For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Tuesday, November 8, 2011 USDL-11-1610

Technical information: (202) 691-5870 • JoltsInfo@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/jlt 

Media contact: (202) 691-5902 • PressOffice@bls.gov 

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER – SEPTEMBER 2011

There were 3.4 million job openings on the last business day of September, the U.S. Bureau of Labor 

Statistics reported today. The hires rate (3.2 percent) and separations rate (3.2 percent) were little 

changed over the month. The job openings rate has trended upward since the end of the recession in 

June 2009 (as determined by the National Bureau of Economic Research). This release includes 

estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the nonfarm sector by 

industry and by geographic region. 

Job Openings

The number of job openings in September was 3.4 million, up from 3.1 million in August. (See table 1.) 

Although the number of job openings remained below the 4.4 million openings when the recession 

began in December 2007, the level in September was 1.2 million higher than in July 2009 (the most 

recent trough for the series). The number of job openings has increased 38 percent since the end of the 

recession in June 2009. 

1.0

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

2.0

2.2

2.4

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

Percent

2009 2010 2011

Chart 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted,

October 2008 - September 2011

NOTE: The shaded area represents the recession that began in Dec. 2007 and ended in June 2009

as designated by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). 

2.0

2.2

2.4

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

Hires

Separations

Percent

2009 2010 2011

Chart 2. Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted,

October 2008 - September 2011

NOTE: The shaded area represents the recession that began in Dec. 2007 and ended in June 2009

as designated by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). 

Adjustments to August JOLTS data

August estimates of hires, separations, and job openings originally published on October 12, 2011, 

had not been adjusted to account for a strike in the information industry. With this release, August 

estimates reflect both regular revisions and corrections. For further assistance, see 

www.bls.gov/bls/errata/jolts_corrections_11082011.htm. 
- 2 - 

The number of job openings in September (not seasonally adjusted) increased over the year for total 

nonfarm, total private, and government. Several industries experienced an increase over the year in the 

number of job openings; the number of job openings decreased for federal government. The number of 

job openings rose in 3 out of 4 regions. (See table 5.)

Hires

In September, the hires rate was little changed at 3.2 percent for total nonfarm. The hires rate increased 

in construction and professional and business services as well as in 3 out of 4 regions. (See table 2.) The 

number of hires in September was 4.2 million, up from 3.6 million in October 2009 (the most recent

trough) but below the 5.0 million hires recorded when the recession began in December 2007. The

number of hires has increased 17 percent since the end of the recession in June 2009. 

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

Industry Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Aug. Sept.

2010 2011 2011p 2010 2011 2011p 2010 2011 2011p

Total ......................................................2,756 3,129 3,354 3,869 4,060 4,245 3,904 3,960 4,149

Total private 1

....................................... 2,429 2,799 2,988 3,614 3,785 3,984 3,526 3,688 3,861

Construction....................................... 68 102 75 327 309 404 330 320 367

Manufacturing.................................... 183 232 242 240 249 239 245 250 246

Trade, transportation, and utilities 2

......... 419 490 546 776 779 758 763 762 757

Retail trade..................................... 239 324 344 539 526 537 531 521 534

Professional and business services......... 554 621 684 747 863 1,002 742 824 946

Education and health services............... 510 609 616 487 481 470 460 444 407

Leisure and hospitality ........................ 284 351 362 645 679 699 607 689 707

Arts, entertainment, and recreation...... 35 44 53 110 110 126 104 113 144

Accommodation and food services...... 248 307 309 535 569 573 503 576 563

Government 3

..................................... 326 329 366 255 275 262 379 272 288

State and local government.................. 239 287 313 224 247 233 266 240 255

Total ...................................................... 2.1 2.3 2.5 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.0 3.0 3.2

Total private 1

....................................... 2.2 2.5 2.7 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.3 3.4 3.5

Construction....................................... 1.2 1.8 1.3 5.9 5.6 7.3 6.0 5.8 6.6

Manufacturing.................................... 1.6 1.9 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities 2

......... 1.7 1.9 2.1 3.2 3.1 3.0 3.1 3.1 3.0

Retail trade.................................... 1.6 2.2 2.3 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.7

Professional and business services......... 3.2 3.5 3.8 4.5 5.0 5.8 4.4 4.8 5.5

Education and health services............... 2.5 2.9 3.0 2.5 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.0

Leisure and hospitality ........................ 2.1 2.6 2.7 4.9 5.1 5.3 4.6 5.2 5.3

Arts, entertainment, and recreation...... 1.8 2.3 2.7 5.7 5.8 6.7 5.4 6.0 7.6

Accommodation and food services...... 2.2 2.6 2.7 4.8 5.0 5.1 4.5 5.1 5.0

Government 3

..................................... 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.7 1.2 1.3

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

 1 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, and other services, not show n separately.

 2 Includes w holesale trade and transportation, w arehousing, and utilities, not show n separately.

 3 Includes federal government, not show n separately.

 p = Preliminary

Rates (percent)

Job openings Hires Total separations

Levels (in thousands)
- 3 - 

Over the past 12 months, the hires rate (not seasonally adjusted) was little changed for total nonfarm, 

total private, and government. The hires rate increased for construction and professional and business 

services. The hires rate increased in the Midwest and decreased in the Northeast. (See table 6.) 

Separations 

The total separations figure includes voluntary quits, involuntary layoffs and discharges, and other 

separations, including retirements. Total separations is also referred to as turnover.

The seasonally adjusted total separations rate was little changed in September for total nonfarm, total 

private, and government. (See table 3.) Over the year, the total separations rate (not seasonally adjusted) 

increased for total nonfarm and total private but decreased for government. (See table 7.) 

The quits rate can serve as a measure of workers’ willingness or ability to change jobs. In September, 

the quits rate was essentially unchanged for total nonfarm, total private, and government. (See table 4.) 

The number of quits rose from 1.5 million in January 2010 (the most recent trough) to 2.0 million in 

September, although it remained below the 2.8 million recorded when the recession began in December 

2007. 

 

The number of quits (not seasonally adjusted) in September 2011 increased from 12 months earlier for 

total nonfarm and total private and was essentially unchanged for government. Several industries 

experienced an increase in the number of quits over the year. (See table 8.) 

The layoffs and discharges component of total separations is seasonally adjusted only at the total 

nonfarm, total private, and government levels. The layoffs and discharges rate remained unchanged in 

September for total nonfarm and government. The rate was little changed for total private. The number 

of layoffs and discharges for total nonfarm has declined to 1.8 million in September 2011 from 2.5 

million in February 2009 (peak), returning to pre-recession levels. (See table B.) 

The layoffs and discharges level (not seasonally adjusted) for total nonfarm and total private were little 

changed but declined over the 12 months ending in September 2011 for government. Over the year, the 

number of layoffs and discharges was little changed for most industries and in all four regions. (See 

table 9.) 

The other separations series is not seasonally adjusted. In September 2011, there were 329,000 other 

separations for total nonfarm, 276,000 for total private, and 53,000 for government. Compared to 

September 2010, the number of other separations was down for government and the South region. (See 

table 10.)

Table B. Layoffs and discharges, seasonally adjusted

Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Aug. Sept.

2010 2011 2011p 2010 2011 2011p

Total...............................................................1,714 1,687 1,756 1.3 1.3 1.3

Total private...................................................1,518 1,583 1,638 1.4 1.4 1.5

Government................................................... 196 104 118 0.9 0.5 0.5

 p = Preliminary

Industry

Levels (in thousands) Rates (percent)
- 4 - 

Relative Contributions to Separations 

The total separations level is influenced by the relative contribution of its three components—quits, 

layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Other separations is historically a very small portion of 

total separations; it has rarely been above 10 percent of total separations. The percentage of total 

separations attributable to the individual components has varied over time at the total nonfarm level, but 

for the majority of the months since the series began in December 2000, the proportion of quits has 

exceeded the proportion of layoffs and discharges. For most of the months between November 2008 and 

November 2010, however, the proportion of layoffs and discharges was equal to or greater than the 

proportion of quits. Since November 2010, the series have returned to their historical pattern. In 

September 2011, the proportion of quits for total nonfarm was 49 percent, and the proportion of layoffs 

and discharges was 42 percent. (See table C.) 

Net Change in Employment

Large numbers of hires and separations occur every month. Over the 12 months ending in September

2011, hires totaled 48.3 million and separations totaled 47.0 million, yielding a net employment gain of 

1.3 million based on not seasonally adjusted data. These figures include workers who may have been 

hired and separated more than once during the year. 

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey results for October 2011 are scheduled to be 

released on Tuesday, December 13, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. (EST). 

Table C. Quits and layoffs and discharges as a percentage of total separations, seasonally adjusted

(Levels in thousands)

Level

Portion 

of total Level

Portion 

of total Level

Portion 

of total Level

Portion 

of total Level

Portion 

of total Level

Portion 

of total

Total .................................... 1,843 47% 2,006 51% 2,048 49% 1,714 44% 1,687 43% 1,756 42%

Total private...........................1,723 49% 1,889 51% 1,933 50% 1,518 43% 1,583 43% 1,638 42%

Government ........................ 120 32% 117 43% 115 40% 196 52% 104 38% 118 41%

 p = Preliminary

Industry

Quits Layoffs and discharges

Sept.

2010

Aug.

2011

Sept.

2011p

Sept.

2010

Aug.

2011

Sept.

2011p
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

 In a monthly survey of business establishments, data 

are collected for total employment, job openings, hires, 

quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. 

Data collection methods include computer-assisted 

telephone interviewing, touchtone data entry, web, fax, 

e-mail, 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 2007 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. Fulltime, 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 fulltime, 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, fulltime 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 are 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.

Special collection procedures

 An implied measure of employment change can be 

derived from the JOLTS data by subtracting separations from hires for a given month. Aggregating 

these monthly changes historically produced employment levels that overstated employment change as 

measured by CES at the total nonfarm level. Research 

into this problem showed that a significant amount of 

the divergence between the CES employment levels 

and the derived JOLTS employment levels was traceable to the Employment Services industry and to the 

State Government Education industry. In the former 

industry, businesses have a difficult time reporting 

hires and separations of temporary help workers. In 

the latter industry, employers have difficulty reporting 

hires and separations of student workers. BLS now devotes additional resources to the collection, editing, and 

review of data for these industries. BLS analysts more 

closely examine reported data that do not provide a 

consistent picture over time, and re-contact the 

respondents as necessary. Analysts work with the 

respondents to adjust their reporting practices as 

possible. Units that cannot be reconciled but are clearly incorrect on a consistent basis are not used; they are 

replaced by imputed values using standard techniques.

Sample and estimation methodology

 The JOLTS survey 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 9.1 million establishments compiled 

as part of the operations of the Quarterly Census of 

Employment and Wages (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. The JOLTS sample is 

constructed from individual panels of sample units 

drawn on an annual basis. The full annual sample consists of one certainty panel composed of only large 

units selected with virtual certainty based on their size 

and 24 non-certainty panels. Each month a new noncertainty panel is rolled into collection, and the oldest 

non-certainty panel is rolled out. This means that at 

any given time the JOLTS sample is constructed from 

panels from three different annual sampling frames. 

The entire sample of old plus new panels is poststratified and re-weighted annually to represent the 

most recent sampling frame. Additionally, the out-ofbusiness establishments are removed from the old 

panels. The annual sample is supplemented with a 

quarterly sample of birth establishments (i.e., new 

establishments) to better reflect the impact of younger 

establishments in the JOLTS sample.

 JOLTS total employment estimates are benchmarked 

monthly 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. 

JOLTS business birth/death model

 As with any sample survey, the JOLTS sample can 

only be as current as its sampling frame. The time lag 

from the birth of an establishment until its appearance 

on the sampling frame is approximately one year. In 

addition, many of these new units may fail within the 

first year. Since these universe units cannot be reflected on the sampling frame immediately, the JOLTS 

sample cannot capture job openings, hires, and sepa-
rations from these units during their early existence. 

BLS has developed a model to estimate birth/death 

activity for current months by examining the birth/

death activity from previous years on the QCEW and 

projecting forward to the present using an econometric 

technique known as X-12 ARIMA modeling. The 

birth/death model also uses historical JOLTS data to 

estimate the amount of “churn” (hires and separations) 

that exists in establishments of various sizes. The 

model then combines the estimated churn with the 

projected employment change to estimate the number 

of hires and separations taking place in these units that 

cannot be measured through sampling. 

 The model-based estimate of total separations is 

distributed to the three components—quits; layoffs and 

discharges; and other separations—in proportion to 

their contribution to the sample-based estimate of total 

separations. Additionally, job openings for the modeled units are estimated by computing the ratio of 

openings to hires in the collected data and applying that 

ratio to the modeled hires. The estimates of job openings, hires, and separations produced by the birth/death 

model are then added to the sample-based estimates 

produced from the survey to arrive at the estimates for 

openings, hires, and separations.

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.

 JOLTS uses moving averages as seasonal filters in 

seasonal adjustment. JOLTS seasonal adjustment includes both additive and multiplicative seasonal adjustment models and REGARIMA (regression with autocorrelated errors) modeling to improve the seasonal 

adjustment factors at the beginning and end of the 

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

Alignment procedure

 JOLTS hires minus separations should be comparable 

to the CES net employment change. However, definitional differences as well as sampling and nonsampling errors between the two surveys historically 

caused JOLTS to diverge from CES over time. To limit 

the divergence, and improve the quality of the JOLTS 

hires and separations series, BLS implemented the 

Monthly Alignment Method. The Monthly Alignment Method applies the CES employment trends to 

the seasonally adjusted JOLTS implied employment 

trend (hires minus separations) forcing them to be 

approximately the same, while preserving the seasonality of the JOLTS data. First, the two series are 

seasonally adjusted and the difference between the 

JOLTS implied employment trend and the CES net 

employment change is calculated. Next, the JOLTS 

implied employment trend is adjusted to equal the CES 

net employment change through a proportional adjustment. This proportional adjustment procedure adjusts 

the two components (hires, separations) proportionally 

to their contribution to the total churn (hires plus separations). For example, if hires are 40 percent of the 

churn for a given month, they will receive 40 percent 

of the needed adjustment and separations will receive 

60 percent of the needed adjustment. The adjusted hires 

and separations are converted back to not seasonally 

adjusted data by reversing the application of the original seasonal factors. After the Monthly Alignment 

Method has been used to adjust the level estimates, rate 

estimates are computed from the adjusted levels. The 

monthly alignment procedure assures a close match of 

the JOLTS implied employment trend with the CES 

trend. The CES series is considered a highly accurate 

measure of net employment change owing to its very 

large sample size and annual benchmarking to universe 

counts of employment from the QCEW program.

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 to 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.

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.

Other information

 Information in this release will be made available to 

sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice 

phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 

877-8339.
Table 1. Job openings levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept.

2010 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011p 2010 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011p

Total ........................................................................................................... 2,756 2,953 3,034 3,169 3,213 3,129 3,354 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.3 2.5

INDUSTRY

Total private 4............................................................................................ 2,429 2,635 2,725 2,835 2,905 2,799 2,988 2.2 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.5 2.7

Construction........................................................................ 68 90 100 68 75 102 75 1.2 1.6 1.8 1.2 1.3 1.8 1.3

Manufacturing................................................................ 183 226 211 217 252 232 242 1.6 1.9 1.8 1.8 2.1 1.9 2.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5.............................. 419 524 484 515 540 490 546 1.7 2.1 1.9 2.0 2.1 1.9 2.1

Retail trade................................................................................. 239 312 276 332 312 324 344 1.6 2.1 1.9 2.2 2.1 2.2 2.3

Professional and business services......................... 554 497 615 616 640 621 684 3.2 2.8 3.5 3.5 3.6 3.5 3.8

Education and health services................................................. 510 550 594 596 604 609 616 2.5 2.7 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.9 3.0

Leisure and hospitality ...................................................... 284 305 298 360 338 351 362 2.1 2.3 2.2 2.6 2.5 2.6 2.7

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 35 36 34 55 62 44 53 1.8 1.9 1.8 2.8 3.2 2.3 2.7

Accommodation and food services......................... 248 269 264 305 276 307 309 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.6 2.4 2.6 2.7

Government 6......................................................................................... 326 319 309 334 309 329 366 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.6

State and local government.................................................................................... 239 268 261 279 253 287 313 1.2 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.5 1.6

REGION 7

Northeast ......................................................................... 559 531 586 522 570 589 607 2.2 2.1 2.3 2.0 2.2 2.3 2.4

South ............................................................................................... 1,015 985 1,087 1,109 1,192 1,108 1,251 2.1 2.0 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.6

Midwest ......................................................................................... 540 664 730 686 714 732 714 1.8 2.2 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.3

West ...................................................................................... 648 681 719 753 753 775 810 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.6 2.7

1

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

7

 The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the 

month. regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New

 2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business day Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and 

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

 

3

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

adjustment of the various series and because not all series are shown. Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and 

 

4

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

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

 

5

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

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

 

6

 Includes federal government, not shown separately. Wyoming.

 

p

 = Preliminary

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

Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept.

2010 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011p 2010 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011p

Total ........................................................................................................... 3,869 4,001 4,129 4,058 3,976 4,060 4,245 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.1 3.0 3.1 3.2

INDUSTRY

Total private 4............................................................................................ 3,614 3,733 3,870 3,797 3,733 3,785 3,984 3.4 3.4 3.6 3.5 3.4 3.5 3.6

Construction........................................................................ 327 355 371 360 334 309 404 5.9 6.4 6.7 6.5 6.0 5.6 7.3

Manufacturing................................................................ 240 257 263 260 259 249 239 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5.............................. 776 791 804 802 767 779 758 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.1 3.1 3.0

Retail trade................................................................................. 539 556 557 553 552 526 537 3.7 3.8 3.8 3.8 3.8 3.6 3.7

Professional and business services......................... 747 831 902 806 819 863 1,002 4.5 4.9 5.3 4.7 4.8 5.0 5.8

Education and health services................................................. 487 468 480 485 472 481 470 2.5 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.3

Leisure and hospitality ...................................................... 645 653 629 689 682 679 699 4.9 4.9 4.8 5.2 5.2 5.1 5.3

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 110 107 111 104 96 110 126 5.7 5.6 5.9 5.5 5.1 5.8 6.7

Accommodation and food services......................... 535 546 517 585 586 569 573 4.8 4.8 4.6 5.2 5.2 5.0 5.1

Government 6......................................................................................... 255 269 259 261 243 275 262 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.2 1.2

State and local government.................................................................................... 224 244 232 238 219 247 233 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.3 1.2

REGION 7

Northeast ......................................................................... 724 695 675 681 675 604 719 2.9 2.8 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.4 2.9

South ............................................................................................... 1,427 1,471 1,643 1,503 1,488 1,526 1,652 3.0 3.1 3.5 3.2 3.1 3.2 3.5

Midwest ......................................................................................... 854 941 890 908 910 919 1,087 2.9 3.2 3.0 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.6

West ...................................................................................... 852 864 826 910 893 868 1,000 3.0 3.0 2.9 3.2 3.1 3.0 3.5

 1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month. 5

 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, 

 2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of not shown separately.

total employment. 6

 Includes federal government, not shown separately.

3

 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal 7 See footnote 7, table 1. 

adjustment of the various series and because not all series are shown. p

 = Preliminary

4

 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, and 

other services, not shown separately.

Industry and region

Industry and region

Levels Rates 3 (in thousands)

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

 and rates 2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

Sept. Apr. May June July Aug Sept. Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept.

2010 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011p 2010 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011p

Total ........................................................................................................... 3,904 3,833 4,145 3,993 3,962 3,960 4,149 3.0 2.9 3.2 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.2

INDUSTRY

Total private 4............................................................................................ 3,526 3,528 3,844 3,687 3,659 3,688 3,861 3.3 3.2 3.5 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.5

Construction........................................................................ 330 357 376 371 327 320 367 6.0 6.5 6.8 6.7 5.9 5.8 6.6

Manufacturing................................................................ 245 241 272 252 239 250 246 2.1 2.1 2.3 2.2 2.0 2.1 2.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5.............................. 763 725 799 785 770 762 757 3.1 2.9 3.2 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.0

Retail trade................................................................................. 531 511 562 538 547 521 534 3.7 3.5 3.9 3.7 3.8 3.6 3.7

Professional and business services......................... 742 785 892 766 806 824 946 4.4 4.6 5.2 4.5 4.7 4.8 5.5

Education and health services................................................. 460 428 450 459 431 444 407 2.3 2.1 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.2 2.0

Leisure and hospitality ...................................................... 607 621 652 653 670 689 707 4.6 4.7 4.9 4.9 5.1 5.2 5.3

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 104 109 123 101 97 113 144 5.4 5.7 6.6 5.3 5.1 6.0 7.6

Accommodation and food services......................... 503 512 528 552 573 576 563 4.5 4.5 4.7 4.9 5.1 5.1 5.0

Government 6......................................................................................... 379 304 301 306 302 272 288 1.7 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.2 1.3

State and local government.................................................................................... 266 278 271 273 271 240 255 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.2 1.3

REGION 7

Northeast......................................................................... 664 763 757 634 665 627 718 2.7 3.1 3.0 2.5 2.7 2.5 2.9

South............................................................................................... 1,456 1,402 1,528 1,421 1,482 1,463 1,555 3.1 3.0 3.2 3.0 3.1 3.1 3.3

Midwest......................................................................................... 902 947 942 934 905 903 982 3.1 3.2 3.2 3.1 3.0 3.0 3.3

West...................................................................................... 851 898 974 863 853 812 902 3.0 3.1 3.4 3.0 3.0 2.8 3.1

 1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire 5

 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, 

month. not shown separately.

 2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the 6

 Includes federal government, not shown separately.

entire month as a percent of total employment. 7

 See footnote 7, table 1. 

3

 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent p = Preliminary

seasonal adjustment of the various series and because not all series are shown.

4

 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, 

and other services, not shown separately.

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

Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Sept. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept.

2010 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011p 2010 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011p

Total ........................................................................................................... 1,843 1,887 2,000 1,904 1,969 2,006 2,048 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.6

INDUSTRY

Total private 4............................................................................................ 1,723 1,771 1,877 1,786 1,839 1,889 1,933 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.8

Construction........................................................................ 80 91 92 75 71 66 84 1.5 1.7 1.7 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.5

Manufacturing................................................................ 93 105 109 109 101 98 95 .8 .9 .9 .9 .9 .8 .8

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5.............................. 411 410 463 432 412 422 432 1.7 1.6 1.9 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7

Retail trade................................................................................. 319 315 351 333 316 319 327 2.2 2.2 2.4 2.3 2.2 2.2 2.2

Professional and business services......................... 337 360 372 330 391 383 425 2.0 2.1 2.2 1.9 2.3 2.2 2.5

Education and health services................................................. 235 239 253 264 238 268 243 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.2

Leisure and hospitality ...................................................... 358 386 388 395 401 432 421 2.7 2.9 2.9 3.0 3.0 3.3 3.2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 38 42 45 42 44 48 44 2.0 2.2 2.4 2.2 2.3 2.6 2.3

Accommodation and food services......................... 320 344 343 353 357 384 378 2.9 3.0 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.4 3.3

Government 6......................................................................................... 120 117 123 117 130 117 115 .5 .5 .6 .5 .6 .5 .5

State and local government.................................................................................... 106 108 114 108 121 108 105 .5 .6 .6 .6 .6 .6 .5

REGION 7

Northeast......................................................................... 262 266 330 264 264 285 295 1.1 1.1 1.3 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.2

South............................................................................................... 762 741 816 744 782 821 837 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.8

Midwest......................................................................................... 374 456 484 465 476 495 482 1.3 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.6

West...................................................................................... 382 400 460 406 460 447 444 1.3 1.4 1.6 1.4 1.6 1.5 1.5

 1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month. 5

 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, 

 2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a not shown separately.

percent of total employment. 6

 Includes federal government, not shown separately.

3

 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent 7 See footnote 7, table 1. 

seasonal adjustment of the various series and because not all series are shown. p

 = Preliminary

4

 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, 

and other services, not shown separately.

Industry and region

Industry and region

Levels 3 (in thousands) Rates

Levels 3 (in thousands) Rates
Table 5. Job openings levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Aug. Sept.

2010 2011 2011p 2010 2011 2011p

Total........................................................................................................... 2,763 3,220 3,425 2.1 2.4 2.5

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 2,454 2,864 3,061 2.2 2.5 2.7

Mining and logging...................................................14 27 32 1.9 3.2 3.7

Construction...................................................................................................... 75 110 80 1.3 1.9 1.4

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 191 244 254 1.6 2.0 2.1

Durable goods.............................................................................. 129 170 179 1.8 2.3 2.4

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 62 74 75 1.4 1.6 1.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 458 534 610 1.8 2.1 2.4

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 81 69 106 1.5 1.2 1.9

Retail trade................................................................................. 267 358 395 1.8 2.4 2.7

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 109 107 109 2.2 2.2 2.2

Information...................................................................................... 58 94 112 2.1 3.4 4.1

Financial activities........................................................................... 215 172 194 2.7 2.2 2.5

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 191 129 149 3.3 2.2 2.6

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 24 43 45 1.2 2.1 2.3

Professional and business services........................................ 545 598 685 3.1 3.3 3.8

Education and health services................................................................. 492 603 601 2.5 3.0 2.9

Educational services................................................................ 43 62 57 1.4 2.1 1.8

Health care and social assistance.................................. 449 542 544 2.7 3.1 3.1

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 290 391 380 2.1 2.7 2.7

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 33 51 51 1.6 2.3 2.5

Accommodation and food services............................... 257 341 328 2.2 2.8 2.8

Other services................................................................................. 117 89 113 2.1 1.6 2.0

Government......................................................................................... 309 356 364 1.4 1.7 1.6

Federal................................................................................................ 70 44 45 2.4 1.5 1.6

State and local.................................................................................... 238 312 319 1.2 1.7 1.7

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 552 598 610 2.2 2.3 2.4

South............................................................................................... 1,018 1,106 1,304 2.1 2.3 2.7

Midwest................................................................................................. 569 779 732 1.9 2.6 2.4

West....................................................................................................... 623 737 779 2.1 2.5 2.6

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

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

plus job openings.

 3 See footnote 7, table 1.

 p = Preliminary

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 6. Hires levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Aug. Sept.

2010 2011 2011p 2010 2011 2011p

Total........................................................................................................... 4,115 4,545 4,456 3.2 3.5 3.4

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 3,752 4,057 4,096 3.5 3.7 3.7

Mining and logging...................................................20 27 24 2.7 3.3 2.9

Construction...................................................................................................... 299 306 373 5.2 5.2 6.4

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 257 280 246 2.2 2.4 2.1

Durable goods.............................................................................. 132 153 137 1.9 2.1 1.9

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 125 126 109 2.8 2.8 2.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 851 806 816 3.5 3.2 3.3

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 133 118 109 2.4 2.1 2.0

Retail trade................................................................................. 579 556 573 4.0 3.8 4.0

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 140 132 134 2.9 2.8 2.8

Information...................................................................................... 50 64 57 1.9 2.4 2.1

Financial activities........................................................................... 155 169 137 2.0 2.2 1.8

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 115 98 86 2.0 1.7 1.5

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 40 71 51 2.1 3.6 2.6

Professional and business services........................................ 704 863 954 4.2 5.0 5.5

Education and health services................................................................. 589 624 576 3.0 3.2 2.9

Educational services................................................................ 137 121 152 4.4 4.2 4.8

Health care and social assistance.................................. 453 503 424 2.8 3.0 2.5

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 646 749 711 4.9 5.4 5.3

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 102 107 126 5.1 5.0 6.4

Accommodation and food services............................... 544 642 586 4.8 5.5 5.1

Other services................................................................................. 180 170 202 3.4 3.1 3.7

Government......................................................................................... 363 487 359 1.6 2.3 1.7

Federal................................................................................................ 32 29 30 1.1 1.0 1.1

State and local.................................................................................... 331 458 329 1.7 2.5 1.7

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 839 658 733 3.4 2.6 2.9

South............................................................................................... 1,468 1,821 1,628 3.1 3.8 3.4

Midwest................................................................................................. 896 1,067 1,095 3.0 3.6 3.7

West....................................................................................................... 913 999 999 3.2 3.5 3.5

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

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

 3 See footnote 7, table 1.

 p = Preliminary

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 7. Total separations levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Aug. Sept.

2010 2011 2011p 2010 2011 2011p

Total........................................................................................................... 4,090 4,714 4,422 3.1 3.6 3.4

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 3,652 4,318 4,068 3.4 3.9 3.7

Mining and logging...................................................17 24 21 2.3 3.0 2.6

Construction...................................................................................................... 327 324 370 5.7 5.6 6.4

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 238 282 240 2.0 2.4 2.0

Durable goods.............................................................................. 122 164 140 1.7 2.2 1.9

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 117 118 101 2.6 2.6 2.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 772 840 767 3.1 3.4 3.1

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 129 118 112 2.4 2.1 2.0

Retail trade................................................................................. 528 590 536 3.7 4.0 3.7

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 115 132 119 2.4 2.7 2.5

Information...................................................................................... 50 68 60 1.9 2.5 2.3

Financial activities........................................................................... 150 181 152 2.0 2.4 2.0

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 102 102 97 1.8 1.8 1.7

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 48 78 55 2.5 4.0 2.8

Professional and business services........................................ 696 885 919 4.1 5.1 5.3

Education and health services................................................................. 491 591 423 2.5 3.0 2.1

Educational services................................................................ 80 111 72 2.6 3.8 2.3

Health care and social assistance.................................. 412 479 351 2.5 2.9 2.1

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 762 893 918 5.7 6.4 6.8

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 184 171 267 9.1 7.9 13.6

Accommodation and food services............................... 578 722 650 5.1 6.2 5.7

Other services................................................................................. 148 231 198 2.8 4.2 3.6

Government......................................................................................... 438 396 354 2.0 1.9 1.6

Federal................................................................................................ 119 43 40 4.2 1.5 1.4

State and local.................................................................................... 319 353 314 1.7 2.0 1.7

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 734 798 794 3.0 3.2 3.2

South............................................................................................... 1,460 1,806 1,564 3.1 3.8 3.3

Midwest................................................................................................. 987 1,116 1,094 3.3 3.7 3.7

West....................................................................................................... 908 994 969 3.2 3.4 3.3

 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.

 3 See footnote 7, table 1.

 p = Preliminary

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 8. Quits levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Aug. Sept.

2010 2011 2011p 2010 2011 2011p

Total........................................................................................................... 1,988 2,612 2,238 1.5 2.0 1.7

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 1,851 2,430 2,112 1.7 2.2 1.9

Mining and logging...................................................8 17 12 1.1 2.1 1.4

Construction...................................................................................................... 85 88 96 1.5 1.5 1.7

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 104 138 103 .9 1.2 .9

Durable goods.............................................................................. 46 71 53 .6 1.0 .7

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 58 67 50 1.3 1.5 1.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 445 533 474 1.8 2.1 1.9

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 43 61 63 .8 1.1 1.1

Retail trade................................................................................. 344 405 355 2.4 2.8 2.5

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 57 67 56 1.2 1.4 1.1

Information...................................................................................... 27 44 35 1.0 1.6 1.3

Financial activities........................................................................... 92 105 69 1.2 1.4 .9

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 55 59 45 1.0 1.0 .8

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 36 46 24 1.9 2.3 1.3

Professional and business services........................................ 326 463 426 1.9 2.7 2.5

Education and health services................................................................. 260 341 267 1.3 1.7 1.3

Educational services................................................................ 39 65 34 1.3 2.2 1.1

Health care and social assistance.................................. 221 276 232 1.3 1.6 1.4

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 425 590 512 3.2 4.3 3.8

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 59 85 67 2.9 3.9 3.4

Accommodation and food services............................... 367 505 445 3.2 4.3 3.9

Other services................................................................................. 79 112 118 1.5 2.0 2.2

Government......................................................................................... 137 183 126 .6 .9 .6

Federal................................................................................................ 14 14 11 .5 .5 .4

State and local.................................................................................... 123 168 115 .6 .9 .6

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 333 356 352 1.3 1.4 1.4

South............................................................................................... 788 1,034 880 1.7 2.2 1.8

Midwest................................................................................................. 430 673 522 1.5 2.3 1.7

West....................................................................................................... 437 549 484 1.5 1.9 1.7

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

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

 3 See footnote 7, table 1.

 p = Preliminary

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 9. Layoffs and discharges levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Aug. Sept.

2010 2011 2011p 2010 2011 2011p

Total........................................................................................................... 1,761 1,783 1,855 1.4 1.4 1.4

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 1,529 1,627 1,679 1.4 1.5 1.5

Mining and logging...................................................6 6 8 .9 .8 .9

Construction...................................................................................................... 229 227 257 4.0 3.9 4.4

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 120 121 120 1.0 1.0 1.0

Durable goods.............................................................................. 67 77 74 .9 1.1 1.0

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 53 44 47 1.2 1.0 1.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 249 230 215 1.0 .9 .9

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 72 33 36 1.3 .6 .6

Retail trade................................................................................. 137 150 136 1.0 1.0 .9

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 40 46 43 .8 1.0 .9

Information...................................................................................... 16 21 21 .6 .8 .8

Financial activities........................................................................... 46 54 65 .6 .7 .9

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 38 28 43 .7 .5 .8

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 8 26 22 .4 1.3 1.1

Professional and business services........................................ 309 371 419 1.8 2.1 2.4

Education and health services................................................................. 200 212 132 1.0 1.1 .7

Educational services................................................................ 36 36 33 1.2 1.2 1.1

Health care and social assistance.................................. 163 176 98 1.0 1.0 .6

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 298 275 376 2.2 2.0 2.8

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 123 84 198 6.1 3.9 10.1

Accommodation and food services............................... 175 191 178 1.6 1.6 1.6

Other services................................................................................. 56 110 67 1.0 2.0 1.2

Government......................................................................................... 232 155 175 1.1 .7 .8

Federal................................................................................................ 92 21 20 3.2 .8 .7

State and local.................................................................................... 140 134 155 .7 .7 .8

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 334 381 387 1.3 1.5 1.5

South............................................................................................... 535 660 588 1.1 1.4 1.2

Midwest................................................................................................. 485 367 483 1.6 1.2 1.6

West....................................................................................................... 407 375 396 1.4 1.3 1.4

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

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

employment.

 3 See footnote 7, table 1.

 p = Preliminary

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 10. Other separations levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Sept. Aug. Sept. Sept. Aug. Sept.

2010 2011 2011p 2010 2011 2011p

Total........................................................................................................... 341 319 329 0.3 0.2 0.3

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 272 261 276 .3 .2 .3

Mining and logging...................................................2 1 2 .3 .1 .2

Construction...................................................................................................... 13 9 16 .2 .2 .3

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 14 22 17 .1 .2 .1

Durable goods.............................................................................. 9 16 12 .1 .2 .2

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 6 7 5 .1 .2 .1

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 79 77 79 .3 .3 .3

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 13 24 14 .2 .4 .2

Retail trade................................................................................. 47 35 44 .3 .2 .3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 18 18 21 .4 .4 .4

Information...................................................................................... 7 3 5 .3 .1 .2

Financial activities........................................................................... 13 22 17 .2 .3 .2

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 9 16 9 .2 .3 .2

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 4 7 8 .2 .3 .4

Professional and business services........................................ 62 50 74 .4 .3 .4

Education and health services................................................................. 31 38 24 .2 .2 .1

Educational services................................................................ 4 10 4 .1 .4 .1

Health care and social assistance.................................. 27 28 20 .2 .2 .1

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 39 28 30 .3 .2 .2

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

Accommodation and food services............................... 36 27 28 .3 .2 .2

Other services................................................................................. 13 9 12 .2 .2 .2

Government......................................................................................... 69 58 53 .3 .3 .2

Federal................................................................................................ 13 7 9 .4 .2 .3

State and local.................................................................................... 56 51 44 .3 .3 .2

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 67 60 55 .3 .2 .2

South............................................................................................... 137 111 97 .3 .2 .2

Midwest................................................................................................. 73 77 89 .2 .3 .3

West....................................................................................................... 64 70 88 .2 .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.

 3 See footnote 7, table 1.

 p = Preliminary

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates