For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Tuesday, April 11, 2017 USDL-17-0416

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

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

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER – FEBRUARY 2017

The number of job openings was little changed at 5.7 million on the last business day of February, the

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the month, hires and separations were also little 

changed at 5.3 million and 5.1 million, respectively. Within separations, the quits rate was little changed 

at 2.1 percent, and the layoffs and discharges rate was unchanged at 1.1 percent. This release includes 

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

industry and by four geographic regions.

Job Openings

On the last business day of February, there were 5.7 million job openings, little changed from January. 

The job openings rate was 3.8 percent in February. The number of job openings was little changed for 

total private and for government. Job openings increased in a number of industries, with the largest 

changes occurring in health care and social assistance (+73,000), accommodation and food services 

(+66,000), and finance and insurance (+47,000). Job openings decreased in real estate and rental and 

leasing (-63,000) and mining and logging (-7,000). Job openings increased in the Northeast region. (See 

table 1.)

Hires

The number of hires was essentially unchanged at 5.3 million in February. The hires rate was 3.6

percent. The number of hires was little changed for total private and for government. Hires increased in 

 2.0

 2.2

 2.4

 2.6

 2.8

 3.0

 3.2

 3.4

 3.6

 3.8

 4.0

 4.2

 4.4

Feb-14 May-14 Aug-14 Nov-14 Feb-15 May-15 Aug-15 Nov-15 Feb-16 May-16 Aug-16 Nov-16 Feb-17

Percent

Chart 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted,

February 2014 - February 2017

2.0

2.2

2.4

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

4.2

4.4

Feb-14 May-14 Aug-14 Nov-14 Feb-15 May-15 Aug-15 Nov-15 Feb-16 May-16 Aug-16 Nov-16 Feb-17

Hires

Separations

Percent

Chart 2. Hires and total separations rates, seasonally adjusted,

February 2014 - February 2017
- 2 -

retail trade (+74,000) and mining and logging (+9,000), but decreased in federal government (-13,000). 

The number of hires was little changed in all four regions. (See table 2.)

Separations

Total separations includes quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Total separations is 

referred to as turnover. Quits are generally voluntary separations initiated by the employee. Therefore, 

the quits rate can serve as a measure of workers’ willingness or ability to leave jobs. Layoffs and 

discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the employer. Other separations includes separations 

due to retirement, death, disability, and transfers to other locations of the same firm.

There were 5.1 million total separations in February, little changed from January. The total separations 

rate in February was 3.5 percent. The number of total separations was little changed for total private and

for government. Total separations decreased in health care and social assistance (-54,000), educational 

services (-22,000), and federal government (-6,000). The number of total separations was little changed

in all four regions. (See table 3.)

The number of quits was essentially unchanged at 3.1 million in February. The quits rate was 2.1

percent. The number of quits was little changed for total private and for government. Quits increased in 

transportation, warehousing, and utilities (+25,000) and mining and logging (+5,000). The number of 

quits decreased in health care and social assistance (-53,000), wholesale trade (-34,000), and finance and 

insurance (-22,000). In the regions, the number of quits decreased in the West. (See table 4.)

There were 1.6 million layoffs and discharges in February, little changed from January. The layoffs and 

discharges rate was 1.1 percent in February. The number of layoffs and discharges was little changed for

total private and for government. The layoffs and discharges level increased in retail trade (+57,000) and 

state and local government education (+12,000). The number of layoffs and discharges decreased in

transportation, warehousing, and utilities (-44,000), educational services (-15,000), and federal 

government (-3,000). Layoffs and discharges decreased in the Midwest region. (See table 5.)

In February, the number of other separations was little changed for total nonfarm, total private, and 

government. Other separations increased in accommodation and food services (+15,000) and state and 

local government education (+6,000), but decreased in information (-7,000) and educational services

(-4,000). The number of other separations was little changed in all four regions. (See table 6.)

Net Change in Employment

Large numbers of hires and separations occur every month throughout the business cycle. Net 

employment change results from the relationship between hires and separations. When the number of 

hires exceeds the number of separations, employment rises, even if the hires level is steady or declining. 

Conversely, when the number of hires is less than the number of separations, employment declines, even 

if the hires level is steady or rising. Over the 12 months ending in February, hires totaled 63.0 million 

and separations totaled 60.6 million, yielding a net employment gain of 2.4 million. These totals 

include workers who may have been hired and separated more than once during the year.

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey results for March 2017 are scheduled to be 

released on Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).
Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally adjusted

Category

Job openings Hires Total separations

Feb.

2016

Jan.

2017

Feb.

2017p

Feb.

2016

Jan.

2017

Feb.

2017p

Feb.

2016

Jan.

2017

Feb.

2017p

LEVELS BY INDUSTRY

(in thousands)

Total................................................... 5,566 5,625 5,743 5,447 5,424 5,314 5,183 5,247 5,071

Total private....................................... 5,092 5,133 5,235 5,094 5,067 4,968 4,844 4,908 4,730

Mining and logging1............................ 8 25 18 21 30 39 43 32 35

Construction1................................... 193 142 169 347 387 369 334 361 334

Manufacturing.................................. 306 361 364 287 304 305 307 304 292

Durable goods1.............................. 158 206 209 170 165 156 189 163 155

Nondurable goods1

.......................... 148 155 155 117 139 149 118 141 137

Trade, transportation, and utilities........... 988 959 910 1,160 1,023 1,089 1,047 1,012 1,035

Wholesale trade1............................ 197 201 193 142 140 136 137 150 125

Retail trade................................... 612 581 541 831 682 756 742 670 739

Transportation, warehousing, and

utilities1

..................................... 180 177 175 187 201 196 167 192 171

Information1

..................................... 86 73 69 82 80 85 73 87 85

Financial activities.............................. 344 388 372 234 220 188 225 198 182

Finance and insurance..................... 253 248 295 165 150 121 163 133 128

Real estate and rental and leasing1. . . . .. 90 140 77 70 70 67 61 65 54

Professional and business services......... 1,107 1,056 1,002 1,076 1,128 1,068 1,072 1,068 1,036

Education and health services............... 1,050 1,158 1,257 648 646 624 567 639 563

Educational services1

....................... 110 93 120 108 79 78 94 82 60

Health care and social assistance. . . . . . .. 940 1,065 1,138 540 567 546 473 557 503

Leisure and hospitality........................ 775 729 808 1,051 1,015 989 1,018 987 974

Arts, entertainment, and recreation. . . . . .. 68 83 96 151 146 151 128 135 139

Accommodation and food services. . . . . .. 706 646 712 900 869 838 889 852 835

Other services1................................. 235 241 267 188 233 211 160 219 194

Government....................................... 474 492 507 353 357 346 339 339 341

Federal1

......................................... 87 82 78 44 46 33 39 38 32

State and local................................. 387 410 430 309 312 313 300 301 309

State and local education.................. 145 161 147 147 159 155 160 151 166

State and local, excluding education1

. . .. 242 249 283 162 153 158 140 149 144

RATES BY INDUSTRY

(percent)

Total................................................... 3.7 3.7 3.8 3.8 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.5

Total private....................................... 4.0 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.1 4.0 4.0 4.0 3.8

Mining and logging1

............................ 1.1 3.5 2.6 3.0 4.4 5.8 6.0 4.8 5.2

Construction1

................................... 2.8 2.0 2.4 5.2 5.7 5.4 5.0 5.3 4.9

Manufacturing.................................. 2.4 2.8 2.9 2.3 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.4

Durable goods1

.............................. 2.0 2.6 2.6 2.2 2.1 2.0 2.4 2.1 2.0

Nondurable goods1.......................... 3.1 3.2 3.2 2.5 3.0 3.2 2.5 3.0 2.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities........... 3.5 3.4 3.2 4.3 3.7 4.0 3.9 3.7 3.8

Wholesale trade1

............................ 3.3 3.3 3.2 2.4 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.5 2.1

Retail trade................................... 3.7 3.5 3.3 5.3 4.3 4.8 4.7 4.2 4.7

Transportation, warehousing, and

utilities1

..................................... 3.2 3.1 3.0 3.4 3.6 3.5 3.0 3.4 3.0

Information1

..................................... 3.0 2.6 2.4 3.0 2.9 3.1 2.6 3.2 3.1

Financial activities.............................. 4.0 4.4 4.2 2.9 2.6 2.2 2.7 2.4 2.2

Finance and insurance..................... 4.0 3.8 4.5 2.7 2.4 1.9 2.7 2.1 2.1

Real estate and rental and leasing1. . . . .. 4.1 6.0 3.4 3.3 3.2 3.1 2.9 3.0 2.5

Professional and business services......... 5.3 4.9 4.7 5.4 5.5 5.2 5.4 5.2 5.1

Education and health services............... 4.5 4.8 5.2 2.9 2.8 2.7 2.5 2.8 2.5

Educational services1

....................... 3.0 2.5 3.2 3.1 2.2 2.2 2.7 2.3 1.6

Health care and social assistance. . . . . . .. 4.7 5.2 5.6 2.9 2.9 2.8 2.5 2.9 2.6

Leisure and hospitality........................ 4.8 4.4 4.9 6.8 6.4 6.3 6.6 6.3 6.2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation. . . . . .. 3.0 3.6 4.1 6.8 6.5 6.7 5.8 6.0 6.2

Accommodation and food services. . . . . .. 5.1 4.6 5.0 6.8 6.4 6.2 6.7 6.3 6.2

Other services1

................................. 4.0 4.0 4.5 3.3 4.1 3.7 2.8 3.8 3.4

See footnotes at end of table.
Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally adjusted — Continued

Category

Job openings Hires Total separations

Feb.

2016

Jan.

2017

Feb.

2017p

Feb.

2016

Jan.

2017

Feb.

2017p

Feb.

2016

Jan.

2017

Feb.

2017p

Government....................................... 2.1 2.2 2.2 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5

Federal1

......................................... 3.0 2.8 2.7 1.6 1.6 1.2 1.4 1.4 1.1

State and local................................. 2.0 2.1 2.2 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.6

State and local education.................. 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.6

State and local, excluding education1

. . .. 2.6 2.7 3.0 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.5 1.6 1.6

1 No regular seasonal movements could be identified in the job openings series, therefore, the seasonally adjusted and not seasonally adjusted data

are identical.

p Preliminary
Technical Note

This news release presents statistics from the Job 

Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). The 

Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) collects and compiles 

JOLTS data monthly from a sample of nonfarm 

establishments. A more detailed discussion of JOLTS 

concepts and methodology is available online at

www.bls.gov/opub/hom/pdf/homch18.pdf.

Coverage and collection

The JOLTS program covers all private nonfarm establishments, as well as federal, state, and local government 

entities in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Data 

are collected for total employment, job openings, hires, 

quits, layoffs and discharges, other separations, and total 

separations.

Concepts

Industry classification. The industry classifications in 

this release are in accordance with the 2012 version of the 

North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).

Employment. Employment includes persons on the 

payroll who worked or received pay for the pay period 

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

and hourly employees are included, as are employees on 

paid vacations or other paid leave. Proprietors or partners 

of unincorporated businesses, unpaid family workers, or 

persons on leave without pay or on strike for the entire 

pay period, are not counted as employed. Employees of 

temporary help agencies, employee leasing companies, 

outside contractors, and consultants are counted by their 

employer of record, not by the establishment where they 

are working.

Job openings. Job openings information is collected 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 whether or not the employer found a 

suitable candidate, 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. The hires level is the total number of additions to 

the payroll occurring at any time during the reference 

month, including both new and rehired employees, fulltime 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. The separations level is the total number of 

employment terminations occurring at any time during the 

reference month, and is reported by type of separation—

quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. 

(Some respondents are only able to report total 

separations.) The quits count includes voluntary 

separations by employees (except for retirements, which 

are reported as other separations). The layoffs and 

discharges count is comprised of involuntary separations 

initiated by the employer and includes 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. The 

other separations count includes retirements, transfers to 

other locations, deaths, and separations due to disability. 

The separations count does 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.

Annual estimates. Annual levels for hires, quits, layoffs 

and discharges, other separations, and total separations 

are the sum of the 12 published monthly levels. Annual 

rates 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. Consistent with BLS practice, annual 

estimates are published only for not seasonally adjusted 

data and are released with the January news release each 

year. 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.
Sample and estimation methodology

The JOLTS survey design is a stratified random sample of 

16,000 nonfarm business and government establishments. 

The sample is stratified by ownership, region, industry 

sector, and establishment size class. The establishments 

are drawn from a universe of over 9.1 million 

establishments compiled by the Quarterly Census of 

Employment and Wages (QCEW) program which

includes all employers subject to state unemployment 

insurance laws and federal agencies subject to the 

Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees

program.

JOLTS total employment estimates are benchmarked, or 

ratio adjusted, monthly to the strike-adjusted employment 

estimates of the CES survey. A ratio of CES to JOLTS 

employment is used to adjust the levels for all other 

JOLTS data elements.

JOLTS business birth/death model

As with any sample survey, the JOLTS sample can only 

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

birth of an establishment until its appearance on the 

sampling frame is approximately one year. In addition, 

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

Since these universe units cannot be reflected on the 

sampling frame immediately, the JOLTS sample cannot 

capture job openings, hires, and separations from these 

units during their early existence. To compensate for the 

inability to capture data from these establishments, BLS 

has developed a birth/death model that uses birth and 

death activity from previous years. The estimates of job 

openings, hires, and separations produced by the 

birth/death model are added to the sample-based estimates 

produced from the survey to arrive at the estimates for 

openings, hires, and separations.

Seasonal adjustment

BLS uses X-13 ARIMA to seasonally adjust several 

JOLTS series utilizing moving averages as seasonal 

filters. 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 current month data. JOLTS seasonal adjustment 

includes both additive and multiplicative models and 

REGARIMA (regression with auto-correlated 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.

Alignment procedure

The JOLTS measures for hires minus separations can be 

used to derive a measure of net employment change. This 

change should be comparable to the net employment 

change from the much larger CES survey. However, 

definitional differences as well as sampling and nonsampling errors between the two surveys historically 

caused JOLTS to diverge from CES over time. To limit 

the divergence, and improve the quality of the JOLTS 

hires and separations series, BLS implemented the 

Monthly Alignment Method.

This method applies the CES employment trends to the 

seasonally adjusted JOLTS implied employment trend 

(hires minus separations) forcing them to be 

approximately the same, while preserving the seasonality 

of the JOLTS data. First, the two series are seasonally 

adjusted and the difference between the JOLTS implied 

employment change and the CES net employment change 

is calculated. Next, the JOLTS implied employment 

change is adjusted to equal the CES net employment 

change through a proportional adjustment. This procedure 

adjusts the two components (hires, separations) 

proportionally to their contribution to the total churn 

(hires plus separations). The adjusted hires and 

separations are converted back to not seasonally adjusted 

data by reversing the application of the original seasonal 

factors. After the Monthly Alignment Method has been 

used to adjust the level estimates, rate estimates are 

computed from the adjusted levels. 

Reliability of the estimates

JOLTS estimates are subject to both sampling and 

nonsampling error. When a sample is surveyed rather than 

the entire population, 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. Sampling error estimates are available

at www.bls.gov/jlt/jolts_median_standard_errors.htm.

The JOLTS estimates also are affected by non-sampling 

error. Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, 

including the failure to include a segment of the 

population, the inability to obtain data from all units in 

the sample, the inability or unwillingness of respondents 

to provide data on a timely basis, mistakes made by 

respondents, errors made in the collection or processing 

of the data, and errors from the employment benchmark 

data used in estimation.

Other information

Information in this release will be made available to 

sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 

(202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.
Table 1. Job openings levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted1

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates2

Feb.

2016

Oct.

2016

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016

Jan.

2017

Feb.

2017p

Feb.

2016

Oct.

2016

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016

Jan.

2017

Feb.

2017p

Total............................................... 5,566 5,587 5,631 5,539 5,625 5,743 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.8

INDUSTRY

Total private................................... 5,092 5,103 5,056 5,065 5,133 5,235 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.1

Mining and logging3

....................... 8 12 16 17 25 18 1.1 1.7 2.4 2.5 3.5 2.6

Construction3............................... 193 196 178 140 142 169 2.8 2.8 2.6 2.0 2.0 2.4

Manufacturing.............................. 306 314 319 342 361 364 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.7 2.8 2.9

Durable goods3

.......................... 158 199 186 194 206 209 2.0 2.5 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.6

Nondurable goods3

...................... 148 115 133 148 155 155 3.1 2.4 2.8 3.1 3.2 3.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities. . . . . .. 988 1,021 1,017 1,014 959 910 3.5 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.4 3.2

Wholesale trade3

........................ 197 185 203 182 201 193 3.3 3.0 3.3 3.0 3.3 3.2

Retail trade............................... 612 650 636 650 581 541 3.7 3.9 3.9 3.9 3.5 3.3

Transportation, warehousing, and

utilities3

................................. 180 186 178 182 177 175 3.2 3.2 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.0

Information3................................. 86 74 73 81 73 69 3.0 2.6 2.6 2.8 2.6 2.4

Financial activities......................... 344 317 324 357 388 372 4.0 3.7 3.7 4.1 4.4 4.2

Finance and insurance................. 253 242 263 272 248 295 4.0 3.8 4.1 4.2 3.8 4.5

Real estate and rental and leasing3

... 90 75 61 85 140 77 4.1 3.4 2.7 3.8 6.0 3.4

Professional and business services. . . .. 1,107 1,083 1,047 989 1,056 1,002 5.3 5.1 4.9 4.6 4.9 4.7

Education and health services........... 1,050 1,161 1,135 1,158 1,158 1,257 4.5 4.8 4.7 4.8 4.8 5.2

Educational services3

................... 110 107 86 93 93 120 3.0 2.9 2.3 2.5 2.5 3.2

Health care and social assistance. . .. 940 1,054 1,048 1,065 1,065 1,138 4.7 5.2 5.2 5.2 5.2 5.6

Leisure and hospitality.................... 775 731 756 730 729 808 4.8 4.5 4.6 4.4 4.4 4.9

Arts, entertainment, and recreation. .. 68 96 96 89 83 96 3.0 4.1 4.1 3.8 3.6 4.1

Accommodation and food services. .. 706 636 660 640 646 712 5.1 4.5 4.7 4.5 4.6 5.0

Other services3

............................. 235 194 192 236 241 267 4.0 3.3 3.2 4.0 4.0 4.5

Government................................... 474 484 575 474 492 507 2.1 2.1 2.5 2.1 2.2 2.2

Federal3

..................................... 87 74 82 110 82 78 3.0 2.6 2.8 3.8 2.8 2.7

State and local............................. 387 410 494 364 410 430 2.0 2.1 2.5 1.8 2.1 2.2

State and local education.............. 145 126 150 143 161 147 1.4 1.2 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.4

State and local, excluding

education3

............................. 242 284 344 220 249 283 2.6 3.0 3.6 2.4 2.7 3.0

REGION4

Northeast...................................... 866 983 942 967 998 1,116 3.2 3.5 3.4 3.5 3.6 4.0

South........................................... 2,138 1,978 2,079 2,008 2,024 2,080 3.9 3.6 3.8 3.7 3.7 3.8

Midwest........................................ 1,265 1,278 1,263 1,253 1,324 1,293 3.8 3.8 3.8 3.7 3.9 3.8

West............................................ 1,297 1,349 1,347 1,312 1,279 1,254 3.8 3.9 3.9 3.8 3.7 3.6

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 No regular seasonal movements could be identified in this series; therefore, identical numbers appear for the unadjusted and seasonally adjusted

series.

4 The states (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New

Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia,

Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest:

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona,

California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

p Preliminary
Table 2. Hires levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted1

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates2

Feb.

2016

Oct.

2016

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016

Jan.

2017

Feb.

2017p

Feb.

2016

Oct.

2016

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016

Jan.

2017

Feb.

2017p

Total............................................... 5,447 5,200 5,263 5,303 5,424 5,314 3.8 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.7 3.6

INDUSTRY

Total private................................... 5,094 4,870 4,912 4,984 5,067 4,968 4.2 4.0 4.0 4.1 4.1 4.0

Mining and logging......................... 21 28 30 22 30 39 3.0 4.3 4.5 3.2 4.4 5.8

Construction................................ 347 343 337 400 387 369 5.2 5.1 5.0 5.9 5.7 5.4

Manufacturing.............................. 287 279 284 293 304 305 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.5

Durable goods........................... 170 161 169 171 165 156 2.2 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.0

Nondurable goods....................... 117 118 115 122 139 149 2.5 2.6 2.5 2.6 3.0 3.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities. . . . . .. 1,160 1,083 1,016 1,009 1,023 1,089 4.3 4.0 3.7 3.7 3.7 4.0

Wholesale trade......................... 142 128 135 130 140 136 2.4 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.4 2.3

Retail trade............................... 831 740 666 672 682 756 5.3 4.7 4.2 4.2 4.3 4.8

Transportation, warehousing, and

utilities.................................. 187 214 215 208 201 196 3.4 3.9 3.8 3.7 3.6 3.5

Information.................................. 82 72 71 79 80 85 3.0 2.6 2.6 2.8 2.9 3.1

Financial activities......................... 234 170 175 190 220 188 2.9 2.0 2.1 2.3 2.6 2.2

Finance and insurance................. 165 104 114 126 150 121 2.7 1.7 1.8 2.0 2.4 1.9

Real estate and rental and leasing. .. 70 66 61 64 70 67 3.3 3.1 2.8 3.0 3.2 3.1

Professional and business services. . . .. 1,076 1,092 1,082 1,140 1,128 1,068 5.4 5.4 5.3 5.6 5.5 5.2

Education and health services........... 648 638 652 642 646 624 2.9 2.8 2.9 2.8 2.8 2.7

Educational services.................... 108 75 81 78 79 78 3.1 2.1 2.3 2.2 2.2 2.2

Health care and social assistance. . .. 540 563 571 564 567 546 2.9 2.9 3.0 2.9 2.9 2.8

Leisure and hospitality.................... 1,051 986 1,056 1,031 1,015 989 6.8 6.3 6.7 6.5 6.4 6.3

Arts, entertainment, and recreation. .. 151 159 151 162 146 151 6.8 7.1 6.7 7.2 6.5 6.7

Accommodation and food services. .. 900 827 904 869 869 838 6.8 6.1 6.7 6.4 6.4 6.2

Other services.............................. 188 180 210 178 233 211 3.3 3.2 3.7 3.1 4.1 3.7

Government................................... 353 330 351 319 357 346 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.4 1.6 1.5

Federal...................................... 44 41 40 45 46 33 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.6 1.6 1.2

State and local............................. 309 289 311 275 312 313 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.4 1.6 1.6

State and local education.............. 147 118 142 137 159 155 1.4 1.1 1.4 1.3 1.5 1.5

State and local, excluding

education.............................. 162 171 169 137 153 158 1.8 1.9 1.8 1.5 1.7 1.7

REGION3

Northeast...................................... 831 876 835 849 898 866 3.1 3.3 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.2

South........................................... 2,113 2,066 2,021 2,074 2,091 2,095 4.0 3.9 3.8 3.9 3.9 3.9

Midwest........................................ 1,270 1,140 1,192 1,176 1,162 1,148 4.0 3.5 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.5

West............................................ 1,232 1,118 1,214 1,205 1,273 1,205 3.8 3.4 3.7 3.6 3.8 3.6

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 The states (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New

Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia,

Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest:

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona,

California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

p Preliminary
Table 3. Total separations levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted1

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates2

Feb.

2016

Oct.

2016

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016

Jan.

2017

Feb.

2017p

Feb.

2016

Oct.

2016

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016

Jan.

2017

Feb.

2017p

Total............................................... 5,183 5,041 5,075 5,084 5,247 5,071 3.6 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.6 3.5

INDUSTRY

Total private................................... 4,844 4,699 4,720 4,754 4,908 4,730 4.0 3.8 3.8 3.9 4.0 3.8

Mining and logging......................... 43 30 25 22 32 35 6.0 4.5 3.7 3.3 4.8 5.2

Construction................................ 334 322 323 369 361 334 5.0 4.8 4.8 5.4 5.3 4.9

Manufacturing.............................. 307 282 286 287 304 292 2.5 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.5 2.4

Durable goods........................... 189 159 165 163 163 155 2.4 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.0

Nondurable goods....................... 118 123 121 124 141 137 2.5 2.7 2.6 2.7 3.0 2.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities. . . . . .. 1,047 1,049 1,018 958 1,012 1,035 3.9 3.8 3.7 3.5 3.7 3.8

Wholesale trade......................... 137 122 129 142 150 125 2.3 2.1 2.2 2.4 2.5 2.1

Retail trade............................... 742 732 698 631 670 739 4.7 4.6 4.4 4.0 4.2 4.7

Transportation, warehousing, and

utilities.................................. 167 196 191 185 192 171 3.0 3.5 3.4 3.3 3.4 3.0

Information.................................. 73 76 73 82 87 85 2.6 2.7 2.6 3.0 3.2 3.1

Financial activities......................... 225 161 160 162 198 182 2.7 1.9 1.9 1.9 2.4 2.2

Finance and insurance................. 163 99 120 107 133 128 2.7 1.6 1.9 1.7 2.1 2.1

Real estate and rental and leasing. .. 61 62 40 55 65 54 2.9 2.9 1.9 2.5 3.0 2.5

Professional and business services. . . .. 1,072 1,051 1,069 1,132 1,068 1,036 5.4 5.2 5.2 5.5 5.2 5.1

Education and health services........... 567 592 610 596 639 563 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.6 2.8 2.5

Educational services.................... 94 73 72 73 82 60 2.7 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.3 1.6

Health care and social assistance. . .. 473 520 539 522 557 503 2.5 2.7 2.8 2.7 2.9 2.6

Leisure and hospitality.................... 1,018 966 986 974 987 974 6.6 6.2 6.3 6.2 6.3 6.2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation. .. 128 155 144 156 135 139 5.8 6.9 6.4 7.0 6.0 6.2

Accommodation and food services. .. 889 811 842 817 852 835 6.7 6.0 6.2 6.1 6.3 6.2

Other services.............................. 160 170 170 172 219 194 2.8 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.8 3.4

Government................................... 339 342 355 330 339 341 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.5

Federal...................................... 39 35 43 41 38 32 1.4 1.2 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.1

State and local............................. 300 307 313 289 301 309 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.6

State and local education.............. 160 136 155 133 151 166 1.6 1.3 1.5 1.3 1.5 1.6

State and local, excluding

education.............................. 140 170 158 156 149 144 1.5 1.9 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.6

REGION3

Northeast...................................... 824 796 848 812 840 848 3.1 3.0 3.2 3.0 3.1 3.1

South........................................... 2,005 1,951 1,947 1,966 1,991 1,986 3.8 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.8 3.7

Midwest........................................ 1,167 1,141 1,113 1,128 1,177 1,097 3.7 3.5 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.4

West............................................ 1,186 1,153 1,166 1,178 1,239 1,140 3.6 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.7 3.4

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 The states (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New

Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia,

Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest:

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona,

California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

p Preliminary
Table 4. Quits levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted1

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates2

Feb.

2016

Oct.

2016

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016

Jan.

2017

Feb.

2017p

Feb.

2016

Oct.

2016

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016

Jan.

2017

Feb.

2017p

Total............................................... 2,984 3,078 3,080 3,085 3,186 3,084 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.1

INDUSTRY

Total private................................... 2,826 2,912 2,909 2,915 3,011 2,916 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4

Mining and logging......................... 12 12 13 12 13 18 1.7 1.9 2.0 1.9 2.0 2.7

Construction................................ 97 127 150 134 151 166 1.5 1.9 2.2 2.0 2.2 2.4

Manufacturing.............................. 161 165 164 165 177 182 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.5

Durable goods........................... 94 88 93 89 96 94 1.2 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2

Nondurable goods....................... 66 76 71 75 82 88 1.4 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.8 1.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities. . . . . .. 633 681 655 623 657 654 2.3 2.5 2.4 2.3 2.4 2.4

Wholesale trade......................... 85 73 87 94 103 69 1.5 1.2 1.5 1.6 1.8 1.2

Retail trade............................... 464 493 460 432 469 474 2.9 3.1 2.9 2.7 2.9 3.0

Transportation, warehousing, and

utilities.................................. 84 114 108 97 85 110 1.5 2.0 1.9 1.7 1.5 2.0

Information.................................. 41 42 35 49 42 49 1.5 1.5 1.3 1.8 1.5 1.8

Financial activities......................... 138 91 85 78 123 87 1.7 1.1 1.0 0.9 1.5 1.0

Finance and insurance................. 101 65 66 59 80 58 1.7 1.0 1.1 0.9 1.3 0.9

Real estate and rental and leasing3... 37 27 19 19 43 28 1.7 1.2 0.9 0.9 2.0 1.3

Professional and business services. . . .. 597 617 635 672 625 610 3.0 3.0 3.1 3.3 3.1 3.0

Education and health services........... 383 396 395 409 438 382 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.7

Educational services.................... 43 43 44 41 45 41 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.2 1.1

Health care and social assistance. . .. 340 353 351 367 394 341 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.9 2.0 1.8

Leisure and hospitality.................... 676 668 693 688 662 663 4.4 4.3 4.4 4.4 4.2 4.2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation. .. 72 69 77 73 70 72 3.2 3.1 3.4 3.2 3.1 3.2

Accommodation and food services. .. 604 600 616 615 593 591 4.6 4.5 4.6 4.6 4.4 4.4

Other services3

............................. 88 112 83 86 123 106 1.6 2.0 1.5 1.5 2.1 1.8

Government................................... 158 167 171 170 175 168 0.7 0.7 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8

Federal...................................... 14 12 17 15 15 14 0.5 0.4 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.5

State and local............................. 144 155 154 155 161 154 0.7 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8

State and local education.............. 73 75 80 70 75 72 0.7 0.7 0.8 0.7 0.7 0.7

State and local, excluding

education.............................. 71 80 73 85 86 82 0.8 0.9 0.8 0.9 0.9 0.9

REGION4

Northeast...................................... 428 434 475 440 430 428 1.6 1.6 1.8 1.6 1.6 1.6

South........................................... 1,166 1,229 1,207 1,250 1,248 1,244 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.3

Midwest........................................ 717 692 695 664 719 731 2.2 2.1 2.2 2.1 2.2 2.3

West............................................ 673 723 703 730 789 681 2.1 2.2 2.1 2.2 2.4 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 No regular seasonal movements could be identified in this series; therefore, identical numbers appear for the unadjusted and seasonally adjusted

series.

4 The states (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New

Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia,

Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest:

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona,

California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

p Preliminary
Table 5. Layoffs and discharges levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted1

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates2

Feb.

2016

Oct.

2016

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016

Jan.

2017

Feb.

2017p

Feb.

2016

Oct.

2016

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016

Jan.

2017

Feb.

2017p

Total............................................... 1,834 1,593 1,660 1,624 1,659 1,584 1.3 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1

INDUSTRY

Total private................................... 1,713 1,482 1,539 1,525 1,555 1,475 1.4 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.2

Mining and logging3

....................... 28 11 8 6 16 13 3.9 1.7 1.2 0.9 2.4 1.9

Construction................................ 226 180 153 214 177 146 3.4 2.7 2.3 3.2 2.6 2.1

Manufacturing.............................. 119 94 99 100 103 86 1.0 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.7

Durable goods........................... 80 56 57 57 55 45 1.0 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.6

Nondurable goods....................... 38 38 42 43 48 41 0.8 0.8 0.9 0.9 1.0 0.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities. . . . . .. 307 268 293 247 289 303 1.1 1.0 1.1 0.9 1.1 1.1

Wholesale trade3

........................ 42 35 32 36 39 41 0.7 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.7

Retail trade............................... 194 167 188 142 155 212 1.2 1.1 1.2 0.9 1.0 1.3

Transportation, warehousing, and

utilities.................................. 71 66 73 69 94 50 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.7 0.9

Information.................................. 21 20 27 23 27 25 0.7 0.7 1.0 0.8 1.0 0.9

Financial activities......................... 61 54 53 61 50 66 0.7 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.6 0.8

Finance and insurance................. 40 22 32 29 30 45 0.7 0.4 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.7

Real estate and rental and leasing. .. 21 32 21 32 19 21 1.0 1.5 1.0 1.5 0.9 1.0

Professional and business services. . . .. 420 377 384 401 383 363 2.1 1.9 1.9 2.0 1.9 1.8

Education and health services........... 155 162 183 142 132 130 0.7 0.7 0.8 0.6 0.6 0.6

Educational services.................... 48 26 26 28 31 16 1.4 0.7 0.7 0.8 0.9 0.4

Health care and social assistance. . .. 106 136 157 114 102 114 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.6 0.5 0.6

Leisure and hospitality.................... 312 268 259 256 296 269 2.0 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.9 1.7

Arts, entertainment, and recreation. .. 54 84 66 81 60 64 2.4 3.7 2.9 3.6 2.7 2.8

Accommodation and food services. .. 259 184 194 175 235 205 1.9 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.7 1.5

Other services.............................. 65 47 79 75 83 74 1.1 0.8 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.3

Government................................... 122 111 121 99 104 109 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.5

Federal...................................... 13 11 13 13 13 10 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.3

State and local............................. 108 100 108 86 91 99 0.6 0.5 0.6 0.4 0.5 0.5

State and local education.............. 64 39 50 40 51 63 0.6 0.4 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.6

State and local, excluding

education.............................. 44 61 57 46 39 37 0.5 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.4

REGION4

Northeast...................................... 350 299 307 310 340 350 1.3 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.3

South........................................... 700 576 608 566 573 576 1.3 1.1 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.1

Midwest........................................ 388 362 355 387 383 292 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.2 0.9

West............................................ 396 357 390 361 362 366 1.2 1.1 1.2 1.1 1.1 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.

3 No regular seasonal movements could be identified in this series; therefore, identical numbers appear for the unadjusted and seasonally adjusted

series.

4 The states (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New

Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia,

Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest:

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona,

California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

p Preliminary
Table 6. Other separations levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted1

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates2

Feb.

2016

Oct.

2016

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016

Jan.

2017

Feb.

2017p

Feb.

2016

Oct.

2016

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016

Jan.

2017

Feb.

2017p

Total............................................... 365 370 334 375 402 404 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3

INDUSTRY

Total private................................... 305 305 272 314 342 339 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3

Mining and logging......................... 3 6 4 4 3 4 0.4 1.0 0.6 0.6 0.4 0.6

Construction3

............................... 12 15 19 20 32 23 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.5 0.3

Manufacturing.............................. 28 23 23 23 24 24 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2

Durable goods........................... 15 15 16 17 13 16 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2

Nondurable goods3...................... 13 8 8 6 11 8 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities. . . . . .. 106 100 69 88 66 78 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.3

Wholesale trade......................... 10 13 9 13 7 15 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.3

Retail trade............................... 84 71 49 57 46 52 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.3

Transportation, warehousing, and

utilities3

................................. 12 15 10 18 13 11 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.2

Information3................................. 11 14 11 10 18 11 0.4 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.7 0.4

Financial activities......................... 25 16 23 23 26 29 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3

Finance and insurance................. 22 12 22 20 23 25 0.4 0.2 0.4 0.3 0.4 0.4

Real estate and rental and leasing3... 3 3 1 4 3 4 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.2 0.1 0.2

Professional and business services. . . .. 55 56 50 59 61 62 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3

Education and health services........... 29 34 32 45 68 52 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.2

Educational services3................... 2 3 2 4 7 3 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.1

Health care and social assistance3

. .. 27 31 30 41 61 49 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.3

Leisure and hospitality.................... 29 30 34 30 29 42 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3

Arts, entertainment, and recreation3

... 3 2 2 3 5 3 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.1

Accommodation and food services3... 26 28 33 27 24 39 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3

Other services3............................. 7 11 7 12 14 15 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.3

Government................................... 59 64 63 62 60 65 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3

Federal...................................... 12 13 12 13 10 8 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.4 0.3

State and local............................. 48 52 51 49 49 56 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3

State and local education.............. 23 23 24 23 25 31 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3

State and local, excluding

education.............................. 24 29 27 26 24 26 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3

REGION4

Northeast...................................... 46 63 66 62 70 70 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.3

South........................................... 139 147 132 150 171 166 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3

Midwest........................................ 62 87 63 77 75 74 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2

West............................................ 117 73 73 86 87 94 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3

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 No regular seasonal movements could be identified in this series; therefore, identical numbers appear for the unadjusted and seasonally adjusted

series.

4 The states (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New

Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia,

Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest:

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona,

California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

p Preliminary

NOTE: Levels are rounded to the nearest thousand and rates are rounded to the nearest tenth. Levels and rates may round down to zero.
Table 7. Job openings levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted1

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates2

Feb.

2016

Jan.

2017

Feb.

2017p

Feb.

2016

Jan.

2017

Feb.

2017p

Total..................................................................... 5,412 5,557 5,592 3.7 3.7 3.7

INDUSTRY

Total private.......................................................... 4,957 5,086 5,104 4.0 4.0 4.0

Mining and logging............................................... 8 25 18 1.2 3.6 2.7

Construction....................................................... 193 142 169 3.0 2.2 2.5

Manufacturing..................................................... 306 361 364 2.4 2.9 2.9

Durable goods.................................................. 158 206 209 2.0 2.6 2.6

Nondurable goods............................................. 148 155 155 3.1 3.3 3.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 935 887 843 3.4 3.2 3.0

Wholesale trade................................................ 197 201 193 3.3 3.3 3.2

Retail trade..................................................... 559 508 474 3.5 3.1 2.9

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities.................. 180 177 175 3.2 3.1 3.1

Information........................................................ 86 73 69 3.0 2.6 2.4

Financial activities................................................ 312 409 346 3.7 4.7 4.0

Finance and insurance........................................ 221 268 270 3.5 4.1 4.2

Real estate and rental and leasing.......................... 90 140 77 4.2 6.1 3.5

Professional and business services............................ 1,106 1,070 985 5.3 5.1 4.6

Education and health services.................................. 1,003 1,236 1,218 4.3 5.2 5.0

Educational services.......................................... 110 93 120 2.9 2.6 3.1

Health care and social assistance........................... 893 1,143 1,099 4.5 5.6 5.4

Leisure and hospitality........................................... 773 643 825 4.9 4.1 5.2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......................... 63 80 89 3.1 3.9 4.2

Accommodation and food services.......................... 710 563 736 5.2 4.1 5.3

Other services.................................................... 235 241 267 4.0 4.1 4.5

Government.......................................................... 455 470 489 2.0 2.1 2.1

Federal............................................................. 87 82 78 3.0 2.8 2.7

State and local.................................................... 368 388 411 1.8 2.0 2.0

State and local education..................................... 126 139 129 1.2 1.3 1.2

State and local, excluding education........................ 242 249 283 2.6 2.7 3.0

REGION3

Northeast............................................................. 804 973 1,069 3.0 3.5 3.9

South................................................................. 2,111 2,031 2,052 3.9 3.7 3.8

Midwest............................................................... 1,237 1,270 1,260 3.8 3.8 3.8

West.................................................................. 1,260 1,282 1,211 3.7 3.8 3.5

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 The states (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New

Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia,

Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest:

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona,

California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

p Preliminary
Table 8. Hires levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted1

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates2

Feb.

2016

Jan.

2017

Feb.

2017p

Feb.

2016

Jan.

2017

Feb.

2017p

Total..................................................................... 4,521 5,226 4,408 3.2 3.6 3.1

INDUSTRY

Total private.......................................................... 4,262 4,908 4,152 3.6 4.1 3.4

Mining and logging............................................... 17 35 32 2.4 5.4 4.8

Construction....................................................... 298 356 315 4.8 5.6 4.9

Manufacturing..................................................... 252 322 270 2.0 2.6 2.2

Durable goods.................................................. 153 180 138 2.0 2.3 1.8

Nondurable goods............................................. 99 142 132 2.2 3.1 2.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 895 862 848 3.3 3.2 3.1

Wholesale trade................................................ 124 154 119 2.1 2.6 2.0

Retail trade..................................................... 636 520 592 4.1 3.3 3.8

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities.................. 135 188 138 2.5 3.4 2.5

Information........................................................ 66 94 70 2.4 3.5 2.5

Financial activities................................................ 190 245 151 2.3 2.9 1.8

Finance and insurance........................................ 138 170 101 2.3 2.7 1.6

Real estate and rental and leasing.......................... 52 75 50 2.5 3.5 2.4

Professional and business services............................ 969 1,239 954 4.9 6.2 4.7

Education and health services.................................. 543 675 520 2.4 3.0 2.3

Educational services.......................................... 85 75 63 2.3 2.2 1.7

Health care and social assistance........................... 458 600 457 2.4 3.1 2.4

Leisure and hospitality........................................... 869 848 797 5.8 5.6 5.3

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......................... 98 109 98 5.0 5.5 4.9

Accommodation and food services.......................... 770 740 699 6.0 5.7 5.3

Other services.................................................... 164 230 194 2.9 4.1 3.4

Government.......................................................... 259 318 256 1.2 1.4 1.1

Federal............................................................. 35 43 25 1.3 1.5 0.9

State and local.................................................... 225 275 231 1.1 1.4 1.2

State and local education..................................... 109 153 117 1.0 1.5 1.1

State and local, excluding education........................ 116 122 114 1.3 1.4 1.3

REGION3

Northeast............................................................. 642 825 676 2.4 3.1 2.5

South................................................................. 1,823 2,139 1,815 3.5 4.1 3.5

Midwest............................................................... 1,014 1,074 909 3.2 3.4 2.8

West.................................................................. 1,043 1,188 1,008 3.2 3.6 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 The states (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New

Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia,

Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest:

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona,

California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

p Preliminary
Table 9. Total separations levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted1

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates2

Feb.

2016

Jan.

2017

Feb.

2017p

Feb.

2016

Jan.

2017

Feb.

2017p

Total..................................................................... 4,226 5,776 4,138 3.0 4.0 2.9

INDUSTRY

Total private.......................................................... 4,018 5,453 3,930 3.4 4.5 3.2

Mining and logging............................................... 40 33 32 5.8 5.0 4.7

Construction....................................................... 280 403 276 4.5 6.3 4.3

Manufacturing..................................................... 268 310 249 2.2 2.5 2.0

Durable goods.................................................. 170 174 132 2.2 2.3 1.7

Nondurable goods............................................. 98 136 117 2.1 3.0 2.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 896 1,365 884 3.4 5.0 3.3

Wholesale trade................................................ 121 158 109 2.1 2.7 1.9

Retail trade..................................................... 649 856 646 4.2 5.4 4.1

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities.................. 125 351 129 2.3 6.3 2.3

Information........................................................ 61 110 72 2.2 4.0 2.6

Financial activities................................................ 177 231 146 2.2 2.8 1.7

Finance and insurance........................................ 121 155 97 2.0 2.5 1.6

Real estate and rental and leasing.......................... 56 76 49 2.7 3.6 2.3

Professional and business services............................ 942 1,172 905 4.8 5.8 4.5

Education and health services.................................. 452 657 461 2.0 2.9 2.0

Educational services.......................................... 50 75 33 1.4 2.2 0.9

Health care and social assistance........................... 402 582 429 2.1 3.0 2.2

Leisure and hospitality........................................... 758 957 727 5.1 6.4 4.8

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......................... 74 106 76 3.7 5.3 3.8

Accommodation and food services.......................... 684 851 651 5.3 6.5 5.0

Other services.................................................... 144 214 177 2.6 3.8 3.1

Government.......................................................... 208 323 208 0.9 1.5 0.9

Federal............................................................. 30 68 24 1.1 2.4 0.8

State and local.................................................... 177 255 184 0.9 1.3 0.9

State and local education..................................... 77 120 81 0.7 1.2 0.7

State and local, excluding education........................ 101 135 104 1.1 1.5 1.2

REGION3

Northeast............................................................. 625 965 649 2.4 3.6 2.4

South................................................................. 1,670 2,170 1,651 3.2 4.2 3.1

Midwest............................................................... 951 1,316 899 3.0 4.1 2.8

West.................................................................. 980 1,325 938 3.0 4.1 2.8

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 The states (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New

Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia,

Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest:

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona,

California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

p Preliminary
Table 10. Quits levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted1

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates2

Feb.

2016

Jan.

2017

Feb.

2017p

Feb.

2016

Jan.

2017

Feb.

2017p

Total..................................................................... 2,465 3,172 2,550 1.7 2.2 1.8

INDUSTRY

Total private.......................................................... 2,353 3,019 2,432 2.0 2.5 2.0

Mining and logging............................................... 10 12 16 1.5 1.8 2.3

Construction....................................................... 74 132 134 1.2 2.1 2.1

Manufacturing..................................................... 130 166 153 1.1 1.4 1.2

Durable goods.................................................. 75 94 77 1.0 1.2 1.0

Nondurable goods............................................. 54 73 76 1.2 1.6 1.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 530 697 547 2.0 2.6 2.0

Wholesale trade................................................ 73 110 57 1.3 1.9 1.0

Retail trade..................................................... 391 506 401 2.5 3.2 2.6

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities.................. 66 81 89 1.2 1.5 1.6

Information........................................................ 34 48 43 1.2 1.8 1.6

Financial activities................................................ 114 127 72 1.4 1.5 0.9

Finance and insurance........................................ 77 84 44 1.3 1.3 0.7

Real estate and rental and leasing.......................... 37 43 28 1.8 2.0 1.3

Professional and business services............................ 522 636 531 2.7 3.2 2.6

Education and health services.................................. 322 458 319 1.4 2.0 1.4

Educational services.......................................... 27 42 24 0.7 1.2 0.6

Health care and social assistance........................... 295 416 296 1.6 2.2 1.5

Leisure and hospitality........................................... 527 621 512 3.5 4.1 3.4

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......................... 46 54 46 2.3 2.7 2.3

Accommodation and food services.......................... 481 567 467 3.7 4.3 3.5

Other services.................................................... 88 123 106 1.6 2.2 1.9

Government.......................................................... 112 153 117 0.5 0.7 0.5

Federal............................................................. 12 16 12 0.4 0.6 0.4

State and local.................................................... 100 137 106 0.5 0.7 0.5

State and local education..................................... 42 62 41 0.4 0.6 0.4

State and local, excluding education........................ 58 75 64 0.6 0.8 0.7

REGION3

Northeast............................................................. 341 446 333 1.3 1.7 1.2

South................................................................. 973 1,256 1,041 1.9 2.4 2.0

Midwest............................................................... 582 682 607 1.8 2.1 1.9

West.................................................................. 569 787 569 1.8 2.4 1.7

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

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

3 The states (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New

Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia,

Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest:

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona,

California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

p Preliminary
Table 11. Layoffs and discharges levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted1

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates2

Feb.

2016

Jan.

2017

Feb.

2017p

Feb.

2016

Jan.

2017

Feb.

2017p

Total..................................................................... 1,427 2,133 1,217 1.0 1.5 0.8

INDUSTRY

Total private.......................................................... 1,370 2,029 1,168 1.1 1.7 1.0

Mining and logging............................................... 28 16 13 4.0 2.5 1.9

Construction....................................................... 193 239 119 3.1 3.7 1.8

Manufacturing..................................................... 113 116 74 0.9 0.9 0.6

Durable goods.................................................. 82 63 42 1.1 0.8 0.5

Nondurable goods............................................. 31 52 33 0.7 1.1 0.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 258 585 259 1.0 2.1 1.0

Wholesale trade................................................ 42 39 41 0.7 0.7 0.7

Retail trade..................................................... 169 289 188 1.1 1.8 1.2

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities.................. 47 257 30 0.9 4.6 0.5

Information........................................................ 16 44 19 0.6 1.6 0.7

Financial activities................................................ 44 68 51 0.5 0.8 0.6

Finance and insurance........................................ 28 38 35 0.5 0.6 0.6

Real estate and rental and leasing.......................... 16 30 16 0.8 1.4 0.8

Professional and business services............................ 367 446 313 1.9 2.2 1.5

Education and health services.................................. 101 131 91 0.4 0.6 0.4

Educational services.......................................... 21 26 6 0.6 0.7 0.2

Health care and social assistance........................... 80 105 85 0.4 0.5 0.4

Leisure and hospitality........................................... 202 307 173 1.4 2.0 1.1

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......................... 25 47 28 1.3 2.4 1.4

Accommodation and food services.......................... 176 260 146 1.4 2.0 1.1

Other services.................................................... 49 78 57 0.9 1.4 1.0

Government.......................................................... 57 104 49 0.3 0.5 0.2

Federal............................................................. 9 34 6 0.3 1.2 0.2

State and local.................................................... 48 70 43 0.2 0.4 0.2

State and local education..................................... 24 39 25 0.2 0.4 0.2

State and local, excluding education........................ 23 31 18 0.3 0.3 0.2

REGION3

Northeast............................................................. 241 432 249 0.9 1.6 0.9

South................................................................. 566 721 459 1.1 1.4 0.9

Midwest............................................................... 313 534 230 1.0 1.7 0.7

West.................................................................. 307 446 280 0.9 1.4 0.8

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 The states (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New

Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia,

Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest:

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona,

California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

p Preliminary
Table 12. Other separations levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted1

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates2

Feb.

2016

Jan.

2017

Feb.

2017p

Feb.

2016

Jan.

2017

Feb.

2017p

Total..................................................................... 335 471 371 0.2 0.3 0.3

INDUSTRY

Total private.......................................................... 296 404 329 0.2 0.3 0.3

Mining and logging............................................... 2 4 3 0.3 0.7 0.5

Construction....................................................... 12 32 23 0.2 0.5 0.4

Manufacturing..................................................... 26 28 22 0.2 0.2 0.2

Durable goods.................................................. 13 17 14 0.2 0.2 0.2

Nondurable goods............................................. 13 11 8 0.3 0.2 0.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 108 83 78 0.4 0.3 0.3

Wholesale trade................................................ 7 9 12 0.1 0.2 0.2

Retail trade..................................................... 89 60 56 0.6 0.4 0.4

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities.................. 12 13 11 0.2 0.2 0.2

Information........................................................ 11 18 11 0.4 0.7 0.4

Financial activities................................................ 19 36 23 0.2 0.4 0.3

Finance and insurance........................................ 16 33 18 0.3 0.5 0.3

Real estate and rental and leasing.......................... 3 3 4 0.2 0.1 0.2

Professional and business services............................ 53 90 61 0.3 0.5 0.3

Education and health services.................................. 29 68 52 0.1 0.3 0.2

Educational services.......................................... 2 7 3 0.1 0.2 0.1

Health care and social assistance........................... 27 61 49 0.1 0.3 0.3

Leisure and hospitality........................................... 29 29 42 0.2 0.2 0.3

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......................... 3 5 3 0.2 0.3 0.1

Accommodation and food services.......................... 26 24 39 0.2 0.2 0.3

Other services.................................................... 7 14 15 0.1 0.2 0.3

Government.......................................................... 39 66 41 0.2 0.3 0.2

Federal............................................................. 9 18 6 0.3 0.6 0.2

State and local.................................................... 30 49 35 0.2 0.3 0.2

State and local education..................................... 10 20 14 0.1 0.2 0.1

State and local, excluding education........................ 20 29 21 0.2 0.3 0.2

REGION3

Northeast............................................................. 44 86 67 0.2 0.3 0.2

South................................................................. 131 193 152 0.3 0.4 0.3

Midwest............................................................... 56 100 63 0.2 0.3 0.2

West.................................................................. 104 92 89 0.3 0.3 0.3

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 The states (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New

Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia,

Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest:

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona,

California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

p Preliminary

NOTE: Levels are rounded to the nearest thousand and rates are rounded to the nearest tenth. Levels and rates may round down to zero.