News

Bureau of Labor Statistics Washington, D.C. 20212 

United States 

Department 

of Labor 

Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 09-0778 

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

 For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT 

Media contact: (202) 691-5902 Tuesday, July 7, 2009 

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: MAY 2009 

On the last business day of May job openings in the U.S. numbered 2.6 million, the Bureau of 

Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The hires rate at 3.0 percent in May 

was at the lowest point since the series began in December 2000. The total separations rate at 3.3 

percent declined over the month. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job 

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

Chart 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted,

 June 2006 - May 2009

1.6

1.8

2.0

2.2

2.4

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

Percent

2007 2008 2009

Chart 2. Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted,

 June 2006 - May 2009

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

4.2

Percent

Separations

Hires

2007 2008 2009

Job Openings

The job openings rate remained unchanged in May at 1.9 percent. In May, the job openings rate 

increased significantly in retail trade; the rate decreased significantly in accommodation and food 

services and state and local government. Since May 2008, the number of job openings has declined by 

1.5 million, or 36 percent. (See table 1.) 

Over the 12 months ending in May, the job openings rate (not seasonally adjusted) fell 

significantly in the majority of industries. Federal government experienced a significant increase in the 

job openings rate. The job openings rate declined significantly in all four regions. (See table 5.) 
2 

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

Industry May Apr. May May Apr. May May Apr. May

2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total 1................................................4,009 2,513 2,554 4,726 4,117 3,980 4,933 4,641 4,359

Total private 1

.................................... 3,577 2,042 2,221 4,406 3,822 3,706 4,641 4,362 4,082

Construction.................................... 162 29 39 381 341 348 428 437 408

Manufacturing................................. 280 95 91 318 236 204 360 390 365

Trade, transportation, and utilities 2

......... 649 332 430 910 888 837 973 982 927

Retail trade..................................... 402 205 302 640 655 580 672 678 595

Professional and business services............ 681 461 520 868 733 729 908 839 795

Education and health services............... 728 515 537 540 475 468 502 462 422

Leisure and hospitality ........................ 575 322 269 900 691 693 916 716 707

Arts, entertainment, and recreation......... 72 22 17 130 86 78 141 102 86

Accommodation and food services......... 491 312 248 759 603 612 766 612 613

Government 3

..................................... 435 461 344 317 340 326 296 255 265

 State and local government.................. 379 307 261 293 246 257 268 243 250

Total 1

................................................ 2.8 1.9 1.9 3.4 3.1 3.0 3.6 3.5 3.3

Total private 1

.................................... 3.0 1.8 2.0 3.8 3.5 3.4 4.0 4.0 3.7

Construction.................................... 2.2 0.5 0.6 5.2 5.4 5.5 5.9 6.9 6.5

Manufacturing................................. 2.0 0.8 0.8 2.3 1.9 1.7 2.7 3.2 3.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities 2

......... 2.4 1.3 1.7 3.4 3.5 3.3 3.7 3.9 3.7

Retail trade.................................... 2.5 1.4 2.0 4.1 4.4 3.9 4.4 4.6 4.0

Professional and business services............3.7 2.7 3.0 4.9 4.4 4.4 5.1 5.0 4.7

Education and health services............... 3.7 2.6 2.7 2.9 2.5 2.4 2.7 2.4 2.2

Leisure and hospitality ........................ 4.1 2.4 2.0 6.7 5.3 5.3 6.8 5.4 5.4

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.........3.5 1.1 0.9 6.6 4.5 4.1 7.1 5.4 4.6

Accommodation and food services......... 4.1 2.7 2.2 6.6 5.4 5.4 6.7 5.4 5.4

Government 3

..................................... 1.9 2.0 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.1 1.2

 State and local government.................. 1.9 1.5 1.3 1.5 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.2 1.3

 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 federal government, not shown separately. p = preliminary.

Rates (percent)

Job openings Hires Total separations

Levels (in thousands)

Hires

The hires level was little changed at 4.0 million in May. The hires rate was 3.0 percent in May. 

The hires rate declined significantly in retail trade but did not change significantly in the remaining 

industries. Regionally, the South experienced a significant decrease in the hires rate. The hires rate for 

the remaining regions did not change significantly. (See table 2.) 

Over the 12 months ending in May, the hires rate (not seasonally adjusted) increased 

significantly in federal government due to hiring of temporary workers for Census 2010. The hires level 
3 

decreased significantly over the year for total nonfarm, falling by 829,000 or 16 percent since May 

2008. Total private and many industries showed significant declines in the hires rate including mining 

and logging; durable goods manufacturing; real estate and rental and leasing; health care and social 

assistance; arts, entertainment, and recreation; accommodation and food services; and state and local 

government. Regionally, the hires rate dropped significantly over the past 12 months in the Midwest, 

South, and West. The rate did not change significantly in the Northeast. (See table 6.) 

Separations

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

separations), and other separations (including retirements). The total separations, or turnover, rate 

(seasonally adjusted) decreased to 3.3 percent in May. The total separations rate (not seasonally 

adjusted) decreased significantly over the 12 months ending in May for total nonfarm, total private, and 

government. (See tables 3 and 7.) 

The quits rate can serve as a measure of workers’ willingness or ability to change jobs. Although 

the rate was unchanged over the month at 1.3 percent in May, it remained at the lowest point in the 8-

year series. Quits have fallen to 1.7 million, a decline of 904,000 or 34 percent since May 2008. (See 

table 4.) 

Over the 12 months ending in May, the quits rate (not seasonally adjusted) was significantly 

lower for total nonfarm, total private, and government. The majority of industries experienced a 

significant decline in the quits rate. The quits rate did not rise significantly over the past 12 months in 

any industry. The quits rate fell significantly over the past 12 months in all four regions. (See table 8.) 

The layoffs and discharges component of total separations is seasonally adjusted at the total 

nonfarm, total private, and government levels. Layoffs and discharges in May were 2.3 million for total 

nonfarm, 2.2 million for total private, and 121,000 for government, corresponding to layoffs and 

discharges rates of 1.7 percent, 2.0 percent, and 0.5 percent, respectively. The layoffs and discharges 

rate did not change significantly in May for total nonfarm, total private, or government. 

Over the 12 months ending in May, the layoffs and discharges rate (not seasonally adjusted) rose 

significantly for total nonfarm, total private, and many industries including mining and logging; 

construction; durable goods manufacturing; wholesale trade; finance and insurance; and professional 

and business services. The rate decreased significantly in health care and social assistance and arts, 

entertainment, and recreation. In the remaining industries, the layoffs and discharges rate did not change 

significantly. The Midwest was the only region to experience a significant increase in the layoffs and 

discharges rate over the 12 months ending in May; the remaining regions did not change significantly. 

(See table 9.) 

Table B. Layoffs and discharges, seasonally adjusted

May Apr. May May Apr. May

2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total................................................1,988 2,513 2,311 1.4 1.9 1.7

Total private....................................1,871 2,378 2,196 1.6 2.2 2.0

Government.................................... 108 119 121 0.5 0.5 0.5

 p = preliminary.

Industry

Levels (in thousands) Rates
4 

The other separations series is not seasonally adjusted. In May, there were 287,000 other 

separations for total nonfarm, 242,000 for total private, and 45,000 for government. Compared to May 

2008, the number of other separations was little changed for total nonfarm, total private, and 

government. (See table 10.) 

The total separations level is influenced by the relative contribution of its three components—

quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. The percentage of total separations at the total 

nonfarm level attributable to the individual components has varied over time. The proportion of quits 

decreased from 59 percent in January 2008 to 38 percent in April 2009. Quits made up 40 percent of 

total separations in May 2009. The proportion of layoffs and discharges increased from 33 percent in 

August 2006 to 54 percent in April 2009. Layoffs and discharges made up 53 percent of total 

separations in May 2009. (See tables 3 and 4, and table B above.) 

Net Change in Employment

In each month from June 2008 to May 2009, separations exceeded hires. Over the 12 months 

ending in May, hires totaled 52.9 million and separations totaled 57.8 million yielding a net employment 

loss of 4.9 million. 

For More Information

For additional information, please read the Technical Note attached to this release, visit the 

JOLTS Web site at www.bls.gov/jlt/, send e-mail to Joltsinfo@bls.gov, or call (202) 691-5870. 

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover release for June 2009 is scheduled to be issued on 

Wednesday, August 12. 
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 

 In a monthly survey of business establishments, data are 

collected 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, e-mail, and mail. 

Coverage 

 The JOLTS program covers all private nonfarm 

establishments such as factories, offices, and stores, as 

well as federal, state, and local government entities in the 

50 states and the District of Columbia. 

Concepts 

 Industry classification. The industry classifications in 

this release are in accordance with the 2007 version of the 

North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). 

In order to ensure the highest possible quality of data, 

State Workforce Agencies verify with employers and 

update, if necessary, the industry code, location, and 

ownership classification of all establishments on a 3-year 

cycle. Changes in establishment characteristics resulting 

from the verification process are always introduced into 

the JOLTS sampling frame with the data reported for the 

first month of the year. 

 Employment. Employment includes persons on the 

payroll who worked or received pay for the pay period 

that includes the 12th day of the reference month. 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. Establishments submit job openings 

information for the last business day of the reference 

month. A job opening requires that: 1) a specific position 

exists and there is work available for that position, 2) 

work could start within 30 days regardless of whether a 

suitable candidate is found, and 3) the employer is 

actively recruiting from outside the establishment to fill 

the position. Included are full-time, part-time, permanent, 

short-term, and seasonal openings. Active recruiting 

means that the establishment is taking steps to fill a 

position by advertising in newspapers or on the Internet, 

posting help-wanted signs, accepting applications, or 

using other similar methods. 

 Jobs to be filled only by internal transfers, promotions, 

demotions, or recall from layoffs are excluded. Also 

excluded are jobs with start dates more than 30 days in 

the future, jobs for which employees have been hired but 

have not yet reported for work, and jobs to be filled by 

employees of temporary help agencies, employee leasing 

companies, outside contractors, or consultants. The job 

openings rate is computed by dividing the number of job 

openings by the sum of employment and job openings and 

multiplying that quotient by 100. 

 Hires. Hires are the total number of additions to the 

payroll occurring at any time during the reference month, 

including both new and rehired employees, full-time and 

part-time, permanent, short-term and seasonal employees, 

employees recalled to the location after a layoff lasting 

more than 7 days, on-call or intermittent employees who 

returned to work after having been formally separated, 

and transfers from other locations. The hires count does 

not include transfers or promotions within the reporting 

site, employees returning from strike, employees of 

temporary help agencies or employee leasing companies, 

outside contractors, or consultants. The hires rate is 

computed by dividing the number of hires by employment 

and multiplying that quotient by 100. 

 Separations. Separations are the total number of 

terminations of employment occurring at any time during 

the reference month, and are reported by type of 

separation--quits, layoffs and discharges, and other 

separations. Quits are voluntary separations by 

employees (except for retirements, which are reported as 

other separations). Layoffs and discharges are 

involuntary separations initiated by the employer and 

include layoffs with no intent to rehire; formal layoffs 

lasting or expected to last more than 7 days; discharges 

resulting from mergers, downsizing, or closings; firings or 

other discharges for cause; terminations of permanent or 

short-term employees; and terminations of seasonal 

employees. Other separations include retirements, 

transfers to other locations, deaths, and separations due to 

disability. Separations do not include transfers within the 

same location or employees on strike. 

 The separations rate is computed by dividing the number 

of separations by employment and multiplying that 

quotient by 100. The quits, layoffs and discharges, and 

other separations rates are computed similarly, dividing 

the number by employment and multiplying by 100. 

 Annual estimates. Annual estimates of rates and levels 
of hires, quits, layoffs and discharges, other separations, 

and total separations are released with the January news 

release each year. 

 The JOLTS annual level estimates for hires, quits, 

layoffs and discharges, other separations, and total 

separations are the sum of the 12 published monthly 

levels. The annual rate estimates are computed by 

dividing the annual level by the Current Employment 

Statistics (CES) annual average employment level, and 

multiplying that quotient by 100. This figure will be 

approximately equal to the sum of the 12 monthly rates. 

Note that both the JOLTS and CES annual levels are 

rounded to the nearest thousand before the annual 

estimates are calculated. Consistent with BLS practices, 

annual estimates are published only for not seasonally 

adjusted data. 

 Annual estimates are not calculated for job openings 

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

measurement for the last business day of each month. 

Only jobs still open on the last day of the month are 

counted. For the same reason job openings cannot be 

cumulated throughout each month, annual figures for job 

openings cannot be created by summing the monthly 

estimates. Hires and separations are flow measures and 

are cumulated over the month with a total reported for the 

month. Therefore, the annual figures can be created by 

summing the monthly estimates. 

Special Collection Procedures 

 An implied measure of employment change can be 

derived from the JOLTS data by subtracting separations 

from hires for a given month. Aggregating these monthly 

changes historically produced employment levels that 

overstated employment change as measured by CES at the 

total nonfarm level. Research into this problem showed 

that a significant amount of the divergence between the 

CES employment levels and the derived JOLTS 

employment levels was traceable to the Employment 

Services industry and to the State Government Education 

industry. In the former industry, businesses have a 

difficult time reporting hires and separations of temporary 

help workers. In the latter industry, employers have 

difficulty reporting hires and separations of student 

workers. BLS now devotes additional resources to the 

collection, editing, and review of data for these 

industries. BLS analysts more closely examine reported 

data that do not provide a consistent picture over time, 

and re-contact the respondents as necessary. Analysts 

work with the respondents to adjust their reporting 

practices as possible. Units that cannot be reconciled but 

are clearly incorrect on a consistent basis are not used, 

they are replaced by imputed values using standard 

techniques. 

Sample and estimation methodology 

 The JOLTS survey 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 9.1 

million establishments compiled as part of the operations 

of the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages 

(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. The JOLTS sample is 

constructed from individual panels of sample units drawn 

on an annual basis. The full annual sample consists of one 

certainty panel composed of only large units selected with 

virtual certainty based on their size and 24 non-certainty 

panels. Each month a new non-certainty panel is rolled 

into collection, and the oldest non-certainty panel is rolled 

out. This means that at any given time the JOLTS sample 

is constructed from panels from three different annual 

sampling frames. The entire sample of old plus new 

panels is post-stratified and re-weighted annually to 

represent the most recent sampling frame. Additionally, 

the out-of-business establishments are removed from the 

old panels. The annual sample is supplemented with a 

quarterly sample of birth establishments (i.e., new 

establishments) to better reflect the impact of younger 

establishments in the JOLTS sample. 

 JOLTS total employment estimates are benchmarked 

monthly 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. 

 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. BLS has developed a 

model to estimate birth/death activity for current months 

by examining the birth/death activity from previous years 

on the QCEW and projecting forward to the present using 

an econometric technique known as X-12 ARIMA 

modeling. The birth/death model also uses historical 

JOLTS data to estimate the amount of “churn” (hires and 

separations) that exists in establishments of various sizes. 

The model then combines the estimated churn with the 

projected employment change to estimate the number of 

hires and separations taking place in these units that 

cannot be measured through sampling. 
 The model-based estimate of total separations is 

distributed to the three components – quits; layoffs and 

discharges; and other separations - in proportion to their 

contribution to the sample-based estimate of total 

separations. Additionally, job openings for the modeled 

units are estimated by computing the ratio of openings to 

hires in the collected data and applying that ratio to the 

modeled hires. The estimates of job openings, hires, and 

separations produced by the birth/death model are then 

added to the sample-based estimates produced from the 

survey to arrive at the estimates for openings, hires, and 

separations. 

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. 

Alignment procedure 

 JOLTS hires minus separations should be comparable to 

the CES net employment change. However, definitional 

differences as well as sampling and non-sampling 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. 

The Monthly Alignment 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 trend and the 

CES net employment change is calculated. Next, the 

JOLTS implied employment trend is adjusted to equal the 

CES net employment change through a proportional 

adjustment. This proportional adjustment procedure 

adjusts the two components (hires, separations) 

proportionally to their contribution to the total churn 

(hires plus separations). For example, if hires are 40 

percent of the churn for a given month, they will receive 

40 percent of the needed adjustment and separations will 

receive 60 percent of the needed adjustment. 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. The Monthly 

Alignment procedure assures a close match of the JOLTS 

implied employment trend with the CES trend. The CES 

series is considered a highly accurate measure of net 

employment change owing to its very large sample size 

and annual benchmarking to universe counts of 

employment from the QCEW program. 

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 to 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. 

 JOLTS uses moving averages as seasonal filters in 

seasonal adjustment. JOLTS seasonal adjustment 

includes both additive and multiplicative seasonal 

adjustment models and REGARIMA (regression with 

autocorrelated errors) modeling to improve the seasonal 

adjustment factors at the beginning and end of the series 

and to detect and adjust for outliers in the series. 

Reliability of the estimates 

 JOLTS estimates are subject to both sampling and 

nonsampling error. When a sample rather than the entire 

population is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample 

estimates may differ from the "true" population values 

they represent. The exact difference, or sampling error, 

varies depending on the particular sample selected, and 

this variability is measured by the standard error of the 

estimate. BLS analysis is generally conducted at the 90-

percent level of confidence. That means that there is a 
90-percent chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate 

based on a sample will differ by no more than 1.6 

standard errors from the "true" population value because 

of sampling error. Estimates of sampling errors are 

available upon request. 

 The JOLTS estimates also are affected by nonsampling 

error. Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, 

including the failure to include a segment of the 

population, the inability to obtain data from all units in 

the sample, the inability or unwillingness of respondents 

to provide data on a timely basis, mistakes made by 

respondents, errors made in the collection or processing 

of the data, and errors from the employment benchmark 

data used in estimation. 

Other information 

 Information in this release will be made available to 

sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 

202-691-5200; TDD message referral phone: 1-800-877-

8339. 
Table 1. Job openings levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May

2008 2008 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009p 2008 2008 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009p

Total 4................................................... 4,009 3,224 2,920 2,973 2,633 2,513 2,554 2.8 2.3 2.1 2.2 1.9 1.9 1.9

INDUSTRY

Total private 4....................................... 3,577 2,861 2,461 2,606 2,269 2,042 2,221 3.0 2.5 2.2 2.3 2.0 1.8 2.0

Construction....................................... 162 66 55 58 51 29 39 2.2 .9 .8 .9 .8 .5 .6

Manufacturing.................................... 280 188 115 141 115 95 91 2.0 1.4 .9 1.1 .9 .8 .8

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 649 495 488 488 414 332 430 2.4 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.6 1.3 1.7

Retail trade....................................... 402 337 362 334 265 205 302 2.5 2.2 2.4 2.2 1.8 1.4 2.0

Professional and business services......... 681 562 501 482 428 461 520 3.7 3.1 2.8 2.8 2.5 2.7 3.0

Education and health services............... 728 685 636 589 537 515 537 3.7 3.5 3.2 3.0 2.7 2.6 2.7

Leisure and hospitality ........................ 575 315 272 332 289 322 269 4.1 2.3 2.0 2.4 2.1 2.4 2.0

Arts, entertainment, and recreation...... 72 40 27 30 25 22 17 3.5 2.0 1.4 1.5 1.3 1.1 .9

Accommodation and food services...... 491 274 242 302 263 312 248 4.1 2.4 2.1 2.6 2.3 2.7 2.2

Government 6

....................................... 435 345 417 367 353 461 344 1.9 1.5 1.8 1.6 1.5 2.0 1.5

State and local government................... 379 312 328 317 291 307 261 1.9 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.3

REGION 7

Northeast.......................................... 664 633 560 607 583 520 545 2.5 2.4 2.2 2.4 2.3 2.0 2.2

South................................................ 1,518 1,245 1,109 1,109 1,000 942 922 3.0 2.5 2.2 2.2 2.0 1.9 1.9

Midwest............................................. 842 607 587 563 499 512 517 2.6 1.9 1.9 1.8 1.6 1.7 1.7

West................................................ 996 689 655 638 556 570 567 3.1 2.2 2.1 2.1 1.8 1.9 1.9

1

 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day of the 7 The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the 

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

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

 3

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

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

 4

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

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

 5

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

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

 6

 Includes federal government, not shown separately. Wyoming.

 p

 = preliminary.

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

May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May

2008 2008 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009p 2008 2008 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009p

Total 4................................................... 4,726 4,508 4,460 4,339 4,099 4,117 3,980 3.4 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.1 3.1 3.0

INDUSTRY

Total private 4....................................... 4,406 4,214 4,141 4,042 3,799 3,822 3,706 3.8 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.4 3.5 3.4

Construction....................................... 381 366 381 370 343 341 348 5.2 5.3 5.7 5.6 5.3 5.4 5.5

Manufacturing.................................... 318 252 237 257 244 236 204 2.3 2.0 1.9 2.1 2.0 1.9 1.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 910 891 949 814 883 888 837 3.4 3.4 3.7 3.2 3.5 3.5 3.3

Retail trade....................................... 640 595 587 563 595 655 580 4.1 4.0 3.9 3.8 4.0 4.4 3.9

Professional and business services......... 868 786 762 730 668 733 729 4.9 4.5 4.4 4.3 4.0 4.4 4.4

Education and health services............... 540 528 539 527 483 475 468 2.9 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.5 2.5 2.4

Leisure and hospitality ........................ 900 711 743 704 693 691 693 6.7 5.3 5.6 5.3 5.3 5.3 5.3

Arts, entertainment, and recreation...... 130 111 105 89 85 86 78 6.6 5.7 5.4 4.6 4.4 4.5 4.1

Accommodation and food services...... 759 605 627 614 607 603 612 6.6 5.3 5.5 5.4 5.4 5.4 5.4

Government 6

....................................... 317 271 306 275 271 340 326 1.4 1.2 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.5 1.4

State and local government................... 293 253 261 252 247 246 257 1.5 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.3

REGION 7

Northeast.......................................... 755 726 753 837 696 729 692 2.9 2.9 3.0 3.3 2.8 2.9 2.8

South................................................ 1,722 1,659 1,663 1,566 1,458 1,619 1,442 3.5 3.4 3.4 3.2 3.0 3.4 3.0

Midwest.............................................1,053 1,009 1,003 904 943 901 886 3.4 3.3 3.3 3.0 3.1 3.0 2.9

West................................................ 1,208 1,053 1,002 960 931 949 1,007 3.9 3.5 3.3 3.2 3.1 3.2 3.4

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

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

total employment. 6

 Includes federal government, not shown separately. 3

 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal 7 See footnote 7, table 1. 

adjustment of the various series. p

 = preliminary. 4

 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, and 

other services, not shown separately.

Industry and region

Industry and region

Levels Rates 3

 (in thousands)

Levels 3

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

 and rates 2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May

2008 2008 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009p 2008 2008 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009p

Total 4................................................... 4,933 4,958 4,949 4,833 4,712 4,641 4,359 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.5 3.5 3.3

INDUSTRY

Total private 4

....................................... 4,641 4,673 4,686 4,555 4,434 4,362 4,082 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.1 4.0 4.0 3.7

Construction....................................... 428 452 524 463 463 437 408 5.9 6.6 7.8 7.0 7.2 6.9 6.5

Manufacturing.................................... 360 419 476 424 401 390 365 2.7 3.2 3.8 3.4 3.3 3.2 3.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 973 1,041 1,049 920 1,001 982 927 3.7 4.0 4.1 3.6 3.9 3.9 3.7

Retail trade.................................... 672 664 645 590 646 678 595 4.4 4.4 4.3 3.9 4.3 4.6 4.0

Professional and business services......... 908 898 866 951 778 839 795 5.1 5.2 5.0 5.6 4.6 5.0 4.7

Education and health services............... 502 498 494 498 466 462 422 2.7 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.4 2.4 2.2

Leisure and hospitality ........................ 916 755 763 731 751 716 707 6.8 5.7 5.7 5.5 5.7 5.4 5.4

Arts, entertainment, and recreation...... 141 106 117 88 95 102 86 7.1 5.4 6.0 4.5 4.9 5.4 4.6

Accommodation and food services...... 766 647 650 635 649 612 613 6.7 5.7 5.7 5.6 5.8 5.4 5.4

Government 6

....................................... 296 278 277 271 265 255 265 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.2

State and local government................... 268 251 267 251 251 243 250 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.3

REGION 7

Northeast.......................................... 838 799 813 783 878 700 779 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.1 3.5 2.8 3.1

South................................................1,796 1,815 1,898 1,742 1,741 1,682 1,562 3.6 3.7 3.9 3.6 3.6 3.5 3.3

Midwest.............................................1,042 1,088 1,120 1,121 1,085 1,065 1,018 3.3 3.5 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.5 3.4

West................................................ 1,219 1,227 1,180 1,188 978 1,188 980 4.0 4.0 3.9 4.0 3.3 4.0 3.3

 1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire 5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, 

month. not shown separately. 2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the 6

 Includes federal government, not shown separately.

entire month as a percent of total employment. 7

 See footnote 7, table 1. 3

 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent p = preliminary.

seasonal adjustment of the various series. 4

 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, 

and other services, not shown separately.

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

May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May

2008 2008 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009p 2008 2008 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009p

Total 4................................................... 2,650 2,114 2,063 1,911 1,856 1,777 1,746 1.9 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.3

INDUSTRY

Total private 4

....................................... 2,510 1,984 1,945 1,831 1,749 1,678 1,650 2.2 1.8 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.5

Construction....................................... 142 92 85 87 102 74 62 2.0 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.6 1.2 1.0

Manufacturing.................................... 165 87 105 105 81 80 83 1.2 .7 .8 .8 .7 .7 .7

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 570 518 469 372 444 385 388 2.1 2.0 1.8 1.5 1.7 1.5 1.5

Retail trade.................................... 395 379 360 323 344 271 283 2.6 2.5 2.4 2.2 2.3 1.8 1.9

Professional and business services......... 481 297 326 310 278 272 266 2.7 1.7 1.9 1.8 1.6 1.6 1.6

Education and health services............... 268 256 248 258 249 228 245 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.3

Leisure and hospitality ........................ 617 461 443 431 433 430 422 4.6 3.5 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation...... 56 29 31 36 35 41 45 2.9 1.5 1.6 1.9 1.8 2.1 2.4

Accommodation and food services...... 560 435 412 399 402 392 380 4.9 3.8 3.6 3.5 3.6 3.5 3.4

Government 6

....................................... 138 130 105 115 107 99 99 .6 .6 .5 .5 .5 .4 .4

State and local government................... 129 121 100 110 106 96 96 .7 .6 .5 .6 .5 .5 .5

REGION 7

Northeast.......................................... 396 302 278 271 273 263 294 1.5 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.2

South................................................1,034 847 790 759 751 691 699 2.1 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.4 1.5

Midwest............................................. 568 452 491 468 431 410 396 1.8 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.3

West................................................ 653 498 492 453 408 453 372 2.1 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.3

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

percent of total employment. 6

 Includes federal government, not shown separately. 3

 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent 7 See footnote 7, table 1. 

seasonal adjustment of the various series. p

 = preliminary. 4

 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, 

and other services, not shown separately.

Industry and region

Industry and region

Levels 3

 (in thousands) Rates

Levels 3

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

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

May Apr. May May Apr. May

2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total............................................................... 4,033 2,806 2,604 2.8 2.1 1.9

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 3,583 2,334 2,254 3.0 2.1 2.0

Mining and logging....................................... 18 13 13 2.3 1.7 1.8

Construction................................................ 183 32 45 2.4 .5 .7

Manufacturing............................................. 286 113 102 2.1 .9 .8

Durable goods.......................................... 173 57 59 2.0 .8 .8

Nondurable goods.................................... 114 56 43 2.2 1.2 .9

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 637 354 429 2.4 1.4 1.7

Wholesale trade....................................... 151 76 83 2.5 1.3 1.4

Retail trade............................................. 390 210 285 2.5 1.4 1.9

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 97 68 61 1.9 1.4 1.3

Information................................................ 80 35 46 2.6 1.2 1.6

Financial activities......................................... 208 199 159 2.5 2.5 2.0

Finance and insurance.............................. 141 155 121 2.3 2.6 2.1

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 67 44 37 3.0 2.2 1.8

Professional and business services.................. 682 494 520 3.7 2.9 3.0

Education and health services........................ 704 556 513 3.6 2.8 2.6

Educational services................................. 60 49 44 1.9 1.5 1.4

Health care and social assistance.................. 644 507 469 3.9 3.1 2.8

Leisure and hospitality................................. 620 394 290 4.3 2.9 2.1

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 87 31 19 4.0 1.6 1.0

Accommodation and food services............... 534 363 271 4.4 3.1 2.3

Other services............................................. 163 142 137 2.8 2.6 2.5

Government................................................... 450 473 350 1.9 2.0 1.5

Federal...................................................... 55 155 82 1.9 5.1 2.8

State and local........................................... 395 317 268 1.9 1.6 1.3

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 623 565 507 2.4 2.2 2.0

South......................................................... 1,563 1,037 960 3.0 2.1 2.0

Midwest...................................................... 824 557 515 2.6 1.8 1.7

West......................................................... 1,024 647 621 3.2 2.1 2.0

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

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

plus job openings.

 3 See footnote 7, table 1.

 p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 6. Hires levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

May Apr. May May Apr. May

2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total............................................................... 5,192 4,554 4,363 3.8 3.4 3.3

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 4,860 4,281 4,022 4.2 3.9 3.7

Mining and logging....................................... 36 19 18 4.8 2.6 2.5

Construction................................................ 475 464 432 6.5 7.5 6.8

Manufacturing............................................. 360 250 227 2.7 2.1 1.9

Durable goods.......................................... 207 150 104 2.4 2.0 1.4

Nondurable goods.................................... 152 100 123 3.1 2.2 2.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 951 950 859 3.6 3.8 3.4

Wholesale trade....................................... 158 141 160 2.6 2.5 2.8

Retail trade............................................. 664 682 584 4.3 4.7 4.0

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 129 128 116 2.5 2.7 2.4

Information................................................ 65 66 52 2.2 2.3 1.8

Financial activities......................................... 232 194 173 2.8 2.5 2.2

Finance and insurance.............................. 136 101 109 2.3 1.7 1.9

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 96 93 65 4.5 4.7 3.2

Professional and business services.................. 878 819 754 4.9 4.9 4.5

Education and health services........................ 517 466 439 2.7 2.4 2.3

Educational services................................. 57 41 57 1.9 1.3 1.8

Health care and social assistance.................. 460 425 382 2.9 2.6 2.4

Leisure and hospitality................................. 1,094 816 854 8.0 6.2 6.4

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 210 112 122 10.2 6.0 6.2

Accommodation and food services............... 884 704 733 7.6 6.3 6.4

Other services............................................. 253 238 212 4.5 4.4 3.9

Government................................................... 331 273 341 1.4 1.2 1.5

Federal...................................................... 28 97 71 1.0 3.3 2.4

State and local........................................... 303 176 271 1.5 .9 1.3

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 823 807 733 3.2 3.2 2.9

South......................................................... 1,836 1,745 1,523 3.7 3.7 3.2

Midwest...................................................... 1,236 989 1,021 3.9 3.3 3.4

West......................................................... 1,297 1,013 1,087 4.2 3.4 3.7

 1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month. 2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 3 See footnote 7, table 1. p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 7. Total separations levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

May Apr. May May Apr. May

2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total............................................................... 4,502 4,731 3,888 3.3 3.6 2.9

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 4,184 4,542 3,602 3.6 4.2 3.3

Mining and logging....................................... 20 30 20 2.6 4.1 2.8

Construction................................................ 357 424 333 4.9 6.8 5.3

Manufacturing............................................. 325 421 318 2.4 3.5 2.7

Durable goods.......................................... 186 291 198 2.2 3.9 2.7

Nondurable goods.................................... 140 130 120 2.8 2.8 2.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 919 1,013 829 3.5 4.0 3.3

Wholesale trade....................................... 141 170 163 2.4 3.0 2.9

Retail trade............................................. 644 686 549 4.2 4.7 3.7

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 134 157 117 2.6 3.3 2.4

Information................................................ 56 86 64 1.8 3.0 2.2

Financial activities......................................... 195 237 157 2.4 3.0 2.0

Finance and insurance.............................. 123 148 105 2.0 2.6 1.8

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 72 89 52 3.4 4.5 2.6

Professional and business services.................. 753 872 646 4.2 5.2 3.9

Education and health services........................ 519 468 429 2.8 2.4 2.2

Educational services................................. 89 52 82 2.9 1.6 2.6

Health care and social assistance.................. 430 417 347 2.7 2.6 2.1

Leisure and hospitality................................. 836 750 638 6.1 5.7 4.8

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 116 102 63 5.6 5.5 3.2

Accommodation and food services............... 720 648 575 6.2 5.8 5.0

Other services............................................. 204 241 168 3.7 4.5 3.1

Government................................................... 318 189 287 1.4 .8 1.2

Federal...................................................... 21 12 12 .8 .4 .4

State and local........................................... 297 176 275 1.5 .9 1.4

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 682 706 639 2.6 2.8 2.6

South......................................................... 1,775 1,820 1,495 3.6 3.8 3.1

Midwest...................................................... 909 1,008 862 2.9 3.4 2.9

West......................................................... 1,136 1,197 892 3.7 4.0 3.0

 1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month. 2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 3 See footnote 7, table 1. p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 8. Quits levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

May Apr. May May Apr. May

2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total............................................................... 2,614 1,877 1,724 1.9 1.4 1.3

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 2,455 1,798 1,613 2.1 1.6 1.5

Mining and logging....................................... 14 8 5 1.8 1.1 .7

Construction................................................ 135 81 59 1.8 1.3 .9

Manufacturing............................................. 160 85 83 1.2 .7 .7

Durable goods.......................................... 83 41 37 1.0 .6 .5

Nondurable goods.................................... 77 43 45 1.6 .9 1.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 573 399 381 2.2 1.6 1.5

Wholesale trade....................................... 88 50 37 1.5 .9 .7

Retail trade............................................. 406 277 287 2.6 1.9 1.9

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 79 72 57 1.6 1.5 1.2

Information................................................ 38 35 32 1.3 1.2 1.1

Financial activities......................................... 118 81 66 1.4 1.0 .8

Finance and insurance.............................. 83 49 34 1.4 .9 .6

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 34 32 32 1.6 1.6 1.6

Professional and business services.................. 458 269 254 2.6 1.6 1.5

Education and health services........................ 262 233 242 1.4 1.2 1.3

Educational services................................. 33 21 20 1.1 .7 .6

Health care and social assistance.................. 230 211 222 1.5 1.3 1.4

Leisure and hospitality................................. 593 458 403 4.3 3.5 3.0

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 46 35 38 2.2 1.9 1.9

Accommodation and food services............... 547 423 365 4.7 3.8 3.2

Other services............................................. 105 150 89 1.9 2.8 1.6

Government................................................... 159 79 111 .7 .3 .5

Federal...................................................... 7 3 2 .2 .1 .1

State and local........................................... 152 77 109 .8 .4 .5

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 369 257 280 1.4 1.0 1.1

South......................................................... 1,032 769 704 2.1 1.6 1.5

Midwest...................................................... 547 403 369 1.7 1.3 1.2

West......................................................... 665 448 372 2.1 1.5 1.3

 1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month. 2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 3 See footnote 7, table 1. p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 9. Layoffs and discharges levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

May Apr. May May Apr. May

2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total............................................................... 1,605 2,469 1,877 1.2 1.9 1.4

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 1,497 2,398 1,747 1.3 2.2 1.6

Mining and logging....................................... 4 19 14 .5 2.6 1.9

Construction................................................ 205 323 269 2.8 5.2 4.2

Manufacturing............................................. 143 314 211 1.1 2.6 1.8

Durable goods.......................................... 89 236 145 1.0 3.2 2.0

Nondurable goods.................................... 54 78 67 1.1 1.7 1.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 284 494 363 1.1 2.0 1.4

Wholesale trade....................................... 48 106 110 .8 1.9 1.9

Retail trade............................................. 193 316 200 1.3 2.2 1.4

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 43 71 53 .8 1.5 1.1

Information................................................ 14 42 23 .5 1.5 .8

Financial activities......................................... 60 110 73 .7 1.4 .9

Finance and insurance.............................. 29 68 54 .5 1.2 .9

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 31 41 19 1.4 2.1 1.0

Professional and business services.................. 255 532 346 1.4 3.2 2.1

Education and health services........................ 224 195 155 1.2 1.0 .8

Educational services................................. 52 28 55 1.7 .9 1.8

Health care and social assistance.................. 173 167 100 1.1 1.0 .6

Leisure and hospitality................................. 211 278 214 1.5 2.1 1.6

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 67 66 24 3.3 3.5 1.2

Accommodation and food services............... 144 212 190 1.2 1.9 1.7

Other services............................................. 96 90 78 1.7 1.7 1.4

Government................................................... 109 72 131 .5 .3 .6

Federal...................................................... 5 4 4 .2 .1 .2

State and local........................................... 103 67 126 .5 .3 .6

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 267 381 315 1.0 1.5 1.3

South......................................................... 632 899 693 1.3 1.9 1.4

Midwest...................................................... 307 530 422 1.0 1.8 1.4

West......................................................... 399 660 446 1.3 2.2 1.5

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

employment.

 3 See footnote 7, table 1. p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 10. Other separations levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

May Apr. May May Apr. May

2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total............................................................... 283 384 287 0.2 0.3 0.2

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 232 346 242 .2 .3 .2

Mining and logging....................................... 2 3 1 .2 .4 .2

Construction................................................ 17 20 5 .2 .3 .1

Manufacturing............................................. 22 23 23 .2 .2 .2

Durable goods.......................................... 14 14 16 .2 .2 .2

Nondurable goods.................................... 9 9 8 .2 .2 .2

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 63 120 85 .2 .5 .3

Wholesale trade....................................... 5 14 16 .1 .2 .3

Retail trade............................................. 45 93 62 .3 .6 .4

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 12 13 6 .2 .3 .1

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

Financial activities......................................... 18 47 18 .2 .6 .2

Finance and insurance.............................. 11 30 17 .2 .5 .3

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 8 16 1 .4 .8 (

4

)

Professional and business services.................. 40 71 46 .2 .4 .3

Education and health services........................ 33 40 32 .2 .2 .2

Educational services................................. 5 2 6 .2 .1 .2

Health care and social assistance.................. 28 38 25 .2 .2 .2

Leisure and hospitality................................. 32 14 22 .2 .1 .2

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

Accommodation and food services............... 29 12 20 .3 .1 .2

Other services............................................. 3 (

4

) 1 .1 (

4

) (4)

Government................................................... 50 38 45 .2 .2 .2

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

State and local........................................... 41 32 39 .2 .2 .2

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 45 68 44 .2 .3 .2

South......................................................... 111 152 99 .2 .3 .2

Midwest...................................................... 55 75 71 .2 .2 .2

West......................................................... 72 89 73 .2 .3 .2

 1 Other separations are the number of other separations during the entire month. 2 The other separations rate is the number of other separations during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 3 See footnote 7, table 1. 4 Data round to zero. p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region