1

Technical information: (202) 691-5870

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

Media contact: 691-5902

USDL 04-2098

For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT

Wednesday, October 13, 2004

Chart 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted,

 December 2000 - August 2004

1.8

2.0

2.2

2.4

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

Percent

2001 2002 2003 2004

Chart 2. Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted,

 December 2000 - August 2004

1.8

2.0

2.2

2.4

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

Percent

Separations

Hires

2001 2002 2003 2004

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: AUGUST 2004

The job openings, hires, and total separations rates showed little or no change from July to August, the

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

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

rate remained at 3.1 percent. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires,

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

Job Openings

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

the job openings rate was 2.4 percent. (See table 1.) The job openings rate has generally trended upward

over the last 12 months. In August, the job openings rate showed little or no change for the major industry

categories.

Hires and Separations

The hires rate (the number of hires during the month divided by employment) was 3.3 percent in August,

little changed from a month earlier. (See table 2.) Hires are any additions to the payroll during the month.

The hires rate increased in education and health services over the month, while other major industries showed

little or no change in their hires rates. The hires rate in the West region increased from a month earlier.

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

employment) was 3.1 percent in August, unchanged from the month before. The total separations rate has
2

Total............................................................ 4,229 4,358 3,815 4,074 4,060

Total private ......................................... 3,729 3,930 4,058 3,572 3,793

Construction ................................... 107 88 491 368 399 432 364 394

Manufacturing ................................ 184 240 326 352 339 332 367 364

Trade, transportation, and

utilities ........................................... 458 567 537 837 957 999 850 972 952

Professional and business

services ......................................... 469 583 601 597 621 693 508 613 584

Education and health services .... 499 537 533 433 418 478 365 363 378

Leisure and hospitality ................. 314 435 413 696 760 741 704 694 724

Government .......................................... 328 343 340 289 310 308 250 273 225

Total 1......................................................... 2.0 2.4 2.4 3.1 3.2 3.3 2.9 3.1 3.1

Total private 1....................................... 2.1 2.6 2.5 3.4 3.6 3.7 3.3 3.5 3.5

Construction ................................... 1.6 1.3 1.7 7.3 5.3 5.8 6.4 5.3 5.7

Manufacturing ................................ 1.3 1.6 1.6 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.3 2.5 2.5

Trade, transportation, and

utilities ........................................... 1.8 2.2 2.1 3.3 3.8 3.9 3.4 3.8 3.7

Professional and business

services ......................................... 2.8 3.4 3.5 3.7 3.8 4.2 3.2 3.7 3.5

Education and health services .... 2.9 3.1 3.0 2.6 2.5 2.8 2.2 2.1 2.2

Leisure and hospitality ................. 2.5 3.4 3.2 5.7 6.2 6.0 5.8 5.6 5.9

Government .......................................... 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.2 1.3 1.0

 Job openings

Industry

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

Hires Total separations

Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug.

2003 2004p 2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Levels (in thousands)

Rates (percent)

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

 p = preliminary.

2004

4,010

2,364

2,688

2,894

3,237

3,843

118

233

2,854

3,191

1

1

been relatively unchanged since December 2001, ranging from 2.9 percent to 3.3 percent. Separations are

terminations of employment that occur at any time during the month. (See table 3.) In August, the total

separations rate decreased in government and showed little or no change for all other major industry

categories.

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 at 1.7 percent in August. (See table 4.) The quits rate increased in

construction and decreased in education and health services and in government over the month.

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

averaged 4.2 million per month and separations have averaged 4.0 million per month. (See the Technical

Note for additional information on these measures.)
3

For More Information

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

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

(202) 691-5870.

_____________________________

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

Tuesday, November 9, 2004.
Technical Note

The data for the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey

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

business establishments by the Bureau of Labor Statistics

(BLS).

Collection

Each month, data are collected in a survey of business

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

layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Data collection

methods include computer-assisted telephone interviewing,

touchtone data entry, fax, and mail.

Coverage

The JOLTS program covers all private nonfarm

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

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

the District of Columbia.

Concepts

Industry classification. The industry classifications in this

release are in accordance with the 2002 version of the North

American Industry Classification System (NAICS). In order to

ensure the highest possible quality of data, State Employment

Security Agencies verify with employers and update, if

necessary, the industry code, location, and ownership

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

in establishment characteristics resulting from the verification

process are always introduced into the JOLTS sampling frame

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

Employment. Employment includes persons on the payroll

who worked or received pay for the pay period that includes

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

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

employees are included, as are employees on paid vacations or

other paid leave. Proprietors or partners of unincorporated

businesses, unpaid family workers, or persons on leave without

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

employed. Employees of temporary help agencies, employee

leasing companies, outside contractors, and consultants are

counted by their employer of record, not by the establishment

where they are working.

Job openings. Establishments submit job openings

information for the last business day of the reference month.

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

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

within 30 days regardless of whether a suitable candidate is

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

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

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

Active recruiting means that the establishment is taking steps

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

posting help-wanted signs, accepting applications, or using

other similar methods.

Jobs to be filled only by internal transfers, promotions,

demotions, or recall from layoffs are excluded. Also excluded

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

for which employees have been hired but have not yet reported

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

agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors, or

consultants. The job openings rate is computed by dividing

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

openings and multiplying that quotient by 100.

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

occurring at any time during the reference month, including

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

permanent, short-term, and seasonal employees, employees

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

on-call or intermittent employees who returned to work after

having been formally separated, and transfers from other

locations. The hires count does not include transfers or

promotions within the reporting site, employees returning from

strike, employees of temporary help agencies or employee

leasing companies, outside contractors, or consultants. The

hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by

employment and multiplying that quotient by 100.

Separations. Separations are the total number of

terminations of employment occurring at any time during the

reference month, and are reported by type of separation—

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

voluntary separations by employees (except for retirements,

which are reported as other separations). Layoffs and

discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the

employer and include layoffs with no intent to rehire, formal

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

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

discharges for cause, terminations of permanent or short-term

employees, and terminations of seasonal employees. Other

separations include retirements, transfers to other locations,

deaths, and separations due to disability. Separations do not

include transfers within the same location or employees on

strike.

The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of

separations by employment and multiplying that quotient by

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

rates are computed similarly, dividing the number by

employment and multiplying by 100.

Sample methodology

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

nonfarm business establishments, including factories, offices,

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

the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The establishments

are drawn from a universe of over eight million establishments

compiled as part of the operations of the Quarterly Census of

Employment and Wages, or QCEW, program. This program

includes all employers subject to state Unemployment

Insurance (UI) laws and federal agencies subject to

Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE).

The sampling frame is stratified by ownership, region,

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

controlled to the employment estimates of the Current

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

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

elements. Rates are then computed from the adjusted levels.

Using JOLTS data

The JOLTS data series on job openings, hires, and

separations are relatively new. The full sample is divided into

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

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

Industrial Classification (SIC) system was not completely

enrolled in the survey until January 2002. The supplemental

panels of establishments needed to create NAICS estimates

were not completely enrolled until May 2003. The data

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

Therefore, estimates from earlier months should be used with

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

In March 2002, BLS procedures for collecting hires and

separations data were revised to address possible

underreporting. As a result, JOLTS hires and separations

estimates for months prior to March 2002 may not be

comparable with estimates for March 2002 and later.

The federal government reorganization that involved

transferring approximately 180,000 employees to the new

Department of Homeland Security is not reflected in the JOLTS

hires and separations estimates for the federal government.

The Office of Personnel Management’s record shows these

transfers were completed in March 2003. The inclusion of

transfers in the JOLTS definitions of hires and separations is

intended to cover ongoing movements of workers between

establishments. The Department of Homeland Security

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

of these intergovernmental transfers would distort the federal

government time series.

Seasonal adjustment

BLS seasonally adjusts several JOLTS series using the

X-12-ARIMA seasonal adjustment program. Seasonal

adjustment is the process of estimating and removing periodic

fluctuations caused by events such as weather, holidays, and

the beginning and ending of the school year. Seasonal

adjustment makes it easier to observe fundamental changes in

the level of the series, particularly those associated with

general economic expansions and contractions. A concurrent

seasonal adjustment methodology is used in which new

seasonal adjustment factors are calculated each month, using

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

month.

Data users should note that seasonal adjustment of the

JOLTS series is conducted with fewer data observations than

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

larger than normal revisions. Since the seasonal patterns in

economic data series typically emerge over time, the standard

use of moving averages as seasonal filters to capture these

effects requires longer series than are currently available. As

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

adjustment of the JOLTS data. When calculating seasonal

factors, this filter takes an average for each calendar month

after detrending the series. The stable seasonal filter assumes

that the seasonal factors are fixed; a necessary assumption

until sufficient data are available. When the stable seasonal

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

introduced, such as outlier adjustment and extended

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

such as layoffs and discharges and additional industries, may

be seasonally adjusted when more data are available.

Reliability of the estimates

JOLTS estimates are subject to both sampling and

nonsampling error. When a sample rather than the entire

population is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample

estimates may differ from the “true” population values they

represent. The exact difference, or sampling error, varies

depending on the particular sample selected, and this

variability is measured by the standard error of the estimate.

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

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

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

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

population value because of sampling error. Estimates of

sampling errors are available upon request.

The JOLTS estimates also are affected by nonsampling

error. Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, including

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

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

unwillingness of respondents to provide data on a timely basis,

mistakes made by respondents, errors made in the collection or

processing of the data, and errors from the employment

benchmark data used in estimation.

JOLTS hires and separations estimates cannot be used to

exactly explain net changes in nonfarm payroll employment.

Some reasons why it is problematic to compare changes in

payroll employment with JOLTS hires and separations,

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

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

month, while the reference period for hires and separations is

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

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

may not always work during the pay period that includes the

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

reporters systematically underreport separations relative to

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

payroll systems and practices. The shortfall appears to be

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

Other information

Information in this release will be made available to sensory

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

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

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

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 2,688 3,079 3,135 3,105 3,022 3,237 3,191 2.0 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.4

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 2,364 2,740 2,778 2,746 2,640 2,894 2,854 2.1 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.3 2.6 2.5

Construction........................................................................ 107 113 105 108 94 88 118 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.3 1.3 1.7

Manufacturing................................................................ 184 232 251 244 247 240 233 1.3 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 458 524 531 521 503 567 537 1.8 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.2 2.1

Professional and business services......................... 469 502 518 530 494 583 601 2.8 3.0 3.1 3.1 2.9 3.4 3.5

Education and health services................................................. 499 559 576 542 496 537 533 2.9 3.2 3.3 3.1 2.9 3.1 3.0

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 314 370 376 391 421 435 413 2.5 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.3 3.4 3.2

Government......................................................................................... 328 353 354 360 380 343 340 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.6

REGION

Northeast......................................................................... 485 569 560 526 546 545 545 1.9 2.2 2.2 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.1

South............................................................................................... 1,021 1,176 1,191 1,164 1,164 1,280 1,290 2.2 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.7 2.7

Midwest......................................................................................... 575 663 692 688 631 635 598 1.8 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.0 2.0 1.9

West...................................................................................... 629 655 694 765 677 738 761 2.2 2.2 2.4 2.6 2.3 2.5 2.6

1

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

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

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

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

 

3

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

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

 

4

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

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

 

P

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

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

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

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

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 4,010 4,603 4,398 4,206 4,433 4,229 4,358 3.1 3.5 3.4 3.2 3.4 3.2 3.3

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 3,729 4,256 4,090 3,938 4,110 3,930 4,058 3.4 3.9 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.6 3.7

Construction........................................................................ 491 437 421 406 436 368 399 7.3 6.4 6.1 5.9 6.3 5.3 5.8

Manufacturing................................................................ 326 361 354 336 370 352 339 2.3 2.5 2.5 2.3 2.6 2.4 2.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 837 1,009 1,032 938 945 957 999 3.3 4.0 4.1 3.7 3.7 3.8 3.9

Professional and business services......................... 597 713 609 631 692 621 693 3.7 4.4 3.7 3.8 4.2 3.8 4.2

Education and health services................................................. 433 444 460 451 428 418 478 2.6 2.6 2.7 2.7 2.5 2.5 2.8

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 696 810 766 739 749 760 741 5.7 6.6 6.2 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.0

Government......................................................................................... 289 343 300 272 328 310 308 1.3 1.6 1.4 1.3 1.5 1.4 1.4

REGION

Northeast......................................................................... 675 744 810 708 703 720 735 2.7 3.0 3.2 2.8 2.8 2.9 2.9

South............................................................................................... 1,512 1,781 1,582 1,606 1,709 1,640 1,643 3.3 3.9 3.4 3.5 3.7 3.5 3.5

Midwest......................................................................................... 843 1,040 991 956 1,009 935 955 2.7 3.4 3.2 3.1 3.2 3.0 3.1

West...................................................................................... 994 1,029 1,093 951 1,023 865 1,020 3.5 3.6 3.8 3.3 3.6 3.0 3.6

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

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

 

3

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

 

4

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

 

P

 = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels3 (in thousands) Rates

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

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

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 3,815 4,134 4,088 4,040 4,069 4,074 4,060 2.9 3.2 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.1

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 3,572 3,868 3,843 3,761 3,789 3,793 3,843 3.3 3.5 3.5 3.4 3.5 3.5 3.5

Construction........................................................................ 432 392 391 367 382 364 394 6.4 5.7 5.7 5.3 5.5 5.3 5.7

Manufacturing................................................................ 332 377 353 377 343 367 364 2.3 2.6 2.5 2.6 2.4 2.5 2.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 850 978 1,013 917 927 972 952 3.4 3.8 4.0 3.6 3.6 3.8 3.7

Professional and business services......................... 508 597 606 556 607 613 584 3.2 3.7 3.7 3.4 3.7 3.7 3.5

Education and health services................................................. 365 382 386 379 362 363 378 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.1 2.1 2.2

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 704 715 679 696 734 694 724 5.8 5.8 5.5 5.6 5.9 5.6 5.9

Government......................................................................................... 250 284 245 268 270 273 225 1.2 1.3 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.0

REGION

Northeast......................................................................... 644 666 716 648 704 674 717 2.6 2.7 2.9 2.6 2.8 2.7 2.8

South............................................................................................... 1,428 1,612 1,524 1,504 1,533 1,545 1,500 3.1 3.5 3.3 3.2 3.3 3.3 3.2

Midwest......................................................................................... 848 938 877 833 853 935 827 2.8 3.0 2.8 2.7 2.7 3.0 2.7

West...................................................................................... 903 1,003 959 1,008 979 945 1,041 3.2 3.5 3.4 3.5 3.4 3.3 3.6

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

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

 

3

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

 

4

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

 

P

 = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

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

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

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 1,984 2,271 2,278 2,173 2,284 2,265 2,229 1.5 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 1,881 2,144 2,151 2,036 2,162 2,141 2,122 1.7 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.0 2.0 1.9

Construction........................................................................ 138 154 149 144 156 101 144 2.0 2.3 2.2 2.1 2.3 1.5 2.1

Manufacturing................................................................ 150 176 189 171 171 174 157 1.0 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 462 530 563 525 536 559 552 1.8 2.1 2.2 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.2

Professional and business services......................... 253 309 323 259 322 322 309 1.6 1.9 2.0 1.6 2.0 2.0 1.9

Education and health services................................................. 222 252 245 223 225 271 238 1.3 1.5 1.5 1.3 1.3 1.6 1.4

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 431 465 429 455 480 442 465 3.6 3.8 3.5 3.7 3.9 3.6 3.8

Government......................................................................................... 110 129 129 129 123 126 111 .5 .6 .6 .6 .6 .6 .5

REGION

Northeast......................................................................... 295 314 390 318 334 338 337 1.2 1.3 1.6 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3

South............................................................................................... 805 957 888 857 910 901 880 1.8 2.1 1.9 1.8 2.0 1.9 1.9

Midwest......................................................................................... 445 474 479 479 485 505 453 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.5

West...................................................................................... 457 565 524 521 573 519 552 1.6 2.0 1.8 1.8 2.0 1.8 1.9

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

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

 

3

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

 

4

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

 

P

 = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels3 (in thousands) Rates

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug.

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total........................................................................................................... 2,869 3,439 3,415 2.2 2.6 2.5

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 2,515 3,068 3,059 2.3 2.7 2.7

Natural resources and mining................................................... 6 8 7 1.1 1.3 1.2

Construction...................................................................................................... 97 106 121 1.4 1.4 1.6

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 199 263 251 1.4 1.8 1.7

Durable goods.............................................................................. 115 159 149 1.3 1.7 1.6

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 83 104 102 1.5 1.9 1.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 508 586 603 2.0 2.2 2.3

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 100 128 108 1.8 2.2 1.9

Retail trade................................................................................. 338 366 405 2.2 2.4 2.6

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................71 92 90 1.5 1.9 1.8

Information...................................................................................... 53 81 77 1.6 2.5 2.4

Financial activities........................................................................... 179 207 214 2.2 2.5 2.6

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 138 165 173 2.3 2.7 2.8

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 41 43 40 1.9 2.0 1.8

Professional and business services........................................ 470 601 627 2.8 3.5 3.6

Education and health services................................................................. 538 561 571 3.2 3.3 3.3

Educational services................................................................ 45 49 52 1.9 2.0 2.1

Health care and social assistance.................................. 492 512 519 3.4 3.5 3.5

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 350 497 459 2.7 3.7 3.4

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 35 49 47 1.7 2.3 2.3

Accommodations and food services............................... 316 448 411 2.9 4.0 3.6

Other services................................................................................. 114 157 130 2.1 2.8 2.3

Government......................................................................................... 354 371 355 1.7 1.8 1.7

Federal................................................................................................ 41 37 43 1.5 1.3 1.6

State and local.................................................................................... 312 334 312 1.7 1.9 1.7

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 537 574 607 2.1 2.2 2.4

South............................................................................................... 1,026 1,373 1,334 2.2 2.9 2.8

Midwest................................................................................................. 652 686 667 2.1 2.2 2.1

West....................................................................................................... 653 805 806 2.3 2.7 2.7

1

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

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

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 6. Hires levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug.

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total........................................................................................................... 4,599 4,456 5,011 3.6 3.4 3.8

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 4,143 4,110 4,524 3.8 3.7 4.1

Natural resources and mining................................................... 15 20 20 2.6 3.3 3.3

Construction...................................................................................................... 484 403 380 6.9 5.6 5.2

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 374 387 376 2.6 2.7 2.6

Durable goods.............................................................................. 222 240 230 2.5 2.7 2.5

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 152 146 146 2.7 2.7 2.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 908 938 1,095 3.6 3.7 4.3

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 134 132 185 2.4 2.3 3.3

Retail trade................................................................................. 652 662 725 4.4 4.4 4.8

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 122 145 186 2.6 3.0 3.9

Information...................................................................................... 72 60 74 2.3 1.9 2.3

Financial activities........................................................................... 164 186 181 2.0 2.3 2.2

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 97 93 115 1.6 1.6 1.9

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 67 93 67 3.2 4.4 3.1

Professional and business services........................................ 652 647 773 4.0 3.9 4.6

Education and health services................................................................. 512 465 588 3.2 2.8 3.5

Educational services................................................................ 106 64 90 4.5 2.6 3.8

Health care and social assistance.................................. 406 401 498 2.9 2.8 3.5

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 776 804 825 6.1 6.2 6.4

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 95 108 72 4.6 5.2 3.5

Accommodations and food services............................... 681 697 753 6.4 6.4 6.9

Other services................................................................................. 186 200 213 3.4 3.7 3.9

Government......................................................................................... 456 345 486 2.2 1.7 2.4

Federal................................................................................................ 37 40 33 1.3 1.5 1.2

State and local.................................................................................... 419 305 454 2.4 1.7 2.6

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 691 820 760 2.8 3.3 3.0

South............................................................................................... 1,797 1,736 1,957 3.9 3.7 4.2

Midwest................................................................................................. 1,042 923 1,180 3.4 3.0 3.8

West....................................................................................................... 1,069 977 1,113 3.8 3.4 3.9

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

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

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug.

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total........................................................................................................... 4,863 4,320 5,160 3.8 3.3 3.9

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 4,469 3,970 4,813 4.1 3.6 4.3

Natural resources and mining................................................... 19 17 22 3.2 2.9 3.7

Construction...................................................................................................... 494 324 462 7.0 4.5 6.4

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 403 389 437 2.8 2.7 3.0

Durable goods.............................................................................. 260 259 281 2.9 2.9 3.1

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 143 130 156 2.6 2.4 2.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 991 978 1,115 3.9 3.8 4.4

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 164 160 162 2.9 2.8 2.9

Retail trade................................................................................. 694 669 780 4.7 4.5 5.2

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 134 149 172 2.8 3.1 3.6

Information...................................................................................... 63 58 86 2.0 1.8 2.7

Financial activities........................................................................... 198 182 206 2.5 2.2 2.5

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 115 105 139 1.9 1.8 2.3

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 84 77 67 4.0 3.6 3.1

Professional and business services........................................ 649 669 739 4.0 4.0 4.4

Education and health services................................................................. 479 411 491 3.0 2.5 3.0

Educational services................................................................ 69 54 64 2.9 2.2 2.7

Health care and social assistance.................................. 410 357 426 3.0 2.5 3.0

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 899 735 942 7.1 5.7 7.3

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 191 97 96 9.3 4.7 4.7

Accommodations and food services............................... 708 638 847 6.6 5.9 7.8

Other services................................................................................. 273 207 312 5.0 3.8 5.7

Government......................................................................................... 394 351 348 1.9 1.7 1.7

Federal................................................................................................ 45 24 27 1.6 .9 1.0

State and local.................................................................................... 349 326 321 2.0 1.8 1.8

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 847 672 953 3.4 2.7 3.8

South............................................................................................... 1,833 1,692 1,896 4.0 3.6 4.1

Midwest................................................................................................. 1,147 942 1,097 3.7 3.0 3.5

West....................................................................................................... 1,036 1,015 1,215 3.7 3.5 4.2

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

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

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 8. Quits levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug.

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total........................................................................................................... 2,763 2,537 3,056 2.1 1.9 2.3

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 2,575 2,385 2,877 2.4 2.2 2.6

Natural resources and mining................................................... 9 11 11 1.6 1.8 1.8

Construction...................................................................................................... 178 137 186 2.5 1.9 2.6

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 218 206 224 1.5 1.4 1.5

Durable goods.............................................................................. 136 137 132 1.5 1.5 1.5

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 82 69 92 1.5 1.3 1.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 616 586 737 2.4 2.3 2.9

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 95 95 85 1.7 1.7 1.5

Retail trade................................................................................. 455 418 572 3.1 2.8 3.8

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................66 74 80 1.4 1.5 1.7

Information...................................................................................... 40 40 61 1.2 1.2 1.9

Financial activities........................................................................... 132 127 130 1.6 1.6 1.6

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 73 66 81 1.2 1.1 1.4

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 59 60 48 2.8 2.8 2.3

Professional and business services........................................ 365 363 440 2.3 2.2 2.6

Education and health services................................................................. 295 291 313 1.8 1.7 1.9

Educational services................................................................ 36 34 32 1.6 1.4 1.3

Health care and social assistance.................................. 259 257 281 1.9 1.8 2.0

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 594 503 646 4.7 3.9 5.0

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 89 50 55 4.3 2.4 2.7

Accommodations and food services............................... 506 453 591 4.7 4.2 5.4

Other services................................................................................. 127 124 132 2.3 2.3 2.4

Government......................................................................................... 188 152 179 .9 .7 .9

Federal................................................................................................ 26 11 13 .9 .4 .5

State and local.................................................................................... 162 141 165 .9 .8 .9

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 414 367 478 1.7 1.5 1.9

South............................................................................................... 1,063 1,056 1,156 2.3 2.3 2.5

Midwest................................................................................................. 669 540 670 2.2 1.7 2.2

West....................................................................................................... 617 574 751 2.2 2.0 2.6

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

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

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug.

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total........................................................................................................... 1,788 1,452 1,758 1.4 1.1 1.3

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 1,638 1,322 1,646 1.5 1.2 1.5

Natural resources and mining................................................... 7 5 7 1.2 .8 1.2

Construction...................................................................................................... 304 170 258 4.3 2.4 3.6

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 147 155 179 1.0 1.1 1.2

Durable goods.............................................................................. 101 102 127 1.1 1.1 1.4

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 46 53 52 .8 1.0 1.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 325 324 303 1.3 1.3 1.2

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 59 58 63 1.0 1.0 1.1

Retail trade................................................................................. 208 204 164 1.4 1.4 1.1

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................58 63 76 1.2 1.3 1.6

Information...................................................................................... 18 15 22 .6 .5 .7

Financial activities........................................................................... 45 33 46 .6 .4 .6

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 27 23 30 .4 .4 .5

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 19 11 16 .9 .5 .7

Professional and business services........................................ 225 254 258 1.4 1.5 1.5

Education and health services................................................................. 156 97 143 1.0 .6 .9

Educational services................................................................ 29 17 28 1.2 .7 1.2

Health care and social assistance.................................. 127 79 115 .9 .6 .8

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 272 211 260 2.1 1.6 2.0

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 100 44 40 4.9 2.1 1.9

Accommodations and food services............................... 172 167 220 1.6 1.5 2.0

Other services................................................................................. 137 57 171 2.5 1.0 3.1

Government......................................................................................... 150 130 112 .7 .6 .6

Federal................................................................................................ 11 5 7 .4 .2 .2

State and local.................................................................................... 139 125 106 .8 .7 .6

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 377 236 393 1.5 .9 1.6

South............................................................................................... 640 526 619 1.4 1.1 1.3

Midwest................................................................................................. 413 334 356 1.3 1.1 1.1

West....................................................................................................... 358 356 390 1.3 1.2 1.4

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

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

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug.

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total........................................................................................................... 312 331 346 0.2 0.3 0.3

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 256 263 289 .2 .2 .3

Natural resources and mining................................................... 2 2 4 .4 .3 .7

Construction...................................................................................................... 12 18 19 .2 .2 .3

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 37 28 34 .3 .2 .2

Durable goods.............................................................................. 23 20 22 .3 .2 .2

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 15 8 12 .3 .1 .2

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 50 68 75 .2 .3 .3

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 10 7 14 .2 .1 .2

Retail trade................................................................................. 31 48 45 .2 .3 .3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................10 13 16 .2 .3 .3

Information...................................................................................... 5 3 4 .2 .1 .1

Financial activities........................................................................... 21 22 31 .3 .3 .4

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 16 16 28 .3 .3 .5

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 6 6 3 .3 .3 .1

Professional and business services........................................ 59 52 41 .4 .3 .2

Education and health services................................................................. 28 23 35 .2 .1 .2

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

Health care and social assistance.................................. 24 21 30 .2 .1 .2

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 32 21 37 .3 .2 .3

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

Accommodations and food services............................... 30 18 36 .3 .2 .3

Other services................................................................................. 9 26 10 .2 .5 .2

Government......................................................................................... 56 69 57 .3 .3 .3

Federal................................................................................................ 8 9 7 .3 .3 .2

State and local.................................................................................... 48 60 50 .3 .3 .3

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 56 69 82 .2 .3 .3

South............................................................................................... 130 110 120 .3 .2 .3

Midwest................................................................................................. 65 68 71 .2 .2 .2

West....................................................................................................... 60 85 73 .2 .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.

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels (in thousands) Rates