News

Bureau of Labor Statistics Washington, D.C. 20212 

United States 

Department 

of Labor 

Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 09-0361 

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

 For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT 

Media contact: (202) 691-5902 Tuesday, April 7, 2009 

(NOTE: This release was reissued on Wednesday, April 8, 2009, to correct text 

references to the most recent high points for job openings and hires, and for 

the most recent low point for the proportion of total separations attributable to 

layoffs and discharges. Also, a rounding error in a text statement concerning 

the proportion of total separations attributable to quits in February 2009 was 

corrected.)

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: FEBRUARY 2009 

On the last business day of February, there were 3.0 million job openings in the United States, 

and the job openings rate was 2.2 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of 

Labor reported today. The job openings rate and the hires rate (3.3 percent) were little changed in 

February, with both remaining low. The total separations rate (3.6 percent) was also essentially 

unchanged in February. 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,

 March 2006 - February 2009

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

2007 2008 2009

Chart 2. Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted,

 March 2006 - February 2009

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

4.2

Percent

Separations

Hires

2007 2008 2009

Job Openings

Job openings were essentially unchanged from January to February, although the number of job 

openings has trended downward since mid-2007. At 3.0 million in February, monthly openings were 

down 1.8 million, or 38 percent, since the most recent high in June 2007. The job openings rate changed 

significantly in February only in manufacturing, where it edged up. (See table 1.) 
2 

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

Industry Feb. Jan. Feb. Feb. Jan. Feb. Feb. Jan. Feb.

2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total 1................................................4,248 2,920 3,006 5,035 4,460 4,360 5,088 4,949 4,825

Total private 1

.................................... 3,813 2,461 2,614 4,694 4,141 4,068 4,789 4,686 4,554

Construction.................................... 136 55 26 375 381 366 410 524 454

Manufacturing................................. 278 115 140 325 237 249 372 476 420

Trade, transportation, and utilities 2

......... 722 488 495 1,031 949 812 1,060 1,049 918

Retail trade..................................... 378 362 355 708 587 556 731 645 571

Professional and business services............ 766 501 471 851 762 760 924 866 947

Education and health services............... 806 636 625 581 539 536 534 494 505

Leisure and hospitality ........................ 558 272 282 927 743 696 932 763 726

Arts, entertainment, and recreation......... 64 27 20 140 105 85 147 117 93

Accommodation and food services......... 487 242 266 787 627 605 788 650 628

Government 3

..................................... 446 417 392 335 306 270 293 277 254

 State and local government.................. 397 328 329 292 261 252 258 267 239

Total 1

................................................ 3.0 2.1 2.2 3.7 3.3 3.3 3.7 3.7 3.6

Total private 1

.................................... 3.2 2.2 2.3 4.1 3.7 3.7 4.1 4.2 4.1

Construction.................................... 1.8 0.8 0.4 5.0 5.7 5.5 5.5 7.8 6.9

Manufacturing................................. 2.0 0.9 1.1 2.4 1.9 2.0 2.7 3.8 3.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities 2

......... 2.6 1.9 1.9 3.9 3.7 3.2 4.0 4.1 3.6

Retail trade.................................... 2.4 2.4 2.3 4.6 3.9 3.7 4.7 4.3 3.8

Professional and business services............4.1 2.8 2.7 4.7 4.4 4.5 5.1 5.0 5.6

Education and health services............... 4.1 3.2 3.2 3.1 2.8 2.8 2.9 2.6 2.6

Leisure and hospitality ........................ 4.0 2.0 2.1 6.9 5.6 5.3 6.9 5.7 5.5

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.........3.1 1.4 1.0 7.0 5.4 4.4 7.4 6.0 4.8

Accommodation and food services......... 4.1 2.1 2.3 6.8 5.5 5.4 6.8 5.7 5.6

Government 3

..................................... 2.0 1.8 1.7 1.5 1.4 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.1

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

 1 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately. 2 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately. 3 Includes federal government, not shown separately. p = preliminary.

Rates (percent)

Job openings Hires Total separations

Levels (in thousands)

Over the 12 months ending in February, the job openings rate (not seasonally adjusted) was 

essentially unchanged in the Northeast region and in six industries: retail trade; information; finance 

and insurance; real estate and rental and leasing; educational services; and other services. In the 

remaining 11 industries and at the total nonfarm and total private level, the job openings rate fell 

significantly over the year. Three of the four regions experienced a significant decline in the job 

openings rate over the year: Midwest, South, and West. The job openings rate rose significantly over 

the year only in the federal government. (See table 5.) 
3 

Hires

Hires, at 4.4 million in February, were essentially unchanged from January. However, monthly 

hires were down 1,274,000, or 23 percent, since the most recent high in July 2006. The hires rate was 

3.3 percent in February. No industry experienced a significant change in the hires rate in February. 

Regionally, the rate rose significantly in the Northeast and fell significantly in the Midwest. (See table 

2.) 

Over the 12 months ending in February, the hires rate did not increase significantly in any 

industry or region. The rate decreased significantly over the year for total nonfarm, total private, and 

several industries, including retail trade; finance and insurance; arts, entertainment, and recreation; 

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

four regions, the hires rate dropped significantly over the past 12 months: Midwest, South, and West. 

(See table 6.) 

Separations

Total separations includes quits (voluntary separations), layoffs and discharges (involuntary 

separations), and other separations (including retirements). The total separations, or turnover, rate 

(seasonally adjusted) was essentially unchanged in February at 3.6 percent. The total separations rate 

(not seasonally adjusted) was also essentially unchanged over the 12 months ending in February because 

quits fell while layoffs and discharges rose. (See tables 3, 7, 8 and 9.) 

The quits rate can serve as a barometer of workers’ willingness or ability to change jobs. The 

rate remained at 1.5 percent in February—the lowest point in the 8-year series. Quits have been 

trending downward since December 2006, declining by 1.2 million, or 37 percent. Comparing February 

2009 to February 2008, the quits rate was significantly lower for total nonfarm, total private, and most 

industries. The rate was essentially unchanged in information; educational services; arts, entertainment, 

and recreation; and other services. The rate did not rise significantly in the past 12 months in any 

industry. Regionally, the quits rate fell significantly in three of the four regions—Northeast, South, and 

West. The rate was essentially unchanged in the Midwest region. (See tables 4 and 8.) 

The layoffs and discharges component of total separations is seasonally adjusted at the total 

nonfarm, total private, and government levels. Seasonally adjusted layoffs and discharges in February 

were 2.5 million for total nonfarm, 2.3 million for total private, and 106,000 for government, 

corresponding to layoffs and discharges rates of 1.8 percent, 2.1 percent, and 0.5 percent, respectively. 

Over the 12 months ending in February, the layoffs and discharges rate (not seasonally adjusted) rose 

significantly for total nonfarm, total private, and many industries, including mining and logging; 

construction; durable goods manufacturing; nondurable goods manufacturing; wholesale trade; 

transportation, warehousing, and utilities; finance and insurance; real estate and rental and leasing; and 

professional and business services. In the remaining industries, the rate was essentially unchanged. 

Regionally, the layoffs and discharges rate rose in the Midwest, South, and West and was little changed 

in the Northeast. (See table 9 for not seasonally adjusted layoffs and discharges. Seasonally adjusted 

layoffs and discharges are not presented in a table but are available through the JOLTS web site.) 

The other separations series is not seasonally adjusted. Comparing February 2008 to February 

2009, the number of other separations was little changed for total nonfarm (280,000), total private 

(251,000), and government (29,000). (See table 10.) 
4 

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

layoffs and discharges, and other separations. The percentage of total separations attributable to the 

individual components has varied over time. The proportion of quits has been trending downward from a 

high of 62 percent in January 2006 to a series low of 41 percent in February 2009. The proportion of 

layoffs and discharges has increased, climbing from the most recent low of 33 percent in August 2006 to 

51 percent in February 2009. (See tables 3 and 4.) 

Net Change in Employment

In the 12 months ending in February, hires totaled 55.3 million and separations totaled 59.2 

million, yielding a net employment loss over the year of 3.9 million. The loss resulted from total 

separations remaining level over the year, while hires trended sharply downward. 

For More Information

For additional information, please read the Technical Note attached to this release, visit the 

JOLTS Web site at http://www.bls.gov/jlt/, send e-mail to Joltsinfo@bls.gov, or call (202) 691-5870. 

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover release for March 2009 is scheduled to be issued on 

Tuesday, May 12. 
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 

 In a monthly survey of business establishments, data are 

collected 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, e-mail, 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. Fulltime, 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 are 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. 

Special Collection Procedures 

 An implied measure of employment change can be 

derived from the JOLTS data by subtracting separations 

from hires for a given month. Aggregating these monthly 

changes historically produced employment levels that 

overstated employment change as measured by CES at the 

total nonfarm level. Research into this problem showed 

that a significant amount of the divergence between the 

CES employment levels and the derived JOLTS 

employment levels was traceable to the Employment 

Services industry and to the State Government Education 

industry. In the former industry, businesses have a 

difficult time reporting hires and separations of temporary 

help workers. In the latter industry, employers have 

difficulty reporting hires and separations of student 

workers. BLS now devotes additional resources to the 

collection, editing, and review of data for these 

industries. BLS analysts more closely examine reported 

data that do not provide a consistent picture over time, 

and re-contact the respondents as necessary. Analysts 

work with the respondents to adjust their reporting 

practices as possible. Units that cannot be reconciled but 

are clearly incorrect on a consistent basis are not used, 

they are replaced by imputed values using standard 

techniques. 

Sample and estimation methodology 

 The JOLTS survey 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 9.1 

million establishments compiled as part of the operations 

of the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages 

(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. The JOLTS sample is 

constructed from individual panels of sample units drawn 

on an annual basis. The full annual sample consists of one 

certainty panel composed of only large units selected with 

virtual certainty based on their size and 24 non-certainty 

panels. Each month a new non-certainty panel is rolled 

into collection, and the oldest non-certainty panel is rolled 

out. This means that at any given time the JOLTS sample 

is constructed from panels from three different annual 

sampling frames. The entire sample of old plus new 

panels is post-stratified and re-weighted annually to 

represent the most recent sampling frame. Additionally, 

the out-of-business establishments are removed from the 

old panels. The annual sample is supplemented with a 

quarterly sample of birth establishments (i.e., new 

establishments) to better reflect the impact of younger 

establishments in the JOLTS sample. 

 JOLTS total employment estimates are benchmarked 

monthly 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. 

 JOLTS Business Birth/Death Model 

 As with any sample survey, the JOLTS sample can only 

be as current as its sampling frame. The time lag from the 

birth of an establishment until its appearance on the 

sampling frame is approximately one year. In addition, 

many of these new units may fail within the first year. 

Since these universe units cannot be reflected on the 

sampling frame immediately, the JOLTS sample cannot 

capture job openings, hires, and separations from these 

units during their early existence. BLS has developed a 

model to estimate birth/death activity for current months 

by examining the birth/death activity from previous years 

on the QCEW and projecting forward to the present using 

an econometric technique known as X-12 ARIMA 

modeling. The birth/death model also uses historical 

JOLTS data to estimate the amount of “churn” (hires and 

separations) that exists in establishments of various sizes. 

The model then combines the estimated churn with the 

projected employment change to estimate the number of 

hires and separations taking place in these units that 

cannot be measured through sampling. 
 The model-based estimate of total separations is 

distributed to the three components – quits; layoffs and 

discharges; and other separations - in proportion to their 

contribution to the sample-based estimate of total 

separations. Additionally, job openings for the modeled 

units are estimated by computing the ratio of openings to 

hires in the collected data and applying that ratio to the 

modeled hires. The estimates of job openings, hires, and 

separations produced by the birth/death model are then 

added to the sample-based estimates produced from the 

survey to arrive at the estimates for openings, hires, and 

separations. 

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. 

Alignment procedure 

 JOLTS hires minus separations should be comparable to 

the CES net employment change. However, definitional 

differences as well as sampling and non-sampling errors 

between the two surveys historically caused JOLTS to 

diverge from CES over time. To limit the divergence, and 

improve the quality of the JOLTS hires and separations 

series, BLS implemented the Monthly Alignment Method. 

The Monthly Alignment Method applies the CES 

employment trends to the seasonally adjusted JOLTS 

implied employment trend (hires minus separations) 

forcing them to be approximately the same, while 

preserving the seasonality of the JOLTS data. First, the 

two series are seasonally adjusted and the difference 

between the JOLTS implied employment trend and the 

CES net employment change is calculated. Next, the 

JOLTS implied employment trend is adjusted to equal the 

CES net employment change through a proportional 

adjustment. This proportional adjustment procedure 

adjusts the two components (hires, separations) 

proportionally to their contribution to the total churn 

(hires plus separations). For example, if hires are 40 

percent of the churn for a given month, they will receive 

40 percent of the needed adjustment and separations will 

receive 60 percent of the needed adjustment. The adjusted 

hires and separations are converted back to not seasonally 

adjusted data by reversing the application of the original 

seasonal factors. After the monthly alignment method has 

been used to adjust the level estimates, rate estimates are 

computed from the adjusted levels. The Monthly 

Alignment procedure assures a close match of the JOLTS 

implied employment trend with the CES trend. The CES 

series is considered a highly accurate measure of net 

employment change owing to its very large sample size 

and annual benchmarking to universe counts of 

employment from the QCEW program. 

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 to 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. 

 JOLTS uses moving averages as seasonal filters in 

seasonal adjustment. JOLTS seasonal adjustment 

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. 

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

Feb. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Feb. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb.

2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2009 2009p 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2009 2009p

Total 4................................................... 4,248 3,346 3,390 3,311 3,224 2,920 3,006 3.0 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.3 2.1 2.2

INDUSTRY

Total private 4

....................................... 3,813 2,913 2,964 2,928 2,861 2,461 2,614 3.2 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.2 2.3

Construction....................................... 136 152 79 76 66 55 26 1.8 2.1 1.1 1.1 .9 .8 .4

Manufacturing.................................... 278 236 230 203 188 115 140 2.0 1.7 1.7 1.5 1.4 .9 1.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 722 525 564 624 495 488 495 2.6 2.0 2.1 2.3 1.9 1.9 1.9

Retail trade....................................... 378 297 363 410 337 362 355 2.4 1.9 2.3 2.6 2.2 2.4 2.3

Professional and business services......... 766 608 603 505 562 501 471 4.1 3.3 3.3 2.8 3.1 2.8 2.7

Education and health services............... 806 624 646 697 685 636 625 4.1 3.2 3.3 3.5 3.5 3.2 3.2

Leisure and hospitality ........................... 558 427 417 302 315 272 282 4.0 3.1 3.0 2.2 2.3 2.0 2.1

Arts, entertainment, and recreation...... 64 44 47 35 40 27 20 3.1 2.2 2.4 1.8 2.0 1.4 1.0

Accommodation and food services......... 487 374 370 284 274 242 266 4.1 3.2 3.1 2.4 2.4 2.1 2.3

Government 6....................................... 446 431 427 378 345 417 392 2.0 1.9 1.9 1.6 1.5 1.8 1.7

State and local government................... 397 352 344 337 312 328 329 2.0 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.6

REGION 7

Northeast.......................................... 680 644 636 582 633 560 596 2.6 2.5 2.4 2.2 2.4 2.2 2.3

South................................................ 1,649 1,269 1,314 1,267 1,245 1,109 1,128 3.2 2.5 2.6 2.5 2.5 2.2 2.3

Midwest............................................. 847 674 698 644 607 587 608 2.6 2.1 2.2 2.0 1.9 1.9 2.0

West................................................ 1,055 785 734 767 689 655 615 3.3 2.5 2.3 2.5 2.2 2.1 2.0

1

 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day of the 7 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 mining and logging, 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 federal government, not shown separately. Wyoming.

 p

 = preliminary.

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

Feb. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Feb. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb.

2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2009 2009p 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2009 2009p

Total 4................................................... 5,035 4,505 4,486 4,226 4,508 4,460 4,360 3.7 3.3 3.3 3.1 3.3 3.3 3.3

INDUSTRY

Total private 4

....................................... 4,694 4,263 4,160 3,928 4,214 4,141 4,068 4.1 3.7 3.7 3.5 3.7 3.7 3.7

Construction....................................... 375 365 380 340 366 381 366 5.0 5.1 5.4 4.9 5.3 5.7 5.5

Manufacturing.................................... 325 305 290 257 252 237 249 2.4 2.3 2.2 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 1,031 959 933 852 891 949 812 3.9 3.7 3.6 3.3 3.4 3.7 3.2

Retail trade....................................... 708 649 624 576 595 587 556 4.6 4.2 4.1 3.8 4.0 3.9 3.7

Professional and business services......... 851 787 788 783 786 762 760 4.7 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.4 4.5

Education and health services............... 581 506 544 528 528 539 536 3.1 2.7 2.9 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.8

Leisure and hospitality ........................... 927 814 769 706 711 743 696 6.9 6.1 5.7 5.3 5.3 5.6 5.3

Arts, entertainment, and recreation...... 140 117 119 92 111 105 85 7.0 6.0 6.1 4.7 5.7 5.4 4.4

Accommodation and food services......... 787 708 651 620 605 627 605 6.8 6.2 5.7 5.4 5.3 5.5 5.4

Government 6....................................... 335 278 318 281 271 306 270 1.5 1.2 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.4 1.2

State and local government................... 292 259 275 251 253 261 252 1.5 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3

REGION 7

Northeast.......................................... 807 742 759 661 726 753 878 3.1 2.9 3.0 2.6 2.9 3.0 3.5

South................................................ 1,909 1,643 1,652 1,572 1,659 1,663 1,579 3.8 3.3 3.4 3.2 3.4 3.4 3.3

Midwest............................................. 1,081 1,038 1,051 934 1,009 1,003 875 3.4 3.3 3.4 3.0 3.3 3.3 2.9

West................................................ 1,216 1,088 1,043 1,043 1,053 1,002 1,000 3.9 3.6 3.4 3.4 3.5 3.3 3.3

 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 federal government, not shown separately. 3

 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal 7 See footnote 7, table 1. 

adjustment of the various series. p

 = preliminary. 4

 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, and 

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

Feb. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Feb. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb.

2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2009 2009p 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2009 2009p

Total 4................................................... 5,088 4,852 4,910 4,863 4,958 4,949 4,825 3.7 3.5 3.6 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.6

INDUSTRY

Total private 4

....................................... 4,789 4,553 4,607 4,571 4,673 4,686 4,554 4.1 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.1

Construction....................................... 410 412 440 472 452 524 454 5.5 5.8 6.2 6.8 6.6 7.8 6.9

Manufacturing.................................... 372 371 404 384 419 476 420 2.7 2.8 3.1 2.9 3.2 3.8 3.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

.........1,060 1,046 1,034 1,030 1,041 1,049 918 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.1 3.6

Retail trade.................................... 731 684 680 680 664 645 571 4.7 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.4 4.3 3.8

Professional and business services......... 924 809 906 909 898 866 947 5.1 4.6 5.1 5.2 5.2 5.0 5.6

Education and health services............... 534 488 507 466 498 494 505 2.9 2.6 2.7 2.4 2.6 2.6 2.6

Leisure and hospitality ........................ 932 830 794 773 755 763 726 6.9 6.2 5.9 5.8 5.7 5.7 5.5

Arts, entertainment, and recreation...... 147 115 124 98 106 117 93 7.4 5.9 6.4 5.0 5.4 6.0 4.8

Accommodation and food services...... 788 714 670 673 647 650 628 6.8 6.2 5.9 5.9 5.7 5.7 5.6

Government 6

....................................... 293 294 294 282 278 277 254 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.1

State and local government................... 258 280 265 258 251 267 239 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.2

REGION 7

Northeast.......................................... 896 734 743 767 799 813 787 3.5 2.9 2.9 3.0 3.2 3.2 3.1

South................................................1,886 1,767 1,782 1,841 1,815 1,898 1,731 3.8 3.6 3.6 3.8 3.7 3.9 3.6

Midwest.............................................1,056 1,116 1,168 1,105 1,088 1,120 1,130 3.4 3.6 3.8 3.6 3.5 3.7 3.7

West................................................ 1,270 1,184 1,209 1,205 1,227 1,180 1,181 4.1 3.9 4.0 4.0 4.0 3.9 3.9

 1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire 5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, 

month. not shown separately. 2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the 6

 Includes federal government, not shown separately.

entire month as a percent of total employment. 7

 See footnote 7, table 1. 3

 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent p = preliminary.

seasonal adjustment of the various series. 4

 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, 

and other services, not shown separately.

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

Feb. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Feb. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb.

2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2009 2009p 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2009 2009p

Total 4................................................... 2,871 2,454 2,436 2,201 2,114 2,063 2,001 2.1 1.8 1.8 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.5

INDUSTRY

Total private 4

....................................... 2,717 2,319 2,305 2,076 1,984 1,945 1,885 2.4 2.0 2.0 1.8 1.8 1.7 1.7

Construction....................................... 175 128 107 109 92 85 107 2.3 1.8 1.5 1.6 1.3 1.3 1.6

Manufacturing.................................... 194 147 143 122 87 105 93 1.4 1.1 1.1 .9 .7 .8 .7

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 608 580 548 489 518 469 403 2.3 2.2 2.1 1.9 2.0 1.8 1.6

Retail trade.................................... 427 414 377 352 379 360 305 2.8 2.7 2.5 2.3 2.5 2.4 2.0

Professional and business services......... 485 368 477 349 297 326 340 2.7 2.1 2.7 2.0 1.7 1.9 2.0

Education and health services............... 312 290 294 251 256 248 246 1.7 1.5 1.5 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3

Leisure and hospitality ........................ 614 514 516 469 461 443 438 4.5 3.8 3.8 3.5 3.5 3.3 3.3

Arts, entertainment, and recreation...... 55 52 39 35 29 31 39 2.7 2.7 2.0 1.8 1.5 1.6 2.0

Accommodation and food services...... 556 467 476 437 435 412 402 4.8 4.1 4.2 3.8 3.8 3.6 3.6

Government 6

....................................... 151 134 132 122 130 105 110 .7 .6 .6 .5 .6 .5 .5

State and local government................... 136 133 122 117 121 100 106 .7 .7 .6 .6 .6 .5 .5

REGION 7

Northeast.......................................... 456 338 347 321 302 278 271 1.8 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.2 1.1 1.1

South................................................1,167 971 949 879 847 790 751 2.3 2.0 1.9 1.8 1.7 1.6 1.6

Midwest............................................. 563 577 595 491 452 491 493 1.8 1.9 1.9 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.6

West................................................ 709 560 541 510 498 492 499 2.3 1.8 1.8 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.7

 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 federal government, not shown separately. 3

 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent 7 See footnote 7, table 1. 

seasonal adjustment of the various series. p

 = preliminary. 4

 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, 

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

Feb. Jan. Feb. Feb. Jan. Feb.

2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total............................................................... 3,952 3,052 2,701 2.8 2.3 2.0

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 3,553 2,636 2,351 3.0 2.3 2.1

Mining and logging....................................... 18 20 10 2.4 2.6 1.4

Construction................................................ 130 52 26 1.8 .8 .4

Manufacturing............................................. 277 122 133 2.0 1.0 1.1

Durable goods.......................................... 150 57 61 1.7 .7 .8

Nondurable goods.................................... 127 65 72 2.5 1.4 1.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 644 499 434 2.4 1.9 1.7

Wholesale trade....................................... 202 79 112 3.3 1.4 1.9

Retail trade............................................. 303 344 285 2.0 2.3 1.9

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 138 75 37 2.7 1.5 .8

Information................................................ 76 65 55 2.5 2.2 1.9

Financial activities......................................... 240 247 212 2.9 3.0 2.6

Finance and insurance.............................. 188 214 141 3.0 3.5 2.3

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 52 33 72 2.4 1.6 3.5

Professional and business services.................. 753 566 466 4.1 3.2 2.7

Education and health services........................ 777 666 592 4.0 3.4 3.0

Educational services................................. 55 70 46 1.7 2.3 1.4

Health care and social assistance.................. 722 595 546 4.4 3.6 3.3

Leisure and hospitality................................. 512 260 262 3.8 2.0 2.0

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 67 25 19 3.6 1.4 1.1

Accommodation and food services............... 445 235 243 3.8 2.1 2.2

Other services............................................. 127 140 161 2.3 2.5 2.9

Government................................................... 399 416 349 1.7 1.8 1.5

Federal...................................................... 42 92 57 1.5 3.2 2.0

State and local........................................... 357 324 292 1.8 1.6 1.4

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 615 618 537 2.3 2.4 2.1

South......................................................... 1,558 1,114 1,053 3.1 2.3 2.2

Midwest...................................................... 789 600 568 2.5 2.0 1.9

West......................................................... 990 720 543 3.1 2.4 1.8

 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 7, 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

Feb. Jan. Feb. Feb. Jan. Feb.

2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total............................................................... 4,063 4,337 3,382 3.0 3.3 2.6

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 3,836 4,033 3,206 3.4 3.7 2.9

Mining and logging....................................... 27 28 19 3.7 3.6 2.5

Construction................................................ 296 333 291 4.2 5.3 4.7

Manufacturing............................................. 287 241 222 2.1 1.9 1.8

Durable goods.......................................... 158 127 119 1.8 1.6 1.6

Nondurable goods.................................... 129 114 102 2.6 2.4 2.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 784 857 608 3.0 3.4 2.4

Wholesale trade....................................... 130 232 94 2.2 4.0 1.6

Retail trade............................................. 522 480 407 3.4 3.2 2.8

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 132 145 108 2.6 3.0 2.2

Information................................................ 55 95 47 1.8 3.3 1.6

Financial activities......................................... 211 248 144 2.6 3.1 1.8

Finance and insurance.............................. 134 168 92 2.2 2.9 1.6

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 77 80 51 3.6 3.9 2.6

Professional and business services.................. 755 826 678 4.3 4.9 4.0

Education and health services........................ 500 560 463 2.7 2.9 2.4

Educational services................................. 72 65 68 2.3 2.2 2.1

Health care and social assistance.................. 428 495 395 2.7 3.1 2.5

Leisure and hospitality................................. 759 647 562 5.9 5.1 4.4

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 95 91 57 5.3 5.3 3.3

Accommodation and food services............... 664 556 505 5.9 5.1 4.6

Other services............................................. 162 198 173 2.9 3.7 3.2

Government................................................... 227 304 176 1.0 1.4 .8

Federal...................................................... 28 34 11 1.0 1.2 .4

State and local........................................... 199 270 165 1.0 1.4 .8

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 570 715 626 2.2 2.9 2.5

South......................................................... 1,676 1,708 1,330 3.4 3.6 2.8

Midwest...................................................... 840 1,006 670 2.7 3.3 2.2

West......................................................... 976 909 755 3.2 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 7, 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

Feb. Jan. Feb. Feb. Jan. Feb.

2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total............................................................... 3,989 6,612 3,747 2.9 5.0 2.8

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 3,815 6,282 3,601 3.4 5.7 3.3

Mining and logging....................................... 24 45 23 3.2 5.9 3.0

Construction................................................ 347 679 376 5.0 10.8 6.1

Manufacturing............................................. 318 693 359 2.3 5.5 2.9

Durable goods.......................................... 180 460 233 2.1 5.9 3.0

Nondurable goods.................................... 138 233 126 2.8 4.9 2.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 890 1,508 749 3.4 5.9 3.0

Wholesale trade....................................... 140 343 133 2.3 5.9 2.3

Retail trade............................................. 630 928 476 4.1 6.2 3.3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 120 237 140 2.4 4.8 2.9

Information................................................ 46 169 54 1.5 5.8 1.9

Financial activities......................................... 200 476 178 2.4 6.0 2.3

Finance and insurance.............................. 130 324 109 2.2 5.5 1.9

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 70 153 69 3.3 7.6 3.4

Professional and business services.................. 736 977 781 4.2 5.8 4.7

Education and health services........................ 406 669 389 2.2 3.5 2.0

Educational services................................. 36 59 43 1.2 2.0 1.3

Health care and social assistance.................. 370 610 346 2.4 3.8 2.2

Leisure and hospitality................................. 702 819 521 5.4 6.5 4.1

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 89 109 53 5.0 6.3 3.0

Accommodation and food services............... 613 710 468 5.5 6.5 4.3

Other services............................................. 145 247 172 2.6 4.6 3.2

Government................................................... 174 330 147 .8 1.5 .6

Federal...................................................... 24 33 12 .9 1.2 .4

State and local........................................... 150 297 135 .7 1.5 .7

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 655 1,122 579 2.6 4.5 2.3

South......................................................... 1,520 2,448 1,362 3.1 5.1 2.9

Midwest...................................................... 824 1,532 887 2.7 5.1 3.0

West......................................................... 990 1,510 919 3.2 5.1 3.1

 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 7, 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

Feb. Jan. Feb. Feb. Jan. Feb.

2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total............................................................... 2,215 2,382 1,527 1.6 1.8 1.2

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 2,115 2,265 1,456 1.9 2.1 1.3

Mining and logging....................................... 13 18 6 1.8 2.3 .8

Construction................................................ 130 73 67 1.9 1.2 1.1

Manufacturing............................................. 158 134 75 1.2 1.1 .6

Durable goods.......................................... 90 72 38 1.0 .9 .5

Nondurable goods.................................... 68 62 37 1.4 1.3 .8

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 490 573 320 1.9 2.2 1.3

Wholesale trade....................................... 80 58 35 1.3 1.0 .6

Retail trade............................................. 339 437 238 2.2 2.9 1.6

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 71 78 47 1.4 1.6 1.0

Information................................................ 28 60 24 .9 2.1 .8

Financial activities......................................... 123 139 58 1.5 1.8 .7

Finance and insurance.............................. 83 97 40 1.4 1.6 .7

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 40 42 18 1.9 2.1 .9

Professional and business services.................. 390 348 282 2.2 2.1 1.7

Education and health services........................ 238 336 186 1.3 1.8 1.0

Educational services................................. 20 22 23 .6 .7 .7

Health care and social assistance.................. 218 314 163 1.4 2.0 1.0

Leisure and hospitality................................. 460 461 322 3.5 3.6 2.5

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 35 26 22 2.0 1.5 1.3

Accommodation and food services............... 425 435 300 3.8 4.0 2.7

Other services............................................. 85 124 116 1.5 2.3 2.2

Government................................................... 100 117 71 .4 .5 .3

Federal...................................................... 10 7 2 .4 .3 .1

State and local........................................... 90 110 69 .4 .6 .3

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 330 332 189 1.3 1.3 .8

South......................................................... 925 913 583 1.9 1.9 1.2

Midwest...................................................... 417 586 363 1.3 1.9 1.2

West......................................................... 543 552 392 1.8 1.9 1.3

 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 7, 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

Feb. Jan. Feb. Feb. Jan. Feb.

2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total............................................................... 1,483 3,715 1,940 1.1 2.8 1.5

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 1,448 3,571 1,894 1.3 3.3 1.7

Mining and logging....................................... 9 23 16 1.2 3.1 2.1

Construction................................................ 200 583 299 2.9 9.3 4.9

Manufacturing............................................. 135 513 263 1.0 4.1 2.1

Durable goods.......................................... 77 351 180 .9 4.5 2.3

Nondurable goods.................................... 58 162 83 1.2 3.4 1.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 315 814 375 1.2 3.2 1.5

Wholesale trade....................................... 55 254 91 .9 4.4 1.6

Retail trade............................................. 219 430 202 1.4 2.9 1.4

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 41 131 81 .8 2.7 1.7

Information................................................ 15 97 25 .5 3.4 .9

Financial activities......................................... 55 293 108 .7 3.7 1.4

Finance and insurance.............................. 32 189 58 .5 3.2 1.0

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 23 104 50 1.1 5.1 2.5

Professional and business services.................. 311 564 426 1.8 3.3 2.5

Education and health services........................ 127 236 156 .7 1.2 .8

Educational services................................. 14 34 17 .5 1.1 .5

Health care and social assistance.................. 113 202 139 .7 1.3 .9

Leisure and hospitality................................. 226 332 171 1.7 2.6 1.3

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 53 76 31 3.0 4.4 1.8

Accommodation and food services............... 173 257 140 1.5 2.3 1.3

Other services............................................. 53 114 53 1.0 2.1 1.0

Government................................................... 36 144 47 .2 .6 .2

Federal...................................................... 6 11 5 .2 .4 .2

State and local........................................... 29 133 42 .1 .7 .2

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 260 691 318 1.0 2.8 1.3

South......................................................... 504 1,342 689 1.0 2.8 1.4

Midwest...................................................... 335 806 452 1.1 2.7 1.5

West......................................................... 385 877 482 1.3 3.0 1.6

 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 7, 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

Feb. Jan. Feb. Feb. Jan. Feb.

2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total............................................................... 291 514 280 0.2 0.4 0.2

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 252 445 251 .2 .4 .2

Mining and logging....................................... 2 4 1 .2 .6 .1

Construction................................................ 17 23 10 .2 .4 .2

Manufacturing............................................. 25 46 20 .2 .4 .2

Durable goods.......................................... 14 37 15 .2 .5 .2

Nondurable goods.................................... 12 8 5 .2 .2 .1

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 84 121 55 .3 .5 .2

Wholesale trade....................................... 4 31 7 .1 .5 .1

Retail trade............................................. 72 61 36 .5 .4 .2

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 8 28 11 .2 .6 .2

Information................................................ 3 12 4 .1 .4 .1

Financial activities......................................... 22 44 11 .3 .6 .1

Finance and insurance.............................. 15 38 10 .2 .6 .2

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 7 6 1 .3 .3 .1

Professional and business services.................. 35 64 73 .2 .4 .4

Education and health services........................ 40 97 47 .2 .5 .2

Educational services................................. 2 2 2 .1 .1 .1

Health care and social assistance.................. 39 94 44 .2 .6 .3

Leisure and hospitality................................. 16 25 29 .1 .2 .2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 1 7 (

4

) .1 .4 (

4

)

Accommodation and food services............... 15 18 28 .1 .2 .3

Other services............................................. 7 9 2 .1 .2 (

4

)

Government................................................... 39 69 29 .2 .3 .1

Federal...................................................... 8 15 5 .3 .6 .2

State and local........................................... 30 54 24 .2 .3 .1

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 65 99 72 .3 .4 .3

South......................................................... 92 193 91 .2 .4 .2

Midwest...................................................... 72 140 73 .2 .5 .2

West......................................................... 62 82 45 .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 7, table 1. 4 Data round to zero. p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region