For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Tuesday, February 10, 2015 USDL-15-0210

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

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

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER – DECEMBER 2014

There were 5.0 million job openings on the last business day of December, little changed from 4.8

million in November, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Hires (5.1 million) and

separations (4.9 million) were little changed in December. Within separations, the quits rate (1.9

percent) and the layoffs and discharges rate (1.2 percent) were unchanged. 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

There were 5.0 million job openings on the last business day of December, little changed from 

November. This was the highest level of job openings since January 2001. The job openings rate for 

December was 3.5 percent. The number of job openings was little changed for total private and 

increased for government in December. (See table 1.) Job openings increased for health care and social 

assistance and for state and local government. The number of job openings increased in the Northeast 

region.

The number of job openings (not seasonally adjusted) increased over the 12 months ending in 

December for total nonfarm, total private, and government. Job openings increased over the year for

many industries including the professional and business services and the health care and social 

assistance industries. The number of openings increased over the year in all four regions. (See table 7.)

 2.0

 2.2

 2.4

 2.6

 2.8

 3.0

 3.2

 3.4

 3.6

 3.8

 4.0

Percent

2012 2014

Chart 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted, January 2012 - December 2014

2013

2.0

2.2

2.4

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

Hires

Separations

Percent

2012 2014

Chart 2. Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted, January 2012 - December 2014

2013
- 2 -

Hires

There were 5.1 million hires in December, little changed from November. This was the highest level of 

hires since November 2007. The hires rate in December was 3.7 percent. The number of hires was little 

changed for total private and government. Hires increased over the month in construction. The number 

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

Over the 12 months ending in December, the number of hires (not seasonally adjusted) increased for

total nonfarm and total private, and was little changed for government. Hires increased over the year in 

construction, finance and insurance, and accommodation and food services. The number of hires 

increased in the South region. (See table 8.)

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 include separations 

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

There were 4.9 million total separations in December, little changed from November. This was the 

highest level of separations since October 2008. The separations rate was 3.5 percent. The number of 

total separations was little changed for total private and government. Total separations rose in the 

Northeast region. (See table 3.)

There were 2.7 million quits in December, little changed from November. The quits rate in December 

was 1.9 percent. The number of quits was little changed for total private and government. Quits 

increased in construction and durable goods manufacturing. The number of quits was little changed in 

all four regions. (See table 4.)

The number of quits (not seasonally adjusted) increased over the 12 months ending in December for 

total nonfarm and total private and was little changed for government. Over the year, quits increased for

several industries, including the retail trade and the accommodation and food services industries. Quits 

decreased in mining and logging and in professional and business services. The number of quits 

increased over the year in the South region. (See table 10.)

There were 1.7 million layoffs and discharges in December, little changed from November. The layoffs 

and discharges rate was 1.2 percent. The number of layoffs and discharges was little changed over the 

month for total private and government. In the Northeast region, layoffs and discharges increased. (See 

table 5.) Seasonally adjusted estimates of layoffs and discharges are not available for individual

industries.

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

ending in December for total nonfarm, total private, and government. The number of layoffs and 

discharges decreased over the year in accommodation and food services and in the federal government. 

The number of layoffs and discharges was little changed in all four regions. (See table 11.)

In December, there were 443,000 other separations for total nonfarm, an increase from November.

This was the highest level of other separations since May 2006. Over the month, the number of other 
- 3 -

separations increased for total private to 383,000 and was little changed for government at 61,000. (See 

table 6.) Seasonally adjusted estimates of other separations are not available for individual industries or 

regions.

Over the 12 months ending in December, the number of other separations (not seasonally adjusted)

increased for total nonfarm and total private and was little changed for government. Other separations 

increased over the year in a few industries including retail trade. Other separations increased in the 

South and West regions. (See table 12.)

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 December 2014, hires totaled 58.3 

million and separations totaled 55.4 million, yielding a net employment gain of 2.9 million. These 

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

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey results for January 2015 are scheduled to be 

released on Tuesday, March 10, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).

Revisions to the JOLTS Data

With the release of January data on March 10, the BLS will revise the job openings, hires, and 

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

employment estimates and the JOLTS seasonal adjustment factors. Unadjusted data and seasonally 

adjusted data from January 2010 forward are subject to revision. 
Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally adjusted

Category

Job openings Hires Total separations

Dec.

2013

Nov.

2014

Dec.

2014p

Dec.

2013

Nov.

2014

Dec.

2014p

Dec.

2013

Nov.

2014

Dec.

2014p

LEVELS BY INDUSTRY

(in thousands)

Total................................................... 3,914 4,847 5,028 4,578 5,054 5,148 4,468 4,700 4,886

Total private1...................................... 3,552 4,386 4,510 4,291 4,742 4,823 4,170 4,406 4,573

Construction.................................... 124 133 147 251 311 393 287 293 361

Manufacturing.................................. 288 325 306 253 262 271 247 226 253

Durable goods............................... 177 203 196 146 155 161 145 126 146

Nondurable goods........................... 111 122 110 107 107 110 102 100 107

Trade, transportation, and utilities2.......... 763 883 892 1,003 1,128 1,100 927 1,067 1,104

Retail trade................................... 474 523 583 734 785 768 671 729 783

Professional and business services......... 680 991 1,028 980 1,012 1,042 952 947 965

Education and health services3.............. 624 795 921 539 572 597 517 520 533

Health care and social assistance. . . . . . .. 552 715 832 461 504 521 442 453 461

Leisure and hospitality........................ 524 622 646 795 928 922 771 854 868

Arts, entertainment, and recreation. . . . . .. 43 51 55 126 145 139 116 133 135

Accommodation and food services. . . . . .. 481 571 591 668 783 784 655 721 734

Government4

...................................... 361 461 518 287 313 325 297 294 314

State and local................................. 311 406 456 259 274 297 265 256 284

RATES BY INDUSTRY

(percent)

Total................................................... 2.8 3.3 3.5 3.3 3.6 3.7 3.3 3.4 3.5

Total private1

...................................... 3.0 3.6 3.7 3.7 4.0 4.1 3.6 3.7 3.9

Construction.................................... 2.1 2.1 2.3 4.3 5.1 6.4 4.9 4.8 5.9

Manufacturing.................................. 2.3 2.6 2.4 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.1 1.8 2.1

Durable goods............................... 2.3 2.6 2.5 1.9 2.0 2.1 1.9 1.6 1.9

Nondurable goods........................... 2.4 2.7 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.3 2.2 2.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities2

.......... 2.8 3.2 3.2 3.8 4.2 4.1 3.5 4.0 4.1

Retail trade................................... 3.0 3.3 3.6 4.8 5.1 5.0 4.4 4.7 5.0

Professional and business services......... 3.5 4.8 5.0 5.2 5.2 5.3 5.1 4.8 4.9

Education and health services3

.............. 2.9 3.5 4.1 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.4 2.4 2.5

Health care and social assistance. . . . . . .. 3.0 3.8 4.3 2.6 2.8 2.8 2.5 2.5 2.5

Leisure and hospitality........................ 3.5 4.0 4.2 5.5 6.3 6.2 5.3 5.8 5.8

Arts, entertainment, and recreation. . . . . .. 2.0 2.3 2.5 6.1 6.8 6.5 5.6 6.2 6.3

Accommodation and food services. . . . . .. 3.7 4.3 4.4 5.4 6.2 6.2 5.3 5.7 5.8

Government4...................................... 1.6 2.1 2.3 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.4

State and local................................. 1.6 2.1 2.3 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.5

1

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

2

Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.

3

Includes educational services, not shown separately.

4

Includes federal government, not shown separately.

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-12 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)2 Rates3

Dec.

2013

Aug.

2014

Sept.

2014

Oct.

2014

Nov.

2014

Dec.

2014p

Dec.

2013

Aug.

2014

Sept.

2014

Oct.

2014

Nov.

2014

Dec.

2014p

Total.............................................. 3,914 4,853 4,685 4,830 4,847 5,028 2.8 3.4 3.2 3.3 3.3 3.5

INDUSTRY

Total private4

.................................. 3,552 4,411 4,219 4,409 4,386 4,510 3.0 3.6 3.5 3.6 3.6 3.7

Construction................................ 124 121 112 141 133 147 2.1 2.0 1.8 2.3 2.1 2.3

Manufacturing.............................. 288 296 293 287 325 306 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.3 2.6 2.4

Durable goods........................... 177 179 179 182 203 196 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.6 2.5

Nondurable goods....................... 111 118 115 105 122 110 2.4 2.6 2.5 2.3 2.7 2.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities5

. . . . .. 763 821 803 832 883 892 2.8 3.0 2.9 3.0 3.2 3.2

Retail trade............................... 474 500 493 460 523 583 3.0 3.1 3.1 2.9 3.3 3.6

Professional and business services. . . .. 680 928 941 966 991 1,028 3.5 4.6 4.6 4.7 4.8 5.0

Education and health services6

.......... 624 866 872 850 795 921 2.9 3.9 3.9 3.8 3.5 4.1

Health care and social assistance. . .. 552 789 776 764 715 832 3.0 4.2 4.1 4.0 3.8 4.3

Leisure and hospitality.................... 524 700 661 715 622 646 3.5 4.6 4.3 4.6 4.0 4.2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation. .. 43 71 52 57 51 55 2.0 3.3 2.4 2.6 2.3 2.5

Accommodation and food services. .. 481 629 608 658 571 591 3.7 4.8 4.6 5.0 4.3 4.4

Government7.................................. 361 443 466 421 461 518 1.6 2.0 2.1 1.9 2.1 2.3

State and local............................. 311 378 395 361 406 456 1.6 1.9 2.0 1.8 2.1 2.3

REGION8

Northeast...................................... 688 796 769 767 774 872 2.6 3.0 2.9 2.8 2.9 3.2

South........................................... 1,490 1,897 1,816 1,875 1,881 1,922 2.9 3.6 3.5 3.6 3.6 3.6

Midwest........................................ 836 1,076 1,064 1,077 1,115 1,152 2.6 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.4 3.5

West............................................ 900 1,084 1,035 1,110 1,077 1,082 2.8 3.4 3.2 3.4 3.3 3.3

1

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

2 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series and because not all series are shown.

3 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.

4

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

5

Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.

6

Includes educational services, not shown separately.

7

Includes federal government, not shown separately.

8 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)2 Rates3

Dec.

2013

Aug.

2014

Sept.

2014

Oct.

2014

Nov.

2014

Dec.

2014p

Dec.

2013

Aug.

2014

Sept.

2014

Oct.

2014

Nov.

2014

Dec.

2014p

Total............................................... 4,578 4,742 5,075 5,101 5,054 5,148 3.3 3.4 3.6 3.7 3.6 3.7

INDUSTRY

Total private4

.................................. 4,291 4,450 4,764 4,797 4,742 4,823 3.7 3.8 4.1 4.1 4.0 4.1

Construction................................ 251 330 284 320 311 393 4.3 5.4 4.7 5.3 5.1 6.4

Manufacturing.............................. 253 236 279 276 262 271 2.1 1.9 2.3 2.3 2.1 2.2

Durable goods........................... 146 139 160 169 155 161 1.9 1.8 2.1 2.2 2.0 2.1

Nondurable goods....................... 107 97 119 108 107 110 2.4 2.2 2.7 2.4 2.4 2.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities5

. . . . .. 1,003 1,011 1,020 1,135 1,128 1,100 3.8 3.8 3.8 4.3 4.2 4.1

Retail trade............................... 734 686 693 778 785 768 4.8 4.5 4.5 5.0 5.1 5.0

Professional and business services. . . .. 980 1,049 1,168 1,110 1,012 1,042 5.2 5.4 6.0 5.7 5.2 5.3

Education and health services6

.......... 539 514 636 589 572 597 2.5 2.4 2.9 2.7 2.6 2.7

Health care and social assistance. . .. 461 437 543 507 504 521 2.6 2.4 3.0 2.8 2.8 2.8

Leisure and hospitality.................... 795 845 887 899 928 922 5.5 5.8 6.0 6.1 6.3 6.2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation. .. 126 136 142 150 145 139 6.1 6.5 6.7 7.1 6.8 6.5

Accommodation and food services. .. 668 709 745 749 783 784 5.4 5.6 5.9 5.9 6.2 6.2

Government7.................................. 287 293 311 304 313 325 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.5

State and local............................. 259 265 281 275 274 297 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.5

REGION8

Northeast...................................... 702 728 827 776 778 822 2.7 2.8 3.2 3.0 3.0 3.1

South........................................... 1,761 1,872 1,971 2,017 1,973 2,046 3.5 3.7 3.9 4.0 3.9 4.0

Midwest........................................ 1,053 1,018 1,139 1,160 1,253 1,174 3.4 3.2 3.6 3.7 4.0 3.7

West............................................ 1,063 1,124 1,139 1,149 1,050 1,106 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.4 3.5

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

2 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series and because not all series are shown.

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

4

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

5

Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.

6

Includes educational services, not shown separately.

7

Includes federal government, not shown separately.

8 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)2 Rates3

Dec.

2013

Aug.

2014

Sept.

2014

Oct.

2014

Nov.

2014

Dec.

2014p

Dec.

2013

Aug.

2014

Sept.

2014

Oct.

2014

Nov.

2014

Dec.

2014p

Total............................................... 4,468 4,531 4,809 4,863 4,700 4,886 3.3 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.4 3.5

INDUSTRY

Total private4

.................................. 4,170 4,247 4,500 4,554 4,406 4,573 3.6 3.6 3.8 3.9 3.7 3.9

Construction................................ 287 316 263 304 293 361 4.9 5.2 4.3 5.0 4.8 5.9

Manufacturing.............................. 247 237 256 260 226 253 2.1 1.9 2.1 2.1 1.8 2.1

Durable goods........................... 145 134 142 149 126 146 1.9 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.6 1.9

Nondurable goods....................... 102 103 115 110 100 107 2.3 2.3 2.6 2.5 2.2 2.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities5

. . . . .. 927 987 977 1,052 1,067 1,104 3.5 3.7 3.7 4.0 4.0 4.1

Retail trade............................... 671 681 679 720 729 783 4.4 4.4 4.4 4.7 4.7 5.0

Professional and business services. . . .. 952 974 1,088 1,074 947 965 5.1 5.0 5.6 5.5 4.8 4.9

Education and health services6

.......... 517 484 578 564 520 533 2.4 2.2 2.7 2.6 2.4 2.5

Health care and social assistance. . .. 442 410 495 484 453 461 2.5 2.3 2.7 2.7 2.5 2.5

Leisure and hospitality.................... 771 818 861 840 854 868 5.3 5.6 5.9 5.7 5.8 5.8

Arts, entertainment, and recreation. .. 116 142 136 133 133 135 5.6 6.8 6.4 6.3 6.2 6.3

Accommodation and food services. .. 655 675 725 707 721 734 5.3 5.4 5.8 5.6 5.7 5.8

Government7.................................. 297 284 308 309 294 314 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.4

State and local............................. 265 259 277 276 256 284 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.5

REGION8

Northeast...................................... 732 715 756 779 675 810 2.8 2.7 2.9 3.0 2.6 3.1

South........................................... 1,716 1,827 1,943 1,928 1,896 1,996 3.4 3.6 3.8 3.8 3.7 3.9

Midwest........................................ 965 996 1,065 1,115 1,072 1,004 3.1 3.2 3.4 3.5 3.4 3.2

West............................................ 1,055 993 1,044 1,042 1,056 1,075 3.4 3.2 3.3 3.3 3.4 3.4

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

2 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series and because not all series are shown.

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

4

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

5

Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.

6

Includes educational services, not shown separately.

7

Includes federal government, not shown separately.

8 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)2 Rates3

Dec.

2013

Aug.

2014

Sept.

2014

Oct.

2014

Nov.

2014

Dec.

2014p

Dec.

2013

Aug.

2014

Sept.

2014

Oct.

2014

Nov.

2014

Dec.

2014p

Total............................................... 2,417 2,510 2,735 2,712 2,661 2,717 1.8 1.8 2.0 1.9 1.9 1.9

INDUSTRY

Total private4

.................................. 2,286 2,364 2,574 2,561 2,526 2,577 2.0 2.0 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.2

Construction................................ 85 127 109 106 89 156 1.4 2.1 1.8 1.7 1.5 2.5

Manufacturing.............................. 121 121 131 130 109 134 1.0 1.0 1.1 1.1 0.9 1.1

Durable goods........................... 66 68 73 76 56 75 0.9 0.9 0.9 1.0 0.7 1.0

Nondurable goods....................... 55 54 59 54 54 59 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities5

. . . . .. 529 554 565 609 652 649 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.3 2.4 2.4

Retail trade............................... 383 406 402 439 457 462 2.5 2.6 2.6 2.8 2.9 3.0

Professional and business services. . . .. 540 454 572 519 451 453 2.9 2.3 3.0 2.7 2.3 2.3

Education and health services6

.......... 316 297 343 349 342 331 1.5 1.4 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.5

Health care and social assistance. . .. 283 263 305 301 306 293 1.6 1.4 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.6

Leisure and hospitality.................... 457 549 566 568 596 593 3.2 3.7 3.9 3.8 4.0 4.0

Arts, entertainment, and recreation. .. 53 53 53 52 46 48 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.2 2.2

Accommodation and food services. .. 404 496 513 516 549 546 3.3 3.9 4.1 4.1 4.3 4.3

Government7.................................. 131 145 161 152 135 140 0.6 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.6 0.6

State and local............................. 119 139 150 141 122 129 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.7

REGION8

Northeast...................................... 342 339 372 374 366 391 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.5

South........................................... 983 1,030 1,119 1,152 1,125 1,147 2.0 2.0 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.3

Midwest........................................ 518 597 665 584 595 565 1.7 1.9 2.1 1.9 1.9 1.8

West............................................ 574 544 579 603 575 614 1.9 1.7 1.9 1.9 1.8 2.0

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

2 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series and because not all series are shown.

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

4

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

5

Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.

6

Includes educational services, not shown separately.

7

Includes federal government, not shown separately.

8 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)2 Rates3

Dec.

2013

Aug.

2014

Sept.

2014

Oct.

2014

Nov.

2014

Dec.

2014p

Dec.

2013

Aug.

2014

Sept.

2014

Oct.

2014

Nov.

2014

Dec.

2014p

Total............................................... 1,702 1,619 1,653 1,757 1,655 1,726 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.2

INDUSTRY

Total private4

.................................. 1,597 1,547 1,573 1,670 1,554 1,613 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.4

Construction................................ – – – – – – – – – – – –

Manufacturing.............................. – – – – – – – – – – – –

Durable goods........................... – – – – – – – – – – – –

Nondurable goods....................... – – – – – – – – – – – –

Trade, transportation, and utilities5

. . . . .. – – – – – – – – – – – –

Retail trade............................... – – – – – – – – – – – –

Professional and business services. . . .. – – – – – – – – – – – –

Education and health services6

.......... – – – – – – – – – – – –

Health care and social assistance. . .. – – – – – – – – – – – –

Leisure and hospitality.................... – – – – – – – – – – – –

Arts, entertainment, and recreation. .. – – – – – – – – – – – –

Accommodation and food services. .. – – – – – – – – – – – –

Government7.................................. 105 72 81 87 100 113 0.5 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.5

State and local............................. – – – – – – – – – – – –

REGION8

Northeast...................................... 318 296 300 332 244 350 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.3 0.9 1.3

South........................................... 603 639 645 605 623 665 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.3

Midwest........................................ 368 332 336 465 398 356 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.5 1.3 1.1

West............................................ 412 352 371 355 390 356 1.3 1.1 1.2 1.1 1.2 1.1

1

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

2 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series and because not all series are shown.

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

4

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

5

Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.

6

Includes educational services, not shown separately.

7

Includes federal government, not shown separately.

8 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

- Data not available.
Table 6. Other separations levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted1

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands)2 Rates3

Dec.

2013

Aug.

2014

Sept.

2014

Oct.

2014

Nov.

2014

Dec.

2014p

Dec.

2013

Aug.

2014

Sept.

2014

Oct.

2014

Nov.

2014

Dec.

2014p

Total............................................... 349 402 420 394 384 443 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3

INDUSTRY

Total private4

.................................. 287 335 354 323 326 383 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3

Construction................................ – – – – – – – – – – – –

Manufacturing.............................. – – – – – – – – – – – –

Durable goods........................... – – – – – – – – – – – –

Nondurable goods....................... – – – – – – – – – – – –

Trade, transportation, and utilities5

. . . . .. – – – – – – – – – – – –

Retail trade............................... – – – – – – – – – – – –

Professional and business services. . . .. – – – – – – – – – – – –

Education and health services6

.......... – – – – – – – – – – – –

Health care and social assistance. . .. – – – – – – – – – – – –

Leisure and hospitality.................... – – – – – – – – – – – –

Arts, entertainment, and recreation. .. – – – – – – – – – – – –

Accommodation and food services. .. – – – – – – – – – – – –

Government7.................................. 62 66 66 71 58 61 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3

State and local............................. – – – – – – – – – – – –

REGION8

Northeast...................................... – – – – – – – – – – – –

South........................................... – – – – – – – – – – – –

Midwest........................................ – – – – – – – – – – – –

West............................................ – – – – – – – – – – – –

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

2 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series and because not all series are shown.

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

4

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

5

Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.

6

Includes educational services, not shown separately.

7

Includes federal government, not shown separately.

8 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

- Data not available.
Table 7. Job openings levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted1

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates2

Dec.

2013

Nov.

2014

Dec.

2014p

Dec.

2013

Nov.

2014

Dec.

2014p

Total..................................................................... 3,387 4,402 4,427 2.4 3.0 3.0

INDUSTRY

Total private.......................................................... 3,046 3,981 3,940 2.6 3.2 3.2

Mining and logging............................................... 25 26 24 2.7 2.7 2.5

Construction....................................................... 82 96 103 1.4 1.5 1.7

Manufacturing..................................................... 260 298 280 2.1 2.4 2.2

Durable goods.................................................. 159 185 180 2.1 2.3 2.3

Nondurable goods............................................. 101 113 100 2.2 2.5 2.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 605 799 700 2.2 2.9 2.5

Wholesale trade................................................ 147 165 149 2.5 2.7 2.5

Retail trade..................................................... 347 468 434 2.1 2.9 2.6

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities.................. 111 166 117 2.1 3.0 2.1

Information........................................................ 79 100 88 2.9 3.6 3.2

Financial activities................................................ 222 294 243 2.7 3.5 2.9

Finance and insurance........................................ 176 236 191 2.9 3.8 3.1

Real estate and rental and leasing.......................... 45 57 52 2.2 2.7 2.5

Professional and business services............................ 642 941 968 3.3 4.6 4.7

Education and health services.................................. 572 749 871 2.6 3.3 3.8

Educational services.......................................... 64 74 82 1.8 2.0 2.3

Health care and social assistance........................... 508 674 789 2.8 3.6 4.1

Leisure and hospitality........................................... 413 543 521 2.8 3.6 3.5

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......................... 26 44 33 1.3 2.2 1.7

Accommodation and food services.......................... 387 499 488 3.1 3.8 3.7

Other services.................................................... 147 136 143 2.6 2.4 2.5

Government.......................................................... 340 421 486 1.5 1.8 2.1

Federal............................................................. 49 47 59 1.7 1.7 2.1

State and local.................................................... 291 373 427 1.5 1.9 2.1

REGION3

Northeast............................................................. 568 691 720 2.1 2.5 2.6

South................................................................. 1,323 1,638 1,716 2.6 3.1 3.2

Midwest............................................................... 723 1,055 1,037 2.3 3.2 3.1

West.................................................................. 772 1,018 953 2.4 3.1 2.9

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 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

Dec.

2013

Nov.

2014

Dec.

2014p

Dec.

2013

Nov.

2014

Dec.

2014p

Total..................................................................... 3,271 4,634 3,667 2.4 3.3 2.6

INDUSTRY

Total private.......................................................... 3,098 4,396 3,465 2.7 3.7 2.9

Mining and logging............................................... 20 28 22 2.3 3.0 2.3

Construction....................................................... 149 228 228 2.6 3.7 3.8

Manufacturing..................................................... 164 215 178 1.4 1.8 1.5

Durable goods.................................................. 96 130 106 1.3 1.7 1.4

Nondurable goods............................................. 68 84 71 1.5 1.9 1.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 783 1,388 849 2.9 5.1 3.1

Wholesale trade................................................ 85 117 120 1.5 2.0 2.0

Retail trade..................................................... 549 1,030 576 3.5 6.5 3.6

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities.................. 149 242 153 2.8 4.6 2.8

Information........................................................ 51 69 56 1.9 2.5 2.1

Financial activities................................................ 130 198 171 1.6 2.5 2.1

Finance and insurance........................................ 84 138 129 1.4 2.3 2.2

Real estate and rental and leasing.......................... 46 60 42 2.3 2.9 2.0

Professional and business services............................ 751 922 793 4.0 4.7 4.0

Education and health services.................................. 379 453 425 1.8 2.1 1.9

Educational services.......................................... 41 38 41 1.2 1.1 1.1

Health care and social assistance........................... 338 415 384 1.9 2.3 2.1

Leisure and hospitality........................................... 539 742 624 3.8 5.1 4.3

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......................... 87 112 91 4.6 5.7 4.7

Accommodation and food services.......................... 452 630 532 3.7 5.0 4.2

Other services.................................................... 131 153 120 2.4 2.8 2.2

Government.......................................................... 173 239 202 0.8 1.1 0.9

Federal............................................................. 24 42 23 0.9 1.6 0.8

State and local.................................................... 150 196 179 0.8 1.0 0.9

REGION3

Northeast............................................................. 504 697 590 1.9 2.6 2.2

South................................................................. 1,262 1,820 1,471 2.5 3.5 2.9

Midwest............................................................... 735 1,139 811 2.4 3.6 2.5

West.................................................................. 771 978 794 2.5 3.1 2.5

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

Dec.

2013

Nov.

2014

Dec.

2014p

Dec.

2013

Nov.

2014

Dec.

2014p

Total..................................................................... 4,227 4,139 4,570 3.1 2.9 3.2

INDUSTRY

Total private.......................................................... 3,969 3,933 4,296 3.4 3.3 3.6

Mining and logging............................................... 34 29 33 3.8 3.1 3.6

Construction....................................................... 311 310 370 5.4 5.0 6.1

Manufacturing..................................................... 212 198 218 1.8 1.6 1.8

Durable goods.................................................. 126 110 126 1.7 1.4 1.6

Nondurable goods............................................. 86 88 92 1.9 2.0 2.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 1,004 925 1,159 3.7 3.4 4.2

Wholesale trade................................................ 88 143 129 1.5 2.4 2.2

Retail trade..................................................... 718 640 820 4.5 4.0 5.1

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities.................. 198 143 211 3.8 2.7 3.9

Information........................................................ 67 65 61 2.5 2.4 2.3

Financial activities................................................ 153 166 200 1.9 2.1 2.5

Finance and insurance........................................ 104 108 159 1.8 1.8 2.7

Real estate and rental and leasing.......................... 50 58 41 2.5 2.8 2.0

Professional and business services............................ 942 872 941 5.0 4.4 4.8

Education and health services.................................. 447 401 454 2.1 1.8 2.1

Educational services.......................................... 56 37 53 1.6 1.0 1.5

Health care and social assistance........................... 391 364 401 2.2 2.0 2.2

Leisure and hospitality........................................... 645 802 717 4.6 5.5 4.9

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......................... 90 165 102 4.7 8.3 5.2

Accommodation and food services.......................... 555 638 614 4.6 5.1 4.9

Other services.................................................... 155 164 142 2.8 3.0 2.6

Government.......................................................... 258 206 274 1.2 0.9 1.2

Federal............................................................. 31 31 27 1.1 1.2 1.0

State and local.................................................... 227 175 247 1.2 0.9 1.3

REGION3

Northeast............................................................. 702 581 797 2.7 2.2 3.0

South................................................................. 1,571 1,577 1,814 3.1 3.1 3.5

Midwest............................................................... 971 1,035 970 3.1 3.2 3.0

West.................................................................. 983 946 988 3.2 3.0 3.1

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

Dec.

2013

Nov.

2014

Dec.

2014p

Dec.

2013

Nov.

2014

Dec.

2014p

Total..................................................................... 2,007 2,204 2,220 1.5 1.6 1.6

INDUSTRY

Total private.......................................................... 1,907 2,110 2,111 1.6 1.8 1.8

Mining and logging............................................... 15 15 10 1.7 1.6 1.1

Construction....................................................... 58 65 106 1.0 1.1 1.7

Manufacturing..................................................... 84 85 96 0.7 0.7 0.8

Durable goods.................................................. 47 42 54 0.6 0.5 0.7

Nondurable goods............................................. 37 43 42 0.8 1.0 0.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 467 556 573 1.7 2.0 2.1

Wholesale trade................................................ 35 84 68 0.6 1.4 1.1

Retail trade..................................................... 340 395 416 2.1 2.5 2.6

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities.................. 92 77 89 1.8 1.4 1.7

Information........................................................ 33 42 33 1.2 1.5 1.2

Financial activities................................................ 61 90 86 0.8 1.1 1.1

Finance and insurance........................................ 40 52 63 0.7 0.9 1.0

Real estate and rental and leasing.......................... 21 39 23 1.0 1.9 1.1

Professional and business services............................ 483 401 384 2.6 2.0 2.0

Education and health services.................................. 264 270 270 1.2 1.2 1.2

Educational services.......................................... 22 22 26 0.6 0.6 0.7

Health care and social assistance........................... 242 248 244 1.3 1.4 1.3

Leisure and hospitality........................................... 363 494 478 2.6 3.4 3.3

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......................... 41 33 36 2.1 1.7 1.8

Accommodation and food services.......................... 323 461 442 2.6 3.7 3.5

Other services.................................................... 80 91 74 1.5 1.7 1.3

Government.......................................................... 100 94 109 0.5 0.4 0.5

Federal............................................................. 10 10 9 0.4 0.4 0.3

State and local.................................................... 91 84 100 0.5 0.4 0.5

REGION3

Northeast............................................................. 282 294 324 1.1 1.1 1.2

South................................................................. 817 932 934 1.6 1.8 1.8

Midwest............................................................... 430 504 446 1.4 1.6 1.4

West.................................................................. 478 473 516 1.5 1.5 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 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

Dec.

2013

Nov.

2014

Dec.

2014p

Dec.

2013

Nov.

2014

Dec.

2014p

Total..................................................................... 1,885 1,642 1,923 1.4 1.2 1.4

INDUSTRY

Total private.......................................................... 1,790 1,568 1,822 1.5 1.3 1.5

Mining and logging............................................... 17 12 21 2.0 1.3 2.2

Construction....................................................... 241 228 249 4.2 3.7 4.1

Manufacturing..................................................... 101 100 102 0.8 0.8 0.8

Durable goods.................................................. 59 60 60 0.8 0.8 0.8

Nondurable goods............................................. 42 40 42 0.9 0.9 0.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 467 282 465 1.7 1.0 1.7

Wholesale trade................................................ 47 53 55 0.8 0.9 0.9

Retail trade..................................................... 327 177 309 2.1 1.1 1.9

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities.................. 93 52 102 1.8 1.0 1.9

Information........................................................ 30 19 21 1.1 0.7 0.8

Financial activities................................................ 54 45 61 0.7 0.6 0.8

Finance and insurance........................................ 31 28 48 0.5 0.5 0.8

Real estate and rental and leasing.......................... 23 17 12 1.1 0.8 0.6

Professional and business services............................ 416 429 491 2.2 2.2 2.5

Education and health services.................................. 139 102 146 0.7 0.5 0.7

Educational services.......................................... 32 11 23 0.9 0.3 0.7

Health care and social assistance........................... 108 91 123 0.6 0.5 0.7

Leisure and hospitality........................................... 257 281 210 1.8 1.9 1.4

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......................... 47 127 62 2.4 6.4 3.2

Accommodation and food services.......................... 210 154 148 1.7 1.2 1.2

Other services.................................................... 68 70 55 1.2 1.3 1.0

Government.......................................................... 95 74 101 0.4 0.3 0.5

Federal............................................................. 11 11 7 0.4 0.4 0.3

State and local.................................................... 84 62 94 0.4 0.3 0.5

REGION3

Northeast............................................................. 353 248 413 1.4 0.9 1.6

South................................................................. 627 532 697 1.2 1.0 1.4

Midwest............................................................... 468 468 447 1.5 1.5 1.4

West.................................................................. 438 394 366 1.4 1.2 1.2

1

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

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

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

Dec.

2013

Nov.

2014

Dec.

2014p

Dec.

2013

Nov.

2014

Dec.

2014p

Total..................................................................... 334 293 426 0.2 0.2 0.3

INDUSTRY

Total private.......................................................... 272 255 363 0.2 0.2 0.3

Mining and logging............................................... 2 2 3 0.2 0.2 0.3

Construction....................................................... 12 17 14 0.2 0.3 0.2

Manufacturing..................................................... 27 13 19 0.2 0.1 0.2

Durable goods.................................................. 20 7 12 0.3 0.1 0.2

Nondurable goods............................................. 6 6 8 0.1 0.1 0.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 70 87 121 0.3 0.3 0.4

Wholesale trade................................................ 7 5 6 0.1 0.1 0.1

Retail trade..................................................... 51 68 95 0.3 0.4 0.6

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities.................. 13 14 20 0.2 0.3 0.4

Information........................................................ 4 5 6 0.2 0.2 0.2

Financial activities................................................ 38 31 54 0.5 0.4 0.7

Finance and insurance........................................ 32 28 48 0.5 0.5 0.8

Real estate and rental and leasing.......................... 6 3 6 0.3 0.1 0.3

Professional and business services............................ 43 42 67 0.2 0.2 0.3

Education and health services.................................. 44 28 38 0.2 0.1 0.2

Educational services.......................................... 3 4 4 0.1 0.1 0.1

Health care and social assistance........................... 41 24 34 0.2 0.1 0.2

Leisure and hospitality........................................... 26 27 28 0.2 0.2 0.2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......................... 2 4 4 0.1 0.2 0.2

Accommodation and food services.......................... 23 23 23 0.2 0.2 0.2

Other services.................................................... 8 3 12 0.1 0.0 0.2

Government.......................................................... 62 39 63 0.3 0.2 0.3

Federal............................................................. 10 10 11 0.4 0.4 0.4

State and local.................................................... 52 28 52 0.3 0.1 0.3

REGION3

Northeast............................................................. 67 39 60 0.3 0.1 0.2

South................................................................. 127 114 183 0.3 0.2 0.4

Midwest............................................................... 73 62 77 0.2 0.2 0.2

West.................................................................. 67 79 106 0.2 0.2 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.