1

Technical information: (202) 691-5870

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

Media contact: 691-5902

USDL 06-1200

For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Chart 2. Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted,

 June 2003 - May 2006

2.5

2.7

2.9

3.1

3.3

3.5

3.7

3.9

Percent

Separations

Hires

2004 2005 2006

Chart 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted,

 June 2003 - May 2006

1.5

1.7

1.9

2.1

2.3

2.5

2.7

2.9

3.1

3.3

3.5

3.7

3.9

Percent

2004 2005 2006

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: MAY 2006

The hires rate increased, while the job openings and total separations rates were essentially unchanged in

May, 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 May 2006, there were 4.0 million job openings in the United States, and

the job openings rate was 2.9 percent. The job openings rate was unchanged over the month and has been

essentially unchanged since November 2005. There were no significant over-the-month changes in the job

openings rate in any industry or region. The industries with the highest seasonally adjusted job openings rates

in May 2006 were professional and business services, and leisure and hospitality (3.8 percent each), and

education and health services (3.5 percent). (See table 1.)

Over the year, the job openings rate increased in several industries and in three of the four regions—the

Northeast, South, and West. None of the industries or regions experienced a significant decrease in the job

openings rate from the prior year. (See table 5.)

Hires

The hires rate increased to 3.7 percent in May, offsetting declines in the previous 2 months. Hires are

any additions to the payroll during the month. In May, the hires rate increased in manufacturing, professional

and business services, and in the Midwest region. There were no significant declines in the hires rate in any
2

Total 1........................................................... 4,649 4,962 4,543 4,495 4,654

 Total private 1................................... .... 3,005 4,454 4,301 4,586 4,290 4,203

Construction ..................................... 114 138 434 376 365 405 373 461

Manufacturing ................................ 235 323 344 328 377 384 346 382

Trade, transportation, and

utilities ........................................... 613 672 706 1,043 1,029 1,047 1,013 1,022 1,005

Professional and business

services ......................................... 623 748 677 862 858 1,004 794 790 854

Education and health services ..... 597 674 643 469 481 518 427 437 440

Leisure and hospitality .................. 447 485 518 782 775 810 762 770 742

Government .......................................... 361 467 452 325 361 380 260 302 321

Total 1.......................................................... 2.5 2.9 2.9 3.6 3.4 3.7 3.4 3.3 3.4

Total private 1....................................... 2.6 3.1 3.0 4.0 3.8 4.1 3.8 3.7 3.8

Construction .................................... 1.5 1.8 1.6 6.0 5.0 4.9 5.6 5.0 6.1

Manufacturing ................................ 1.6 2.2 2.1 2.4 2.3 2.6 2.7 2.4 2.7

Trade, transportation, and

utilities ........................................... 2.3 2.5 2.6 4.0 4.0 4.0 3.9 3.9 3.9

Professional and business

services ......................................... 3.6 4.2 3.8 5.1 5.0 5.8 4.7 4.6 5.0

Education and health services ..... 3.3 3.7 3.5 2.7 2.7 2.9 2.5 2.5 2.5

Leisure and hospitality .................. 3.4 3.6 3.8 6.1 6.0 6.2 6.0 5.9 5.7

Government .......................................... 1.6 2.1 2.0 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.2 1.4 1.5

 Job openings

Industry

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

Hires Total separations

May Apr. May May Apr. May May Apr. May

2005 2006 p 2005 2006 2006 p 2005 2006 2006 p

Levels (in thousands)

Rates (percent)

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

 p = preliminary.

2006

3,364 4,778

3,603

4,070

4,339

125

308

3,542

3,989

industry or region. The seasonally adjusted hires rate was highest in the leisure and hospitality industry

(6.2 percent). (See table 2.)

From May 2005 to May 2006, the hires rate rose in nondurable goods manufacturing, professional

and business services, and the federal government and declined in construction. The hires rate did not

change significantly over the year in any geographic region. (See table 6.)

Separations

The total separations, or turnover, rate was little changed at 3.4 percent in May. Separations are

terminations of employment that occur at any time during the month. In May, the total separations rate

increased in construction; all other industries and regions were about unchanged. (See table 3.)

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

and other separations (including retirements). The quits rate, which can serve as a barometer of workers’

ability to change jobs, rose to 2.0 percent in May. The quits rate increased in the construction and manufacturing industries and in the South region. In May, the seasonally adjusted quits rate was highest in the

leisure and hospitality industry (4.1 percent), which also had the highest hires rate. (See table 4.)
3

Over the year, the quits rate grew in several industries and in the South region. The quits rate declined

in real estate and rental and leasing as well as in other services. (See table 8.)

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

seasonally adjusted. From May 2005 to May 2006, the layoffs and discharges rate was little changed at

1.0 percent. For May 2006, the construction industry had the highest layoffs and discharges rate (2.3 percent). From May 2005 to May 2006, the other separations rate increased to 0.3 percent. (See tables 9

and 10.)

Flows in the Labor Market

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

May 2006, hires have averaged 4.8 million per month and separations have averaged 4.5 million per month

(not seasonally adjusted). The comparable figures for the prior 12-month period were 4.7 million hires and

4.4 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 June 2006 is scheduled to be issued on Wednesday,

August 9, 2006.
Technical Note

The data for the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey

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

business establishments by the Bureau of Labor Statistics

(BLS).

Collection

Each month, data are collected in a survey of business

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

layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Data collection

methods include computer-assisted telephone interviewing,

touchtone data entry, fax, and mail.

Coverage

The JOLTS program covers all private nonfarm

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

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

the District of Columbia.

Concepts

Industry classification. The industry classifications in this

release are in accordance with the 2002 version of the North

American Industry Classification System (NAICS). In order to

ensure the highest possible quality of data, State Workforce

Agencies verify with employers and update, if necessary, the

industry code, location, and ownership classification of all

establishments on a 3-year cycle. Changes in establishment

characteristics resulting from the verification process are

always introduced into the JOLTS sampling frame with the data

reported for the first month of the year.

Employment. Employment includes persons on the payroll

who worked or received pay for the pay period that includes

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

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

employees are included, as are employees on paid vacations or

other paid leave. Proprietors or partners of unincorporated

businesses, unpaid family workers, or persons on leave without

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

employed. Employees of temporary help agencies, employee

leasing companies, outside contractors, and consultants are

counted by their employer of record, not by the establishment

where they are working.

Job openings. Establishments submit job openings

information for the last business day of the reference month.

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

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

within 30 days regardless of whether a suitable candidate is

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

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

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

Active recruiting means that the establishment is taking steps

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

posting help-wanted signs, accepting applications, or using

other similar methods.

Jobs to be filled only by internal transfers, promotions,

demotions, or recall from layoffs are excluded. Also excluded

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

for which employees have been hired but have not yet reported

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

agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors, or

consultants. The job openings rate is computed by dividing

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

openings and multiplying that quotient by 100.

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

occurring at any time during the reference month, including

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

permanent, short-term, and seasonal employees, employees

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

on-call or intermittent employees who returned to work after

having been formally separated, and transfers from other

locations. The hires count does not include transfers or

promotions within the reporting site, employees returning from

strike, employees of temporary help agencies or employee

leasing companies, outside contractors, or consultants. The

hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by

employment and multiplying that quotient by 100.

Separations. Separations are the total number of

terminations of employment occurring at any time during the

reference month, and are reported by type of separation—

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

voluntary separations by employees (except for retirements,

which are reported as other separations). Layoffs and

discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the

employer and include layoffs with no intent to rehire, formal

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

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

discharges for cause, terminations of permanent or short-term

employees, and terminations of seasonal employees. Other

separations include retirements, transfers to other locations,

deaths, and separations due to disability. Separations do not

include transfers within the same location or employees on

strike.

The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of

separations by employment and multiplying that quotient by

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

rates are computed similarly, dividing the number by

employment and multiplying by 100.

Annual estimates. Annual estimates of rates and levels of

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

separations are released with the January news release each year.

The JOLTS annual level estimates for hires, quits, layoffs

and discharges, other separations, and total separations are

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

estimates are computed by dividing the annual level by the

Current Employment Statistics (CES) annual average

employment level, and multiplying that quotient by 100. This

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

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

rounded to the nearest thousand before the annual estimates

are calculated. Consistent with BLS practices, annual estimates

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

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

measurement for the last business day of each month. Only

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

the same reason job openings cannot be cumulated throughout

each month, annual figures for job openings cannot be created

by summing the monthly estimates. Hires and separations are

flow measures and are cumulated over the month with a total

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

created by summing the monthly estimates.

Sample methodology

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

nonfarm business establishments, including factories, offices,

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

the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The establishments

are drawn from a universe of over eight million establishments

compiled as part of the operations of the Quarterly Census of

Employment and Wages, or QCEW, program. This program

includes all employers subject to state Unemployment

Insurance (UI) laws and federal agencies subject to

Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE).

The sampling frame is stratified by ownership, region,

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

with virtual certainty. JOLTS total employment estimates are

controlled to the employment estimates of the Current

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

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

elements. Rates are then computed from the adjusted levels.

Using JOLTS data

The JOLTS data series on job openings, hires, and

separations are relatively new. The full sample is divided into

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

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

Industrial Classification (SIC) system was not completely

enrolled in the survey until January 2002. The supplemental

panels of establishments needed to create NAICS estimates

were not completely enrolled until May 2003. The data

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

Therefore, estimates from earlier months should be used with

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

In March 2002, BLS procedures for collecting hires and

separations data were revised to address possible

underreporting. As a result, JOLTS hires and separations

estimates for months prior to March 2002 may not be

comparable with estimates for March 2002 and later.

The federal government reorganization that involved

transferring approximately 180,000 employees to the new

Department of Homeland Security is not reflected in the JOLTS

hires and separations estimates for the federal government.

The Office of Personnel Management’s record shows these

transfers were completed in March 2003. The inclusion of

transfers in the JOLTS definitions of hires and separations is

intended to cover ongoing movements of workers between

establishments. The Department of Homeland Security

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

of these intergovernmental transfers would distort the federal

government time series.

Seasonal adjustment

BLS seasonally adjusts several JOLTS series using the

X-12-ARIMA seasonal adjustment program. Seasonal

adjustment is the process of estimating and removing periodic

fluctuations caused by events such as weather, holidays,

and the beginning and ending of the school year. Seasonal

adjustment makes it easier to observe fundamental changes in

the level of the series, particularly those associated with

general economic expansions and contractions. A concurrent

seasonal adjustment methodology is used in which new

seasonal adjustment factors are calculated each month, using

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

month.

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

2005 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p 2005 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p

Total4........................................................................................................... 3,364 3,941 3,981 3,994 4,089 4,070 3,989 2.5 2.8 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.9

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 3,005 3,509 3,533 3,531 3,633 3,603 3,542 2.6 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.1 3.1 3.0

Construction........................................................................ 114 170 114 121 144 138 125 1.5 2.2 1.5 1.6 1.9 1.8 1.6

Manufacturing................................................................ 235 313 324 318 318 323 308 1.6 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 613 661 687 660 651 672 706 2.3 2.5 2.6 2.5 2.4 2.5 2.6

Professional and business services......................... 623 750 777 716 702 748 677 3.6 4.2 4.3 4.0 3.9 4.2 3.8

Education and health services................................................. 597 618 627 640 692 674 643 3.3 3.4 3.4 3.5 3.8 3.7 3.5

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 447 522 507 587 506 485 518 3.4 3.9 3.8 4.3 3.8 3.6 3.8

Government......................................................................................... 361 435 449 460 458 467 452 1.6 2.0 2.0 2.1 2.0 2.1 2.0

REGION 5

Northeast......................................................................... 550 718 740 707 732 672 663 2.1 2.8 2.8 2.7 2.8 2.6 2.5

South............................................................................................... 1,320 1,612 1,550 1,547 1,634 1,600 1,627 2.7 3.3 3.1 3.1 3.3 3.2 3.3

Midwest......................................................................................... 749 738 745 797 721 770 762 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.5 2.2 2.4 2.4

West...................................................................................... 773 919 928 957 985 1,022 960 2.6 3.0 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.1

1

 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, 

of the month. North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia,

 2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business and West Virginia; Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan,

day of the month as a percent of total employment plus job openings. Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota,

 

3

 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii,

seasonal adjustment of the various series. Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington,

 

4

 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and Wyoming.

and other services, not shown separately. 

p

 = preliminary.

 

5

 The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise 

the regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, 

New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and 

Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, 

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

Industry and region May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May

2005 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p 2005 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p

Total4........................................................................................................... 4,778 4,694 4,941 4,954 4,884 4,649 4,962 3.6 3.5 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.4 3.7

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 4,454 4,397 4,584 4,578 4,503 4,301 4,586 4.0 3.9 4.1 4.1 4.0 3.8 4.1

Construction........................................................................ 434 426 379 403 344 376 365 6.0 5.8 5.1 5.4 4.6 5.0 4.9

Manufacturing................................................................ 344 307 366 333 341 328 377 2.4 2.2 2.6 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 1,043 1,011 1,177 1,117 1,103 1,029 1,047 4.0 3.9 4.5 4.3 4.2 4.0 4.0

Professional and business services......................... 862 849 953 841 922 858 1,004 5.1 5.0 5.6 4.9 5.4 5.0 5.8

Education and health services................................................. 469 467 446 435 435 481 518 2.7 2.7 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.7 2.9

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 782 853 847 1,019 899 775 810 6.1 6.6 6.6 7.9 6.9 6.0 6.2

Government......................................................................................... 325 293 352 379 397 361 380 1.5 1.3 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.6 1.7

REGION 5

Northeast......................................................................... 805 698 727 814 914 849 834 3.2 2.8 2.9 3.2 3.6 3.3 3.3

South............................................................................................... 1,766 1,817 1,946 2,061 1,803 1,777 1,874 3.7 3.8 4.1 4.3 3.7 3.7 3.9

Midwest......................................................................................... 1,110 1,038 1,043 1,045 1,117 965 1,136 3.6 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.5 3.1 3.6

West...................................................................................... 1,101 1,127 1,176 1,083 1,127 1,152 1,115 3.7 3.8 4.0 3.6 3.8 3.9 3.7

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

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

3

 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.

5

 See footnote 5, table 1. 

p

 = preliminary.

Levels Rates 3 (in thousands)

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

Industry and region May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May

2005 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p 2005 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p

Total4...................................................... 4,543 4,359 4,285 4,531 4,681 4,495 4,654 3.4 3.2 3.2 3.4 3.5 3.3 3.4

INDUSTRY

Total private4

.......................................... 4,290 4,067 3,995 4,252 4,360 4,203 4,339 3.8 3.6 3.5 3.8 3.9 3.7 3.8

Construction....................................... 405 348 374 335 422 373 461 5.6 4.7 5.0 4.5 5.6 5.0 6.1

Manufacturing....................................... 384 355 353 380 427 346 382 2.7 2.5 2.5 2.7 3.0 2.4 2.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities............ 1,013 1,027 880 997 989 1,022 1,005 3.9 3.9 3.4 3.8 3.8 3.9 3.9

Professional and business services......... 794 735 780 826 798 790 854 4.7 4.3 4.6 4.8 4.6 4.6 5.0

Education and health services.................. 427 400 353 403 399 437 440 2.5 2.3 2.0 2.3 2.3 2.5 2.5

Leisure and hospitality........................... 762 843 848 881 769 770 742 6.0 6.5 6.6 6.8 5.9 5.9 5.7

Government............................................. 260 270 300 285 326 302 321 1.2 1.2 1.4 1.3 1.5 1.4 1.5

REGION 5

Northeast............................................. 739 685 701 736 714 711 781 2.9 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.8 2.8 3.1

South................................................ 1,741 1,759 1,653 1,694 1,810 1,710 1,744 3.7 3.7 3.4 3.5 3.8 3.5 3.6

Midwest............................................. 985 934 987 1,032 1,014 992 1,052 3.2 3.0 3.1 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.3

West...................................................1,059 997 970 1,054 1,188 1,116 1,075 3.6 3.4 3.3 3.5 4.0 3.7 3.6

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

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

3

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

4

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

5 See footnote 5, table 1.

p

 = preliminary.

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

Industry and region May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May

2005 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p 2005 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p

Total4...................................................... 2,534 2,567 2,577 2,663 2,763 2,541 2,737 1.9 1.9 1.9 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.0

INDUSTRY

Total private4

.......................................... 2,406 2,428 2,435 2,526 2,606 2,383 2,579 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.3 2.1 2.3

Construction....................................... 164 189 179 153 182 167 208 2.3 2.6 2.4 2.0 2.4 2.2 2.8

Manufacturing....................................... 168 184 196 202 205 175 207 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.2 1.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities............ 602 634 551 602 598 613 624 2.3 2.4 2.1 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.4

Professional and business services......... 411 365 415 422 426 409 444 2.4 2.1 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.6

Education and health services.................. 257 254 225 279 267 253 280 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.6

Leisure and hospitality........................... 494 558 569 607 561 535 529 3.9 4.3 4.4 4.7 4.3 4.1 4.1

Government............................................. 127 139 143 139 156 159 159 .6 .6 .7 .6 .7 .7 .7

REGION 5

Northeast............................................. 380 390 369 368 383 370 386 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.5

South................................................ 1,009 1,069 1,068 1,114 1,129 1,026 1,132 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.1 2.3

Midwest............................................. 551 481 571 600 619 575 590 1.8 1.5 1.8 1.9 2.0 1.8 1.9

West................................................... 591 618 569 567 642 593 620 2.0 2.1 1.9 1.9 2.2 2.0 2.1

 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.

5 See footnote 5, table 1.

p

 = preliminary.

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 May Apr. May May Apr. May

2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p

Total........................................................................................................... 3,617 4,236 4,285 2.6 3.0 3.1

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 3,224 3,766 3,794 2.8 3.2 3.2

Natural resources and mining................................................... 12 11 15 2.0 1.6 2.2

Construction...................................................................................................... 143 168 155 1.9 2.2 2.0

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 254 329 332 1.8 2.3 2.3

Durable goods.............................................................................. 166 233 222 1.8 2.5 2.4

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 88 96 110 1.6 1.8 2.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 636 673 736 2.4 2.5 2.8

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 142 140 159 2.4 2.3 2.6

Retail trade................................................................................. 374 395 440 2.4 2.6 2.8

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 120 138 137 2.4 2.7 2.7

Information...................................................................................... 74 142 138 2.3 4.4 4.3

Financial activities........................................................................... 220 314 307 2.6 3.7 3.6

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 161 251 245 2.6 3.9 3.8

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 58 64 63 2.7 2.9 2.8

Professional and business services........................................ 639 768 685 3.7 4.3 3.8

Education and health services................................................................. 627 686 675 3.5 3.7 3.7

Educational services................................................................ 70 106 82 2.4 3.4 2.7

Health care and social assistance.................................. 557 580 593 3.7 3.8 3.8

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 505 574 585 3.7 4.3 4.2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 64 101 66 3.2 5.1 3.2

Accommodations and food services............................... 441 473 520 3.8 4.1 4.4

Other services................................................................................. 116 101 164 2.1 1.8 2.9

Government......................................................................................... 393 470 491 1.7 2.1 2.2

Federal................................................................................................ 41 48 48 1.5 1.7 1.8

State and local.................................................................................... 352 422 443 1.8 2.1 2.2

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 608 694 726 2.4 2.7 2.8

South............................................................................................... 1,387 1,661 1,717 2.8 3.3 3.4

Midwest................................................................................................. 774 810 790 2.4 2.5 2.4

West....................................................................................................... 847 1,070 1,051 2.8 3.5 3.4

1

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

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

3 See footnote 5, table 1.

 p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 6. Hires levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May

2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p

Total........................................................................................................... 5,444 4,871 5,675 4.1 3.6 4.2

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 5,113 4,604 5,285 4.6 4.1 4.7

Natural resources and mining................................................... 27 27 24 4.4 4.1 3.5

Construction...................................................................................................... 559 495 464 7.6 6.7 6.1

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 390 333 437 2.7 2.3 3.1

Durable goods.............................................................................. 254 216 272 2.8 2.4 3.0

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 137 117 165 2.6 2.3 3.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 1,144 1,011 1,144 4.4 3.9 4.4

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 160 146 161 2.8 2.5 2.7

Retail trade................................................................................. 801 725 814 5.3 4.8 5.4

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 183 140 169 3.7 2.8 3.4

Information...................................................................................... 85 79 101 2.8 2.6 3.3

Financial activities........................................................................... 258 194 234 3.2 2.3 2.8

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 159 114 135 2.7 1.9 2.2

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 99 80 99 4.7 3.7 4.6

Professional and business services........................................ 914 935 1,101 5.4 5.4 6.4

Education and health services................................................................. 459 433 511 2.6 2.4 2.9

Educational services................................................................ 45 69 59 1.6 2.3 2.0

Health care and social assistance.................................. 414 364 452 2.9 2.5 3.0

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 1,032 898 1,061 7.9 7.0 8.0

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 198 181 209 10.1 9.7 10.5

Accommodations and food services............................... 834 717 851 7.6 6.5 7.6

Other services................................................................................. 245 199 209 4.5 3.7 3.9

Government......................................................................................... 331 266 390 1.5 1.2 1.7

Federal................................................................................................ 43 53 74 1.6 2.0 2.7

State and local.................................................................................... 288 214 316 1.5 1.1 1.6

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 931 833 966 3.7 3.3 3.8

South............................................................................................... 1,992 1,794 2,125 4.2 3.7 4.4

Midwest................................................................................................. 1,320 1,080 1,371 4.2 3.4 4.3

West....................................................................................................... 1,201 1,164 1,213 4.0 3.9 4.0

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

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

3 See footnote 5, table 1.

 p = preliminary.

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May

2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p

Total........................................................................................................... 4,485 4,158 4,631 3.3 3.1 3.4

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 4,213 3,929 4,291 3.8 3.5 3.8

Natural resources and mining................................................... 18 22 12 2.8 3.4 1.8

Construction...................................................................................................... 356 299 407 4.9 4.1 5.4

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 367 341 369 2.6 2.4 2.6

Durable goods.............................................................................. 259 183 199 2.9 2.0 2.2

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 108 157 169 2.1 3.0 3.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 1,035 892 1,031 4.0 3.5 4.0

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 156 135 140 2.7 2.3 2.4

Retail trade................................................................................. 691 622 750 4.6 4.1 4.9

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 187 135 141 3.8 2.7 2.8

Information...................................................................................... 76 95 81 2.5 3.1 2.6

Financial activities........................................................................... 190 182 205 2.3 2.2 2.5

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 108 125 148 1.8 2.0 2.4

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 81 57 56 3.8 2.7 2.6

Professional and business services........................................ 767 814 860 4.6 4.7 5.0

Education and health services................................................................. 449 406 471 2.6 2.3 2.6

Educational services................................................................ 65 37 85 2.3 1.2 2.9

Health care and social assistance.................................. 384 369 386 2.7 2.5 2.6

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 732 745 702 5.6 5.8 5.3

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 80 83 56 4.1 4.4 2.8

Accommodations and food services............................... 652 663 645 5.9 6.0 5.7

Other services................................................................................. 223 134 155 4.1 2.5 2.8

Government......................................................................................... 272 229 340 1.2 1.0 1.5

Federal................................................................................................ 27 53 65 1.0 2.0 2.4

State and local.................................................................................... 245 176 275 1.3 .9 1.4

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 652 643 707 2.6 2.5 2.8

South............................................................................................... 1,834 1,628 1,844 3.8 3.4 3.8

Midwest................................................................................................. 952 858 1,022 3.0 2.7 3.2

West....................................................................................................... 1,047 1,029 1,059 3.5 3.4 3.5

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

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

3 See footnote 5, table 1.

 p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 8. Quits levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May

2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p

Total........................................................................................................... 2,641 2,421 2,868 2.0 1.8 2.1

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 2,498 2,294 2,687 2.2 2.0 2.4

Natural resources and mining................................................... 12 11 8 1.9 1.6 1.3

Construction...................................................................................................... 167 159 213 2.3 2.2 2.8

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 173 176 215 1.2 1.2 1.5

Durable goods.............................................................................. 108 108 111 1.2 1.2 1.2

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 65 68 104 1.2 1.3 2.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 634 568 661 2.5 2.2 2.5

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 72 79 69 1.3 1.4 1.2

Retail trade................................................................................. 495 405 503 3.3 2.7 3.3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................66 84 90 1.4 1.7 1.8

Information...................................................................................... 51 66 65 1.7 2.2 2.1

Financial activities........................................................................... 123 92 130 1.5 1.1 1.6

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 68 65 98 1.1 1.1 1.6

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 54 28 32 2.6 1.3 1.5

Professional and business services........................................ 423 402 469 2.5 2.3 2.7

Education and health services................................................................. 273 239 299 1.6 1.3 1.7

Educational services................................................................ 30 18 44 1.0 .6 1.5

Health care and social assistance.................................. 243 222 256 1.7 1.5 1.7

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 514 510 541 4.0 3.9 4.1

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 44 42 34 2.2 2.2 1.7

Accommodations and food services............................... 470 469 507 4.3 4.2 4.5

Other services................................................................................. 128 70 85 2.4 1.3 1.6

Government......................................................................................... 143 127 181 .6 .6 .8

Federal................................................................................................ 12 27 30 .4 1.0 1.1

State and local.................................................................................... 132 100 151 .7 .5 .8

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 385 323 400 1.5 1.3 1.6

South............................................................................................... 1,061 1,012 1,200 2.2 2.1 2.5

Midwest................................................................................................. 581 532 623 1.9 1.7 2.0

West....................................................................................................... 614 552 646 2.1 1.8 2.1

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

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

3 See footnote 5, table 1.

 p = preliminary.

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May

2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p

Total........................................................................................................... 1,533 1,370 1,373 1.1 1.0 1.0

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 1,450 1,313 1,273 1.3 1.2 1.1

Natural resources and mining................................................... 3 10 2 .6 1.5 .3

Construction...................................................................................................... 179 110 173 2.4 1.5 2.3

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 150 131 124 1.1 .9 .9

Durable goods.............................................................................. 113 57 68 1.3 .6 .8

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 36 75 56 .7 1.4 1.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 353 247 253 1.4 1.0 1.0

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 77 43 46 1.3 .7 .8

Retail trade................................................................................. 170 180 173 1.1 1.2 1.1

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 106 23 33 2.2 .5 .7

Information...................................................................................... 20 24 11 .7 .8 .4

Financial activities........................................................................... 52 60 51 .6 .7 .6

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 26 32 30 .4 .5 .5

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 26 28 21 1.2 1.3 1.0

Professional and business services........................................ 277 348 322 1.7 2.0 1.9

Education and health services................................................................. 148 123 150 .9 .7 .8

Educational services................................................................ 32 15 39 1.1 .5 1.3

Health care and social assistance.................................. 116 108 111 .8 .7 .7

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 186 205 136 1.4 1.6 1.0

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 35 38 20 1.8 2.1 1.0

Accommodations and food services............................... 150 166 116 1.4 1.5 1.0

Other services................................................................................. 82 54 52 1.5 1.0 1.0

Government......................................................................................... 83 58 99 .4 .3 .4

Federal................................................................................................ 8 12 15 .3 .4 .6

State and local.................................................................................... 75 46 84 .4 .2 .4

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 211 256 233 .8 1.0 .9

South............................................................................................... 675 458 480 1.4 .9 1.0

Midwest................................................................................................. 299 259 327 1.0 .8 1.0

West....................................................................................................... 348 398 333 1.2 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.

3 See footnote 5, table 1.

 p = preliminary.

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May

2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p

Total........................................................................................................... 312 367 390 0.2 0.3 0.3

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 265 323 330 .2 .3 .3

Natural resources and mining................................................... 2 2 1 .4 .3 .2

Construction...................................................................................................... 11 29 22 .1 .4 .3

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 44 34 29 .3 .2 .2

Durable goods.............................................................................. 38 19 20 .4 .2 .2

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 7 15 9 .1 .3 .2

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 47 77 117 .2 .3 .5

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 7 12 25 .1 .2 .4

Retail trade................................................................................. 26 37 74 .2 .2 .5

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................15 28 18 .3 .6 .4

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

Financial activities........................................................................... 16 30 23 .2 .4 .3

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 14 28 20 .2 .5 .3

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 1 1 3 .1 .1 .2

Professional and business services........................................ 66 64 69 .4 .4 .4

Education and health services................................................................. 28 43 22 .2 .2 .1

Educational services................................................................ 4 4 3 .1 .1 .1

Health care and social assistance.................................. 25 39 19 .2 .3 .1

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 32 30 25 .2 .2 .2

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

Accommodations and food services............................... 31 27 23 .3 .2 .2

Other services................................................................................. 13 9 17 .2 .2 .3

Government......................................................................................... 46 45 60 .2 .2 .3

Federal................................................................................................ 8 15 19 .3 .5 .7

State and local.................................................................................... 39 30 41 .2 .2 .2

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 56 64 74 .2 .3 .3

South............................................................................................... 98 158 164 .2 .3 .3

Midwest................................................................................................. 72 67 72 .2 .2 .2

West....................................................................................................... 85 79 80 .3 .3 .3

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

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

3 See footnote 5, table 1.

 p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates