News

Bureau of Labor Statistics Washington, D.C. 20212 

United States 

Department 

of Labor 

Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 08-1801

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

 For release: 10:00 A.M. EST 

Media contact: (202) 691-5902 Tuesday, December 9, 2008 

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: OCTOBER 2008 

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

the job openings rate was 2.2 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor 

reported today. The job openings rate was little changed in October but continued to trend downward. 

The hires rate decreased slightly to 3.0 percent in October, while the total separations rate was little 

changed at 3.1 percent. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, 

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

Chart 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted,

 November 2005 - October 2008

1.6

1.8

2.0

2.2

2.4

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

Percent

2006 2007 2008

Chart 2. Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted,

 November 2005 - October 2008

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

Percent

Separations

Hires

2006 2007 2008

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

the trends over time are notable. The job openings rate has declined for the past 13 months after 

remaining essentially flat from August 2006 through September 2007. For the third time in 2008, the 

hires rate was 3.0 percent in October. Prior to 2008, the last time the hires rate was this low was May 

2003. The separations rate has remained low for the past seven months, ranging from 2.9 to 3.2. The 

last time period that the separations rate was consistently at or below 3.2 was March 2003 thru March 

2004. (See tables 1, 2, and 3.) 

Job Openings

The job openings rate was little changed in October 2008 but has been trending downward for 

over a year. At 2.2 percent in October, the job openings rate was at the lowest level since February 2004. 
2 

Although the job openings rate was little changed at the total nonfarm and total private levels, the rate 

decreased significantly in October in the construction industry and in the West region. The rate 

increased significantly in October only in retail trade. (See table 1.) 

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

Industry Oct. Sept. Oct. Oct. Sept. Oct. Oct. Sept. Oct.

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

Total 1................................................4,044 3,214 3,052 4,914 4,362 4,062 4,594 4,042 4,234

Total private 1

.................................... 3,597 2,778 2,609 4,552 4,090 3,743 4,314 3,792 3,972

Construction.................................... 150 110 56 331 288 337 355 403 437

Manufacturing................................. 303 213 196 396 281 268 393 335 459

Trade, transportation, and utilities 2

......... 644 458 520 1,018 875 849 1,010 916 959

 Retail trade.................................. 321 260 317 699 616 551 702 581 646

Professional and business services............ 758 567 503 855 741 678 935 696 719

Education and health services............... 704 617 611 517 514 507 434 378 427

Leisure and hospitality 3

........................ 614 443 392 924 830 705 761 714 641

 Accommodation and food services...... 543 373 337 803 681 585 651 634 543

Government 4

..................................... 448 440 436 373 313 332 286 251 258

 State and local government.................. 408 387 365 315 283 286 238 233 228

Total 1

................................................ 2.8 2.3 2.2 3.6 3.2 3.0 3.3 2.9 3.1

Total private 1

.................................... 3.0 2.4 2.2 3.9 3.6 3.3 3.7 3.3 3.5

Construction.................................... 1.9 1.5 0.8 4.4 4.0 4.8 4.7 5.7 6.2

Manufacturing................................. 2.2 1.6 1.5 2.9 2.1 2.0 2.9 2.5 3.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities 2

......... 2.4 1.7 1.9 3.8 3.3 3.2 3.8 3.5 3.7

 Retail trade.................................... 2.0 1.7 2.0 4.5 4.0 3.6 4.5 3.8 4.3

Professional and business services............4.0 3.1 2.8 4.7 4.2 3.8 5.2 3.9 4.0

Education and health services............... 3.7 3.1 3.1 2.8 2.7 2.7 2.3 2.0 2.2

Leisure and hospitality 3

........................ 4.3 3.2 2.8 6.8 6.1 5.2 5.6 5.2 4.7

 Accommodation and food services...... 4.5 3.1 2.8 6.9 5.9 5.0 5.6 5.5 4.7

Government 4

.................................... 2.0 1.9 1.9 1.7 1.4 1.5 1.3 1.1 1.1

 State and local government.................. 2.0 1.9 1.8 1.6 1.4 1.5 1.2 1.2 1.2

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

Rates (percent)

Job openings Hires Total separations

Levels (in thousands)

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

the federal government (to 2.5 percent). The rate fell over the year for total nonfarm and total private as 

well as in most industries, including construction; durable goods manufacturing; nondurable goods 

manufacturing; wholesale trade; transportation, warehousing, and utilities; information; finance and 
3 

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

food services; other services; and state and local government. The job openings rate also fell 

significantly over the year in three of the four regions—Northeast, South, and West. (See table 5.) 

Hires

The hires rate decreased in October to 3.0 percent due to small declines in the rate for several 

industries. Only accommodation and food services experienced a significant decrease in the hires rate in 

October; no industry or region experienced a significant increase in the hires rate in October. Over the 

past 12 months, the hires rate did not increase significantly in any industry or region but decreased for 

total nonfarm and total private and in several industries, including durable goods manufacturing; 

nondurable goods manufacturing; retail trade; finance and insurance; professional and business services; 

accommodation and food services; and state and local government. The hires rate dropped significantly 

over the past 12 months in three of the four regions—Midwest, South, and West. (See tables 2 and 6.) 

Separations

The total separations, or turnover, rate ticked upward to 3.1 percent in October, but the change 

was not statistically significant. Between October 2007 and October 2008, the total separations rate 

decreased significantly due to a decline in quits, the largest component of total separations. (See tables 

7 and 8.) 

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

rate was unchanged in October for total nonfarm, the rate has remained at 1.6 percent for three 

months—a low point last seen in January 2004. Comparing October 2008 to October 2007, the quits 

rate was significantly lower for total nonfarm and total private and in many industries, including 

nondurable goods manufacturing; retail trade; finance and insurance; professional and business services; 

accommodation and food services; other services; and state and local government. The quits rate also 

fell over the year in three of the four regions—Northeast, South, and West. The quits rate rose 

significantly over the past 12 months only in the mining industry. (See tables 4 and 8.) 

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

are not seasonally adjusted. In October, the layoffs and discharges rate (1.4 percent) and level (1.9 

million) were little changed from a year earlier. Although essentially unchanged at the total nonfarm 

level, the layoffs and discharges rate increased between October 2007 and October 2008 in construction; 

durable goods manufacturing; nondurable goods manufacturing; and information. The layoffs and 

discharges rate declined over the year in finance and insurance and in professional and business services. 

The other separations rate (0.2 percent) and level (273,000) were essentially unchanged from a year 

earlier at the total nonfarm level. (See tables 9 and 10.) 

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

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

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

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

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

only 51 percent of total separations in October 2008, down five percentage points in 2008 as quits 

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

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 2008 is scheduled to be issued on 

Tuesday, January 13. Release dates for the balance of 2009 are as follows: 

Dec. — Feb. 10 March — May 12 June — Aug. 12 Sept. — Nov. 10 

Jan. — March 10 April — June 9 July — Sept. 9 Oct. — Dec. 8 

Feb. — April 7 May — July 7 Aug. — Oct. 9 
Technical Note

The data for the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey

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

business establishments by the Bureau of Labor Statistics

(BLS).

Collection

Each month, data are collected in a survey of business

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

layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Data collection

methods include computer-assisted telephone interviewing,

touchtone data entry, fax, and mail.

Coverage

The JOLTS program covers all private nonfarm

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

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

the District of Columbia.

Concepts

Industry classification. The industry classifications in this

release are in accordance with the 2007 version of the North

American Industry Classification System (NAICS). In order to

ensure the highest possible quality of data, State Workforce

Agencies verify with employers and update, if necessary, the

industry code, location, and ownership classification of all

establishments on a 3-year cycle. Changes in establishment

characteristics resulting from the verification process are

always introduced into the JOLTS sampling frame with the data

reported for the first month of the year.

Employment. Employment includes persons on the payroll

who worked or received pay for the pay period that includes

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

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

employees are included, as are employees on paid vacations or

other paid leave. Proprietors or partners of unincorporated

businesses, unpaid family workers, or persons on leave without

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

employed. Employees of temporary help agencies, employee

leasing companies, outside contractors, and consultants are

counted by their employer of record, not by the establishment

where they are working.

Job openings. Establishments submit job openings

information for the last business day of the reference month.

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

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

within 30 days regardless of whether a suitable candidate is

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

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

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

Active recruiting means that the establishment is taking steps

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

posting help-wanted signs, accepting applications, or using

other similar methods.

Jobs to be filled only by internal transfers, promotions,

demotions, or recall from layoffs are excluded. Also excluded

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

for which employees have been hired but have not yet reported

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

agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors, or

consultants. The job openings rate is computed by dividing

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

openings and multiplying that quotient by 100.

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

occurring at any time during the reference month, including

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

permanent, short-term, and seasonal employees, employees

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

on-call or intermittent employees who returned to work after

having been formally separated, and transfers from other

locations. The hires count does not include transfers or

promotions within the reporting site, employees returning from

strike, employees of temporary help agencies or employee

leasing companies, outside contractors, or consultants. The

hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by

employment and multiplying that quotient by 100.

Separations. Separations are the total number of

terminations of employment occurring at any time during the

reference month, and are reported by type of separation—

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

voluntary separations by employees (except for retirements,

which are reported as other separations). Layoffs and

discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the

employer and include layoffs with no intent to rehire, formal

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

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

discharges for cause, terminations of permanent or short-term

employees, and terminations of seasonal employees. Other

separations include retirements, transfers to other locations,

deaths, and separations due to disability. Separations do not

include transfers within the same location or employees on

strike.

The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of

separations by employment and multiplying that quotient by

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

rates are computed similarly, dividing the number by

employment and multiplying by 100.

Annual estimates. Annual estimates of rates and levels of

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

separations are released with the January news release each year.

The JOLTS annual level estimates for hires, quits, layoffs

and discharges, other separations, and total separations are

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

estimates are computed by dividing the annual level by the

Current Employment Statistics (CES) annual average

employment level, and multiplying that quotient by 100. This

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

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

rounded to the nearest thousand before the annual estimates

are calculated. Consistent with BLS practices, annual estimates

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

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

measurement for the last business day of each month. Only

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

the same reason job openings cannot be cumulated throughout

each month, annual figures for job openings cannot be created

by summing the monthly estimates. Hires and separations are

flow measures and are cumulated over the month with a total

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

created by summing the monthly estimates.

Sample methodology

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

nonfarm business establishments, including factories, offices,

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

the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The establishments

are drawn from a universe of over eight million establishments

compiled as part of the operations of the Quarterly Census of

Employment and Wages, or QCEW, program. This program

includes all employers subject to state Unemployment

Insurance (UI) laws and federal agencies subject to

Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE).

The sampling frame is stratified by ownership, region,

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

with virtual certainty. JOLTS total employment estimates are

controlled to the employment estimates of the Current

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

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

elements. Rates are then computed from the adjusted levels.

Using JOLTS data

The JOLTS data series on job openings, hires, and

separations are relatively new. The full sample is divided into

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

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

Industrial Classification (SIC) system was not completely

enrolled in the survey until January 2002. The supplemental

panels of establishments needed to create NAICS estimates

were not completely enrolled until May 2003. The data

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

Therefore, estimates from earlier months should be used with

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

In March 2002, BLS procedures for collecting hires and

separations data were revised to address possible

underreporting. As a result, JOLTS hires and separations

estimates for months prior to March 2002 may not be

comparable with estimates for March 2002 and later.

The federal government reorganization that involved

transferring approximately 180,000 employees to the new

Department of Homeland Security is not reflected in the JOLTS

hires and separations estimates for the federal government.

The Office of Personnel Management’s record shows these

transfers were completed in March 2003. The inclusion of

transfers in the JOLTS definitions of hires and separations is

intended to cover ongoing movements of workers between

establishments. The Department of Homeland Security

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

of these intergovernmental transfers would distort the federal

government time series.

Seasonal adjustment

BLS seasonally adjusts several JOLTS series using the

X-12-ARIMA seasonal adjustment program. Seasonal

adjustment is the process of estimating and removing periodic

fluctuations caused by events such as weather, holidays,

and the beginning and ending of the school year. Seasonal

adjustment makes it easier to observe fundamental changes in

the level of the series, particularly those associated with

general economic expansions and contractions. A concurrent

seasonal adjustment methodology is used in which new

seasonal adjustment factors are calculated each month, using

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

month.

Prior to the January 2007 benchmark release in March 2007,

seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS series was conducted using

the stable seasonal filter option since there were not enough

data observations available for the standard use of moving

averages as seasonal filters. Although the seasonal

adjustment of the JOLTS series is conducted with fewer data

observations than is customary, the number of observations is

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

normal seasonal filters. Therefore, the standard use of moving

averages as seasonal filters is now in place for JOLTS seasonal

adjustment. JOLTS seasonal adjustment now includes both

additive and multiplicative seasonal adjustment models and

REGARIMA (regression with autocorrelated errors) modeling

to improve the seasonal adjustment factors at the beginning

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

the series.

Reliability of the estimates

JOLTS estimates are subject to both sampling and

nonsampling error. When a sample rather than the entire

population is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample

estimates may differ from the “true” population values they

represent. The exact difference, or sampling error, varies

depending on the particular sample selected, and this

variability is measured by the standard error of the estimate.

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

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

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

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

population value because of sampling error. Estimates of

sampling errors are available upon request.

The JOLTS estimates also are affected by nonsampling

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

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

unwillingness of respondents to provide data on a timely basis,

mistakes made by respondents, errors made in the collection or

processing of the data, and errors from the employment

benchmark data used in estimation.

JOLTS hires and separations estimates cannot be used to

exactly explain net changes in nonfarm payroll employment.

Some reasons why it is problematic to compare changes in

payroll employment with JOLTS hires and separations,

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

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

month, while the reference period for hires and separations is

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

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

may not always work during the pay period that includes the

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

reporters systematically underreport separations relative to

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

payroll systems and practices. The shortfall appears to be

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

Other information

Information in this release will be made available to sensory

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

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

 and rates 2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

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

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

Total 4................................................... 4,044 3,631 3,497 3,492 3,375 3,214 3,052 2.8 2.6 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.3 2.2

INDUSTRY

Total private 4....................................... 3,597 3,185 3,073 3,046 2,952 2,778 2,609 3.0 2.7 2.6 2.6 2.5 2.4 2.2

Construction....................................... 150 130 100 94 85 110 56 1.9 1.8 1.4 1.3 1.2 1.5 .8

Manufacturing.................................... 303 249 241 229 245 213 196 2.2 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.8 1.6 1.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 644 572 539 569 572 458 520 2.4 2.1 2.0 2.1 2.1 1.7 1.9

Retail trade....................................... 321 363 322 346 357 260 317 2.0 2.3 2.1 2.2 2.3 1.7 2.0

Professional and business services......... 758 649 670 696 634 567 503 4.0 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.4 3.1 2.8

Education and health services............... 704 648 682 687 643 617 611 3.7 3.3 3.5 3.5 3.3 3.1 3.1

Leisure and hospitality 6

........................ 614 503 452 432 383 443 392 4.3 3.5 3.2 3.1 2.7 3.2 2.8

Accommodation and food services...... 543 438 406 388 316 373 337 4.5 3.6 3.4 3.2 2.6 3.1 2.8

Government 7

....................................... 448 451 417 412 423 440 436 2.0 2.0 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.9 1.9

State and local government................... 408 407 361 362 363 387 365 2.0 2.0 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.9 1.8

REGION 8

Northeast.......................................... 657 600 608 615 617 590 557 2.5 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.1

South................................................ 1,629 1,386 1,440 1,384 1,317 1,240 1,194 3.2 2.7 2.8 2.7 2.6 2.4 2.4

Midwest............................................. 747 721 676 638 664 664 685 2.3 2.2 2.1 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.1

West................................................ 1,014 937 789 847 777 710 610 3.2 2.9 2.5 2.7 2.5 2.3 1.9

1

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

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

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

 3

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

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

 4

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

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

 5

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

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

 6

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

 7

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

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

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

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

Total 4................................................... 4,914 4,123 4,438 4,026 4,063 4,362 4,062 3.6 3.0 3.2 2.9 3.0 3.2 3.0

INDUSTRY

Total private 4....................................... 4,552 3,871 4,136 3,751 3,822 4,090 3,743 3.9 3.4 3.6 3.3 3.3 3.6 3.3

Construction....................................... 331 286 354 242 322 288 337 4.4 3.9 4.9 3.4 4.5 4.0 4.8

Manufacturing.................................... 396 274 285 249 251 281 268 2.9 2.0 2.1 1.8 1.9 2.1 2.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 1,018 828 906 858 878 875 849 3.8 3.1 3.4 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.2

Retail trade....................................... 699 585 608 585 619 616 551 4.5 3.8 4.0 3.8 4.0 4.0 3.6

Professional and business services......... 855 770 889 748 701 741 678 4.7 4.3 5.0 4.2 3.9 4.2 3.8

Education and health services............... 517 479 485 474 509 514 507 2.8 2.5 2.6 2.5 2.7 2.7 2.7

Leisure and hospitality 6

........................ 924 847 741 798 728 830 705 6.8 6.2 5.4 5.8 5.3 6.1 5.2

Accommodation and food services...... 803 731 645 683 626 681 585 6.9 6.3 5.5 5.9 5.4 5.9 5.0

Government 7

....................................... 373 329 340 321 315 313 332 1.7 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.5

State and local government................... 315 304 309 300 286 283 286 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.5

REGION 8

Northeast.......................................... 653 646 761 657 679 688 651 2.5 2.5 3.0 2.6 2.7 2.7 2.5

South................................................ 1,924 1,538 1,666 1,512 1,549 1,570 1,511 3.9 3.1 3.4 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.1

Midwest.............................................1,097 914 966 934 926 1,020 926 3.5 2.9 3.1 3.0 2.9 3.3 3.0

West................................................ 1,216 1,111 1,084 979 1,004 1,057 956 3.9 3.6 3.5 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.1

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

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

total employment. 6

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

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

adjustment of the various series. 8

 See footnote 8, table 1. 4

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

other services, not shown separately.

Industry and region

Industry and region

Levels Rates 3

 (in thousands)

Levels 3

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

 and rates 2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

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

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

Total 4................................................... 4,594 4,313 4,368 4,359 4,398 4,042 4,234 3.3 3.1 3.2 3.2 3.2 2.9 3.1

INDUSTRY

Total private 4

....................................... 4,314 4,046 4,115 4,128 4,149 3,792 3,972 3.7 3.5 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.3 3.5

Construction....................................... 355 393 409 473 400 403 437 4.7 5.4 5.7 6.6 5.6 5.7 6.2

Manufacturing.................................... 393 359 353 324 325 335 459 2.9 2.6 2.6 2.4 2.4 2.5 3.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

.........1,010 868 1,003 1,013 933 916 959 3.8 3.3 3.8 3.8 3.5 3.5 3.7

Retail trade.................................... 702 605 679 692 642 581 646 4.5 3.9 4.4 4.5 4.2 3.8 4.3

Professional and business services......... 935 741 799 694 851 696 719 5.2 4.1 4.5 3.9 4.8 3.9 4.0

Education and health services............... 434 434 417 464 424 378 427 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.4 2.2 2.0 2.2

Leisure and hospitality 6

........................ 761 801 749 741 754 714 641 5.6 5.8 5.5 5.4 5.5 5.2 4.7

Accommodation and food services...... 651 675 641 629 652 634 543 5.6 5.8 5.5 5.4 5.6 5.5 4.7

Government 7

....................................... 286 269 259 244 257 251 258 1.3 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1

State and local government................... 238 240 233 222 231 233 228 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.2

REGION 8

Northeast.......................................... 652 685 658 745 705 600 578 2.5 2.7 2.6 2.9 2.7 2.3 2.3

South................................................1,764 1,614 1,681 1,629 1,633 1,456 1,576 3.5 3.3 3.4 3.3 3.3 2.9 3.2

Midwest............................................. 994 915 954 912 893 956 1,013 3.2 2.9 3.0 2.9 2.8 3.0 3.2

West................................................ 1,186 1,096 1,089 1,099 1,142 1,017 1,076 3.8 3.5 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.3 3.5

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

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

entire month as a percent of total employment. 6

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

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

seasonal adjustment of the various series. 8

 See footnote 8, table 1. 4

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

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

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

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

Total 4................................................... 2,648 2,336 2,365 2,314 2,252 2,144 2,163 1.9 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.6

INDUSTRY

Total private 4

....................................... 2,508 2,210 2,242 2,209 2,134 2,032 2,048 2.2 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.8 1.8

Construction....................................... 137 124 139 157 150 118 115 1.8 1.7 1.9 2.2 2.1 1.7 1.6

Manufacturing.................................... 199 163 154 134 143 141 148 1.4 1.2 1.1 1.0 1.1 1.1 1.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 588 495 545 545 485 494 503 2.2 1.9 2.1 2.1 1.8 1.9 1.9

Retail trade.................................... 432 352 391 405 355 351 351 2.8 2.3 2.6 2.6 2.3 2.3 2.3

Professional and business services......... 479 391 413 363 352 317 360 2.7 2.2 2.3 2.0 2.0 1.8 2.0

Education and health services............... 264 229 246 268 234 234 254 1.4 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.3

Leisure and hospitality 6

........................ 545 547 525 499 482 485 448 4.0 4.0 3.8 3.7 3.5 3.6 3.3

Accommodation and food services...... 503 500 481 452 445 423 414 4.3 4.3 4.1 3.9 3.8 3.6 3.6

Government 7

....................................... 144 126 123 111 121 120 118 .6 .6 .5 .5 .5 .5 .5

State and local government................... 128 117 114 104 113 121 108 .7 .6 .6 .5 .6 .6 .5

REGION 8

Northeast.......................................... 338 327 344 341 306 279 278 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.1 1.1

South................................................1,088 937 969 930 912 821 855 2.2 1.9 2.0 1.9 1.8 1.7 1.7

Midwest............................................. 524 485 515 504 513 531 506 1.7 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.6

West................................................ 691 584 539 541 518 492 511 2.2 1.9 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.6 1.7

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

percent of total employment. 6

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

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

seasonal adjustment of the various series. 8

 See footnote 8, table 1. 4

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

and other services, not shown separately.

Industry and region

Industry and region

Levels 3

 (in thousands) Rates

Levels 3

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

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

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

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 4,120 3,327 3,070 2.9 2.4 2.2

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 3,683 2,893 2,642 3.1 2.5 2.2

Natural resources and mining........................ 9 18 15 1.2 2.2 1.8

Construction................................................ 133 108 49 1.7 1.5 .7

Manufacturing............................................. 291 218 186 2.1 1.6 1.4

Durable goods.......................................... 166 122 99 1.9 1.4 1.2

Nondurable goods.................................... 125 95 87 2.4 1.9 1.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 717 535 604 2.6 2.0 2.2

Wholesale trade....................................... 153 82 101 2.5 1.3 1.7

Retail trade............................................. 416 327 408 2.6 2.1 2.6

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 148 126 95 2.8 2.4 1.8

Information................................................ 90 59 60 2.9 2.0 2.0

Financial activities......................................... 237 195 148 2.8 2.3 1.8

Finance and insurance.............................. 188 141 109 3.0 2.3 1.8

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 50 54 39 2.3 2.5 1.8

Professional and business services.................. 769 570 509 4.0 3.1 2.8

Education and health services........................ 701 628 598 3.6 3.2 3.0

Educational services................................. 60 55 59 1.9 1.8 1.8

Health care and social assistance.................. 641 572 539 4.0 3.5 3.3

Leisure and hospitality................................. 572 431 361 4.1 3.0 2.6

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 60 51 47 3.0 2.4 2.4

Accommodation and food services............... 513 381 313 4.2 3.1 2.6

Other services............................................. 164 131 113 2.9 2.3 2.0

Government................................................... 437 434 428 1.9 1.9 1.8

Federal...................................................... 35 50 70 1.3 1.8 2.5

State and local........................................... 401 384 358 2.0 1.9 1.8

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 725 633 609 2.7 2.4 2.3

South......................................................... 1,633 1,250 1,175 3.2 2.5 2.3

Midwest...................................................... 741 721 680 2.3 2.2 2.1

West......................................................... 1,020 723 605 3.2 2.3 1.9

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

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

plus job openings.

 3 See footnote 8, table 1.

 p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 6. Hires levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

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

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 4,971 4,754 4,069 3.6 3.5 3.0

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 4,631 4,306 3,765 4.0 3.7 3.3

Natural resources and mining........................ 19 29 29 2.6 3.6 3.5

Construction................................................ 299 274 303 3.8 3.7 4.2

Manufacturing............................................. 373 292 258 2.7 2.2 1.9

Durable goods.......................................... 210 145 141 2.4 1.7 1.7

Nondurable goods.................................... 163 147 117 3.2 3.0 2.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 1,150 996 952 4.3 3.8 3.6

Wholesale trade....................................... 171 133 173 2.8 2.2 2.9

Retail trade............................................. 831 697 646 5.4 4.6 4.3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 148 166 133 2.9 3.3 2.6

Information................................................ 55 62 64 1.8 2.1 2.2

Financial activities......................................... 252 204 159 3.1 2.5 1.9

Finance and insurance.............................. 190 137 100 3.1 2.3 1.7

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 62 67 59 2.9 3.2 2.8

Professional and business services.................. 866 781 662 4.8 4.4 3.7

Education and health services........................ 543 643 536 2.9 3.4 2.8

Educational services................................. 65 154 74 2.1 5.1 2.3

Health care and social assistance.................. 478 489 462 3.1 3.1 2.9

Leisure and hospitality................................. 886 816 651 6.5 5.9 4.8

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 93 130 93 4.8 6.4 4.8

Accommodation and food services............... 793 686 558 6.8 5.9 4.8

Other services............................................. 188 208 151 3.4 3.8 2.7

Government................................................... 340 448 304 1.5 2.0 1.3

Federal...................................................... 34 27 26 1.2 1.0 .9

State and local........................................... 307 421 278 1.5 2.2 1.4

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 665 835 654 2.6 3.3 2.5

South......................................................... 1,948 1,643 1,520 3.9 3.3 3.1

Midwest...................................................... 1,107 1,130 935 3.5 3.6 3.0

West......................................................... 1,251 1,146 960 4.0 3.7 3.1

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

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 7. Total separations levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

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

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 4,627 4,454 4,264 3.3 3.2 3.1

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 4,405 4,135 4,058 3.8 3.6 3.5

Natural resources and mining........................ 18 19 29 2.5 2.4 3.6

Construction................................................ 380 428 476 4.9 5.8 6.5

Manufacturing............................................. 400 357 470 2.9 2.7 3.5

Durable goods.......................................... 229 221 308 2.6 2.6 3.7

Nondurable goods.................................... 172 136 163 3.4 2.7 3.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 960 945 924 3.6 3.6 3.5

Wholesale trade....................................... 164 184 154 2.7 3.1 2.6

Retail trade............................................. 660 594 610 4.3 3.9 4.0

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 136 168 160 2.6 3.3 3.2

Information................................................ 55 53 58 1.8 1.8 2.0

Financial activities......................................... 235 188 175 2.8 2.3 2.2

Finance and insurance.............................. 161 119 90 2.6 2.0 1.5

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 74 69 85 3.5 3.3 4.0

Professional and business services.................. 908 707 697 5.0 3.9 3.9

Education and health services........................ 391 384 385 2.1 2.0 2.0

Educational services................................. 34 49 46 1.1 1.6 1.4

Health care and social assistance.................. 357 335 339 2.3 2.1 2.1

Leisure and hospitality................................. 883 890 719 6.5 6.5 5.3

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 145 152 124 7.4 7.4 6.4

Accommodation and food services............... 738 738 595 6.4 6.3 5.2

Other services............................................. 175 162 126 3.2 2.9 2.3

Government................................................... 222 318 206 1.0 1.4 .9

Federal...................................................... 25 20 20 .9 .7 .7

State and local........................................... 196 298 186 1.0 1.5 .9

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 670 728 566 2.6 2.8 2.2

South......................................................... 1,790 1,537 1,592 3.6 3.1 3.2

Midwest...................................................... 959 1,063 1,001 3.0 3.4 3.2

West......................................................... 1,207 1,125 1,105 3.9 3.6 3.6

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

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 8. Quits levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

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

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 2,594 2,313 2,094 1.9 1.7 1.5

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 2,475 2,171 1,998 2.1 1.9 1.7

Natural resources and mining........................ 10 13 17 1.3 1.6 2.1

Construction................................................ 149 121 116 1.9 1.6 1.6

Manufacturing............................................. 205 152 152 1.5 1.1 1.1

Durable goods.......................................... 113 88 91 1.3 1.0 1.1

Nondurable goods.................................... 92 64 61 1.8 1.3 1.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 567 543 493 2.1 2.1 1.9

Wholesale trade....................................... 79 89 65 1.3 1.5 1.1

Retail trade............................................. 422 380 345 2.7 2.5 2.3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 66 74 83 1.3 1.5 1.6

Information................................................ 33 23 26 1.1 .8 .9

Financial activities......................................... 134 93 86 1.6 1.1 1.1

Finance and insurance.............................. 100 57 52 1.6 .9 .9

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 33 36 34 1.5 1.7 1.6

Professional and business services.................. 443 322 338 2.4 1.8 1.9

Education and health services........................ 246 244 237 1.3 1.3 1.2

Educational services................................. 20 30 21 .7 1.0 .7

Health care and social assistance.................. 225 214 216 1.5 1.3 1.4

Leisure and hospitality................................. 580 576 465 4.3 4.2 3.4

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 48 63 33 2.4 3.1 1.7

Accommodation and food services............... 533 513 432 4.6 4.4 3.7

Other services............................................. 108 85 69 2.0 1.5 1.2

Government................................................... 119 142 96 .5 .6 .4

Federal...................................................... 9 7 5 .3 .3 .2

State and local........................................... 109 135 91 .5 .7 .5

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 336 341 268 1.3 1.3 1.0

South......................................................... 1,088 836 846 2.2 1.7 1.7

Midwest...................................................... 508 604 491 1.6 1.9 1.6

West......................................................... 662 531 489 2.1 1.7 1.6

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

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 9. Layoffs and discharges levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

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

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 1,786 1,851 1,897 1.3 1.3 1.4

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 1,713 1,727 1,825 1.5 1.5 1.6

Natural resources and mining........................ 7 5 10 .9 .6 1.2

Construction................................................ 216 295 343 2.8 4.0 4.7

Manufacturing............................................. 174 173 282 1.3 1.3 2.1

Durable goods.......................................... 105 112 191 1.2 1.3 2.3

Nondurable goods.................................... 70 61 91 1.4 1.2 1.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 340 330 367 1.3 1.3 1.4

Wholesale trade....................................... 77 80 80 1.3 1.3 1.3

Retail trade............................................. 207 177 226 1.3 1.2 1.5

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 55 73 61 1.1 1.4 1.2

Information................................................ 13 25 30 .4 .9 1.0

Financial activities......................................... 86 73 68 1.0 .9 .8

Finance and insurance.............................. 53 40 23 .9 .7 .4

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 34 32 45 1.6 1.5 2.1

Professional and business services.................. 431 350 319 2.4 2.0 1.8

Education and health services........................ 110 113 113 .6 .6 .6

Educational services................................. 11 15 21 .4 .5 .7

Health care and social assistance.................. 99 98 92 .6 .6 .6

Leisure and hospitality................................. 280 297 240 2.1 2.2 1.8

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 94 84 90 4.8 4.1 4.6

Accommodation and food services............... 186 214 150 1.6 1.8 1.3

Other services............................................. 56 65 51 1.0 1.2 .9

Government................................................... 74 124 72 .3 .6 .3

Federal...................................................... 10 6 10 .4 .2 .4

State and local........................................... 64 117 62 .3 .6 .3

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 280 332 251 1.1 1.3 1.0

South......................................................... 603 597 632 1.2 1.2 1.3

Midwest...................................................... 404 399 453 1.3 1.3 1.4

West......................................................... 500 523 560 1.6 1.7 1.8

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

employment.

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

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 10. Other separations levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

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

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 246 290 273 0.2 0.2 0.2

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 217 237 235 .2 .2 .2

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

Construction................................................ 15 12 17 .2 .2 .2

Manufacturing............................................. 21 32 36 .2 .2 .3

Durable goods.......................................... 11 21 26 .1 .2 .3

Nondurable goods.................................... 10 11 10 .2 .2 .2

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 53 72 64 .2 .3 .2

Wholesale trade....................................... 8 14 8 .1 .2 .1

Retail trade............................................. 30 37 39 .2 .2 .3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 14 21 17 .3 .4 .3

Information................................................ 9 5 3 .3 .2 .1

Financial activities......................................... 15 23 21 .2 .3 .3

Finance and insurance.............................. 8 22 15 .1 .4 .3

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 7 1 6 .3 (

4

) .3

Professional and business services.................. 34 35 39 .2 .2 .2

Education and health services........................ 35 27 34 .2 .1 .2

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

Health care and social assistance.................. 33 24 31 .2 .1 .2

Leisure and hospitality................................. 22 17 14 .2 .1 .1

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

Accommodation and food services............... 20 11 13 .2 .1 .1

Other services............................................. 10 12 6 .2 .2 .1

Government................................................... 29 53 38 .1 .2 .2

Federal...................................................... 7 7 5 .2 .2 .2

State and local........................................... 23 46 33 .1 .2 .2

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 55 55 47 .2 .2 .2

South......................................................... 99 104 114 .2 .2 .2

Midwest...................................................... 47 60 57 .1 .2 .2

West......................................................... 45 70 56 .1 .2 .2

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

 p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region