1

Technical information: (202) 691-5870

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

Media contact: 691-5902

USDL 04-1199

For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT

Wednesday, July 7, 2004

Chart 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted,

December 2000 - May 2004

1.8

2.0

2.2

2.4

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

Percent

2001 2002 2003 2004

Chart 2. Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted,

December 2000 - May 2004

1.8

2.0

2.2

2.4

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

Percent

Separations

Hires

2001 2002 2003 2004

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: MAY 2004

There were 4.2 million hires and 4.0 million separations in May, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the

U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The number of hires outpaced the number of separations for the

13thstraight month, and there were fewer hires and separations than in April. The job openings rate was

unchanged at 2.3 percent in May. The series in this report include 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 2004, there were 3.1 million job openings in the United States, and the

job openings rate (the number of job openings on the last business day of the month divided by employment

plus job openings) was 2.3 percent. (See table 1.) The job openings rate has ranged from 2.0 percent to

2.4 percent since October 2001. In May, the job openings rate edged down in manufacturing and showed

little or no change for other major industry categories.

Hires and Separations

The hires rate (the number of hires during the month divided by employment) decreased to 3.2 percent

in May. (See table 2.) Hires are any additions to the payroll during the month. The hires rate decreased in

trade, transportation, and utilities and government over the month, while other major industries showed little

or no change in their hires rates.

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

employment) was 3.1 percent in May and has remained in the range of 2.9 percent to 3.3 percent since
2

Total............................................................ 4,398 4,173 3,736 4,088 4,003

Total private 1....................................... 3,652 4,090 3,907 3,456 3,843

Construction ................................... 90 105 430 421 405 364 391 360

Manufacturing ................................ 180 251 305 354 332 375 353 375

Trade, transportation, and

utilities ........................................... 422 531 522 837 1,032 927 784 1,013 903

Professional and business

services ......................................... 461 518 521 527 609 624 437 606 571

Education and health services .... 563 576 556 425 460 452 410 386 375

Leisure and hospitality ................. 326 376 387 686 766 725 700 679 697

Government .......................................... 350 354 375 307 300 268 267 245 257

Total 1......................................................... 2.1 2.3 2.3 3.0 3.4 3.2 2.9 3.1 3.1

Total private 1....................................... 2.1 2.5 2.4 3.4 3.7 3.6 3.2 3.5 3.4

Construction ................................... 1.3 1.5 1.4 6.4 6.1 5.9 5.4 5.7 5.2

Manufacturing ................................ 1.2 1.7 1.6 2.1 2.5 2.3 2.6 2.5 2.6

Trade, transportation, and

utilities ........................................... 1.6 2.0 2.0 3.3 4.1 3.6 3.1 4.0 3.5

Professional and business

services ......................................... 2.8 3.1 3.1 3.3 3.7 3.8 2.7 3.7 3.5

Education and health services .... 3.3 3.3 3.2 2.6 2.7 2.7 2.5 2.3 2.2

Leisure and hospitality ................. 2.6 3.0 3.0 5.7 6.2 5.9 5.8 5.5 5.6

Government .......................................... 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.4 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.2

 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

2003 2004p 2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Levels (in thousands)

Rates (percent)

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

 p = preliminary.

2004

3,958

2,370

2,723

2,778

3,135

3,745

December 2001. Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any time during the month. The

total separations rate for trade, transportation, and utilities decreased to 3.5 percent in May, and the total

separations rate in construction continued on a downward trend. The other major industries showed little

change in their total separations rates over the month. (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, edged down to 1.6 percent in May. (See table 4.) The quits rate fell in professional

and business services and edged down in manufacturing over the month. Quits as a percent of total separations fell to 53.8 percent in May, after increasing each month since December 2003. The other two

components of total separations, layoffs and discharges (1.0 percent) and other separations (0.2 percent),

are not seasonally adjusted and were unchanged over the year. (See tables 9 and 10.)

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

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

Note for additional information on these measures.) Hires have outpaced separations in each of the last 13

months. In April and May, hires outpaced separations in every industry except manufacturing.

98

231

2,727

3,104
3

For More Information

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

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

 (202) 691-5870.

______________________________

The report on Job Openings and Labor Turnover for June 2004 is scheduled to be released on

Wednesday, August 11, 2004.
Technical Note

The data for the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey

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

business establishments by the Bureau of Labor Statistics

(BLS).

Collection

Each month, data are collected in a survey of business

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

layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Data collection

methods include computer-assisted telephone interviewing,

touchtone data entry, fax, and mail.

Coverage

The JOLTS program covers all private nonfarm

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

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

the District of Columbia.

Concepts

Industry classification. The industry classifications in this

release are in accordance with the 2002 version of the North

American Industry Classification System (NAICS). In order to

ensure the highest possible quality of data, State Employment

Security Agencies verify with employers and update, if

necessary, the industry code, location, and ownership

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

in establishment characteristics resulting from the verification

process are always introduced into the JOLTS sampling frame

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

Employment. Employment includes persons on the payroll

who worked or received pay for the pay period that includes

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

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

employees are included, as are employees on paid vacations or

other paid leave. Proprietors or partners of unincorporated

businesses, unpaid family workers, or persons on leave without

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

employed. Employees of temporary help agencies, employee

leasing companies, outside contractors, and consultants are

counted by their employer of record, not by the establishment

where they are working.

Job openings. Establishments submit job openings

information for the last business day of the reference month.

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

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

within 30 days regardless of whether a suitable candidate is

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

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

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

Active recruiting means that the establishment is taking steps

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

posting help-wanted signs, accepting applications, or using

other similar methods.

Jobs to be filled only by internal transfers, promotions,

demotions, or recall from layoffs are excluded. Also excluded

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

for which employees have been hired but have not yet reported

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

agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors, or

consultants. The job openings rate is computed by dividing

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

openings and multiplying that quotient by 100.

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

occurring at any time during the reference month, including

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

permanent, short-term, and seasonal employees, employees

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

on-call or intermittent employees who returned to work after

having been formally separated, and transfers from other

locations. The hires count does not include transfers or

promotions within the reporting site, employees returning from

strike, employees of temporary help agencies or employee

leasing companies, outside contractors, or consultants. The

hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by

employment and multiplying that quotient by 100.

Separations. Separations are the total number of

terminations of employment occurring at any time during the

reference month, and are reported by type of separation—

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

voluntary separations by employees (except for retirements,

which are reported as other separations). Layoffs and

discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the

employer and include layoffs with no intent to rehire, formal

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

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

discharges for cause, terminations of permanent or short-term

employees, and terminations of seasonal employees. Other

separations include retirements, transfers to other locations,

deaths, and separations due to disability. Separations do not

include transfers within the same location or employees on

strike.

The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of

separations by employment and multiplying that quotient by

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

rates are computed similarly, dividing the number by

employment and multiplying by 100.

Sample methodology

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

nonfarm business establishments, including factories, offices,

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

the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The establishments

are drawn from a universe of over eight million establishments

compiled as part of the operations of the Quarterly Census of

Employment and Wages, or QCEW, program. This program

includes all employers subject to state Unemployment

Insurance (UI) laws and federal agencies subject to

Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE).

The sampling frame is stratified by ownership, region,

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

controlled to the employment estimates of the Current

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

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

elements. Rates are then computed from the adjusted levels.

Using JOLTS data

The JOLTS data series on job openings, hires, and

separations are relatively new. The full sample is divided into

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

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

Industrial Classification (SIC) system was not completely

enrolled in the survey until January 2002. The supplemental

panels of establishments needed to create NAICS estimates

were not completely enrolled until May 2003. The data

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

Therefore, estimates from earlier months should be used with

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

In March 2002, BLS procedures for collecting hires and

separations data were revised to address possible

underreporting. As a result, JOLTS hires and separations

estimates for months prior to March 2002 may not be

comparable with estimates for March 2002 and later.

The federal government reorganization that involved

transferring approximately 180,000 employees to the new

Department of Homeland Security is not reflected in the JOLTS

hires and separations estimates for the federal government.

The Office of Personnel Management’s record shows these

transfers were completed in March 2003. The inclusion of

transfers in the JOLTS definitions of hires and separations is

intended to cover ongoing movements of workers between

establishments. The Department of Homeland Security

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

of these intergovernmental transfers would distort the federal

government time series.

Seasonal adjustment

BLS seasonally adjusts several JOLTS series using the

X-12-ARIMA seasonal adjustment program. Seasonal

adjustment is the process of estimating and removing periodic

fluctuations caused by events such as weather, holidays, and

the beginning and ending of the school year. Seasonal

adjustment makes it easier to observe fundamental changes in

the level of the series, particularly those associated with

general economic expansions and contractions. A concurrent

seasonal adjustment methodology is used in which new

seasonal adjustment factors are calculated each month, using

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

month.

Data users should note that seasonal adjustment of the

JOLTS series is conducted with fewer data observations than

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

larger than normal revisions. Since the seasonal patterns in

economic data series typically emerge over time, the standard

use of moving averages as seasonal filters to capture these

effects requires longer series than are currently available. As

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

adjustment of the JOLTS data. When calculating seasonal

factors, this filter takes an average for each calendar month

after detrending the series. The stable seasonal filter assumes

that the seasonal factors are fixed; a necessary assumption

until sufficient data are available. When the stable seasonal

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

introduced, such as outlier adjustment and extended

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

such as layoffs and discharges and additional industries, may

be seasonally adjusted when more data are available.

Reliability of the estimates

JOLTS estimates are subject to both sampling and

nonsampling error. When a sample rather than the entire

population is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample

estimates may differ from the “true” population values they

represent. The exact difference, or sampling error, varies

depending on the particular sample selected, and this

variability is measured by the standard error of the estimate.

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

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

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

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

population value because of sampling error. Estimates of

sampling errors are available upon request.

The JOLTS estimates also are affected by nonsampling

error. Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, including

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

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

unwillingness of respondents to provide data on a timely basis,

mistakes made by respondents, errors made in the collection or

processing of the data, and errors from the employment

benchmark data used in estimation.

JOLTS hires and separations estimates cannot be used to

exactly explain net changes in nonfarm payroll employment.

Some reasons why it is problematic to compare changes in

payroll employment with JOLTS hires and separations,

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

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

month, while the reference period for hires and separations is

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

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

may not always work during the pay period that includes the

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

reporters systematically underreport separations relative to

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

payroll systems and practices. The shortfall appears to be

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

Other information

Information in this release will be made available to sensory

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

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

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

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 2,723 3,062 2,868 2,906 3,079 3,135 3,104 2.1 2.3 2.2 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.3

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 2,370 2,719 2,518 2,534 2,740 2,778 2,727 2.1 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.5 2.5 2.4

Construction........................................................................ 90 110 106 99 113 105 98 1.3 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.6 1.5 1.4

Manufacturing................................................................ 180 234 233 226 232 251 231 1.2 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 422 520 430 458 524 531 522 1.6 2.0 1.7 1.8 2.0 2.0 2.0

Professional and business services......................... 461 594 501 491 502 518 521 2.8 3.5 3.0 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.1

Education and health services................................................. 563 520 549 551 559 576 556 3.3 3.0 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.2

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 326 399 368 383 370 376 387 2.6 3.2 2.9 3.0 2.9 3.0 3.0

Government......................................................................................... 350 351 350 364 353 354 375 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.7

REGION

Northeast......................................................................... 513 541 476 500 569 560 515 2.0 2.1 1.9 2.0 2.2 2.2 2.0

South............................................................................................... 1,026 1,204 1,132 1,112 1,176 1,191 1,195 2.2 2.6 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.5

Midwest......................................................................................... 591 666 679 680 663 692 679 1.9 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.2 2.1

West...................................................................................... 607 649 586 632 655 694 734 2.1 2.2 2.0 2.2 2.2 2.4 2.5

1

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

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

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

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

 

3

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

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

 

4

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

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

 

P

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

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

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

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

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 3,958 4,216 4,106 4,103 4,603 4,398 4,173 3.0 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.5 3.4 3.2

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 3,652 3,923 3,800 3,772 4,256 4,090 3,907 3.4 3.6 3.5 3.5 3.9 3.7 3.6

Construction........................................................................ 430 404 358 382 437 421 405 6.4 6.0 5.3 5.6 6.4 6.1 5.9

Manufacturing................................................................ 305 340 349 355 361 354 332 2.1 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 837 913 957 945 1,009 1,032 927 3.3 3.6 3.8 3.7 4.0 4.1 3.6

Professional and business services......................... 527 650 708 529 713 609 624 3.3 4.0 4.4 3.3 4.4 3.7 3.8

Education and health services................................................. 425 427 416 447 444 460 452 2.6 2.5 2.5 2.7 2.6 2.7 2.7

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 686 753 715 766 810 766 725 5.7 6.2 5.9 6.3 6.6 6.2 5.9

Government......................................................................................... 307 300 295 323 343 300 268 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.4 1.2

REGION

Northeast......................................................................... 675 792 722 689 744 810 695 2.7 3.2 2.9 2.8 3.0 3.2 2.8

South............................................................................................... 1,468 1,517 1,585 1,608 1,781 1,582 1,612 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.9 3.4 3.5

Midwest......................................................................................... 881 897 921 953 1,040 991 941 2.9 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.4 3.2 3.0

West...................................................................................... 927 992 883 876 1,029 1,093 944 3.3 3.5 3.1 3.1 3.6 3.8 3.3

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

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

 

3

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

 

4

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

 

P

 = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels3 (in thousands) Rates

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

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

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 3,736 4,022 3,968 4,073 4,134 4,088 4,003 2.9 3.1 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.1 3.1

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 3,456 3,723 3,716 3,807 3,868 3,843 3,745 3.2 3.4 3.4 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.4

Construction........................................................................ 364 391 436 400 392 391 360 5.4 5.8 6.4 5.9 5.7 5.7 5.2

Manufacturing................................................................ 375 343 323 355 377 353 375 2.6 2.4 2.3 2.5 2.6 2.5 2.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 784 968 936 899 978 1,013 903 3.1 3.8 3.7 3.5 3.8 4.0 3.5

Professional and business services......................... 437 575 572 590 597 606 571 2.7 3.6 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.5

Education and health services................................................. 410 330 389 388 382 386 375 2.5 2.0 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.2

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 700 723 709 727 715 679 697 5.8 5.9 5.8 5.9 5.8 5.5 5.6

Government......................................................................................... 267 269 258 268 284 245 257 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.1 1.2

REGION

Northeast......................................................................... 697 687 712 688 666 716 644 2.8 2.8 2.9 2.8 2.7 2.9 2.6

South............................................................................................... 1,337 1,518 1,505 1,499 1,612 1,524 1,483 2.9 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.5 3.3 3.2

Midwest......................................................................................... 848 901 903 929 938 877 837 2.8 2.9 2.9 3.0 3.0 2.8 2.7

West...................................................................................... 867 898 896 941 1,003 959 1,001 3.1 3.2 3.2 3.3 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

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

 

4

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

 

P

 = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

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

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

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 2,013 2,131 2,118 2,178 2,271 2,278 2,152 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.6

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 1,889 2,010 2,002 2,051 2,144 2,151 2,014 1.7 1.9 1.8 1.9 2.0 2.0 1.8

Construction........................................................................ 134 171 148 133 154 149 139 2.0 2.5 2.2 2.0 2.3 2.2 2.0

Manufacturing................................................................ 149 178 165 169 176 189 167 1.0 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 475 534 530 493 530 563 520 1.9 2.1 2.1 1.9 2.1 2.2 2.0

Professional and business services......................... 240 256 261 302 309 323 257 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.9 1.9 2.0 1.6

Education and health services................................................. 228 212 237 234 252 245 220 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.3

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 439 462 428 447 465 429 454 3.6 3.8 3.5 3.7 3.8 3.5 3.7

Government......................................................................................... 120 119 116 126 129 129 130 .6 .6 .5 .6 .6 .6 .6

REGION

Northeast......................................................................... 311 315 288 319 314 390 312 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.6 1.2

South............................................................................................... 798 894 852 867 957 888 851 1.7 1.9 1.9 1.9 2.1 1.9 1.8

Midwest......................................................................................... 459 465 513 455 474 479 473 1.5 1.5 1.7 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5

West...................................................................................... 426 436 475 520 565 524 518 1.5 1.5 1.7 1.8 2.0 1.8 1.8

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

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

 

3

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

 

4

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

 

P

 = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels3 (in thousands) Rates

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total........................................................................................................... 2,954 3,307 3,381 2.2 2.5 2.5

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 2,575 2,951 2,970 2.3 2.6 2.6

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

Construction...................................................................................................... 118 137 126 1.7 2.0 1.8

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 198 254 259 1.3 1.7 1.8

Durable goods.............................................................................. 114 166 165 1.3 1.8 1.8

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 84 88 95 1.5 1.6 1.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 435 553 541 1.7 2.1 2.1

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 75 118 120 1.3 2.0 2.1

Retail trade................................................................................. 283 351 345 1.9 2.3 2.2

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................77 84 76 1.6 1.7 1.6

Information...................................................................................... 45 70 77 1.4 2.2 2.4

Financial activities........................................................................... 171 220 199 2.1 2.7 2.4

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 138 177 154 2.3 2.9 2.5

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 33 43 45 1.6 2.1 2.1

Professional and business services........................................ 497 546 561 3.0 3.2 3.3

Education and health services................................................................. 581 578 575 3.4 3.3 3.3

Educational services................................................................ 45 51 52 1.6 1.7 1.8

Health care and social assistance.................................. 536 527 523 3.7 3.6 3.6

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 381 446 457 3.0 3.5 3.5

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 36 45 59 1.9 2.5 3.1

Accommodations and food services............................... 344 401 398 3.2 3.7 3.6

Other services................................................................................. 142 141 168 2.6 2.5 3.0

Government......................................................................................... 379 355 411 1.7 1.6 1.8

Federal................................................................................................ 41 46 42 1.5 1.6 1.5

State and local.................................................................................... 338 310 369 1.7 1.6 1.9

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 580 585 572 2.3 2.3 2.2

South............................................................................................... 1,102 1,249 1,289 2.3 2.6 2.7

Midwest................................................................................................. 614 746 710 2.0 2.4 2.2

West....................................................................................................... 657 727 810 2.3 2.5 2.7

1

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

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

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 6. Hires levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total........................................................................................................... 4,527 4,668 4,761 3.5 3.6 3.6

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 4,200 4,444 4,476 3.9 4.1 4.1

Natural resources and mining................................................... 26 27 23 4.6 4.7 4.0

Construction...................................................................................................... 532 552 502 7.9 8.2 7.2

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 359 377 382 2.5 2.6 2.7

Durable goods.............................................................................. 225 227 232 2.5 2.5 2.6

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 133 150 150 2.4 2.8 2.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 921 1,013 1,026 3.7 4.0 4.0

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 133 174 136 2.4 3.1 2.4

Retail trade................................................................................. 689 708 728 4.6 4.8 4.9

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................99 130 163 2.1 2.7 3.4

Information...................................................................................... 70 66 64 2.2 2.1 2.0

Financial activities........................................................................... 192 190 218 2.4 2.4 2.7

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 112 112 119 1.9 1.9 2.0

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 81 78 99 3.9 3.8 4.7

Professional and business services........................................ 582 695 692 3.7 4.3 4.2

Education and health services................................................................. 410 401 439 2.5 2.4 2.6

Educational services................................................................ 40 37 37 1.5 1.3 1.3

Health care and social assistance.................................. 370 365 401 2.7 2.6 2.8

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 914 930 956 7.4 7.6 7.6

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 191 167 148 10.2 9.5 7.9

Accommodations and food services............................... 724 763 808 7.0 7.3 7.6

Other services................................................................................. 192 192 174 3.6 3.5 3.2

Government......................................................................................... 327 224 285 1.5 1.0 1.3

Federal................................................................................................ 54 36 35 1.9 1.3 1.3

State and local.................................................................................... 273 188 250 1.4 1.0 1.3

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 814 794 821 3.3 3.2 3.2

South............................................................................................... 1,625 1,638 1,789 3.5 3.5 3.8

Midwest................................................................................................. 1,067 1,115 1,122 3.5 3.6 3.6

West....................................................................................................... 1,021 1,121 1,029 3.6 3.9 3.6

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

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

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total........................................................................................................... 3,689 3,759 3,870 2.8 2.9 2.9

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 3,402 3,578 3,595 3.1 3.3 3.3

Natural resources and mining................................................... 16 18 19 2.9 3.1 3.2

Construction...................................................................................................... 322 322 305 4.8 4.8 4.4

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 347 339 357 2.4 2.4 2.5

Durable goods.............................................................................. 215 196 207 2.4 2.2 2.3

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 132 143 150 2.4 2.6 2.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 804 886 878 3.2 3.5 3.5

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 134 135 149 2.4 2.4 2.6

Retail trade................................................................................. 566 629 605 3.8 4.2 4.0

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 104 122 124 2.2 2.6 2.6

Information...................................................................................... 63 85 57 2.0 2.7 1.8

Financial activities........................................................................... 144 146 155 1.8 1.8 1.9

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 91 86 96 1.5 1.5 1.6

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 53 60 59 2.6 2.9 2.8

Professional and business services........................................ 469 606 598 2.9 3.7 3.6

Education and health services................................................................. 424 355 384 2.5 2.1 2.3

Educational services................................................................ 68 30 56 2.5 1.0 2.0

Health care and social assistance.................................. 356 325 328 2.6 2.3 2.3

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 675 678 659 5.5 5.5 5.2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 80 118 71 4.3 6.7 3.8

Accommodations and food services............................... 596 560 588 5.7 5.3 5.5

Other services................................................................................. 138 144 183 2.6 2.7 3.4

Government......................................................................................... 287 181 276 1.3 .8 1.3

Federal................................................................................................ 32 26 29 1.2 .9 1.1

State and local.................................................................................... 255 156 247 1.3 .8 1.3

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 634 624 569 2.5 2.5 2.3

South............................................................................................... 1,388 1,456 1,517 3.0 3.1 3.3

Midwest................................................................................................. 848 776 824 2.7 2.5 2.6

West....................................................................................................... 820 903 960 2.9 3.2 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.

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 8. Quits levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total........................................................................................................... 2,098 2,184 2,233 1.6 1.7 1.7

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 1,962 2,085 2,085 1.8 1.9 1.9

Natural resources and mining................................................... 7 10 8 1.2 1.7 1.4

Construction...................................................................................................... 137 151 140 2.0 2.2 2.0

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 158 191 176 1.1 1.3 1.2

Durable goods.............................................................................. 95 116 108 1.1 1.3 1.2

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 63 75 68 1.1 1.4 1.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 501 543 531 2.0 2.2 2.1

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 68 65 92 1.2 1.1 1.6

Retail trade................................................................................. 377 422 384 2.5 2.8 2.6

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................56 56 55 1.2 1.2 1.1

Information...................................................................................... 37 51 32 1.2 1.6 1.0

Financial activities........................................................................... 80 95 110 1.0 1.2 1.4

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 53 57 66 .9 1.0 1.1

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 27 38 44 1.3 1.9 2.1

Professional and business services........................................ 262 305 266 1.6 1.9 1.6

Education and health services................................................................. 244 231 231 1.5 1.4 1.4

Educational services................................................................ 30 16 24 1.1 .6 .9

Health care and social assistance.................................. 215 214 207 1.5 1.5 1.5

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 452 413 473 3.7 3.4 3.8

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 39 44 35 2.1 2.5 1.9

Accommodations and food services............................... 413 369 438 4.0 3.5 4.1

Other services................................................................................. 84 96 116 1.6 1.8 2.1

Government......................................................................................... 136 98 149 .6 .4 .7

Federal................................................................................................ 16 12 13 .6 .4 .5

State and local.................................................................................... 120 86 136 .6 .4 .7

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 319 339 313 1.3 1.3 1.2

South............................................................................................... 837 888 881 1.8 1.9 1.9

Midwest................................................................................................. 488 450 500 1.6 1.5 1.6

West....................................................................................................... 454 507 540 1.6 1.8 1.9

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

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

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total........................................................................................................... 1,308 1,328 1,323 1.0 1.0 1.0

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 1,212 1,280 1,250 1.1 1.2 1.1

Natural resources and mining................................................... 6 5 7 1.1 .9 1.3

Construction...................................................................................................... 179 155 156 2.6 2.3 2.2

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 158 122 146 1.1 .9 1.0

Durable goods.............................................................................. 100 61 75 1.1 .7 .8

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 58 61 71 1.0 1.1 1.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 240 287 287 1.0 1.1 1.1

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 51 61 51 .9 1.1 .9

Retail trade................................................................................. 151 176 178 1.0 1.2 1.2

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................38 50 58 .8 1.1 1.2

Information...................................................................................... 23 25 22 .7 .8 .7

Financial activities........................................................................... 43 30 32 .5 .4 .4

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 24 14 21 .4 .2 .3

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 19 16 12 .9 .8 .6

Professional and business services........................................ 176 270 281 1.1 1.7 1.7

Education and health services................................................................. 150 103 117 .9 .6 .7

Educational services................................................................ 34 10 27 1.2 .3 1.0

Health care and social assistance.................................. 116 93 89 .8 .7 .6

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 199 238 155 1.6 1.9 1.2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 39 72 34 2.1 4.1 1.8

Accommodations and food services............................... 160 166 121 1.5 1.6 1.1

Other services................................................................................. 39 44 49 .7 .8 .9

Government......................................................................................... 96 47 72 .4 .2 .3

Federal................................................................................................ 6 6 6 .2 .2 .2

State and local.................................................................................... 90 42 67 .5 .2 .3

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 252 238 187 1.0 .9 .7

South............................................................................................... 456 473 539 1.0 1.0 1.2

Midwest................................................................................................. 303 272 266 1.0 .9 .9

West....................................................................................................... 296 345 331 1.0 1.2 1.1

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

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

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May

2003 2004 2004p 2003 2004 2004p

Total........................................................................................................... 284 248 314 0.2 0.2 0.2

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 229 213 260 .2 .2 .2

Natural resources and mining................................................... 3 3 3 .6 .5 .5

Construction...................................................................................................... 6 16 10 .1 .2 .1

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 31 26 35 .2 .2 .2

Durable goods.............................................................................. 19 19 24 .2 .2 .3

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 12 7 11 .2 .1 .2

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 62 56 60 .2 .2 .2

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 14 10 7 .3 .2 .1

Retail trade................................................................................. 38 30 43 .3 .2 .3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................10 16 11 .2 .3 .2

Information...................................................................................... 2 9 4 .1 .3 .1

Financial activities........................................................................... 22 21 12 .3 .3 .1

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 15 15 9 .2 .2 .1

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 7 6 3 .3 .3 .1

Professional and business services........................................ 31 32 50 .2 .2 .3

Education and health services................................................................. 30 21 36 .2 .1 .2

Educational services................................................................ 5 4 5 .2 .1 .2

Health care and social assistance.................................. 25 17 32 .2 .1 .2

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 25 26 30 .2 .2 .2

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

Accommodations and food services............................... 23 25 29 .2 .2 .3

Other services................................................................................. 15 4 19 .3 .1 .3

Government......................................................................................... 55 36 54 .3 .2 .2

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

State and local.................................................................................... 46 28 45 .2 .1 .2

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 62 47 70 .2 .2 .3

South............................................................................................... 95 96 96 .2 .2 .2

Midwest................................................................................................. 57 54 58 .2 .2 .2

West....................................................................................................... 69 51 90 .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.

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels (in thousands) Rates