For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Tuesday, February 9, 2010 USDL-10-0169

Technical information: (202) 691-5870 • JoltsInfo@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/jlt 

Media contact: (202) 691-5902 • PressOffice@bls.gov 

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER – DECEMBER 2009 

There were 2.5 million job openings on the last business day of December 2009, the U.S. Bureau of 

Labor Statistics reported today. The job openings rate was little changed over the month at 1.9 percent. 

The job openings rate has held relatively steady since March 2009. The hires rate (3.1 percent) and the 

separations rate (3.2 percent) were essentially unchanged in December. This release includes estimates 

of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector by industry 

and geographic region. 

Job Openings 

The job openings rate was little changed in December at 1.9 percent. The rate has been 1.8 percent or 

1.9 percent since March 2009. In December, the job openings rate increased in state and local 

government and decreased in the Midwest. (See table 1.) 

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 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted,

January 2007 - December 2009

NOTE: Shaded line represents the start point for the December 2007 recession as designated by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). The NBER has not yet determined an end point.

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

4.2

Percent

2007 2008 2009

Chart 2. Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted,

January 2007 - December 2009

Hires

Separations

NOTE: Shaded line represents the start point for the December 2007 recession as designated by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). The NBER has not yet determined an end point.
- 2 - 

Over the 12 months ending in December, the job openings rate (not seasonally adjusted) decreased for 

total nonfarm and total private and was unchanged in government. The job openings rate also decreased 

over that period in educational services and health care and social assistance and in the South and 

Midwest. (See table 5.) 

Hires 

The hires rate was unchanged in December, remaining at 3.1 percent for the fifth consecutive month. 

The rate hovered between 3.0 percent and 3.2 percent since February 2009. After falling from the most 

recent peak of 5.6 million hires in July 2006, the hires level reached a low point in June 2009 of 3.9 

million. In December 2009, the hires level was 4.1 million. The hires rate decreased in professional and 

business services and was essentially unchanged for all four regions. (See table 2.) Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally adjusted

Industry Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec.

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

Total .........................................................3,224 2,434 2,497 4,508 4,125 4,073 4,958 4,274 4,238

Total private 1................................................... 2,861 2,088 2,151 4,214 3,852 3,816 4,673 3,993 3,944

Construction................................................66 75 53 366 324 358 452 361 436

Manufacturing..........................................188 154 175 252 252 237 419 299 298

Trade, transportation, and utilities 2..................... 495 329 361 891 839 871 1,041 863 917

Retail trade..................................... 337 197 246 595 539 548 664 544 571

Professional and business services......................... 562 431 415 786 808 661 898 763 620

Education and health services........................... 685 543 550 528 517 524 498 488 510

Leisure and hospitality .................................... 315 229 234 711 703 684 755 752 704

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 40 24 22 111 119 89 106 117 104

Accommodation and food services..........274 207 213 605 590 588 647 622 595

Government 3..................................... 345 341 343 271 278 262 278 280 297

 State and local government..................................... 312 258 294 253 248 244 251 240 255

Total ...................................................... 2.3 1.8 1.9 3.3 3.1 3.1 3.7 3.3 3.2

Total private 1................................................... 2.5 1.9 1.9 3.7 3.6 3.5 4.1 3.7 3.6

Construction..........................................0.9 1.2 0.9 5.3 5.4 6.1 6.6 6.1 7.4

Manufacturing................................................ 1.4 1.3 1.5 2.0 2.2 2.0 3.2 2.6 2.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities 2........................ 1.9 1.3 1.4 3.4 3.4 3.5 4.0 3.5 3.7

Retail trade.................................... 2.2 1.3 1.7 4.0 3.7 3.7 4.4 3.7 3.9

Professional and business services......................... 3.1 2.5 2.4 4.5 4.8 3.9 5.2 4.5 3.7

Education and health services........................... 3.5 2.7 2.7 2.8 2.7 2.7 2.6 2.5 2.6

Leisure and hospitality .................................... 2.3 1.7 1.8 5.3 5.4 5.2 5.7 5.7 5.4

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 2.0 1.2 1.1 5.7 6.2 4.7 5.4 6.2 5.5

Accommodation and food services..........2.4 1.8 1.9 5.3 5.3 5.2 5.7 5.5 5.3

Government 3..................................... 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3

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

 1 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, and other services, not show n separately.

 2 Includes w holesale trade and transportation, w arehousing, and utilities, not show n separately.

 3 Includes federal government, not show n separately.

 p = preliminary.

Rates (percent)

Job openings Hires Total separations

Levels (in thousands)
- 3 - 

Over the 12 months ending in December, the hires rate (not seasonally adjusted) was little changed for 

total nonfarm, total private, and government. The hires rate increased for transportation, warehousing, 

and utilities and was essentially unchanged in all four regions. (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 was 

little changed in December and remained low at 3.2 percent. The total separations rate (not seasonally 

adjusted) decreased over the 12 months ending in December for total nonfarm and total private while the 

rate for government was little changed. (See tables 3 and 7.) 

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

decreased for total nonfarm and total private and was unchanged for government in December. The quits 

rate was essentially unchanged in all industries and all four regions. After falling from the most recent 

peak of 3.2 million in December 2006, the number of quits has held steady at 1.8 million or 1.9 million 

since February 2009. (See table 4.) 

Over the 12 months ending in December, the quits rate (not seasonally adjusted) was essentially 

unchanged for total nonfarm and government and decreased for total private. The quits rate decreased in 

retail trade. The quits rate was essentially unchanged in all four regions. (See table 8.) 

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

total private, and government levels. The layoffs and discharges levels for total nonfarm, total private, 

and government were little changed in December at 2.1 million, 2.0 million, and 117,000 respectively. 

The corresponding layoffs and discharges rates were 1.6 percent, 1.8 percent, and 0.5 percent. The 

number of layoffs and discharges at the total nonfarm level peaked at 2.6 million in January 2009; the 

most recent trough was 1.6 million in January 2006. (See table B below.) 

The layoffs and discharges rate (not seasonally adjusted) was little changed over the 12 months ending 

in December for total nonfarm and government and decreased for total private. The layoffs and 

discharges rate fell in durable goods; wholesale trade; and professional and business services. The rate 

rose in transportation, warehousing, and utilities as well as federal government. The layoffs and 

discharges rate remained essentially unchanged in all four regions. (See table 9.) 

The other separations series is not seasonally adjusted. In December, there were 289,000 other 

separations for total nonfarm, 236,000 for total private, and 53,000 for government. Compared to Table B. Layoffs and discharges, seasonally adjusted

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

2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total........................................................................................................... 2,360 2,011 2,079 1.7 1.5 1.6

Total private............................................................................................ 2,241 1,895 1,953 2.0 1.7 1.8

Government......................................................................................... 98 112 117 0.4 0.5 0.5

 p = preliminary.

Industry

Levels (in thousands) Rates
- 4 - 

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

and rose for government. (See table 10.) 

The total separations level is influenced by the relative contribution of its three components—quits, 

layoffs and discharges, and other separations. The percentage of total separations at the total nonfarm 

level attributable to the individual components has varied over time. The proportion of quits had 

exceeded the proportion of layoffs and discharges every month from the beginning of the series from 

December 2000 until November 2008 when layoffs and discharges became the larger contributor to total 

separations. The proportion of separations due to quits fell to a series low of 38 percent in April 2009 

and is now 42 percent in December 2009. The proportion of separations due to layoffs and discharges 

rose to a series high of 55 percent in July 2009 and is now 49 percent in December 2009. (See tables 3 

and 4, and table B above.) 

Net Change in Employment 

Over the 12 months ending in December, hires totaled 49.4 million and separations totaled 53.6 million,

yielding a net employment loss of 4.2 million. 

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey results for January 2010 are scheduled to be 

released on Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. (EST).

Revisions to the JOLTS Data 

With the release of January data on March 9, 2010, BLS will revise the job openings, hires, and 

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

estimates and the JOLTS seasonal adjustment factors. Unadjusted data from April 2008 forward and 

seasonally adjusted data from December 2000 forward are subject to revision. 
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

Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

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

Total......................................................3,224 2,408 2,423 2,586 2,571 2,434 2,497 2.3 1.8 1.8 1.9 1.9 1.8 1.9

INDUSTRY

Total private 4....................................... 2,861 2,090 2,128 2,298 2,206 2,088 2,151 2.5 1.9 1.9 2.1 2.0 1.9 1.9

Construction....................................... 66 47 65 70 69 75 53 .9 .8 1.1 1.2 1.1 1.2 .9

Manufacturing.................................... 188 110 122 132 139 154 175 1.4 .9 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 495 393 422 407 373 329 361 1.9 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.3 1.4

Retail trade....................................... 337 260 273 271 247 197 246 2.2 1.7 1.8 1.8 1.7 1.3 1.7

Professional and business services......... 562 431 438 501 480 431 415 3.1 2.5 2.6 2.9 2.8 2.5 2.4

Education and health services............... 685 553 520 546 524 543 550 3.5 2.8 2.6 2.7 2.6 2.7 2.7

Leisure and hospitality ........................ 315 256 238 311 258 229 234 2.3 1.9 1.8 2.3 1.9 1.7 1.8

Arts, entertainment, and recreation...... 40 17 22 23 17 24 22 2.0 .9 1.1 1.2 .9 1.2 1.1

Accommodation and food services...... 274 237 216 286 242 207 213 2.4 2.1 1.9 2.5 2.1 1.8 1.9

Government 6

....................................... 345 314 300 296 376 341 343 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.6 1.5 1.5

State and local government................... 312 266 269 240 286 258 294 1.6 1.3 1.4 1.2 1.4 1.3 1.5

REGION 7

Northeast.......................................... 633 508 513 539 503 493 522 2.4 2.0 2.0 2.1 2.0 2.0 2.1

South................................................ 1,245 870 911 930 897 838 914 2.5 1.8 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.7 1.9

Midwest............................................. 607 509 476 556 550 542 452 1.9 1.7 1.6 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.5

West................................................ 689 517 533 575 609 571 613 2.2 1.7 1.8 1.9 2.0 1.9 2.0

1

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

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

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

 3

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

adjustment of the various series and because not all series are shown. 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.

Industry and region

Levels 3

 (in thousands) Rates

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

Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

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

Total......................................................4,508 4,228 4,040 4,061 4,045 4,125 4,073 3.3 3.2 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.1

INDUSTRY

Total private 4....................................... 4,214 3,930 3,779 3,800 3,730 3,852 3,816 3.7 3.6 3.5 3.5 3.4 3.6 3.5

Construction....................................... 366 355 297 349 332 324 358 5.3 5.8 4.9 5.8 5.6 5.4 6.1

Manufacturing.................................... 252 272 243 270 245 252 237 2.0 2.3 2.1 2.3 2.1 2.2 2.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 891 819 818 842 768 839 871 3.4 3.3 3.3 3.4 3.1 3.4 3.5

Retail trade....................................... 595 547 557 535 523 539 548 4.0 3.7 3.8 3.6 3.6 3.7 3.7

Professional and business services......... 786 686 715 724 735 808 661 4.5 4.1 4.3 4.4 4.4 4.8 3.9

Education and health services............... 528 522 538 526 522 517 524 2.8 2.7 2.8 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.7

Leisure and hospitality ........................ 711 716 695 656 677 703 684 5.3 5.4 5.3 5.0 5.2 5.4 5.2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation...... 111 138 107 104 112 119 89 5.7 7.3 5.7 5.5 5.9 6.2 4.7

Accommodation and food services...... 605 582 591 562 566 590 588 5.3 5.2 5.2 5.0 5.0 5.3 5.2

Government 6

....................................... 271 282 261 266 304 278 262 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.4 1.2 1.2

State and local government................... 253 253 233 244 263 248 244 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.2

REGION 7

Northeast.......................................... 726 714 720 693 769 754 748 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.8 3.1 3.1 3.0

South................................................ 1,659 1,544 1,493 1,502 1,403 1,546 1,516 3.4 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.0 3.3 3.2

Midwest.............................................1,009 885 947 911 915 902 900 3.3 3.0 3.2 3.1 3.1 3.0 3.0

West................................................ 1,053 1,042 884 939 929 935 903 3.5 3.5 3.0 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.1

 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 and because not all series are shown. p

 = preliminary. 4

 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, and 

other services, not shown separately.

Industry and region

Levels Rates 3

 (in thousands)
Table 3. Total separations levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

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

Total......................................................4,958 4,430 4,284 4,325 4,223 4,274 4,238 3.7 3.4 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.3 3.2

INDUSTRY

Total private 4

....................................... 4,673 4,147 3,976 4,038 3,944 3,993 3,944 4.1 3.8 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.6

Construction....................................... 452 444 342 421 384 361 436 6.6 7.2 5.6 7.0 6.4 6.1 7.4

Manufacturing.................................... 419 329 313 314 300 299 298 3.2 2.8 2.7 2.7 2.6 2.6 2.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

.........1,041 874 850 870 840 863 917 4.0 3.5 3.4 3.5 3.4 3.5 3.7

Retail trade.................................... 664 578 567 561 568 544 571 4.4 3.9 3.8 3.8 3.9 3.7 3.9

Professional and business services......... 898 738 728 740 725 763 620 5.2 4.4 4.4 4.5 4.3 4.5 3.7

Education and health services............... 498 500 509 502 470 488 510 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.4 2.5 2.6

Leisure and hospitality ........................ 755 713 704 697 723 752 704 5.7 5.4 5.3 5.3 5.5 5.7 5.4

Arts, entertainment, and recreation...... 106 121 111 102 129 117 104 5.4 6.4 5.9 5.3 6.8 6.2 5.5

Accommodation and food services...... 647 594 593 590 590 622 595 5.7 5.3 5.3 5.2 5.3 5.5 5.3

Government 6

....................................... 278 298 293 279 275 280 297 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3

State and local government................... 251 274 271 260 242 240 255 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.3

REGION 7

Northeast.......................................... 799 716 759 744 739 820 763 3.2 2.9 3.1 3.0 3.0 3.3 3.1

South................................................1,815 1,602 1,490 1,521 1,561 1,644 1,493 3.7 3.4 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.5 3.2

Midwest.............................................1,088 958 951 985 920 868 940 3.5 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.1 2.9 3.2

West................................................ 1,227 1,181 1,086 1,036 963 985 1,021 4.0 4.0 3.7 3.5 3.3 3.4 3.5

 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 and because not all series are shown. 4

 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, 

and other services, not shown separately.

Industry and region

Levels 3

 (in thousands) Rates

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

Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

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

Total......................................................2,114 1,778 1,779 1,804 1,771 1,919 1,764 1.6 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.3

INDUSTRY

Total private 4

....................................... 1,984 1,673 1,680 1,713 1,663 1,817 1,653 1.8 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.7 1.5

Construction....................................... 92 68 67 90 68 77 78 1.3 1.1 1.1 1.5 1.1 1.3 1.3

Manufacturing.................................... 87 82 85 94 78 77 76 .7 .7 .7 .8 .7 .7 .7

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 518 415 407 445 389 451 397 2.0 1.6 1.6 1.8 1.6 1.8 1.6

Retail trade.................................... 379 295 309 342 292 300 290 2.5 2.0 2.1 2.3 2.0 2.0 2.0

Professional and business services......... 297 265 269 276 283 294 253 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.8 1.5

Education and health services............... 256 235 249 269 268 262 282 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.4

Leisure and hospitality ........................ 461 411 413 351 363 413 370 3.5 3.1 3.1 2.7 2.8 3.1 2.8

Arts, entertainment, and recreation...... 29 38 38 17 37 42 29 1.5 2.0 2.0 .9 2.0 2.2 1.5

Accommodation and food services...... 435 372 374 339 328 374 340 3.8 3.3 3.3 3.0 2.9 3.3 3.0

Government 6

....................................... 130 107 106 98 103 108 111 .6 .5 .5 .4 .5 .5 .5

State and local government................... 121 101 97 95 97 99 98 .6 .5 .5 .5 .5 .5 .5

REGION 7

Northeast.......................................... 302 234 270 297 291 273 274 1.2 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.1

South................................................ 847 724 687 701 682 814 720 1.7 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.7 1.5

Midwest............................................. 452 435 374 405 386 406 383 1.5 1.5 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.3

West................................................ 498 404 460 414 386 438 383 1.6 1.4 1.6 1.4 1.3 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 and because not all series are shown. p

 = preliminary. 4

 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, 

and other services, not shown separately.

Industry and region

Levels 3

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

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

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

2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total............................................................... 2,796 2,215 2,304 2.0 1.6 1.7

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 2,492 1,895 1,994 2.2 1.7 1.8

Mining and logging....................................... 17 6 6 2.1 .9 .9

Construction................................................ 54 58 40 .8 .9 .7

Manufacturing............................................. 161 138 173 1.2 1.2 1.5

Durable goods.......................................... 83 66 89 1.0 .9 1.2

Nondurable goods.................................... 78 72 85 1.6 1.5 1.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 399 296 296 1.5 1.1 1.1

Wholesale trade....................................... 85 60 67 1.4 1.1 1.2

Retail trade............................................. 252 191 191 1.6 1.3 1.2

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 62 44 38 1.2 .9 .8

Information................................................ 62 42 60 2.1 1.5 2.1

Financial activities......................................... 190 161 148 2.3 2.0 1.9

Finance and insurance.............................. 144 129 112 2.4 2.2 1.9

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 46 31 36 2.2 1.6 1.8

Professional and business services.................. 522 386 386 2.9 2.2 2.2

Education and health services........................ 651 517 547 3.3 2.6 2.7

Educational services................................. 68 40 39 2.1 1.2 1.2

Health care and social assistance.................. 584 477 508 3.5 2.8 3.0

Leisure and hospitality................................. 268 190 191 2.0 1.5 1.5

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 27 21 15 1.5 1.2 .9

Accommodation and food services............... 242 169 176 2.1 1.5 1.6

Other services............................................. 168 102 147 3.0 1.9 2.7

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region

Government................................................... 304 319 310 1.3 1.4 1.3

Federal...................................................... 33 74 42 1.2 2.5 1.5

State and local........................................... 271 245 268 1.3 1.2 1.3

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 560 438 476 2.1 1.7 1.9

South......................................................... 1,131 766 890 2.3 1.6 1.8

Midwest...................................................... 539 472 399 1.7 1.6 1.3

West......................................................... 567 539 538 1.8 1.8 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.
Table 6. Hires levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

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

2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total............................................................... 3,124 3,694 2,965 2.3 2.8 2.2

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 2,963 3,498 2,815 2.6 3.2 2.6

Mining and logging....................................... 18 20 15 2.3 2.8 2.2

Construction................................................ 222 243 225 3.3 4.0 3.9

Manufacturing............................................. 165 208 152 1.3 1.8 1.3

Durable goods.......................................... 95 115 82 1.2 1.6 1.2

Nondurable goods.................................... 70 94 70 1.5 2.0 1.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 689 945 683 2.6 3.7 2.7

Wholesale trade....................................... 113 126 81 1.9 2.2 1.4

Retail trade............................................. 467 669 432 3.0 4.5 2.8

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 109 151 170 2.2 3.2 3.5

Information................................................ 48 62 63 1.6 2.2 2.2

Financial activities......................................... 141 113 146 1.8 1.5 1.9

Finance and insurance.............................. 84 74 79 1.4 1.3 1.4

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 57 40 66 2.7 2.0 3.4

Professional and business services.................. 629 776 527 3.6 4.6 3.1

Education and health services........................ 372 425 374 1.9 2.2 1.9

Educational services................................. 31 47 32 1.0 1.4 1.0

Health care and social assistance.................. 341 378 342 2.1 2.3 2.1

Leisure and hospitality................................. 522 591 499 4.0 4.6 3.9

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 80 93 66 4.5 5.3 3.8

Accommodation and food services............... 442 498 433 3.9 4.5 3.9

Other services............................................. 157 113 131 2.9 2.1 2.5

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region

Government................................................... 161 196 150 .7 .9 .7

Federal...................................................... 19 22 13 .7 .8 .5

State and local........................................... 141 174 137 .7 .9 .7

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 534 678 550 2.1 2.7 2.2

South......................................................... 1,129 1,394 1,101 2.3 2.9 2.3

Midwest...................................................... 703 781 638 2.3 2.6 2.1

West......................................................... 758 841 677 2.5 2.8 2.3

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

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

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

2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total............................................................... 4,579 3,686 3,965 3.4 2.8 3.0

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 4,367 3,506 3,732 3.9 3.2 3.4

Mining and logging....................................... 29 17 23 3.7 2.4 3.2

Construction................................................ 465 357 455 6.9 5.9 7.8

Manufacturing............................................. 345 246 247 2.7 2.1 2.1

Durable goods.......................................... 214 132 127 2.6 1.8 1.8

Nondurable goods.................................... 131 114 119 2.7 2.5 2.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 1,078 750 981 4.1 2.9 3.8

Wholesale trade....................................... 204 117 141 3.5 2.1 2.5

Retail trade............................................. 697 480 610 4.5 3.2 4.0

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 177 153 230 3.5 3.2 4.8

Information................................................ 74 66 73 2.5 2.3 2.6

Financial activities......................................... 166 108 145 2.1 1.4 1.9

Finance and insurance.............................. 97 57 71 1.6 1.0 1.2

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 69 51 74 3.3 2.6 3.7

Professional and business services.................. 1,019 765 675 5.9 4.5 4.0

Education and health services........................ 387 349 403 2.0 1.8 2.1

Educational services................................. 48 33 47 1.5 1.0 1.5

Health care and social assistance.................. 339 316 355 2.1 1.9 2.2

Leisure and hospitality................................. 624 692 582 4.8 5.4 4.5

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 78 129 75 4.4 7.3 4.3

Accommodation and food services............... 545 564 507 4.9 5.1 4.6

Other services............................................. 181 156 149 3.3 2.9 2.8

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region

Government................................................... 212 180 233 .9 .8 1.0

Federal...................................................... 24 23 38 .9 .8 1.4

State and local........................................... 187 157 195 .9 .8 1.0

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 768 694 734 3.0 2.8 3.0

South......................................................... 1,604 1,363 1,333 3.3 2.9 2.8

Midwest...................................................... 1,103 793 964 3.6 2.6 3.2

West......................................................... 1,104 836 934 3.6 2.8 3.2

 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.
Table 8. Quits levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

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

2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total............................................................... 1,659 1,542 1,401 1.2 1.2 1.1

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 1,568 1,468 1,319 1.4 1.3 1.2

Mining and logging....................................... 9 4 3 1.2 .6 .5

Construction................................................ 58 56 60 .9 .9 1.0

Manufacturing............................................. 60 55 49 .5 .5 .4

Durable goods.......................................... 34 27 20 .4 .4 .3

Nondurable goods.................................... 25 28 29 .5 .6 .6

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 448 378 348 1.7 1.5 1.4

Wholesale trade....................................... 53 54 41 .9 1.0 .7

Retail trade............................................. 332 265 260 2.1 1.8 1.7

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 64 59 47 1.3 1.2 1.0

Information................................................ 21 34 25 .7 1.2 .9

Financial activities......................................... 52 50 62 .7 .6 .8

Finance and insurance.............................. 42 29 34 .7 .5 .6

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 10 21 29 .5 1.1 1.4

Professional and business services.................. 274 263 207 1.6 1.6 1.2

Education and health services........................ 193 198 218 1.0 1.0 1.1

Educational services................................. 14 19 23 .4 .6 .7

Health care and social assistance.................. 179 179 195 1.1 1.1 1.2

Leisure and hospitality................................. 369 348 294 2.8 2.7 2.3

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 16 28 18 .9 1.6 1.0

Accommodation and food services............... 352 320 277 3.1 2.9 2.5

Other services............................................. 84 81 51 1.5 1.5 1.0

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region

Government................................................... 91 74 82 .4 .3 .4

Federal...................................................... 5 4 10 .2 .1 .3

State and local........................................... 86 70 73 .4 .3 .4

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 230 220 209 .9 .9 .8

South......................................................... 661 635 573 1.3 1.3 1.2

Midwest...................................................... 355 338 303 1.2 1.1 1.0

West......................................................... 412 349 315 1.4 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.
Table 9. Layoffs and discharges levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

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

2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total............................................................... 2,631 1,912 2,274 1.9 1.4 1.7

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 2,550 1,839 2,177 2.3 1.7 2.0

Mining and logging....................................... 18 12 18 2.4 1.7 2.6

Construction................................................ 389 292 377 5.8 4.8 6.5

Manufacturing............................................. 269 178 171 2.1 1.5 1.5

Durable goods.......................................... 169 98 92 2.1 1.4 1.3

Nondurable goods.................................... 100 80 80 2.1 1.7 1.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 563 330 582 2.1 1.3 2.3

Wholesale trade....................................... 143 58 93 2.4 1.0 1.6

Retail trade............................................. 331 185 318 2.1 1.2 2.1

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 89 87 172 1.8 1.8 3.6

Information................................................ 42 25 41 1.4 .9 1.4

Financial activities......................................... 95 48 70 1.2 .6 .9

Finance and insurance.............................. 47 22 28 .8 .4 .5

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 48 26 42 2.3 1.3 2.1

Professional and business services.................. 679 433 433 3.9 2.6 2.6

Education and health services........................ 168 130 149 .9 .7 .8

Educational services................................. 31 12 20 1.0 .4 .6

Health care and social assistance.................. 137 118 129 .9 .7 .8

Leisure and hospitality................................. 238 325 263 1.8 2.5 2.1

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 60 96 55 3.3 5.4 3.1

Accommodation and food services............... 178 229 208 1.6 2.1 1.9

Other services............................................. 88 66 72 1.6 1.2 1.3

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region

Government................................................... 82 73 97 .4 .3 .4

Federal...................................................... 14 13 19 .5 .5 .7

State and local........................................... 68 60 78 .3 .3 .4

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 466 445 463 1.8 1.8 1.9

South......................................................... 853 619 680 1.7 1.3 1.4

Midwest...................................................... 690 407 600 2.2 1.4 2.0

West......................................................... 623 441 531 2.0 1.5 1.8

 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.
Table 10. Other separations levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

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

2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total............................................................... 289 232 289 0.2 0.2 0.2

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 250 199 236 .2 .2 .2

Mining and logging....................................... 1 1 1 .2 .1 .1

Construction................................................ 19 918 .3 .1 .3

Manufacturing............................................. 16 12 26 .1 .1 .2

Durable goods.......................................... 10 616 .1 .1 .2

Nondurable goods.................................... 6 6 10 .1 .1 .2

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 67 42 51 .3 .2 .2

Wholesale trade....................................... 9 5 8 .1 .1 .1

Retail trade............................................. 34 30 32 .2 .2 .2

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 24 711 .5 .1 .2

Information................................................ 11 7 8 .4 .2 .3

Financial activities......................................... 19 10 12 .2 .1 .2

Finance and insurance.............................. 8 6 9 .1 .1 .2

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 10 4 4 .5 .2 .2

Professional and business services.................. 65 69 36 .4 .4 .2

Education and health services........................ 26 20 35 .1 .1 .2

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

Health care and social assistance.................. 23 18 31 .1 .1 .2

Leisure and hospitality................................. 17 19 24 .1 .1 .2

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

Accommodation and food services............... 15 14 22 .1 .1 .2

Other services............................................. 10 926 .2 .2 .5

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region

Government................................................... 39 32 53 .2 .1 .2

Federal...................................................... 6 6 9 .2 .2 .3

State and local........................................... 33 27 44 .2 .1 .2

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 71 28 60 .3 .1 .2

South......................................................... 94 110 83 .2 .2 .2

Midwest...................................................... 54 47 59 .2 .2 .2

West......................................................... 71 46 87 .2 .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 7, table 1. p = preliminary.