1

Technical information: (202) 691-5870

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

Media contact: 691-5902

USDL 04-2275

For release: 10:00 A.M. EST

Tuesday, November 9, 2004

Chart 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted,

 December 2000 - September 2004

1.8

2.0

2.2

2.4

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

Percent

2001 2002 2003 2004

Chart 2. Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted,

 December 2000 - September 2004

1.8

2.0

2.2

2.4

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

Percent

Separations

Hires

2001 2002 2003 2004

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: SEPTEMBER 2004

The job openings, hires, and total separations rates showed little or no change in September, the Bureau

of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The job openings rate was unchanged

at 2.4 percent. The hires rate remained at 3.3 percent, and the total separations rate was essentially

unchanged at 3.2 percent. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and

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

Job Openings

On the last business day of September 2004, there were 3.2 million job openings in the United States,

and the job openings rate was 2.4 percent. (See table 1.) The overall job openings rate is 0.4 percentage

point higher than its most recent low in August 2003. In September, the job openings rate showed little or

no change for the major industry categories.

Hires and Separations

The hires rate (the number of hires during the month divided by employment) was 3.3 percent in September, unchanged from a month earlier. (See table 2.) Hires are any additions to the payroll during the

month. The hires rate decreased in trade, transportation, and utilities and in education and health services

over the month, while other major industries showed little change in their hires rates.

The total separations, or turnover, rate (the total number of separations during the month divided by

employment) was 3.2 percent in September and has remained in the range of 2.9 to 3.3 percent since

December 2001. Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any time during the month.
2

Total............................................................ 4,375 4,297 3,845 4,134 4,165

 Total private ........................................ 3,787 4,058 3,948 3,588 3,894

Construction ................................... 58 121 405 401 388 408 391 367

Manufacturing ................................ 183 234 336 356 379 340 379 379

Trade, transportation, and

utilities ........................................... 484 551 561 859 984 879 821 951 906

Professional and business

services ......................................... 467 594 564 606 690 674 524 575 588

Education and health services .... 499 536 546 439 470 403 399 380 386

Leisure and hospitality ................. 348 410 411 732 760 834 657 760 769

Government .......................................... 364 337 339 290 322 339 259 246 290

Total 1......................................................... 2.1 2.4 2.4 3.1 3.3 3.3 3.0 3.1 3.2

Total private 1....................................... 2.2 2.5 2.6 3.5 3.7 3.6 3.3 3.5 3.5

Construction ................................... .9 1.7 1.8 6.0 5.8 5.6 6.0 5.6 5.3

Manufacturing ................................ 1.3 1.6 1.7 2.3 2.5 2.6 2.4 2.6 2.6

Trade, transportation, and

utilities ........................................... 1.9 2.1 2.2 3.4 3.9 3.4 3.3 3.7 3.6

Professional and business

services ......................................... 2.8 3.5 3.3 3.8 4.2 4.1 3.3 3.5 3.6

Education and health services .... 2.9 3.1 3.1 2.6 2.8 2.4 2.4 2.2 2.3

Leisure and hospitality ................. 2.8 3.2 3.2 6.0 6.1 6.7 5.4 6.2 6.2

Government .......................................... 1.7 1.5 1.5 1.3 1.5 1.6 1.2 1.1 1.3

 Job openings

Industry

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

Hires Total separations

Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Aug. Sept.

2003 2004p 2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Levels (in thousands)

Rates (percent)

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

 p = preliminary.

2004

4,061

2,399

2,755

2,859

3,195

3,876

126

246

2,889

3,235

1

1

(See table 3.) The total separations rate increased in government in September, following a decrease in

August. Other major industries showed little or no change in their total separations rates in September.

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

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

ability to change jobs, was 1.7 percent in September and has been unchanged since February 2004. (See

table 4.) The quits rate increased in manufacturing from a month earlier. The other two components of total

separations, layoffs and discharges (1.3 percent) and other separations (0.2 percent) are not seasonally

adjusted. The layoffs and discharges rate was little changed from a year earlier, and the other separations

rate was unchanged.

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

averaged 4.3 million per month and separations have averaged 4.0 million per month. (See the Technical

Note for additional information on these measures.)
3

For More Information

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

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

(202) 691-5870.

______________________________

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover release for October 2004 is scheduled to be issued on

Wednesday, December 8, 2004.
Technical Note

The data for the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey

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

business establishments by the Bureau of Labor Statistics

(BLS).

Collection

Each month, data are collected in a survey of business

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

layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Data collection

methods include computer-assisted telephone interviewing,

touchtone data entry, fax, and mail.

Coverage

The JOLTS program covers all private nonfarm

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

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

the District of Columbia.

Concepts

Industry classification. The industry classifications in this

release are in accordance with the 2002 version of the North

American Industry Classification System (NAICS). In order to

ensure the highest possible quality of data, State Employment

Security Agencies verify with employers and update, if

necessary, the industry code, location, and ownership

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

in establishment characteristics resulting from the verification

process are always introduced into the JOLTS sampling frame

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

Employment. Employment includes persons on the payroll

who worked or received pay for the pay period that includes

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

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

employees are included, as are employees on paid vacations or

other paid leave. Proprietors or partners of unincorporated

businesses, unpaid family workers, or persons on leave without

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

employed. Employees of temporary help agencies, employee

leasing companies, outside contractors, and consultants are

counted by their employer of record, not by the establishment

where they are working.

Job openings. Establishments submit job openings

information for the last business day of the reference month.

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

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

within 30 days regardless of whether a suitable candidate is

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

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

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

Active recruiting means that the establishment is taking steps

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

posting help-wanted signs, accepting applications, or using

other similar methods.

Jobs to be filled only by internal transfers, promotions,

demotions, or recall from layoffs are excluded. Also excluded

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

for which employees have been hired but have not yet reported

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

agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors, or

consultants. The job openings rate is computed by dividing

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

openings and multiplying that quotient by 100.

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

occurring at any time during the reference month, including

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

permanent, short-term, and seasonal employees, employees

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

on-call or intermittent employees who returned to work after

having been formally separated, and transfers from other

locations. The hires count does not include transfers or

promotions within the reporting site, employees returning from

strike, employees of temporary help agencies or employee

leasing companies, outside contractors, or consultants. The

hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by

employment and multiplying that quotient by 100.

Separations. Separations are the total number of

terminations of employment occurring at any time during the

reference month, and are reported by type of separation—

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

voluntary separations by employees (except for retirements,

which are reported as other separations). Layoffs and

discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the

employer and include layoffs with no intent to rehire, formal

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

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

discharges for cause, terminations of permanent or short-term

employees, and terminations of seasonal employees. Other

separations include retirements, transfers to other locations,

deaths, and separations due to disability. Separations do not

include transfers within the same location or employees on

strike.

The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of

separations by employment and multiplying that quotient by

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

rates are computed similarly, dividing the number by

employment and multiplying by 100.

Sample methodology

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

nonfarm business establishments, including factories, offices,

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

the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The establishments

are drawn from a universe of over eight million establishments

compiled as part of the operations of the Quarterly Census of

Employment and Wages, or QCEW, program. This program

includes all employers subject to state Unemployment

Insurance (UI) laws and federal agencies subject to

Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE).

The sampling frame is stratified by ownership, region,

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

controlled to the employment estimates of the Current

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

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

elements. Rates are then computed from the adjusted levels.

Using JOLTS data

The JOLTS data series on job openings, hires, and

separations are relatively new. The full sample is divided into

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

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

Industrial Classification (SIC) system was not completely

enrolled in the survey until January 2002. The supplemental

panels of establishments needed to create NAICS estimates

were not completely enrolled until May 2003. The data

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

Therefore, estimates from earlier months should be used with

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

In March 2002, BLS procedures for collecting hires and

separations data were revised to address possible

underreporting. As a result, JOLTS hires and separations

estimates for months prior to March 2002 may not be

comparable with estimates for March 2002 and later.

The federal government reorganization that involved

transferring approximately 180,000 employees to the new

Department of Homeland Security is not reflected in the JOLTS

hires and separations estimates for the federal government.

The Office of Personnel Management’s record shows these

transfers were completed in March 2003. The inclusion of

transfers in the JOLTS definitions of hires and separations is

intended to cover ongoing movements of workers between

establishments. The Department of Homeland Security

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

of these intergovernmental transfers would distort the federal

government time series.

Seasonal adjustment

BLS seasonally adjusts several JOLTS series using the

X-12-ARIMA seasonal adjustment program. Seasonal

adjustment is the process of estimating and removing periodic

fluctuations caused by events such as weather, holidays, and

the beginning and ending of the school year. Seasonal

adjustment makes it easier to observe fundamental changes in

the level of the series, particularly those associated with

general economic expansions and contractions. A concurrent

seasonal adjustment methodology is used in which new

seasonal adjustment factors are calculated each month, using

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

month.

Data users should note that seasonal adjustment of the

JOLTS series is conducted with fewer data observations than

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

larger than normal revisions. Since the seasonal patterns in

economic data series typically emerge over time, the standard

use of moving averages as seasonal filters to capture these

effects requires longer series than are currently available. As

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

adjustment of the JOLTS data. When calculating seasonal

factors, this filter takes an average for each calendar month

after detrending the series. The stable seasonal filter assumes

that the seasonal factors are fixed; a necessary assumption

until sufficient data are available. When the stable seasonal

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

introduced, such as outlier adjustment and extended

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

such as layoffs and discharges and additional industries, may

be seasonally adjusted when more data are available.

Reliability of the estimates

JOLTS estimates are subject to both sampling and

nonsampling error. When a sample rather than the entire

population is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample

estimates may differ from the “true” population values they

represent. The exact difference, or sampling error, varies

depending on the particular sample selected, and this

variability is measured by the standard error of the estimate.

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

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

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

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

population value because of sampling error. Estimates of

sampling errors are available upon request.

The JOLTS estimates also are affected by nonsampling

error. Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, including

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

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

unwillingness of respondents to provide data on a timely basis,

mistakes made by respondents, errors made in the collection or

processing of the data, and errors from the employment

benchmark data used in estimation.

JOLTS hires and separations estimates cannot be used to

exactly explain net changes in nonfarm payroll employment.

Some reasons why it is problematic to compare changes in

payroll employment with JOLTS hires and separations,

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

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

month, while the reference period for hires and separations is

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

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

may not always work during the pay period that includes the

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

reporters systematically underreport separations relative to

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

payroll systems and practices. The shortfall appears to be

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

Other information

Information in this release will be made available to sensory

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

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept.

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 2,755 3,135 3,105 3,022 3,237 3,195 3,235 2.1 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.4

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 2,399 2,778 2,746 2,640 2,894 2,859 2,889 2.2 2.5 2.4 2.3 2.6 2.5 2.6

Construction........................................................................ 58 105 108 94 88 121 126 .9 1.5 1.5 1.3 1.3 1.7 1.8

Manufacturing................................................................ 183 251 244 247 240 234 246 1.3 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 484 531 521 503 567 551 561 1.9 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.2 2.1 2.2

Professional and business services......................... 467 518 530 494 583 594 564 2.8 3.1 3.1 2.9 3.4 3.5 3.3

Education and health services................................................. 499 576 542 496 537 536 546 2.9 3.3 3.1 2.9 3.1 3.1 3.1

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 348 376 391 421 435 410 411 2.8 3.0 3.1 3.3 3.4 3.2 3.2

Government......................................................................................... 364 354 360 380 343 337 339 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.5

REGION

Northeast......................................................................... 488 560 526 546 545 540 547 1.9 2.2 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.1

South............................................................................................... 1,039 1,191 1,164 1,164 1,280 1,259 1,210 2.2 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.7 2.6 2.5

Midwest......................................................................................... 581 692 688 631 635 613 696 1.9 2.2 2.2 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.2

West...................................................................................... 657 694 765 677 738 771 778 2.3 2.4 2.6 2.3 2.5 2.6 2.6

1

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

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

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

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

 

3

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

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

 

4

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

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

 

P

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

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

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

Industry and region Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept.

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 4,061 4,398 4,206 4,433 4,229 4,375 4,297 3.1 3.4 3.2 3.4 3.2 3.3 3.3

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 3,787 4,090 3,938 4,110 3,930 4,058 3,948 3.5 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.6

Construction........................................................................ 405 421 406 436 368 401 388 6.0 6.1 5.9 6.3 5.3 5.8 5.6

Manufacturing................................................................ 336 354 336 370 352 356 379 2.3 2.5 2.3 2.6 2.4 2.5 2.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 859 1,032 938 945 957 984 879 3.4 4.1 3.7 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.4

Professional and business services......................... 606 609 631 692 621 690 674 3.8 3.7 3.8 4.2 3.8 4.2 4.1

Education and health services................................................. 439 460 451 428 418 470 403 2.6 2.7 2.7 2.5 2.5 2.8 2.4

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 732 766 739 749 760 760 834 6.0 6.2 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.1 6.7

Government......................................................................................... 290 300 272 328 310 322 339 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.6

REGION

Northeast......................................................................... 705 810 708 703 720 763 758 2.8 3.2 2.8 2.8 2.9 3.0 3.0

South............................................................................................... 1,524 1,582 1,606 1,709 1,640 1,643 1,659 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.7 3.5 3.5 3.6

Midwest......................................................................................... 885 991 956 1,009 935 945 939 2.9 3.2 3.1 3.2 3.0 3.0 3.0

West...................................................................................... 973 1,093 951 1,023 865 1,018 960 3.4 3.8 3.3 3.6 3.0 3.5 3.3

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

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

 

3

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

 

4

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

 

P

 = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels3 (in thousands) Rates

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept.

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 3,845 4,088 4,040 4,069 4,074 4,134 4,165 3.0 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.2

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 3,588 3,843 3,761 3,789 3,793 3,894 3,876 3.3 3.5 3.4 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5

Construction........................................................................ 408 391 367 382 364 391 367 6.0 5.7 5.3 5.5 5.3 5.6 5.3

Manufacturing................................................................ 340 353 377 343 367 379 379 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 821 1,013 917 927 972 951 906 3.3 4.0 3.6 3.6 3.8 3.7 3.6

Professional and business services......................... 524 606 556 607 613 575 588 3.3 3.7 3.4 3.7 3.7 3.5 3.6

Education and health services................................................. 399 386 379 362 363 380 386 2.4 2.3 2.2 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.3

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 657 679 696 734 694 760 769 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.9 5.6 6.2 6.2

Government......................................................................................... 259 245 268 270 273 246 290 1.2 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.1 1.3

REGION

Northeast......................................................................... 660 716 648 704 674 717 724 2.6 2.9 2.6 2.8 2.7 2.8 2.9

South............................................................................................... 1,468 1,524 1,504 1,533 1,545 1,527 1,504 3.2 3.3 3.2 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.2

Midwest......................................................................................... 832 877 833 853 935 831 934 2.7 2.8 2.7 2.7 3.0 2.7 3.0

West...................................................................................... 878 959 1,008 979 945 1,087 991 3.1 3.4 3.5 3.4 3.3 3.8 3.5

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

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

 

3

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

 

4

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

 

P

 = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

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

Industry and region Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept.

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 2,072 2,278 2,173 2,284 2,265 2,252 2,258 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 1,949 2,151 2,036 2,162 2,141 2,140 2,130 1.8 2.0 1.9 2.0 2.0 1.9 1.9

Construction........................................................................ 151 149 144 156 101 147 132 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.3 1.5 2.1 1.9

Manufacturing................................................................ 142 189 171 171 174 165 186 1.0 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 473 563 525 536 559 552 539 1.9 2.2 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.1

Professional and business services......................... 276 323 259 322 322 308 309 1.7 2.0 1.6 2.0 2.0 1.9 1.9

Education and health services................................................. 252 245 223 225 271 239 244 1.5 1.5 1.3 1.3 1.6 1.4 1.4

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 392 429 455 480 442 476 457 3.2 3.5 3.7 3.9 3.6 3.9 3.7

Government......................................................................................... 123 129 129 123 126 116 129 .6 .6 .6 .6 .6 .5 .6

REGION

Northeast......................................................................... 295 390 318 334 338 339 323 1.2 1.6 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3

South............................................................................................... 811 888 857 910 901 897 916 1.8 1.9 1.8 2.0 1.9 1.9 2.0

Midwest......................................................................................... 462 479 479 485 505 447 464 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.4 1.5

West...................................................................................... 504 524 521 573 519 566 552 1.8 1.8 1.8 2.0 1.8 2.0 1.9

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

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

 

3

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

 

4

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

 

P

 = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels3 (in thousands) Rates

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Aug. Sept.

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total........................................................................................................... 2,844 3,413 3,373 2.1 2.5 2.5

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 2,486 3,061 3,043 2.2 2.7 2.7

Natural resources and mining................................................... 6 7 9 1.0 1.2 1.5

Construction...................................................................................................... 59 115 135 .8 1.6 1.8

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 192 252 256 1.3 1.7 1.7

Durable goods.............................................................................. 111 146 163 1.2 1.6 1.8

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 82 105 94 1.4 1.9 1.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 539 620 637 2.1 2.4 2.4

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 82 112 113 1.4 1.9 2.0

Retail trade................................................................................. 389 424 438 2.6 2.7 2.8

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................68 84 86 1.4 1.7 1.7

Information...................................................................................... 59 76 68 1.8 2.3 2.1

Financial activities........................................................................... 172 215 242 2.1 2.6 2.9

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 134 175 203 2.2 2.8 3.3

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 38 40 38 1.8 1.9 1.8

Professional and business services........................................ 490 620 602 2.9 3.6 3.5

Education and health services................................................................. 523 571 568 3.1 3.3 3.3

Educational services................................................................ 33 54 55 1.2 2.2 2.0

Health care and social assistance.................................. 490 518 513 3.4 3.5 3.5

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 342 455 407 2.7 3.4 3.1

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 37 51 53 2.0 2.5 2.7

Accommodations and food services............................... 306 403 355 2.8 3.6 3.2

Other services................................................................................. 104 130 118 1.9 2.3 2.1

Government......................................................................................... 358 352 329 1.7 1.7 1.5

Federal................................................................................................ 41 41 37 1.5 1.5 1.3

State and local.................................................................................... 317 311 292 1.7 1.7 1.5

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 509 600 579 2.0 2.3 2.2

South............................................................................................... 1,058 1,312 1,240 2.2 2.8 2.6

Midwest................................................................................................. 607 688 735 1.9 2.2 2.3

West....................................................................................................... 669 813 818 2.3 2.8 2.8

1

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

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

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 6. Hires levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Aug. Sept.

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total........................................................................................................... 4,612 5,038 4,868 3.5 3.8 3.7

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 4,193 4,534 4,356 3.9 4.1 3.9

Natural resources and mining................................................... 14 20 20 2.3 3.3 3.4

Construction...................................................................................................... 400 385 383 5.7 5.3 5.3

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 347 397 400 2.4 2.7 2.8

Durable goods.............................................................................. 211 245 250 2.4 2.7 2.8

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 137 152 151 2.5 2.8 2.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 1,028 1,071 1,026 4.1 4.2 4.0

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 169 176 169 3.0 3.1 3.0

Retail trade................................................................................. 698 726 650 4.7 4.8 4.3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 161 169 207 3.4 3.5 4.3

Information...................................................................................... 59 76 68 1.9 2.4 2.2

Financial activities........................................................................... 195 185 201 2.4 2.3 2.5

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 122 122 118 2.1 2.0 2.0

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 73 62 83 3.5 2.9 3.9

Professional and business services........................................ 637 767 715 3.9 4.6 4.3

Education and health services................................................................. 585 577 523 3.5 3.5 3.1

Educational services................................................................ 117 89 111 4.5 3.7 4.2

Health care and social assistance.................................. 468 488 411 3.4 3.4 2.9

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 728 841 838 5.9 6.5 6.7

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 84 111 122 4.6 5.5 6.6

Accommodations and food services............................... 644 730 716 6.1 6.7 6.7

Other services................................................................................. 201 215 182 3.7 3.9 3.4

Government......................................................................................... 418 504 512 2.0 2.5 2.4

Federal................................................................................................ 38 35 42 1.4 1.3 1.5

State and local.................................................................................... 381 469 470 2.1 2.7 2.5

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 870 802 960 3.5 3.2 3.8

South............................................................................................... 1,605 1,956 1,740 3.5 4.2 3.7

Midwest................................................................................................. 1,078 1,167 1,134 3.5 3.8 3.6

West....................................................................................................... 1,059 1,113 1,035 3.7 3.9 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.

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Aug. Sept.

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total........................................................................................................... 4,309 5,269 4,672 3.3 4.0 3.5

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 4,007 4,887 4,330 3.7 4.4 3.9

Natural resources and mining................................................... 18 22 19 3.2 3.6 3.2

Construction...................................................................................................... 443 466 388 6.3 6.4 5.4

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 338 455 378 2.3 3.1 2.6

Durable goods.............................................................................. 201 298 244 2.3 3.3 2.7

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 136 157 135 2.5 2.9 2.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 883 1,117 967 3.5 4.4 3.8

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 150 160 146 2.7 2.8 2.6

Retail trade................................................................................. 621 796 682 4.2 5.3 4.6

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 113 162 139 2.4 3.4 2.9

Information...................................................................................... 66 87 66 2.1 2.7 2.1

Financial activities........................................................................... 202 204 197 2.5 2.5 2.4

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 112 141 117 1.9 2.4 2.0

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 91 63 80 4.4 2.9 3.7

Professional and business services........................................ 548 727 617 3.4 4.3 3.7

Education and health services................................................................. 430 492 420 2.6 3.0 2.5

Educational services................................................................ 49 62 61 1.9 2.6 2.3

Health care and social assistance.................................. 381 431 358 2.7 3.0 2.5

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 883 1,019 1,050 7.2 7.9 8.4

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 212 145 232 11.4 7.2 12.4

Accommodations and food services............................... 672 874 818 6.4 8.0 7.7

Other services................................................................................. 197 299 229 3.7 5.5 4.2

Government......................................................................................... 302 381 342 1.4 1.9 1.6

Federal................................................................................................ 36 26 26 1.3 .9 1.0

State and local.................................................................................... 265 356 316 1.4 2.0 1.7

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 825 951 914 3.3 3.8 3.6

South............................................................................................... 1,574 1,957 1,600 3.4 4.2 3.4

Midwest................................................................................................. 945 1,107 1,075 3.1 3.6 3.4

West....................................................................................................... 964 1,254 1,083 3.4 4.4 3.8

 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.

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 8. Quits levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Aug. Sept.

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total........................................................................................................... 2,406 3,103 2,613 1.8 2.4 2.0

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 2,276 2,916 2,475 2.1 2.6 2.2

Natural resources and mining................................................... 8 11 12 1.4 1.8 2.0

Construction...................................................................................................... 175 191 153 2.5 2.6 2.1

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 161 237 215 1.1 1.6 1.5

Durable goods.............................................................................. 98 139 131 1.1 1.5 1.5

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 63 98 84 1.1 1.8 1.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 544 740 608 2.2 2.9 2.4

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 85 82 90 1.5 1.4 1.6

Retail trade................................................................................. 398 586 453 2.7 3.9 3.0

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................61 72 65 1.3 1.5 1.3

Information...................................................................................... 40 61 37 1.3 1.9 1.2

Financial activities........................................................................... 97 129 110 1.2 1.6 1.4

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 60 83 65 1.0 1.4 1.1

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 37 46 46 1.8 2.1 2.1

Professional and business services........................................ 301 438 333 1.9 2.6 2.0

Education and health services................................................................. 293 315 279 1.8 1.9 1.7

Educational services................................................................ 31 32 34 1.2 1.3 1.3

Health care and social assistance.................................. 262 283 245 1.9 2.0 1.7

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 529 664 619 4.3 5.1 4.9

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 75 56 67 4.1 2.7 3.6

Accommodations and food services............................... 454 609 552 4.3 5.6 5.2

Other services................................................................................. 127 131 107 2.4 2.4 2.0

Government......................................................................................... 131 186 139 .6 .9 .6

Federal................................................................................................ 14 13 10 .5 .5 .4

State and local.................................................................................... 117 173 129 .6 1.0 .7

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 398 484 425 1.6 1.9 1.7

South............................................................................................... 893 1,181 1,016 1.9 2.5 2.2

Midwest................................................................................................. 541 665 541 1.8 2.1 1.7

West....................................................................................................... 575 773 631 2.0 2.7 2.2

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

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

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Aug. Sept.

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total........................................................................................................... 1,607 1,832 1,760 1.2 1.4 1.3

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 1,487 1,692 1,604 1.4 1.5 1.5

Natural resources and mining................................................... 8 7 4 1.4 1.2 .7

Construction...................................................................................................... 257 259 214 3.7 3.6 3.0

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 147 186 135 1.0 1.3 .9

Durable goods.............................................................................. 86 136 92 1.0 1.5 1.0

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 61 49 44 1.1 .9 .8

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 265 303 302 1.1 1.2 1.2

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 52 64 47 .9 1.1 .8

Retail trade................................................................................. 175 165 194 1.2 1.1 1.3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................39 74 61 .8 1.5 1.3

Information...................................................................................... 24 22 20 .7 .7 .6

Financial activities........................................................................... 90 46 70 1.1 .6 .9

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 37 31 37 .6 .5 .6

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 53 15 32 2.5 .7 1.5

Professional and business services........................................ 206 249 247 1.3 1.5 1.5

Education and health services................................................................. 106 144 107 .6 .9 .6

Educational services................................................................ 14 26 23 .5 1.1 .9

Health care and social assistance.................................. 91 119 84 .7 .8 .6

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 331 313 397 2.7 2.4 3.2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 133 88 159 7.2 4.4 8.5

Accommodations and food services............................... 198 224 238 1.9 2.1 2.2

Other services................................................................................. 55 163 109 1.0 3.0 2.0

Government......................................................................................... 120 139 156 .6 .7 .7

Federal................................................................................................ 13 6 9 .5 .2 .3

State and local.................................................................................... 106 133 147 .6 .8 .8

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 369 389 413 1.5 1.6 1.6

South............................................................................................... 580 660 480 1.3 1.4 1.0

Midwest................................................................................................. 342 369 475 1.1 1.2 1.5

West....................................................................................................... 315 413 392 1.1 1.4 1.4

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

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

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Aug. Sept.

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total........................................................................................................... 295 335 298 0.2 0.3 0.2

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 244 279 251 .2 .3 .2

Natural resources and mining................................................... 2 4 3 .3 .6 .5

Construction...................................................................................................... 11 15 22 .2 .2 .3

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 30 32 28 .2 .2 .2

Durable goods.............................................................................. 18 22 21 .2 .2 .2

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 13 10 7 .2 .2 .1

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 74 75 56 .3 .3 .2

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 13 14 8 .2 .2 .1

Retail trade................................................................................. 48 45 35 .3 .3 .2

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................13 16 13 .3 .3 .3

Information...................................................................................... 2 4 9 .1 .1 .3

Financial activities........................................................................... 16 29 17 .2 .4 .2

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 14 27 15 .2 .5 .2

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

Professional and business services........................................ 41 39 37 .3 .2 .2

Education and health services................................................................. 31 34 33 .2 .2 .2

Educational services................................................................ 4 4 4 .1 .2 .2

Health care and social assistance.................................. 27 29 29 .2 .2 .2

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 23 42 34 .2 .3 .3

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 3 1 6 .2 .1 .3

Accommodations and food services............................... 20 40 28 .2 .4 .3

Other services................................................................................. 14 5 13 .3 .1 .2

Government......................................................................................... 52 56 48 .2 .3 .2

Federal................................................................................................ 10 6 7 .4 .2 .3

State and local.................................................................................... 42 49 40 .2 .3 .2

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 58 78 77 .2 .3 .3

South............................................................................................... 101 115 104 .2 .2 .2

Midwest................................................................................................. 61 73 58 .2 .2 .2

West....................................................................................................... 75 68 59 .3 .2 .2

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

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

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels (in thousands) Rates