1

Technical information: (202) 691-5870

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

Media contact: 691-5902

USDL 05-206

For release: 10:00 A.M. EST

Wednesday, February 9, 2005

Chart 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted,

 December 2000 - December 2004

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

2001 2002 2003 2004

Chart 2. Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted,

 December 2000 - December 2004

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

Separations

Hires

2001 2002 2003 2004

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: DECEMBER 2004

The job openings rate, at 2.5 percent, was up slightly in December, while the hires rate decreased to

3.4 percent and the total separations rate was little changed at 3.2 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics

of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. 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.

Job Openings

On the last business day of December 2004, there were 3.4 million job openings in the United States,

and the job openings rate was 2.5 percent. (See table 1.) The job openings rate has generally trended

upward since August 2003. In December, the job openings rate increased for private industries overall,

and for the professional and business services and leisure and hospitality industries. The job openings rate

rose in the South region, but showed little or no change in the other regions of the country.

Hires and Separations

The hires rate (the number of hires during the month divided by employment) was 3.4 percent in

December, a slight decrease from a month earlier. (See table 2.) Hires are any additions to the payroll

during the month. The hires rate decreased in manufacturing, professional and business services, and

government over the month. The hires rate also fell in the Midwest region.

The total separations, or turnover, rate (the total number of separations during the month divided by

employment) was 3.2 percent in December. The overall total separations rate is 0.3 percentage point higher

than its most recent low in November 2003. Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any

time during the month. (See table 3.) The total separations rate increased in the trade, transportation, and

utilities industry in December, but decreased in government.
2

Total............................................................ 4,216 4,780 4,488 4,022 4,131 4,278

 Total private ........................................ 3,923 4,467 4,198 3,723 3,832

Construction ................................... 110 108 404 388 385 391 360 343

Manufacturing ................................ 234 248 340 376 327 343 334 372

Trade, transportation, and

utilities ........................................... 520 532 536 913 1,081 1,022 968 934 1,073

Professional and business

services ......................................... 594 593 662 650 801 718 575 694 649

Education and health services .... 520 561 586 427 447 439 330 422 380

Leisure and hospitality ................. 399 387 430 753 802 803 723 692 750

Government .......................................... 351 356 370 300 325 287 269 307 277

Total 1......................................................... 2.3 2.4 2.5 3.2 3.6 3.4 3.1 3.1 3.2

Total private 1....................................... 2.4 2.5 2.7 3.6 4.0 3.8 3.4 3.5 3.6

Construction ................................... 1.6 1.5 1.8 6.0 5.5 5.5 5.8 5.1 4.9

Manufacturing ................................ 1.6 1.7 1.7 2.4 2.6 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.6

Trade, transportation, and

utilities ........................................... 2.0 2.0 2.1 3.6 4.2 4.0 3.8 3.7 4.2

Professional and business

services ......................................... 3.5 3.4 3.8 4.0 4.8 4.3 3.6 4.2 3.9

Education and health services .... 3.0 3.2 3.3 2.5 2.6 2.6 2.0 2.5 2.2

Leisure and hospitality ................. 3.2 3.0 3.4 6.2 6.5 6.5 5.9 5.6 6.1

Government .......................................... 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.4 1.5 1.3 1.2 1.4 1.3

 Job openings

Industry

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

Hires Total separations

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

2003 2004p 2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Levels (in thousands)

Rates (percent)

 1 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.

 p = preliminary.

2004

2,719

3,062

2,864

3,205

3,994

126

251

3,027

3,385

1

1

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

and other separations (including retirements). The quits rate, which can serve as a barometer of workers’

ability to change jobs, was unchanged at 1.8 percent in December, after holding steady at 1.7 percent from

February through October 2004. (See table 4.) The quits rate did not change significantly from November

to December for any industry or region. The other two components of total separations, layoffs and discharges (1.4 percent) and other separations (0.2 percent), are not seasonally adjusted. Both rates showed

no change from a year earlier.

Hires and separations help show dynamic flows in the labor market. Over the last 12 months, hires

have averaged 4.4 million per month and separations have averaged 4.1 million per month. (See the Technical Note for additional information on these measures.)

For More Information

For additional information, please see the Technical Note or the JOLTS Web site at www.bls.gov/jlt/.

Additional information about JOLTS also may be obtained by e-mailing Joltsinfo@bls.gov or by calling

(202) 691-5870.
3

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover release for January 2005 is scheduled to be issued on Tuesday,

March 15, 2005.

______________________________

 Revisions to the JOLTS data

With the release of January data on March 15, BLS will revise the job openings, hires,

and separations data to incorporate the annual updates to the Current Employment Statistics

employment counts. Unadjusted data since April 2003 and seasonally adjusted data since

December 2000 are subject to change.
Technical Note

The data for the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey

(JOLTS) are collected and compiled monthly from a sample of

business establishments by the Bureau of Labor Statistics

(BLS).

Collection

Each month, data are collected in a survey of business

establishments for total employment, job openings, hires, quits,

layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Data collection

methods include computer-assisted telephone interviewing,

touchtone data entry, fax, and mail.

Coverage

The JOLTS program covers all private nonfarm

establishments such as factories, offices, and stores, as well as

federal, state, and local government entities in the 50 states and

the District of Columbia.

Concepts

Industry classification. The industry classifications in this

release are in accordance with the 2002 version of the North

American Industry Classification System (NAICS). In order to

ensure the highest possible quality of data, State Employment

Security 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.

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.

Data users should note that seasonal adjustment of the

JOLTS series is conducted with fewer data observations than

is customary. The historical data, therefore, may be subject to

larger than normal revisions. Since the seasonal patterns in

economic data series typically emerge over time, the standard

use of moving averages as seasonal filters to capture these

effects requires longer series than are currently available. As

a result, the stable seasonal filter option is used in the seasonal

adjustment of the JOLTS data. When calculating seasonal

factors, this filter takes an average for each calendar month

after detrending the series. The stable seasonal filter assumes

that the seasonal factors are fixed; a necessary assumption

until sufficient data are available. When the stable seasonal

filter is no longer needed, other program features also may be

introduced, such as outlier adjustment and extended

diagnostic testing. Additionally, it is expected that more series,

such as layoffs and discharges and additional industries, may

be seasonally adjusted when more data are available.

Reliability of the estimates

JOLTS estimates are subject to both sampling and

nonsampling error. When a sample rather than the entire

population is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample

estimates may differ from the “true” population values they

represent. The exact difference, or sampling error, varies

depending on the particular sample selected, and this

variability is measured by the standard error of the estimate.

BLS analysis is generally conducted at the 90-percent level of

confidence. That means that there is a 90-percent chance, or

level of confidence, that an estimate based on a sample will

differ by no more than 1.6 standard errors from the “true”

population value because of sampling error. Estimates of

sampling errors are available upon request.

The JOLTS estimates also are affected by nonsampling

error. Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, including

the failure to include a 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 levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p

Total4...................................................... 3,062 3,237 3,195 3,294 3,420 3,205 3,385 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.4 2.5

INDUSTRY

Total private4

.......................................... 2,719 2,894 2,859 2,934 3,042 2,864 3,027 2.4 2.6 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.5 2.7

Construction....................................... 110 88 121 113 114 108 126 1.6 1.3 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.8

Manufacturing....................................... 234 240 234 251 263 248 251 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities............ 520 567 551 591 630 532 536 2.0 2.2 2.1 2.3 2.4 2.0 2.1

Professional and business services......... 594 583 594 564 614 593 662 3.5 3.4 3.5 3.3 3.6 3.4 3.8

Education and health services.................. 520 537 536 543 550 561 586 3.0 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.2 3.3

Leisure and hospitality........................... 399 435 410 425 405 387 430 3.2 3.4 3.2 3.3 3.2 3.0 3.4

Government............................................. 351 343 337 350 403 356 370 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.8 1.6 1.7

REGION

Northeast............................................. 541 545 540 562 606 535 569 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.1 2.2

South................................................ 1,204 1,280 1,259 1,245 1,385 1,217 1,297 2.6 2.7 2.6 2.6 2.9 2.5 2.7

Midwest............................................. 666 635 613 699 711 715 762 2.1 2.0 1.9 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.4

West................................................... 649 738 771 790 756 753 745 2.2 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.6 2.5 2.5

1

 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day the regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, 

of the month. New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and 2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, 

day of the month as a percent of total employment plus job openings. Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, 

 3

 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia,

seasonal adjustment of the various series. and West Virginia; Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan,

 4

 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota,

and other services, not shown separately. and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii,

 P

 = preliminary. Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington,

 NOTE: The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise and Wyoming.

Table 2. Hires levels1 and rates2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p

Total4...................................................... 4,216 4,229 4,375 4,253 4,469 4,780 4,488 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.2 3.4 3.6 3.4

INDUSTRY

Total private4

.......................................... 3,923 3,930 4,058 3,906 4,149 4,467 4,198 3.6 3.6 3.7 3.6 3.8 4.0 3.8

Construction....................................... 404 368 401 383 361 388 385 6.0 5.3 5.8 5.5 5.1 5.5 5.5

Manufacturing....................................... 340 352 356 379 333 376 327 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.3 2.6 2.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities............ 913 957 984 864 976 1,081 1,022 3.6 3.8 3.9 3.4 3.8 4.2 4.0

Professional and business services......... 650 621 690 689 783 801 718 4.0 3.8 4.2 4.2 4.7 4.8 4.3

Education and health services.................. 427 418 470 401 411 447 439 2.5 2.5 2.8 2.4 2.4 2.6 2.6

Leisure and hospitality........................... 753 760 760 782 769 802 803 6.2 6.2 6.1 6.3 6.2 6.5 6.5

Government............................................. 300 310 322 337 321 325 287 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.3

REGION

Northeast............................................. 792 720 763 745 755 793 796 3.2 2.9 3.0 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.1

South................................................ 1,517 1,640 1,643 1,635 1,694 1,799 1,704 3.3 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.6 3.9 3.6

Midwest............................................. 897 935 945 942 1,054 1,114 998 2.9 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.4 3.6 3.2

West................................................... 992 865 1,018 942 928 1,022 951 3.5 3.0 3.5 3.3 3.2 3.5 3.3

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

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

 3

 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.

 4

 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.

 P

 = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels3 (in thousands) Rates

Levels3

 (in thousands) Rates
Table 3. Total separations levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p

Total4...................................................... 4,022 4,074 4,134 4,158 4,129 4,131 4,278 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.2 3.1 3.1 3.2

INDUSTRY

Total private4

.......................................... 3,723 3,793 3,894 3,856 3,877 3,832 3,994 3.4 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.6

Construction....................................... 391 364 391 350 423 360 343 5.8 5.3 5.6 5.0 6.0 5.1 4.9

Manufacturing....................................... 343 367 379 381 338 334 372 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.6 2.3 2.3 2.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities............ 968 972 951 909 922 934 1,073 3.8 3.8 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.7 4.2

Professional and business services......... 575 613 575 590 580 694 649 3.6 3.7 3.5 3.6 3.5 4.2 3.9

Education and health services.................. 330 363 380 384 373 422 380 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.5 2.2

Leisure and hospitality........................... 723 694 760 756 747 692 750 5.9 5.6 6.2 6.1 6.0 5.6 6.1

Government............................................. 269 273 246 306 260 307 277 1.2 1.3 1.1 1.4 1.2 1.4 1.3

REGION

Northeast............................................. 687 674 717 730 670 738 782 2.8 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.6 2.9 3.1

South................................................ 1,518 1,545 1,527 1,506 1,568 1,572 1,599 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.4 3.4 3.4

Midwest............................................. 901 935 831 931 948 986 949 2.9 3.0 2.7 3.0 3.0 3.1 3.0

West................................................... 898 945 1,087 978 914 817 938 3.2 3.3 3.8 3.4 3.2 2.8 3.3

 1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month.

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

 3

 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.

 4

 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.

 P

 = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Table 4. Quits levels1 and rates2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004p

Total4...................................................... 2,131 2,265 2,252 2,248 2,283 2,325 2,408 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.8 1.8

INDUSTRY

Total private4

.......................................... 2,010 2,141 2,140 2,118 2,147 2,206 2,283 1.9 2.0 1.9 1.9 1.9 2.0 2.1

Construction....................................... 171 101 147 138 161 155 162 2.5 1.5 2.1 2.0 2.3 2.2 2.3

Manufacturing....................................... 178 174 165 183 172 182 191 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities............ 534 559 552 536 515 551 553 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.0 2.2 2.2

Professional and business services......... 256 322 308 325 296 357 356 1.6 2.0 1.9 2.0 1.8 2.1 2.1

Education and health services.................. 212 271 239 240 242 258 234 1.3 1.6 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.4

Leisure and hospitality........................... 462 442 476 439 476 453 498 3.8 3.6 3.9 3.6 3.9 3.7 4.0

Government............................................. 119 126 116 130 122 119 127 .6 .6 .5 .6 .6 .5 .6

REGION

Northeast............................................. 315 338 339 325 316 355 350 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.4 1.4

South................................................ 894 901 897 903 910 971 995 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 2.0 2.1 2.1

Midwest............................................. 465 505 447 472 510 508 512 1.5 1.6 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.6

West................................................... 436 519 566 546 539 468 519 1.5 1.8 2.0 1.9 1.9 1.6 1.8

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

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

 3

 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.

 4

 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.

 P

 = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels3 (in thousands) Rates

Levels3

 (in thousands) Rates
Table 5. Job openings levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec.

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total.................................................................. 2,662 2,944 2,937 2.0 2.2 2.2

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 2,342 2,599 2,597 2.1 2.3 2.3

Natural resources and mining........................... 8 8 8 1.4 1.3 1.3

Construction................................................... 71 83 87 1.1 1.1 1.2

Manufacturing................................................ 190 213 202 1.3 1.5 1.4

Durable goods............................................. 114 136 134 1.3 1.5 1.5

Nondurable goods....................................... 76 76 68 1.4 1.4 1.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 417 493 422 1.6 1.9 1.6

Wholesale trade.......................................... 81 97 93 1.4 1.7 1.6

Retail trade................................................ 244 294 245 1.6 1.9 1.5

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 92 102 83 1.9 2.0 1.7

Information................................................... 61 70 88 1.9 2.2 2.7

Financial activities............................................ 168 202 199 2.1 2.4 2.4

Finance and insurance................................. 139 171 165 2.3 2.8 2.7

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 28 30 34 1.4 1.4 1.6

Professional and business services..................... 524 526 602 3.1 3.0 3.5

Education and health services........................... 484 533 547 2.8 3.0 3.1

Educational services.................................... 31 48 49 1.1 1.6 1.6

Health care and social assistance.................. 453 485 498 3.1 3.3 3.3

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 305 334 335 2.5 2.7 2.7

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 26 39 40 1.5 2.3 2.4

Accommodations and food services............... 280 295 294 2.6 2.7 2.7

Other services................................................ 113 139 107 2.1 2.5 1.9

Government...................................................... 321 344 340 1.4 1.5 1.5

Federal......................................................... 38 35 33 1.4 1.3 1.2

State and local.............................................. 283 309 308 1.5 1.6 1.6

REGION

Northeast...................................................... 461 516 500 1.8 2.0 1.9

South............................................................ 1,059 1,118 1,129 2.2 2.3 2.3

Midwest......................................................... 570 634 665 1.8 2.0 2.1

West............................................................ 572 675 644 2.0 2.3 2.2

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.

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 6. Hires levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec.

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total.................................................................. 3,145 4,361 3,335 2.4 3.3 2.5

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 2,935 4,094 3,140 2.7 3.7 2.8

Natural resources and mining........................... 10 16 15 1.8 2.7 2.6

Construction................................................... 249 299 236 3.7 4.2 3.4

Manufacturing................................................ 233 307 218 1.6 2.1 1.5

Durable goods............................................. 152 177 124 1.7 2.0 1.4

Nondurable goods....................................... 82 130 94 1.5 2.4 1.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 760 1,301 846 2.9 5.0 3.2

Wholesale trade.......................................... 76 104 66 1.4 1.8 1.2

Retail trade................................................ 573 1,004 619 3.7 6.5 4.0

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 111 193 161 2.3 4.0 3.3

Information................................................... 39 75 41 1.2 2.4 1.3

Financial activities............................................ 118 190 132 1.5 2.3 1.6

Finance and insurance................................. 92 136 81 1.6 2.3 1.3

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 26 54 51 1.3 2.6 2.4

Professional and business services..................... 521 714 582 3.2 4.3 3.5

Education and health services........................... 306 381 316 1.8 2.2 1.8

Educational services.................................... 32 43 33 1.1 1.5 1.1

Health care and social assistance.................. 275 338 283 2.0 2.4 2.0

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 554 661 597 4.6 5.4 4.9

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 76 68 72 4.6 4.2 4.4

Accommodations and food services............... 478 593 526 4.7 5.6 5.0

Other services................................................ 144 150 156 2.7 2.8 2.9

Government...................................................... 210 267 195 1.0 1.2 .9

Federal......................................................... 35 27 31 1.3 1.0 1.1

State and local.............................................. 175 240 163 .9 1.2 .8

REGION

Northeast...................................................... 556 746 605 2.2 2.9 2.4

South............................................................ 1,155 1,681 1,281 2.5 3.6 2.7

Midwest......................................................... 633 973 692 2.0 3.1 2.2

West............................................................ 802 961 757 2.8 3.3 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.

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 7. Total separations levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec.

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total.................................................................. 3,835 3,834 4,101 2.9 2.9 3.1

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 3,608 3,602 3,871 3.3 3.2 3.5

Natural resources and mining........................... 23 20 20 4.0 3.3 3.3

Construction................................................... 461 398 390 6.9 5.6 5.6

Manufacturing................................................ 317 312 353 2.2 2.2 2.5

Durable goods............................................. 192 183 221 2.2 2.0 2.5

Nondurable goods....................................... 125 129 132 2.3 2.4 2.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 1,001 852 1,132 3.9 3.3 4.3

Wholesale trade.......................................... 144 124 111 2.6 2.2 2.0

Retail trade................................................ 682 589 808 4.4 3.8 5.2

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 176 139 213 3.7 2.9 4.3

Information................................................... 69 46 49 2.2 1.4 1.6

Financial activities............................................ 130 172 180 1.6 2.1 2.2

Finance and insurance................................. 78 114 109 1.3 1.9 1.8

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 52 58 70 2.5 2.8 3.4

Professional and business services..................... 570 628 637 3.5 3.7 3.8

Education and health services........................... 280 338 319 1.7 2.0 1.8

Educational services.................................... 34 31 33 1.2 1.0 1.1

Health care and social assistance.................. 246 307 286 1.8 2.1 2.0

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 597 665 618 5.0 5.5 5.1

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 89 123 91 5.3 7.5 5.6

Accommodations and food services............... 509 542 528 5.0 5.2 5.0

Other services................................................ 160 171 173 3.0 3.2 3.2

Government...................................................... 226 231 231 1.0 1.0 1.0

Federal......................................................... 53 23 43 1.9 .9 1.6

State and local.............................................. 173 208 188 .9 1.1 1.0

REGION

Northeast...................................................... 688 705 799 2.7 2.8 3.1

South............................................................ 1,398 1,375 1,481 3.0 2.9 3.2

Midwest......................................................... 885 947 930 2.9 3.0 3.0

West............................................................ 863 806 892 3.0 2.8 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.

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 8. Quits levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec.

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total.................................................................. 1,764 1,992 2,000 1.3 1.5 1.5

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 1,673 1,899 1,901 1.5 1.7 1.7

Natural resources and mining........................... 6 8 7 1.0 1.3 1.1

Construction................................................... 132 129 128 2.0 1.8 1.9

Manufacturing................................................ 124 137 137 .9 1.0 1.0

Durable goods............................................. 71 70 84 .8 .8 .9

Nondurable goods....................................... 53 68 53 1.0 1.2 1.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 476 484 496 1.8 1.9 1.9

Wholesale trade.......................................... 71 52 65 1.3 .9 1.1

Retail trade................................................ 338 365 366 2.2 2.4 2.3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 66 68 66 1.4 1.4 1.3

Information................................................... 27 28 29 .9 .9 .9

Financial activities............................................ 67 87 85 .8 1.1 1.0

Finance and insurance................................. 47 62 61 .8 1.0 1.0

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 20 25 23 1.0 1.2 1.1

Professional and business services..................... 213 322 300 1.3 1.9 1.8

Education and health services........................... 189 213 207 1.1 1.2 1.2

Educational services.................................... 14 15 19 .5 .5 .6

Health care and social assistance.................. 175 198 188 1.3 1.4 1.3

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 356 392 391 3.0 3.2 3.2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 33 38 35 2.0 2.3 2.1

Accommodations and food services............... 323 354 356 3.1 3.4 3.4

Other services................................................ 83 99 122 1.5 1.8 2.3

Government...................................................... 91 92 98 .4 .4 .4

Federal......................................................... 10 11 11 .4 .4 .4

State and local.............................................. 81 82 88 .4 .4 .5

REGION

Northeast...................................................... 262 306 293 1.0 1.2 1.1

South............................................................ 737 834 833 1.6 1.8 1.8

Midwest......................................................... 391 443 433 1.3 1.4 1.4

West............................................................ 374 408 440 1.3 1.4 1.5

 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.

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 9. Layoffs and discharges levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec.

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total.................................................................. 1,809 1,611 1,799 1.4 1.2 1.4

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 1,711 1,505 1,714 1.6 1.4 1.5

Natural resources and mining........................... 16 9 8 2.9 1.5 1.4

Construction................................................... 309 262 250 4.6 3.7 3.6

Manufacturing................................................ 158 157 170 1.1 1.1 1.2

Durable goods............................................. 98 102 99 1.1 1.1 1.1

Nondurable goods....................................... 60 55 71 1.1 1.0 1.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 470 313 564 1.8 1.2 2.2

Wholesale trade.......................................... 58 69 37 1.0 1.2 .7

Retail trade................................................ 317 187 398 2.0 1.2 2.5

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 94 57 129 2.0 1.2 2.6

Information................................................... 36 13 14 1.1 .4 .5

Financial activities............................................ 47 73 80 .6 .9 1.0

Finance and insurance................................. 20 41 39 .3 .7 .6

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 27 32 42 1.3 1.5 2.0

Professional and business services..................... 329 279 301 2.0 1.7 1.8

Education and health services........................... 63 104 87 .4 .6 .5

Educational services.................................... 15 14 12 .5 .5 .4

Health care and social assistance.................. 48 89 75 .3 .6 .5

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 216 231 200 1.8 1.9 1.7

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 54 80 53 3.3 4.9 3.3

Accommodations and food services............... 163 151 147 1.6 1.4 1.4

Other services................................................ 67 65 38 1.2 1.2 .7

Government...................................................... 98 106 84 .4 .5 .4

Federal......................................................... 37 3 19 1.3 .1 .7

State and local.............................................. 62 103 66 .3 .5 .3

REGION

Northeast...................................................... 354 350 447 1.4 1.4 1.7

South............................................................ 583 463 540 1.3 1.0 1.1

Midwest......................................................... 433 454 425 1.4 1.4 1.4

West............................................................ 440 343 387 1.5 1.2 1.3

 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.

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 10. Other separations levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec.

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total.................................................................. 261 231 303 0.2 0.2 0.2

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 224 197 256 .2 .2 .2

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

3

) 3 5 .1 .5 .8

Construction................................................... 20 8 11 .3 .1 .2

Manufacturing................................................ 35 18 46 .2 .1 .3

Durable goods............................................. 23 11 39 .3 .1 .4

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

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 56 55 72 .2 .2 .3

Wholesale trade.......................................... 14 3 10 .3 .1 .2

Retail trade................................................ 27 38 44 .2 .2 .3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 15 14 18 .3 .3 .4

Information................................................... 6 5 6 .2 .2 .2

Financial activities............................................ 16 12 15 .2 .1 .2

Finance and insurance................................. 11 11 10 .2 .2 .2

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 5 1 5 .2 (

3

) .3

Professional and business services..................... 27 27 36 .2 .2 .2

Education and health services........................... 28 21 25 .2 .1 .1

Educational services.................................... 6 1 2 .2 (

3

) .1

Health care and social assistance.................. 23 19 23 .2 .1 .2

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 25 42 27 .2 .3 .2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 2 5 3 .1 .3 .2

Accommodations and food services............... 23 37 24 .2 .4 .2

Other services................................................ 11 7 12 .2 .1 .2

Government...................................................... 37 33 48 .2 .2 .2

Federal......................................................... 6 10 13 .2 .4 .5

State and local.............................................. 31 24 34 .2 .1 .2

REGION

Northeast...................................................... 72 49 59 .3 .2 .2

South............................................................ 78 77 108 .2 .2 .2

Midwest......................................................... 62 49 72 .2 .2 .2

West............................................................ 49 55 65 .2 .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 Data round to zero.

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels (in thousands) Rates