1

Technical information: (202) 691-5870

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

Media contact: 691-5902

USDL 05-055

For release: 10:00 A.M. EST

Wednesday, January 12, 2005

Chart 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted,

 December 2000 - November 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 - November 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: NOVEMBER 2004

The job openings rate edged down in November, while the hires rate increased and the total separations

rate remained unchanged, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.

The job openings rate decreased slightly to 2.4 percent. The hires rate increased to 3.6 percent; the total

separations rate was unchanged 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 November 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 edged down in November,

although it has followed a generally upward trend since August 2003. In November, the job openings rate

decreased in government; manufacturing; and trade, transportation, and utilities. The job openings rate was

down in the Northeast and South regions.

Hires and Separations

The hires rate (the number of hires during the month divided by employment) was 3.6 percent in November, a slight increase from a month earlier. (See table 2.) Hires are any additions to the payroll during the

month. The hires rate increased in the manufacturing; trade, transportation, and utilities; and education and

health services industries over the month. The hires rate rose in the Midwest region.

The total separations, or turnover, rate (the total number of separations during the month divided by employment) was 3.1 percent in November. The overall total separations rate is 0.2 percentage point higher

than its most recent low in November 2003. Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any
2

Total............................................................ 4,135 4,469 4,821 3,797 4,129 4,098

 Total private ........................................ 3,843 4,149 4,521 3,543 3,877

Construction ................................... 89 114 397 361 388 372 423 358

Manufacturing ................................ 221 263 345 333 389 330 338 307

Trade, transportation, and

utilities ........................................... 513 630 551 875 976 1,088 856 922 930

Professional and business

services ......................................... 499 614 595 613 783 843 542 580 721

Education and health services .... 551 550 540 436 411 453 372 373 403

Leisure and hospitality ................. 364 405 385 776 769 805 678 747 732

Government .......................................... 358 403 335 302 321 310 259 260 255

Total 1......................................................... 2.2 2.5 2.4 3.2 3.4 3.6 2.9 3.1 3.1

Total private 1....................................... 2.3 2.7 2.5 3.5 3.8 4.1 3.3 3.5 3.5

Construction ................................... 1.3 1.6 1.5 5.9 5.1 5.5 5.5 6.0 5.1

Manufacturing ................................ 1.5 1.8 1.6 2.4 2.3 2.7 2.3 2.3 2.1

Trade, transportation, and

utilities ........................................... 2.0 2.4 2.1 3.5 3.8 4.3 3.4 3.6 3.6

Professional and business

services ......................................... 3.0 3.6 3.4 3.8 4.7 5.1 3.4 3.5 4.3

Education and health services .... 3.2 3.1 3.1 2.6 2.4 2.7 2.2 2.2 2.4

Leisure and hospitality ................. 2.9 3.2 3.0 6.4 6.2 6.5 5.6 6.0 5.9

Government .......................................... 1.6 1.8 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.2

 Job openings

Industry

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

Hires Total separations

Nov. Oct. Nov. Nov. Oct. Nov. Nov. Oct. Nov.

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

2,593

2,952

3,042

3,420

3,843

108

236

2,867

3,204

1

1

time during the month. (See table 3.) The total separations rate increased in professional and business services in November.

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 essentially unchanged at 1.8 percent in November, after holding steady at 1.7

percent from February through October 2004. (See table 4.) The quits rate increased in professional and

business services and edged down in government in November. The other two components of total separations, layoffs and discharges (1.2 percent) and other separations (0.2 percent), are not seasonally adjusted.

Both rates showed little change from a year earlier.

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

have averaged 4.3 million per month and separations have averaged 4.1 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 December 2004 is scheduled to be issued on

Wednesday, February 9, 2005.
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 Nov. June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Nov. June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov.

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

Total4...................................................... 2,952 3,022 3,237 3,195 3,294 3,420 3,204 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.4

INDUSTRY

Total private4

.......................................... 2,593 2,640 2,894 2,859 2,934 3,042 2,867 2.3 2.3 2.6 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.5

Construction....................................... 89 94 88 121 113 114 108 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.5

Manufacturing....................................... 221 247 240 234 251 263 236 1.5 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities............ 513 503 567 551 591 630 551 2.0 1.9 2.2 2.1 2.3 2.4 2.1

Professional and business services......... 499 494 583 594 564 614 595 3.0 2.9 3.4 3.5 3.3 3.6 3.4

Education and health services.................. 551 496 537 536 543 550 540 3.2 2.9 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.1

Leisure and hospitality........................... 364 421 435 410 425 405 385 2.9 3.3 3.4 3.2 3.3 3.2 3.0

Government............................................. 358 380 343 337 350 403 335 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.8 1.5

REGION

Northeast............................................. 526 546 545 540 562 606 523 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.0

South................................................ 1,154 1,164 1,280 1,259 1,245 1,385 1,214 2.5 2.4 2.7 2.6 2.6 2.9 2.5

Midwest............................................. 655 631 635 613 699 711 713 2.1 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.2 2.2 2.2

West................................................... 621 677 738 771 790 756 750 2.1 2.3 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.6 2.5

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 Nov. June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Nov. June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov.

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

Total4...................................................... 4,135 4,433 4,229 4,375 4,253 4,469 4,821 3.2 3.4 3.2 3.3 3.2 3.4 3.6

INDUSTRY

Total private4

.......................................... 3,843 4,110 3,930 4,058 3,906 4,149 4,521 3.5 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.6 3.8 4.1

Construction....................................... 397 436 368 401 383 361 388 5.9 6.3 5.3 5.8 5.5 5.1 5.5

Manufacturing....................................... 345 370 352 356 379 333 389 2.4 2.6 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.3 2.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities............ 875 945 957 984 864 976 1,088 3.5 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.4 3.8 4.3

Professional and business services......... 613 692 621 690 689 783 843 3.8 4.2 3.8 4.2 4.2 4.7 5.1

Education and health services.................. 436 428 418 470 401 411 453 2.6 2.5 2.5 2.8 2.4 2.4 2.7

Leisure and hospitality........................... 776 749 760 760 782 769 805 6.4 6.1 6.2 6.1 6.3 6.2 6.5

Government............................................. 302 328 310 322 337 321 310 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.4

REGION

Northeast............................................. 717 703 720 763 745 755 812 2.9 2.8 2.9 3.0 2.9 3.0 3.2

South................................................ 1,508 1,709 1,640 1,643 1,635 1,694 1,809 3.3 3.7 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.6 3.9

Midwest............................................. 925 1,009 935 945 942 1,054 1,149 3.0 3.2 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.4 3.7

West................................................... 924 1,023 865 1,018 942 928 994 3.3 3.6 3.0 3.5 3.3 3.2 3.5

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

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

 3

 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 Nov. June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Nov. June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov.

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

Total4...................................................... 3,797 4,069 4,074 4,134 4,158 4,129 4,098 2.9 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.2 3.1 3.1

INDUSTRY

Total private4

.......................................... 3,543 3,789 3,793 3,894 3,856 3,877 3,843 3.3 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5

Construction....................................... 372 382 364 391 350 423 358 5.5 5.5 5.3 5.6 5.0 6.0 5.1

Manufacturing....................................... 330 343 367 379 381 338 307 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.6 2.3 2.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities............ 856 927 972 951 909 922 930 3.4 3.6 3.8 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.6

Professional and business services......... 542 607 613 575 590 580 721 3.4 3.7 3.7 3.5 3.6 3.5 4.3

Education and health services.................. 372 362 363 380 384 373 403 2.2 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.4

Leisure and hospitality........................... 678 734 694 760 756 747 732 5.6 5.9 5.6 6.2 6.1 6.0 5.9

Government............................................. 259 270 273 246 306 260 255 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.1 1.4 1.2 1.2

REGION

Northeast............................................. 622 704 674 717 730 670 716 2.5 2.8 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.6 2.8

South................................................ 1,438 1,533 1,545 1,527 1,506 1,568 1,549 3.1 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.4 3.3

Midwest............................................. 881 853 935 831 931 948 1,028 2.9 2.7 3.0 2.7 3.0 3.0 3.3

West................................................... 858 979 945 1,087 978 914 800 3.0 3.4 3.3 3.8 3.4 3.2 2.8

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

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

 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 Nov. June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Nov. June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov.

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

Total4...................................................... 2,104 2,284 2,265 2,252 2,248 2,283 2,363 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.8

INDUSTRY

Total private4

.......................................... 1,999 2,162 2,141 2,140 2,118 2,147 2,269 1.8 2.0 2.0 1.9 1.9 1.9 2.1

Construction....................................... 158 156 101 147 138 161 152 2.3 2.3 1.5 2.1 2.0 2.3 2.2

Manufacturing....................................... 166 171 174 165 183 172 176 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.3 1.2 1.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities............ 491 536 559 552 536 515 559 1.9 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.0 2.2

Professional and business services......... 261 322 322 308 325 296 374 1.6 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.0 1.8 2.2

Education and health services.................. 225 225 271 239 240 242 250 1.3 1.3 1.6 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.5

Leisure and hospitality........................... 463 480 442 476 439 476 488 3.8 3.9 3.6 3.9 3.6 3.9 3.9

Government............................................. 100 123 126 116 130 122 106 .5 .6 .6 .5 .6 .6 .5

REGION

Northeast............................................. 301 334 338 339 325 316 353 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.4

South................................................ 869 910 901 897 903 910 955 1.9 2.0 1.9 1.9 1.9 2.0 2.0

Midwest............................................. 466 485 505 447 472 510 558 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.8

West................................................... 464 573 519 566 546 539 483 1.6 2.0 1.8 2.0 1.9 1.9 1.7

 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 Nov. Oct. Nov. Nov. Oct. Nov.

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total.................................................................. 2,714 3,458 2,934 2.0 2.5 2.2

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 2,365 3,071 2,610 2.1 2.7 2.3

Natural resources and mining........................... 7 10 9 1.2 1.6 1.4

Construction................................................... 72 102 86 1.0 1.4 1.2

Manufacturing................................................ 193 258 205 1.3 1.8 1.4

Durable goods............................................. 122 164 126 1.3 1.8 1.4

Nondurable goods....................................... 71 93 79 1.3 1.7 1.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 481 765 511 1.8 2.9 1.9

Wholesale trade.......................................... 77 82 99 1.4 1.4 1.7

Retail trade................................................ 307 591 316 2.0 3.8 2.0

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 97 92 96 2.0 1.8 1.9

Information................................................... 53 78 64 1.6 2.4 2.0

Financial activities............................................ 160 220 206 2.0 2.7 2.5

Finance and insurance................................. 133 185 177 2.2 3.0 2.9

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 27 35 29 1.3 1.7 1.4

Professional and business services..................... 441 603 537 2.6 3.5 3.1

Education and health services........................... 533 546 519 3.1 3.1 2.9

Educational services.................................... 37 59 49 1.3 2.0 1.6

Health care and social assistance.................. 496 487 470 3.4 3.3 3.2

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 323 366 336 2.6 2.9 2.7

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 32 35 38 1.9 2.0 2.2

Accommodations and food services............... 290 331 298 2.7 3.0 2.8

Other services................................................ 103 122 137 1.9 2.2 2.5

Government...................................................... 349 388 323 1.6 1.7 1.4

Federal......................................................... 45 42 31 1.6 1.5 1.1

State and local.............................................. 304 345 292 1.6 1.8 1.5

REGION

Northeast...................................................... 515 635 503 2.0 2.4 1.9

South............................................................ 1,060 1,345 1,118 2.2 2.8 2.3

Midwest......................................................... 583 718 641 1.8 2.2 2.0

West............................................................ 555 759 672 1.9 2.5 2.3

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 Nov. Oct. Nov. Nov. Oct. Nov.

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total.................................................................. 3,706 4,411 4,392 2.8 3.3 3.3

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 3,459 4,096 4,143 3.2 3.7 3.7

Natural resources and mining........................... 11 21 18 1.9 3.5 2.9

Construction................................................... 309 336 299 4.5 4.7 4.2

Manufacturing................................................ 282 302 322 2.0 2.1 2.2

Durable goods............................................. 167 190 176 1.9 2.1 2.0

Nondurable goods....................................... 116 112 146 2.1 2.1 2.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 1,056 1,144 1,310 4.1 4.5 5.0

Wholesale trade.......................................... 87 159 96 1.6 2.8 1.7

Retail trade................................................ 836 830 1,037 5.5 5.5 6.7

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 134 155 177 2.8 3.2 3.6

Information................................................... 54 61 75 1.7 1.9 2.4

Financial activities............................................ 139 179 183 1.7 2.2 2.3

Finance and insurance................................. 96 129 129 1.6 2.2 2.2

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 44 50 54 2.1 2.4 2.6

Professional and business services..................... 500 813 730 3.1 4.8 4.3

Education and health services........................... 366 414 388 2.2 2.4 2.2

Educational services.................................... 40 59 50 1.4 2.0 1.7

Health care and social assistance.................. 326 356 338 2.3 2.5 2.4

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 626 671 670 5.2 5.5 5.5

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 87 73 67 5.2 4.2 4.1

Accommodations and food services............... 540 598 604 5.3 5.7 5.8

Other services................................................ 115 155 148 2.1 2.9 2.7

Government...................................................... 247 315 249 1.1 1.4 1.1

Federal......................................................... 44 37 27 1.6 1.3 1.0

State and local.............................................. 203 279 221 1.1 1.4 1.1

REGION

Northeast...................................................... 653 754 762 2.6 3.0 3.0

South............................................................ 1,394 1,689 1,694 3.0 3.6 3.6

Midwest......................................................... 803 1,034 1,009 2.6 3.3 3.2

West............................................................ 855 933 927 3.0 3.2 3.2

 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 Nov. Oct. Nov. Nov. Oct. Nov.

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total.................................................................. 3,557 4,196 3,814 2.7 3.2 2.9

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 3,365 3,966 3,629 3.1 3.6 3.3

Natural resources and mining........................... 11 18 16 1.8 3.0 2.7

Construction................................................... 426 453 394 6.2 6.3 5.5

Manufacturing................................................ 310 375 276 2.2 2.6 1.9

Durable goods............................................. 204 230 148 2.3 2.6 1.6

Nondurable goods....................................... 106 146 128 1.9 2.7 2.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 799 890 866 3.1 3.5 3.3

Wholesale trade.......................................... 106 132 109 1.9 2.3 1.9

Retail trade................................................ 587 629 637 3.8 4.2 4.1

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 105 130 121 2.2 2.7 2.5

Information................................................... 54 81 51 1.7 2.6 1.6

Financial activities............................................ 128 190 171 1.6 2.4 2.1

Finance and insurance................................. 75 124 111 1.3 2.1 1.9

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 53 67 59 2.6 3.2 2.8

Professional and business services..................... 487 561 646 3.0 3.3 3.8

Education and health services........................... 289 347 323 1.7 2.0 1.9

Educational services.................................... 25 45 26 .8 1.5 .9

Health care and social assistance.................. 264 302 296 1.9 2.1 2.1

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 668 882 716 5.6 7.2 5.9

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 129 153 130 7.8 8.8 7.9

Accommodations and food services............... 539 729 586 5.2 6.9 5.6

Other services................................................ 194 169 170 3.6 3.1 3.2

Government...................................................... 192 230 186 .9 1.0 .8

Federal......................................................... 39 29 21 1.4 1.1 .8

State and local.............................................. 153 201 165 .8 1.0 .8

REGION

Northeast...................................................... 591 695 682 2.3 2.7 2.7

South............................................................ 1,267 1,612 1,354 2.7 3.4 2.9

Midwest......................................................... 833 938 989 2.7 3.0 3.1

West............................................................ 866 952 789 3.0 3.3 2.7

 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.

 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 Nov. Oct. Nov. Nov. Oct. Nov.

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total.................................................................. 1,810 2,241 2,040 1.4 1.7 1.5

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 1,730 2,135 1,958 1.6 1.9 1.8

Natural resources and mining........................... 5 10 7 .8 1.7 1.2

Construction................................................... 120 156 128 1.7 2.2 1.8

Manufacturing................................................ 125 176 133 .9 1.2 .9

Durable goods............................................. 71 112 64 .8 1.2 .7

Nondurable goods....................................... 54 64 69 1.0 1.2 1.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 429 517 502 1.7 2.0 1.9

Wholesale trade.......................................... 61 66 48 1.1 1.2 .9

Retail trade................................................ 324 386 386 2.1 2.6 2.5

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 44 65 68 .9 1.3 1.4

Information................................................... 26 44 29 .8 1.4 .9

Financial activities............................................ 69 95 89 .9 1.2 1.1

Finance and insurance................................. 41 67 63 .7 1.1 1.1

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 29 28 26 1.4 1.4 1.2

Professional and business services..................... 232 292 334 1.4 1.7 2.0

Education and health services........................... 184 228 204 1.1 1.3 1.2

Educational services.................................... 12 27 16 .4 .9 .5

Health care and social assistance.................. 172 201 188 1.2 1.4 1.3

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 401 499 433 3.4 4.1 3.6

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 33 45 40 2.0 2.6 2.4

Accommodations and food services............... 368 453 393 3.6 4.3 3.7

Other services................................................ 138 118 99 2.6 2.2 1.8

Government...................................................... 80 106 81 .4 .5 .4

Federal......................................................... 10 11 7 .4 .4 .3

State and local.............................................. 71 95 74 .4 .5 .4

REGION

Northeast...................................................... 253 337 306 1.0 1.3 1.2

South............................................................ 739 906 830 1.6 1.9 1.8

Midwest......................................................... 404 491 488 1.3 1.6 1.5

West............................................................ 415 507 416 1.4 1.7 1.4

 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 Nov. Oct. Nov. Nov. Oct. Nov.

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total.................................................................. 1,530 1,689 1,535 1.2 1.3 1.2

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 1,452 1,600 1,462 1.3 1.4 1.3

Natural resources and mining........................... 5 5 6 .9 .9 1.0

Construction................................................... 297 271 256 4.3 3.8 3.6

Manufacturing................................................ 159 180 126 1.1 1.2 .9

Durable goods............................................. 115 105 73 1.3 1.2 .8

Nondurable goods....................................... 44 74 53 .8 1.4 1.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 319 305 305 1.2 1.2 1.2

Wholesale trade.......................................... 37 59 57 .7 1.0 1.0

Retail trade................................................ 236 194 210 1.5 1.3 1.4

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 46 51 38 1.0 1.0 .8

Information................................................... 25 33 16 .8 1.0 .5

Financial activities............................................ 47 69 69 .6 .8 .9

Finance and insurance................................. 24 32 36 .4 .5 .6

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 23 36 33 1.1 1.7 1.6

Professional and business services..................... 232 232 278 1.4 1.4 1.7

Education and health services........................... 82 95 99 .5 .6 .6

Educational services.................................... 9 14 10 .3 .5 .3

Health care and social assistance.................. 73 81 89 .5 .6 .6

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 232 367 242 1.9 3.0 2.0

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 92 104 85 5.6 6.0 5.2

Accommodations and food services............... 141 262 157 1.4 2.5 1.5

Other services................................................ 53 44 64 1.0 .8 1.2

Government...................................................... 78 89 73 .4 .4 .3

Federal......................................................... 22 9 3 .8 .3 .1

State and local.............................................. 56 80 71 .3 .4 .4

REGION

Northeast...................................................... 297 296 320 1.2 1.2 1.3

South............................................................ 448 603 449 1.0 1.3 1.0

Midwest......................................................... 378 405 448 1.2 1.3 1.4

West............................................................ 407 385 318 1.4 1.3 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.

 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 Nov. Oct. Nov. Nov. Oct. Nov.

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total.................................................................. 218 266 239 0.2 0.2 0.2

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 184 231 208 .2 .2 .2

Natural resources and mining........................... 1 3 3 .1 .5 .5

Construction................................................... 9 25 9 .1 .4 .1

Manufacturing................................................ 26 19 17 .2 .1 .1

Durable goods............................................. 18 13 11 .2 .1 .1

Nondurable goods....................................... 8 7 6 .1 .1 .1

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 50 68 60 .2 .3 .2

Wholesale trade.......................................... 9 7 3 .2 .1 .1

Retail trade................................................ 27 48 41 .2 .3 .3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 15 14 15 .3 .3 .3

Information................................................... 4 5 6 .1 .2 .2

Financial activities............................................ 11 26 13 .1 .3 .2

Finance and insurance................................. 10 24 12 .2 .4 .2

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 121 (

3

) .1 (

3

)

Professional and business services..................... 23 36 34 .1 .2 .2

Education and health services........................... 22 24 20 .1 .1 .1

Educational services.................................... 3 3 1 .1 .1 (

3

)

Health care and social assistance.................. 19 20 19 .1 .1 .1

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 34 16 40 .3 .1 .3

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 4 3 5 .2 .2 .3

Accommodations and food services............... 30 13 36 .3 .1 .3

Other services................................................ 3 7 7 .1 .1 .1

Government...................................................... 34 36 31 .2 .2 .1

Federal......................................................... 8 9 10 .3 .4 .4

State and local.............................................. 26 26 21 .1 .1 .1

REGION

Northeast...................................................... 42 62 56 .2 .2 .2

South............................................................ 81 103 76 .2 .2 .2

Midwest......................................................... 51 42 53 .2 .1 .2

West............................................................ 44 60 54 .2 .2 .2

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

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

 3 Data round to zero.

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels (in thousands) Rates