News

Bureau of Labor Statistics Washington, D.C. 20212 

United States 

Department 

of Labor 

Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 09-31 

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

 For release: 10:00 A.M. EST 

Media contact: (202) 691-5902 Tuesday, January 13, 2009 

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: NOVEMBER 2008 

On the last business day of November, there were 2.8 million job openings in the United States, 

and the job openings rate was 2.0 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of 

Labor reported today. The job openings rate declined in November, matching the series low set in 2003. 

The hires rate fell sharply in November to a series low of 2.6 percent. The total separations rate was 

little changed in November, but the quits rate declined further to 1.4 percent, also a series low. 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. 

Chart 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted,

 December 2005 - November 2008

1.6

1.8

2.0

2.2

2.4

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

Percent

2006 2007 2008

Chart 2. Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted,

 December 2005 - November 2008

2.4

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

Percent

Separations

Hires

2006 2007 2008

Beginning with the release of January 2009 data on March 10, BLS will implement improvements to the 

methodology used to generate estimates of hires, separations, and job openings from the Job Openings 

and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) program. These changes are designed to improve the 

measurement of hires, separations, and openings and to more closely align the hires and separations 

estimates with monthly employment change as measured by the BLS Current Employment Statistics 

(establishment) survey. All JOLTS historical series will be revised to incorporate the new methods and 

also will be released on March 10. See the JOLTS web page (http://www.bls.gov/jlt/#notices) for a 

more complete description of these changes. 
2 

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

Industry Nov. Oct. Nov. Nov. Oct. Nov. Nov. Oct. Nov.

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total 1................................................3,972 3,001 2,793 4,672 4,155 3,548 4,640 4,299 4,301

Total private 1

.................................... 3,520 2,585 2,419 4,305 3,852 3,157 4,367 4,034 4,042

Construction.................................... 138 64 67 351 334 236 322 418 455

Manufacturing................................. 303 213 142 353 257 216 400 424 388

Trade, transportation, and utilities 2

......... 648 507 554 946 837 726 1,065 945 906

 Retail trade.................................. 344 316 385 655 565 501 764 634 596

Professional and business services............ 685 498 459 902 748 719 878 771 750

Education and health services............... 713 606 592 527 512 438 423 427 402

Leisure and hospitality 3

........................ 591 404 251 846 734 579 799 671 683

 Accommodation and food services...... 518 351 219 708 602 510 667 559 601

Government 4

..................................... 454 429 375 349 322 292 286 264 261

 State and local government.................. 404 367 358 287 278 263 240 234 232

Total 1

................................................ 2.8 2.1 2.0 3.4 3.0 2.6 3.4 3.1 3.2

Total private 1

.................................... 3.0 2.2 2.1 3.7 3.4 2.8 3.8 3.5 3.6

Construction.................................... 1.8 0.9 1.0 4.7 4.7 3.4 4.3 5.9 6.6

Manufacturing................................. 2.2 1.6 1.1 2.6 1.9 1.6 2.9 3.2 2.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities 2

......... 2.4 1.9 2.1 3.5 3.2 2.8 4.0 3.6 3.5

 Retail trade.................................... 2.2 2.0 2.5 4.2 3.7 3.3 4.9 4.2 4.0

Professional and business services............3.7 2.7 2.5 5.0 4.2 4.1 4.9 4.4 4.3

Education and health services............... 3.7 3.1 3.0 2.8 2.7 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.1

Leisure and hospitality 3

........................ 4.2 2.9 1.8 6.2 5.4 4.3 5.9 4.9 5.1

 Accommodation and food services...... 4.3 2.9 1.9 6.1 5.2 4.4 5.7 4.8 5.2

Government 4

.................................... 2.0 1.9 1.6 1.6 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.2

 State and local government.................. 2.0 1.8 1.8 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2

 1 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately. 2 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately. 3 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately. 4 Includes federal government, not shown separately. p = preliminary.

Rates (percent)

Job openings Hires Total separations

Levels (in thousands)

Job Openings

The number of job openings declined in November 2008, continuing the downward trend begun 

over a year ago. At 2.8 million in November, openings were down 1.2 million, or 30 percent, from a 

year ago. The job openings rate was 2.0 percent in November, matching the series low set in September 

2003. The job openings rate fell at the total nonfarm level, and in manufacturing, accommodation and 

food services, and government. The rate increased significantly in November only in retail trade. (See 

table 1.) 
3 

Over the last 12 months, the job openings rate (not seasonally adjusted) rose significantly only in 

the retail industry and was essentially unchanged in natural resources and mining; real estate and rental 

and leasing; educational services; and other services. In the remaining 13 industries, the job openings 

rate fell significantly over the year. All four regions experienced a significant decline in the job 

openings rate over the year. (See table 5.) 

Hires

Hires fell sharply in November to 3.5 million, down 607,000 from October and 1.1 million from 

a year ago. The overall hires rate dropped to 2.6 percent in November due to declines in the rates for 

manufacturing; trade, transportation, and utilities; leisure and hospitality; and government. Regionally, 

the hires rate fell significantly in November in three of the four regions—Midwest, Northeast, and 

South. No industry or region experienced a significant increase in the hires rate in November. (See 

table 2.) 

Over the past 12 months, the hires rate did not increase significantly in any industry or region but 

decreased for total nonfarm and total private and in most industries, including construction; durable 

goods manufacturing; nondurable goods manufacturing; retail trade; real estate and rental and leasing; 

professional and business services; health care and social assistance; arts, entertainment, and recreation; 

accommodation and food services; federal government; and state and local government. In the 

remainder of the industries the hires rate decreased, but not significantly. In all four regions, the hires 

rate dropped significantly over the past 12 months. (See table 6.) 

Separations

The total separations, or turnover, rate was essentially unchanged in November from October 

and from a year ago. The quits rate can serve as a barometer of workers’ ability to change jobs. The 

quits rate fell in November to a new series low of 1.4 percent; the prior low was 1.5 percent, occurring 

in several months in 2003. Comparing November 2008 to November 2007, the quits rate was 

significantly lower for total nonfarm and total private and in many industries, including durable goods 

manufacturing; nondurable goods manufacturing; retail trade; professional and business services; 

healthcare and social assistance; arts, entertainment, and recreation; accommodation and food services; 

and state and local government. Regionally, the quits rate fell over the year in all four regions. The 

quits rate did not rise significantly over the past 12 months in any industry or region. (See tables 4, 7, 

and 8.) 

The other two components of total separations—layoffs and discharges, and other separations—

are not seasonally adjusted. In November, the layoffs and discharges rate (1.6 percent) and level (2.1 

million) were higher than a year earlier due to increases in construction; durable goods manufacturing; 

information; and finance and insurance. The layoffs and discharges rate declined over the year in other 

services and in federal government. The other separations rate (0.2 percent) and level (285,000) were 

unchanged from a year earlier at the total nonfarm level. (See tables 9 and 10.) 

The total separations rate is driven by the relative contribution of its three components (quits, 

layoffs and discharges, and other separations), with quits contributing the largest portion. The 

percentage of total separations attributable to quits has varied over time and has been trending 

downward from a high of 61 percent in December 2006. Quits accounted for only 43 percent of total 

separations in November 2008, a new series low. The prior minimum was 50 percent, occurring in June 

2003 and again in December 2003. (See tables 3 and 4.) 
4 

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 December 2008 is scheduled to be issued on 

Tuesday, February 10. 
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 2007 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.

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

Nov. June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Nov. June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov.

2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008p

Total 4................................................... 3,972 3,497 3,492 3,375 3,214 3,001 2,793 2.8 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.3 2.1 2.0

INDUSTRY

Total private 4....................................... 3,520 3,073 3,046 2,952 2,778 2,585 2,419 3.0 2.6 2.6 2.5 2.4 2.2 2.1

Construction....................................... 138 100 94 85 110 64 67 1.8 1.4 1.3 1.2 1.5 .9 1.0

Manufacturing.................................... 303 241 229 245 213 213 142 2.2 1.7 1.7 1.8 1.6 1.6 1.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 648 539 569 572 458 507 554 2.4 2.0 2.1 2.1 1.7 1.9 2.1

Retail trade....................................... 344 322 346 357 260 316 385 2.2 2.1 2.2 2.3 1.7 2.0 2.5

Professional and business services......... 685 670 696 634 567 498 459 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.4 3.1 2.7 2.5

Education and health services............... 713 682 687 643 617 606 592 3.7 3.5 3.5 3.3 3.1 3.1 3.0

Leisure and hospitality 6

........................ 591 452 432 383 443 404 251 4.2 3.2 3.1 2.7 3.2 2.9 1.8

Accommodation and food services...... 518 406 388 316 373 351 219 4.3 3.4 3.2 2.6 3.1 2.9 1.9

Government 7

....................................... 454 417 412 423 440 429 375 2.0 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.9 1.9 1.6

State and local government................... 404 361 362 363 387 367 358 2.0 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.9 1.8 1.8

REGION 8

Northeast.......................................... 629 608 615 617 590 541 506 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.1 2.0

South................................................ 1,620 1,440 1,384 1,317 1,240 1,191 1,086 3.2 2.8 2.7 2.6 2.4 2.4 2.2

Midwest............................................. 755 676 638 664 664 629 566 2.3 2.1 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.0 1.8

West................................................ 957 789 847 777 710 639 663 3.0 2.5 2.7 2.5 2.3 2.0 2.1

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

Nov. June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Nov. June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov.

2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008p

Total 4................................................... 4,672 4,438 4,026 4,063 4,362 4,155 3,548 3.4 3.2 2.9 3.0 3.2 3.0 2.6

INDUSTRY

Total private 4....................................... 4,305 4,136 3,751 3,822 4,090 3,852 3,157 3.7 3.6 3.3 3.3 3.6 3.4 2.8

Construction....................................... 351 354 242 322 288 334 236 4.7 4.9 3.4 4.5 4.0 4.7 3.4

Manufacturing.................................... 353 285 249 251 281 257 216 2.6 2.1 1.8 1.9 2.1 1.9 1.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 946 906 858 878 875 837 726 3.5 3.4 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.2 2.8

Retail trade....................................... 655 608 585 619 616 565 501 4.2 4.0 3.8 4.0 4.0 3.7 3.3

Professional and business services......... 902 889 748 701 741 748 719 5.0 5.0 4.2 3.9 4.2 4.2 4.1

Education and health services............... 527 485 474 509 514 512 438 2.8 2.6 2.5 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.3

Leisure and hospitality 6

........................ 846 741 798 728 830 734 579 6.2 5.4 5.8 5.3 6.1 5.4 4.3

Accommodation and food services...... 708 645 683 626 681 602 510 6.1 5.5 5.9 5.4 5.9 5.2 4.4

Government 7

....................................... 349 340 321 315 313 322 292 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.3

State and local government................... 287 309 300 286 283 278 263 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.3

REGION 8

Northeast.......................................... 761 761 657 679 688 629 518 3.0 3.0 2.6 2.7 2.7 2.5 2.0

South................................................ 1,828 1,666 1,512 1,549 1,570 1,516 1,323 3.7 3.4 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.1 2.7

Midwest.............................................1,027 966 934 926 1,020 973 779 3.3 3.1 3.0 2.9 3.3 3.1 2.5

West................................................ 1,018 1,084 979 1,004 1,057 975 874 3.3 3.5 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.2 2.9

 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

Nov. June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Nov. June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov.

2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008p

Total 4................................................... 4,640 4,368 4,359 4,398 4,042 4,299 4,301 3.4 3.2 3.2 3.2 2.9 3.1 3.2

INDUSTRY

Total private 4

....................................... 4,367 4,115 4,128 4,149 3,792 4,034 4,042 3.8 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.3 3.5 3.6

Construction....................................... 322 409 473 400 403 418 455 4.3 5.7 6.6 5.6 5.7 5.9 6.6

Manufacturing.................................... 400 353 324 325 335 424 388 2.9 2.6 2.4 2.4 2.5 3.2 2.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

.........1,065 1,003 1,013 933 916 945 906 4.0 3.8 3.8 3.5 3.5 3.6 3.5

Retail trade.................................... 764 679 692 642 581 634 596 4.9 4.4 4.5 4.2 3.8 4.2 4.0

Professional and business services......... 878 799 694 851 696 771 750 4.9 4.5 3.9 4.8 3.9 4.4 4.3

Education and health services............... 423 417 464 424 378 427 402 2.3 2.2 2.4 2.2 2.0 2.2 2.1

Leisure and hospitality 6

........................ 799 749 741 754 714 671 683 5.9 5.5 5.4 5.5 5.2 4.9 5.1

Accommodation and food services...... 667 641 629 652 634 559 601 5.7 5.5 5.4 5.6 5.5 4.8 5.2

Government 7

....................................... 286 259 244 257 251 264 261 1.3 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.2

State and local government................... 240 233 222 231 233 234 232 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2

REGION 8

Northeast.......................................... 860 658 745 705 600 607 652 3.3 2.6 2.9 2.7 2.3 2.4 2.6

South................................................1,709 1,681 1,629 1,633 1,456 1,564 1,611 3.4 3.4 3.3 3.3 2.9 3.2 3.3

Midwest............................................. 974 954 912 893 956 1,003 956 3.1 3.0 2.9 2.8 3.0 3.2 3.1

West................................................ 1,117 1,089 1,099 1,142 1,017 1,123 1,116 3.6 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.3 3.7 3.7

 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

Nov. June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Nov. June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov.

2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008p

Total 4................................................... 2,501 2,365 2,314 2,252 2,144 2,135 1,870 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.4

INDUSTRY

Total private 4

....................................... 2,361 2,242 2,209 2,134 2,032 2,020 1,772 2.0 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.6

Construction....................................... 116 139 157 150 118 108 81 1.5 1.9 2.2 2.1 1.7 1.5 1.2

Manufacturing.................................... 187 154 134 143 141 156 124 1.4 1.1 1.0 1.1 1.1 1.2 .9

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 572 545 545 485 494 488 401 2.1 2.1 2.1 1.8 1.9 1.9 1.5

Retail trade.................................... 433 391 405 355 351 340 292 2.8 2.6 2.6 2.3 2.3 2.2 1.9

Professional and business services......... 398 413 363 352 317 373 318 2.2 2.3 2.0 2.0 1.8 2.1 1.8

Education and health services............... 269 246 268 234 234 259 219 1.5 1.3 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.4 1.1

Leisure and hospitality 6

........................ 557 525 499 482 485 450 420 4.1 3.8 3.7 3.5 3.6 3.3 3.1

Accommodation and food services...... 516 481 452 445 423 416 393 4.4 4.1 3.9 3.8 3.6 3.6 3.4

Government 7

....................................... 140 123 111 121 120 116 110 .6 .5 .5 .5 .5 .5 .5

State and local government................... 125 114 104 113 121 107 101 .6 .6 .5 .6 .6 .5 .5

REGION 8

Northeast.......................................... 367 344 341 306 279 286 264 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.0

South................................................ 996 969 930 912 821 837 744 2.0 2.0 1.9 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.5

Midwest............................................. 529 515 504 513 531 524 410 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.3

West................................................ 607 539 541 518 492 493 451 2.0 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.5

 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

Nov. Oct. Nov. Nov. Oct. Nov.

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 3,665 3,045 2,542 2.6 2.2 1.8

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 3,237 2,623 2,190 2.7 2.2 1.9

Natural resources and mining........................ 13 14 10 1.8 1.7 1.3

Construction................................................ 115 55 52 1.5 .7 .7

Manufacturing............................................. 269 206 127 1.9 1.5 1.0

Durable goods.......................................... 157 113 71 1.8 1.3 .8

Nondurable goods.................................... 111 93 57 2.2 1.9 1.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 581 582 510 2.1 2.2 1.9

Wholesale trade....................................... 115 99 63 1.9 1.6 1.1

Retail trade............................................. 326 387 381 2.0 2.5 2.4

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 140 96 66 2.7 1.9 1.3

Information................................................ 81 62 37 2.6 2.1 1.2

Financial activities......................................... 214 131 149 2.5 1.6 1.8

Finance and insurance.............................. 170 95 107 2.7 1.6 1.7

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 44 36 42 2.0 1.7 2.0

Professional and business services.................. 641 494 413 3.4 2.7 2.3

Education and health services........................ 680 596 556 3.5 3.0 2.8

Educational services................................. 60 61 56 1.8 1.8 1.7

Health care and social assistance.................. 620 536 500 3.8 3.2 3.0

Leisure and hospitality................................. 525 374 223 3.8 2.7 1.7

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 54 44 25 2.8 2.2 1.4

Accommodation and food services............... 471 329 198 3.9 2.8 1.7

Other services............................................. 117 109 112 2.1 1.9 2.0

Government................................................... 427 422 352 1.8 1.8 1.5

Federal...................................................... 46 60 16 1.7 2.1 .6

State and local........................................... 381 362 336 1.9 1.8 1.6

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 599 592 471 2.3 2.2 1.8

South......................................................... 1,493 1,195 988 2.9 2.3 2.0

Midwest...................................................... 664 627 489 2.0 2.0 1.5

West......................................................... 908 631 594 2.8 2.0 1.9

 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

Nov. Oct. Nov. Nov. Oct. Nov.

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 4,230 4,217 3,120 3.0 3.1 2.3

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 3,974 3,921 2,918 3.4 3.4 2.6

Natural resources and mining........................ 19 27 17 2.6 3.4 2.1

Construction................................................ 276 304 180 3.6 4.2 2.6

Manufacturing............................................. 291 258 177 2.1 1.9 1.3

Durable goods.......................................... 165 143 90 1.9 1.7 1.1

Nondurable goods.................................... 126 115 87 2.5 2.3 1.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 1,063 977 793 3.9 3.7 3.0

Wholesale trade....................................... 140 158 105 2.3 2.6 1.8

Retail trade............................................. 806 681 607 5.1 4.5 3.9

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 118 138 80 2.3 2.7 1.6

Information................................................ 47 63 38 1.6 2.1 1.3

Financial activities......................................... 174 159 124 2.1 2.0 1.5

Finance and insurance.............................. 105 101 92 1.7 1.7 1.5

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 69 59 32 3.2 2.8 1.5

Professional and business services.................. 831 758 652 4.6 4.2 3.7

Education and health services........................ 446 547 362 2.4 2.8 1.9

Educational services................................. 49 82 38 1.5 2.5 1.2

Health care and social assistance.................. 397 465 324 2.6 2.9 2.0

Leisure and hospitality................................. 733 690 498 5.5 5.1 3.8

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 110 90 66 5.9 4.6 3.7

Accommodation and food services............... 623 600 432 5.4 5.2 3.8

Other services............................................. 92 138 76 1.7 2.5 1.4

Government................................................... 256 295 202 1.1 1.3 .9

Federal...................................................... 42 26 18 1.5 .9 .7

State and local........................................... 214 269 183 1.1 1.3 .9

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 690 640 462 2.7 2.5 1.8

South......................................................... 1,665 1,564 1,189 3.3 3.1 2.4

Midwest...................................................... 910 1,022 661 2.9 3.3 2.1

West......................................................... 966 991 807 3.1 3.2 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

Nov. Oct. Nov. Nov. Oct. Nov.

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 4,292 4,331 4,018 3.1 3.1 2.9

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 4,100 4,119 3,842 3.5 3.6 3.4

Natural resources and mining........................ 24 28 31 3.2 3.5 3.8

Construction................................................ 335 440 489 4.4 6.1 6.9

Manufacturing............................................. 363 447 374 2.6 3.4 2.8

Durable goods.......................................... 207 285 233 2.4 3.4 2.8

Nondurable goods.................................... 156 161 141 3.1 3.3 2.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 1,007 912 842 3.7 3.5 3.2

Wholesale trade....................................... 126 139 128 2.1 2.3 2.1

Retail trade............................................. 734 602 553 4.6 4.0 3.6

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 147 171 161 2.8 3.4 3.2

Information................................................ 52 79 62 1.7 2.7 2.1

Financial activities......................................... 162 183 193 2.0 2.2 2.4

Finance and insurance.............................. 85 103 115 1.4 1.7 1.9

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 78 80 77 3.6 3.8 3.7

Professional and business services.................. 861 775 766 4.7 4.3 4.3

Education and health services........................ 341 389 315 1.8 2.0 1.6

Educational services................................. 39 45 36 1.2 1.4 1.1

Health care and social assistance.................. 302 345 279 1.9 2.2 1.7

Leisure and hospitality................................. 778 749 653 5.8 5.6 5.0

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 149 135 97 8.0 6.9 5.3

Accommodation and food services............... 628 614 556 5.5 5.3 4.9

Other services............................................. 177 118 118 3.2 2.1 2.2

Government................................................... 192 212 177 .8 .9 .8

Federal...................................................... 23 18 13 .8 .6 .5

State and local........................................... 169 194 164 .8 1.0 .8

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 780 596 601 3.0 2.3 2.3

South......................................................... 1,463 1,572 1,377 2.9 3.2 2.8

Midwest...................................................... 989 997 980 3.1 3.2 3.1

West......................................................... 1,060 1,166 1,061 3.4 3.8 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

Nov. Oct. Nov. Nov. Oct. Nov.

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 2,190 2,125 1,600 1.6 1.5 1.2

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 2,089 2,031 1,523 1.8 1.8 1.3

Natural resources and mining........................ 10 16 12 1.3 2.0 1.5

Construction................................................ 96 113 57 1.3 1.6 .8

Manufacturing............................................. 149 161 97 1.1 1.2 .7

Durable goods.......................................... 80 97 54 .9 1.2 .7

Nondurable goods.................................... 69 64 43 1.4 1.3 .9

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 519 482 361 1.9 1.8 1.4

Wholesale trade....................................... 54 60 39 .9 1.0 .7

Retail trade............................................. 407 336 273 2.6 2.2 1.8

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 59 86 49 1.1 1.7 1.0

Information................................................ 34 27 20 1.1 .9 .7

Financial activities......................................... 95 92 81 1.2 1.1 1.0

Finance and insurance.............................. 64 60 54 1.0 1.0 .9

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 31 33 27 1.5 1.6 1.3

Professional and business services.................. 377 361 286 2.1 2.0 1.6

Education and health services........................ 228 242 180 1.2 1.3 .9

Educational services................................. 23 21 16 .7 .7 .5

Health care and social assistance.................. 205 221 164 1.3 1.4 1.0

Leisure and hospitality................................. 513 472 372 3.8 3.5 2.8

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 37 36 17 2.0 1.8 1.0

Accommodation and food services............... 476 436 354 4.1 3.8 3.1

Other services............................................. 69 64 58 1.3 1.2 1.1

Government................................................... 101 95 77 .4 .4 .3

Federal...................................................... 8 4 3 .3 .1 .1

State and local........................................... 92 91 74 .5 .5 .4

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 332 282 235 1.3 1.1 .9

South......................................................... 840 843 607 1.7 1.7 1.2

Midwest...................................................... 485 515 379 1.5 1.6 1.2

West......................................................... 532 486 379 1.7 1.6 1.2

 1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month. 2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 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

Nov. Oct. Nov. Nov. Oct. Nov.

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 1,817 1,927 2,133 1.3 1.4 1.6

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 1,758 1,848 2,065 1.5 1.6 1.8

Natural resources and mining........................ 12 10 19 1.7 1.2 2.3

Construction................................................ 217 309 412 2.9 4.3 5.8

Manufacturing............................................. 187 250 258 1.4 1.9 2.0

Durable goods.......................................... 112 163 167 1.3 1.9 2.0

Nondurable goods.................................... 75 87 91 1.5 1.8 1.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 403 367 400 1.5 1.4 1.5

Wholesale trade....................................... 63 72 81 1.0 1.2 1.4

Retail trade............................................. 263 226 230 1.6 1.5 1.5

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 77 70 89 1.5 1.4 1.8

Information................................................ 13 49 38 .4 1.7 1.3

Financial activities......................................... 56 69 83 .7 .8 1.0

Finance and insurance.............................. 16 27 36 .3 .4 .6

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 41 42 48 1.9 2.0 2.3

Professional and business services.................. 445 370 450 2.4 2.1 2.5

Education and health services........................ 88 113 94 .5 .6 .5

Educational services................................. 13 20 18 .4 .6 .5

Health care and social assistance.................. 74 93 76 .5 .6 .5

Leisure and hospitality................................. 243 264 259 1.8 2.0 2.0

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 110 98 74 5.9 5.0 4.1

Accommodation and food services............... 133 166 184 1.2 1.4 1.6

Other services............................................. 93 49 53 1.7 .9 1.0

Government................................................... 59 79 68 .3 .3 .3

Federal...................................................... 8 9 5 .3 .3 .2

State and local........................................... 51 70 63 .3 .3 .3

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 401 266 304 1.5 1.0 1.2

South......................................................... 535 618 676 1.1 1.2 1.4

Midwest...................................................... 450 425 548 1.4 1.4 1.8

West......................................................... 430 617 605 1.4 2.0 2.0

 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

Nov. Oct. Nov. Nov. Oct. Nov.

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 285 279 285 0.2 0.2 0.2

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 253 240 254 .2 .2 .2

Natural resources and mining........................ 2 2 (

4

) .2 .2 (

4

)

Construction................................................ 22 18 20 .3 .2 .3

Manufacturing............................................. 26 36 19 .2 .3 .1

Durable goods.......................................... 14 26 12 .2 .3 .1

Nondurable goods.................................... 12 10 7 .2 .2 .1

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 85 64 81 .3 .2 .3

Wholesale trade....................................... 9 7 8 .2 .1 .1

Retail trade............................................. 64 41 50 .4 .3 .3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 11 16 23 .2 .3 .5

Information................................................ 5 3 5 .2 .1 .2

Financial activities......................................... 11 22 28 .1 .3 .3

Finance and insurance.............................. 5 16 25 .1 .3 .4

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

Professional and business services.................. 39 44 30 .2 .2 .2

Education and health services........................ 26 34 41 .1 .2 .2

Educational services................................. 3 4 2 .1 .1 .1

Health care and social assistance.................. 23 30 38 .1 .2 .2

Leisure and hospitality................................. 22 14 23 .2 .1 .2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 3 1 5 .1 .1 .3

Accommodation and food services............... 20 12 18 .2 .1 .2

Other services............................................. 16 5 7 .3 .1 .1

Government................................................... 32 38 31 .1 .2 .1

Federal...................................................... 6 6 5 .2 .2 .2

State and local........................................... 26 33 27 .1 .2 .1

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 47 48 62 .2 .2 .2

South......................................................... 88 112 94 .2 .2 .2

Midwest...................................................... 53 56 53 .2 .2 .2

West......................................................... 97 63 77 .3 .2 .2

 1 Other separations are the number of other separations during the entire month. 2 The other separations rate is the number of other separations during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 3 See footnote 8, table 1. 4 Data round to zero.

 p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region