1

Technical information: (202) 691-5870

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

Media contact: 691-5902

USDL 07-0197

For release: 10:00 A.M. EST

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Chart 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted,

 January 2004 - December 2006

1.5

1.7

1.9

2.1

2.3

2.5

2.7

2.9

3.1

3.3

3.5

3.7

3.9

Percent

2004 2005 2006

Chart 2. Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted,

 January 2004 - December 2006

2.5

2.7

2.9

3.1

3.3

3.5

3.7

3.9

Percent

Separations

Hires

2004 2005 2006

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: DECEMBER 2006

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

of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Despite little month-to-month change in

the hires and separations rates, there continues to be considerable churning in the labor market with large numbers of hires and separations every month. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job

openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector by industry and geographic region.

Job Openings

On the last business day of December 2006, there were 4.4 million job openings in the United States,

and the job openings rate was 3.2 percent. The job openings rate was little changed during the first half of

2006, but trended upward in the latter part of the year. The December rate is the highest since February

2001. In December, the job openings rate rose in manufacturing and in trade, transportation, and utilities; the

rate did not fall significantly in any industry. Geographically, the job openings rate increased in the Northeast

and South over the month. None of the regions experienced a significant decline in its rate. The seasonally

adjusted job openings rate was highest in December for the following industries: professional and business

services (4.4 percent), leisure and hospitality (4.1 percent), and education and health services (3.9 percent).

(See table 1.)

Over the year, the job openings rate increased in nearly half the industries and decreased only in construction and in finance and insurance. The job openings rate also rose over the year in the Northeast and West

regions. (See table 5.)
2

Total .............................................................. 3,941 4,288 4,433 4,694 5,042 4,889 4,359 4,699 4,521

Total private ............................................ 3,509 3,828 3,953 4,397 4,681 4,534 4,067 4,400 4,235

Construction ......................................... 170 103 118 426 383 321 348 420 366

Manufacturing ..................................... 313 355 395 307 370 358 355 346 358

Trade, transportation, and utilities ... 661 673 788 1,011 990 937 1,027 1,011 1,012

Professional and business services .. 750 780 814 849 1,055 1,000 735 990 860

Education and health services .......... 618 719 738 467 488 500 400 422 408

Leisure and hospitality ....................... 522 599 570 853 918 948 843 804 824

Government .............................................. 435 465 485 293 355 348 270 296 268

Total ............................................................. 2.8 3.1 3.2 3.5 3.7 3.6 3.2 3.5 3.3

Total private ............................................ 3.0 3.3 3.3 3.9 4.1 4.0 3.6 3.9 3.7

Construction ......................................... 2.2 1.4 1.6 5.8 5.1 4.3 4.7 5.6 4.9

Manufacturing ...................................... 2.2 2.4 2.7 2.2 2.6 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities .... 2.5 2.5 2.9 3.9 3.8 3.6 3.9 3.9 3.9

Professional and business services .. 4.2 4.3 4.4 5.0 6.0 5.7 4.3 5.7 4.9

Education and health services ........... 3.4 3.9 3.9 2.7 2.7 2.8 2.3 2.4 2.3

Leisure and hospitality ........................ 3.9 4.3 4.1 6.6 6.9 7.2 6.5 6.1 6.2

Government .............................................. 2.0 2.1 2.1 1.3 1.6 1.6 1.2 1.3 1.2

 Job openings

Industry

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

Hires Total separations

Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec.

2005 2006 p 2005 2006 2006 p

2005 2006 2006 p

Levels (in thousands)

2006

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

1

1

Rates (percent)

1

1

Hires

The hires rate was essentially unchanged at 3.6 percent in December. Hires are any additions to the

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

decline in the South and West regions. The seasonally adjusted hires rate was highest in December in the

leisure and hospitality industry (7.2 percent). (See table 2.)

From December 2005 to December 2006, the hires rate rose in federal government but fell in transportation, warehousing, and utilities. The hires rate did not change significantly in any region over the year.

(See table 6.)

Separations

The total separations, or turnover, rate was little changed at 3.3 percent in December. Separations are

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

declined in professional and business services and in government. Geographically, the separations rate fell in

the South over the month. From December 2005 to December 2006, the total separations rate fell in transportation, warehousing, and utilities and in arts, entertainment, and recreation; the rate did not rise significantly

in any industry. Geographically, only the rate for the Midwest region increased. The other regions did not

experience a significant change in the total separations rate over the year. (See tables 3 and 7.)

 p = preliminary.
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, was little changed at 2.0 percent in December. Over the month, the only industry or

region to experience a change in the quits rate was the professional and business services industry, in which

the rate declined. In December, the seasonally adjusted quits rate was highest in the leisure and hospitality

industry (4.4 percent), which also had the highest hires rate. (See table 4.)

Over the year, the quits rate rose in nondurable goods manufacturing but fell in construction; transportation, warehousing and utilities; and arts, entertainment, and recreation. (See table 8.)

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

seasonally adjusted. For December, the layoffs and discharges rate (1.3 percent) and level (1.8 million) were

little changed from the prior year. The construction industry had the highest layoffs and discharges rate (3.8

percent). From December 2005 to December 2006, the other separations rate decreased slightly to 0.2 percent and the level declined significantly to 286,000. (See tables 9 and 10.)

Flows in the Labor Market

Hires and separations data help show dynamic flows in the labor market. For the year 2006, hires have

averaged 4.9 million per month and separations have averaged 4.5 million per month (not seasonally adjusted).

The average monthly hires have increased each year since 2003 when there were 4.1 million hires per month.

The average monthly separations increased in 2004 and in 2005 but fell slightly in 2006. (See the Technical

Note for additional information on these measures.)

Several industries have high rates of both hires and separations. These include construction; retail trade;

professional and business services; arts, entertainment, and recreation; and accommodations and food services. In the last 12 months, these five industries produced 34.8 million hires and 32.2 million separations.

Thus, these five industries accounted for 59 percent of total nonfarm hires and 59 percent of total nonfarm

separations, while comprising only 39 percent of total nonfarm employment.

For More Information

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

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

calling (202) 691-5870.

_______________________________

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover release for January 2007 is scheduled to be issued on Tuesday,

March 13, 2007.

 Revisions to the JOLTS Data

With the release of January data on March 13, BLS will revise the job openings, hires,

and separations data to incorporate the annual updates to the Current Employment Statistics

employment estimates and the JOLTS seasonal adjustment factors. Unadjusted data from

April 2005 forward and seasonally adjusted data from December 2000 forward are subject

to revision.
Technical Note

The data for the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey

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

business establishments by the Bureau of Labor Statistics

(BLS).

Collection

Each month, data are collected in a survey of business

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

layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Data collection

methods include computer-assisted telephone interviewing,

touchtone data entry, fax, and mail.

Coverage

The JOLTS program covers all private nonfarm

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

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

the District of Columbia.

Concepts

Industry classification. The industry classifications in this

release are in accordance with the 2002 version of the North

American Industry Classification System (NAICS). In order to

ensure the highest possible quality of data, State Workforce

Agencies verify with employers and update, if necessary, the

industry code, location, and ownership classification of all

establishments on a 3-year cycle. Changes in establishment

characteristics resulting from the verification process are

always introduced into the JOLTS sampling frame with the data

reported for the first month of the year.

Employment. Employment includes persons on the payroll

who worked or received pay for the pay period that includes

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

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

employees are included, as are employees on paid vacations or

other paid leave. Proprietors or partners of unincorporated

businesses, unpaid family workers, or persons on leave without

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

employed. Employees of temporary help agencies, employee

leasing companies, outside contractors, and consultants are

counted by their employer of record, not by the establishment

where they are working.

Job openings. Establishments submit job openings

information for the last business day of the reference month.

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

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

within 30 days regardless of whether a suitable candidate is

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

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

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

Active recruiting means that the establishment is taking steps

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

posting help-wanted signs, accepting applications, or using

other similar methods.

Jobs to be filled only by internal transfers, promotions,

demotions, or recall from layoffs are excluded. Also excluded

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

for which employees have been hired but have not yet reported

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

agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors, or

consultants. The job openings rate is computed by dividing

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

openings and multiplying that quotient by 100.

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

occurring at any time during the reference month, including

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

permanent, short-term, and seasonal employees, employees

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

on-call or intermittent employees who returned to work after

having been formally separated, and transfers from other

locations. The hires count does not include transfers or

promotions within the reporting site, employees returning from

strike, employees of temporary help agencies or employee

leasing companies, outside contractors, or consultants. The

hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by

employment and multiplying that quotient by 100.

Separations. Separations are the total number of

terminations of employment occurring at any time during the

reference month, and are reported by type of separation—

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

voluntary separations by employees (except for retirements,

which are reported as other separations). Layoffs and

discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the

employer and include layoffs with no intent to rehire, formal

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

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

discharges for cause, terminations of permanent or short-term

employees, and terminations of seasonal employees. Other

separations include retirements, transfers to other locations,

deaths, and separations due to disability. Separations do not

include transfers within the same location or employees on

strike.

The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of

separations by employment and multiplying that quotient by

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

rates are computed similarly, dividing the number by

employment and multiplying by 100.

Annual estimates. Annual estimates of rates and levels of

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

separations are released with the January news release each year.

The JOLTS annual level estimates for hires, quits, layoffs

and discharges, other separations, and total separations are

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

estimates are computed by dividing the annual level by the

Current Employment Statistics (CES) annual average

employment level, and multiplying that quotient by 100. This

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

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

rounded to the nearest thousand before the annual estimates

are calculated. Consistent with BLS practices, annual estimates

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

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

measurement for the last business day of each month. Only

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

the same reason job openings cannot be cumulated throughout

each month, annual figures for job openings cannot be created

by summing the monthly estimates. Hires and separations are

flow measures and are cumulated over the month with a total

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

created by summing the monthly estimates.

Sample methodology

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

nonfarm business establishments, including factories, offices,

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

the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The establishments

are drawn from a universe of over eight million establishments

compiled as part of the operations of the Quarterly Census of

Employment and Wages, or QCEW, program. This program

includes all employers subject to state Unemployment

Insurance (UI) laws and federal agencies subject to

Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE).

The sampling frame is stratified by ownership, region,

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

with virtual certainty. JOLTS total employment estimates are

controlled to the employment estimates of the Current

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

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

elements. Rates are then computed from the adjusted levels.

Using JOLTS data

The JOLTS data series on job openings, hires, and

separations are relatively new. The full sample is divided into

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

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

Industrial Classification (SIC) system was not completely

enrolled in the survey until January 2002. The supplemental

panels of establishments needed to create NAICS estimates

were not completely enrolled until May 2003. The data

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

Therefore, estimates from earlier months should be used with

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

In March 2002, BLS procedures for collecting hires and

separations data were revised to address possible

underreporting. As a result, JOLTS hires and separations

estimates for months prior to March 2002 may not be

comparable with estimates for March 2002 and later.

The federal government reorganization that involved

transferring approximately 180,000 employees to the new

Department of Homeland Security is not reflected in the JOLTS

hires and separations estimates for the federal government.

The Office of Personnel Management’s record shows these

transfers were completed in March 2003. The inclusion of

transfers in the JOLTS definitions of hires and separations is

intended to cover ongoing movements of workers between

establishments. The Department of Homeland Security

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

of these intergovernmental transfers would distort the federal

government time series.

Seasonal adjustment

BLS seasonally adjusts several JOLTS series using the

X-12-ARIMA seasonal adjustment program. Seasonal

adjustment is the process of estimating and removing periodic

fluctuations caused by events such as weather, holidays,

and the beginning and ending of the school year. Seasonal

adjustment makes it easier to observe fundamental changes in

the level of the series, particularly those associated with

general economic expansions and contractions. A concurrent

seasonal adjustment methodology is used in which new

seasonal adjustment factors are calculated each month, using

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

month.

Data users should note that seasonal adjustment of the

JOLTS series is conducted with fewer data observations than

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

larger than normal revisions. Since the seasonal patterns in

economic data series typically emerge over time, the standard

use of moving averages as seasonal filters to capture these

effects requires longer series than are currently available. As

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

adjustment of the JOLTS data. When calculating seasonal

factors, this filter takes an average for each calendar month

after detrending the series. The stable seasonal filter assumes

that the seasonal factors are fixed; a necessary assumption

until sufficient data are available. When the stable seasonal

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

introduced, such as outlier adjustment and extended

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

such as layoffs and discharges and additional industries, may

be seasonally adjusted when more data are available.

Reliability of the estimates

JOLTS estimates are subject to both sampling and

nonsampling error. When a sample rather than the entire

population is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample

estimates may differ from the “true” population values they

represent. The exact difference, or sampling error, varies

depending on the particular sample selected, and this

variability is measured by the standard error of the estimate.

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

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

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

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

population value because of sampling error. Estimates of

sampling errors are available upon request.
The JOLTS estimates also are affected by nonsampling

error. Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, including

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

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

unwillingness of respondents to provide data on a timely basis,

mistakes made by respondents, errors made in the collection or

processing of the data, and errors from the employment

benchmark data used in estimation.

JOLTS hires and separations estimates cannot be used to

exactly explain net changes in nonfarm payroll employment.

Some reasons why it is problematic to compare changes in

payroll employment with JOLTS hires and separations,

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

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

month, while the reference period for hires and separations is

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

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

may not always work during the pay period that includes the

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

reporters systematically underreport separations relative to

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

payroll systems and practices. The shortfall appears to be

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

Other information

Information in this release will be made available to sensory

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

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

 and rates 2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

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

Total 4...................................................3,941 3,844 4,061 4,154 4,248 4,288 4,433 2.8 2.8 2.9 3.0 3.0 3.1 3.2

INDUSTRY

Total private 4

.......................................3,509 3,363 3,604 3,659 3,790 3,828 3,953 3.0 2.9 3.1 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.3

Construction....................................... 170 148 162 140 134 103 118 2.2 1.9 2.1 1.8 1.8 1.4 1.6

Manufacturing.................................... 313 305 310 307 364 355 395 2.2 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.5 2.4 2.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities......... 661 605 686 736 639 673 788 2.5 2.3 2.6 2.7 2.4 2.5 2.9

Professional and business services......... 750 651 661 728 805 780 814 4.2 3.6 3.7 4.0 4.4 4.3 4.4

Education and health services............... 618 643 678 691 754 719 738 3.4 3.5 3.7 3.7 4.0 3.9 3.9

Leisure and hospitality........................ 522 482 501 520 573 599 570 3.9 3.6 3.7 3.8 4.2 4.3 4.1

Government.......................................... 435 478 464 492 476 465 485 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.1 2.1 2.1

REGION 5

Northeast.......................................... 718 699 747 824 791 819 900 2.8 2.7 2.8 3.1 3.0 3.1 3.4

South................................................1,612 1,498 1,548 1,582 1,630 1,553 1,702 3.3 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.1 3.4

Midwest............................................. 738 739 809 783 764 776 808 2.3 2.3 2.5 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.5

West................................................ 919 911 955 991 1,062 1,119 1,055 3.0 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.4 3.6 3.4

1 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode 

of the month. Island, and Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware,

 2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, 

day of the month as a percent of total employment plus job openings. Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, 3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest: Illinois,

seasonal adjustment of the various series. Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska,

4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska,

and other services, not shown separately. Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada,

5 The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

the regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, p = preliminary.

Table 2. Hires levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

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

Total 4...................................................4,694 4,995 4,831 4,803 4,988 5,042 4,889 3.5 3.7 3.6 3.5 3.7 3.7 3.6

INDUSTRY

Total private 4

.......................................4,397 4,741 4,396 4,395 4,615 4,681 4,534 3.9 4.2 3.9 3.9 4.1 4.1 4.0

Construction....................................... 426 365 351 338 356 383 321 5.8 4.9 4.7 4.5 4.8 5.1 4.3

Manufacturing.................................... 307 380 353 325 358 370 358 2.2 2.7 2.5 2.3 2.5 2.6 2.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities......... 1,011 1,045 1,070 968 984 990 937 3.9 4.0 4.1 3.7 3.8 3.8 3.6

Professional and business services......... 849 967 860 988 994 1,055 1,000 5.0 5.6 4.9 5.7 5.7 6.0 5.7

Education and health services............... 467 521 482 465 531 488 500 2.7 2.9 2.7 2.6 3.0 2.7 2.8

Leisure and hospitality........................ 853 850 794 827 886 918 948 6.6 6.5 6.1 6.3 6.7 6.9 7.2

Government.......................................... 293 338 409 380 353 355 348 1.3 1.5 1.9 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.6

REGION 5

Northeast.......................................... 698 841 738 718 731 717 810 2.8 3.3 2.9 2.8 2.9 2.8 3.2

South................................................1,817 1,849 1,907 1,993 1,944 1,944 1,804 3.8 3.8 3.9 4.1 4.0 4.0 3.7

Midwest.............................................1,038 1,123 1,008 997 1,096 1,047 1,051 3.3 3.6 3.2 3.1 3.5 3.3 3.3

West................................................1,127 1,177 1,160 1,122 1,204 1,283 1,176 3.8 3.9 3.9 3.7 4.0 4.3 3.9

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

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

 4

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

 5

 See footnote 5, table 1. 

 p

 = preliminary.

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

Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

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

Total 4...................................................4,359 4,479 4,386 4,380 4,524 4,699 4,521 3.2 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.5 3.3

INDUSTRY

Total private 4

.......................................4,067 4,168 4,083 4,050 4,246 4,400 4,235 3.6 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.7 3.9 3.7

Construction....................................... 348 415 348 332 351 420 366 4.7 5.5 4.6 4.4 4.7 5.6 4.9

Manufacturing.................................... 355 358 364 391 344 346 358 2.5 2.5 2.6 2.8 2.4 2.4 2.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities......... 1,027 935 997 1,004 962 1,011 1,012 3.9 3.6 3.8 3.9 3.7 3.9 3.9

Professional and business services......... 735 735 705 781 933 990 860 4.3 4.2 4.1 4.5 5.3 5.7 4.9

Education and health services............... 400 431 460 390 413 422 408 2.3 2.4 2.6 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.3

Leisure and hospitality........................ 843 818 801 711 762 804 824 6.5 6.3 6.1 5.4 5.8 6.1 6.2

Government.......................................... 270 306 304 322 278 296 268 1.2 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.3 1.3 1.2

REGION 5

Northeast.......................................... 685 763 695 766 763 699 682 2.7 3.0 2.7 3.0 3.0 2.7 2.7

South................................................1,759 1,687 1,703 1,659 1,599 1,936 1,714 3.7 3.5 3.5 3.4 3.3 4.0 3.5

Midwest............................................. 934 1,087 942 904 1,028 992 1,098 3.0 3.4 3.0 2.9 3.2 3.1 3.5

West................................................ 997 979 1,070 1,031 1,101 1,053 1,029 3.4 3.3 3.6 3.4 3.7 3.5 3.4

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

3

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

4

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

5 See footnote 5, table 1.

p

 = preliminary.

Table 4. Quits levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

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

Total 4...................................................2,567 2,623 2,597 2,473 2,606 2,794 2,681 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.8 1.9 2.1 2.0

INDUSTRY

Total private 4

.......................................2,428 2,469 2,442 2,309 2,461 2,651 2,539 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.0 2.2 2.3 2.2

Construction....................................... 189 157 143 131 135 142 142 2.6 2.1 1.9 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.9

Manufacturing.................................... 184 189 194 182 195 216 221 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities......... 634 586 604 594 571 653 621 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.5 2.4

Professional and business services......... 365 412 388 401 425 495 442 2.1 2.4 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.8 2.5

Education and health services............... 254 277 300 262 278 279 270 1.4 1.6 1.7 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.5

Leisure and hospitality........................ 558 549 542 495 544 561 583 4.3 4.2 4.1 3.8 4.1 4.2 4.4

Government.......................................... 139 156 153 159 143 143 141 .6 .7 .7 .7 .6 .6 .6

REGION 5

Northeast.......................................... 390 378 404 383 366 411 378 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.6 1.5

South................................................1,069 1,081 1,095 1,029 1,047 1,141 1,134 2.2 2.2 2.3 2.1 2.2 2.4 2.3

Midwest............................................. 481 562 551 522 605 563 544 1.5 1.8 1.7 1.6 1.9 1.8 1.7

West................................................ 618 598 553 544 579 632 611 2.1 2.0 1.8 1.8 1.9 2.1 2.0

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

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

 4

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

 5 See footnote 5, table 1.

 p

 = preliminary.

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

Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec.

2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p

Total............................................................ 3,444 3,928 3,888 2.5 2.8 2.8

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................ 3,042 3,486 3,441 2.6 3.0 2.9

Natural resources and mining........................ 9 14 13 1.4 2.0 1.9

Construction............................................. 122 83 81 1.6 1.1 1.1

Manufacturing............................................. 265 305 339 1.8 2.1 2.3

Durable goods.......................................... 184 197 207 2.0 2.2 2.3

Nondurable goods.................................... 82 108 131 1.5 2.0 2.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 519 628 625 1.9 2.3 2.3

Wholesale trade....................................... 104 102 136 1.8 1.7 2.3

Retail trade............................................. 315 407 356 1.9 2.5 2.2

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 100 118 133 2.0 2.3 2.6

Information................................................ 95 153 134 3.0 4.8 4.2

Financial activities...................................... 291 227 207 3.4 2.6 2.4

Finance and insurance.............................. 235 180 137 3.7 2.8 2.2

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 56 47 70 2.6 2.1 3.1

Professional and business services............... 673 743 756 3.8 4.1 4.1

Education and health services........................ 580 671 689 3.2 3.6 3.7

Educational services................................. 63 64 67 2.1 2.0 2.1

Health care and social assistance............... 517 607 622 3.4 3.9 4.0

Leisure and hospitality................................. 407 522 452 3.1 3.9 3.4

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 34 68 43 1.9 3.7 2.4

Accommodations and food services............ 373 455 408 3.3 3.9 3.5

Other services.......................................... 80 139 146 1.5 2.5 2.6

Government................................................ 401 442 446 1.8 1.9 1.9

Federal...................................................... 40 37 36 1.4 1.3 1.3

State and local........................................... 362 405 410 1.8 2.0 2.0

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 588 786 754 2.3 3.0 2.8

South...................................................... 1,405 1,437 1,505 2.8 2.8 3.0

Midwest................................................... 634 682 699 2.0 2.1 2.1

West......................................................... 816 1,022 929 2.7 3.3 3.0

1

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

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

plus job openings.

 3 See footnote 5, table 1. p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 6. Hires levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec.

2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p

Total............................................................ 3,479 4,584 3,606 2.6 3.3 2.6

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................ 3,285 4,303 3,382 2.9 3.8 3.0

Natural resources and mining........................ 14 14 17 2.2 2.0 2.5

Construction............................................. 259 295 194 3.6 3.9 2.6

Manufacturing............................................. 211 300 245 1.5 2.1 1.7

Durable goods.......................................... 126 180 140 1.4 2.0 1.6

Nondurable goods.................................... 84 121 106 1.6 2.3 2.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 834 1,180 764 3.1 4.4 2.8

Wholesale trade....................................... 93 100 98 1.6 1.7 1.7

Retail trade............................................. 555 930 543 3.5 5.9 3.4

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 186 150 123 3.8 3.0 2.4

Information................................................ 61 69 48 2.0 2.3 1.6

Financial activities...................................... 135 200 158 1.6 2.4 1.9

Finance and insurance.............................. 97 121 101 1.6 2.0 1.6

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 38 79 57 1.8 3.6 2.6

Professional and business services............... 660 939 776 3.9 5.3 4.4

Education and health services........................ 340 411 365 1.9 2.3 2.0

Educational services................................. 43 36 33 1.5 1.2 1.1

Health care and social assistance............... 297 374 331 2.0 2.5 2.2

Leisure and hospitality................................. 636 767 712 5.1 5.9 5.5

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 72 124 102 4.1 6.9 5.7

Accommodations and food services............ 564 643 610 5.2 5.8 5.5

Other services.......................................... 134 126 103 2.5 2.3 1.9

Government................................................ 195 281 224 .9 1.2 1.0

Federal...................................................... 34 41 49 1.3 1.5 1.8

State and local........................................... 161 239 175 .8 1.2 .9

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 487 657 591 1.9 2.5 2.3

South...................................................... 1,370 1,775 1,353 2.8 3.6 2.8

Midwest................................................... 723 940 728 2.3 2.9 2.3

West......................................................... 899 1,212 934 3.0 4.0 3.1

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

 3 See footnote 5, table 1. p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 7. Total separations levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec.

2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p

Total............................................................ 4,140 4,375 4,287 3.1 3.2 3.1

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................ 3,910 4,161 4,064 3.5 3.6 3.6

Natural resources and mining........................ 16 13 16 2.5 1.9 2.3

Construction............................................. 387 453 401 5.3 6.0 5.5

Manufacturing............................................. 318 330 319 2.2 2.3 2.3

Durable goods.......................................... 195 195 186 2.2 2.2 2.1

Nondurable goods.................................... 123 135 134 2.3 2.6 2.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 1,117 939 1,095 4.2 3.5 4.1

Wholesale trade....................................... 133 119 127 2.3 2.0 2.2

Retail trade............................................. 745 679 836 4.7 4.3 5.3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 239 141 133 4.8 2.8 2.6

Information................................................ 62 70 68 2.0 2.3 2.2

Financial activities...................................... 164 195 201 2.0 2.3 2.4

Finance and insurance.............................. 104 104 129 1.7 1.7 2.1

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 60 90 72 2.8 4.2 3.3

Professional and business services............... 700 893 822 4.1 5.1 4.7

Education and health services........................ 346 346 348 2.0 1.9 1.9

Educational services................................. 45 37 42 1.5 1.2 1.4

Health care and social assistance............... 300 310 306 2.0 2.1 2.0

Leisure and hospitality................................. 691 790 680 5.5 6.1 5.3

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 99 135 57 5.7 7.6 3.2

Accommodations and food services............ 592 655 623 5.5 5.9 5.6

Other services.......................................... 109 131 113 2.0 2.4 2.1

Government................................................ 230 214 222 1.0 .9 1.0

Federal...................................................... 43 31 34 1.6 1.1 1.3

State and local........................................... 187 183 188 1.0 .9 1.0

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 694 653 681 2.7 2.5 2.6

South...................................................... 1,607 1,710 1,564 3.3 3.5 3.2

Midwest................................................... 895 994 1,071 2.8 3.1 3.4

West......................................................... 944 1,017 970 3.2 3.3 3.2

 1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month. 2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 3 See footnote 5, table 1. p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 8. Quits levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec.

2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p

Total............................................................ 2,111 2,405 2,201 1.6 1.8 1.6

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................ 2,004 2,296 2,093 1.8 2.0 1.8

Natural resources and mining........................ 6 7 7 .9 1.0 1.1

Construction............................................. 150 118 104 2.1 1.6 1.4

Manufacturing............................................. 129 169 159 .9 1.2 1.1

Durable goods.......................................... 80 101 82 .9 1.1 .9

Nondurable goods.................................... 49 67 77 .9 1.3 1.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 564 602 553 2.1 2.3 2.1

Wholesale trade....................................... 56 68 72 1.0 1.2 1.2

Retail trade............................................. 423 458 417 2.7 2.9 2.6

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 85 76 65 1.7 1.5 1.3

Information................................................ 37 43 40 1.2 1.4 1.3

Financial activities...................................... 91 117 109 1.1 1.4 1.3

Finance and insurance.............................. 61 73 70 1.0 1.2 1.1

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 30 44 39 1.4 2.0 1.8

Professional and business services............... 301 434 365 1.8 2.5 2.1

Education and health services........................ 222 234 233 1.3 1.3 1.3

Educational services................................. 21 19 19 .7 .6 .6

Health care and social assistance............... 201 215 214 1.4 1.4 1.4

Leisure and hospitality................................. 441 500 467 3.5 3.9 3.6

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 39 35 25 2.2 1.9 1.4

Accommodations and food services............ 402 465 441 3.7 4.2 4.0

Other services.......................................... 63 73 56 1.2 1.4 1.0

Government................................................ 108 109 108 .5 .5 .5

Federal...................................................... 16 16 12 .6 .6 .5

State and local........................................... 91 92 96 .5 .5 .5

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 315 358 304 1.2 1.4 1.2

South...................................................... 873 982 926 1.8 2.0 1.9

Midwest................................................... 402 505 453 1.3 1.6 1.4

West......................................................... 523 559 518 1.7 1.8 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 5, table 1. p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 9. Layoffs and discharges levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec.

2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p

Total............................................................ 1,674 1,688 1,799 1.2 1.2 1.3

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................ 1,600 1,615 1,731 1.4 1.4 1.5

Natural resources and mining........................ 8 4 7 1.2 .6 1.0

Construction............................................. 226 305 279 3.1 4.0 3.8

Manufacturing............................................. 147 141 137 1.0 1.0 1.0

Durable goods.......................................... 83 84 87 .9 .9 1.0

Nondurable goods.................................... 64 57 50 1.2 1.1 1.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 474 275 462 1.8 1.0 1.7

Wholesale trade....................................... 71 43 40 1.2 .7 .7

Retail trade............................................. 274 176 368 1.7 1.1 2.3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 129 56 55 2.6 1.1 1.1

Information................................................ 14 21 24 .4 .7 .8

Financial activities...................................... 53 69 67 .6 .8 .8

Finance and insurance.............................. 25 24 39 .4 .4 .6

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 28 46 29 1.3 2.1 1.3

Professional and business services............... 352 394 420 2.1 2.2 2.4

Education and health services........................ 92 82 90 .5 .5 .5

Educational services................................. 22 14 19 .8 .4 .6

Health care and social assistance............... 70 68 71 .5 .5 .5

Leisure and hospitality................................. 195 275 191 1.6 2.1 1.5

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 57 97 26 3.3 5.5 1.5

Accommodations and food services............ 138 178 165 1.3 1.6 1.5

Other services.......................................... 39 49 52 .7 .9 1.0

Government................................................ 75 73 69 .3 .3 .3

Federal...................................................... 19 8 13 .7 .3 .5

State and local........................................... 56 65 56 .3 .3 .3

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 331 230 331 1.3 .9 1.3

South...................................................... 613 640 535 1.3 1.3 1.1

Midwest................................................... 407 425 555 1.3 1.3 1.7

West......................................................... 323 393 378 1.1 1.3 1.2

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

employment.

 3 See footnote 5, table 1. p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 10. Other separations levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec.

2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p

Total............................................................ 355 282 286 0.3 0.2 0.2

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................ 307 249 241 .3 .2 .2

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

Construction............................................. 11 31 18 .1 .4 .2

Manufacturing............................................. 42 20 23 .3 .1 .2

Durable goods.......................................... 32 10 17 .4 .1 .2

Nondurable goods.................................... 10 10 7 .2 .2 .1

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 79 62 81 .3 .2 .3

Wholesale trade....................................... 6 8 15 .1 .1 .3

Retail trade............................................. 48 45 52 .3 .3 .3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 25 9 13 .5 .2 .3

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

Financial activities...................................... 20 9 25 .2 .1 .3

Finance and insurance.............................. 19 8 21 .3 .1 .3

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

Professional and business services............... 47 66 37 .3 .4 .2

Education and health services........................ 32 30 25 .2 .2 .1

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

Health care and social assistance............... 30 26 21 .2 .2 .1

Leisure and hospitality................................. 55 15 22 .4 .1 .2

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

Accommodations and food services............ 52 12 17 .5 .1 .1

Other services.......................................... 7 9 5 .1 .2 .1

Government................................................ 48 33 45 .2 .1 .2

Federal...................................................... 9 7 9 .3 .3 .3

State and local........................................... 39 26 37 .2 .1 .2

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 48 66 46 .2 .3 .2

South...................................................... 121 88 103 .3 .2 .2

Midwest................................................... 87 64 63 .3 .2 .2

West......................................................... 99 65 74 .3 .2 .2

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

 3 See footnote 5, table 1. 4 Data round to zero. p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region