1

Technical information: (202) 691-5870

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

Media contact: 691-5902

USDL 05-622

For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT

Tuesday, April 12, 2005

Chart 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted,

 December 2000 - February 2005

1.8

2.0

2.2

2.4

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

Percent

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Chart 2. Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted,

 December 2000 - February 2005

1.8

2.0

2.2

2.4

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

Percent

Separations

Hires

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: FEBRUARY 2005

The job openings rate was unchanged in February at 2.5 percent, while the hires and total separations

rates were little changed at 3.5 and 3.1 percent, respectively, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S.

Department of Labor reported today. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector by industry and geographic region.

Job Openings

On the last business day of February 2005, there were 3.5 million job openings in the United States, and

the job openings rate was 2.5 percent. (See table 1.) The job openings rate has generally trended upward

since September 2003. In February, the job openings rate increased for government; trade, transportation,

and utilities; and education and health services. The job openings rate fell in the professional and business

services sector. The job openings rate rose slightly in the West region but showed little or no change in the

other regions of the country.

Hires and Separations

The hires rate (the number of hires during the month divided by employment) was 3.5 percent in February, essentially unchanged from a month earlier. (See table 2.) Hires are any additions to the payroll

during the month. Professional and business services and leisure and hospitality were the only two industries showing significant change in the hires rate from January to February; both industries registered declines.

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

employment) was 3.1 percent in February. The overall total separations rate is near its most recent low
2

Total............................................................ 4,159 4,709 4,595 4,196 4,352 4,157

 Total private ........................................ 3,832 4,374 4,271 3,926 4,091

Construction ................................... 114 127 352 339 406 378 417 408

Manufacturing ................................ 206 252 361 307 327 345 361 338

Trade, transportation, and

utilities ........................................... 474 564 627 978 1,056 1,054 1,003 882 914

Professional and business

services ......................................... 493 682 604 549 882 773 645 836 734

Education and health services .... 542 560 603 453 445 477 389 356 372

Leisure and hospitality ................. 399 434 408 779 826 740 725 832 778

Government .......................................... 344 346 387 338 341 330 273 258 263

Total 1......................................................... 2.2 2.5 2.5 3.2 3.6 3.5 3.2 3.3 3.1

Total private 1....................................... 2.3 2.7 2.7 3.5 3.9 3.8 3.6 3.7 3.5

Construction ................................... 1.6 1.8 1.9 5.1 4.8 5.7 5.5 5.9 5.7

Manufacturing ................................ 1.4 1.7 1.7 2.5 2.1 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.4

Trade, transportation, and

utilities ........................................... 1.8 2.2 2.4 3.9 4.1 4.1 4.0 3.4 3.6

Professional and business

services ......................................... 3.0 3.9 3.5 3.4 5.3 4.6 4.0 5.0 4.4

Education and health services .... 3.1 3.2 3.4 2.7 2.6 2.8 2.3 2.1 2.2

Leisure and hospitality ................. 3.1 3.3 3.1 6.3 6.6 5.9 5.9 6.6 6.2

Government .......................................... 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.3 1.2 1.2

 Job openings

Industry

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

Hires Total separations

Feb. Jan. Feb. Feb. Jan. Feb. Feb. Jan. Feb.

2004 2005p 2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Levels (in thousands)

Rates (percent)

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

 p = preliminary.

2005

2,606

2,961

3,020

3,385

3,894

140

246

3,053

3,458

1

1

reached in November 2003. Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any time during the

month. (See table 3.) The total separations rate fell in the professional and business services industry and

in the South region in February.

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, declined to 1.7 percent in February. (See table 4.) The quits rate fell in February

for private industries overall, for the leisure and hospitality industry, and for the Northeast and South regions.

The other two components of total separations, layoffs and discharges and other separations, are not seasonally adjusted. The layoffs and discharges rate (1.0 percent) was little changed from February 2004 to

February 2005; the other separations rate (0.2 percent) was unchanged. (See tables 9 and 10.)

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

have averaged 4.6 million per month and separations have averaged 4.3 million per month. The comparable

figures a year earlier were 4.1 million hires and 4.0 million separations. (See the Technical Note for additional information on these measures.)
3

For More Information

For additional information, please see the Technical Note or the JOLTS Web site 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 Job Openings and Labor Turnover release for March 2005 is scheduled to be issued on

Tuesday, May 10, 2005.
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 Feb. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Feb. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb.

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 2,961 3,265 3,300 3,277 3,507 3,385 3,458 2.2 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.6 2.5 2.5

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 2,606 2,905 2,924 2,910 3,106 3,020 3,053 2.3 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.7 2.7 2.7

Construction........................................................................ 114 105 114 118 132 127 140 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.8 1.8 1.9

Manufacturing................................................................ 206 245 250 248 266 252 246 1.4 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 474 609 559 554 561 564 627 1.8 2.3 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.4

Professional and business services......................... 493 583 602 620 699 682 604 3.0 3.4 3.5 3.6 4.0 3.9 3.5

Education and health services................................................. 542 529 547 543 557 560 603 3.1 3.0 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.2 3.4

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 399 419 413 411 450 434 408 3.1 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.4 3.3 3.1

Government......................................................................................... 344 360 400 369 396 346 387 1.6 1.6 1.8 1.7 1.8 1.6 1.7

REGION

Northeast......................................................................... 528 564 562 560 620 602 565 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.4 2.3 2.2

South............................................................................................... 1,172 1,239 1,318 1,250 1,329 1,342 1,375 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.6 2.8 2.8 2.8

Midwest......................................................................................... 680 699 688 726 740 716 724 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.3

West...................................................................................... 583 797 742 759 792 718 798 2.0 2.7 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.4 2.7

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 Feb. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Feb. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb.

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 4,159 4,406 4,552 4,990 4,639 4,709 4,595 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.8 3.5 3.6 3.5

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 3,832 3,957 4,216 4,652 4,337 4,374 4,271 3.5 3.6 3.8 4.2 3.9 3.9 3.8

Construction........................................................................ 352 363 353 373 368 339 406 5.1 5.2 5.0 5.3 5.2 4.8 5.7

Manufacturing................................................................ 361 361 353 386 324 307 327 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.7 2.3 2.1 2.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 978 908 977 1,077 986 1,056 1,054 3.9 3.6 3.8 4.2 3.8 4.1 4.1

Professional and business services......................... 549 761 812 935 878 882 773 3.4 4.6 4.9 5.6 5.3 5.3 4.6

Education and health services................................................. 453 416 420 447 452 445 477 2.7 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.8

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 779 772 801 858 834 826 740 6.3 6.2 6.4 6.8 6.6 6.6 5.9

Government......................................................................................... 338 375 318 335 307 341 330 1.6 1.7 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.6 1.5

REGION

Northeast......................................................................... 704 794 811 851 858 762 774 2.8 3.1 3.2 3.4 3.4 3.0 3.1

South............................................................................................... 1,666 1,754 1,809 1,903 1,770 1,880 1,827 3.6 3.8 3.9 4.1 3.8 4.0 3.9

Midwest......................................................................................... 974 889 1,013 1,149 1,043 1,092 1,038 3.2 2.8 3.2 3.7 3.3 3.5 3.3

West...................................................................................... 910 963 916 1,014 970 959 1,032 3.2 3.3 3.2 3.5 3.4 3.3 3.5

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

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

 

3

 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 Feb. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Feb. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb.

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 4,196 4,214 4,215 4,266 4,435 4,352 4,157 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.3 3.1

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 3,926 3,918 3,957 3,996 4,146 4,091 3,894 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.5

Construction........................................................................ 378 377 425 351 355 417 408 5.5 5.4 6.0 5.0 5.0 5.9 5.7

Manufacturing................................................................ 345 368 354 327 353 361 338 2.4 2.6 2.5 2.3 2.5 2.5 2.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 1,003 909 889 943 1,062 882 914 4.0 3.6 3.5 3.7 4.1 3.4 3.6

Professional and business services......................... 645 686 585 822 833 836 734 4.0 4.2 3.5 4.9 5.0 5.0 4.4

Education and health services................................................. 389 380 376 408 375 356 372 2.3 2.2 2.2 2.4 2.2 2.1 2.2

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 725 732 767 727 758 832 778 5.9 5.8 6.1 5.8 6.0 6.6 6.2

Government......................................................................................... 273 305 263 275 274 258 263 1.3 1.4 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.2

REGION

Northeast......................................................................... 749 725 711 756 773 773 681 3.0 2.9 2.8 3.0 3.0 3.1 2.7

South............................................................................................... 1,554 1,604 1,614 1,594 1,707 1,747 1,578 3.4 3.4 3.5 3.4 3.6 3.7 3.3

Midwest......................................................................................... 901 922 952 1,041 986 981 947 2.9 3.0 3.0 3.3 3.1 3.1 3.0

West...................................................................................... 977 982 896 826 953 964 954 3.4 3.4 3.1 2.9 3.3 3.3 3.3

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

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

 

3

 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 Feb. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Feb. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb.

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 2,130 2,291 2,344 2,436 2,495 2,530 2,225 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.8 1.9 1.9 1.7

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 1,990 2,166 2,217 2,319 2,366 2,412 2,112 1.8 2.0 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.2 1.9

Construction........................................................................ 111 159 182 159 162 171 146 1.6 2.3 2.6 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.1

Manufacturing................................................................ 169 181 187 185 194 185 180 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 497 529 517 568 570 563 518 2.0 2.1 2.0 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.0

Professional and business services......................... 304 358 281 401 415 417 375 1.9 2.2 1.7 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.2

Education and health services................................................. 227 235 239 250 232 230 238 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.4

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 433 451 474 499 506 516 462 3.5 3.6 3.8 4.0 4.0 4.1 3.7

Government......................................................................................... 132 127 123 118 129 124 116 .6 .6 .6 .5 .6 .6 .5

REGION

Northeast......................................................................... 310 317 333 359 392 424 312 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.7 1.2

South............................................................................................... 854 950 943 1,014 1,021 1,053 898 1.9 2.0 2.0 2.2 2.2 2.2 1.9

Midwest......................................................................................... 462 492 500 551 544 539 488 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.6

West...................................................................................... 497 541 550 492 536 530 529 1.7 1.9 1.9 1.7 1.9 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 Feb. Jan. Feb. Feb. Jan. Feb.

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total........................................................................................................... 2,829 3,157 3,317 2.1 2.4 2.5

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 2,521 2,833 2,961 2.3 2.5 2.6

Natural resources and mining................................................... 6 9 9 1.0 1.5 1.5

Construction...................................................................................................... 105 104 131 1.6 1.5 1.9

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 204 236 244 1.4 1.6 1.7

Durable goods.............................................................................. 134 163 166 1.5 1.8 1.8

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 70 73 78 1.3 1.4 1.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 423 495 580 1.7 1.9 2.2

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 78 103 130 1.4 1.8 2.3

Retail trade................................................................................. 266 302 352 1.8 2.0 2.3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................78 90 98 1.6 1.8 2.0

Information...................................................................................... 69 93 84 2.2 2.9 2.6

Financial activities........................................................................... 178 203 220 2.2 2.5 2.6

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 152 168 177 2.5 2.7 2.9

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 27 36 43 1.3 1.7 2.0

Professional and business services........................................ 495 641 594 3.0 3.8 3.5

Education and health services................................................................. 530 534 597 3.0 3.0 3.3

Educational services................................................................ 43 46 51 1.5 1.7 1.7

Health care and social assistance.................................. 487 487 546 3.4 3.3 3.7

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 385 391 384 3.1 3.2 3.1

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 59 54 49 3.5 3.3 3.0

Accommodations and food services............................... 326 337 335 3.1 3.1 3.1

Other services................................................................................. 126 126 118 2.3 2.3 2.1

Government......................................................................................... 309 324 356 1.4 1.5 1.6

Federal................................................................................................ 42 31 44 1.5 1.1 1.6

State and local.................................................................................... 267 293 312 1.4 1.5 1.6

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 491 552 520 1.9 2.2 2.0

South............................................................................................... 1,161 1,287 1,368 2.5 2.7 2.8

Midwest................................................................................................. 634 645 676 2.0 2.1 2.1

West....................................................................................................... 543 674 753 1.9 2.3 2.6

1

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

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

 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 Feb. Jan. Feb. Feb. Jan. Feb.

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total........................................................................................................... 3,440 3,991 3,779 2.7 3.1 2.9

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 3,204 3,686 3,548 3.0 3.4 3.2

Natural resources and mining................................................... 16 21 19 2.8 3.5 3.2

Construction...................................................................................................... 286 267 340 4.5 4.0 5.1

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 337 301 309 2.4 2.1 2.2

Durable goods.............................................................................. 228 206 209 2.6 2.3 2.3

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 109 95 100 2.0 1.8 1.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 740 763 802 3.0 3.0 3.2

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 113 156 122 2.0 2.8 2.2

Retail trade................................................................................. 499 448 566 3.4 3.0 3.8

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 128 159 113 2.7 3.3 2.3

Information...................................................................................... 71 56 60 2.3 1.8 1.9

Financial activities........................................................................... 124 192 151 1.6 2.4 1.9

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 79 125 86 1.3 2.1 1.4

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 45 68 65 2.2 3.2 3.1

Professional and business services........................................ 491 840 678 3.1 5.1 4.1

Education and health services................................................................. 387 425 414 2.3 2.5 2.4

Educational services................................................................ 59 52 47 2.1 1.9 1.6

Health care and social assistance.................................. 327 373 367 2.3 2.6 2.6

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 617 630 585 5.2 5.2 4.8

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 76 110 71 4.6 6.9 4.4

Accommodations and food services............................... 541 519 514 5.3 5.0 4.9

Other services................................................................................. 135 192 190 2.5 3.6 3.5

Government......................................................................................... 236 305 231 1.1 1.4 1.0

Federal................................................................................................ 32 31 31 1.2 1.2 1.1

State and local.................................................................................... 204 274 200 1.1 1.4 1.0

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 501 597 539 2.0 2.4 2.2

South............................................................................................... 1,441 1,675 1,580 3.2 3.6 3.4

Midwest................................................................................................. 744 901 783 2.4 2.9 2.5

West....................................................................................................... 754 818 877 2.7 2.9 3.0

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

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

 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 Feb. Jan. Feb. Feb. Jan. Feb.

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total........................................................................................................... 3,464 4,399 3,420 2.7 3.4 2.6

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 3,275 4,186 3,238 3.1 3.8 3.0

Natural resources and mining................................................... 14 21 14 2.5 3.6 2.4

Construction...................................................................................................... 355 454 391 5.6 6.8 5.9

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 303 366 294 2.1 2.6 2.1

Durable goods.............................................................................. 181 232 191 2.1 2.6 2.1

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 122 134 103 2.3 2.5 1.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 871 1,011 790 3.5 4.0 3.1

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 126 117 133 2.3 2.1 2.4

Retail trade................................................................................. 635 759 541 4.3 5.1 3.6

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 110 135 116 2.3 2.8 2.4

Information...................................................................................... 85 71 41 2.7 2.3 1.3

Financial activities........................................................................... 146 204 133 1.8 2.5 1.6

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 106 121 87 1.8 2.0 1.5

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 40 84 45 2.0 4.0 2.2

Professional and business services........................................ 497 818 559 3.1 5.0 3.4

Education and health services................................................................. 332 357 314 2.0 2.1 1.8

Educational services................................................................ 34 41 27 1.2 1.5 .9

Health care and social assistance.................................. 299 316 288 2.1 2.2 2.0

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 502 732 541 4.2 6.1 4.5

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 59 71 65 3.6 4.4 4.0

Accommodations and food services............................... 443 661 476 4.4 6.3 4.5

Other services................................................................................. 170 153 161 3.2 2.8 3.0

Government......................................................................................... 189 213 182 .9 1.0 .8

Federal................................................................................................ 38 36 19 1.4 1.3 .7

State and local.................................................................................... 152 177 163 .8 .9 .8

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 582 742 512 2.4 3.0 2.0

South............................................................................................... 1,327 1,694 1,339 2.9 3.7 2.9

Midwest................................................................................................. 732 976 762 2.4 3.2 2.5

West....................................................................................................... 822 987 808 2.9 3.5 2.8

 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 Feb. Jan. Feb. Feb. Jan. Feb.

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total........................................................................................................... 1,773 2,250 1,843 1.4 1.7 1.4

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 1,666 2,146 1,752 1.6 2.0 1.6

Natural resources and mining................................................... 7 8 6 1.2 1.3 1.0

Construction...................................................................................................... 102 136 131 1.6 2.0 2.0

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 144 159 152 1.0 1.1 1.1

Durable goods.............................................................................. 89 93 95 1.0 1.1 1.1

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 54 65 57 1.0 1.2 1.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 416 530 425 1.7 2.1 1.7

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 51 65 72 .9 1.2 1.3

Retail trade................................................................................. 317 404 298 2.2 2.7 2.0

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................49 61 55 1.0 1.3 1.1

Information...................................................................................... 42 42 30 1.4 1.3 1.0

Financial activities........................................................................... 90 105 79 1.1 1.3 1.0

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 63 59 61 1.1 1.0 1.0

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 27 46 19 1.3 2.2 .9

Professional and business services........................................ 231 393 279 1.5 2.4 1.7

Education and health services................................................................. 188 225 197 1.1 1.3 1.1

Educational services................................................................ 18 22 16 .6 .8 .5

Health care and social assistance.................................. 170 203 182 1.2 1.4 1.3

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 334 449 351 2.8 3.7 2.9

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 23 30 30 1.4 1.9 1.8

Accommodations and food services............................... 311 419 322 3.1 4.0 3.1

Other services................................................................................. 111 99 102 2.1 1.8 1.9

Government......................................................................................... 106 104 91 .5 .5 .4

Federal................................................................................................ 24 9 7 .9 .3 .3

State and local.................................................................................... 82 95 84 .4 .5 .4

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 244 347 241 1.0 1.4 1.0

South............................................................................................... 731 934 757 1.6 2.0 1.6

Midwest................................................................................................. 370 486 389 1.2 1.6 1.3

West....................................................................................................... 427 483 456 1.5 1.7 1.6

 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 Feb. Jan. Feb. Feb. Jan. Feb.

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total........................................................................................................... 1,426 1,841 1,327 1.1 1.4 1.0

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 1,388 1,788 1,280 1.3 1.6 1.2

Natural resources and mining................................................... 4 8 5 .7 1.3 .9

Construction...................................................................................................... 239 310 246 3.7 4.7 3.7

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 135 174 113 1.0 1.2 .8

Durable goods.............................................................................. 76 114 76 .9 1.3 .8

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 59 60 37 1.1 1.1 .7

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 399 416 304 1.6 1.6 1.2

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 64 45 51 1.1 .8 .9

Retail trade................................................................................. 289 316 209 2.0 2.1 1.4

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................47 56 45 1.0 1.1 .9

Information...................................................................................... 39 26 8 1.2 .8 .3

Financial activities........................................................................... 38 70 44 .5 .9 .5

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 28 41 19 .5 .7 .3

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 10 28 25 .5 1.4 1.2

Professional and business services........................................ 228 390 238 1.4 2.4 1.4

Education and health services................................................................. 107 105 97 .6 .6 .6

Educational services................................................................ 14 15 10 .5 .5 .3

Health care and social assistance.................................. 94 90 87 .7 .6 .6

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 152 244 175 1.3 2.0 1.4

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 34 38 34 2.0 2.4 2.1

Accommodations and food services............................... 119 206 140 1.2 2.0 1.3

Other services................................................................................. 45 46 50 .8 .9 .9

Government......................................................................................... 38 53 47 .2 .2 .2

Federal................................................................................................ 5 5 5 .2 .2 .2

State and local.................................................................................... 34 47 42 .2 .3 .2

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 290 344 224 1.2 1.4 .9

South............................................................................................... 492 663 487 1.1 1.4 1.0

Midwest................................................................................................. 307 416 324 1.0 1.4 1.1

West....................................................................................................... 338 418 293 1.2 1.5 1.0

 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 Feb. Jan. Feb. Feb. Jan. Feb.

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total........................................................................................................... 265 308 250 0.2 0.2 0.2

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 221 252 205 .2 .2 .2

Natural resources and mining................................................... 3 6 3 .5 1.0 .5

Construction...................................................................................................... 14 8 14 .2 .1 .2

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 24 33 30 .2 .2 .2

Durable goods.............................................................................. 16 24 20 .2 .3 .2

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

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 56 65 60 .2 .3 .2

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 11 7 10 .2 .1 .2

Retail trade................................................................................. 30 40 34 .2 .3 .2

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................14 18 16 .3 .4 .3

Information...................................................................................... 4 4 3 .1 .1 .1

Financial activities........................................................................... 18 29 9 .2 .4 .1

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 15 20 7 .2 .3 .1

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 3 9 1 .2 .4 .1

Professional and business services........................................ 38 35 42 .2 .2 .3

Education and health services................................................................. 37 26 20 .2 .2 .1

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

3

)

Health care and social assistance.................................. 34 23 19 .2 .2 .1

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 15 39 15 .1 .3 .1

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

3

)

Accommodations and food services............................... 13 36 14 .1 .3 .1

Other services................................................................................. 14 7 9 .3 .1 .2

Government......................................................................................... 45 56 45 .2 .3 .2

Federal................................................................................................ 8 21 7 .3 .8 .2

State and local.................................................................................... 36 35 38 .2 .2 .2

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 48 51 47 .2 .2 .2

South............................................................................................... 104 98 95 .2 .2 .2

Midwest................................................................................................. 55 74 48 .2 .2 .2

West....................................................................................................... 58 85 59 .2 .3 .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 Data round to zero.

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels (in thousands) Rates