1

Technical information: (202) 691-5870

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

Media contact: 691-5902

USDL 07-1381

For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Chart 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted,

 August 2004 - July 2007

1.5

1.7

1.9

2.1

2.3

2.5

2.7

2.9

3.1

3.3

3.5

3.7

3.9

Percent

2005 2006 2007

Chart 2. Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted,

 August 2004 - July 2007

2.5

2.7

2.9

3.1

3.3

3.5

3.7

3.9

Percent

Separations

Hires

2005 2006 2007

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: JULY 2007

On the last business day of July, there were 4.2 million job openings in the United States, and the job

openings rate was 3.0 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported

today. The job openings rate was unchanged in July, while the hires rate and the total separations rate were

essentially unchanged. 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

In July, the job openings rate remained at 3.0 percent. The rate has been 2.9 or 3.0 percent for the

last 7 months. Job openings include only those jobs still open on the last business day of the month. The

job openings rate did not change significantly in July in any industry or region. The seasonally adjusted job

openings rate was highest in July in professional and business services and in accommodations and food services (4.0 percent each). (See table 1.)

Over the year, the job openings rate increased in nondurable goods manufacturing and in professional

and business services. The rate decreased in the information industry. The job openings rate increased

over the year in the West region. (See table 5.)

Hires

The hires rate was little changed at 3.5 percent in July. Hires are any additions to the payroll during the

month. In July, the hires rate did not change significantly in any industry or region. The seasonally adjusted

hires rate was highest in July in accommodations and food services (6.1 percent). (See table 2.)
2

Total ...................................................................... 3,891 4,280 4,225 5,141 4,741 4,816 4,643 4,543 4,479

Total private ..................................................... 3,404 3,810 3,749 4,835 4,335 4,453 4,304 4,234 4,135

Construction ................................................. 153 139 170 377 358 411 438 363 366

Manufacturing .............................................. 311 344 339 377 355 356 368 382 372

Trade, transportation, and utilities ........ 646 676 660 1,095 910 919 985 974 990

Retail trade ............................................... 392 409 404 767 605 617 680 688 697

Professional and business services .......... 574 763 751 942 865 921 807 728 768

Education and health services ................... 667 711 714 570 493 500 445 473 396

Leisure and hospitality ............................ 497 568 533 851 854 834 817 850 815

Accommodations and food services . 450 497 479 731 736 713 692 730 702

Government .................................................... 485 465 475 372 395 392 327 310 326

State and local government ....................... 442 424 429 299 312 297 269 239 249

Total ..................................................................... 2.8 3.0 3.0 3.8 3.4 3.5 3.4 3.3 3.2

Total private ..................................................... 2.9 3.2 3.1 4.2 3.7 3.8 3.8 3.7 3.6

Construction ................................................. 2.0 1.8 2.2 4.9 4.7 5.4 5.7 4.7 4.8

Manufacturing ............................................... 2.1 2.4 2.4 2.7 2.5 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities ......... 2.4 2.5 2.4 4.2 3.4 3.5 3.8 3.7 3.7

Retail trade ............................................... 2.5 2.6 2.6 5.0 3.9 4.0 4.4 4.5 4.5

Professional and business services .......... 3.2 4.1 4.0 5.4 4.8 5.1 4.6 4.1 4.3

Education and health services ................... 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.2 2.7 2.7 2.5 2.6 2.2

Leisure and hospitality ............................ 3.6 4.0 3.8 6.5 6.3 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.0

Accommodations and food services .. 3.9 4.1 4.0 6.5 6.4 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.0

Government .................................................... 2.2 2.0 2.1 1.7 1.8 1.8 1.5 1.4 1.5

State and local government ....................... 2.1 2.2 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.2 1.3

From July 2006 to July 2007, the hires rate rose in federal government. The hires rate fell in retail trade;

transportation, warehousing, and utilities; information; finance and insurance; health care and social assistance;

and state and local government. The hires rate also fell over the year in the Northeast region. (See table 6.)

Separations

The total separations, or turnover, rate was essentially unchanged at 3.2 percent in July. Separations

are terminations of employment that occur at any time during the month. Over the month, the only industry

to experience a significant change in the separations rate was education and health services. None of the

regions experienced a significant change in the separations rate. From July 2006 to July 2007, the total

separations rate increased in natural resources and mining and in federal government. The total separations

rate decreased in information; real estate and rental and leasing; and educational services. Geographically, the

total separations rate fell over the year in both the Northeast and Midwest regions. (See tables 3 and 7.)

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

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

 

 = preliminary.

 Job openings

Industry

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

Hires Total separations

p

Levels (in thousands)

Rates (percent)

p

1

1

2

3

4

1

1

2

3

4

July

2006

June

2007

July

2007

July

2006

June

2007

July

2007

July

2006

June

2007

July

2007 p

2.2

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

 Includes federal government, not shown separately.

1

2

3

4

p
3

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 unchanged in July, and has been 1.9 percent for 4 months in a row. None of

the industries experienced a significant change in the quits rate over the month. Regionally, the quits rate

decreased in the Northeast. In July, the seasonally adjusted quits rate was highest in the accommodations

and food services industry (4.5 percent). (See table 4.)

Over the year, the quits rate rose in natural resources and mining. The quits rate fell over the year in

durable goods manufacturing; information; real estate and rental and leasing; and state and local government.

Geographically, the quits rate fell over the year in the Northeast region. (See table 8.)

The other two components of total separations—layoffs and discharges, and other separations—are not

seasonally adjusted. For July, the layoffs and discharges rate (1.1 percent) and level (1.5 million) were unchanged from a year earlier. The layoffs and discharges rate in July was highest in construction (1.8 percent),

followed closely by professional and business services (1.7 percent). From July 2006 to July 2007, the other

separations level declined to 348,000. (See tables 9 and 10.)

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

discharges, and other separations), with quits contributing the largest portion. The percentage of total separations attributable to quits has risen and fallen over time along with total nonfarm employment levels. The

proportion of total separations due to quits fell from 61 percent in February 2001 to 51 percent in August

2003 (seasonally adjusted), and has since risen. In July 2007, quits accounted for 59 percent of total separations.

Flows in the Labor Market

Several industries consistently have high rates of both hires and separations. These include construction;

retail trade; professional and business services; arts, entertainment, and recreation; and accommodations and

food services. In the 12 months ending in July 2007, these 5 industries produced 34.2 million hires and 32.3

million separations. Thus, these five industries accounted for 58 percent of total nonfarm hires and 59 percent of total nonfarm separations while comprising only 39 percent of total nonfarm employment.

For More Information

For additional information, please read the Technical Note or visit the JOLTS Web site at http://www.

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

by calling (202) 691-5870.

______________________________

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover release for August 2007 is scheduled to be issued on

Wednesday, October 10.
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 Workforce

Agencies verify with employers and update, if necessary, the

industry code, location, and ownership classification of all

establishments on a 3-year cycle. Changes in establishment

characteristics resulting from the verification process are

always introduced into the JOLTS sampling frame with the data

reported for the first month of the year.

Employment. Employment includes persons on the payroll

who worked or received pay for the pay period that includes

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

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

employees are included, as are employees on paid vacations or

other paid leave. Proprietors or partners of unincorporated

businesses, unpaid family workers, or persons on leave without

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

employed. Employees of temporary help agencies, employee

leasing companies, outside contractors, and consultants are

counted by their employer of record, not by the establishment

where they are working.

Job openings. Establishments submit job openings

information for the last business day of the reference month.

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

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

within 30 days regardless of whether a suitable candidate is

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

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

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

Active recruiting means that the establishment is taking steps

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

posting help-wanted signs, accepting applications, or using

other similar methods.

Jobs to be filled only by internal transfers, promotions,

demotions, or recall from layoffs are excluded. Also excluded

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

for which employees have been hired but have not yet reported

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

agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors, or

consultants. The job openings rate is computed by dividing

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

openings and multiplying that quotient by 100.

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

occurring at any time during the reference month, including

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

permanent, short-term, and seasonal employees, employees

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

on-call or intermittent employees who returned to work after

having been formally separated, and transfers from other

locations. The hires count does not include transfers or

promotions within the reporting site, employees returning from

strike, employees of temporary help agencies or employee

leasing companies, outside contractors, or consultants. The

hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by

employment and multiplying that quotient by 100.

Separations. Separations are the total number of

terminations of employment occurring at any time during the

reference month, and are reported by type of separation—

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

voluntary separations by employees (except for retirements,

which are reported as other separations). Layoffs and

discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the

employer and include layoffs with no intent to rehire, formal

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

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

discharges for cause, terminations of permanent or short-term

employees, and terminations of seasonal employees. Other

separations include retirements, transfers to other locations,

deaths, and separations due to disability. Separations do not

include transfers within the same location or employees on

strike.

The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of

separations by employment and multiplying that quotient by

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

rates are computed similarly, dividing the number by

employment and multiplying by 100.

Annual estimates. Annual estimates of rates and levels of

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

separations are released with the January news release each year.

The JOLTS annual level estimates for hires, quits, layoffs

and discharges, other separations, and total separations are

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

estimates are computed by dividing the annual level by the

Current Employment Statistics (CES) annual average

employment level, and multiplying that quotient by 100. This

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

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

rounded to the nearest thousand before the annual estimates

are calculated. Consistent with BLS practices, annual estimates

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

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

measurement for the last business day of each month. Only

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

the same reason job openings cannot be cumulated throughout

each month, annual figures for job openings cannot be created

by summing the monthly estimates. Hires and separations are

flow measures and are cumulated over the month with a total

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

created by summing the monthly estimates.

Sample methodology

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

nonfarm business establishments, including factories, offices,

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

the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The establishments

are drawn from a universe of over eight million establishments

compiled as part of the operations of the Quarterly Census of

Employment and Wages, or QCEW, program. This program

includes all employers subject to state Unemployment

Insurance (UI) laws and federal agencies subject to

Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE).

The sampling frame is stratified by ownership, region,

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

with virtual certainty. JOLTS total employment estimates are

controlled to the employment estimates of the Current

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

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

elements. Rates are then computed from the adjusted levels.

Using JOLTS data

The JOLTS data series on job openings, hires, and

separations are relatively new. The full sample is divided into

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

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

Industrial Classification (SIC) system was not completely

enrolled in the survey until January 2002. The supplemental

panels of establishments needed to create NAICS estimates

were not completely enrolled until May 2003. The data

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

Therefore, estimates from earlier months should be used with

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

In March 2002, BLS procedures for collecting hires and

separations data were revised to address possible

underreporting. As a result, JOLTS hires and separations

estimates for months prior to March 2002 may not be

comparable with estimates for March 2002 and later.

The federal government reorganization that involved

transferring approximately 180,000 employees to the new

Department of Homeland Security is not reflected in the JOLTS

hires and separations estimates for the federal government.

The Office of Personnel Management’s record shows these

transfers were completed in March 2003. The inclusion of

transfers in the JOLTS definitions of hires and separations is

intended to cover ongoing movements of workers between

establishments. The Department of Homeland Security

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

of these intergovernmental transfers would distort the federal

government time series.

Seasonal adjustment

BLS seasonally adjusts several JOLTS series using the

X-12-ARIMA seasonal adjustment program. Seasonal

adjustment is the process of estimating and removing periodic

fluctuations caused by events such as weather, holidays,

and the beginning and ending of the school year. Seasonal

adjustment makes it easier to observe fundamental changes in

the level of the series, particularly those associated with

general economic expansions and contractions. A concurrent

seasonal adjustment methodology is used in which new

seasonal adjustment factors are calculated each month, using

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

month.

Prior to the January 2007 benchmark release in March 2007,

seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS series was conducted using

the stable seasonal filter option since there were not enough data

observations available for the standard use of moving averages

as seasonal filters. Although the seasonal adjustment of the

JOLTS series is conducted with fewer data observations than is

customary, the number of observations is now above the minimum

required by X-12-ARIMA to use the normal seasonal filters.

Therefore, the standard use of moving averages as seasonal

filters is now in place for JOLTS seasonal adjustment. JOLTS

seasonal adjustment now includes both additive and

multiplicative seasonal adjustment models and REGARIMA

(regression with autocorrelated errors) modeling to improve the

seasonal adjustment factors at the beginning and end of the

series and to detect and adjust for outliers in the series. Due to

the improved diagnostics, three additional industries are now

seasonally adjusted: retail trade, accommodations and food

services, and state and local government. It is expected that more

series 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 levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

July Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July July Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July

2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p

Total 4................................................... 3,891 4,149 4,176 4,170 4,095 4,280 4,225 2.8 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.9 3.0 3.0

INDUSTRY

Total private 4

....................................... 3,404 3,666 3,702 3,683 3,627 3,810 3,749 2.9 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.0 3.2 3.1

Construction....................................... 153 229 152 154 157 139 170 2.0 2.9 1.9 2.0 2.0 1.8 2.2

Manufacturing.................................... 311 330 316 350 345 344 339 2.1 2.3 2.2 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 646 660 677 669 609 676 660 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.3 2.5 2.4

Retail trade.................................... 392 378 375 389 337 409 404 2.5 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.1 2.6 2.6

Professional and business services......... 574 642 758 735 654 763 751 3.2 3.5 4.1 4.0 3.5 4.1 4.0

Education and health services............... 667 670 685 706 703 711 714 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.7

Leisure and hospitality 6

........................ 497 566 574 512 571 568 533 3.6 4.0 4.1 3.7 4.0 4.0 3.8

Accommodations and food services...... 450 511 506 453 500 497 479 3.9 4.3 4.2 3.8 4.1 4.1 4.0

Government 7

....................................... 485 482 470 488 468 465 475 2.2 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.0 2.1

State and local government................... 442 438 430 439 424 424 429 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.1 2.2

REGION 8

Northeast.......................................... 717 717 703 675 674 732 761 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.6 2.5 2.8 2.9

South................................................1,527 1,631 1,658 1,670 1,648 1,635 1,594 3.0 3.2 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.1

Midwest............................................. 723 783 797 779 799 805 755 2.2 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.3

West................................................ 923 1,011 1,027 1,038 970 1,106 1,112 2.9 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.1 3.5 3.5

1

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

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

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

 3

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

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

 4

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

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

 5

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

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

 6

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

 7

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

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

July Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July July Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July

2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p

Total 4................................................... 5,141 4,815 4,815 4,832 4,982 4,741 4,816 3.8 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.6 3.4 3.5

INDUSTRY

Total private 4

....................................... 4,835 4,509 4,416 4,423 4,503 4,335 4,453 4.2 3.9 3.8 3.8 3.9 3.7 3.8

Construction....................................... 377 298 356 330 351 358 411 4.9 3.9 4.6 4.3 4.6 4.7 5.4

Manufacturing.................................... 377 371 318 350 356 355 356 2.7 2.6 2.3 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

.........1,095 1,018 1,006 1,028 1,044 910 919 4.2 3.9 3.8 3.9 3.9 3.4 3.5

Retail trade.................................... 767 695 691 706 715 605 617 5.0 4.5 4.5 4.6 4.6 3.9 4.0

Professional and business services......... 942 953 881 828 935 865 921 5.4 5.3 4.9 4.6 5.2 4.8 5.1

Education and health services............... 570 518 497 507 507 493 500 3.2 2.9 2.7 2.8 2.8 2.7 2.7

Leisure and hospitality 6

........................ 851 934 867 903 873 854 834 6.5 7.0 6.4 6.7 6.5 6.3 6.1

Accommodations and food services...... 731 778 726 811 755 736 713 6.5 6.8 6.3 7.0 6.5 6.4 6.1

Government 7

....................................... 372 379 404 421 409 395 392 1.7 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.8

State and local government................... 299 317 313 333 330 312 297 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.5

REGION 8

Northeast.......................................... 881 709 740 759 705 684 752 3.5 2.8 2.9 2.9 2.7 2.6 2.9

South................................................1,940 1,837 1,835 1,894 1,960 1,842 1,853 4.0 3.7 3.7 3.8 4.0 3.7 3.7

Midwest.............................................1,103 1,184 1,105 1,069 1,101 1,082 1,048 3.5 3.7 3.5 3.4 3.5 3.4 3.3

West................................................ 1,222 1,156 1,157 1,122 1,143 1,117 1,152 4.0 3.8 3.8 3.6 3.7 3.6 3.7

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

total employment. 6

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

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

adjustment of the various series. 8

 See footnote 8, table 1. 4

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

other services, not shown separately.

Industry and region

Industry and region

Levels Rates 3

 (in thousands)

Levels 3

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

 and rates 2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

July Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July July Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July

2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p

Total 4................................................... 4,643 4,556 4,741 4,524 4,544 4,543 4,479 3.4 3.3 3.4 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.2

INDUSTRY

Total private 4

....................................... 4,304 4,263 4,417 4,227 4,233 4,234 4,135 3.8 3.7 3.8 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.6

Construction....................................... 438 322 344 360 346 363 366 5.7 4.2 4.5 4.7 4.5 4.7 4.8

Manufacturing.................................... 368 422 400 380 396 382 372 2.6 3.0 2.8 2.7 2.8 2.7 2.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 985 943 974 975 950 974 990 3.8 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.7

Retail trade.................................... 680 656 682 678 685 688 697 4.4 4.3 4.4 4.4 4.5 4.5 4.5

Professional and business services......... 807 862 876 805 775 728 768 4.6 4.8 4.9 4.5 4.3 4.1 4.3

Education and health services............... 445 419 429 414 437 473 396 2.5 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.4 2.6 2.2

Leisure and hospitality 6

........................ 817 835 846 861 833 850 815 6.2 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.2 6.3 6.0

Accommodations and food services...... 692 697 702 720 715 730 702 6.2 6.1 6.1 6.3 6.2 6.3 6.0

Government 7

....................................... 327 294 315 311 315 310 326 1.5 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.5

State and local government................... 269 243 238 241 239 239 249 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3

REGION 8

Northeast.......................................... 780 675 667 640 642 634 621 3.1 2.6 2.6 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.4

South................................................1,810 1,763 1,829 1,904 1,798 1,699 1,787 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.9 3.6 3.4 3.6

Midwest.............................................1,043 1,054 1,006 981 1,024 1,033 987 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.1 3.2 3.2 3.1

West................................................ 1,022 1,041 1,165 1,040 1,062 1,191 1,126 3.4 3.4 3.8 3.4 3.4 3.9 3.7

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

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

entire month as a percent of total employment. 6

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

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

seasonal adjustment of the various series. 8

 See footnote 8, table 1. 4

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

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

July Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July July Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July

2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007p

Total 4................................................... 2,668 2,705 2,763 2,637 2,686 2,627 2,636 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9

INDUSTRY

Total private 4

....................................... 2,506 2,571 2,591 2,486 2,530 2,475 2,483 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.1

Construction....................................... 168 120 131 126 124 129 157 2.2 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.7 2.1

Manufacturing.................................... 189 212 216 199 216 195 180 1.3 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 600 606 608 600 606 618 586 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.2

Retail trade.................................... 451 438 428 440 445 448 440 2.9 2.9 2.8 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.9

Professional and business services......... 423 486 461 418 424 411 444 2.4 2.7 2.6 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.5

Education and health services............... 271 280 267 274 284 271 267 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.5

Leisure and hospitality 6

........................ 544 579 590 592 551 595 576 4.1 4.3 4.4 4.4 4.1 4.4 4.2

Accommodations and food services...... 502 531 539 542 503 540 526 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.7 4.3 4.7 4.5

Government 7

....................................... 163 139 155 153 157 152 152 .7 .6 .7 .7 .7 .7 .7

State and local government................... 138 117 130 129 130 123 128 .7 .6 .7 .7 .7 .6 .7

REGION 8

Northeast.......................................... 387 322 352 350 331 380 323 1.5 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.5 1.3

South................................................1,117 1,152 1,150 1,163 1,162 1,049 1,130 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.1 2.3

Midwest............................................. 559 599 588 544 551 555 530 1.8 1.9 1.9 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7

West................................................ 602 629 665 590 643 648 649 2.0 2.0 2.2 1.9 2.1 2.1 2.1

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

percent of total employment. 6

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

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

seasonal adjustment of the various series. 8

 See footnote 8, table 1. 4

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

and other services, not shown separately.

Industry and region

Industry and region

Levels 3

 (in thousands) Rates

Levels 3

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

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

July June July July June July

2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p

Total............................................................... 4,046 4,355 4,362 2.9 3.0 3.1

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 3,522 3,838 3,846 3.0 3.2 3.2

Natural resources and mining........................ 13 13 12 1.9 1.7 1.6

Construction................................................ 174 160 201 2.1 2.0 2.5

Manufacturing............................................. 324 353 351 2.2 2.4 2.4

Durable goods.......................................... 218 214 222 2.4 2.3 2.4

Nondurable goods.................................... 106 139 129 2.0 2.6 2.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 656 670 666 2.4 2.5 2.5

Wholesale trade....................................... 125 150 128 2.1 2.4 2.1

Retail trade............................................. 392 393 406 2.5 2.5 2.6

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 138 127 131 2.7 2.4 2.5

Information................................................ 154 148 126 4.8 4.5 3.9

Financial activities......................................... 234 255 260 2.7 2.9 2.9

Finance and insurance.............................. 180 201 196 2.8 3.1 3.0

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 54 55 63 2.4 2.4 2.7

Professional and business services.................. 590 786 773 3.2 4.2 4.1

Education and health services........................ 673 718 720 3.7 3.8 3.8

Educational services................................. 63 76 70 2.4 2.7 2.6

Health care and social assistance.................. 610 642 650 3.9 4.0 4.1

Leisure and hospitality................................. 544 569 573 3.8 3.9 3.9

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 57 69 67 2.5 3.0 2.9

Accommodations and food services............... 487 500 505 4.0 4.0 4.0

Other services............................................. 159 165 165 2.8 2.9 2.9

Government................................................... 524 517 516 2.5 2.3 2.4

Federal...................................................... 46 38 50 1.6 1.4 1.8

State and local........................................... 478 479 466 2.6 2.4 2.5

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 728 739 780 2.8 2.8 2.9

South......................................................... 1,599 1,632 1,633 3.2 3.2 3.2

Midwest...................................................... 779 812 809 2.4 2.5 2.5

West......................................................... 939 1,172 1,140 3.0 3.6 3.6

1

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

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

plus job openings. 3 See footnote 8, table 1. p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 6. Hires levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

July June July July June July

2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p

Total............................................................... 5,385 5,702 5,037 4.0 4.1 3.7

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 4,978 5,180 4,615 4.3 4.4 4.0

Natural resources and mining........................ 22 34 24 3.1 4.6 3.3

Construction................................................ 387 461 438 4.8 5.8 5.5

Manufacturing............................................. 413 413 390 2.9 2.9 2.8

Durable goods.......................................... 239 250 208 2.7 2.8 2.3

Nondurable goods.................................... 174 163 182 3.3 3.1 3.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 1,085 1,002 879 4.1 3.8 3.3

Wholesale trade....................................... 159 184 149 2.7 3.0 2.5

Retail trade............................................. 754 662 593 4.9 4.3 3.9

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 171 156 138 3.4 3.1 2.7

Information................................................ 105 85 76 3.4 2.7 2.4

Financial activities......................................... 273 269 223 3.2 3.2 2.6

Finance and insurance.............................. 179 198 141 2.9 3.1 2.2

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 93 72 83 4.2 3.2 3.7

Professional and business services.................. 966 953 952 5.4 5.3 5.3

Education and health services........................ 623 588 530 3.6 3.2 2.9

Educational services................................. 82 87 89 3.2 3.1 3.4

Health care and social assistance.................. 541 501 441 3.6 3.3 2.9

Leisure and hospitality................................. 894 1,110 855 6.5 7.8 6.0

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 138 186 126 6.2 8.3 5.5

Accommodations and food services............... 756 924 729 6.5 7.8 6.1

Other services............................................. 210 265 247 3.8 4.8 4.4

Government................................................... 407 522 422 2.0 2.4 2.0

Federal...................................................... 76 107 112 2.8 3.9 4.1

State and local........................................... 331 415 310 1.8 2.1 1.7

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 973 857 855 3.8 3.3 3.3

South......................................................... 2,008 2,164 1,913 4.1 4.3 3.9

Midwest...................................................... 1,110 1,327 1,034 3.5 4.1 3.3

West......................................................... 1,294 1,353 1,235 4.2 4.3 4.0

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

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

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 7. Total separations levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

July June July July June July

2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p

Total............................................................... 4,862 4,823 4,666 3.6 3.5 3.4

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 4,433 4,364 4,222 3.8 3.7 3.6

Natural resources and mining........................ 16 20 26 2.3 2.7 3.5

Construction................................................ 386 330 341 4.8 4.2 4.3

Manufacturing............................................. 384 384 380 2.7 2.7 2.7

Durable goods.......................................... 241 239 214 2.7 2.7 2.4

Nondurable goods.................................... 143 144 166 2.7 2.8 3.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 956 971 971 3.6 3.7 3.7

Wholesale trade....................................... 168 172 158 2.8 2.8 2.6

Retail trade............................................. 646 676 676 4.2 4.4 4.4

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 142 123 137 2.8 2.4 2.7

Information................................................ 82 81 61 2.7 2.6 2.0

Financial activities......................................... 241 206 207 2.9 2.4 2.4

Finance and insurance.............................. 145 149 150 2.3 2.4 2.4

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 96 57 56 4.3 2.5 2.5

Professional and business services.................. 886 741 825 5.0 4.1 4.6

Education and health services........................ 502 566 435 2.9 3.1 2.4

Educational services................................. 92 121 57 3.6 4.3 2.1

Health care and social assistance.................. 410 445 377 2.7 2.9 2.5

Leisure and hospitality................................. 823 862 817 6.0 6.1 5.7

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 101 88 83 4.5 3.9 3.6

Accommodations and food services............... 722 774 734 6.2 6.5 6.1

Other services............................................. 158 205 159 2.9 3.7 2.9

Government................................................... 429 459 443 2.1 2.1 2.1

Federal...................................................... 70 91 95 2.5 3.3 3.5

State and local........................................... 359 368 349 2.0 1.9 1.9

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 781 690 620 3.1 2.7 2.4

South......................................................... 1,933 1,783 1,899 4.0 3.6 3.8

Midwest...................................................... 1,095 1,060 999 3.5 3.3 3.1

West......................................................... 1,053 1,290 1,148 3.5 4.1 3.7

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

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

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 8. Quits levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

July June July July June July

2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p

Total............................................................... 2,917 2,843 2,855 2.1 2.0 2.1

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 2,711 2,636 2,661 2.4 2.3 2.3

Natural resources and mining........................ 10 13 17 1.4 1.8 2.2

Construction................................................ 185 140 183 2.3 1.8 2.3

Manufacturing............................................. 217 205 202 1.5 1.5 1.4

Durable goods.......................................... 130 117 107 1.4 1.3 1.2

Nondurable goods.................................... 87 88 94 1.7 1.7 1.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 618 633 591 2.4 2.4 2.2

Wholesale trade....................................... 81 113 69 1.4 1.9 1.1

Retail trade............................................. 456 450 444 3.0 2.9 2.9

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 80 69 78 1.6 1.4 1.5

Information................................................ 61 50 42 2.0 1.6 1.4

Financial activities......................................... 152 131 116 1.8 1.5 1.4

Finance and insurance.............................. 97 100 91 1.6 1.6 1.4

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 55 31 25 2.5 1.4 1.1

Professional and business services.................. 462 423 480 2.6 2.3 2.7

Education and health services........................ 297 307 290 1.7 1.7 1.6

Educational services................................. 40 46 35 1.6 1.6 1.3

Health care and social assistance.................. 257 261 256 1.7 1.7 1.7

Leisure and hospitality................................. 601 615 636 4.3 4.3 4.5

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 49 46 59 2.2 2.1 2.6

Accommodations and food services............... 553 569 578 4.8 4.8 4.8

Other services............................................. 109 119 103 2.0 2.1 1.9

Government................................................... 206 207 195 1.0 .9 .9

Federal...................................................... 33 30 33 1.2 1.1 1.2

State and local........................................... 173 176 162 1.0 .9 .9

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 435 400 357 1.7 1.5 1.4

South......................................................... 1,235 1,127 1,247 2.5 2.3 2.5

Midwest...................................................... 591 579 541 1.9 1.8 1.7

West......................................................... 657 737 710 2.2 2.4 2.3

 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 8, table 1. p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 9. Layoffs and discharges levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

July June July July June July

2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p

Total............................................................... 1,531 1,562 1,462 1.1 1.1 1.1

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 1,382 1,430 1,304 1.2 1.2 1.1

Natural resources and mining........................ 3 3 6 .4 .5 .8

Construction................................................ 179 178 144 2.2 2.2 1.8

Manufacturing............................................. 127 134 157 .9 1.0 1.1

Durable goods.......................................... 81 85 94 .9 1.0 1.1

Nondurable goods.................................... 46 49 63 .9 .9 1.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 254 246 317 1.0 .9 1.2

Wholesale trade....................................... 58 42 78 1.0 .7 1.3

Retail trade............................................. 149 168 192 1.0 1.1 1.2

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 47 36 48 .9 .7 .9

Information................................................ 16 19 13 .5 .6 .4

Financial activities......................................... 61 58 70 .7 .7 .8

Finance and insurance.............................. 25 40 44 .4 .6 .7

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 36 19 25 1.6 .8 1.1

Professional and business services.................. 351 272 303 2.0 1.5 1.7

Education and health services........................ 157 218 111 .9 1.2 .6

Educational services................................. 48 68 17 1.9 2.5 .6

Health care and social assistance.................. 109 150 94 .7 1.0 .6

Leisure and hospitality................................. 198 226 146 1.4 1.6 1.0

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 50 39 21 2.2 1.8 .9

Accommodations and food services............... 148 187 125 1.3 1.6 1.0

Other services............................................. 37 74 38 .7 1.3 .7

Government................................................... 149 132 158 .7 .6 .8

Federal...................................................... 21 26 26 .7 1.0 .9

State and local........................................... 128 106 133 .7 .5 .7

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 276 217 204 1.1 .8 .8

South......................................................... 553 528 536 1.1 1.1 1.1

Midwest...................................................... 384 365 368 1.2 1.1 1.2

West......................................................... 318 452 355 1.0 1.4 1.1

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

employment.

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

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 10. Other separations levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

July June July July June July

2006 2007 2007p 2006 2007 2007p

Total............................................................... 414 419 348 0.3 0.3 0.3

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 340 298 258 .3 .3 .2

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

Construction................................................ 22 12 14 .3 .2 .2

Manufacturing............................................. 41 44 22 .3 .3 .2

Durable goods.......................................... 30 36 13 .3 .4 .1

Nondurable goods.................................... 10 7 9 .2 .1 .2

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 84 92 63 .3 .3 .2

Wholesale trade....................................... 28 16 11 .5 .3 .2

Retail trade............................................. 41 58 40 .3 .4 .3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 15 18 11 .3 .4 .2

Information................................................ 5 12 6 .2 .4 .2

Financial activities......................................... 28 16 21 .3 .2 .2

Finance and insurance.............................. 23 9 15 .4 .1 .2

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

Professional and business services.................. 74 47 42 .4 .3 .2

Education and health services........................ 47 41 33 .3 .2 .2

Educational services................................. 3 7 6 .1 .2 .2

Health care and social assistance.................. 44 34 28 .3 .2 .2

Leisure and hospitality................................. 24 21 35 .2 .1 .2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 2 2 4 .1 .1 .2

Accommodations and food services............... 22 19 31 .2 .2 .3

Other services............................................. 11 11 18 .2 .2 .3

Government................................................... 74 121 90 .4 .5 .4

Federal...................................................... 17 34 36 .6 1.3 1.3

State and local........................................... 58 86 54 .3 .4 .3

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 71 73 60 .3 .3 .2

South......................................................... 145 128 116 .3 .3 .2

Midwest...................................................... 121 116 90 .4 .4 .3

West......................................................... 77 101 83 .3 .3 .3

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

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

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region