News

Bureau of Labor Statistics Washington, D.C. 20212 

United States 

Department 

of Labor 

Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 09-0149 

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

 For release: 10:00 A.M. EST 

Media contact: (202) 691-5902 Tuesday, February 10, 2009 

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: DECEMBER 2008 

On the last business day of December, there were 2.7 million job openings in the United States, 

and the job openings rate was 1.9 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of 

Labor reported today. The job openings rate in December was the lowest point so far in the 8-year-old 

series. The hires rate was essentially unchanged in December at 2.9 percent and remains low. The total 

separations rate jumped to 3.7 percent, due to rising layoffs and discharges. 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. 

Chart 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted,

 January 2006 - December 2008

1.6

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

2006 2007 2008

Chart 2. Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted,

 January 2006 - December 2008

2.4

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

Percent

Separations

Hires

2006 2007 2008

Beginning with the release of January 2009 data on March 10, 2009, BLS will implement 

improvements to the methodology used to generate estimates of hires, separations, and job openings 

from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) program. These changes are designed to 

improve the measurement of hires, separations, and openings and to more closely align the hires and 

separations estimates with monthly employment change as measured by the BLS Current Employment 

Statistics (establishment) survey. All JOLTS historical series will be revised to incorporate the new 

methods and also will be released on March 10. See the JOLTS web page (http://www.bls.gov/jlt/) for 

a more complete description of these changes. 
2 

Job Openings

Although job openings were essentially unchanged from November to December, the number of 

job openings has trended downward for 18 months. At 2.7 million in December, monthly openings were 

down 1.4 million, or 35 percent, since the starting point of the downward trend in July 2007. The job 

openings rate was 1.9 percent in December, a new series low. The job openings rate changed 

significantly in December in two industries—retail trade and education and health services—in which 

the rate fell. The rate did not change significantly in December in any of the regions. (See table 1.) 

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

Industry Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec.

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total 1................................................3,974 2,855 2,692 4,717 3,738 3,918 4,408 4,422 4,991

Total private 1

.................................... 3,526 2,481 2,325 4,314 3,360 3,399 4,107 4,159 4,730

Construction.................................... 140 57 44 335 243 248 331 466 511

Manufacturing................................. 305 145 136 350 213 199 325 382 518

Trade, transportation, and utilities 2

......... 667 562 474 970 800 800 981 948 951

 Retail trade.................................. 358 386 305 693 560 544 686 629 607

Professional and business services............ 706 489 499 851 735 748 814 801 969

Education and health services............... 698 604 553 460 458 456 417 417 458

Leisure and hospitality 3

........................ 574 260 255 880 621 584 803 688 732

 Accommodation and food services...... 514 224 225 713 530 500 697 598 585

Government 4

..................................... 446 370 362 390 292 297 295 254 246

 State and local government.................. 398 350 338 326 256 273 256 226 229

Total 1

................................................ 2.8 2.1 1.9 3.4 2.7 2.9 3.2 3.3 3.7

Total private 1

.................................... 3.0 2.1 2.0 3.7 3.0 3.0 3.5 3.7 4.2

Construction.................................... 1.8 0.8 0.6 4.5 3.5 3.6 4.4 6.7 7.5

Manufacturing................................. 2.2 1.1 1.0 2.5 1.6 1.5 2.4 2.9 4.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities 2

......... 2.4 2.1 1.8 3.6 3.1 3.1 3.7 3.7 3.7

 Retail trade.................................... 2.3 2.5 2.0 4.5 3.7 3.6 4.4 4.2 4.1

Professional and business services............3.7 2.7 2.8 4.7 4.2 4.3 4.5 4.6 5.6

Education and health services............... 3.6 3.1 2.8 2.5 2.4 2.4 2.2 2.2 2.4

Leisure and hospitality 3

........................ 4.0 1.9 1.9 6.4 4.6 4.3 5.9 5.1 5.4

 Accommodation and food services...... 4.2 1.9 1.9 6.1 4.6 4.3 6.0 5.2 5.1

Government 4

.................................... 2.0 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.1 1.1

 State and local government.................. 2.0 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.1 1.2

 1 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately. 2 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately. 3 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately. 4 Includes federal government, not shown separately. p = preliminary.

Rates (percent)

Job openings Hires Total separations

Levels (in thousands)
3 

Over the 12 months ending in December, the job openings rate (not seasonally adjusted) did not 

rise significantly in any industry or region. The rate was essentially unchanged in six industries: natural 

resources and mining; retail trade; information; finance and insurance; real estate and rental and leasing; 

and other services. In the remaining 12 industries and at the total nonfarm and total private level, the job 

openings rate fell significantly over the year. Three of the four regions experienced a significant decline 

in the job openings rate over the year: Midwest, South, and West. (See table 5.) 

Hires

Hires were essentially unchanged in December at 3.9 million but remain low, down 900,000, or 

19 percent, from a year ago. The hires rate was 2.9 percent in December. No industry or region 

experienced a significant change in the hires rate in December. (See table 2.) 

Over the 12 months ending in December, the hires rate did not increase significantly in any 

industry or region. The rate decreased over the past 12 months for total nonfarm and total private and in 

several industries, including durable goods manufacturing; nondurable goods manufacturing; retail 

trade; arts, entertainment, and recreation; accommodation and food services; federal government; and 

state and local government. In three of the four regions, the hires rate dropped significantly over the 

past 12 months: Northeast, South, and West. (See table 6.) 

Separations

The total separations, or turnover, rate was higher in December than in November and higher 

than a year ago. The quits rate can serve as a barometer of workers’ willingness or ability to change 

jobs. Although the quits rate was essentially unchanged in December at 1.5 percent, it remains at a low 

level last occurring in August 2003. Comparing December 2008 to December 2007, the quits rate was 

significantly lower for total nonfarm and total private and in many industries, including durable goods 

manufacturing; nondurable goods manufacturing; wholesale trade; retail trade; real estate and rental and 

leasing; arts, entertainment, and recreation; and accommodation and food services. Regionally, the quits 

rate fell over the year in three of the four regions: Midwest, South, and West. The quits rate did not rise 

significantly in the past 12 months in any industry or region. (See tables 4, 7, and 8.) 

The other two components of total separations—layoffs and discharges, and other separations—

are not seasonally adjusted. Layoffs and discharges are up substantially over the past 12 months. There 

were 2.8 million layoffs and discharges in December, which is a 58 percent increase from a year earlier. 

In the past 12 months, layoffs and discharges increased significantly in most industries, in all four 

regions, and for total nonfarm and total private. The layoffs and discharges rate fell significantly only 

for the federal government in the past 12 months. The other separations level was 262,000 in December, 

which is significantly lower than a year ago. (See tables 9 and 10.) 

The total separations rate is driven by the relative contribution of its three components (quits, 

layoffs and discharges, and other separations), with quits contributing the largest portion. The 

percentage of total separations attributable to quits has varied over time and has been trending 

downward from a high of 61 percent in December 2006. Quits dropped to only 40 percent of total 

separations in December 2008, a new series low, as layoffs and discharges increased substantially. (See 

tables 3 and 4.) 
4 

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 2009 is scheduled to be issued on 

Tuesday, March 10, 2009. 

Revisions to the JOLTS Data 

With the release of January data on March 10, 2009, 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 

2007 forward and seasonally adjusted data from December 2000 forward are subject to revision. 

These revisions are in addition to the full series revisions due to methodology changes mentioned 

in the box note on page one of this release. 
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 2007 version of the North

American Industry Classification System (NAICS). In order to

ensure the highest possible quality of data, State Workforce

Agencies verify with employers and update, if necessary, the

industry code, location, and ownership classification of all

establishments on a 3-year cycle. Changes in establishment

characteristics resulting from the verification process are

always introduced into the JOLTS sampling frame with the data

reported for the first month of the year.

Employment. Employment includes persons on the payroll

who worked or received pay for the pay period that includes

the 12th day of the reference month. 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.

Prior to the January 2007 benchmark release in March 2007,

seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS series was conducted using

the stable seasonal filter option since there were not enough

data observations available for the standard use of moving

averages as seasonal filters. Although the seasonal

adjustment of the JOLTS series is conducted with fewer data

observations than is customary, the number of observations is

now above the minimum required by X-12 ARIMA to use the

normal seasonal filters. Therefore, the standard use of moving

averages as seasonal filters is now in place for JOLTS seasonal

adjustment. JOLTS seasonal adjustment now includes both

additive and multiplicative seasonal adjustment models and

REGARIMA (regression with autocorrelated errors) modeling

to improve the seasonal adjustment factors at the beginning

and end of the series and to detect and adjust for outliers in

the series.

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.

2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008p

Total 4................................................... 3,974 3,492 3,375 3,214 3,001 2,855 2,692 2.8 2.5 2.4 2.3 2.1 2.1 1.9

INDUSTRY

Total private 4....................................... 3,526 3,046 2,952 2,778 2,585 2,481 2,325 3.0 2.6 2.5 2.4 2.2 2.1 2.0

Construction....................................... 140 94 85 110 64 57 44 1.8 1.3 1.2 1.5 .9 .8 .6

Manufacturing.................................... 305 229 245 213 213 145 136 2.2 1.7 1.8 1.6 1.6 1.1 1.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 667 569 572 458 507 562 474 2.4 2.1 2.1 1.7 1.9 2.1 1.8

Retail trade....................................... 358 346 357 260 316 386 305 2.3 2.2 2.3 1.7 2.0 2.5 2.0

Professional and business services......... 706 696 634 567 498 489 499 3.7 3.7 3.4 3.1 2.7 2.7 2.8

Education and health services............... 698 687 643 617 606 604 553 3.6 3.5 3.3 3.1 3.1 3.1 2.8

Leisure and hospitality 6

........................ 574 432 383 443 404 260 255 4.0 3.1 2.7 3.2 2.9 1.9 1.9

Accommodation and food services...... 514 388 316 373 351 224 225 4.2 3.2 2.6 3.1 2.9 1.9 1.9

Government 7

....................................... 446 412 423 440 429 370 362 2.0 1.8 1.8 1.9 1.9 1.6 1.6

State and local government................... 398 362 363 387 367 350 338 2.0 1.8 1.8 1.9 1.8 1.7 1.7

REGION 8

Northeast.......................................... 644 615 617 590 541 495 545 2.4 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.1 1.9 2.1

South................................................ 1,574 1,384 1,317 1,240 1,191 1,128 1,071 3.1 2.7 2.6 2.4 2.4 2.2 2.1

Midwest............................................. 779 638 664 664 629 560 544 2.4 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.0 1.8 1.7

West................................................ 988 847 777 710 639 674 594 3.1 2.7 2.5 2.3 2.0 2.2 1.9

1

 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day of the 8 The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the 

month. regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New 2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business day Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and 

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

 3

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

adjustment of the various series. Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and 

 4

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

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

 5

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

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

 6

 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately. Wyoming.

 7

 Includes federal government, not shown separately. 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.

2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008p

Total 4................................................... 4,717 4,026 4,063 4,362 4,155 3,738 3,918 3.4 2.9 3.0 3.2 3.0 2.7 2.9

INDUSTRY

Total private 4....................................... 4,314 3,751 3,822 4,090 3,852 3,360 3,399 3.7 3.3 3.3 3.6 3.4 3.0 3.0

Construction....................................... 335 242 322 288 334 243 248 4.5 3.4 4.5 4.0 4.7 3.5 3.6

Manufacturing.................................... 350 249 251 281 257 213 199 2.5 1.8 1.9 2.1 1.9 1.6 1.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 970 858 878 875 837 800 800 3.6 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.1 3.1

Retail trade....................................... 693 585 619 616 565 560 544 4.5 3.8 4.0 4.0 3.7 3.7 3.6

Professional and business services......... 851 748 701 741 748 735 748 4.7 4.2 3.9 4.2 4.2 4.2 4.3

Education and health services............... 460 474 509 514 512 458 456 2.5 2.5 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.4 2.4

Leisure and hospitality 6

........................ 880 798 728 830 734 621 584 6.4 5.8 5.3 6.1 5.4 4.6 4.3

Accommodation and food services...... 713 683 626 681 602 530 500 6.1 5.9 5.4 5.9 5.2 4.6 4.3

Government 7

....................................... 390 321 315 313 322 292 297 1.7 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.3

State and local government................... 326 300 286 283 278 256 273 1.7 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.4

REGION 8

Northeast.......................................... 770 657 679 688 629 530 609 3.0 2.6 2.7 2.7 2.5 2.1 2.4

South................................................ 1,802 1,512 1,549 1,570 1,516 1,396 1,328 3.6 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.1 2.8 2.7

Midwest.............................................1,045 934 926 1,020 973 842 875 3.3 3.0 2.9 3.3 3.1 2.7 2.8

West................................................ 1,067 979 1,004 1,057 975 887 865 3.4 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.2 2.9 2.8

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

 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, 2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of not shown separately.

total employment. 6

 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately. 3

 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal 7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.

adjustment of the various series. 8

 See footnote 8, table 1. 4

 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and p = preliminary.

other services, not shown separately.

Industry and region

Industry and region

Levels Rates 3

 (in thousands)

Levels 3

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

 and rates 2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

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

2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008p

Total 4................................................... 4,408 4,359 4,398 4,042 4,299 4,422 4,991 3.2 3.2 3.2 2.9 3.1 3.3 3.7

INDUSTRY

Total private 4

....................................... 4,107 4,128 4,149 3,792 4,034 4,159 4,730 3.5 3.6 3.6 3.3 3.5 3.7 4.2

Construction....................................... 331 473 400 403 418 466 511 4.4 6.6 5.6 5.7 5.9 6.7 7.5

Manufacturing.................................... 325 324 325 335 424 382 518 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.5 3.2 2.9 4.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 981 1,013 933 916 945 948 951 3.7 3.8 3.5 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.7

Retail trade.................................... 686 692 642 581 634 629 607 4.4 4.5 4.2 3.8 4.2 4.2 4.1

Professional and business services......... 814 694 851 696 771 801 969 4.5 3.9 4.8 3.9 4.4 4.6 5.6

Education and health services............... 417 464 424 378 427 417 458 2.2 2.4 2.2 2.0 2.2 2.2 2.4

Leisure and hospitality 6

........................ 803 741 754 714 671 688 732 5.9 5.4 5.5 5.2 4.9 5.1 5.4

Accommodation and food services...... 697 629 652 634 559 598 585 6.0 5.4 5.6 5.5 4.8 5.2 5.1

Government 7

....................................... 295 244 257 251 264 254 246 1.3 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.1 1.1

State and local government................... 256 222 231 233 234 226 229 1.3 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.2

REGION 8

Northeast.......................................... 635 745 705 600 607 677 842 2.5 2.9 2.7 2.3 2.4 2.7 3.3

South................................................1,712 1,629 1,633 1,456 1,564 1,670 1,741 3.4 3.3 3.3 2.9 3.2 3.4 3.6

Midwest............................................. 980 912 893 956 1,003 981 1,052 3.1 2.9 2.8 3.0 3.2 3.2 3.4

West................................................ 1,117 1,099 1,142 1,017 1,123 1,131 1,237 3.6 3.6 3.7 3.3 3.7 3.7 4.1

 1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire and other services, not shown separately.

month. 5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, 2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the not shown separately.

entire month as a percent of total employment. 6

 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately. 3

 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent 7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.

seasonal adjustment of the various series. 8

 See footnote 8, table 1. 4

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

2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008p

Total 4................................................... 2,494 2,314 2,252 2,144 2,135 1,965 2,000 1.8 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.4 1.5

INDUSTRY

Total private 4

....................................... 2,358 2,209 2,134 2,032 2,020 1,868 1,883 2.0 1.9 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.6 1.7

Construction....................................... 119 157 150 118 108 97 105 1.6 2.2 2.1 1.7 1.5 1.4 1.5

Manufacturing.................................... 182 134 143 141 156 128 107 1.3 1.0 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.0 .8

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 590 545 485 494 488 457 473 2.2 2.1 1.8 1.9 1.9 1.8 1.8

Retail trade.................................... 445 405 355 351 340 325 346 2.9 2.6 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.2 2.3

Professional and business services......... 367 363 352 317 373 319 314 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.8 2.1 1.8 1.8

Education and health services............... 258 268 234 234 259 227 237 1.4 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.4 1.2 1.2

Leisure and hospitality 6

........................ 561 499 482 485 450 421 410 4.1 3.7 3.5 3.6 3.3 3.1 3.0

Accommodation and food services...... 513 452 445 423 416 391 384 4.4 3.9 3.8 3.6 3.6 3.4 3.3

Government 7

....................................... 137 111 121 120 116 108 119 .6 .5 .5 .5 .5 .5 .5

State and local government................... 120 104 113 121 107 100 112 .6 .5 .6 .6 .5 .5 .6

REGION 8

Northeast.......................................... 312 341 306 279 286 267 289 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1

South................................................1,008 930 912 821 837 805 769 2.0 1.9 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.6

Midwest............................................. 521 504 513 531 524 443 439 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.4 1.4

West................................................ 632 541 518 492 493 449 487 2.0 1.8 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.6

 1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month. 5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, 2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a not shown separately.

percent of total employment. 6

 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately. 3

 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent 7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.

seasonal adjustment of the various series. 8

 See footnote 8, table 1. 4

 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, p = preliminary.

and other services, not shown separately.

Industry and region

Industry and region

Levels 3

 (in thousands) Rates

Levels 3

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

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

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

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 3,529 2,608 2,361 2.5 1.9 1.7

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 3,120 2,260 2,031 2.6 1.9 1.8

Natural resources and mining........................ 13 10 13 1.8 1.3 1.6

Construction................................................ 102 45 31 1.4 .6 .5

Manufacturing............................................. 274 128 119 1.9 1.0 .9

Durable goods.......................................... 152 70 62 1.7 .8 .8

Nondurable goods.................................... 122 58 57 2.4 1.2 1.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 563 514 357 2.0 1.9 1.3

Wholesale trade....................................... 152 69 67 2.4 1.1 1.1

Retail trade............................................. 285 383 232 1.7 2.4 1.5

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 125 62 57 2.4 1.2 1.1

Information................................................ 68 65 42 2.2 2.1 1.4

Financial activities......................................... 198 141 179 2.3 1.7 2.2

Finance and insurance.............................. 155 103 140 2.5 1.7 2.3

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 43 37 39 2.0 1.8 1.8

Professional and business services.................. 653 443 453 3.5 2.4 2.5

Education and health services........................ 670 577 520 3.4 2.9 2.6

Educational services................................. 57 52 40 1.8 1.6 1.2

Health care and social assistance.................. 613 525 480 3.8 3.2 2.9

Leisure and hospitality................................. 465 226 201 3.4 1.7 1.5

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 44 28 21 2.3 1.5 1.1

Accommodation and food services............... 421 198 180 3.5 1.7 1.6

Other services............................................. 115 113 116 2.0 2.0 2.1

Government................................................... 409 348 330 1.8 1.5 1.4

Federal...................................................... 45 18 23 1.6 .7 .8

State and local........................................... 364 329 307 1.8 1.6 1.5

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 554 459 476 2.1 1.8 1.8

South......................................................... 1,407 1,032 943 2.7 2.0 1.9

Midwest...................................................... 683 485 466 2.1 1.5 1.5

West......................................................... 884 633 475 2.8 2.0 1.5

 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 8, 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.

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 3,462 3,267 2,674 2.5 2.4 2.0

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 3,229 3,067 2,499 2.8 2.7 2.2

Natural resources and mining........................ 17 18 15 2.3 2.2 1.8

Construction................................................ 208 184 148 2.8 2.6 2.2

Manufacturing............................................. 232 174 129 1.7 1.3 1.0

Durable goods.......................................... 130 89 70 1.5 1.1 .9

Nondurable goods.................................... 101 85 59 2.0 1.7 1.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 785 882 645 2.9 3.3 2.4

Wholesale trade....................................... 107 103 99 1.7 1.7 1.7

Retail trade............................................. 564 693 444 3.5 4.5 2.9

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 115 85 102 2.2 1.7 2.0

Information................................................ 38 44 40 1.2 1.5 1.4

Financial activities......................................... 145 126 106 1.8 1.6 1.3

Finance and insurance.............................. 99 95 73 1.6 1.6 1.2

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 46 32 32 2.2 1.5 1.6

Professional and business services.................. 663 674 563 3.6 3.8 3.2

Education and health services........................ 335 376 320 1.8 2.0 1.7

Educational services................................. 37 35 25 1.2 1.1 .8

Health care and social assistance.................. 298 341 295 1.9 2.1 1.8

Leisure and hospitality................................. 680 509 426 5.1 3.9 3.2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 147 65 70 7.9 3.6 3.8

Accommodation and food services............... 532 444 356 4.6 3.9 3.1

Other services............................................. 128 81 108 2.3 1.5 2.0

Government................................................... 233 200 175 1.0 .9 .8

Federal...................................................... 50 18 21 1.8 .6 .7

State and local........................................... 183 182 155 .9 .9 .8

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 575 475 449 2.2 1.9 1.8

South......................................................... 1,317 1,252 954 2.6 2.5 1.9

Midwest...................................................... 726 729 607 2.3 2.3 2.0

West......................................................... 844 811 665 2.7 2.6 2.2

 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 8, 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.

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 4,220 4,131 4,745 3.0 3.0 3.5

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 3,977 3,960 4,544 3.4 3.5 4.0

Natural resources and mining........................ 26 31 33 3.5 3.8 4.1

Construction................................................ 363 486 573 4.9 6.9 8.6

Manufacturing............................................. 280 365 451 2.0 2.8 3.5

Durable goods.......................................... 149 226 285 1.7 2.7 3.5

Nondurable goods.................................... 131 139 166 2.6 2.8 3.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 1,093 910 1,067 4.0 3.5 4.0

Wholesale trade....................................... 196 131 184 3.2 2.2 3.1

Retail trade............................................. 786 610 684 4.9 4.0 4.4

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 112 169 199 2.2 3.4 4.0

Information................................................ 49 60 53 1.6 2.0 1.8

Financial activities......................................... 202 189 144 2.4 2.3 1.8

Finance and insurance.............................. 117 113 101 1.9 1.9 1.7

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 85 76 43 4.0 3.7 2.1

Professional and business services.................. 797 818 990 4.4 4.6 5.7

Education and health services........................ 346 329 395 1.8 1.7 2.0

Educational services................................. 41 37 49 1.3 1.1 1.5

Health care and social assistance.................. 304 292 346 1.9 1.8 2.2

Leisure and hospitality................................. 683 657 637 5.1 5.0 4.8

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 78 101 128 4.2 5.5 7.0

Accommodation and food services............... 605 555 509 5.3 4.9 4.5

Other services............................................. 140 117 201 2.5 2.1 3.7

Government................................................... 243 171 201 1.1 .7 .9

Federal...................................................... 43 12 23 1.6 .4 .8

State and local........................................... 201 158 179 1.0 .8 .9

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 620 619 834 2.4 2.4 3.3

South......................................................... 1,557 1,442 1,624 3.1 2.9 3.3

Midwest...................................................... 974 1,002 1,106 3.1 3.2 3.6

West......................................................... 1,068 1,068 1,181 3.4 3.5 3.9

 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 8, 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.

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 2,075 1,683 1,640 1.5 1.2 1.2

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 1,977 1,607 1,552 1.7 1.4 1.4

Natural resources and mining........................ 12 11 11 1.6 1.4 1.3

Construction................................................ 93 71 75 1.3 1.0 1.1

Manufacturing............................................. 131 102 76 .9 .8 .6

Durable goods.......................................... 68 58 44 .8 .7 .5

Nondurable goods.................................... 62 44 31 1.2 .9 .7

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 541 411 438 2.0 1.6 1.7

Wholesale trade....................................... 73 49 46 1.2 .8 .8

Retail trade............................................. 414 304 329 2.6 2.0 2.1

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 54 58 63 1.1 1.2 1.3

Information................................................ 28 21 19 .9 .7 .7

Financial activities......................................... 92 77 53 1.1 1.0 .7

Finance and insurance.............................. 46 52 44 .8 .9 .7

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 46 25 10 2.1 1.2 .5

Professional and business services.................. 310 291 254 1.7 1.6 1.5

Education and health services........................ 215 188 198 1.1 1.0 1.0

Educational services................................. 20 14 13 .7 .4 .4

Health care and social assistance.................. 195 174 185 1.2 1.1 1.1

Leisure and hospitality................................. 469 375 329 3.5 2.8 2.5

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 40 20 19 2.1 1.1 1.0

Accommodation and food services............... 429 354 310 3.7 3.1 2.7

Other services............................................. 86 60 99 1.6 1.1 1.8

Government................................................... 98 77 87 .4 .3 .4

Federal...................................................... 10 3 5 .4 .1 .2

State and local........................................... 88 74 82 .4 .4 .4

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 248 238 232 1.0 .9 .9

South......................................................... 839 664 624 1.7 1.3 1.3

Midwest...................................................... 436 399 357 1.4 1.3 1.1

West......................................................... 552 383 426 1.8 1.2 1.4

 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 8, 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.

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 1,802 2,161 2,844 1.3 1.6 2.1

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 1,713 2,097 2,765 1.5 1.8 2.4

Natural resources and mining........................ 11 19 21 1.4 2.3 2.6

Construction................................................ 246 396 481 3.3 5.6 7.2

Manufacturing............................................. 129 242 355 .9 1.8 2.7

Durable goods.......................................... 69 154 230 .8 1.9 2.8

Nondurable goods.................................... 60 88 126 1.2 1.8 2.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 451 423 560 1.7 1.6 2.1

Wholesale trade....................................... 98 75 134 1.6 1.3 2.3

Retail trade............................................. 312 259 317 1.9 1.7 2.0

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 41 89 110 .8 1.8 2.2

Information................................................ 15 35 21 .5 1.2 .7

Financial activities......................................... 88 83 81 1.1 1.0 1.0

Finance and insurance.............................. 51 34 50 .8 .6 .8

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 37 49 31 1.7 2.3 1.5

Professional and business services.................. 438 491 696 2.4 2.8 4.0

Education and health services........................ 94 100 168 .5 .5 .9

Educational services................................. 19 20 34 .6 .6 1.1

Health care and social assistance.................. 76 80 135 .5 .5 .8

Leisure and hospitality................................. 193 259 295 1.4 2.0 2.2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 35 77 108 1.9 4.2 5.9

Accommodation and food services............... 157 182 187 1.4 1.6 1.7

Other services............................................. 49 50 87 .9 .9 1.6

Government................................................... 89 64 79 .4 .3 .3

Federal...................................................... 22 5 12 .8 .2 .4

State and local........................................... 67 60 66 .3 .3 .3

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 295 315 540 1.1 1.2 2.1

South......................................................... 621 684 911 1.2 1.4 1.9

Midwest...................................................... 461 554 691 1.5 1.8 2.2

West......................................................... 426 609 702 1.4 2.0 2.3

 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 8, 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.

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 342 287 262 0.2 0.2 0.2

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 287 257 226 .2 .2 .2

Natural resources and mining........................ 4 1 1 .5 .1 .2

Construction................................................ 23 19 17 .3 .3 .3

Manufacturing............................................. 21 21 20 .1 .2 .2

Durable goods.......................................... 12 14 12 .1 .2 .1

Nondurable goods.................................... 9 7 8 .2 .1 .2

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 101 76 68 .4 .3 .3

Wholesale trade....................................... 25 7 5 .4 .1 .1

Retail trade............................................. 60 47 37 .4 .3 .2

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 17 22 26 .3 .4 .5

Information................................................ 6 5 13 .2 .2 .4

Financial activities......................................... 21 29 10 .3 .4 .1

Finance and insurance.............................. 20 26 7 .3 .4 .1

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

Professional and business services.................. 49 35 40 .3 .2 .2

Education and health services........................ 36 41 28 .2 .2 .1

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

4

)

Health care and social assistance.................. 34 39 27 .2 .2 .2

Leisure and hospitality................................. 21 23 13 .2 .2 .1

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 3 4 1 .2 .2 .1

Accommodation and food services............... 19 19 12 .2 .2 .1

Other services............................................. 5 7 15 .1 .1 .3

Government................................................... 56 30 35 .2 .1 .2

Federal...................................................... 10 5 5 .4 .2 .2

State and local........................................... 45 25 30 .2 .1 .1

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 77 67 62 .3 .3 .2

South......................................................... 98 94 88 .2 .2 .2

Midwest...................................................... 77 50 59 .2 .2 .2

West......................................................... 90 76 53 .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 8, table 1. 4 Data round to zero.

 p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region