1

Technical information: (202) 691-5870

 http://www.bls.gov/jlt/

Media contact: (202) 691-5902

USDL 08-0201

For release: 10:00 A.M. EST

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Chart 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted,

 January 2005 - December 2007

1.5

1.7

1.9

2.1

2.3

2.5

2.7

2.9

3.1

3.3

3.5

3.7

3.9

Percent

2005 2006 2007

Chart 2. Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted,

 January 2005 - December 2007

2.5

2.7

2.9

3.1

3.3

3.5

3.7

3.9

Percent

Separations

Hires

2005 2006 2007

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: DECEMBER 2007

On the last business day of December, there were 4.0 million job openings in the United States, and the

job openings rate was 2.8 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported

today. The job openings and hires rates were essentially unchanged in December. The separations rate fell

to 3.1 percent in December. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires,

and separations for the total nonfarm sector by industry and geographic region.

Although the month-to-month changes in job openings, hires, and turnover data are often small, some

over-the-year changes are significant. From December 2006 to December 2007, the job openings, hires,

quits, and total separations rates all fell significantly for both the total nonfarm and total private sectors.

(See tables 5, 6, 7, and 8.)

Job Openings

In December, the job openings rate remained at 2.8 percent. Job openings include only those jobs open

on the last business day of the month. Over the month, the job openings rate did not change significantly in

any industry or region. As occurs nearly every month, the seasonally adjusted job openings rate was highest

in the accommodation and food services industry (4.4 percent). (See table 1.)

Over the year, the job openings rate rose significantly only in construction (to 1.6 percent). The rate fell

over the year in durable goods manufacturing (1.7 percent); retail trade (1.8 percent); information (2.3 percent); real estate and rental and leasing (2.0 percent); arts, entertainment, and recreation (2.1 percent); other

services (2.0 percent); and state and local government (1.8 percent). Regionally, the job openings rate fell

over the year in the Northeast (2.1 percent) and in the South (2.7 percent). (See table 5.)

News

Bureau of Labor Statistics Washington, D.C. 20212

United States

Department 

of Labor
2

Total ...................................................................... 4,401 4,024 4,039 4,959 4,657 4,636 4,540 4,599 4,345

Total private ...................................................... 3,928 3,573 3,603 4,662 4,293 4,205 4,253 4,327 4,038

Construction ...................................................... 107 144 160 341 357 353 387 326 327

Manufacturing ................................................... 362 309 307 375 356 340 372 402 320

Trade, transportation, and utilities .............. 767 637 665 990 931 933 962 1,034 933

 Retail trade ...................................................... 471 345 364 699 644 659 707 758 660

Professional and business services ............... 745 685 682 963 894 809 851 842 818

Education and health services ........................ 734 719 705 515 531 461 430 423 426

Leisure and hospitality ................................. 612 605 609 969 864 879 835 808 803

Accommodation and food services ........... 538 530 546 793 726 727 757 682 705

 Government ..................................................... 473 456 437 371 349 391 283 287 301

 State and local government ............................ 427 404 395 313 285 315 255 239 258

Total ........................................................................ 3.1 2.8 2.8 3.6 3.4 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.1

 Total private ...................................................... 3.3 3.0 3.0 4.1 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.5

 Construction ...................................................... 1.4 1.9 2.1 4.4 4.7 4.7 5.0 4.3 4.4

Manufacturing ................................................... 2.5 2.2 2.2 2.7 2.6 2.4 2.6 2.9 2.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities .............. 2.8 2.3 2.4 3.8 3.5 3.5 3.7 3.9 3.5

 Retail trade ...................................................... 3.0 2.2 2.3 4.6 4.2 4.3 4.6 4.9 4.3

Professional and business services ............... 4.0 3.7 3.6 5.4 4.9 4.5 4.8 4.7 4.5

Education and health services ........................ 3.9 3.7 3.6 2.8 2.9 2.5 2.4 2.3 2.3

Leisure and hospitality ................................ 4.4 4.2 4.2 7.2 6.3 6.4 6.2 5.9 5.8

Accommodation and food services ........... 4.5 4.3 4.4 6.9 6.2 6.2 6.6 5.8 6.0

 Government .................................................... 2.1 2.0 1.9 1.7 1.6 1.7 1.3 1.3 1.3

 State and local government ............................ 2.2 2.0 2.0 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.3 1.2 1.3

 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.

 Job openings

Industry

Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally adjusted

Hires Total separations

p

Levels (in thousands)

Rates (percent)

p

Dec.

2006

Nov.

2007

Dec.

2007

Dec.

2006

Nov.

2007

Dec.

2007

Dec.

2006

Nov.

2007

Dec.

2007 p

1

3

4

1

1

2

2

3

4

1

Hires

The hires rate was little changed at 3.3 percent in December. Hires are any additions to the payroll

during the month. In December, the hires rate increased in state and local government (to 1.6 percent) and

decreased in education and health services (2.5 percent). The hires rate did not change significantly in

December in any region. As occurs nearly every month, the seasonally adjusted hires rate was highest in

December in accommodation and food services (6.2 percent). (See table 2.)

From December 2006 to December 2007, the hires rate decreased in professional and business services

(to 3.5 percent), health care and social assistance (1.9 percent), and in the West region (2.6 percent). The

hires rate did not increase significantly in any industry or region over the year. (See table 6.)

Separations

The total separations, or turnover, rate fell to 3.1 percent in December. Separations are terminations of

employment that occur at any time during the month. Over the month, the separations rate decreased in
3

 manufacturing (to 2.3 percent), retail trade (4.3 percent), and the Northeast (2.5 percent). From December

2006 to December 2007, the total separations rate rose in federal government (1.6 percent). The rate fell

over the year in durable goods manufacturing (1.5 percent), information (1.6 percent), finance and insurance

(1.8 percent), and in the Midwest region (2.9 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, fell slightly in December in manufacturing (to 1.2 percent) and in the Northeast (1.2

percent). The quits rate did not rise significantly in any industry or region over the month. As has occurred

every month since the series began in December 2000, the seasonally adjusted quits rate was highest in the

accommodation and food services industry (4.5 percent). (See table 4.)

Over the year, the quits rate did not rise significantly in any industry but did fall in several industries, including durable goods manufacturing (to 0.6 percent), information (0.9 percent), finance and insurance (0.8

percent), professional and business services (1.7 percent), health care and social assistance (1.3 percent),

and in the South region (1.6 percent). (See table 8.)

The other two components of total separations—layoffs and discharges, and other separations—are not

seasonally adjusted. For December, the layoffs and discharges rate (1.3 percent) and level (1.8 million) were

unchanged from a year earlier. The layoffs and discharges rate in December 2007 was highest in construction (3.4 percent). The other separations rate (0.2 percent) and level (324,000) were essentially unchanged

over the year. (See tables 9 and 10.)

Flows in the Labor Market

Several industries consistently have high rates of both hires and separations. These include construction;

retail trade; professional and business services; arts, entertainment, and recreation; and accommodation and

food services. In the 12 months ending in December 2007, these 5 industries produced 33.4 million hires

and 32.0 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.

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 January 2008 is scheduled to be issued on

Wednesday, March 12.

______________________________

With the release of January data on March 12, BLS will revise the job openings, hires, and separations data to incorporate the annual updates to the Current Employment Statistics employment estimates and the JOLTS seasonal adjustment factors. Unadjusted data from April 2006 forward and

seasonally adjusted data from December 2000 forward are subject to revision. Also with the release

of January 2008 data, JOLTS will revise the basis for industry classification from the 2002 North

American Industry Classification System (NAICS) to the 2007 North American Industry Classification.

Revisions to the JOLTS Data
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

characteristics resulting from the verification process are

always introduced into the JOLTS sampling frame with the data

reported for the first month of the year.

Employment. Employment includes persons on the payroll

who worked or received 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 temporary help agencies, employee

leasing companies, outside contractors, and consultants are

counted by their employer of record, not by the establishment

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 position, 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 newspapers 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.

Hires. Hires are the total number of additions to the payroll

occurring at any time during the reference month, including

both new and rehired employees, full-time and part-time,

permanent, short-term, and seasonal employees, 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 (except for retirements,

which are reported as other separations). Layoffs and

discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the

employer 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 retirements, 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, dividing 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 annual level by the

Current Employment Statistics (CES) annual average

employment level, and multiplying that quotient by 100. This

figure will be approximately 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 estimates

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.

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 relatively 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 supplemental

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

comparable with estimates for March 2002 and later.

The federal government reorganization that involved

transferring approximately 180,000 employees to the new

Department of Homeland Security is not reflected in the JOLTS

hires and separations estimates for the federal government.

The Office of Personnel Management’s record shows these

transfers were completed in March 2003. The inclusion of

transfers in the JOLTS definitions of hires and separations is

intended to cover ongoing movements of workers between

establishments. The Department of Homeland Security

reorganization was a massive one-time event, and the inclusion

of these intergovernmental 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 adjustment 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.

Prior to the January 2007 benchmark release in March 2007,

seasonal 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 seasonal filters.

Therefore, the standard use of moving averages as seasonal

filters is now in place for JOLTS seasonal adjustment. JOLTS

seasonal adjustment 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

seasonally adjusted: retail trade, accommodations and food

services, and state and local government. It is expected that more

series 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 segment 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 explain 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 includes 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 practices. 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

Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p

Total 4........................................................................................................... 4,401 4,186 4,168 4,119 4,059 4,024 4,039 3.1 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.8 2.8 2.8

INDUSTRY

Total private 4............................................................................................ 3,928 3,711 3,709 3,664 3,597 3,573 3,603 3.3 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.0 3.0 3.0

Construction........................................................................ 107 167 149 138 155 144 160 1.4 2.1 1.9 1.8 2.0 1.9 2.1

Manufacturing................................................................ 362 340 328 319 304 309 307 2.5 2.4 2.3 2.2 2.1 2.2 2.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5.............................. 767 684 703 691 598 637 665 2.8 2.5 2.6 2.5 2.2 2.3 2.4

Retail trade................................................................................. 471 399 380 367 298 345 364 3.0 2.5 2.4 2.3 1.9 2.2 2.3

Professional and business services......................... 745 693 676 661 730 685 682 4.0 3.7 3.6 3.5 3.9 3.7 3.6

Education and health services................................................. 734 717 700 720 701 719 705 3.9 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.6

Leisure and hospitality 6...................................................... 612 547 585 653 653 605 609 4.4 3.9 4.1 4.6 4.6 4.2 4.2

Accommodation and food services......................... 538 497 518 587 590 530 546 4.5 4.1 4.3 4.8 4.8 4.3 4.4

Government 7......................................................................................... 473 475 449 455 465 456 437 2.1 2.1 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.9

State and local government.................................................................................... 427 430 410 408 414 404 395 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.0 2.1 2.0 2.0

REGION 8

Northeast......................................................................... 849 741 682 611 664 627 656 3.2 2.8 2.6 2.3 2.5 2.4 2.5

South............................................................................................... 1,674 1,612 1,690 1,651 1,641 1,613 1,562 3.3 3.2 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.1 3.0

Midwest......................................................................................... 810 754 778 828 742 772 823 2.5 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.3 2.4 2.5

West...................................................................................... 1,044 1,120 1,024 1,048 1,019 976 985 3.3 3.5 3.2 3.3 3.2 3.1 3.1

1

 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day of the 

8

 The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the 

month. regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New

 2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business day Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and 

of the month as a percent of total employment plus job openings. Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, 

 

3

 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North 

adjustment of the various series. Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and 

 

4

 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and West Virginia; Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, 

other services, not shown separately. Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and 

 

5

 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, 

shown separately. Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and 

 

6

 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately. Wyoming.

 

7

 Includes federal government, not shown separately. 

p

 = preliminary.

Table 2. Hires levels 1 and rates 2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p

Total 4........................................................................................................... 4,959 4,802 4,836 4,714 4,870 4,657 4,636 3.6 3.5 3.5 3.4 3.5 3.4 3.3

INDUSTRY

Total private 4............................................................................................ 4,662 4,443 4,369 4,355 4,507 4,293 4,205 4.1 3.8 3.8 3.8 3.9 3.7 3.6

Construction........................................................................ 341 408 371 336 334 357 353 4.4 5.3 4.9 4.4 4.4 4.7 4.7

Manufacturing................................................................ 375 359 349 365 407 356 340 2.7 2.6 2.5 2.6 2.9 2.6 2.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5.............................. 990 924 922 994 1,034 931 933 3.8 3.5 3.5 3.7 3.9 3.5 3.5

Retail trade................................................................................. 699 613 666 709 709 644 659 4.6 4.0 4.3 4.6 4.6 4.2 4.3

Professional and business services......................... 963 879 797 800 840 894 809 5.4 4.9 4.4 4.5 4.7 4.9 4.5

Education and health services................................................. 515 502 501 448 514 531 461 2.8 2.7 2.7 2.4 2.8 2.9 2.5

Leisure and hospitality 6...................................................... 969 874 901 906 916 864 879 7.2 6.4 6.6 6.6 6.7 6.3 6.4

Accommodation and food services......................... 793 748 758 749 796 726 727 6.9 6.5 6.5 6.4 6.8 6.2 6.2

Government 7......................................................................................... 371 385 396 370 377 349 391 1.7 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.7

State and local government.................................................................................... 313 293 314 296 313 285 315 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.6

REGION 8

Northeast......................................................................... 768 750 761 689 672 764 754 3.0 2.9 2.9 2.7 2.6 2.9 2.9

South............................................................................................... 1,900 1,898 1,841 1,848 1,925 1,821 1,766 3.9 3.8 3.7 3.7 3.9 3.7 3.6

Midwest......................................................................................... 1,150 1,039 1,081 1,125 1,084 1,038 1,019 3.6 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.4 3.2 3.2

West...................................................................................... 1,209 1,135 1,148 1,068 1,211 1,016 1,042 3.9 3.7 3.7 3.5 3.9 3.3 3.4

 1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month. 5

 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, 

 2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of not shown separately.

total employment. 6

 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately.

3

 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal 7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.

adjustment of the various series. 8

 See footnote 8, table 1. 

4

 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and p = preliminary.

other services, not shown separately.

Industry and region

Industry and region

Levels Rates 3 (in thousands)

Levels 3 (in thousands) Rates
Table 3. Total separations levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p

Total 4........................................................................................................... 4,540 4,507 4,446 4,430 4,639 4,599 4,345 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.4 3.3 3.1

INDUSTRY

Total private 4............................................................................................ 4,253 4,173 4,120 4,146 4,376 4,327 4,038 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.8 3.7 3.5

Construction........................................................................ 387 384 371 364 359 326 327 5.0 5.0 4.9 4.8 4.7 4.3 4.4

Manufacturing................................................................ 372 379 380 379 408 402 320 2.6 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.9 2.9 2.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5.............................. 962 987 926 954 1,007 1,034 933 3.7 3.7 3.5 3.6 3.8 3.9 3.5

Retail trade................................................................................. 707 687 652 676 703 758 660 4.6 4.5 4.2 4.4 4.6 4.9 4.3

Professional and business services......................... 851 733 742 832 888 842 818 4.8 4.1 4.1 4.6 4.9 4.7 4.5

Education and health services................................................. 430 414 430 411 428 423 426 2.4 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.3

Leisure and hospitality 6...................................................... 835 837 808 723 803 808 803 6.2 6.2 6.0 5.3 5.9 5.9 5.8

Accommodation and food services......................... 757 735 703 627 686 682 705 6.6 6.3 6.1 5.4 5.9 5.8 6.0

Government 7......................................................................................... 283 323 322 289 289 287 301 1.3 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3

State and local government.................................................................................... 255 254 255 213 237 239 258 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.3

REGION 8

Northeast......................................................................... 670 622 667 631 680 798 642 2.6 2.4 2.6 2.4 2.6 3.1 2.5

South............................................................................................... 1,796 1,744 1,710 1,760 1,802 1,708 1,668 3.7 3.5 3.5 3.6 3.6 3.4 3.4

Midwest......................................................................................... 1,054 1,014 1,038 998 992 992 951 3.3 3.2 3.3 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.0

West...................................................................................... 1,036 1,149 1,053 1,018 1,160 1,126 1,118 3.4 3.7 3.4 3.3 3.8 3.6 3.6

 1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire and other services, not shown separately.

month. 5

 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, 

 2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the not shown separately.

entire month as a percent of total employment. 6

 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately.

3

 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent 7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.

seasonal adjustment of the various series. 8

 See footnote 8, table 1. 

4

 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, p = preliminary.

Table 4. Quits levels 1 and rates 2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p

Total 4........................................................................................................... 2,759 2,640 2,539 2,450 2,682 2,515 2,461 2.0 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.9 1.8 1.8

INDUSTRY

Total private 4............................................................................................ 2,615 2,493 2,391 2,308 2,534 2,374 2,322 2.3 2.2 2.1 2.0 2.2 2.0 2.0

Construction........................................................................ 143 176 145 135 137 116 104 1.9 2.3 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.5 1.4

Manufacturing................................................................ 222 186 202 189 208 190 168 1.6 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5.............................. 597 572 545 559 607 571 580 2.3 2.2 2.1 2.1 2.3 2.1 2.2

Retail trade................................................................................. 438 427 401 412 443 432 435 2.9 2.8 2.6 2.7 2.9 2.8 2.8

Professional and business services......................... 497 418 395 420 482 418 355 2.8 2.3 2.2 2.3 2.7 2.3 2.0

Education and health services................................................. 289 276 270 253 260 267 256 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4

Leisure and hospitality 6...................................................... 602 597 557 410 558 577 575 4.5 4.4 4.1 3.0 4.1 4.2 4.2

Accommodation and food services......................... 560 552 505 363 514 528 527 4.9 4.8 4.4 3.1 4.4 4.5 4.5

Government 7......................................................................................... 146 148 148 146 147 142 141 .7 .7 .7 .7 .7 .6 .6

State and local government.................................................................................... 130 125 126 123 129 126 122 .7 .6 .6 .6 .7 .6 .6

REGION 8

Northeast......................................................................... 367 314 313 306 340 368 315 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.2

South............................................................................................... 1,171 1,097 1,070 1,012 1,121 993 986 2.4 2.2 2.2 2.0 2.3 2.0 2.0

Midwest......................................................................................... 559 553 564 543 542 541 525 1.8 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.6

West...................................................................................... 638 669 598 582 697 614 623 2.1 2.2 1.9 1.9 2.3 2.0 2.0

 1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month. 5

 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, 

 2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a not shown separately.

percent of total employment. 6

 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately.

3

 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent 7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.

seasonal adjustment of the various series. 8

 See footnote 8, table 1. 

4

 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, p = preliminary.

and other services, not shown separately.

Industry and region

Industry and region

Levels 3 (in thousands) Rates

Levels 3 (in thousands) Rates
Table 5. Job openings levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec.

2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p

Total........................................................................................................... 3,888 3,671 3,572 2.7 2.6 2.5

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 3,451 3,244 3,173 2.9 2.7 2.7

Natural resources and mining................................................... 15 13 14 2.2 1.7 1.9

Construction...................................................................................................... 73 115 117 1.0 1.5 1.6

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 323 271 270 2.2 1.9 1.9

Durable goods.............................................................................. 201 158 155 2.2 1.8 1.7

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 122 113 115 2.3 2.2 2.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 647 578 571 2.3 2.1 2.1

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 140 114 150 2.3 1.9 2.4

Retail trade................................................................................. 378 323 290 2.3 2.0 1.8

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 129 141 131 2.5 2.6 2.5

Information...................................................................................... 135 83 71 4.2 2.6 2.3

Financial activities........................................................................... 218 219 210 2.5 2.5 2.4

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 152 173 165 2.4 2.7 2.6

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 67 45 45 2.9 2.0 2.0

Professional and business services........................................ 702 640 646 3.8 3.4 3.4

Education and health services................................................................. 695 681 671 3.7 3.5 3.4

Educational services................................................................ 69 61 60 2.2 1.8 1.8

Health care and social assistance.................................. 626 620 612 4.0 3.8 3.8

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 491 527 494 3.6 3.8 3.5

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 55 54 39 3.0 2.8 2.1

Accommodation and food services............................... 436 473 454 3.7 3.9 3.8

Other services................................................................................. 150 118 109 2.7 2.1 2.0

Government......................................................................................... 436 427 398 1.9 1.8 1.7

Federal................................................................................................ 41 46 38 1.5 1.7 1.4

State and local.................................................................................... 395 381 361 2.0 1.9 1.8

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 732 603 571 2.8 2.3 2.1

South............................................................................................... 1,514 1,489 1,384 3.0 2.9 2.7

Midwest................................................................................................. 689 673 722 2.1 2.0 2.2

West....................................................................................................... 953 905 895 3.0 2.8 2.8

1

 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day of the month.

 2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business day of the month as a percent of total employment 

plus job openings.

3 See footnote 8, table 1.

 p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 6. Hires levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec.

2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p

Total........................................................................................................... 3,720 4,234 3,381 2.7 3.0 2.4

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 3,493 3,978 3,143 3.0 3.4 2.7

Natural resources and mining................................................... 16 19 18 2.3 2.6 2.4

Construction...................................................................................................... 212 277 219 2.8 3.6 3.0

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 252 294 221 1.8 2.1 1.6

Durable goods.............................................................................. 142 167 113 1.6 1.9 1.3

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 109 128 108 2.1 2.5 2.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 795 1,057 736 3.0 3.9 2.7

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 98 139 102 1.7 2.3 1.7

Retail trade................................................................................. 559 800 522 3.5 5.1 3.3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 138 118 112 2.7 2.3 2.2

Information...................................................................................... 53 48 42 1.7 1.6 1.4

Financial activities........................................................................... 170 178 143 2.0 2.1 1.7

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 111 107 102 1.8 1.7 1.6

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 59 70 41 2.7 3.2 1.9

Professional and business services........................................ 788 829 632 4.4 4.6 3.5

Education and health services................................................................. 374 447 338 2.1 2.4 1.8

Educational services................................................................ 36 50 38 1.2 1.5 1.2

Health care and social assistance.................................. 339 397 299 2.2 2.5 1.9

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 727 737 669 5.6 5.5 5.0

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 133 110 123 7.4 5.9 6.6

Accommodation and food services............................... 594 627 546 5.3 5.4 4.7

Other services................................................................................. 106 93 125 1.9 1.7 2.3

Government......................................................................................... 227 256 238 1.0 1.1 1.0

Federal................................................................................................ 51 42 59 1.9 1.6 2.2

State and local.................................................................................... 176 214 178 .9 1.1 .9

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 556 694 561 2.2 2.7 2.2

South............................................................................................... 1,411 1,659 1,298 2.9 3.3 2.6

Midwest................................................................................................. 792 919 698 2.5 2.9 2.2

West....................................................................................................... 961 962 824 3.1 3.1 2.6

 1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month.

 2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment.

3 See footnote 8, table 1.

 p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 7. Total separations levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec.

2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p

Total........................................................................................................... 4,369 4,247 4,142 3.2 3.0 3.0

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 4,136 4,056 3,891 3.6 3.5 3.3

Natural resources and mining................................................... 15 24 28 2.2 3.2 3.8

Construction...................................................................................................... 407 337 347 5.4 4.4 4.7

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 332 367 274 2.4 2.6 2.0

Durable goods.............................................................................. 195 209 129 2.2 2.4 1.5

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 138 158 145 2.7 3.1 2.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 1,080 1,001 1,030 4.0 3.7 3.8

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 130 126 171 2.2 2.1 2.8

Retail trade................................................................................. 806 728 741 5.1 4.6 4.7

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 144 147 117 2.8 2.8 2.3

Information...................................................................................... 72 53 49 2.3 1.7 1.6

Financial activities........................................................................... 217 166 199 2.6 2.0 2.4

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 145 87 112 2.3 1.4 1.8

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 72 79 87 3.3 3.6 4.0

Professional and business services........................................ 823 858 794 4.6 4.7 4.4

Education and health services................................................................. 360 342 358 2.0 1.8 1.9

Educational services................................................................ 45 40 45 1.5 1.2 1.4

Health care and social assistance.................................. 315 302 313 2.1 1.9 2.0

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 712 781 684 5.4 5.8 5.1

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 62 149 71 3.4 8.0 3.9

Accommodation and food services............................... 650 632 613 5.8 5.5 5.3

Other services................................................................................. 117 127 128 2.2 2.3 2.3

Government......................................................................................... 233 192 251 1.0 .8 1.1

Federal................................................................................................ 35 23 43 1.3 .8 1.6

State and local.................................................................................... 198 169 207 1.0 .8 1.0

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 671 733 627 2.6 2.8 2.4

South............................................................................................... 1,661 1,459 1,526 3.4 2.9 3.1

Midwest................................................................................................. 1,052 999 932 3.3 3.1 2.9

West....................................................................................................... 986 1,056 1,057 3.2 3.4 3.4

 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.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 8. Quits levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec.

2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p

Total........................................................................................................... 2,296 2,193 2,032 1.7 1.6 1.5

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 2,186 2,092 1,930 1.9 1.8 1.7

Natural resources and mining................................................... 8 10 12 1.1 1.3 1.6

Construction...................................................................................................... 115 96 81 1.5 1.3 1.1

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 158 151 119 1.1 1.1 .9

Durable goods.............................................................................. 83 81 55 .9 .9 .6

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 76 70 64 1.5 1.4 1.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 544 516 531 2.0 1.9 2.0

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 71 53 76 1.2 .9 1.3

Retail trade................................................................................. 404 404 399 2.5 2.6 2.5

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 69 59 56 1.3 1.1 1.1

Information...................................................................................... 41 34 28 1.3 1.1 .9

Financial activities........................................................................... 109 97 91 1.3 1.2 1.1

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 72 65 47 1.2 1.0 .8

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 37 32 44 1.7 1.5 2.0

Professional and business services........................................ 422 375 303 2.4 2.1 1.7

Education and health services................................................................. 244 228 215 1.3 1.2 1.1

Educational services................................................................ 20 23 19 .6 .7 .6

Health care and social assistance.................................. 224 205 196 1.5 1.3 1.3

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 485 515 463 3.7 3.8 3.4

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 31 37 36 1.7 2.0 1.9

Accommodation and food services............................... 454 478 428 4.0 4.1 3.7

Other services................................................................................. 59 69 86 1.1 1.3 1.6

Government......................................................................................... 109 101 102 .5 .4 .4

Federal................................................................................................ 12 8 12 .5 .3 .4

State and local.................................................................................... 97 92 91 .5 .5 .5

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 294 334 252 1.1 1.3 1.0

South............................................................................................... 983 837 816 2.0 1.7 1.6

Midwest................................................................................................. 470 491 431 1.5 1.5 1.3

West....................................................................................................... 548 531 533 1.8 1.7 1.7

 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.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 9. Layoffs and discharges levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec.

2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p

Total........................................................................................................... 1,789 1,769 1,785 1.3 1.3 1.3

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 1,710 1,710 1,694 1.5 1.5 1.5

Natural resources and mining................................................... 6 12 13 .8 1.7 1.7

Construction...................................................................................................... 285 219 250 3.8 2.9 3.4

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 148 189 135 1.0 1.4 1.0

Durable goods.............................................................................. 93 113 63 1.0 1.3 .7

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 56 76 71 1.1 1.5 1.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 458 402 404 1.7 1.5 1.5

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 41 63 78 .7 1.0 1.3

Retail trade................................................................................. 353 261 282 2.2 1.7 1.8

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 64 77 45 1.3 1.5 .9

Information...................................................................................... 26 14 16 .8 .4 .5

Financial activities........................................................................... 80 58 91 .9 .7 1.1

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 48 16 51 .8 .3 .8

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 31 41 41 1.4 1.9 1.9

Professional and business services........................................ 361 444 437 2.0 2.4 2.4

Education and health services................................................................. 90 88 113 .5 .5 .6

Educational services................................................................ 20 14 23 .7 .4 .7

Health care and social assistance.................................. 70 74 90 .5 .5 .6

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 204 244 199 1.6 1.8 1.5

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 27 110 34 1.5 5.9 1.8

Accommodation and food services............................... 177 134 165 1.6 1.2 1.4

Other services................................................................................. 52 42 37 1.0 .8 .7

Government......................................................................................... 79 59 91 .4 .3 .4

Federal................................................................................................ 13 8 22 .5 .3 .8

State and local.................................................................................... 66 51 69 .3 .3 .3

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 332 351 295 1.3 1.3 1.1

South............................................................................................... 568 534 605 1.1 1.1 1.2

Midwest................................................................................................. 517 455 434 1.6 1.4 1.4

West....................................................................................................... 372 429 452 1.2 1.4 1.5

 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.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 10. Other separations levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec.

2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p

Total........................................................................................................... 284 285 324 0.2 0.2 0.2

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 240 253 267 .2 .2 .2

Natural resources and mining................................................... 1 2 3 .2 .2 .5

Construction...................................................................................................... 7 23 17 .1 .3 .2

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 26 27 20 .2 .2 .1

Durable goods.............................................................................. 20 14 11 .2 .2 .1

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 6 12 9 .1 .2 .2

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 78 84 94 .3 .3 .3

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 18 9 17 .3 .2 .3

Retail trade................................................................................. 49 63 60 .3 .4 .4

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 11 11 16 .2 .2 .3

Information...................................................................................... 4 5 6 .1 .2 .2

Financial activities........................................................................... 28 11 17 .3 .1 .2

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 25 5 14 .4 .1 .2

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 3 6 2 .2 .3 .1

Professional and business services........................................ 40 39 54 .2 .2 .3

Education and health services................................................................. 26 26 30 .1 .1 .2

Educational services................................................................ 5 3 2 .2 .1 .1

Health care and social assistance.................................. 21 23 28 .1 .1 .2

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 23 22 22 .2 .2 .2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 4 3 2 .2 .1 .1

Accommodation and food services............................... 19 20 20 .2 .2 .2

Other services................................................................................. 6 15 5 .1 .3 .1

Government......................................................................................... 45 32 57 .2 .1 .3

Federal................................................................................................ 9 6 9 .3 .2 .3

State and local.................................................................................... 35 26 48 .2 .1 .2

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 44 48 81 .2 .2 .3

South............................................................................................... 110 88 105 .2 .2 .2

Midwest................................................................................................. 64 54 67 .2 .2 .2

West....................................................................................................... 66 96 73 .2 .3 .2

 1 Other separations are the number of other separations during the entire month.

 2 The other separations rate is the number of other separations during the entire month as a percent of total employment.

3 See footnote 8, table 1.

 p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region