1

Technical information: (202) 691-5870

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

Media contact: 691-5902

USDL 04-1025

For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT

Wednesday, June 9, 2004

Chart 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted, 

 December 2000 - April 2004

1.8

2.0

2.2

2.4

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

Percent

2001 2002 2003 2004

Chart 2. Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted,

December 2000 - April 2004

1.8

2.0

2.2

2.4

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

Percent

Separations

Hires

2001 2002 2003 2004

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: APRIL 2004

There were 4.4 million hires and 4.0 million separations during April, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of

the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The number of hires dropped by 245,000 from March to

April, but remained above the number of separations for the 12th straight month. The job openings rate was

unchanged at 2.3 percent in April. The series in this report include estimates of the number and rate of job

openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector by industry and geographic region.

Job Openings

On the last business day of April, there were 3.1 million job openings in the United States, and the job

openings rate (the number of job openings on the last business day of the month divided by employment plus

job openings) was 2.3 percent. (See table 1.) The job openings rate has ranged from 2.0 to 2.4 percent

since October 2001. Over the month, the job openings rate edged up for manufacturing, while showing little

or no change in other major industry categories.

Hires and Separations

The hires rate (the number of hires during the month divided by employment) decreased to 3.3 percent in

April. (See table 2.) Hires are any additions to the payroll during the month. The hires rate decreased in

professional and business services in April, following an increase in March. The hires rate for government

decreased to 1.4 percent in April. Other major industries showed little or no change in their hires rates over

the month. However, in the leisure and hospitality industry, there were approximately 100,000 more hires

each month in February, March, and April 2004 than in the same months in 2003.
2

Total 1.................................................... 3,091 4,603 4,358 3,975 4,134 4,029

Total private 1..................................... 2,733 3,610 4,256 4,044 3,740 3,868

Construction ................................... 100 113 112 357 437 409 411 392 391

Manufacturing ................................ 183 232 259 282 361 349 391 377 364

Trade, transportation, and

utilities ........................................... 439 524 518 838 1,009 1,028 867 978 958

Professional and business

services ......................................... 460 502 494 624 713 600 568 597 589

Education and health services .... 569 559 566 419 444 459 387 382 385

Leisure and hospitality ................. 337 370 368 656 810 754 699 715 671

Government .......................................... 371 353 357 303 343 306 231 284 251

Total 1................................................... 2.1 2.3 2.3 3.0 3.5 3.3 3.1 3.2 3.1

Total private 1................................... 2.2 2.5 2.4 3.3 3.9 3.7 3.5 3.5 3.5

Construction ................................... 1.5 1.6 1.6 5.3 6.4 6.0 6.1 5.7 5.7

Manufacturing ................................ 1.2 1.6 1.8 1.9 2.5 2.4 2.7 2.6 2.5

Trade, transportation, and

utilities ........................................... 1.7 2.0 2.0 3.3 4.0 4.0 3.4 3.8 3.8

Professional and business

services ......................................... 2.8 3.0 2.9 3.9 4.4 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.6

Education and health services .... 3.3 3.2 3.3 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.3 2.3 2.3

Leisure and hospitality ................. 2.7 2.9 2.9 5.4 6.6 6.1 5.8 5.8 5.5

Government .......................................... 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.4 1.6 1.4 1.1 1.3 1.2

 Job openings

Industry

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

Hires Total separations

Apr. Mar. Apr. Apr. Mar. Apr. Apr. Mar. Apr.

2003 2004p 2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Levels (in thousands)

Rates (percent)

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

 p = preliminary.

2004

3,911

2,430

2,807

2,740

3,079

3,785

The total separations, or turnover, rate (the number of separations during the month divided by employment) was 3.1 percent in April and has remained in the range of 2.9 to 3.3 percent since December 2001.

Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any time during the month. The total separations

rate for government edged down in April, and the other major industries showed little or no change in their

total separations rates over the month. (See table 3.)

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

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

ability to change jobs, was unchanged at 1.7 percent in April. (See table 4.) There were more quits in

February, March, and April 2004 than in the same months in 2003. Quits as a percent of total separations

has been increasing since December 2003; quits were 55.2 percent of total separations in April. In the

education and health services industry, quits were 64.4 percent of total separations. The other two components of total separations, layoffs and discharges (1.0 percent) and other separations (0.2 percent), are

not seasonally adjusted. (See tables 9 and 10.)

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

averaged 4.1 million per month and separations have averaged 3.9 million per month. (See the Technical

Note for additional information on these measures.) Hires have outpaced separations in each of the last 12

months. In March and April, hires outpaced separations in every industry except manufacturing.
3

The trade, transportation, and utilities industry reported 23.6 percent of the 4.4 million hires and

23.8 percent of the 4.0 million separations in April. The South region reported 36.0 percent of hires and

36.9 percent of separations.

For More Information

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

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

(202) 691-5870.

______________________________

The report on Job Openings and Labor Turnover for May 2004 is scheduled to be released on

Wednesday, July 7, 2004.
Technical Note

The data for the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey

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

business establishments by the Bureau of Labor Statistics

(BLS).

Collection

Each month, data are collected in a survey of business

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

layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Data collection

methods include computer-assisted telephone interviewing,

touchtone data entry, fax, and mail.

Coverage

The JOLTS program covers all private nonfarm

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

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

the District of Columbia.

Concepts

Industry classification. The industry classifications in this

release are in accordance with the 2002 version of the North

American Industry Classification System (NAICS). In order to

ensure the highest possible quality of data, State Employment

Security Agencies verify with employers and update, if

necessary, the industry code, location, and ownership

classification of all establishments on a 3-year cycle. Changes

in establishment characteristics resulting from the verification

process are always introduced into the JOLTS sampling frame

with the data reported for the first month of the year.

Employment. Employment includes persons on the payroll

who worked or received pay for the pay period that includes

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

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

employees are included, as are employees on paid vacations or

other paid leave. Proprietors or partners of unincorporated

businesses, unpaid family workers, or persons on leave without

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

employed. Employees of temporary help agencies, employee

leasing companies, outside contractors, and consultants are

counted by their employer of record, not by the establishment

where they are working.

Job openings. Establishments submit job openings

information for the last business day of the reference month.

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

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

within 30 days regardless of whether a suitable candidate is

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

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

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

Active recruiting means that the establishment is taking steps

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

posting help-wanted signs, accepting applications, or using

other similar methods.

Jobs to be filled only by internal transfers, promotions,

demotions, or recall from layoffs are excluded. Also excluded

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

for which employees have been hired but have not yet reported

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

agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors, or

consultants. The job openings rate is computed by dividing

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

openings and multiplying that quotient by 100.

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

occurring at any time during the reference month, including

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

permanent, short-term, and seasonal employees, employees

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

on-call or intermittent employees who returned to work after

having been formally separated, and transfers from other

locations. The hires count does not include transfers or

promotions within the reporting site, employees returning from

strike, employees of temporary help agencies or employee

leasing companies, outside contractors, or consultants. The

hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by

employment and multiplying that quotient by 100.

Separations. Separations are the total number of

terminations of employment occurring at any time during the

reference month, and are reported by type of separation—

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

voluntary separations by employees (except for retirements,

which are reported as other separations). Layoffs and

discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the

employer and include layoffs with no intent to rehire, formal

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

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

discharges for cause, terminations of permanent or short-term

employees, and terminations of seasonal employees. Other

separations include retirements, transfers to other locations,

deaths, and separations due to disability. Separations do not

include transfers within the same location or employees on

strike.

The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of

separations by employment and multiplying that quotient by

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

rates are computed similarly, dividing the number by

employment and multiplying by 100.

Sample methodology

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

nonfarm business establishments, including factories, offices,

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

the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The establishments

are drawn from a universe of over eight million establishments

compiled as part of the operations of the Quarterly Census of

Employment and Wages, or QCEW, program. This program

includes all employers subject to state Unemployment

Insurance (UI) laws and federal agencies subject to

Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE).

The sampling frame is stratified by ownership, region,

industry sector, and size class. Large firms fall into the sample
with virtual certainty. JOLTS total employment estimates are

controlled to the employment estimates of the Current

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

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

elements. Rates are then computed from the adjusted levels.

Using JOLTS data

The JOLTS data series on job openings, hires, and

separations are relatively new. The full sample is divided into

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

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

Industrial Classification (SIC) system was not completely

enrolled in the survey until January 2002. The supplemental

panels of establishments needed to create NAICS estimates

were not completely enrolled until May 2003. The data

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

Therefore, estimates from earlier months should be used with

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

In March 2002, BLS procedures for collecting hires and

separations data were revised to address possible

underreporting. As a result, JOLTS hires and separations

estimates for months prior to March 2002 may not be

comparable with estimates for March 2002 and later.

The federal government reorganization that involved

transferring approximately 180,000 employees to the new

Department of Homeland Security is not reflected in the JOLTS

hires and separations estimates for the federal government.

The Office of Personnel Management’s record shows these

transfers were completed in March 2003. The inclusion of

transfers in the JOLTS definitions of hires and separations is

intended to cover ongoing movements of workers between

establishments. The Department of Homeland Security

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

of these intergovernmental transfers would distort the federal

government time series.

Seasonal adjustment

BLS seasonally adjusts several JOLTS series using the

X-12-ARIMA seasonal adjustment program. Seasonal

adjustment is the process of estimating and removing periodic

fluctuations caused by events such as weather, holidays, and

the beginning and ending of the school year. Seasonal

adjustment makes it easier to observe fundamental changes in

the level of the series, particularly those associated with

general economic expansions and contractions. A concurrent

seasonal adjustment methodology is used in which new

seasonal adjustment factors are calculated each month, using

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

month.

Data users should note that seasonal adjustment of the

JOLTS series is conducted with fewer data observations than

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

larger than normal revisions. Since the seasonal patterns in

economic data series typically emerge over time, the standard

use of moving averages as seasonal filters to capture these

effects requires longer series than are currently available. As

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

adjustment of the JOLTS data. When calculating seasonal

factors, this filter takes an average for each calendar month

after detrending the series. The stable seasonal filter assumes

that the seasonal factors are fixed; a necessary assumption

until sufficient data are available. When the stable seasonal

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

introduced, such as outlier adjustment and extended

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

such as layoffs and discharges and additional industries, may

be seasonally adjusted when more data are available.

Reliability of the estimates

JOLTS estimates are subject to both sampling and

nonsampling error. When a sample rather than the entire

population is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample

estimates may differ from the “true” population values they

represent. The exact difference, or sampling error, varies

depending on the particular sample selected, and this

variability is measured by the standard error of the estimate.

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

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

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

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

population value because of sampling error. Estimates of

sampling errors are available upon request.

The JOLTS estimates also are affected by nonsampling

error. Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, including

the failure to include a segment of the population, the inability

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

unwillingness of respondents to provide data on a timely basis,

mistakes made by respondents, errors made in the collection or

processing of the data, and errors from the employment

benchmark data used in estimation.

JOLTS hires and separations estimates cannot be used to

exactly explain net changes in nonfarm payroll employment.

Some reasons why it is problematic to compare changes in

payroll employment with JOLTS hires and separations,

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

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

month, while the reference period for hires and separations is

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

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

may not always work during the pay period that includes the

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

reporters systematically underreport separations relative to

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

payroll systems and practices. The shortfall appears to be

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

Other information

Information in this release will be made available to sensory

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

TDD message referral phone: 1-800-877-8339.
Table 1. Job openings levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr.

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 2,807 2,952 3,062 2,868 2,906 3,079 3,091 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.2 2.3 2.3

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 2,430 2,593 2,719 2,518 2,534 2,740 2,733 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.5 2.4

Construction........................................................................ 100 89 110 106 99 113 112 1.5 1.3 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.6 1.6

Manufacturing................................................................ 183 221 234 233 226 232 259 1.2 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 439 513 520 430 458 524 518 1.7 2.0 2.0 1.7 1.8 2.0 2.0

Professional and business services......................... 460 499 594 501 491 502 494 2.8 3.0 3.5 3.0 2.9 3.0 2.9

Education and health services................................................. 569 551 520 549 551 559 566 3.3 3.2 3.0 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.3

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 337 364 399 368 383 370 368 2.7 2.9 3.2 2.9 3.0 2.9 2.9

Government......................................................................................... 371 358 351 350 364 353 357 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.6

REGION

Northeast......................................................................... 509 526 541 476 500 569 559 2.0 2.1 2.1 1.9 2.0 2.2 2.2

South............................................................................................... 1,071 1,154 1,204 1,132 1,112 1,176 1,201 2.3 2.5 2.6 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.5

Midwest......................................................................................... 616 655 666 679 680 663 659 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.1

West...................................................................................... 608 621 649 586 632 655 672 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.0 2.2 2.2 2.3

1

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

of the month. New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and 

 2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, 

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

 

3

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

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

 

4

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

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

 

P

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

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

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

Industry and region Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr.

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 3,911 4,135 4,216 4,106 4,103 4,603 4,358 3.0 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.5 3.3

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 3,610 3,843 3,923 3,800 3,772 4,256 4,044 3.3 3.5 3.6 3.5 3.5 3.9 3.7

Construction........................................................................ 357 397 404 358 382 437 409 5.3 5.9 6.0 5.3 5.6 6.4 6.0

Manufacturing................................................................ 282 345 340 349 355 361 349 1.9 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 838 875 913 957 945 1,009 1,028 3.3 3.5 3.6 3.8 3.7 4.0 4.0

Professional and business services......................... 624 613 650 708 529 713 600 3.9 3.8 4.0 4.4 3.3 4.4 3.7

Education and health services................................................. 419 436 427 416 447 444 459 2.5 2.6 2.5 2.5 2.7 2.6 2.7

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 656 776 753 715 766 810 754 5.4 6.4 6.2 5.9 6.3 6.6 6.1

Government......................................................................................... 303 302 300 295 323 343 306 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.4

REGION

Northeast......................................................................... 646 717 792 722 689 744 772 2.6 2.9 3.2 2.9 2.8 3.0 3.1

South............................................................................................... 1,499 1,508 1,517 1,585 1,608 1,781 1,567 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.9 3.4

Midwest......................................................................................... 886 925 897 921 953 1,040 975 2.9 3.0 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.4 3.1

West...................................................................................... 919 924 992 883 876 1,029 1,089 3.2 3.3 3.5 3.1 3.1 3.6 3.8

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

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

 

3

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

 

4

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

 

P

 = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels3 (in thousands) Rates

Levels3 (in thousands) Rates
Table 3. Total separations levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr.

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 3,975 3,797 4,022 3,968 4,073 4,134 4,029 3.1 2.9 3.1 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.1

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 3,740 3,543 3,723 3,716 3,807 3,868 3,785 3.5 3.3 3.4 3.4 3.5 3.5 3.5

Construction........................................................................ 411 372 391 436 400 392 391 6.1 5.5 5.8 6.4 5.9 5.7 5.7

Manufacturing................................................................ 391 330 343 323 355 377 364 2.7 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.5 2.6 2.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 867 856 968 936 899 978 958 3.4 3.4 3.8 3.7 3.5 3.8 3.8

Professional and business services......................... 568 542 575 572 590 597 589 3.6 3.4 3.6 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.6

Education and health services................................................. 387 372 330 389 388 382 385 2.3 2.2 2.0 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 699 678 723 709 727 715 671 5.8 5.6 5.9 5.8 5.9 5.8 5.5

Government......................................................................................... 231 259 269 258 268 284 251 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.2

REGION

Northeast......................................................................... 643 622 687 712 688 666 720 2.6 2.5 2.8 2.9 2.8 2.7 2.9

South............................................................................................... 1,533 1,438 1,518 1,505 1,499 1,612 1,486 3.3 3.1 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.5 3.2

Midwest......................................................................................... 902 881 901 903 929 938 864 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.9 3.0 3.0 2.8

West...................................................................................... 889 858 898 896 941 1,003 955 3.1 3.0 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.5 3.3

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

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

 

3

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

 

4

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

 

P

 = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

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

Industry and region Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr.

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 2,048 2,104 2,131 2,118 2,178 2,271 2,225 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.7

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 1,933 1,999 2,010 2,002 2,051 2,144 2,096 1.8 1.8 1.9 1.8 1.9 2.0 1.9

Construction........................................................................ 106 158 171 148 133 154 163 1.6 2.3 2.5 2.2 2.0 2.3 2.4

Manufacturing................................................................ 151 166 178 165 169 176 188 1.0 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 491 491 534 530 493 530 530 1.9 1.9 2.1 2.1 1.9 2.1 2.1

Professional and business services......................... 280 261 256 261 302 309 307 1.8 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.9 1.9 1.9

Education and health services................................................. 230 225 212 237 234 252 248 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.5

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 436 463 462 428 447 465 420 3.6 3.8 3.8 3.5 3.7 3.8 3.4

Government......................................................................................... 113 100 119 116 126 129 127 .5 .5 .6 .5 .6 .6 .6

REGION

Northeast......................................................................... 297 301 315 288 319 314 381 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.5

South............................................................................................... 817 869 894 852 867 957 872 1.8 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 2.1 1.9

Midwest......................................................................................... 456 466 465 513 455 474 467 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.7 1.5 1.5 1.5

West...................................................................................... 472 464 436 475 520 565 517 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.7 1.8 2.0 1.8

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

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

 

3

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

 

4

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

 

P

 = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels3 (in thousands) Rates

Levels3 (in thousands) Rates
Table 5. Job openings levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Apr. Mar. Apr. Apr. Mar. Apr.

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total........................................................................................................... 2,935 3,061 3,249 2.2 2.3 2.4

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 2,559 2,713 2,888 2.3 2.5 2.6

Natural resources and mining................................................... 5 8 6 .8 1.3 1.0

Construction...................................................................................................... 128 112 146 1.9 1.7 2.1

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 180 230 260 1.2 1.6 1.8

Durable goods.............................................................................. 109 145 170 1.2 1.6 1.9

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 71 85 90 1.3 1.6 1.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 454 518 537 1.8 2.0 2.1

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 78 94 115 1.4 1.7 2.0

Retail trade................................................................................. 306 333 342 2.0 2.2 2.3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................70 91 79 1.4 1.9 1.6

Information...................................................................................... 47 68 65 1.4 2.1 2.0

Financial activities........................................................................... 165 189 223 2.0 2.3 2.7

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 118 157 178 2.0 2.6 2.9

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 47 32 45 2.2 1.6 2.1

Professional and business services........................................ 489 499 514 3.0 3.0 3.0

Education and health services................................................................. 563 543 563 3.3 3.1 3.2

Educational services................................................................ 36 43 50 1.3 1.5 1.7

Health care and social assistance.................................. 527 500 513 3.7 3.4 3.5

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 400 408 437 3.2 3.3 3.4

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 54 44 35 3.0 2.6 2.0

Accommodations and food services............................... 346 364 401 3.3 3.4 3.7

Other services................................................................................. 129 138 137 2.3 2.5 2.5

Government......................................................................................... 376 348 362 1.7 1.6 1.6

Federal................................................................................................ 39 40 46 1.4 1.4 1.7

State and local.................................................................................... 337 309 316 1.7 1.6 1.6

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 522 556 576 2.1 2.2 2.2

South............................................................................................... 1,121 1,173 1,263 2.4 2.5 2.7

Midwest................................................................................................. 655 684 703 2.1 2.2 2.2

West....................................................................................................... 636 648 707 2.2 2.2 2.4

1

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

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

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 6. Hires levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Apr. Mar. Apr. Apr. Mar. Apr.

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total........................................................................................................... 4,101 4,357 4,584 3.2 3.4 3.5

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 3,876 4,123 4,358 3.6 3.8 4.0

Natural resources and mining................................................... 21 21 25 3.7 3.7 4.4

Construction...................................................................................................... 463 479 532 7.1 7.4 7.9

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 293 370 363 2.0 2.6 2.5

Durable goods.............................................................................. 168 237 214 1.9 2.7 2.4

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 126 133 149 2.3 2.5 2.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 806 891 1,007 3.2 3.6 4.0

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 124 161 176 2.2 2.9 3.1

Retail trade................................................................................. 580 613 694 3.9 4.2 4.7

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 101 116 136 2.1 2.4 2.9

Information...................................................................................... 67 65 68 2.1 2.1 2.1

Financial activities........................................................................... 182 177 197 2.3 2.2 2.5

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 92 111 114 1.6 1.9 1.9

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 89 66 83 4.4 3.3 4.0

Professional and business services........................................ 727 725 680 4.6 4.5 4.2

Education and health services................................................................. 360 411 401 2.2 2.4 2.4

Educational services................................................................ 38 39 36 1.3 1.4 1.2

Health care and social assistance.................................. 323 372 365 2.3 2.6 2.6

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 794 823 899 6.6 6.9 7.4

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 186 110 162 10.7 6.6 9.3

Accommodations and food services............................... 608 713 738 5.9 6.9 7.0

Other services................................................................................. 163 160 186 3.0 3.0 3.5

Government......................................................................................... 224 235 226 1.0 1.1 1.0

Federal................................................................................................ 27 26 37 1.0 1.0 1.4

State and local.................................................................................... 197 208 189 1.0 1.1 1.0

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 630 649 761 2.5 2.6 3.0

South............................................................................................... 1,554 1,753 1,615 3.4 3.8 3.5

Midwest................................................................................................. 981 985 1,083 3.2 3.2 3.5

West....................................................................................................... 935 970 1,126 3.3 3.4 3.9

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

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

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Apr. Mar. Apr. Apr. Mar. Apr.

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total........................................................................................................... 3,630 3,632 3,677 2.8 2.8 2.8

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 3,452 3,437 3,492 3.2 3.2 3.2

Natural resources and mining................................................... 13 16 18 2.4 2.8 3.1

Construction...................................................................................................... 339 360 324 5.2 5.5 4.8

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 379 345 354 2.6 2.4 2.5

Durable goods.............................................................................. 246 207 194 2.7 2.3 2.2

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 133 137 159 2.4 2.5 3.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 746 876 828 3.0 3.5 3.3

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 104 148 134 1.8 2.6 2.4

Retail trade................................................................................. 548 597 568 3.7 4.0 3.8

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................95 131 126 2.0 2.8 2.6

Information...................................................................................... 52 71 86 1.6 2.3 2.7

Financial activities........................................................................... 164 135 148 2.1 1.7 1.8

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 90 87 88 1.5 1.5 1.5

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 74 48 60 3.6 2.4 2.9

Professional and business services........................................ 549 550 576 3.5 3.4 3.5

Education and health services................................................................. 348 346 352 2.1 2.0 2.1

Educational services................................................................ 45 34 29 1.6 1.2 1.0

Health care and social assistance.................................. 303 313 323 2.2 2.2 2.3

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 707 585 667 5.9 4.9 5.5

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 124 71 123 7.1 4.3 7.1

Accommodations and food services............................... 583 514 544 5.7 5.0 5.2

Other services................................................................................. 155 152 139 2.9 2.8 2.6

Government......................................................................................... 178 195 185 .8 .9 .8

Federal................................................................................................ 22 26 25 .8 1.0 .9

State and local.................................................................................... 156 168 160 .8 .9 .8

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 536 538 625 2.2 2.2 2.5

South............................................................................................... 1,460 1,412 1,406 3.2 3.1 3.0

Midwest................................................................................................. 800 764 743 2.6 2.5 2.4

West....................................................................................................... 835 917 903 2.9 3.2 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.

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 8. Quits levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Apr. Mar. Apr. Apr. Mar. Apr.

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total........................................................................................................... 1,938 2,024 2,114 1.5 1.6 1.6

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 1,853 1,925 2,018 1.7 1.8 1.9

Natural resources and mining................................................... 7 8 9 1.3 1.4 1.6

Construction...................................................................................................... 105 140 164 1.6 2.2 2.4

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 150 164 190 1.0 1.1 1.3

Durable goods.............................................................................. 89 94 114 1.0 1.1 1.3

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 61 70 76 1.1 1.3 1.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 462 484 503 1.8 1.9 2.0

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 53 73 64 .9 1.3 1.1

Retail trade................................................................................. 361 357 388 2.5 2.4 2.6

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................48 54 50 1.0 1.1 1.1

Information...................................................................................... 30 33 49 .9 1.0 1.6

Financial activities........................................................................... 120 76 97 1.5 1.0 1.2

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 63 53 58 1.1 .9 1.0

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 57 23 39 2.8 1.2 1.9

Professional and business services........................................ 255 296 286 1.6 1.8 1.7

Education and health services................................................................. 212 224 230 1.3 1.3 1.4

Educational services................................................................ 23 14 17 .8 .5 .6

Health care and social assistance.................................. 189 211 213 1.4 1.5 1.5

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 425 391 403 3.6 3.3 3.3

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 38 29 47 2.2 1.7 2.7

Accommodations and food services............................... 387 362 356 3.8 3.5 3.4

Other services................................................................................. 88 109 87 1.6 2.0 1.6

Government......................................................................................... 85 99 97 .4 .5 .4

Federal................................................................................................ 11 12 12 .4 .5 .4

State and local.................................................................................... 74 87 85 .4 .5 .4

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 254 252 327 1.0 1.0 1.3

South............................................................................................... 809 855 857 1.8 1.9 1.9

Midwest................................................................................................. 426 400 433 1.4 1.3 1.4

West....................................................................................................... 451 517 497 1.6 1.8 1.7

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

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

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Apr. Mar. Apr. Apr. Mar. Apr.

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total........................................................................................................... 1,414 1,365 1,300 1.1 1.1 1.0

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 1,360 1,312 1,247 1.3 1.2 1.1

Natural resources and mining................................................... 3 5 5 .5 .9 .8

Construction...................................................................................................... 221 211 145 3.4 3.2 2.2

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 191 150 139 1.3 1.1 1.0

Durable goods.............................................................................. 127 89 62 1.4 1.0 .7

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 64 61 77 1.2 1.1 1.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 228 328 253 .9 1.3 1.0

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 33 68 61 .6 1.2 1.1

Retail trade................................................................................. 164 195 142 1.1 1.3 1.0

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................31 66 50 .7 1.4 1.1

Information...................................................................................... 16 36 29 .5 1.1 .9

Financial activities........................................................................... 31 38 29 .4 .5 .4

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 19 17 14 .3 .3 .2

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 11 22 15 .6 1.1 .7

Professional and business services........................................ 254 227 257 1.6 1.4 1.6

Education and health services................................................................. 114 104 101 .7 .6 .6

Educational services................................................................ 18 18 10 .6 .6 .3

Health care and social assistance.................................. 96 86 91 .7 .6 .6

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 255 177 241 2.1 1.5 2.0

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 84 40 75 4.8 2.4 4.3

Accommodations and food services............................... 171 137 166 1.7 1.3 1.6

Other services................................................................................. 48 36 48 .9 .7 .9

Government......................................................................................... 54 54 53 .2 .2 .2

Federal................................................................................................ 5 7 6 .2 .3 .2

State and local.................................................................................... 49 47 47 .3 .2 .2

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 238 247 254 1.0 1.0 1.0

South............................................................................................... 540 458 437 1.2 1.0 .9

Midwest................................................................................................. 310 311 253 1.0 1.0 .8

West....................................................................................................... 327 349 356 1.2 1.2 1.2

 1 Layoffs and discharges are the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire month.

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

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Apr. Mar. Apr. Apr. Mar. Apr.

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total........................................................................................................... 278 242 263 0.2 0.2 0.2

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 239 200 227 .2 .2 .2

Natural resources and mining................................................... 3 3 4 .5 .5 .8

Construction...................................................................................................... 13 9 15 .2 .1 .2

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 39 31 25 .3 .2 .2

Durable goods.............................................................................. 30 23 18 .3 .3 .2

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 9 7 7 .2 .1 .1

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 56 64 73 .2 .3 .3

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 18 7 9 .3 .1 .2

Retail trade................................................................................. 23 45 38 .2 .3 .3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................16 12 25 .3 .2 .5

Information...................................................................................... 6 3 9 .2 .1 .3

Financial activities........................................................................... 14 20 21 .2 .3 .3

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 8 18 16 .1 .3 .3

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 6 3 6 .3 .1 .3

Professional and business services........................................ 41 27 32 .3 .2 .2

Education and health services................................................................. 22 18 21 .1 .1 .1

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

Health care and social assistance.................................. 18 16 20 .1 .1 .1

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 27 17 23 .2 .1 .2

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

3

)

Accommodations and food services............................... 25 15 22 .2 .1 .2

Other services................................................................................. 19 8 4 .4 .1 .1

Government......................................................................................... 39 42 36 .2 .2 .2

Federal................................................................................................ 6 7 8 .2 .3 .3

State and local.................................................................................... 33 35 28 .2 .2 .1

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 45 39 44 .2 .2 .2

South............................................................................................... 112 99 111 .2 .2 .2

Midwest................................................................................................. 64 53 57 .2 .2 .2

West....................................................................................................... 57 51 50 .2 .2 .2

 1 Other separations are the number of other separations during the entire month.

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

 3 Data round to zero.

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels (in thousands) Rates