1

Technical information: (202) 691-5870

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

Media contact: 691-5902

USDL 05-2311

For release: 10:00 A.M. EST

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Chart 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted,

 November 2002 - October 2005

1.5

1.7

1.9

2.1

2.3

2.5

2.7

2.9

3.1

3.3

3.5

3.7

3.9

Percent

2003 2004 2005

Chart 2. Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted,

 November 2002 - October 2005

2.5

2.7

2.9

3.1

3.3

3.5

3.7

3.9

Percent

Separations

Hires

2003 2004 2005

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: OCTOBER 2005

The job openings rate increased to 2.9 percent in October, while the total separations rate decreased

to 3.1 percent and the hires rate was unchanged at 3.5 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S.

Department of Labor reported today. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings,

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

Job Openings

On the last business day of October 2005, there were 4.0 million job openings in the United States, and

the job openings rate was 2.9 percent. (See table 1.) The job openings rate rose over the month, continuing

the generally upward trend that began in September 2003. In October, the job openings rate increased for

private industries overall and for government. The job openings rate also rose in the professional and business services industry and in the Northeast region.

Hires and Separations

The hires rate was unchanged at 3.5 percent in October. (See table 2.) Hires are any additions to the

payroll during the month. Over the month, the hires rate increased in the manufacturing industry but decreased in the professional and business services industry.

The total separations, or turnover, rate decreased to 3.1 percent in October. (See table 3.) Separations

are terminations of employment that occur at any time during the month. In October, the total separations
2

Total 1........................................................... 4,719 4,716 4,215 4,779 4,140

 Total private 1..................................... 2,924 4,216 4,356 4,370 3,957 4,487

Construction ..................................... 114 156 353 422 428 425 417 391

Manufacturing ................................ 250 293 353 338 450 354 408 310

Trade, transportation, and

utilities ........................................... 559 630 601 977 1,001 944 889 1,039 878

Professional and business

services ......................................... 602 725 886 812 925 770 585 897 742

Education and health services ..... 547 606 603 420 460 467 376 430 397

Leisure and hospitality .................. 413 469 493 801 808 840 767 814 725

Government .......................................... 400 420 463 318 336 327 263 295 252

Total 1.......................................................... 2.4 2.8 2.9 3.4 3.5 3.5 3.2 3.6 3.1

Total private 1....................................... 2.6 2.9 3.1 3.8 3.9 3.9 3.6 4.0 3.5

Construction .................................... 1.6 2.1 2.2 5.0 5.8 5.9 6.0 5.7 5.3

Manufacturing ................................ 1.7 2.0 2.0 2.5 2.4 3.2 2.5 2.9 2.2

Trade, transportation, and

utilities ........................................... 2.1 2.4 2.3 3.8 3.9 3.7 3.5 4.0 3.4

Professional and business

services ......................................... 3.5 4.1 4.9 4.9 5.4 4.5 3.5 5.3 4.3

Education and health services ..... 3.1 3.4 3.3 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.2 2.5 2.3

Leisure and hospitality .................. 3.2 3.5 3.7 6.4 6.3 6.6 6.1 6.4 5.7

Government .......................................... 1.8 1.9 2.1 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.2 1.3 1.2

 Job openings

Industry

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

Hires Total separations

Oct. Sept. Oct. Oct. Sept. Oct. Oct. Sept. Oct.

2004 2005p 2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Levels (in thousands)

Rates (percent)

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

 p = preliminary.

2005

3,300 4,552

3,406

3,836

3,890

163

292

3,568

3,992

rate decreased for government and for private industries overall, and in the manufacturing; trade, transportation, and utilities; and professional and business services industries. The total separations rate also

decreased in the South and Midwest regions.

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, decreased to 1.9 percent in October. (See table 4.) The quits rate decreased for

private industries overall and for professional and business services. Geographically, the rate was down in

the South and Midwest regions.

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

seasonally adjusted. From October 2004 to October 2005, the layoffs and discharges rate decreased to

1.1 percent, but the other separations rate was unchanged at 0.2 percent. (See tables 9 and 10.)

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

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

adjusted). The comparable figures a year earlier were 4.4 million hires and 4.2 million separations. (See the

Technical Note for additional information on these measures.)
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For More Information

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

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

calling (202) 691-5870.

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

Tuesday, January 10, 2006.

______________________________
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 Oct. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Oct. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct.

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 3,300 3,416 3,647 3,588 3,487 3,836 3,992 2.4 2.5 2.7 2.6 2.5 2.8 2.9

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 2,924 3,050 3,239 3,204 3,130 3,406 3,568 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.8 2.7 2.9 3.1

Construction........................................................................ 114 107 104 128 136 156 163 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.7 1.8 2.1 2.2

Manufacturing................................................................ 250 240 269 287 266 293 292 1.7 1.6 1.8 2.0 1.8 2.0 2.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 559 597 624 600 620 630 601 2.1 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.3

Professional and business services......................... 602 659 686 666 590 725 886 3.5 3.8 3.9 3.8 3.4 4.1 4.9

Education and health services................................................. 547 611 609 607 604 606 603 3.1 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.3 3.4 3.3

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 413 440 517 439 427 469 493 3.2 3.3 3.9 3.3 3.2 3.5 3.7

Government......................................................................................... 400 378 394 388 370 420 463 1.8 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.9 2.1

REGION

Northeast......................................................................... 562 563 634 610 609 728 803 2.2 2.2 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.8 3.1

South............................................................................................... 1,318 1,303 1,333 1,343 1,353 1,466 1,512 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.8 3.0 3.1

Midwest......................................................................................... 688 786 781 764 704 754 760 2.1 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.2 2.3 2.4

West...................................................................................... 742 799 869 832 841 895 914 2.5 2.7 2.9 2.8 2.8 3.0 3.0

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 Oct. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Oct. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct.

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 4,552 4,740 4,694 4,649 4,601 4,719 4,716 3.4 3.6 3.5 3.5 3.4 3.5 3.5

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 4,216 4,398 4,365 4,342 4,276 4,356 4,370 3.8 3.9 3.9 3.9 3.8 3.9 3.9

Construction........................................................................ 353 420 393 381 435 422 428 5.0 5.8 5.4 5.3 6.0 5.8 5.9

Manufacturing................................................................ 353 342 347 345 344 338 450 2.5 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4 3.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 977 1,030 1,045 990 998 1,001 944 3.8 4.0 4.0 3.8 3.8 3.9 3.7

Professional and business services......................... 812 887 835 832 786 925 770 4.9 5.3 4.9 4.9 4.6 5.4 4.5

Education and health services................................................. 420 466 457 453 465 460 467 2.5 2.7 2.6 2.6 2.7 2.6 2.7

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 801 750 877 834 771 808 840 6.4 5.9 6.9 6.5 6.0 6.3 6.6

Government......................................................................................... 318 339 337 330 337 336 327 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5

REGION

Northeast......................................................................... 811 764 794 772 738 759 748 3.2 3.0 3.1 3.0 2.9 3.0 2.9

South............................................................................................... 1,809 1,816 1,786 1,689 1,750 1,840 1,783 3.9 3.8 3.8 3.6 3.7 3.9 3.7

Midwest......................................................................................... 1,013 1,129 1,054 1,045 970 996 1,033 3.2 3.6 3.4 3.3 3.1 3.2 3.3

West...................................................................................... 916 1,048 1,070 1,081 1,144 1,136 1,141 3.2 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.9 3.9 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.

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 Oct. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Oct. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct.

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 4,215 4,504 4,477 4,270 4,499 4,779 4,140 3.2 3.4 3.4 3.2 3.4 3.6 3.1

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 3,957 4,256 4,223 4,007 4,235 4,487 3,890 3.6 3.8 3.8 3.6 3.8 4.0 3.5

Construction........................................................................ 425 408 380 370 452 417 391 6.0 5.6 5.3 5.1 6.2 5.7 5.3

Manufacturing................................................................ 354 369 350 361 369 408 310 2.5 2.6 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.9 2.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 889 989 980 948 1,019 1,039 878 3.5 3.8 3.8 3.7 3.9 4.0 3.4

Professional and business services......................... 585 851 818 747 670 897 742 3.5 5.1 4.8 4.4 3.9 5.3 4.3

Education and health services................................................. 376 405 401 391 406 430 397 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.5 2.3

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 767 750 803 750 785 814 725 6.1 5.9 6.3 5.9 6.1 6.4 5.7

Government......................................................................................... 263 254 254 257 271 295 252 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.2

REGION

Northeast......................................................................... 711 714 761 715 734 752 670 2.8 2.8 3.0 2.8 2.9 2.9 2.6

South............................................................................................... 1,614 1,743 1,653 1,567 1,639 1,787 1,589 3.5 3.7 3.5 3.3 3.4 3.8 3.3

Midwest......................................................................................... 952 976 946 1,011 1,047 1,135 925 3.0 3.1 3.0 3.2 3.3 3.6 2.9

West...................................................................................... 896 1,034 1,062 1,001 1,094 1,085 980 3.1 3.5 3.6 3.4 3.7 3.7 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 Oct. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Oct. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct.

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 2,344 2,514 2,475 2,474 2,605 2,778 2,547 1.8 1.9 1.9 1.8 1.9 2.1 1.9

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 2,217 2,391 2,348 2,351 2,467 2,630 2,405 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.1

Construction........................................................................ 182 168 139 140 222 202 196 2.6 2.3 1.9 1.9 3.1 2.8 2.7

Manufacturing................................................................ 187 183 190 189 184 214 194 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.5 1.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 517 589 588 577 604 580 552 2.0 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.1

Professional and business services......................... 281 420 386 353 374 497 361 1.7 2.5 2.3 2.1 2.2 2.9 2.1

Education and health services................................................. 239 249 256 271 260 276 260 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.5

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 474 488 510 525 517 563 558 3.8 3.8 4.0 4.1 4.0 4.4 4.4

Government......................................................................................... 123 123 124 125 139 149 137 .6 .6 .6 .6 .6 .7 .6

REGION

Northeast......................................................................... 333 373 350 381 380 377 365 1.3 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.4

South............................................................................................... 943 1,020 960 964 1,054 1,147 1,017 2.0 2.2 2.0 2.0 2.2 2.4 2.1

Midwest......................................................................................... 500 554 542 548 570 613 558 1.6 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.8

West...................................................................................... 550 562 653 577 585 643 590 1.9 1.9 2.2 2.0 2.0 2.2 2.0

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

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

3

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

4

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

p

 = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels3 (in thousands) Rates

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Oct. Sept. Oct. Oct. Sept. Oct.

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total........................................................................................................... 3,269 4,008 3,995 2.4 2.9 2.9

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 2,886 3,604 3,547 2.5 3.1 3.0

Natural resources and mining................................................... 10 13 8 1.6 2.0 1.2

Construction...................................................................................................... 99 155 147 1.3 2.0 1.9

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 243 307 285 1.7 2.1 2.0

Durable goods.............................................................................. 153 203 195 1.7 2.2 2.1

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 90 104 89 1.6 1.9 1.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 665 721 709 2.5 2.7 2.7

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 83 118 124 1.4 2.0 2.1

Retail trade................................................................................. 498 473 468 3.2 3.0 3.0

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................84 130 116 1.7 2.5 2.3

Information...................................................................................... 90 109 115 2.8 3.3 3.5

Financial activities........................................................................... 217 275 288 2.6 3.2 3.4

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 179 208 221 2.9 3.3 3.5

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 38 67 67 1.8 3.0 3.0

Professional and business services........................................ 543 756 817 3.1 4.2 4.5

Education and health services................................................................. 542 618 595 3.0 3.4 3.3

Educational services................................................................ 54 57 60 1.8 2.0 1.9

Health care and social assistance.................................. 489 560 536 3.3 3.7 3.5

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 364 461 441 2.8 3.4 3.4

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 41 42 51 2.2 2.1 2.8

Accommodations and food services............................... 323 419 390 2.9 3.7 3.4

Other services................................................................................. 113 191 143 2.0 3.4 2.6

Government......................................................................................... 383 404 448 1.7 1.8 2.0

Federal................................................................................................ 41 43 34 1.5 1.6 1.2

State and local.................................................................................... 342 360 415 1.7 1.9 2.1

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 553 781 823 2.1 3.0 3.1

South............................................................................................... 1,274 1,516 1,477 2.6 3.1 3.0

Midwest................................................................................................. 687 796 758 2.1 2.5 2.3

West....................................................................................................... 755 915 938 2.5 3.0 3.1

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 Oct. Sept. Oct. Oct. Sept. Oct.

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total........................................................................................................... 4,535 5,284 4,698 3.4 3.9 3.5

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 4,222 4,757 4,378 3.8 4.2 3.9

Natural resources and mining................................................... 23 17 16 3.8 2.7 2.4

Construction...................................................................................................... 321 435 390 4.4 5.8 5.2

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 323 360 423 2.2 2.5 3.0

Durable goods.............................................................................. 208 211 258 2.3 2.4 2.9

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 115 149 165 2.1 2.8 3.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 1,160 1,146 1,104 4.5 4.4 4.3

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 164 160 146 2.9 2.8 2.5

Retail trade................................................................................. 853 788 800 5.6 5.2 5.3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 144 198 158 2.9 4.0 3.2

Information...................................................................................... 65 80 92 2.1 2.6 2.9

Financial activities........................................................................... 199 189 210 2.5 2.3 2.5

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 126 117 115 2.1 1.9 1.9

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 73 72 95 3.5 3.3 4.4

Professional and business services........................................ 828 938 766 4.9 5.5 4.4

Education and health services................................................................. 426 590 472 2.5 3.4 2.7

Educational services................................................................ 68 128 55 2.3 4.6 1.8

Health care and social assistance.................................. 358 463 417 2.5 3.2 2.9

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 709 806 757 5.7 6.2 6.0

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 71 87 72 4.0 4.5 4.0

Accommodations and food services............................... 638 719 685 6.0 6.5 6.3

Other services................................................................................. 168 194 149 3.1 3.6 2.7

Government......................................................................................... 313 527 319 1.4 2.4 1.4

Federal................................................................................................ 39 57 33 1.4 2.1 1.2

State and local.................................................................................... 275 470 286 1.4 2.5 1.5

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 828 971 758 3.2 3.8 3.0

South............................................................................................... 1,797 1,885 1,768 3.8 3.9 3.7

Midwest................................................................................................. 979 1,171 1,004 3.1 3.7 3.2

West....................................................................................................... 932 1,257 1,168 3.2 4.3 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 Oct. Sept. Oct. Oct. Sept. Oct.

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total........................................................................................................... 4,278 5,353 4,168 3.2 4.0 3.1

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 4,046 4,983 3,949 3.6 4.4 3.5

Natural resources and mining................................................... 20 18 12 3.3 2.7 1.9

Construction...................................................................................................... 452 451 408 6.2 6.0 5.4

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 391 414 336 2.7 2.9 2.4

Durable goods.............................................................................. 247 248 205 2.8 2.8 2.3

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 144 166 130 2.7 3.1 2.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 897 1,115 876 3.5 4.3 3.4

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 126 157 116 2.2 2.7 2.0

Retail trade................................................................................. 645 768 612 4.3 5.1 4.0

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 126 190 148 2.6 3.8 3.0

Information...................................................................................... 87 96 73 2.8 3.1 2.3

Financial activities........................................................................... 208 202 151 2.6 2.4 1.8

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 120 112 80 2.0 1.8 1.3

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 88 90 71 4.2 4.1 3.3

Professional and business services........................................ 570 910 707 3.4 5.3 4.1

Education and health services................................................................. 346 463 364 2.0 2.7 2.1

Educational services................................................................ 45 84 34 1.5 3.0 1.1

Health care and social assistance.................................. 301 380 330 2.1 2.6 2.3

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 923 1,099 853 7.4 8.5 6.7

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 177 224 137 9.9 11.7 7.6

Accommodations and food services............................... 746 876 716 7.0 7.9 6.6

Other services................................................................................. 154 215 168 2.8 4.0 3.1

Government......................................................................................... 232 369 219 1.1 1.7 1.0

Federal................................................................................................ 33 53 18 1.2 1.9 .7

State and local.................................................................................... 199 317 201 1.0 1.7 1.0

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 735 936 675 2.9 3.7 2.6

South............................................................................................... 1,676 1,868 1,606 3.6 3.9 3.3

Midwest................................................................................................. 943 1,323 914 3.0 4.2 2.9

West....................................................................................................... 924 1,226 973 3.2 4.2 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.

 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 Oct. Sept. Oct. Oct. Sept. Oct.

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total........................................................................................................... 2,300 3,211 2,489 1.7 2.4 1.8

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 2,192 3,046 2,368 2.0 2.7 2.1

Natural resources and mining................................................... 9 10 7 1.6 1.6 1.1

Construction...................................................................................................... 178 228 201 2.5 3.0 2.7

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 191 244 196 1.3 1.7 1.4

Durable goods.............................................................................. 128 150 117 1.4 1.7 1.3

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 63 94 79 1.2 1.8 1.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 527 672 551 2.0 2.6 2.1

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 64 95 56 1.1 1.7 1.0

Retail trade................................................................................. 402 486 419 2.7 3.2 2.8

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................61 92 77 1.2 1.8 1.5

Information...................................................................................... 48 66 54 1.5 2.1 1.7

Financial activities........................................................................... 124 118 90 1.5 1.4 1.1

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 67 74 55 1.1 1.2 .9

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 56 44 35 2.7 2.0 1.6

Professional and business services........................................ 281 516 348 1.7 3.0 2.0

Education and health services................................................................. 226 312 244 1.3 1.8 1.4

Educational services................................................................ 27 44 20 .9 1.6 .7

Health care and social assistance.................................. 199 267 224 1.4 1.8 1.5

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 489 750 580 3.9 5.8 4.6

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 48 73 64 2.7 3.8 3.6

Accommodations and food services............................... 441 678 516 4.1 6.1 4.7

Other services................................................................................. 119 129 99 2.2 2.4 1.8

Government......................................................................................... 107 165 121 .5 .8 .5

Federal................................................................................................ 12 20 8 .4 .7 .3

State and local.................................................................................... 95 145 113 .5 .8 .6

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 341 492 376 1.3 1.9 1.5

South............................................................................................... 949 1,254 1,021 2.0 2.6 2.1

Midwest................................................................................................. 483 723 535 1.5 2.3 1.7

West....................................................................................................... 527 741 557 1.8 2.5 1.9

 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 Oct. Sept. Oct. Oct. Sept. Oct.

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total........................................................................................................... 1,697 1,844 1,427 1.3 1.4 1.1

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 1,614 1,704 1,360 1.5 1.5 1.2

Natural resources and mining................................................... 5 6 4 .8 1.0 .6

Construction...................................................................................................... 247 205 180 3.4 2.7 2.4

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 180 143 122 1.3 1.0 .9

Durable goods.............................................................................. 107 79 77 1.2 .9 .9

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 73 64 45 1.3 1.2 .8

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 297 384 280 1.2 1.5 1.1

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 56 43 55 1.0 .7 1.0

Retail trade................................................................................. 190 255 170 1.3 1.7 1.1

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................51 86 55 1.0 1.7 1.1

Information...................................................................................... 34 20 14 1.1 .6 .4

Financial activities........................................................................... 61 73 52 .8 .9 .6

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 31 29 19 .5 .5 .3

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 30 44 32 1.4 2.0 1.5

Professional and business services........................................ 248 354 321 1.5 2.1 1.9

Education and health services................................................................. 96 121 93 .6 .7 .5

Educational services................................................................ 15 37 12 .5 1.3 .4

Health care and social assistance.................................. 81 84 81 .6 .6 .6

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 418 325 251 3.3 2.5 2.0

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 126 146 72 7.0 7.6 4.0

Accommodations and food services............................... 292 179 179 2.7 1.6 1.6

Other services................................................................................. 27 74 43 .5 1.4 .8

Government......................................................................................... 84 141 67 .4 .6 .3

Federal................................................................................................ 8 13 5 .3 .5 .2

State and local.................................................................................... 76 127 62 .4 .7 .3

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 326 407 259 1.3 1.6 1.0

South............................................................................................... 616 519 519 1.3 1.1 1.1

Midwest................................................................................................. 415 509 324 1.3 1.6 1.0

West....................................................................................................... 341 409 324 1.2 1.4 1.1

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

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

 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 Oct. Sept. Oct. Oct. Sept. Oct.

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total.................................................................. 281 298 252 .2 .2 .2

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 240 234 220 .2 .2 .2

Natural resources and mining........................... 6 1 1 1.0 .2 .2

Construction................................................... 26 18 28 .4 .2 .4

Manufacturing................................................ 19 27 18 .1 .2 .1

Durable goods............................................. 12 19 11 .1 .2 .1

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

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 73 59 44 .3 .2 .2

Wholesale trade.......................................... 6 19 6 .1 .3 .1

Retail trade................................................ 53 28 23 .3 .2 .2

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 14 12 15 .3 .2 .3

Information................................................... 5 10 6 .2 .3 .2

Financial activities............................................ 24 11 10 .3 .1 .1

Finance and insurance................................. 22 10 6 .4 .2 .1

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 2 2 4 .1 .1 .2

Professional and business services..................... 40 40 38 .2 .2 .2

Education and health services........................... 23 31 28 .1 .2 .2

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

Health care and social assistance.................. 20 28 25 .1 .2 .2

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 16 24 22 .1 .2 .2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 3 5 (3) .2 .3 (3)

Accommodations and food services............... 13 19 21 .1 .2 .2

Other services................................................ 8 12 26 .1 .2 .5

Government...................................................... 40 64 31 .2 .3 .1

Federal......................................................... 12 19 5 .5 .7 .2

State and local.............................................. 28 45 26 .1 .2 .1

REGION

Northeast...................................................... 68 37 41 .3 .1 .2

South............................................................ 111 95 65 .2 .2 .1

Midwest......................................................... 46 91 54 .1 .3 .2

West............................................................ 56 76 91 .2 .3 .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 Data round to zero.

 p = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels (in thousands) Rates