1

Technical information: (202) 691-5870

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

Media contact: 691-5902

USDL 05-1962

For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: AUGUST 2005

The job openings, hires, and total separations rates were all essentially unchanged in August, the Bureau

of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. 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 2005, there were 3.5 million job openings in the United States, and

the job openings rate was 2.6 percent. (See table 1.) The job openings rate was unchanged in August, but

has generally trended upward since September 2003. In August, the job openings rate did not change significantly in any industry or region.

Chart 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted,

 December 2000 - August 2005

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 2005

Chart 2. Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted,

 December 2000 - August 2005

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 2005

Hurricane Katrina struck Florida and the Gulf Coast at the end of August, the reference

month for the preliminary estimates in this release. All possible efforts were made to contact

survey respondents in the hurricane-affected areas. Special estimation procedures were used

for selected nonresponding sample units as discussed in the note on page 3.

Hurricane Katrina
2

Total ........................................................... 4,649 4,654 4,271 4,270 4,457

 Total private ........................................ 4,174 4,342 4,341 4,038 4,007

Construction ................................... 110 128 398 381 427 412 370 436

Manufacturing ................................ 238 287 356 345 350 383 361 377

Trade, transportation, and

utilities ........................................... 548 600 601 975 990 1,046 942 948 1,048

Professional and business

services ......................................... 589 666 633 770 832 783 663 747 634

Education and health services .... 533 607 622 450 453 463 401 391 414

Leisure and hospitality ................. 418 439 428 770 834 798 789 750 783

Government .......................................... 348 388 379 339 330 332 248 257 263

Total 1......................................................... 2.4 2.6 2.6 3.4 3.5 3.5 3.2 3.2 3.3

Total private 1....................................... 2.5 2.8 2.8 3.8 3.9 3.9 3.7 3.6 3.7

Construction ................................... 1.6 1.7 1.8 5.7 5.3 5.9 5.9 5.1 6.0

Manufacturing ................................ 1.6 2.0 1.9 2.5 2.4 2.5 2.7 2.5 2.6

Trade, transportation, and

utilities ........................................... 2.1 2.3 2.3 3.8 3.8 4.0 3.7 3.7 4.0

Professional and business

services ......................................... 3.5 3.8 3.6 4.7 4.9 4.6 4.0 4.4 3.7

Education and health services .... 3.0 3.4 3.5 2.6 2.6 2.7 2.4 2.3 2.4

Leisure and hospitality ................. 3.2 3.3 3.2 6.2 6.5 6.2 6.3 5.9 6.1

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

 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.

2004 2005p 2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Levels (in thousands)

Rates (percent)

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

 p = preliminary.

2005

4,504

2,855

3,206

3,204

3,588

4,202

133

275

3,173

3,549

1

1

Hires and Separations

The hires rate was unchanged at 3.5 percent in August. (See table 2.) Hires are any additions to

the payroll during the month. In August, the hires rate did not change significantly in any industry, but

did decrease in the Midwest region.

The total separations, or turnover, rate was little changed at 3.3 percent in August. (See table 3.)

Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any time during the month. In August, the total

separations rate decreased in the professional and business services industry. The total separations rates

in all other industries and the regions did not change significantly from July.

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 1.9 percent in August. (See table 4.) The quits rate

increased in the construction industry but did not change significantly in any other industry or in any of the

regions.
3

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

seasonally adjusted. From August 2004 to August 2005, the layoffs and discharges rate decreased to 1.3

percent, but the other separations rate was unchanged at 0.3 percent. (See tables 9 and 10.)

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

have averaged 4.7 million per month and separations have averaged 4.4 million per month (not seasonally

adjusted). The comparable figures a year earlier were 4.4 million hires and 4.2 million separations. (See the

Technical Note for additional information on these measures.)

For More Information

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

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

or by calling (202) 691-5870.

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover release for September 2005 is scheduled to be issued on

Tuesday, November 8, 2005.

______________________________

Hurricane Katrina

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) sample is designed to produce

estimates of job openings, hires, and separations for the nation as a whole and for four geographic regions. Industry detail is produced only for the national-level estimates. While JOLTS

does not produce data at the detailed local level, some effect of the storm and ensuing flooding

may be reflected in the JOLTS estimates.

All possible efforts were made to contact survey respondents in the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina, and special treatment procedures were used for selected cases as described below.

Nonresponding sample units that met the following criteria were given special treatment in the

August estimation: 1) the unit had established a consistent pattern of reporting survey data in the

months preceding the storm, 2) the unit was located in one of the most heavily damaged or

flooded areas as defined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), 3) research

produced independent corroboration that the business location itself was physically damaged, and

4) research produced no evidence that the unit’s workforce was still being paid or was otherwise

considered employed. For such sample units, BLS assumed that they had no job openings as of

the last business day of the month, and that by the end of August the business was closed and

their entire workforce was laid off. There were very few units subject to the special procedures.

While the preliminary estimates in this release reflect this special treatment, it is not possible

to quantify the effect of Hurricane Katrina on the overall JOLTS estimates. Attempts to collect

August data in the affected areas will continue, and final August estimates will be released next

month.
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.

2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p

Total4...................................................... 3,206 3,598 3,576 3,416 3,647 3,588 3,549 2.4 2.6 2.6 2.5 2.7 2.6 2.6

INDUSTRY

Total private4

.......................................... 2,855 3,212 3,178 3,050 3,239 3,204 3,173 2.5 2.8 2.8 2.7 2.8 2.8 2.8

Construction....................................... 110 170 113 107 104 128 133 1.6 2.3 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.7 1.8

Manufacturing....................................... 238 258 259 240 269 287 275 1.6 1.8 1.8 1.6 1.8 2.0 1.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities............ 548 624 627 597 624 600 601 2.1 2.4 2.4 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.3

Professional and business services......... 589 646 691 659 686 666 633 3.5 3.7 3.9 3.8 3.9 3.8 3.6

Education and health services.................. 533 616 608 611 609 607 622 3.0 3.5 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.5

Leisure and hospitality........................... 418 440 457 440 517 439 428 3.2 3.4 3.5 3.3 3.9 3.3 3.2

Government............................................. 348 383 396 378 394 388 379 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.7

REGION

Northeast............................................. 562 615 602 563 634 610 607 2.2 2.4 2.3 2.2 2.4 2.3 2.3

South................................................ 1,248 1,447 1,414 1,303 1,333 1,343 1,366 2.6 3.0 2.9 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.8

Midwest............................................. 671 737 742 786 781 764 720 2.1 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.2

West................................................... 738 806 818 799 869 832 862 2.5 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.9 2.8 2.9

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.

2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p

Total4...................................................... 4,504 4,841 4,538 4,740 4,694 4,649 4,654 3.4 3.6 3.4 3.6 3.5 3.5 3.5

INDUSTRY

Total private4

.......................................... 4,174 4,497 4,212 4,398 4,365 4,342 4,341 3.8 4.0 3.8 3.9 3.9 3.9 3.9

Construction....................................... 398 414 412 420 393 381 427 5.7 5.8 5.7 5.8 5.4 5.3 5.9

Manufacturing....................................... 356 334 319 342 347 345 350 2.5 2.3 2.2 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities............ 975 1,047 1,042 1,030 1,045 990 1,046 3.8 4.1 4.0 4.0 4.0 3.8 4.0

Professional and business services......... 770 895 792 887 835 832 783 4.7 5.3 4.7 5.3 4.9 4.9 4.6

Education and health services.................. 450 472 487 466 457 453 463 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.7 2.6 2.6 2.7

Leisure and hospitality........................... 770 798 742 750 877 834 798 6.2 6.3 5.8 5.9 6.9 6.5 6.2

Government............................................. 339 336 329 339 337 330 332 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.5

REGION

Northeast............................................. 785 856 825 764 794 772 779 3.1 3.4 3.3 3.0 3.1 3.0 3.1

South................................................ 1,668 1,922 1,701 1,816 1,786 1,689 1,766 3.6 4.1 3.6 3.8 3.8 3.6 3.7

Midwest............................................. 996 1,034 1,020 1,129 1,054 1,045 936 3.2 3.3 3.3 3.6 3.4 3.3 3.0

West...................................................1,057 1,036 1,037 1,048 1,070 1,081 1,158 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.7 3.7 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.

 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.

2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p

Total4...................................................... 4,271 4,502 4,562 4,504 4,477 4,270 4,457 3.2 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.2 3.3

INDUSTRY

Total private4

.......................................... 4,038 4,237 4,306 4,256 4,223 4,007 4,202 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.8 3.8 3.6 3.7

Construction....................................... 412 303 421 408 380 370 436 5.9 4.2 5.8 5.6 5.3 5.1 6.0

Manufacturing....................................... 383 360 369 369 350 361 377 2.7 2.5 2.6 2.6 2.4 2.5 2.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities............ 942 980 1,018 989 980 948 1,048 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.8 3.8 3.7 4.0

Professional and business services......... 663 924 869 851 818 747 634 4.0 5.5 5.2 5.1 4.8 4.4 3.7

Education and health services.................. 401 445 433 405 401 391 414 2.4 2.6 2.5 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.4

Leisure and hospitality........................... 789 743 709 750 803 750 783 6.3 5.9 5.6 5.9 6.3 5.9 6.1

Government............................................. 248 267 256 254 254 257 263 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2

REGION

Northeast............................................. 748 802 807 714 761 715 718 3.0 3.2 3.2 2.8 3.0 2.8 2.8

South................................................ 1,563 1,763 1,766 1,743 1,653 1,567 1,653 3.4 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.5 3.3 3.5

Midwest............................................. 915 1,051 982 976 946 1,011 1,018 2.9 3.4 3.1 3.1 3.0 3.2 3.2

West...................................................1,084 926 1,006 1,034 1,062 1,001 1,086 3.8 3.2 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.4 3.7

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

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

 3

 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.

2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005p

Total4...................................................... 2,288 2,516 2,520 2,514 2,475 2,474 2,590 1.7 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.8 1.9

INDUSTRY

Total private4

.......................................... 2,178 2,383 2,395 2,391 2,348 2,351 2,461 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.2

Construction....................................... 156 150 146 168 139 140 211 2.2 2.1 2.0 2.3 1.9 1.9 2.9

Manufacturing....................................... 166 186 178 183 190 189 191 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities............ 543 583 577 589 588 577 626 2.1 2.3 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.4

Professional and business services......... 326 424 417 420 386 353 350 2.0 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.3 2.1 2.1

Education and health services.................. 241 280 272 249 256 271 271 1.4 1.6 1.6 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.6

Leisure and hospitality........................... 477 458 506 488 510 525 519 3.8 3.6 4.0 3.8 4.0 4.1 4.0

Government............................................. 116 124 125 123 124 125 130 .5 .6 .6 .6 .6 .6 .6

REGION

Northeast............................................. 342 410 446 373 350 381 401 1.4 1.6 1.8 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.6

South................................................ 897 1,003 992 1,020 960 964 1,038 1.9 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.0 2.0 2.2

Midwest............................................. 484 561 540 554 542 548 547 1.6 1.8 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.7

West................................................... 562 562 573 562 653 577 597 2.0 1.9 2.0 1.9 2.2 2.0 2.0

 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.

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total.................................................................. 3,466 3,821 3,821 2.6 2.8 2.8

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 3,084 3,402 3,410 2.7 2.9 2.9

Natural resources and mining........................... 8 14 12 1.3 2.2 1.8

Construction................................................... 118 152 149 1.6 2.0 1.9

Manufacturing................................................ 257 311 297 1.7 2.1 2.0

Durable goods............................................. 154 204 203 1.7 2.2 2.2

Nondurable goods....................................... 102 107 94 1.8 2.0 1.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 607 613 661 2.3 2.3 2.5

Wholesale trade.......................................... 113 128 128 1.9 2.2 2.2

Retail trade................................................ 410 372 425 2.7 2.4 2.7

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 85 113 107 1.7 2.3 2.1

Information................................................... 68 79 87 2.1 2.4 2.7

Financial activities............................................ 211 246 237 2.5 2.9 2.8

Finance and insurance................................. 173 197 191 2.8 3.1 3.0

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 39 48 45 1.8 2.1 2.0

Professional and business services..................... 642 720 683 3.7 4.0 3.8

Education and health services........................... 571 629 665 3.3 3.6 3.8

Educational services.................................... 57 65 73 2.3 2.5 2.9

Health care and social assistance.................. 514 564 592 3.5 3.7 3.9

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 471 500 476 3.5 3.6 3.4

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 52 73 66 2.4 3.3 3.0

Accommodations and food services............... 419 426 411 3.7 3.6 3.5

Other services................................................ 131 139 142 2.3 2.4 2.5

Government...................................................... 382 419 411 1.8 2.0 2.0

Federal......................................................... 45 50 43 1.6 1.8 1.5

State and local.............................................. 338 369 368 1.9 2.0 2.0

REGION

Northeast...................................................... 627 631 677 2.4 2.4 2.6

South............................................................ 1,302 1,468 1,425 2.7 3.0 2.9

Midwest......................................................... 748 822 790 2.4 2.6 2.5

West............................................................ 789 900 929 2.7 3.0 3.1

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.

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total.................................................................. 5,209 4,847 5,363 4.0 3.6 4.0

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 4,686 4,479 4,855 4.2 4.0 4.3

Natural resources and mining........................... 20 22 24 3.2 3.5 3.7

Construction................................................... 399 396 446 5.5 5.2 5.9

Manufacturing................................................ 409 375 401 2.8 2.6 2.8

Durable goods............................................. 255 221 229 2.8 2.5 2.6

Nondurable goods....................................... 154 154 172 2.8 2.9 3.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 1,072 956 1,156 4.2 3.7 4.5

Wholesale trade.......................................... 174 120 148 3.1 2.1 2.6

Retail trade................................................ 716 681 819 4.8 4.5 5.4

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 183 156 189 3.8 3.2 3.8

Information................................................... 75 59 77 2.4 1.9 2.4

Financial activities............................................ 186 205 184 2.3 2.5 2.2

Finance and insurance................................. 125 128 118 2.1 2.1 1.9

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 61 76 66 2.9 3.5 3.0

Professional and business services..................... 858 854 860 5.1 5.0 5.0

Education and health services........................... 561 489 574 3.4 2.9 3.4

Educational services.................................... 90 69 97 3.7 2.8 3.9

Health care and social assistance.................. 472 420 477 3.3 2.9 3.3

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 877 889 910 6.7 6.6 6.8

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 118 133 103 5.7 6.2 4.9

Accommodations and food services............... 758 756 807 6.9 6.7 7.1

Other services................................................ 230 234 223 4.2 4.2 4.0

Government...................................................... 522 368 509 2.6 1.8 2.5

Federal......................................................... 38 39 40 1.4 1.4 1.5

State and local.............................................. 484 329 468 2.7 1.8 2.6

REGION

Northeast...................................................... 845 851 836 3.4 3.4 3.3

South............................................................ 1,956 1,778 2,072 4.2 3.7 4.4

Midwest......................................................... 1,228 1,037 1,142 4.0 3.3 3.6

West............................................................ 1,180 1,181 1,313 4.1 4.0 4.5

 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.

 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.

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total.................................................................. 5,455 4,470 5,683 4.2 3.3 4.3

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 5,074 4,153 5,277 4.6 3.7 4.7

Natural resources and mining........................... 21 15 27 3.5 2.3 4.1

Construction................................................... 480 315 525 6.6 4.2 6.9

Manufacturing................................................ 467 384 463 3.2 2.7 3.2

Durable goods............................................. 311 247 302 3.5 2.8 3.4

Nondurable goods....................................... 156 137 161 2.9 2.5 3.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 1,105 944 1,243 4.3 3.6 4.8

Wholesale trade.......................................... 176 134 154 3.1 2.3 2.7

Retail trade................................................ 768 675 898 5.1 4.4 5.9

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 161 135 191 3.3 2.7 3.9

Information................................................... 89 82 91 2.8 2.6 2.9

Financial activities............................................ 241 171 226 3.0 2.1 2.7

Finance and insurance................................. 164 123 160 2.7 2.0 2.6

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 77 49 65 3.6 2.2 3.0

Professional and business services..................... 855 835 803 5.1 4.9 4.7

Education and health services........................... 523 436 539 3.1 2.6 3.2

Educational services.................................... 75 61 76 3.1 2.4 3.1

Health care and social assistance.................. 448 375 464 3.2 2.6 3.2

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 1,002 773 1,011 7.7 5.8 7.5

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 165 83 183 7.9 3.9 8.7

Accommodations and food services............... 838 690 827 7.6 6.1 7.3

Other services................................................ 290 199 350 5.3 3.6 6.3

Government...................................................... 381 317 407 1.9 1.5 2.0

Federal......................................................... 32 31 39 1.2 1.1 1.4

State and local.............................................. 349 286 368 2.0 1.6 2.1

REGION

Northeast...................................................... 976 697 930 3.9 2.8 3.7

South............................................................ 2,036 1,701 2,141 4.4 3.6 4.5

Midwest......................................................... 1,194 1,009 1,337 3.8 3.2 4.3

West............................................................ 1,248 1,062 1,276 4.3 3.6 4.3

 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.

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total.................................................................. 3,120 2,730 3,576 2.4 2.0 2.7

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 2,934 2,583 3,358 2.6 2.3 3.0

Natural resources and mining........................... 10 9 12 1.7 1.5 1.8

Construction................................................... 195 164 253 2.7 2.2 3.3

Manufacturing................................................ 234 227 272 1.6 1.6 1.9

Durable goods............................................. 141 140 166 1.6 1.6 1.8

Nondurable goods....................................... 93 87 107 1.7 1.6 2.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 722 597 844 2.8 2.3 3.3

Wholesale trade.......................................... 80 82 92 1.4 1.4 1.6

Retail trade................................................ 558 439 636 3.7 2.9 4.2

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 83 76 117 1.7 1.5 2.4

Information................................................... 66 48 68 2.1 1.5 2.1

Financial activities............................................ 136 104 160 1.7 1.3 1.9

Finance and insurance................................. 93 77 109 1.5 1.3 1.8

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 44 26 52 2.1 1.2 2.3

Professional and business services..................... 451 400 467 2.7 2.3 2.7

Education and health services........................... 321 293 362 1.9 1.7 2.1

Educational services.................................... 35 34 50 1.4 1.4 2.0

Health care and social assistance.................. 287 259 312 2.0 1.8 2.1

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 658 593 721 5.0 4.4 5.4

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 63 60 66 3.0 2.8 3.2

Accommodations and food services............... 596 533 654 5.4 4.7 5.8

Other services................................................ 140 148 199 2.6 2.7 3.6

Government...................................................... 185 148 218 .9 .7 1.1

Federal......................................................... 13 14 21 .5 .5 .8

State and local.............................................. 172 134 197 1.0 .7 1.1

REGION

Northeast...................................................... 481 414 570 1.9 1.6 2.2

South............................................................ 1,171 1,106 1,398 2.5 2.3 2.9

Midwest......................................................... 699 574 788 2.3 1.8 2.5

West............................................................ 769 636 820 2.7 2.2 2.8

 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.

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total.................................................................. 1,984 1,442 1,771 1.5 1.1 1.3

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 1,853 1,335 1,636 1.7 1.2 1.4

Natural resources and mining........................... 7 5 9 1.1 .7 1.4

Construction................................................... 268 144 248 3.7 1.9 3.3

Manufacturing................................................ 203 122 155 1.4 .9 1.1

Durable goods............................................. 148 82 109 1.6 .9 1.2

Nondurable goods....................................... 54 40 45 1.0 .8 .8

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 305 290 342 1.2 1.1 1.3

Wholesale trade.......................................... 77 45 51 1.4 .8 .9

Retail trade................................................ 163 198 230 1.1 1.3 1.5

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 64 47 61 1.3 1.0 1.2

Information................................................... 19 23 18 .6 .7 .6

Financial activities............................................ 80 46 53 1.0 .6 .6

Finance and insurance................................. 49 26 43 .8 .4 .7

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 32 20 10 1.5 .9 .4

Professional and business services..................... 357 395 281 2.1 2.3 1.6

Education and health services........................... 163 110 143 1.0 .6 .8

Educational services.................................... 35 21 22 1.5 .8 .9

Health care and social assistance.................. 128 89 121 .9 .6 .8

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 304 156 250 2.3 1.2 1.9

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 100 21 113 4.8 1.0 5.4

Accommodations and food services............... 205 135 137 1.9 1.2 1.2

Other services................................................ 146 44 138 2.7 .8 2.5

Government...................................................... 131 108 134 .6 .5 .7

Federal......................................................... 9 9 9 .3 .3 .3

State and local.............................................. 123 98 126 .7 .5 .7

REGION

Northeast...................................................... 416 236 302 1.7 .9 1.2

South............................................................ 747 490 616 1.6 1.0 1.3

Midwest......................................................... 419 350 483 1.3 1.1 1.5

West............................................................ 403 366 369 1.4 1.2 1.3

 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.

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total.................................................................. 351 297 336 .3 .2 .3

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 286 236 282 .3 .2 .2

Natural resources and mining........................... 4 1 6 .6 .2 .9

Construction................................................... 16 7 23 .2 .1 .3

Manufacturing................................................ 30 35 36 .2 .2 .3

Durable goods............................................. 22 26 27 .2 .3 .3

Nondurable goods....................................... 8 10 9 .1 .2 .2

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 78 57 57 .3 .2 .2

Wholesale trade.......................................... 18 7 12 .3 .1 .2

Retail trade................................................ 46 38 32 .3 .3 .2

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 13 11 14 .3 .2 .3

Information................................................... 4 11 6 .1 .3 .2

Financial activities............................................ 25 22 13 .3 .3 .2

Finance and insurance................................. 23 20 9 .4 .3 .1

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 2 2 4 .1 .1 .2

Professional and business services..................... 47 40 54 .3 .2 .3

Education and health services........................... 38 33 34 .2 .2 .2

Educational services.................................... 5 6 4 .2 .2 .2

Health care and social assistance.................. 34 27 30 .2 .2 .2

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 40 23 40 .3 .2 .3

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

Accommodations and food services............... 37 22 36 .3 .2 .3

Other services................................................ 4 7 12 .1 .1 .2

Government...................................................... 64 61 55 .3 .3 .3

Federal......................................................... 11 8 9 .4 .3 .3

State and local.............................................. 54 54 46 .3 .3 .3

REGION

Northeast...................................................... 79 47 58 .3 .2 .2

South............................................................ 119 105 127 .3 .2 .3

Midwest......................................................... 76 84 65 .2 .3 .2

West............................................................ 77 61 87 .3 .2 .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