1

Technical information: (202) 691-5870

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

Media contact: 691-5902

USDL 05-1674

For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT

Wednesday, September 7, 2005

Chart 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted,

 December 2000 - July 2005

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 2005

Chart 2. Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted,

 December 2000 - July 2005

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 2005

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: JULY 2005

The job openings and hires rates were little changed in July, while the total separations rate decreased

to 3.1 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

Job Openings

On the last business day of July 2005, there were 3.5 million job openings in the United States, and the

job openings rate was 2.6 percent. (See table 1.) The job openings rate was little changed in July, but has

generally trended upward since September 2003. In July, the job openings rate increased in the manufacturing industry and decreased in the leisure and hospitality industry and in the Northeast region.

Hires and Separations

The hires rate was little changed at 3.4 percent in July. (See table 2.) Hires are any additions to the

payroll during the month. In July, the hires rate did not change significantly in any industry or region.

The total separations, or turnover, rate decreased from 3.4 to 3.1 percent in July. (See table 3.) Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any time during the month. In July, the total separations

rate decreased in the professional and business services industry and in the South region.

nonfarm sector by industry and geographic region.
2

Total............................................................ 4,694 4,545 4,190 4,477 4,132

 Total private ........................................ 4,015 4,365 4,237 3,923 4,223

Construction ................................... 89 104 357 393 384 345 380 373

Manufacturing ................................ 238 269 340 347 344 363 350 362

Trade, transportation, and

utilities ........................................... 558 624 607 925 1,045 977 979 980 953

Professional and business

services ......................................... 615 686 682 725 835 795 683 818 669

Education and health services .... 524 609 605 424 457 440 370 401 396

Leisure and hospitality ................. 411 517 424 804 877 819 729 803 720

Government .......................................... 358 394 380 314 337 327 264 254 261

Total 1......................................................... 2.4 2.7 2.6 3.3 3.5 3.4 3.2 3.4 3.1

Total private 1....................................... 2.5 2.8 2.7 3.7 3.9 3.8 3.6 3.8 3.5

Construction ................................... 1.3 1.4 1.5 5.1 5.4 5.3 5.0 5.3 5.2

Manufacturing ................................ 1.6 1.8 2.0 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.4 2.5

Trade, transportation, and

utilities ........................................... 2.1 2.4 2.3 3.6 4.0 3.8 3.8 3.8 3.7

Professional and business

services ......................................... 3.6 3.9 3.9 4.4 4.9 4.7 4.2 4.8 4.0

Education and health services .... 3.0 3.4 3.4 2.5 2.6 2.5 2.2 2.3 2.3

Leisure and hospitality ................. 3.2 3.9 3.2 6.4 6.9 6.4 5.8 6.3 5.6

Government .......................................... 1.6 1.8 1.7 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.2 1.2 1.2

 Job openings

Industry

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

Hires Total separations

July June July July June July July June July

2004 2005p 2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Levels (in thousands)

Rates (percent)

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

 p = preliminary.

2005

4,297

2,871

3,231

3,239

3,647

3,864

112

293

3,167

3,545

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 essentially unchanged at 1.8 percent in July. (See table 4.) The quits rate

decreased in the professional and business services industry and in the West region in July.

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

seasonally adjusted. From July 2004 to July 2005, the layoffs and discharges rate (1.0 percent) and the

other separations rate (0.2 percent) were essentially unchanged. (See tables 9 and 10.)

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

have averaged 4.7 million per month and separations have averaged 4.4 million per month (not seasonally

adjusted). The comparable figures a year earlier were 4.3 million hires and 4.1 million separations. (See

the Technical Note for additional information on these measures.)
3

______________________________

For More Information

For additional information, please read the Technical Note or visit the JOLTS Web site at http://www.

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

calling (202) 691-5870.

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover release for August 2005 is scheduled to be issued on

Wednesday, October 12, 2005.
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 July Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July July Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July

2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p

Total4...................................................... 3,231 3,569 3,598 3,576 3,416 3,647 3,545 2.4 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.5 2.7 2.6

INDUSTRY

Total private4

.......................................... 2,871 3,160 3,212 3,178 3,050 3,239 3,167 2.5 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.7 2.8 2.7

Construction....................................... 89 133 170 113 107 104 112 1.3 1.8 2.3 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.5

Manufacturing....................................... 238 252 258 259 240 269 293 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.8 1.6 1.8 2.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities............ 558 668 624 627 597 624 607 2.1 2.5 2.4 2.4 2.3 2.4 2.3

Professional and business services......... 615 607 646 691 659 686 682 3.6 3.5 3.7 3.9 3.8 3.9 3.9

Education and health services.................. 524 602 616 608 611 609 605 3.0 3.4 3.5 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.4

Leisure and hospitality........................... 411 447 440 457 440 517 424 3.2 3.4 3.4 3.5 3.3 3.9 3.2

Government............................................. 358 404 383 396 378 394 380 1.6 1.8 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.8 1.7

REGION

Northeast............................................. 535 606 615 602 563 634 582 2.1 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.2 2.4 2.2

South................................................ 1,291 1,399 1,447 1,414 1,303 1,333 1,331 2.7 2.9 3.0 2.9 2.7 2.7 2.7

Midwest............................................. 656 745 737 742 786 781 775 2.1 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.4

West................................................... 719 823 806 818 799 869 821 2.4 2.8 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.9 2.7

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 July Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July July Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July

2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p

Total4...................................................... 4,297 4,760 4,841 4,538 4,740 4,694 4,545 3.3 3.6 3.6 3.4 3.6 3.5 3.4

INDUSTRY

Total private4

.......................................... 4,015 4,430 4,497 4,212 4,398 4,365 4,237 3.7 4.0 4.0 3.8 3.9 3.9 3.8

Construction....................................... 357 430 414 412 420 393 384 5.1 6.0 5.8 5.7 5.8 5.4 5.3

Manufacturing....................................... 340 336 334 319 342 347 344 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.4 2.4 2.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities............ 925 1,055 1,047 1,042 1,030 1,045 977 3.6 4.1 4.1 4.0 4.0 4.0 3.8

Professional and business services......... 725 853 895 792 887 835 795 4.4 5.1 5.3 4.7 5.3 4.9 4.7

Education and health services.................. 424 500 472 487 466 457 440 2.5 2.9 2.7 2.8 2.7 2.6 2.5

Leisure and hospitality........................... 804 771 798 742 750 877 819 6.4 6.1 6.3 5.8 5.9 6.9 6.4

Government............................................. 314 329 336 329 339 337 327 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.5

REGION

Northeast............................................. 748 820 856 825 764 794 767 3.0 3.2 3.4 3.3 3.0 3.1 3.0

South................................................ 1,678 1,867 1,922 1,701 1,816 1,786 1,673 3.6 4.0 4.1 3.6 3.8 3.8 3.5

Midwest............................................. 931 1,081 1,034 1,020 1,129 1,054 1,018 3.0 3.5 3.3 3.3 3.6 3.4 3.2

West................................................... 872 1,069 1,036 1,037 1,048 1,070 1,035 3.0 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.7 3.5

 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 July Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July July Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July

2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p

Total4...................................................... 4,190 4,295 4,502 4,562 4,504 4,477 4,132 3.2 3.2 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.1

INDUSTRY

Total private4

.......................................... 3,923 4,035 4,237 4,306 4,256 4,223 3,864 3.6 3.6 3.8 3.9 3.8 3.8 3.5

Construction....................................... 345 403 303 421 408 380 373 5.0 5.7 4.2 5.8 5.6 5.3 5.2

Manufacturing....................................... 363 341 360 369 369 350 362 2.5 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.6 2.4 2.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities............ 979 940 980 1,018 989 980 953 3.8 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.8 3.8 3.7

Professional and business services......... 683 772 924 869 851 818 669 4.2 4.6 5.5 5.2 5.1 4.8 4.0

Education and health services.................. 370 389 445 433 405 401 396 2.2 2.3 2.6 2.5 2.3 2.3 2.3

Leisure and hospitality........................... 729 790 743 709 750 803 720 5.8 6.3 5.9 5.6 5.9 6.3 5.6

Government............................................. 264 260 267 256 254 254 261 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2

REGION

Northeast............................................. 748 732 802 807 714 761 709 3.0 2.9 3.2 3.2 2.8 3.0 2.8

South................................................ 1,578 1,647 1,763 1,766 1,743 1,653 1,500 3.4 3.5 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.5 3.2

Midwest............................................. 966 937 1,051 982 976 946 982 3.1 3.0 3.4 3.1 3.1 3.0 3.1

West................................................... 934 961 926 1,006 1,034 1,062 976 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.4 3.5 3.6 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 July Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July July Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July

2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p

Total4...................................................... 2,340 2,307 2,516 2,520 2,514 2,475 2,404 1.8 1.7 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.8

INDUSTRY

Total private4

.......................................... 2,215 2,192 2,383 2,395 2,391 2,348 2,278 2.0 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.0

Construction....................................... 104 139 150 146 168 139 144 1.5 2.0 2.1 2.0 2.3 1.9 2.0

Manufacturing....................................... 179 181 186 178 183 190 191 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities............ 561 512 583 577 589 588 567 2.2 2.0 2.3 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.2

Professional and business services......... 365 410 424 417 420 386 314 2.2 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.3 1.9

Education and health services.................. 269 259 280 272 249 256 276 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.4 1.5 1.6

Leisure and hospitality........................... 449 474 458 506 488 510 505 3.6 3.8 3.6 4.0 3.8 4.0 3.9

Government............................................. 127 117 124 125 123 124 127 .6 .5 .6 .6 .6 .6 .6

REGION

Northeast............................................. 345 340 410 446 373 350 368 1.4 1.3 1.6 1.8 1.5 1.4 1.4

South................................................ 945 914 1,003 992 1,020 960 929 2.0 1.9 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.0 2.0

Midwest............................................. 534 509 561 540 554 542 529 1.7 1.6 1.8 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.7

West................................................... 514 550 562 573 562 653 581 1.8 1.9 1.9 2.0 1.9 2.2 2.0

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

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

 3

 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 July June July July June July

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total.................................................................. 3,442 3,813 3,766 2.6 2.8 2.7

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 3,053 3,363 3,358 2.7 2.9 2.9

Natural resources and mining........................... 10 12 12 1.7 1.8 1.9

Construction................................................... 103 120 132 1.4 1.6 1.7

Manufacturing................................................ 255 284 317 1.7 1.9 2.2

Durable goods............................................. 151 184 205 1.7 2.0 2.2

Nondurable goods....................................... 104 100 111 1.9 1.8 2.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 575 618 621 2.2 2.3 2.3

Wholesale trade.......................................... 129 116 128 2.2 2.0 2.2

Retail trade................................................ 356 380 384 2.3 2.4 2.5

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 89 122 109 1.8 2.4 2.2

Information................................................... 87 85 77 2.7 2.6 2.4

Financial activities............................................ 200 235 225 2.4 2.8 2.6

Finance and insurance................................. 160 189 181 2.6 3.0 2.9

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 39 45 43 1.8 2.0 1.9

Professional and business services..................... 660 745 731 3.8 4.2 4.1

Education and health services........................... 544 623 629 3.2 3.5 3.6

Educational services.................................... 48 63 63 1.9 2.3 2.4

Health care and social assistance.................. 496 560 566 3.4 3.7 3.8

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 469 515 476 3.5 3.7 3.4

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 45 76 73 2.1 3.5 3.3

Accommodations and food services............... 424 438 403 3.7 3.7 3.4

Other services................................................ 151 126 139 2.7 2.2 2.4

Government...................................................... 388 451 408 1.9 2.0 1.9

Federal......................................................... 41 52 46 1.5 1.8 1.7

State and local.............................................. 348 399 362 1.9 2.1 2.0

REGION

Northeast...................................................... 554 665 598 2.2 2.5 2.3

South............................................................ 1,411 1,401 1,457 2.9 2.8 3.0

Midwest......................................................... 696 805 822 2.2 2.5 2.6

West............................................................ 780 943 890 2.6 3.1 2.9

1

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

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

 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 July June July July June July

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total.................................................................. 4,512 5,702 4,713 3.4 4.2 3.5

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 4,160 5,270 4,349 3.7 4.7 3.9

Natural resources and mining........................... 20 29 18 3.3 4.5 2.8

Construction................................................... 379 516 401 5.2 6.9 5.3

Manufacturing................................................ 371 399 373 2.6 2.8 2.6

Durable goods............................................. 227 272 216 2.5 3.0 2.4

Nondurable goods....................................... 144 126 157 2.6 2.4 2.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 907 1,150 945 3.6 4.4 3.6

Wholesale trade.......................................... 131 174 132 2.3 3.0 2.3

Retail trade................................................ 640 801 679 4.3 5.3 4.5

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 137 175 134 2.9 3.5 2.7

Information................................................... 64 82 59 2.0 2.6 1.9

Financial activities............................................ 195 202 173 2.4 2.4 2.1

Finance and insurance................................. 94 121 116 1.6 2.0 1.9

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 101 80 57 4.8 3.7 2.6

Professional and business services..................... 746 928 806 4.5 5.4 4.7

Education and health services........................... 459 549 471 2.8 3.2 2.8

Educational services.................................... 59 61 72 2.4 2.3 2.9

Health care and social assistance.................. 400 488 399 2.8 3.4 2.7

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 842 1,136 867 6.4 8.5 6.5

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 147 210 119 6.9 10.1 5.6

Accommodations and food services............... 695 925 748 6.3 8.2 6.6

Other services................................................ 177 280 236 3.2 5.1 4.3

Government...................................................... 352 432 364 1.7 2.0 1.8

Federal......................................................... 41 50 35 1.5 1.8 1.3

State and local.............................................. 311 382 329 1.8 2.0 1.8

REGION

Northeast...................................................... 829 1,059 844 3.3 4.1 3.3

South............................................................ 1,817 2,081 1,759 3.9 4.3 3.7

Midwest......................................................... 917 1,268 994 3.0 4.0 3.2

West............................................................ 949 1,294 1,116 3.3 4.4 3.8

 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 July June July July June July

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total.................................................................. 4,421 4,675 4,338 3.4 3.5 3.2

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 4,094 4,291 4,014 3.7 3.8 3.6

Natural resources and mining........................... 16 15 13 2.7 2.4 2.1

Construction................................................... 304 365 320 4.2 4.9 4.2

Manufacturing................................................ 384 355 387 2.7 2.5 2.7

Durable goods............................................. 250 219 242 2.8 2.4 2.7

Nondurable goods....................................... 134 135 146 2.5 2.5 2.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 987 960 954 3.9 3.7 3.7

Wholesale trade.......................................... 155 119 131 2.7 2.1 2.3

Retail trade................................................ 667 646 691 4.4 4.3 4.5

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 166 194 132 3.4 3.9 2.7

Information................................................... 57 71 75 1.8 2.2 2.4

Financial activities............................................ 181 192 160 2.2 2.3 1.9

Finance and insurance................................. 104 133 116 1.7 2.2 1.9

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 77 59 43 3.6 2.7 2.0

Professional and business services..................... 772 847 749 4.7 5.0 4.4

Education and health services........................... 417 469 443 2.5 2.7 2.6

Educational services.................................... 57 76 61 2.3 2.9 2.4

Health care and social assistance.................. 360 393 382 2.5 2.7 2.6

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 763 823 726 5.8 6.2 5.4

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 94 110 69 4.4 5.3 3.2

Accommodations and food services............... 669 713 657 6.1 6.3 5.8

Other services................................................ 213 194 186 3.9 3.5 3.4

Government...................................................... 327 383 325 1.6 1.8 1.6

Federal......................................................... 30 38 34 1.1 1.4 1.2

State and local.............................................. 297 345 291 1.7 1.8 1.6

REGION

Northeast...................................................... 738 854 689 2.9 3.3 2.7

South............................................................ 1,731 1,706 1,636 3.7 3.6 3.4

Midwest......................................................... 954 1,020 976 3.1 3.2 3.1

West............................................................ 998 1,094 1,037 3.5 3.7 3.5

 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 July June July July June July

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total.................................................................. 2,602 2,682 2,655 2.0 2.0 2.0

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 2,450 2,512 2,503 2.2 2.2 2.2

Natural resources and mining........................... 10 9 10 1.7 1.5 1.5

Construction................................................... 131 168 170 1.8 2.2 2.3

Manufacturing................................................ 212 202 229 1.5 1.4 1.6

Durable goods............................................. 137 129 137 1.5 1.4 1.5

Nondurable goods....................................... 75 72 92 1.4 1.4 1.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 585 591 589 2.3 2.3 2.3

Wholesale trade.......................................... 93 77 79 1.6 1.3 1.4

Retail trade................................................ 409 423 441 2.7 2.8 2.9

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 82 90 69 1.7 1.8 1.4

Information................................................... 40 48 43 1.3 1.5 1.3

Financial activities............................................ 129 148 99 1.6 1.8 1.2

Finance and insurance................................. 66 100 71 1.1 1.6 1.2

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 63 48 27 3.0 2.2 1.2

Professional and business services..................... 425 407 359 2.6 2.4 2.1

Education and health services........................... 290 283 303 1.7 1.7 1.8

Educational services.................................... 32 39 34 1.3 1.5 1.3

Health care and social assistance.................. 258 244 270 1.8 1.7 1.9

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 503 519 567 3.8 3.9 4.2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 44 58 48 2.1 2.8 2.3

Accommodations and food services............... 459 461 519 4.2 4.1 4.6

Other services................................................ 125 137 135 2.3 2.5 2.4

Government...................................................... 152 170 152 .7 .8 .7

Federal......................................................... 11 14 14 .4 .5 .5

State and local.............................................. 141 156 138 .8 .8 .8

REGION

Northeast...................................................... 376 382 400 1.5 1.5 1.6

South............................................................ 1,097 1,028 1,065 2.4 2.1 2.2

Midwest......................................................... 560 583 551 1.8 1.8 1.8

West............................................................ 569 689 640 2.0 2.3 2.2

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

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

 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 July June July July June July

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total.................................................................. 1,473 1,648 1,380 1.1 1.2 1.0

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 1,367 1,529 1,274 1.2 1.4 1.1

Natural resources and mining........................... 4 2 3 .7 .4 .4

Construction................................................... 161 182 143 2.2 2.4 1.9

Manufacturing................................................ 145 129 124 1.0 .9 .9

Durable goods............................................. 94 73 82 1.0 .8 .9

Nondurable goods....................................... 51 56 42 .9 1.0 .8

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 326 302 302 1.3 1.2 1.2

Wholesale trade.......................................... 54 34 45 .9 .6 .8

Retail trade................................................ 208 182 207 1.4 1.2 1.4

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 64 86 50 1.3 1.7 1.0

Information................................................... 13 16 22 .4 .5 .7

Financial activities............................................ 32 34 41 .4 .4 .5

Finance and insurance................................. 23 23 27 .4 .4 .4

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 9 11 15 .4 .5 .7

Professional and business services..................... 283 395 348 1.7 2.3 2.0

Education and health services........................... 106 150 107 .6 .9 .6

Educational services.................................... 23 32 22 .9 1.2 .9

Health care and social assistance.................. 83 117 85 .6 .8 .6

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 238 275 139 1.8 2.1 1.0

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 46 51 19 2.2 2.5 .9

Accommodations and food services............... 192 224 120 1.7 2.0 1.1

Other services................................................ 59 44 45 1.1 .8 .8

Government...................................................... 106 119 106 .5 .5 .5

Federal......................................................... 5 10 9 .2 .4 .3

State and local.............................................. 101 108 96 .6 .6 .5

REGION

Northeast...................................................... 285 386 240 1.1 1.5 .9

South............................................................ 518 559 460 1.1 1.2 1.0

Midwest......................................................... 323 374 343 1.0 1.2 1.1

West............................................................ 347 329 338 1.2 1.1 1.2

 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 July June July July June July

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total.................................................................. 346 344 303 .3 .3 .2

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 277 250 236 .2 .2 .2

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

Construction................................................... 12 15 7 .2 .2 .1

Manufacturing................................................ 27 24 34 .2 .2 .2

Durable goods............................................. 19 17 22 .2 .2 .3

Nondurable goods....................................... 8 7 12 .1 .1 .2

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 76 66 63 .3 .3 .2

Wholesale trade.......................................... 8 8 7 .1 .1 .1

Retail trade................................................ 49 41 43 .3 .3 .3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 19 18 12 .4 .4 .2

Information................................................... 3 7 11 .1 .2 .3

Financial activities............................................ 21 10 20 .3 .1 .2

Finance and insurance................................. 15 10 18 .3 .2 .3

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

Professional and business services..................... 65 46 42 .4 .3 .2

Education and health services........................... 22 35 32 .1 .2 .2

Educational services.................................... 2 4 5 .1 .2 .2

Health care and social assistance.................. 20 31 27 .1 .2 .2

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 22 29 20 .2 .2 .1

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

Accommodations and food services............... 18 28 18 .2 .2 .2

Other services................................................ 28 14 7 .5 .2 .1

Government...................................................... 69 94 67 .3 .4 .3

Federal......................................................... 14 14 10 .5 .5 .4

State and local.............................................. 55 81 56 .3 .4 .3

REGION

Northeast...................................................... 76 85 50 .3 .3 .2

South............................................................ 116 120 112 .3 .3 .2

Midwest......................................................... 71 63 83 .2 .2 .3

West............................................................ 83 76 58 .3 .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 Data round to zero.

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels (in thousands) Rates