News

Bureau of Labor Statistics Washington, D.C. 20212 

United States 

Department 

of Labor 

Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 08-1423 

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

 For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT 

Media contact: (202) 691-5902 Tuesday, October 7, 2008 

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: AUGUST 2008 

On the last business day of August, there were 3.3 million job openings in the United States, and 

the job openings rate was 2.3 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor 

reported today. The job openings rate decreased from 2.5 to 2.3 percent in August while the hires rate 

and total separations rate were essentially unchanged. 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,

 September 2005 - August 2008

1.6

1.8

2.0

2.2

2.4

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

Percent

2006 2007 2008

Chart 2. Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted,

 September 2005 - August 2008

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

Percent

Separations

Hires

2006 2007 2008

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

the trends over time are notable. The job openings rate remained essentially flat from August 2006 

through September 2007, followed by a downward trend through August 2008. The hires rate has 

trended downward since August 2006. At 3.0 percent or lower in three of the last four months, the hires 

rate has been essentially at the lowest level since May 2003. The separations rate, after trending down 

from December 2007 through May of this year, has held steady at 3.2 percent for the past three months. 

With the hires rate trending downward and the separations rate leveling off recently, the hires rate has 

been lower than the separations rate several times in recent months. (See tables 1, 2, and 3.) 
2 

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

Industry Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug.

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

Total 1................................................4,162 3,492 3,278 4,796 4,026 4,070 4,502 4,359 4,391

Total private 1

.................................... 3,717 3,046 2,857 4,371 3,751 3,826 4,166 4,128 4,141

Construction.................................... 144 94 87 367 242 332 365 473 406

Manufacturing................................. 324 229 252 350 249 256 377 324 332

Trade, transportation, and utilities 2

......... 735 569 567 924 858 859 957 1,013 931

 Retail trade.................................. 377 346 356 677 585 585 674 692 642

Professional and business services............ 689 696 540 776 748 719 756 694 880

Education and health services............... 700 687 648 504 474 499 432 464 406

Leisure and hospitality 3

........................ 578 432 361 898 798 762 797 741 771

 Accommodation and food services...... 509 388 301 753 683 615 697 629 640

Government 4

..................................... 444 412 420 393 321 316 326 244 252

 State and local government.................. 402 362 363 319 300 290 259 222 228

Total 1

................................................ 2.9 2.5 2.3 3.5 2.9 3.0 3.3 3.2 3.2

Total private 1

.................................... 3.1 2.6 2.4 3.8 3.3 3.3 3.6 3.6 3.6

Construction.................................... 1.9 1.3 1.2 4.8 3.4 4.6 4.8 6.6 5.7

Manufacturing................................. 2.3 1.7 1.8 2.5 1.8 1.9 2.7 2.4 2.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities 2

......... 2.7 2.1 2.1 3.5 3.3 3.3 3.6 3.8 3.5

 Retail trade.................................... 2.4 2.2 2.3 4.4 3.8 3.8 4.3 4.5 4.2

Professional and business services............3.7 3.7 2.9 4.3 4.2 4.0 4.2 3.9 4.9

Education and health services............... 3.7 3.5 3.3 2.7 2.5 2.6 2.3 2.4 2.1

Leisure and hospitality 3

........................ 4.1 3.1 2.6 6.7 5.8 5.6 5.9 5.4 5.6

 Accommodation and food services...... 4.2 3.2 2.5 6.5 5.9 5.3 6.0 5.4 5.5

Government 4

.................................... 2.0 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.1 1.1

 State and local government.................. 2.0 1.8 1.8 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.3 1.1 1.2

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

Rates (percent)

Job openings Hires Total separations

Levels (in thousands)

Job Openings

Continuing the downward trend that began in September 2007, the job openings rate declined to 

2.3 percent in August, the lowest level since April 2004. The decrease in the job openings rate in recent 

months is due to declines in construction, wholesale trade, professional and business services, and 

accommodation and food services. Throughout the series, three industries consistently have had higher 

job openings rates than the other industries, although the gap has recently decreased: education and 
3 

health services (3.3 percent in August), professional and business services (2.9 percent), and 

accommodation and food services (2.5 percent). (See table 1.) 

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

natural resources and mining (to 2.1 percent) and in the federal government (2.4 percent). The rate fell 

over the year for total nonfarm and total private as well as in most industries, including construction; 

durable goods manufacturing; wholesale trade; transportation, warehousing, and utilities; information; 

finance and insurance; real estate and rental and leasing; professional and business services; health care 

and social assistance; accommodation and food services; and state and local government. The job 

openings rate also fell over the year in all four regions. (See table 5.) 

Hires

The hires rate was little changed in August at 3.0 percent. The only industry or region with a 

significant over-the-month change in August was construction, in which the hires rate rose. As occurs 

nearly every month, the seasonally adjusted hires rate was highest in accommodation and food services 

(5.3 percent) and lowest in state and local government (1.5 percent). (See table 2.) 

Over the past 12 months, the hires rate increased significantly in only transportation, 

warehousing, and utilities and in educational services. The rate decreased significantly over the year for 

total nonfarm, total private, and many industries, including durable goods manufacturing; nondurable 

goods manufacturing; retail trade; information; finance and insurance; accommodation and food 

services; federal government; and state and local government. Regionally, the hires rate dropped 

significantly over the year in the Northeast and the South. (See table 6.) 

Separations

The total separations, or turnover, rate was unchanged at 3.2 percent in August. Only two 

industries had a significant change in the separations rate in August—in professional and business 

services the rate rose and in education and health services the rate fell. Over the past 12 months, the 

separations rate rose significantly only in the other services industry and fell in nondurable goods 

manufacturing; finance and insurance; health care and social assistance; federal government; and state 

and local government. After rising in 2006 and 2007, the separations rate dropped sharply in 2008 in the 

federal government, with decreases in every type of separation—quits, layoffs and discharges, and other 

separations. As often occurs, the seasonally adjusted separations rate was highest in construction (5.7 

percent) and lowest in state and local government (1.2 percent). (See tables 3 and 7.) 

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

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

barometer of workers’ ability to change jobs, was unchanged in August for total nonfarm (1.7 percent) 

and has been stable since November 2007. The quits rate edged down in August only in education and 

health services; the rate did not rise significantly over the month in any industry or region. As has 

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

highest in the accommodation and food services industry (3.7 percent) and lowest in state and local 

government (0.6 percent). From August 2007 to August 2008, the quits rate fell for total nonfarm and 

total private and in many industries, including durable goods manufacturing; nondurable goods 

manufacturing; wholesale trade; finance and insurance; real estate and rental and leasing; health care and 

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

government; and state and local government. The quits rate also fell over the year in three of the four 
4 

regions—Northeast, South, and West. The quits rate rose significantly over the year only in the other 

services industry. (See tables 4 and 8.) 

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

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

million) were higher than a year earlier with significant increases in durable goods manufacturing; 

professional and business services; and arts, entertainment, and recreation. The rate fell over the year 

for the federal government. The layoffs and discharges rate was highest in arts, entertainment, and 

recreation (6.0 percent) and lowest in federal government (0.3 percent). The other separations rate (0.2 

percent) and level (340,000) were essentially unchanged from a year earlier at the total nonfarm level. 

Although the other separations rate was unchanged at the total nonfarm level over the year, the rate was 

up in professional and business services and down in information; arts, entertainment, and recreation; 

federal government; and state and local government. (See tables 9 and 10.) 

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

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

percentage of total separations attributable to quits has varied over time. The proportion of total 

separations due to quits (seasonally adjusted) rose from a post-recession low of 50 percent in December 

2003 to a high of 61 percent in December 2006 before trending downward again. Quits accounted for 

only 52 percent of total separations in August 2008, down considerably in the past two months as quits 

decreased and layoffs increased. (See tables 3 and 4.) 

Flows in the Labor Market

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

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

accommodation and food services. In the 12 months ending in August 2008, these 5 industries produced 

31.4 million hires and 31.6 million separations, accounting for 58 percent of total nonfarm hires and 59 

percent of total nonfarm separations while comprising only 39 percent of total nonfarm employment. 

For More Information

For additional information, please read the Technical Note or visit the JOLTS Web site at 

http://www.bls.gov/jlt/. Additional information about JOLTS also may be obtained by e-mailing 

Joltsinfo@bls.gov or by calling (202) 691-5870. 

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover release for September 2008 is scheduled to be issued on 

Thursday, November 13. 
Technical Note

The data for the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey

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

business establishments by the Bureau of Labor Statistics

(BLS).

Collection

Each month, data are collected in a survey of business

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

layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Data collection

methods include computer-assisted telephone interviewing,

touchtone data entry, fax, and mail.

Coverage

The JOLTS program covers all private nonfarm

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

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

the District of Columbia.

Concepts

Industry classification. The industry classifications in this

release are in accordance with the 2007 version of the North

American Industry Classification System (NAICS). In order to

ensure the highest possible quality of data, State Workforce

Agencies verify with employers and update, if necessary, the

industry code, location, and ownership classification of all

establishments on a 3-year cycle. Changes in establishment

characteristics resulting from the verification process are

always introduced into the JOLTS sampling frame with the data

reported for the first month of the year.

Employment. Employment includes persons on the payroll

who worked or received pay for the pay period that includes

the 12th day of the reference month. Full-time, part-time,

permanent, short-term, seasonal, salaried, and hourly

employees are included, as are employees on paid vacations or

other paid leave. Proprietors or partners of unincorporated

businesses, unpaid family workers, or persons on leave without

pay or on strike for the entire pay period, are not counted as

employed. Employees of temporary help agencies, employee

leasing companies, outside contractors, and consultants are

counted by their employer of record, not by the establishment

where they are working.

Job openings. Establishments submit job openings

information for the last business day of the reference month.

A job opening requires that: 1) a specific position exists and

there is work available for that position, 2) work could start

within 30 days regardless of whether a suitable candidate is

found, and 3) the employer is actively recruiting from outside

the establishment to fill the position. Included are full-time,

part-time, permanent, short-term, and seasonal openings.

Active recruiting means that the establishment is taking steps

to fill a position by advertising in newspapers or on the Internet,

posting help-wanted signs, accepting applications, or using

other similar methods.

Jobs to be filled only by internal transfers, promotions,

demotions, or recall from layoffs are excluded. Also excluded

are jobs with start dates more than 30 days in the future, jobs

for which employees have been hired but have not yet reported

for work, and jobs to be filled by employees of temporary help

agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors, or

consultants. The job openings rate is computed by dividing

the number of job openings by the sum of employment and job

openings and multiplying that quotient by 100.

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

occurring at any time during the reference month, including

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

permanent, short-term, and seasonal employees, employees

recalled to the location after a layoff lasting more than 7 days,

on-call or intermittent employees who returned to work after

having been formally separated, and transfers from other

locations. The hires count does not include transfers or

promotions within the reporting site, employees returning from

strike, employees of temporary help agencies or employee

leasing companies, outside contractors, or consultants. The

hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by

employment and multiplying that quotient by 100.

Separations. Separations are the total number of

terminations of employment occurring at any time during the

reference month, and are reported by type of separation—

quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Quits are

voluntary separations by employees (except for retirements,

which are reported as other separations). Layoffs and

discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the

employer and include layoffs with no intent to rehire, formal

layoffs lasting or expected to last more than 7 days, discharges

resulting from mergers, downsizing, or closings, firings or other

discharges for cause, terminations of permanent or short-term

employees, and terminations of seasonal employees. Other

separations include retirements, transfers to other locations,

deaths, and separations due to disability. Separations do not

include transfers within the same location or employees on

strike.

The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of

separations by employment and multiplying that quotient by

100. The quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations

rates are computed similarly, dividing the number by

employment and multiplying by 100.

Annual estimates. Annual estimates of rates and levels of

hires, quits, layoffs and discharges, other separations, and total

separations are released with the January news release each year.

The JOLTS annual level estimates for hires, quits, layoffs

and discharges, other separations, and total separations are

the sum of the 12 published monthly levels. The annual rate

estimates are computed by dividing the annual level by the

Current Employment Statistics (CES) annual average

employment level, and multiplying that quotient by 100. This

figure will be approximately equal to the sum of the 12 monthly

rates. Note that both the JOLTS and CES annual levels are

rounded to the nearest thousand before the annual estimates

are calculated. Consistent with BLS practices, annual estimates

will be published only for not seasonally adjusted data.
Annual estimates are not calculated for job openings

because job openings are a stock, or point-in-time,

measurement for the last business day of each month. Only

jobs still open on the last day of the month are counted. For

the same reason job openings cannot be cumulated throughout

each month, annual figures for job openings cannot be created

by summing the monthly estimates. Hires and separations are

flow measures and are cumulated over the month with a total

reported for the month. Therefore, the annual figures can be

created by summing the monthly estimates.

Sample methodology

The JOLTS sample design is a random sample of 16,000

nonfarm business establishments, including factories, offices,

and stores, as well as federal, state, and local governments in

the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The establishments

are drawn from a universe of over eight million establishments

compiled as part of the operations of the Quarterly Census of

Employment and Wages, or QCEW, program. This program

includes all employers subject to state Unemployment

Insurance (UI) laws and federal agencies subject to

Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE).

The sampling frame is stratified by ownership, region,

industry sector, and size class. Large firms fall into the sample

with virtual certainty. JOLTS total employment estimates are

controlled to the employment estimates of the Current

Employment Statistics (CES) survey. A ratio of CES to JOLTS

employment is used to adjust the levels for all other JOLTS data

elements. Rates are then computed from the adjusted levels.

Using JOLTS data

The JOLTS data series on job openings, hires, and

separations are relatively new. The full sample is divided into

panels, with one panel enrolled each month. A full complement

of panels for the original data series based on the 1987 Standard

Industrial Classification (SIC) system was not completely

enrolled in the survey until January 2002. The supplemental

panels of establishments needed to create NAICS estimates

were not completely enrolled until May 2003. The data

collected up until those points are from less than a full sample.

Therefore, estimates from earlier months should be used with

caution, as fewer sampled units were reporting data at that time.

In March 2002, BLS procedures for collecting hires and

separations data were revised to address possible

underreporting. As a result, JOLTS hires and separations

estimates for months prior to March 2002 may not be

comparable with estimates for March 2002 and later.

The federal government reorganization that involved

transferring approximately 180,000 employees to the new

Department of Homeland Security is not reflected in the JOLTS

hires and separations estimates for the federal government.

The Office of Personnel Management’s record shows these

transfers were completed in March 2003. The inclusion of

transfers in the JOLTS definitions of hires and separations is

intended to cover ongoing movements of workers between

establishments. The Department of Homeland Security

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

of these intergovernmental transfers would distort the federal

government time series.

Seasonal adjustment

BLS seasonally adjusts several JOLTS series using the

X-12-ARIMA seasonal adjustment program. Seasonal

adjustment is the process of estimating and removing periodic

fluctuations caused by events such as weather, holidays,

and the beginning and ending of the school year. Seasonal

adjustment makes it easier to observe fundamental changes in

the level of the series, particularly those associated with

general economic expansions and contractions. A concurrent

seasonal adjustment methodology is used in which new

seasonal adjustment factors are calculated each month, using

all relevant data, up to and including the data for the current

month.

Prior to the January 2007 benchmark release in March 2007,

seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS series was conducted using

the stable seasonal filter option since there were not enough

data observations available for the standard use of moving

averages as seasonal filters. Although the seasonal

adjustment of the JOLTS series is conducted with fewer data

observations than is customary, the number of observations is

now above the minimum required by X-12 ARIMA to use the

normal seasonal filters. Therefore, the standard use of moving

averages as seasonal filters is now in place for JOLTS seasonal

adjustment. JOLTS seasonal adjustment now includes both

additive and multiplicative seasonal adjustment models and

REGARIMA (regression with autocorrelated errors) modeling

to improve the seasonal adjustment factors at the beginning

and end of the series and to detect and adjust for outliers in

the series.

Reliability of the estimates

JOLTS estimates are subject to both sampling and

nonsampling error. When a sample rather than the entire

population is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample

estimates may differ from the “true” population values they

represent. The exact difference, or sampling error, varies

depending on the particular sample selected, and this

variability is measured by the standard error of the estimate.

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

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

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

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

population value because of sampling error. Estimates of

sampling errors are available upon request.

The JOLTS estimates also are affected by nonsampling

error. Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, including
the failure to include a segment of the population, the inability

to obtain data from all units in the sample, the inability or

unwillingness of respondents to provide data on a timely basis,

mistakes made by respondents, errors made in the collection or

processing of the data, and errors from the employment

benchmark data used in estimation.

JOLTS hires and separations estimates cannot be used to

exactly explain net changes in nonfarm payroll employment.

Some reasons why it is problematic to compare changes in

payroll employment with JOLTS hires and separations,

especially on a monthly basis, are: 1) the reference period for

payroll employment is the pay period including the 12th of the

month, while the reference period for hires and separations is

the calendar month; and 2) payroll employment can vary from

month to month simply because part-time and on-call workers

may not always work during the pay period that includes the

12th of the month. Additionally, research has found that some

reporters systematically underreport separations relative to

hires due to a number of factors, including the nature of their

payroll systems and practices. The shortfall appears to be

about 2 percent or less over a 12-month period.

Other information

Information in this release will be made available to sensory

impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200;

TDD message referral phone: 1-800-877-8339.
Table 1. Job openings levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug.

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

Total 4................................................... 4,162 3,672 3,612 3,631 3,497 3,492 3,278 2.9 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.5 2.5 2.3

INDUSTRY

Total private 4....................................... 3,717 3,225 3,192 3,185 3,073 3,046 2,857 3.1 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.6 2.6 2.4

Construction....................................... 144 102 99 130 100 94 87 1.9 1.4 1.3 1.8 1.4 1.3 1.2

Manufacturing.................................... 324 251 244 249 241 229 252 2.3 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 735 562 550 572 539 569 567 2.7 2.1 2.0 2.1 2.0 2.1 2.1

Retail trade....................................... 377 344 338 363 322 346 356 2.4 2.2 2.2 2.3 2.1 2.2 2.3

Professional and business services......... 689 714 676 649 670 696 540 3.7 3.8 3.6 3.5 3.6 3.7 2.9

Education and health services............... 700 696 684 648 682 687 648 3.7 3.6 3.5 3.3 3.5 3.5 3.3

Leisure and hospitality 6

........................ 578 501 491 503 452 432 361 4.1 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.2 3.1 2.6

Accommodation and food services...... 509 450 433 438 406 388 301 4.2 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.4 3.2 2.5

Government 7

....................................... 444 441 422 451 417 412 420 2.0 1.9 1.8 2.0 1.8 1.8 1.8

State and local government................... 402 389 395 407 361 362 363 2.0 1.9 2.0 2.0 1.8 1.8 1.8

REGION 8

Northeast.......................................... 695 602 618 600 608 615 588 2.6 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.2

South................................................ 1,675 1,386 1,364 1,386 1,440 1,384 1,274 3.3 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.8 2.7 2.5

Midwest............................................. 773 781 752 721 676 638 679 2.4 2.4 2.3 2.2 2.1 2.0 2.1

West................................................ 1,035 918 883 937 789 847 729 3.2 2.9 2.8 2.9 2.5 2.7 2.3

1

 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day of the 8 The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the 

month. regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New 2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business day Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and 

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

 3

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

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

 4

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

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

 5

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

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

 6

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

 7

 Includes federal government, not shown separately. p = preliminary.

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

Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug.

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

Total 4................................................... 4,796 4,569 4,715 4,123 4,438 4,026 4,070 3.5 3.3 3.4 3.0 3.2 2.9 3.0

INDUSTRY

Total private 4....................................... 4,371 4,147 4,311 3,871 4,136 3,751 3,826 3.8 3.6 3.7 3.4 3.6 3.3 3.3

Construction....................................... 367 350 385 286 354 242 332 4.8 4.8 5.3 3.9 4.9 3.4 4.6

Manufacturing.................................... 350 309 300 274 285 249 256 2.5 2.3 2.2 2.0 2.1 1.8 1.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 924 884 943 828 906 858 859 3.5 3.3 3.6 3.1 3.4 3.3 3.3

Retail trade....................................... 677 598 642 585 608 585 585 4.4 3.9 4.2 3.8 4.0 3.8 3.8

Professional and business services......... 776 893 858 770 889 748 719 4.3 5.0 4.8 4.3 5.0 4.2 4.0

Education and health services............... 504 501 510 479 485 474 499 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.5 2.6 2.5 2.6

Leisure and hospitality 6

........................ 898 801 841 847 741 798 762 6.7 5.9 6.1 6.2 5.4 5.8 5.6

Accommodation and food services...... 753 654 719 731 645 683 615 6.5 5.6 6.2 6.3 5.5 5.9 5.3

Government 7

....................................... 393 429 407 329 340 321 316 1.8 1.9 1.8 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.4

State and local government................... 319 315 315 304 309 300 290 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.5

REGION 8

Northeast.......................................... 753 715 743 646 761 657 665 2.9 2.8 2.9 2.5 3.0 2.6 2.6

South................................................ 1,835 1,703 1,725 1,538 1,666 1,512 1,490 3.7 3.4 3.5 3.1 3.4 3.0 3.0

Midwest.............................................1,053 986 986 914 966 934 946 3.3 3.1 3.1 2.9 3.1 3.0 3.0

West................................................ 1,157 1,170 1,246 1,111 1,084 979 1,064 3.7 3.8 4.0 3.6 3.5 3.2 3.4

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

 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, 2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of not shown separately.

total employment. 6

 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately. 3

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

adjustment of the various series. 8

 See footnote 8, table 1. 4

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

other services, not shown separately.

Industry and region

Industry and region

Levels Rates 3

 (in thousands)

Levels 3

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

 and rates 2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug.

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

Total 4................................................... 4,502 4,390 4,404 4,313 4,368 4,359 4,391 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.1 3.2 3.2 3.2

INDUSTRY

Total private 4

....................................... 4,166 4,100 4,112 4,046 4,115 4,128 4,141 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.5 3.6 3.6 3.6

Construction....................................... 365 367 378 393 409 473 406 4.8 5.0 5.2 5.4 5.7 6.6 5.7

Manufacturing.................................... 377 304 390 359 353 324 332 2.7 2.2 2.9 2.6 2.6 2.4 2.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 957 941 1,003 868 1,003 1,013 931 3.6 3.5 3.8 3.3 3.8 3.8 3.5

Retail trade.................................... 674 688 716 605 679 692 642 4.3 4.5 4.7 3.9 4.4 4.5 4.2

Professional and business services......... 756 806 739 741 799 694 880 4.2 4.5 4.1 4.1 4.5 3.9 4.9

Education and health services............... 432 449 429 434 417 464 406 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.4 2.1

Leisure and hospitality 6

........................ 797 776 722 801 749 741 771 5.9 5.7 5.3 5.8 5.5 5.4 5.6

Accommodation and food services...... 697 656 619 675 641 629 640 6.0 5.6 5.3 5.8 5.5 5.4 5.5

Government 7

....................................... 326 291 295 269 259 244 252 1.5 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.1

State and local government................... 259 228 248 240 233 222 228 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.2

REGION 8

Northeast.......................................... 683 737 709 685 658 745 687 2.7 2.9 2.8 2.7 2.6 2.9 2.7

South................................................1,720 1,617 1,666 1,614 1,681 1,629 1,585 3.5 3.3 3.4 3.3 3.4 3.3 3.2

Midwest.............................................1,006 918 949 915 954 912 939 3.2 2.9 3.0 2.9 3.0 2.9 3.0

West................................................ 1,076 1,101 1,094 1,096 1,089 1,099 1,142 3.5 3.6 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.6 3.7

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

month. 5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, 2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the not shown separately.

entire month as a percent of total employment. 6

 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately. 3

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

seasonal adjustment of the various series. 8

 See footnote 8, table 1. 4

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

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

Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug.

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

Total 4................................................... 2,553 2,375 2,444 2,336 2,365 2,314 2,279 1.9 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7

INDUSTRY

Total private 4

....................................... 2,407 2,258 2,301 2,210 2,242 2,209 2,165 2.1 2.0 2.0 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9

Construction....................................... 141 111 127 124 139 157 154 1.9 1.5 1.7 1.7 1.9 2.2 2.2

Manufacturing.................................... 199 157 182 163 154 134 149 1.4 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.1 1.0 1.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 556 535 550 495 545 545 506 2.1 2.0 2.1 1.9 2.1 2.1 1.9

Retail trade.................................... 403 399 404 352 391 405 371 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.3 2.6 2.6 2.4

Professional and business services......... 394 386 385 391 413 363 390 2.2 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.0 2.2

Education and health services............... 273 279 270 229 246 268 221 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.2

Leisure and hospitality 6

........................ 542 529 516 547 525 499 468 4.0 3.9 3.8 4.0 3.8 3.7 3.4

Accommodation and food services...... 496 494 473 500 481 452 434 4.3 4.2 4.1 4.3 4.1 3.9 3.7

Government 7

....................................... 145 126 144 126 123 111 121 .7 .6 .6 .6 .5 .5 .5

State and local government................... 125 101 129 117 114 104 113 .6 .5 .7 .6 .6 .5 .6

REGION 8

Northeast.......................................... 331 334 368 327 344 341 299 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.2

South................................................1,069 996 1,001 937 969 930 897 2.2 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.0 1.9 1.8

Midwest............................................. 535 491 500 485 515 504 542 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.7

West................................................ 618 568 575 584 539 541 533 2.0 1.8 1.9 1.9 1.7 1.8 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 arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately. 3

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

seasonal adjustment of the various series. 8

 See footnote 8, table 1. 4

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

and other services, not shown separately.

Industry and region

Industry and region

Levels 3

 (in thousands) Rates

Levels 3

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

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug.

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 4,485 3,631 3,496 3.2 2.6 2.5

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 4,001 3,186 3,038 3.3 2.7 2.6

Natural resources and mining........................ 10 17 18 1.4 2.1 2.1

Construction................................................ 159 108 92 2.0 1.4 1.2

Manufacturing............................................. 336 234 265 2.4 1.7 1.9

Durable goods.......................................... 215 127 136 2.4 1.5 1.6

Nondurable goods.................................... 122 108 130 2.3 2.1 2.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 811 588 641 3.0 2.2 2.4

Wholesale trade....................................... 214 126 118 3.4 2.0 1.9

Retail trade............................................. 425 361 410 2.7 2.3 2.6

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 171 100 113 3.3 2.0 2.2

Information................................................ 110 53 66 3.5 1.7 2.2

Financial activities......................................... 309 204 179 3.6 2.4 2.1

Finance and insurance.............................. 248 162 140 3.9 2.6 2.3

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 61 42 38 2.7 1.9 1.7

Professional and business services.................. 717 706 551 3.8 3.8 3.0

Education and health services........................ 740 694 673 3.9 3.6 3.5

Educational services................................. 71 68 66 2.6 2.4 2.3

Health care and social assistance.................. 669 626 607 4.2 3.8 3.7

Leisure and hospitality................................. 629 466 382 4.3 3.1 2.6

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 75 50 67 3.2 2.1 2.9

Accommodation and food services............... 554 415 316 4.5 3.3 2.6

Other services............................................. 180 116 171 3.1 2.0 3.0

Government................................................... 485 446 458 2.2 2.1 2.1

Federal...................................................... 49 53 68 1.8 1.9 2.4

State and local........................................... 435 392 390 2.3 2.1 2.1

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 777 662 656 3.0 2.5 2.5

South......................................................... 1,740 1,435 1,304 3.4 2.8 2.6

Midwest...................................................... 849 663 743 2.6 2.1 2.3

West......................................................... 1,120 872 794 3.5 2.7 2.5

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

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

plus job openings.

 3 See footnote 8, table 1.

 p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 6. Hires levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug.

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 5,543 4,256 4,750 4.0 3.1 3.5

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 4,880 3,919 4,228 4.2 3.4 3.7

Natural resources and mining........................ 28 27 32 3.8 3.5 3.9

Construction................................................ 395 268 351 5.0 3.6 4.7

Manufacturing............................................. 401 265 289 2.9 2.0 2.1

Durable goods.......................................... 227 144 161 2.6 1.7 1.9

Nondurable goods.................................... 174 121 128 3.4 2.4 2.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 1,031 821 955 3.9 3.1 3.6

Wholesale trade....................................... 151 149 132 2.5 2.5 2.2

Retail trade............................................. 739 543 639 4.8 3.6 4.2

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 140 129 184 2.8 2.6 3.7

Information................................................ 82 43 40 2.7 1.4 1.4

Financial activities......................................... 240 202 199 2.9 2.4 2.4

Finance and insurance.............................. 169 155 132 2.7 2.5 2.2

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 72 46 67 3.2 2.1 3.1

Professional and business services.................. 855 777 726 4.7 4.3 4.0

Education and health services........................ 632 508 626 3.5 2.7 3.4

Educational services................................. 107 76 136 4.0 2.7 4.9

Health care and social assistance.................. 525 433 491 3.4 2.7 3.1

Leisure and hospitality................................. 996 843 831 7.1 5.9 5.8

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 124 122 137 5.6 5.3 6.1

Accommodation and food services............... 872 721 694 7.3 6.0 5.8

Other services............................................. 220 165 178 4.0 3.0 3.2

Government................................................... 663 337 522 3.1 1.6 2.4

Federal...................................................... 105 26 24 3.8 .9 .9

State and local........................................... 558 311 498 3.0 1.7 2.7

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 824 732 721 3.2 2.9 2.8

South......................................................... 2,180 1,552 1,731 4.4 3.1 3.5

Midwest...................................................... 1,184 908 1,060 3.8 2.9 3.4

West......................................................... 1,355 1,063 1,238 4.4 3.4 4.0

 1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month. 2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 3 See footnote 8, table 1. p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 7. Total separations levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug.

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 5,735 4,562 5,580 4.2 3.3 4.1

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 5,223 4,244 5,175 4.5 3.7 4.5

Natural resources and mining........................ 33 18 30 4.5 2.3 3.7

Construction................................................ 455 476 500 5.7 6.4 6.7

Manufacturing............................................. 464 328 403 3.3 2.4 3.0

Durable goods.......................................... 281 215 266 3.2 2.5 3.1

Nondurable goods.................................... 183 113 137 3.6 2.3 2.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 1,136 1,004 1,075 4.3 3.8 4.1

Wholesale trade....................................... 193 142 179 3.2 2.3 3.0

Retail trade............................................. 798 677 742 5.2 4.4 4.9

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 145 185 154 2.9 3.7 3.1

Information................................................ 85 56 66 2.8 1.9 2.2

Financial activities......................................... 315 188 251 3.8 2.3 3.0

Finance and insurance.............................. 228 111 172 3.7 1.8 2.8

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 87 76 79 3.9 3.5 3.6

Professional and business services.................. 883 722 1,002 4.9 4.0 5.6

Education and health services........................ 591 516 545 3.3 2.8 2.9

Educational services................................. 110 84 118 4.2 3.0 4.2

Health care and social assistance.................. 481 432 427 3.1 2.7 2.7

Leisure and hospitality................................. 1,031 746 1,001 7.3 5.2 7.0

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 149 85 198 6.7 3.7 8.7

Accommodation and food services............... 882 661 803 7.4 5.5 6.7

Other services............................................. 229 190 301 4.1 3.4 5.4

Government................................................... 512 318 405 2.4 1.5 1.9

Federal...................................................... 94 21 28 3.4 .8 1.0

State and local........................................... 418 297 378 2.3 1.6 2.0

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 940 752 918 3.7 2.9 3.6

South......................................................... 2,188 1,747 2,029 4.4 3.5 4.1

Midwest...................................................... 1,304 928 1,230 4.2 3.0 3.9

West......................................................... 1,303 1,135 1,403 4.2 3.7 4.5

 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. 3 See footnote 8, table 1. p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 8. Quits levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug.

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 3,505 2,531 3,103 2.5 1.8 2.3

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 3,268 2,394 2,907 2.8 2.1 2.5

Natural resources and mining........................ 21 12 21 2.9 1.5 2.6

Construction................................................ 204 215 236 2.6 2.9 3.2

Manufacturing............................................. 279 148 206 2.0 1.1 1.5

Durable goods.......................................... 165 82 122 1.9 1.0 1.4

Nondurable goods.................................... 114 66 84 2.2 1.3 1.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 742 558 664 2.8 2.1 2.5

Wholesale trade....................................... 116 83 87 1.9 1.4 1.4

Retail trade............................................. 544 404 488 3.5 2.6 3.2

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 81 71 89 1.6 1.4 1.8

Information................................................ 48 35 51 1.6 1.2 1.7

Financial activities......................................... 200 85 113 2.4 1.0 1.4

Finance and insurance.............................. 143 50 84 2.3 .8 1.4

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 57 35 29 2.6 1.6 1.4

Professional and business services.................. 527 391 516 2.9 2.2 2.9

Education and health services........................ 382 297 304 2.1 1.6 1.6

Educational services................................. 39 35 46 1.5 1.3 1.6

Health care and social assistance.................. 342 262 259 2.2 1.7 1.6

Leisure and hospitality................................. 743 558 621 5.3 3.9 4.4

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 89 60 57 4.0 2.6 2.5

Accommodation and food services............... 654 499 564 5.5 4.1 4.7

Other services............................................. 123 97 176 2.2 1.7 3.2

Government................................................... 237 137 196 1.1 .6 .9

Federal...................................................... 34 7 12 1.3 .3 .4

State and local........................................... 202 129 185 1.1 .7 1.0

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 481 373 420 1.9 1.5 1.6

South......................................................... 1,434 1,031 1,181 2.9 2.1 2.4

Midwest...................................................... 781 513 811 2.5 1.6 2.6

West......................................................... 809 614 691 2.6 2.0 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. 3 See footnote 8, table 1. p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 9. Layoffs and discharges levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug.

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 1,884 1,737 2,137 1.4 1.3 1.6

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 1,702 1,617 1,984 1.5 1.4 1.7

Natural resources and mining........................ 9 5 7 1.2 .6 .8

Construction................................................ 241 247 248 3.0 3.3 3.3

Manufacturing............................................. 159 156 175 1.1 1.2 1.3

Durable goods.......................................... 97 117 129 1.1 1.4 1.5

Nondurable goods.................................... 62 39 46 1.2 .8 .9

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 324 364 333 1.2 1.4 1.3

Wholesale trade....................................... 70 50 78 1.2 .8 1.3

Retail trade............................................. 211 227 206 1.4 1.5 1.3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 43 87 49 .8 1.7 1.0

Information................................................ 26 16 14 .9 .5 .5

Financial activities......................................... 99 84 115 1.2 1.0 1.4

Finance and insurance.............................. 73 48 72 1.2 .8 1.2

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 26 36 44 1.2 1.6 2.0

Professional and business services.................. 309 298 410 1.7 1.7 2.3

Education and health services........................ 181 196 203 1.0 1.1 1.1

Educational services................................. 66 47 67 2.5 1.7 2.4

Health care and social assistance.................. 115 148 136 .7 .9 .9

Leisure and hospitality................................. 250 160 356 1.8 1.1 2.5

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 53 22 136 2.4 1.0 6.0

Accommodation and food services............... 197 138 220 1.7 1.1 1.8

Other services............................................. 104 92 123 1.9 1.6 2.2

Government................................................... 182 120 153 .9 .6 .7

Federal...................................................... 25 7 9 .9 .2 .3

State and local........................................... 157 113 144 .9 .6 .8

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 401 303 451 1.6 1.2 1.8

South......................................................... 643 616 703 1.3 1.2 1.4

Midwest...................................................... 437 360 350 1.4 1.2 1.1

West......................................................... 403 458 634 1.3 1.5 2.1

 1 Layoffs and discharges are the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire month. 2 The layoffs and discharges rate is the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire month as a percent of total 

employment.

 3 See footnote 8, table 1. p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 10. Other separations levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug.

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 346 294 340 0.3 0.2 0.2

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 253 232 283 .2 .2 .2

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

Construction................................................ 10 13 17 .1 .2 .2

Manufacturing............................................. 26 24 22 .2 .2 .2

Durable goods.......................................... 19 16 15 .2 .2 .2

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

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 71 82 78 .3 .3 .3

Wholesale trade....................................... 7 9 14 .1 .1 .2

Retail trade............................................. 43 46 49 .3 .3 .3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 21 27 15 .4 .5 .3

Information................................................ 11 6 2 .4 .2 .1

Financial activities......................................... 15 19 22 .2 .2 .3

Finance and insurance.............................. 11 13 17 .2 .2 .3

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 4 6 6 .2 .3 .3

Professional and business services.................. 47 34 76 .3 .2 .4

Education and health services........................ 28 23 37 .2 .1 .2

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

Health care and social assistance.................. 24 21 32 .2 .1 .2

Leisure and hospitality................................. 38 27 24 .3 .2 .2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 8 3 5 .3 .1 .2

Accommodation and food services............... 31 24 19 .3 .2 .2

Other services............................................. 3 2 2 (4) (4) (4)

Government................................................... 93 62 56 .4 .3 .3

Federal...................................................... 34 7 7 1.2 .3 .3

State and local........................................... 59 55 49 .3 .3 .3

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 57 76 48 .2 .3 .2

South......................................................... 112 100 145 .2 .2 .3

Midwest...................................................... 86 54 69 .3 .2 .2

West......................................................... 90 64 78 .3 .2 .3

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

 p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region