News

Bureau of Labor Statistics Washington, D.C. 20212 

United States 

Department 

of Labor 

Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 09-0507 

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

 For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT 

Media contact: (202) 691-5902 Tuesday, May 12, 2009 

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: MARCH 2009 

On the last business day of March, job openings in the U.S. numbered 2.7 million, the Bureau of 

Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The job openings level and rate (2.0 

percent) were at their lowest points since the series began over 8 years ago. The hires rate (3.1 percent) 

was little changed in March and remained low. The total separations rate (3.6 percent) was unchanged 

in March. 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,

 April 2006 - March 2009

1.6

1.8

2.0

2.2

2.4

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

Percent

2007 2008 2009

Chart 2. Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted,

 April 2006 - March 2009

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

4.2

Percent

Separations

Hires

2007 2008 2009

Job Openings

The job openings rate fell in March to a series low of 2.0 percent. The number of job openings 

has trended downward since mid-2007, and, at 2.7 million in March, monthly openings were down 2.1 

million, or 44 percent, since the most recent high point in June 2007. The decline in the job openings 

rate at the total nonfarm and total private levels was due to small, nonsignificant declines in nearly every 

industry and a significant decline in retail trade. (See table 1.) 
2 

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

Industry Mar. Feb. Mar. Mar. Feb. Mar. Mar. Feb. Mar.

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

Total 1................................................4,073 2,973 2,717 4,870 4,339 4,172 5,020 4,833 4,737

Total private 1

.................................... 3,644 2,606 2,361 4,540 4,042 3,877 4,717 4,555 4,465

Construction.................................... 90 58 48 397 370 376 443 463 488

Manufacturing................................. 233 141 123 316 257 245 363 424 401

Trade, transportation, and utilities 2

......... 659 488 414 1,013 814 882 1,035 920 984

Retail trade..................................... 391 334 267 686 563 592 722 590 633

Professional and business services............ 763 482 431 886 730 688 936 951 776

Education and health services............... 760 589 558 558 527 489 529 498 479

Leisure and hospitality ........................ 551 332 296 860 704 703 878 731 758

Arts, entertainment, and recreation......... 64 30 26 130 89 83 132 88 90

Accommodation and food services......... 488 302 268 731 614 618 747 635 658

Government 3

..................................... 431 367 352 321 275 269 294 271 262

 State and local government.................. 376 317 300 289 252 242 268 251 245

Total 1

................................................ 2.9 2.2 2.0 3.5 3.2 3.1 3.6 3.6 3.6

Total private 1

.................................... 3.1 2.3 2.1 3.9 3.6 3.5 4.1 4.1 4.0

Construction.................................... 1.2 0.9 0.7 5.4 5.6 5.8 6.0 7.0 7.5

Manufacturing................................. 1.7 1.1 1.0 2.3 2.1 2.0 2.7 3.4 3.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities 2

......... 2.4 1.9 1.6 3.8 3.2 3.5 3.9 3.6 3.9

Retail trade.................................... 2.5 2.2 1.8 4.4 3.8 4.0 4.7 3.9 4.3

Professional and business services............4.1 2.8 2.5 4.9 4.3 4.1 5.2 5.6 4.6

Education and health services............... 3.9 3.0 2.8 3.0 2.8 2.6 2.8 2.6 2.5

Leisure and hospitality ........................ 3.9 2.4 2.2 6.4 5.3 5.3 6.5 5.5 5.7

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.........3.1 1.5 1.3 6.5 4.6 4.3 6.6 4.5 4.6

Accommodation and food services......... 4.1 2.6 2.3 6.3 5.4 5.5 6.5 5.6 5.8

Government 3

..................................... 1.9 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.2

 State and local government.................. 1.9 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.3 1.2 1.4 1.3 1.2

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

Rates (percent)

Job openings Hires Total separations

Levels (in thousands)

Over the 12 months ending in March, the job openings rate (not seasonally adjusted) fell 

significantly in nearly every industry and in three of the four regions. The rate did not change 

significantly in the Northeast region and in construction; information; other services; and federal 

government. (See table 5.) 
3 

Hires

Hires, at 4.2 million in March, were essentially unchanged from February. However, monthly 

hires were down 1.5 million, or 26 percent, since the most recent high point in July 2006. The hires rate 

was 3.1 percent in March. No industry experienced a significant change in the hires rate over the month. 

Regionally, the rate changed significantly only in the Northeast, where it fell. (See table 2.) 

Over the 12 months ending in March, the hires rate (not seasonally adjusted) did not increase 

significantly in any industry. The rate decreased significantly over the year for total nonfarm, total 

private, and many industries, including mining and logging; finance and insurance; professional and 

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

and food services; and state and local government. Regionally, the hires rate dropped significantly over 

the past 12 months in the South and West. The rate did not change significantly in the Midwest and 

Northeast. (See table 6.) 

Separations

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

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

(seasonally adjusted) was 3.6 percent in March, unchanged from February. The total separations rate 

(not seasonally adjusted) was also essentially unchanged over the 12 months ending in March, as quits 

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

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

rate remained at 1.4 percent in March—the lowest point in the 8-year series. Quits have been trending 

downward since December 2006, declining by 1.3 million, or 42 percent. Comparing March 2009 to 

March 2008, the quits rate was significantly lower for total nonfarm, total private, government, and 

many industries, including durable goods manufacturing; nondurable goods manufacturing; retail trade; 

finance and insurance; professional and business services; health care and social assistance; and 

accommodation and food services. The rate did not rise significantly in the past 12 months in any 

industry. Regionally, the quits rate fell significantly over the past 12 months in all four regions. (See 

tables 4 and 8.) 

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

nonfarm, total private, and government levels. Layoffs and discharges in March were 2.6 million for 

total nonfarm, 2.4 million for total private, and 113,000 for government, corresponding to layoffs and 

discharges rates of 1.9 percent, 2.2 percent, and 0.5 percent, respectively. Over the 12 months ending in 

March, the layoffs and discharges rate (not seasonally adjusted) rose significantly for total nonfarm, total 

private, and many industries, including mining and logging; construction; durable goods manufacturing; 

nondurable goods manufacturing; transportation, warehousing, and utilities; finance and insurance; and 

real estate and rental and leasing. In the remaining industries, the rate was essentially unchanged. 

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

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

adjusted layoffs and discharges are not presented in a table but are available through the JOLTS web 

site.) 

The other separations series is not seasonally adjusted. In March, there were 290,000 other 

separations for total nonfarm, 259,000 for total private, and 31,000 for government. Compared to March 

2008, the number of other separations was little changed for total nonfarm and total private, but declined 

for government. (See table 10.) 
4 

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

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

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

the recent high of 59 percent in January 2008 to a series low of 39 percent in March 2009. The 

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

August 2006 to a series high of 54 percent in March 2009. (See tables 3 and 4.) 

Net Change in Employment

In the 12 months ending in March, hires totaled 54.6 million and separations totaled 58.9 million, 

yielding a net employment loss over the year of 4.3 million. The loss resulted from total separations 

remaining relatively level over the year, while hires trended downward. 

For More Information

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

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

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

Tuesday, June 9. 
Technical Note 

 The data for the Job Openings and Labor Turnover 

Survey (JOLTS) are collected and compiled monthly from 

a sample of business establishments by the Bureau of 

Labor Statistics (BLS). 

Collection 

 In a monthly survey of business establishments, data are 

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

layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Data 

collection methods include computer-assisted telephone 

interviewing, touchtone data entry, fax, e-mail, and mail. 

Coverage 

 The JOLTS program covers all private nonfarm 

establishments such as factories, offices, and stores, as 

well as federal, state, and local government entities in the 

50 states and the District of Columbia. 

Concepts 

 Industry classification. The industry classifications in 

this release are in accordance with the 2007 version of the 

North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). 

In order to ensure the highest possible quality of data, 

State Workforce Agencies verify with employers and 

update, if necessary, the industry code, location, and 

ownership classification of all establishments on a 3-year 

cycle. Changes in establishment characteristics resulting 

from the verification process are always introduced into 

the JOLTS sampling frame with the data reported for the 

first month of the year. 

 Employment. Employment includes persons on the 

payroll who worked or received pay for the pay period 

that includes the 12th day of the reference month. Fulltime, part-time, permanent, short-term, seasonal, salaried, 

and hourly employees are included, as are employees on 

paid vacations or other paid leave. Proprietors or partners 

of unincorporated businesses, unpaid family workers, or 

persons on leave without pay or on strike for the entire 

pay period, are not counted as employed. Employees of 

temporary help agencies, employee leasing companies, 

outside contractors, and consultants are counted by their 

employer of record, not by the establishment where they 

are working. 

 Job openings. Establishments submit job openings 

information for the last business day of the reference 

month. A job opening requires that: 1) a specific position 

exists and there is work available for that position, 2) 

work could start within 30 days regardless of whether a 

suitable candidate is found, and 3) the employer is 

actively recruiting from outside the establishment to fill 

the position. Included are full-time, part-time, permanent, 

short-term, and seasonal openings. Active recruiting 

means that the establishment is taking steps to fill a 

position by advertising in newspapers or on the Internet, 

posting help-wanted signs, accepting applications, or 

using other similar methods. 

 Jobs to be filled only by internal transfers, promotions, 

demotions, or recall from layoffs are excluded. Also 

excluded are jobs with start dates more than 30 days in 

the future, jobs for which employees have been hired but 

have not yet reported for work, and jobs to be filled by 

employees of temporary help agencies, employee leasing 

companies, outside contractors, or consultants. The job 

openings rate is computed by dividing the number of job 

openings by the sum of employment and job openings and 

multiplying that quotient by 100. 

 Hires. Hires are the total number of additions to the 

payroll occurring at any time during the reference month, 

including both new and rehired employees, full-time and 

part-time, permanent, short-term and seasonal employees, 

employees recalled to the location after a layoff lasting 

more than 7 days, on-call or intermittent employees who 

returned to work after having been formally separated, 

and transfers from other locations. The hires count does 

not include transfers or promotions within the reporting 

site, employees returning from strike, employees of 

temporary help agencies or employee leasing companies, 

outside contractors, or consultants. The hires rate is 

computed by dividing the number of hires by employment 

and multiplying that quotient by 100. 

 Separations. Separations are the total number of 

terminations of employment occurring at any time during 

the reference month, and are reported by type of 

separation--quits, layoffs and discharges, and other 

separations. Quits are voluntary separations by 

employees (except for retirements, which are reported as 

other separations). Layoffs and discharges are 

involuntary separations initiated by the employer and 

include layoffs with no intent to rehire; formal layoffs 

lasting or expected to last more than 7 days; discharges 

resulting from mergers, downsizing, or closings; firings or 

other discharges for cause; terminations of permanent or 

short-term employees; and terminations of seasonal 

employees. Other separations include retirements, 

transfers to other locations, deaths, and separations due to 

disability. Separations do not include transfers within the 

same location or employees on strike. 

 The separations rate is computed by dividing the number 

of separations by employment and multiplying that 

quotient by 100. The quits, layoffs and discharges, and 

other separations rates are computed similarly, dividing 

the number by employment and multiplying by 100. 

 Annual estimates. Annual estimates of rates and levels 
of hires, quits, layoffs and discharges, other separations, 

and total separations are released with the January news 

release each year. 

 The JOLTS annual level estimates for hires, quits, 

layoffs and discharges, other separations, and total 

separations are the sum of the 12 published monthly 

levels. The annual rate estimates are computed by 

dividing the annual level by the Current Employment 

Statistics (CES) annual average employment level, and 

multiplying that quotient by 100. This figure will be 

approximately equal to the sum of the 12 monthly rates. 

Note that both the JOLTS and CES annual levels are 

rounded to the nearest thousand before the annual 

estimates are calculated. Consistent with BLS practices, 

annual estimates are published only for not seasonally 

adjusted data. 

 Annual estimates are not calculated for job openings 

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

measurement for the last business day of each month. 

Only jobs still open on the last day of the month are 

counted. For the same reason job openings cannot be 

cumulated throughout each month, annual figures for job 

openings cannot be created by summing the monthly 

estimates. Hires and separations are flow measures and 

are cumulated over the month with a total reported for the 

month. Therefore, the annual figures can be created by 

summing the monthly estimates. 

Special Collection Procedures 

 An implied measure of employment change can be 

derived from the JOLTS data by subtracting separations 

from hires for a given month. Aggregating these monthly 

changes historically produced employment levels that 

overstated employment change as measured by CES at the 

total nonfarm level. Research into this problem showed 

that a significant amount of the divergence between the 

CES employment levels and the derived JOLTS 

employment levels was traceable to the Employment 

Services industry and to the State Government Education 

industry. In the former industry, businesses have a 

difficult time reporting hires and separations of temporary 

help workers. In the latter industry, employers have 

difficulty reporting hires and separations of student 

workers. BLS now devotes additional resources to the 

collection, editing, and review of data for these 

industries. BLS analysts more closely examine reported 

data that do not provide a consistent picture over time, 

and re-contact the respondents as necessary. Analysts 

work with the respondents to adjust their reporting 

practices as possible. Units that cannot be reconciled but 

are clearly incorrect on a consistent basis are not used, 

they are replaced by imputed values using standard 

techniques. 

Sample and estimation methodology 

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

nonfarm business establishments, including factories, 

offices, and stores, as well as federal, state, and local 

governments in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. 

The establishments are drawn from a universe of over 9.1 

million establishments compiled as part of the operations 

of the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages 

(QCEW), program. This program includes all employers 

subject to state Unemployment Insurance (UI) laws and 

federal agencies subject to Unemployment Compensation 

for Federal Employees (UCFE). 

 The sampling frame is stratified by ownership, region, 

industry sector, and size class. The JOLTS sample is 

constructed from individual panels of sample units drawn 

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

certainty panel composed of only large units selected with 

virtual certainty based on their size and 24 non-certainty 

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

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

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

is constructed from panels from three different annual 

sampling frames. The entire sample of old plus new 

panels is post-stratified and re-weighted annually to 

represent the most recent sampling frame. Additionally, 

the out-of-business establishments are removed from the 

old panels. The annual sample is supplemented with a 

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

establishments) to better reflect the impact of younger 

establishments in the JOLTS sample. 

 JOLTS total employment estimates are benchmarked 

monthly to the employment estimates of the Current 

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

JOLTS employment is used to adjust the levels for all 

other JOLTS data elements. 

 JOLTS Business Birth/Death Model 

 As with any sample survey, the JOLTS sample can only 

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

birth of an establishment until its appearance on the 

sampling frame is approximately one year. In addition, 

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

Since these universe units cannot be reflected on the 

sampling frame immediately, the JOLTS sample cannot 

capture job openings, hires, and separations from these 

units during their early existence. BLS has developed a 

model to estimate birth/death activity for current months 

by examining the birth/death activity from previous years 

on the QCEW and projecting forward to the present using 

an econometric technique known as X-12 ARIMA 

modeling. The birth/death model also uses historical 

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

separations) that exists in establishments of various sizes. 

The model then combines the estimated churn with the 

projected employment change to estimate the number of 

hires and separations taking place in these units that 

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

distributed to the three components – quits; layoffs and 

discharges; and other separations - in proportion to their 

contribution to the sample-based estimate of total 

separations. Additionally, job openings for the modeled 

units are estimated by computing the ratio of openings to 

hires in the collected data and applying that ratio to the 

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

separations produced by the birth/death model are then 

added to the sample-based estimates produced from the 

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

separations. 

Seasonal adjustment 

 BLS seasonally adjusts several JOLTS series using the 

X-12-ARIMA seasonal adjustment program. Seasonal 

adjustment is the process of estimating and removing 

periodic fluctuations caused by events such as weather, 

holidays, and the beginning and ending of the school year. 

Seasonal adjustment makes it easier to observe 

fundamental changes in the level of the series, particularly 

those associated with general economic expansions and 

contractions. A concurrent seasonal adjustment 

methodology is used in which new seasonal adjustment 

factors are calculated each month, using all relevant data, 

up to and including the data for the current month. 

Alignment procedure 

 JOLTS hires minus separations should be comparable to 

the CES net employment change. However, definitional 

differences as well as sampling and non-sampling errors 

between the two surveys historically caused JOLTS to 

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

improve the quality of the JOLTS hires and separations 

series, BLS implemented the Monthly Alignment Method. 

The Monthly Alignment Method applies the CES 

employment trends to the seasonally adjusted JOLTS 

implied employment trend (hires minus separations) 

forcing them to be approximately the same, while 

preserving the seasonality of the JOLTS data. First, the 

two series are seasonally adjusted and the difference 

between the JOLTS implied employment trend and the 

CES net employment change is calculated. Next, the 

JOLTS implied employment trend is adjusted to equal the 

CES net employment change through a proportional 

adjustment. This proportional adjustment procedure 

adjusts the two components (hires, separations) 

proportionally to their contribution to the total churn 

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

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

40 percent of the needed adjustment and separations will 

receive 60 percent of the needed adjustment. The adjusted 

hires and separations are converted back to not seasonally 

adjusted data by reversing the application of the original 

seasonal factors. After the monthly alignment method has 

been used to adjust the level estimates, rate estimates are 

computed from the adjusted levels. The Monthly 

Alignment procedure assures a close match of the JOLTS 

implied employment trend with the CES trend. The CES 

series is considered a highly accurate measure of net 

employment change owing to its very large sample size 

and annual benchmarking to universe counts of 

employment from the QCEW program. 

Using JOLTS data 

 The JOLTS data series on job openings, hires, and 

separations are relatively new. The full sample is divided 

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

complement of panels for the original data series based on 

the 1987 Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system 

was not completely enrolled in the survey until January 

2002. The supplemental panels of establishments needed 

to create NAICS estimates were not completely enrolled 

until May 2003. The data collected up until those points 

are from less than a full sample. Therefore, estimates 

from earlier months should be used with caution, as fewer 

sampled units were reporting data at that time. 

 In March 2002, BLS procedures for collecting hires and 

separations data were revised to address possible 

underreporting. As a result, JOLTS hires and separations 

estimates for months prior to March 2002 may not be 

comparable to estimates for March 2002 and later. 

 The federal government reorganization that involved 

transferring approximately 180,000 employees to the new 

Department of Homeland Security is not reflected in the 

JOLTS hires and separations estimates for the federal 

government. The Office of Personnel Management's 

record shows these transfers were completed in March 

2003. The inclusion of transfers in the JOLTS definitions 

of hires and separations is intended to cover ongoing 

movements of workers between establishments. The 

Department of Homeland Security reorganization was a 

massive one-time event, and the inclusion of these 

intergovernmental transfers would distort the federal 

government time series. 

 JOLTS uses moving averages as seasonal filters in 

seasonal adjustment. JOLTS seasonal adjustment 

includes both additive and multiplicative seasonal 

adjustment models and REGARIMA (regression with 

autocorrelated errors) modeling to improve the seasonal 

adjustment factors at the beginning and end of the series 

and to detect and adjust for outliers in the series. 

Reliability of the estimates 

 JOLTS estimates are subject to both sampling and 

nonsampling error. When a sample rather than the entire 

population is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample 

estimates may differ from the "true" population values 

they represent. The exact difference, or sampling error, 

varies depending on the particular sample selected, and 

this variability is measured by the standard error of the 

estimate. BLS analysis is generally conducted at the 90-

percent level of confidence. That means that there is a 
90-percent chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate 

based on a sample will differ by no more than 1.6 

standard errors from the "true" population value because 

of sampling error. Estimates of sampling errors are 

available upon request. 

 The JOLTS estimates also are affected by nonsampling 

error. Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, 

including the failure to include a segment of the 

population, the inability to obtain data from all units in 

the sample, the inability or unwillingness of respondents 

to provide data on a timely basis, mistakes made by 

respondents, errors made in the collection or processing 

of the data, and errors from the employment benchmark 

data used in estimation. 

Other information 

 Information in this release will be made available to 

sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 

202-691-5200; TDD message referral phone: 1-800-877-

8339. 
Table 1. Job openings levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

Mar. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Mar. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar.

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

Total 4................................................... 4,073 3,390 3,311 3,224 2,920 2,973 2,717 2.9 2.4 2.4 2.3 2.1 2.2 2.0

INDUSTRY

Total private 4

....................................... 3,644 2,964 2,928 2,861 2,461 2,606 2,361 3.1 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.2 2.3 2.1

Construction....................................... 90 79 76 66 55 58 48 1.2 1.1 1.1 .9 .8 .9 .7

Manufacturing.................................... 233 230 203 188 115 141 123 1.7 1.7 1.5 1.4 .9 1.1 1.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 659 564 624 495 488 488 414 2.4 2.1 2.3 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.6

Retail trade....................................... 391 363 410 337 362 334 267 2.5 2.3 2.6 2.2 2.4 2.2 1.8

Professional and business services......... 763 603 505 562 501 482 431 4.1 3.3 2.8 3.1 2.8 2.8 2.5

Education and health services............... 760 646 697 685 636 589 558 3.9 3.3 3.5 3.5 3.2 3.0 2.8

Leisure and hospitality ........................... 551 417 302 315 272 332 296 3.9 3.0 2.2 2.3 2.0 2.4 2.2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation...... 64 47 35 40 27 30 26 3.1 2.4 1.8 2.0 1.4 1.5 1.3

Accommodation and food services......... 488 370 284 274 242 302 268 4.1 3.1 2.4 2.4 2.1 2.6 2.3

Government 6....................................... 431 427 378 345 417 367 352 1.9 1.9 1.6 1.5 1.8 1.6 1.5

State and local government................... 376 344 337 312 328 317 300 1.9 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.5

REGION 7

Northeast.......................................... 685 636 582 633 560 607 587 2.6 2.4 2.2 2.4 2.2 2.4 2.3

South................................................ 1,531 1,314 1,267 1,245 1,109 1,109 977 3.0 2.6 2.5 2.5 2.2 2.2 2.0

Midwest............................................. 886 698 644 607 587 563 510 2.7 2.2 2.0 1.9 1.9 1.8 1.7

West................................................ 986 734 767 689 655 638 570 3.1 2.3 2.5 2.2 2.1 2.1 1.9

1

 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day of the 7 The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the 

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

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

 3

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

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

 4

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

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

 5

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

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

 6

 Includes federal government, not shown separately. Wyoming.

 p

 = preliminary.

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

Mar. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Mar. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar.

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

Total 4................................................... 4,870 4,486 4,226 4,508 4,460 4,339 4,172 3.5 3.3 3.1 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.1

INDUSTRY

Total private 4

....................................... 4,540 4,160 3,928 4,214 4,141 4,042 3,877 3.9 3.7 3.5 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.5

Construction....................................... 397 380 340 366 381 370 376 5.4 5.4 4.9 5.3 5.7 5.6 5.8

Manufacturing.................................... 316 290 257 252 237 257 245 2.3 2.2 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.1 2.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 1,013 933 852 891 949 814 882 3.8 3.6 3.3 3.4 3.7 3.2 3.5

Retail trade....................................... 686 624 576 595 587 563 592 4.4 4.1 3.8 4.0 3.9 3.8 4.0

Professional and business services......... 886 788 783 786 762 730 688 4.9 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.4 4.3 4.1

Education and health services............... 558 544 528 528 539 527 489 3.0 2.9 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.6

Leisure and hospitality ........................... 860 769 706 711 743 704 703 6.4 5.7 5.3 5.3 5.6 5.3 5.3

Arts, entertainment, and recreation...... 130 119 92 111 105 89 83 6.5 6.1 4.7 5.7 5.4 4.6 4.3

Accommodation and food services......... 731 651 620 605 627 614 618 6.3 5.7 5.4 5.3 5.5 5.4 5.5

Government 6....................................... 321 318 281 271 306 275 269 1.4 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.4 1.2 1.2

State and local government................... 289 275 251 253 261 252 242 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.2

REGION 7

Northeast.......................................... 787 759 661 726 753 837 719 3.0 3.0 2.6 2.9 3.0 3.3 2.9

South................................................ 1,822 1,652 1,572 1,659 1,663 1,566 1,502 3.7 3.4 3.2 3.4 3.4 3.2 3.1

Midwest............................................. 1,055 1,051 934 1,009 1,003 904 946 3.4 3.4 3.0 3.3 3.3 3.0 3.1

West................................................ 1,216 1,043 1,043 1,053 1,002 960 952 3.9 3.4 3.4 3.5 3.3 3.2 3.2

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

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

total employment. 6

 Includes federal government, not shown separately. 3

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

adjustment of the various series. p

 = preliminary. 4

 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, and 

other services, not shown separately.

Industry and region

Industry and region

Levels Rates 3

 (in thousands)

Levels 3

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

 and rates 2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

Mar. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Mar. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar.

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

Total 4................................................... 5,020 4,910 4,863 4,958 4,949 4,833 4,737 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.6

INDUSTRY

Total private 4

....................................... 4,717 4,607 4,571 4,673 4,686 4,555 4,465 4.1 4.0 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.1 4.0

Construction....................................... 443 440 472 452 524 463 488 6.0 6.2 6.8 6.6 7.8 7.0 7.5

Manufacturing.................................... 363 404 384 419 476 424 401 2.7 3.1 2.9 3.2 3.8 3.4 3.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

.........1,035 1,034 1,030 1,041 1,049 920 984 3.9 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.1 3.6 3.9

Retail trade.................................... 722 680 680 664 645 590 633 4.7 4.5 4.5 4.4 4.3 3.9 4.3

Professional and business services......... 936 906 909 898 866 951 776 5.2 5.1 5.2 5.2 5.0 5.6 4.6

Education and health services............... 529 507 466 498 494 498 479 2.8 2.7 2.4 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.5

Leisure and hospitality ........................ 878 794 773 755 763 731 758 6.5 5.9 5.8 5.7 5.7 5.5 5.7

Arts, entertainment, and recreation...... 132 124 98 106 117 88 90 6.6 6.4 5.0 5.4 6.0 4.5 4.6

Accommodation and food services...... 747 670 673 647 650 635 658 6.5 5.9 5.9 5.7 5.7 5.6 5.8

Government 6

....................................... 294 294 282 278 277 271 262 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2

State and local government................... 268 265 258 251 267 251 245 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.2

REGION 7

Northeast.......................................... 888 743 767 799 813 783 848 3.4 2.9 3.0 3.2 3.2 3.1 3.4

South................................................1,833 1,782 1,841 1,815 1,898 1,742 1,762 3.7 3.6 3.8 3.7 3.9 3.6 3.7

Midwest.............................................1,034 1,168 1,105 1,088 1,120 1,121 1,082 3.3 3.8 3.6 3.5 3.7 3.7 3.6

West................................................ 1,266 1,209 1,205 1,227 1,180 1,188 1,065 4.1 4.0 4.0 4.0 3.9 4.0 3.6

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

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

 Includes federal government, not shown separately.

entire month as a percent of total employment. 7

 See footnote 7, table 1. 3

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

seasonal adjustment of the various series. 4

 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, 

and other services, not shown separately.

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

Mar. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Mar. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar.

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

Total 4................................................... 2,731 2,436 2,201 2,114 2,063 1,911 1,831 2.0 1.8 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.4

INDUSTRY

Total private 4

....................................... 2,595 2,305 2,076 1,984 1,945 1,831 1,766 2.2 2.0 1.8 1.8 1.7 1.6 1.6

Construction....................................... 142 107 109 92 85 87 85 1.9 1.5 1.6 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3

Manufacturing.................................... 190 143 122 87 105 105 78 1.4 1.1 .9 .7 .8 .8 .6

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 588 548 489 518 469 372 450 2.2 2.1 1.9 2.0 1.8 1.5 1.8

Retail trade.................................... 418 377 352 379 360 323 343 2.7 2.5 2.3 2.5 2.4 2.2 2.3

Professional and business services......... 456 477 349 297 326 310 274 2.5 2.7 2.0 1.7 1.9 1.8 1.6

Education and health services............... 322 294 251 256 248 258 244 1.7 1.5 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3

Leisure and hospitality ........................ 596 516 469 461 443 431 430 4.4 3.8 3.5 3.5 3.3 3.3 3.3

Arts, entertainment, and recreation...... 44 39 35 29 31 36 32 2.2 2.0 1.8 1.5 1.6 1.9 1.7

Accommodation and food services...... 552 476 437 435 412 399 401 4.8 4.2 3.8 3.8 3.6 3.5 3.6

Government 6

....................................... 132 132 122 130 105 115 110 .6 .6 .5 .6 .5 .5 .5

State and local government................... 124 122 117 121 100 110 106 .6 .6 .6 .6 .5 .6 .5

REGION 7

Northeast.......................................... 390 347 321 302 278 271 278 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.1

South................................................1,133 949 879 847 790 759 765 2.3 1.9 1.8 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.6

Midwest............................................. 562 595 491 452 491 468 428 1.8 1.9 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.4

West................................................ 644 541 510 498 492 453 397 2.1 1.8 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.3

 1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month. 5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, 2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a not shown separately.

percent of total employment. 6

 Includes federal government, not shown separately. 3

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

seasonal adjustment of the various series. p

 = preliminary. 4

 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, 

and other services, not shown separately.

Industry and region

Industry and region

Levels 3

 (in thousands) Rates

Levels 3

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

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Mar. Feb. Mar. Mar. Feb. Mar.

2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total............................................................... 3,991 2,721 2,545 2.8 2.0 1.9

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 3,578 2,392 2,214 3.0 2.1 2.0

Mining and logging....................................... 17 11 11 2.3 1.5 1.5

Construction................................................ 97 59 50 1.4 .9 .8

Manufacturing............................................. 238 137 123 1.7 1.1 1.0

Durable goods.......................................... 145 67 61 1.7 .9 .8

Nondurable goods.................................... 93 70 62 1.8 1.5 1.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 644 435 398 2.4 1.7 1.6

Wholesale trade....................................... 151 122 102 2.5 2.1 1.8

Retail trade............................................. 366 271 240 2.3 1.8 1.6

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 127 41 56 2.4 .8 1.1

Information................................................ 87 74 67 2.8 2.5 2.3

Financial activities......................................... 284 199 154 3.4 2.5 1.9

Finance and insurance.............................. 195 132 111 3.1 2.2 1.9

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 89 66 43 4.1 3.2 2.1

Professional and business services.................. 721 472 400 3.9 2.7 2.3

Education and health services........................ 755 561 543 3.9 2.8 2.7

Educational services................................. 58 52 34 1.8 1.6 1.1

Health care and social assistance.................. 698 509 508 4.3 3.1 3.1

Leisure and hospitality................................. 587 300 317 4.3 2.3 2.4

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 67 30 28 3.5 1.7 1.5

Accommodation and food services............... 520 269 290 4.4 2.4 2.6

Other services............................................. 148 146 153 2.6 2.6 2.8

Government................................................... 412 329 330 1.8 1.4 1.4

Federal...................................................... 56 43 51 2.0 1.5 1.8

State and local........................................... 356 286 280 1.7 1.4 1.4

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 625 552 536 2.4 2.2 2.1

South......................................................... 1,517 1,067 963 3.0 2.2 2.0

Midwest...................................................... 889 523 510 2.8 1.7 1.7

West......................................................... 959 579 536 3.0 1.9 1.8

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

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

plus job openings.

 3 See footnote 7, table 1.

 p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 6. Hires levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Mar. Feb. Mar. Mar. Feb. Mar.

2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total............................................................... 4,545 3,389 3,777 3.3 2.6 2.9

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 4,321 3,204 3,593 3.8 2.9 3.3

Mining and logging....................................... 28 17 15 3.8 2.2 2.1

Construction................................................ 408 290 391 5.8 4.7 6.4

Manufacturing............................................. 302 232 233 2.2 1.9 1.9

Durable goods.......................................... 179 132 140 2.1 1.7 1.8

Nondurable goods.................................... 123 100 93 2.5 2.1 2.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 943 610 829 3.6 2.4 3.3

Wholesale trade....................................... 146 95 127 2.4 1.7 2.2

Retail trade............................................. 645 406 560 4.2 2.8 3.8

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 153 109 143 3.0 2.2 3.0

Information................................................ 66 56 59 2.2 1.9 2.0

Financial activities......................................... 198 148 155 2.4 1.9 2.0

Finance and insurance.............................. 131 93 96 2.2 1.6 1.6

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 67 55 59 3.2 2.7 3.0

Professional and business services.................. 844 650 641 4.8 3.9 3.8

Education and health services........................ 493 460 426 2.6 2.4 2.2

Educational services................................. 46 71 40 1.5 2.2 1.2

Health care and social assistance.................. 447 389 386 2.9 2.4 2.4

Leisure and hospitality................................. 849 577 687 6.5 4.5 5.4

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 125 60 78 6.8 3.4 4.4

Accommodation and food services............... 723 517 610 6.4 4.7 5.5

Other services............................................. 190 164 157 3.4 3.0 2.9

Government................................................... 225 185 184 1.0 .8 .8

Federal...................................................... 27 15 24 1.0 .5 .8

State and local........................................... 197 170 160 1.0 .8 .8

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 698 597 634 2.7 2.4 2.5

South......................................................... 1,725 1,337 1,383 3.5 2.8 2.9

Midwest...................................................... 993 692 880 3.2 2.3 2.9

West......................................................... 1,130 763 880 3.7 2.6 3.0

 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 7, table 1. p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 7. Total separations levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Mar. Feb. Mar. Mar. Feb. Mar.

2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total............................................................... 4,205 3,784 3,919 3.1 2.9 3.0

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 4,015 3,626 3,754 3.5 3.3 3.4

Mining and logging....................................... 20 24 32 2.7 3.2 4.4

Construction................................................ 356 389 395 5.0 6.3 6.5

Manufacturing............................................. 332 371 359 2.4 3.0 2.9

Durable goods.......................................... 200 239 241 2.3 3.1 3.2

Nondurable goods.................................... 132 132 118 2.7 2.8 2.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 857 754 806 3.3 3.0 3.2

Wholesale trade....................................... 136 128 141 2.3 2.2 2.5

Retail trade............................................. 589 501 517 3.9 3.4 3.5

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 132 125 149 2.6 2.6 3.1

Information................................................ 62 56 67 2.0 1.9 2.3

Financial activities......................................... 200 182 206 2.4 2.3 2.6

Finance and insurance.............................. 128 109 123 2.1 1.9 2.1

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 72 73 83 3.4 3.6 4.2

Professional and business services.................. 910 776 738 5.1 4.6 4.4

Education and health services........................ 454 383 407 2.4 2.0 2.1

Educational services................................. 46 42 43 1.5 1.3 1.3

Health care and social assistance.................. 408 341 364 2.6 2.1 2.3

Leisure and hospitality................................. 669 530 583 5.1 4.2 4.5

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 83 53 58 4.5 3.1 3.3

Accommodation and food services............... 586 477 525 5.2 4.4 4.8

Other services............................................. 156 161 161 2.8 3.0 3.0

Government................................................... 190 158 164 .8 .7 .7

Federal...................................................... 24 14 15 .9 .5 .5

State and local........................................... 167 145 150 .8 .7 .7

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 688 570 669 2.7 2.3 2.7

South......................................................... 1,567 1,381 1,489 3.2 2.9 3.1

Midwest...................................................... 847 881 871 2.7 2.9 2.9

West......................................................... 1,104 952 890 3.6 3.2 3.0

 1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month. 2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 3 See footnote 7, table 1. p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 8. Quits levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Mar. Feb. Mar. Mar. Feb. Mar.

2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total............................................................... 2,330 1,491 1,562 1.7 1.1 1.2

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 2,236 1,415 1,487 2.0 1.3 1.4

Mining and logging....................................... 11 8 7 1.5 1.0 1.0

Construction................................................ 105 65 69 1.5 1.0 1.1

Manufacturing............................................. 174 86 71 1.3 .7 .6

Durable goods.......................................... 99 44 35 1.2 .6 .5

Nondurable goods.................................... 75 42 36 1.5 .9 .8

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 505 298 381 1.9 1.2 1.5

Wholesale trade....................................... 73 36 50 1.2 .6 .9

Retail trade............................................. 353 221 271 2.3 1.5 1.8

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 79 41 60 1.6 .9 1.3

Information................................................ 30 20 24 1.0 .7 .8

Financial activities......................................... 118 62 60 1.4 .8 .8

Finance and insurance.............................. 75 42 35 1.2 .7 .6

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 43 19 26 2.0 1.0 1.3

Professional and business services.................. 456 257 269 2.6 1.5 1.6

Education and health services........................ 274 197 204 1.5 1.0 1.1

Educational services................................. 26 23 20 .8 .7 .6

Health care and social assistance.................. 248 175 185 1.6 1.1 1.2

Leisure and hospitality................................. 465 320 333 3.5 2.5 2.6

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 30 19 19 1.6 1.1 1.1

Accommodation and food services............... 435 302 314 3.8 2.8 2.8

Other services............................................. 97 103 69 1.8 1.9 1.3

Government................................................... 94 76 75 .4 .3 .3

Federal...................................................... 7 3 3 .3 .1 .1

State and local........................................... 87 73 72 .4 .4 .4

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 327 188 231 1.3 .8 .9

South......................................................... 974 593 656 2.0 1.2 1.4

Midwest...................................................... 481 353 349 1.5 1.2 1.2

West......................................................... 548 357 326 1.8 1.2 1.1

 1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month. 2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 3 See footnote 7, table 1. p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 9. Layoffs and discharges levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Mar. Feb. Mar. Mar. Feb. Mar.

2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total............................................................... 1,543 2,021 2,067 1.1 1.5 1.6

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 1,489 1,969 2,009 1.3 1.8 1.8

Mining and logging....................................... 6 15 22 .8 2.0 3.1

Construction................................................ 229 314 308 3.3 5.1 5.0

Manufacturing............................................. 122 267 267 .9 2.2 2.2

Durable goods.......................................... 77 183 193 .9 2.4 2.5

Nondurable goods.................................... 45 85 74 .9 1.8 1.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 270 400 357 1.0 1.6 1.4

Wholesale trade....................................... 57 86 83 1.0 1.5 1.5

Retail trade............................................. 169 242 196 1.1 1.7 1.3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 44 73 78 .9 1.5 1.6

Information................................................ 29 33 35 .9 1.1 1.2

Financial activities......................................... 67 109 127 .8 1.4 1.6

Finance and insurance.............................. 47 58 76 .8 1.0 1.3

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 20 52 51 1.0 2.6 2.6

Professional and business services.................. 381 454 415 2.1 2.7 2.5

Education and health services........................ 145 138 155 .8 .7 .8

Educational services................................. 16 17 14 .5 .5 .4

Health care and social assistance.................. 129 122 140 .8 .8 .9

Leisure and hospitality................................. 189 182 232 1.4 1.4 1.8

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 52 34 36 2.8 1.9 2.0

Accommodation and food services............... 137 148 196 1.2 1.4 1.8

Other services............................................. 52 55 91 .9 1.0 1.7

Government................................................... 54 52 58 .2 .2 .3

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

State and local........................................... 48 47 53 .2 .2 .3

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 288 312 377 1.1 1.3 1.5

South......................................................... 507 694 729 1.0 1.5 1.5

Midwest...................................................... 289 466 454 .9 1.6 1.5

West......................................................... 459 549 508 1.5 1.9 1.7

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

employment.

 3 See footnote 7, table 1. p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 10. Other separations levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Mar. Feb. Mar. Mar. Feb. Mar.

2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total............................................................... 332 272 290 0.2 0.2 0.2

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 290 242 259 .3 .2 .2

Mining and logging....................................... 3 1 3 .4 .1 .3

Construction................................................ 21 10 17 .3 .2 .3

Manufacturing............................................. 36 18 21 .3 .1 .2

Durable goods.......................................... 24 13 13 .3 .2 .2

Nondurable goods.................................... 11 5 8 .2 .1 .2

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 82 55 69 .3 .2 .3

Wholesale trade....................................... 5 7 8 .1 .1 .1

Retail trade............................................. 67 39 50 .4 .3 .3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 10 10 10 .2 .2 .2

Information................................................ 3 4 8 .1 .1 .3

Financial activities......................................... 15 12 18 .2 .1 .2

Finance and insurance.............................. 6 9 13 .1 .2 .2

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 8 2 6 .4 .1 .3

Professional and business services.................. 74 65 55 .4 .4 .3

Education and health services........................ 35 47 48 .2 .2 .2

Educational services................................. 4 2 9 .1 .1 .3

Health care and social assistance.................. 31 45 39 .2 .3 .2

Leisure and hospitality................................. 15 27 18 .1 .2 .1

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 113 (

4

) (4) .1

Accommodation and food services............... 14 27 15 .1 .2 .1

Other services............................................. 7 3 2 .1 (

4

) (4)

Government................................................... 42 30 31 .2 .1 .1

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

State and local........................................... 32 25 25 .2 .1 .1

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 74 70 61 .3 .3 .2

South......................................................... 85 95 106 .2 .2 .2

Midwest...................................................... 76 63 67 .2 .2 .2

West......................................................... 97 44 55 .3 .2 .2

 1 Other separations are the number of other separations during the entire month. 2 The other separations rate is the number of other separations during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 3 See footnote 7, table 1. 4 Data round to zero. p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region