in transportation, ware-
housing, and utilities (3.0 percent); information (2.0 percent); profes-
sional and business services (4.6 percent); health care and social assis-
tance (2.8 percent); and state and local government (2.3 percent). Region-
ally, the hires rate fell over the year in the South (3.8 percent) and in
the West (3.7 percent). (See table 6.)
- 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.
| 2006 | 2007 | 2007p| 2006 | 2007 | 2007p| 2006 | 2007 | 2007p
---------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Levels (in thousands)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total (1)............|4,177 |4,168 |4,148 |4,917 |4,836 |4,677 |4,470 |4,446 |4,355
| | | | | | | | |
Total private (1)..|3,715 |3,709 |3,695 |4,482 |4,369 |4,280 |4,123 |4,120 |4,046
Construction.....| 148 | 149 | 186 | 336 | 371 | 337 | 346 | 371 | 365
Manufacturing....| 317 | 328 | 329 | 314 | 349 | 344 | 389 | 380 | 375
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and | | | | | | | | |
utilities (2)...| 721 | 703 | 671 | 965 | 922 | 971 | 990 | 926 | 914
Retail trade....| 396 | 380 | 375 | 710 | 666 | 699 | 686 | 652 | 658
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services........| 755 | 676 | 669 |1,028 | 797 | 799 | 824 | 742 | 790
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices...........| 701 | 700 | 720 | 467 | 501 | 441 | 396 | 430 | 389
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality (3) | 544 | 585 | 620 | 859 | 901 | 891 | 726 | 808 | 734
Accommodations | | | | | | | | |
and food | | | | | | | | |
services.......| 469 | 518 | 562 | 756 | 758 | 728 | 607 | 703 | 630
Government (4).....| 467 | 449 | 453 | 386 | 396 | 377 | 315 | 322 | 297
State and local | | | | | | | | |
government......| 430 | 410 | 411 | 318 | 314 | 293 | 251 | 255 | 213
|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Rates (percent)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total (1)............| 3.0 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.2
| | | | | | | | |
Total private (1)..| 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.5
Construction.....| 1.9 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 4.4 | 4.9 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.9 | 4.8
Manufacturing....| 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.7
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and | | | | | | | | |
utilities (2)...| 2.7 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.4
Retail trade....| 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.3
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services........| 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 5.8 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.1 | 4.4
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices...........| 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.1
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality (3) | 4.0 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 6.5 | 6.6 | 6.5 | 5.5 | 6.0 | 5.4
Accommodations | | | | | | | | |
and food | | | | | | | | |
services.......| 4.0 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 6.7 | 6.5 | 6.3 | 5.4 | 6.1 | 5.4
Government (4).....| 2.1 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.3
State and local | | | | | | | | |
government......| 2.2 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 unchanged at 3.2 percent in
September. Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any
time during the month. Over the month, the separations rate changed signi-
ficantly only in state and local government, in which it declined. The
separations rate did not change significantly in any region over the month.
From September 2006 to September 2007, the total separations rate increased
in the finance and insurance industry (2.4 percent) and in the federal govern-
ment (4.3 percent). Over the year, the total separations rate decreased only
in state and local government (1.4 percent). Geographically, the total separa-
tions rate declined in the Northeast (3.1 percent). (See tables 3 and 7.)
Total separations include quits (voluntary separations), layoffs and
discharges (involuntary separations), and other separations (including
retirements). The quits rate, which can serve as a barometer of workers�
ability to change jobs, was unchanged in September. The quits rate changed
significantly over the month only in the accommodations and food services
industry. None of the regions experienced a significant change in the
quits rate over the month. As in every month since the series began in
December 2000, the seasonally adjusted quits rate was highest in September
in the accommodations and food services industry (3.5 percent). (See
table 4.)
Over the year, the quits rate did not rise significantly in any industry
but did fall in many industries, including wholesale trade (1.2 percent);
information (1.4 percent); real estate and rental and leasing (1.6 percent);
health care and social assistance (1.5 percent); accommodations and food
services (4.1 percent); and federal government (1.5 percent). Geographically,
the quits rate fell over the year in the Northeast (1.6 percent) and South
(2.1 percent). (See table 8.)
The other two components of total separations--layoffs and discharges,
and other separations--are not seasonally adjusted. For September, the
layoffs and discharges rate (1.3 percent) and level (1.9 million) were
unchanged from a year earlier. The layoffs and discharges rate in September
2007 was highest in arts, entertainment, and recreation (6.9 percent). Over
the year, the other separations rate (0.2 percent) and level (304,000) were
essentially unchanged. (See tables 9 and 10.)
Flows in the Labor Market
Several industries consistently have high rates of both hires and sepa-
rations. These include construction; retail trade; professional and
business services; arts, entertainment, and recreation; and accommodations
and food services. In the 12 months ending in September 2007, these 5
industries produced 34.0 million hires and 32.2 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 September 2006 to September 2007, the information industry
had decreases in the job openings, hires, and quits rates. Experiencing a
decrease in the job openings and hires rates over the year were transporta-
tion, warehousing, and utilities; professional and business services; and
state and local government.
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 2007 is
scheduled to be issued on Tuesday, December 11.
- 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 Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept.
2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p
Total (4).................................. 4,177 4,170 4,095 4,280 4,186 4,168 4,148 3.0 2.9 2.9 3.0 2.9 2.9 2.9
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 3,715 3,683 3,627 3,810 3,711 3,709 3,695 3.1 3.1 3.0 3.2 3.1 3.1 3.1
Construction............................. 148 154 157 139 167 149 186 1.9 2.0 2.0 1.8 2.1 1.9 2.4
Manufacturing............................ 317 350 345 344 340 328 329 2.2 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.3 2.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 721 669 609 676 684 703 671 2.7 2.5 2.3 2.5 2.5 2.6 2.5
Retail trade............................ 396 389 337 409 399 380 375 2.5 2.5 2.1 2.6 2.5 2.4 2.4
Professional and business services....... 755 735 654 763 693 676 669 4.1 4.0 3.5 4.1 3.7 3.6 3.6
Education and health services............ 701 706 703 711 717 700 720 3.8 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.7
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 544 512 571 568 547 585 620 4.0 3.7 4.0 4.0 3.9 4.1 4.4
Accommodations and food services........ 469 453 500 497 497 518 562 4.0 3.8 4.1 4.1 4.1 4.3 4.6
Government (7)............................ 467 488 468 465 475 449 453 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.0 2.1 2.0 2.0
State and local government............... 430 439 424 424 430 410 411 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.1 2.1
REGION (8)
Northeast................................ 770 675 674 732 741 682 658 2.9 2.6 2.5 2.8 2.8 2.6 2.5
South.................................... 1,626 1,670 1,648 1,635 1,612 1,690 1,688 3.2 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.3
Midwest.................................. 789 779 799 805 754 778 823 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.3 2.4 2.5
West..................................... 1,017 1,038 970 1,106 1,120 1,024 998 3.2 3.3 3.1 3.5 3.5 3.2 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 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 Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept.
2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p
Total (4).................................. 4,917 4,832 4,982 4,741 4,802 4,836 4,677 3.6 3.5 3.6 3.4 3.5 3.5 3.4
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 4,482 4,423 4,503 4,335 4,443 4,369 4,280 3.9 3.8 3.9 3.7 3.8 3.8 3.7
Construction............................. 336 330 351 358 408 371 337 4.4 4.3 4.6 4.7 5.3 4.9 4.4
Manufacturing............................ 314 350 356 355 359 349 344 2.2 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.6 2.5 2.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 965 1,028 1,044 910 924 922 971 3.7 3.9 3.9 3.4 3.5 3.5 3.7
Retail trade............................ 710 706 715 605 613 666 699 4.6 4.6 4.6 3.9 4.0 4.3 4.5
Professional and business services....... 1,028 828 935 865 879 797 799 5.8 4.6 5.2 4.8 4.9 4.4 4.5
Education and health services............ 467 507 507 493 502 501 441 2.6 2.8 2.8 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.4
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 859 903 873 854 874 901 891 6.5 6.7 6.5 6.3 6.4 6.6 6.5
Accommodations and food services........ 756 811 755 736 748 758 728 6.7 7.0 6.5 6.4 6.5 6.5 6.3
Government (7)............................ 386 421 409 395 385 396 377 1.7 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.7 1.8 1.7
State and local government............... 318 333 330 312 293 314 293 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.5
REGION (8)
Northeast................................ 720 759 705 684 750 761 697 2.8 2.9 2.7 2.6 2.9 2.9 2.7
South.................................... 2,019 1,894 1,960 1,842 1,898 1,841 1,816 4.1 3.8 4.0 3.7 3.8 3.7 3.7
Midwest.................................. 1,031 1,069 1,101 1,082 1,039 1,081 1,114 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.4 3.3 3.4 3.5
West..................................... 1,163 1,122 1,143 1,117 1,135 1,148 1,054 3.8 3.6 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.4
1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month.
2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
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 Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept.
2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p
Total (4).................................. 4,470 4,524 4,544 4,543 4,507 4,446 4,355 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.2
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 4,123 4,227 4,233 4,234 4,173 4,120 4,046 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.5
Construction............................. 346 360 346 363 384 371 365 4.5 4.7 4.5 4.7 5.0 4.9 4.8
Manufacturing............................ 389 380 396 382 379 380 375 2.7 2.7 2.8 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.7
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 990 975 950 974 987 926 914 3.8 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.5 3.4
Retail trade............................ 686 678 685 688 687 652 658 4.5 4.4 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.2 4.3
Professional and business services....... 824 805 775 728 733 742 790 4.7 4.5 4.3 4.1 4.1 4.1 4.4
Education and health services............ 396 414 437 473 414 430 389 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.6 2.2 2.3 2.1
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 726 861 833 850 837 808 734 5.5 6.4 6.2 6.3 6.2 6.0 5.4
Accommodations and food services........ 607 720 715 730 735 703 630 5.4 6.3 6.2 6.3 6.3 6.1 5.4
Government(7)............................. 315 311 315 310 323 322 297 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.3
State and local government............... 251 241 239 239 254 255 213 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.1
REGION (8)
Northeast................................ 731 640 642 634 622 667 634 2.9 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.6 2.5
South.................................... 1,742 1,904 1,798 1,699 1,744 1,710 1,703 3.6 3.9 3.6 3.4 3.5 3.5 3.4
Midwest.................................. 970 981 1,024 1,033 1,014 1,038 1,014 3.1 3.1 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.2
West..................................... 1,031 1,040 1,062 1,191 1,149 1,053 1,025 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.9 3.7 3.4 3.3
1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month.
2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
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 Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept.
2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p
Total (4)................................. 2,566 2,637 2,686 2,627 2,640 2,539 2,440 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.8 1.8
INDUSTRY
Total private (4)......................... 2,400 2,486 2,530 2,475 2,493 2,391 2,282 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.2 2.1 2.0
Construction............................. 135 126 124 129 176 145 139 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.7 2.3 1.9 1.8
Manufacturing............................ 185 199 216 195 186 202 183 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 591 600 606 618 572 545 542 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.1 2.0
Retail trade............................ 430 440 445 448 427 401 406 2.8 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.8 2.6 2.6
Professional and business services....... 443 418 424 411 418 395 410 2.5 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.3
Education and health services............ 263 274 284 271 276 270 239 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.3
Leisure and hospitality (6).............. 510 592 551 595 597 557 463 3.9 4.4 4.1 4.4 4.4 4.1 3.4
Accommodations and food services........ 462 542 503 540 552 505 412 4.1 4.7 4.3 4.7 4.8 4.4 3.5
Government (7)............................ 160 153 157 152 148 148 147 .7 .7 .7 .7 .7 .7 .7
State and local government............... 125 129 130 123 125 126 121 .6 .7 .7 .6 .6 .6 .6
REGION (8)
Northeast................................ 383 350 331 380 314 313 316 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.5 1.2 1.2 1.2
South.................................... 1,102 1,163 1,162 1,049 1,097 1,070 995 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.0
Midwest.................................. 541 544 551 555 553 564 541 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.8 1.7
West..................................... 551 590 643 648 669 598 577 1.8 1.9 2.1 2.1 2.2 1.9 1.9
1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month.
2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
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 Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Aug. Sept.
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 4,342 4,458 4,304 3.1 3.1 3.0
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,882 3,974 3,861 3.3 3.3 3.2
Natural resources and mining.................. 18 11 12 2.4 1.5 1.7
Construction.................................. 148 159 196 1.8 2.0 2.4
Manufacturing................................. 318 339 329 2.2 2.3 2.3
Durable goods................................ 200 220 184 2.2 2.4 2.0
Nondurable goods............................. 118 119 145 2.2 2.2 2.7
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 803 779 758 3.0 2.9 2.8
Wholesale trade.............................. 168 195 169 2.8 3.1 2.7
Retail trade................................. 469 428 448 3.0 2.7 2.8
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 166 156 140 3.2 3.0 2.7
Information................................... 166 122 95 5.2 3.8 3.0
Financial activities.......................... 238 288 244 2.8 3.3 2.8
Finance and insurance........................ 199 225 198 3.1 3.5 3.1
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 40 63 46 1.8 2.7 2.0
Professional and business services............ 779 722 689 4.2 3.8 3.7
Education and health services................. 717 733 744 3.9 3.9 3.9
Educational services......................... 72 66 68 2.4 2.4 2.2
Health care and social assistance............ 645 668 676 4.1 4.1 4.2
Leisure and hospitality....................... 519 635 606 3.7 4.3 4.2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 73 74 59 3.5 3.2 2.8
Accommodations and food services............. 446 561 547 3.8 4.5 4.5
Other services................................ 176 186 189 3.2 3.3 3.4
Government..................................... 460 484 443 2.1 2.2 2.0
Federal....................................... 31 47 35 1.1 1.7 1.3
State and local............................... 429 437 408 2.2 2.3 2.1
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 842 760 714 3.2 2.9 2.7
South......................................... 1,642 1,752 1,710 3.2 3.4 3.3
Midwest....................................... 836 847 883 2.6 2.6 2.7
West.......................................... 1,022 1,099 996 3.2 3.4 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 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 Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Aug. Sept.
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 5,358 5,573 5,071 3.9 4.0 3.7
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 4,750 4,912 4,493 4.1 4.2 3.9
Natural resources and mining.................. 30 27 28 4.2 3.7 3.8
Construction.................................. 342 405 331 4.3 5.1 4.2
Manufacturing................................. 329 403 359 2.3 2.9 2.6
Durable goods................................ 185 230 201 2.1 2.6 2.3
Nondurable goods............................. 144 173 158 2.8 3.3 3.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 1,056 1,017 1,078 4.0 3.8 4.1
Wholesale trade.............................. 136 152 170 2.3 2.5 2.8
Retail trade................................. 729 723 752 4.8 4.7 4.9
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 191 143 156 3.8 2.8 3.0
Information................................... 81 82 62 2.6 2.6 2.0
Financial activities.......................... 237 235 235 2.8 2.8 2.8
Finance and insurance........................ 158 159 139 2.6 2.5 2.2
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 78 76 96 3.6 3.4 4.3
Professional and business services............ 1,063 888 829 6.0 4.9 4.6
Education and health services................. 600 633 557 3.4 3.5 3.0
Educational services......................... 123 106 130 4.2 4.0 4.3
Health care and social assistance............ 477 527 428 3.2 3.4 2.8
Leisure and hospitality....................... 828 997 859 6.2 7.0 6.2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 70 123 129 3.5 5.5 6.4
Accommodations and food services............. 758 874 731 6.7 7.3 6.2
Other services................................ 184 224 154 3.4 4.1 2.8
Government..................................... 608 660 578 2.8 3.1 2.6
Federal....................................... 106 114 131 3.9 4.2 4.8
State and local............................... 501 546 447 2.6 3.0 2.3
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 894 840 851 3.5 3.3 3.3
South......................................... 2,096 2,176 1,888 4.3 4.4 3.8
Midwest....................................... 1,090 1,215 1,198 3.5 3.8 3.8
West.......................................... 1,277 1,342 1,134 4.2 4.3 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 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 Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Aug. Sept.
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 5,015 5,668 4,811 3.7 4.1 3.5
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 4,592 5,167 4,428 4.0 4.4 3.8
Natural resources and mining.................. 27 34 28 3.8 4.6 3.8
Construction.................................. 367 453 382 4.6 5.7 4.9
Manufacturing................................. 422 468 404 3.0 3.3 2.9
Durable goods................................ 258 281 235 2.9 3.2 2.6
Nondurable goods............................. 164 187 169 3.1 3.6 3.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 1,051 1,109 954 4.0 4.2 3.6
Wholesale trade.............................. 162 186 132 2.7 3.1 2.2
Retail trade................................. 717 776 679 4.7 5.0 4.4
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 172 147 143 3.4 2.9 2.8
Information................................... 86 86 68 2.8 2.8 2.2
Financial activities.......................... 204 293 222 2.4 3.4 2.6
Finance and insurance........................ 122 211 149 2.0 3.4 2.4
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 82 82 73 3.7 3.7 3.3
Professional and business services............ 829 854 805 4.7 4.7 4.5
Education and health services................. 437 586 410 2.4 3.2 2.2
Educational services......................... 65 109 50 2.2 4.1 1.7
Health care and social assistance............ 373 477 360 2.5 3.1 2.3
Leisure and hospitality....................... 982 1,044 942 7.3 7.4 6.8
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 246 151 217 12.3 6.8 10.8
Accommodations and food services............. 736 893 725 6.5 7.5 6.2
Other services................................ 187 238 213 3.4 4.3 3.9
Government..................................... 423 501 384 1.9 2.4 1.7
Federal....................................... 95 94 116 3.5 3.4 4.3
State and local............................... 327 407 267 1.7 2.2 1.4
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 936 912 811 3.7 3.5 3.1
South......................................... 1,802 2,166 1,727 3.7 4.4 3.5
Midwest....................................... 1,086 1,316 1,117 3.4 4.1 3.5
West.......................................... 1,191 1,274 1,157 3.9 4.1 3.7
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 Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Aug. Sept.
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 2,911 3,502 2,651 2.1 2.5 1.9
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 2,721 3,265 2,476 2.4 2.8 2.1
Natural resources and mining.................. 15 22 20 2.1 2.9 2.7
Construction.................................. 147 205 150 1.9 2.6 1.9
Manufacturing................................. 208 284 200 1.5 2.0 1.4
Durable goods................................ 117 166 114 1.3 1.9 1.3
Nondurable goods............................. 91 118 87 1.7 2.3 1.7
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 660 733 589 2.5 2.8 2.2
Wholesale trade.............................. 95 114 72 1.6 1.9 1.2
Retail trade................................. 474 540 437 3.1 3.5 2.9
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 91 78 79 1.8 1.5 1.5
Information................................... 63 47 44 2.1 1.5 1.4
Financial activities.......................... 133 188 119 1.6 2.2 1.4
Finance and insurance........................ 79 140 83 1.3 2.2 1.3
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 54 48 36 2.5 2.1 1.6
Professional and business services............ 460 503 425 2.6 2.8 2.4
Education and health services................. 295 378 259 1.6 2.1 1.4
Educational services......................... 34 40 31 1.2 1.5 1.0
Health care and social assistance............ 261 338 228 1.7 2.2 1.5
Leisure and hospitality....................... 639 772 554 4.8 5.4 4.0
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 68 92 74 3.4 4.1 3.6
Accommodations and food services............. 571 680 481 5.0 5.7 4.1
Other services................................ 102 132 116 1.9 2.4 2.1
Government..................................... 190 238 175 .9 1.1 .8
Federal....................................... 48 35 40 1.8 1.3 1.5
State and local............................... 142 202 135 .7 1.1 .7
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 494 465 406 1.9 1.8 1.6
South......................................... 1,164 1,437 1,028 2.4 2.9 2.1
Midwest....................................... 615 820 586 1.9 2.6 1.8
West.......................................... 638 780 631 2.1 2.5 2.0
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 Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Aug. Sept.
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 1,770 1,819 1,857 1.3 1.3 1.3
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 1,595 1,647 1,724 1.4 1.4 1.5
Natural resources and mining.................. 9 8 6 1.3 1.1 .8
Construction.................................. 185 237 220 2.3 3.0 2.8
Manufacturing................................. 181 157 180 1.3 1.1 1.3
Durable goods................................ 120 95 108 1.3 1.1 1.2
Nondurable goods............................. 61 62 71 1.2 1.2 1.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 310 308 299 1.2 1.2 1.1
Wholesale trade.............................. 59 64 53 1.0 1.1 .9
Retail trade................................. 186 195 194 1.2 1.3 1.3
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 65 49 52 1.3 1.0 1.0
Information................................... 16 27 17 .5 .9 .6
Financial activities.......................... 53 86 83 .6 1.0 1.0
Finance and insurance........................ 27 59 51 .4 .9 .8
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 26 27 31 1.2 1.2 1.4
Professional and business services............ 330 302 332 1.9 1.7 1.8
Education and health services................. 113 179 124 .6 1.0 .7
Educational services......................... 24 64 15 .8 2.4 .5
Health care and social assistance............ 88 115 109 .6 .7 .7
Leisure and hospitality....................... 328 239 375 2.5 1.7 2.7
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 175 51 140 8.8 2.3 6.9
Accommodations and food services............. 152 188 234 1.3 1.6 2.0
Other services................................ 70 103 89 1.3 1.9 1.6
Government..................................... 175 172 133 .8 .8 .6
Federal....................................... 24 24 34 .9 .9 1.3
State and local............................... 151 149 99 .8 .8 .5
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 374 388 335 1.5 1.5 1.3
South......................................... 531 619 616 1.1 1.3 1.2
Midwest....................................... 387 413 464 1.2 1.3 1.5
West.......................................... 478 398 442 1.6 1.3 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.
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 Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Aug. Sept.
2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p
Total........................................... 334 347 304 0.2 0.3 0.2
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 275 255 228 .2 .2 .2
Natural resources and mining.................. 3 5 2 .4 .6 .3
Construction.................................. 35 11 12 .4 .1 .1
Manufacturing................................. 33 27 24 .2 .2 .2
Durable goods................................ 21 19 13 .2 .2 .1
Nondurable goods............................. 11 8 11 .2 .1 .2
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 81 68 67 .3 .3 .3
Wholesale trade.............................. 8 8 7 .1 .1 .1
Retail trade................................. 57 40 48 .4 .3 .3
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 17 20 12 .3 .4 .2
Information................................... 7 12 7 .2 .4 .2
Financial activities.......................... 19 19 20 .2 .2 .2
Finance and insurance........................ 16 12 15 .3 .2 .2
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 3 7 6 .1 .3 .2
Professional and business services............ 38 50 48 .2 .3 .3
Education and health services................. 30 29 27 .2 .2 .1
Educational services......................... 7 5 3 .2 .2 .1
Health care and social assistance............ 23 24 24 .2 .2 .2
Leisure and hospitality....................... 16 33 13 .1 .2 .1
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 3 8 3 .2 .3 .2
Accommodations and food services............. 13 25 10 .1 .2 .1
Other services................................ 15 3 7 .3 (4) .1
Government..................................... 58 91 76 .3 .4 .3
Federal....................................... 23 35 42 .8 1.3 1.5
State and local............................... 35 56 34 .2 .3 .2
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 68 60 70 .3 .2 .3
South......................................... 106 109 84 .2 .2 .2
Midwest....................................... 84 83 66 .3 .3 .2
West.......................................... 75 95 84 .2 .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 8, table 1.
4 Data round to zero.
p = preliminary.