For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Friday, October 9, 2009 USDL-09-1209

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

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

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER – AUGUST 2009 

On the last business day of August, the number of job openings in the U.S. was little changed at a series 

low level of 2.4 million, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The hires rate was little 

changed and remained low at 3.1 percent in August. The total separations rate was little changed and 

remained low at 3.3 percent. 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 

The job openings rate was unchanged in August at a rate of 1.8 percent. The number of job openings has 

fallen by 2.4 million, or 50 percent, since the most recent peak in June 2007. The job openings rate was 

little changed in August in all industries and regions. (See table 1.) 

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

Chart 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted, September 2006 - August 2009

Percent

2007 2008 2009 2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

4.2

Chart 2. Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted, September 2006 - August 2009

Percent

Separations

Hires

2007 2008 2009
- 2 - 

1

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

2

 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately. 

3

 Includes federal government, not shown separately. 

p

 = preliminary. 

Over the 12 months ending in August, the job openings rate (not seasonally adjusted) decreased for total 

nonfarm, total private, government, the majority of industries, and all four regions. The rate was little 

changed in construction; wholesale trade; real estate and rental and leasing; educational services; and 

other services. (See table 5.) 

Hires 

The hires level was little changed at 4.0 million in August but has declined by 1.6 million, or 28 percent, 

since the most recent peak in July 2006. The hires rate was low in August at 3.1 percent and little 

changed from July. The hires rate was little changed in August in all industries. The hires rate decreased 

over the month in the West and was little changed in the remaining regions. (See table 2.) 

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

Industry Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug.

2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total 1.........................................................3,722 2,408 2,387 4,654 4,228 4,029 4,888 4,430 4,265

Total private 1................................................... 3,314 2,090 2,077 4,378 3,930 3,762 4,587 4,147 3,960

Construction................................................84 47 62 424 355 306 436 444 353

Manufacturing..........................................300 110 125 285 272 249 348 329 318

Trade, transportation, and utilities 2..................... 638 393 439 973 819 802 1,031 874 826

Retail trade..................................... 393 260 281 662 547 540 699 578 549

Professional and business services......................... 692 431 401 810 686 708 871 738 721

Education and health services........................... 707 553 514 554 522 541 505 500 506

Leisure and hospitality .................................... 438 256 247 838 716 700 857 713 718

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 56 17 20 161 138 104 152 121 117

Accommodation and food services..........378 237 228 692 582 599 708 594 601

Government 3..................................... 421 314 307 305 282 264 290 298 291

 State and local government..................................... 357 266 271 279 253 239 268 274 270

Total 1................................................... 2.6 1.8 1.8 3.4 3.2 3.1 3.6 3.4 3.3

Total private 1................................................... 2.8 1.9 1.9 3.8 3.6 3.5 4.0 3.8 3.6

Construction..........................................1.2 0.8 1.0 5.9 5.8 5.0 6.1 7.2 5.8

Manufacturing................................................ 2.2 0.9 1.1 2.1 2.3 2.1 2.6 2.8 2.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities 2........................ 2.4 1.5 1.7 3.7 3.3 3.2 3.9 3.5 3.3

Retail trade.................................... 2.5 1.7 1.9 4.3 3.7 3.7 4.6 3.9 3.7

Professional and business services......................... 3.8 2.5 2.4 4.6 4.1 4.3 4.9 4.4 4.3

Education and health services........................... 3.6 2.8 2.6 2.9 2.7 2.8 2.7 2.6 2.6

Leisure and hospitality .................................... 3.2 1.9 1.8 6.2 5.4 5.3 6.4 5.4 5.5

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 2.8 0.9 1.0 8.2 7.3 5.5 7.7 6.4 6.2

Accommodation and food services..........3.2 2.1 2.0 6.0 5.2 5.3 6.2 5.3 5.3

Government 3..................................... 1.8 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.3

 State and local government..................................... 1.8 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.2 1.4 1.4 1.4

Rates (percent)

Job openings Hires Total separations

Levels (in thousands)
- 3 - 

Over the 12 months ending in August, the hires rate (not seasonally adjusted) declined for total nonfarm,

total private, and government. The hires rate decreased for mining and logging; construction; retail 

trade; finance and insurance; educational services; and state and local government. The hires rate fell 

over the past 12 months in the West and was little changed in the remaining regions. (See table 6.) 

Separations 

The total separations, or turnover, rate was little changed in August and remained low at 3.3 percent. 

The total separations rate (not seasonally adjusted) decreased over the 12 months ending in August for 

total nonfarm and total private. Total separations includes quits (voluntary separations), layoffs and 

discharges (involuntary separations), and other separations (including retirements). (See tables 3 and 7.) 

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

little changed in August at 1.3 percent. The quits level was 1.7 million in August, which is 45 percent 

lower than the most recent peak in December 2006. (See table 4.) 

Over the 12 months ending in August, the quits rate (not seasonally adjusted) was lower for total 

nonfarm, total private, government, the majority of industries, and all four regions. The industries for 

which the quits rate was little changed over the year include transportation, warehousing, and utilities; 

information; finance and insurance; real estate and rental and leasing; arts, entertainment and recreation; 

and federal government. (See table 8.) 

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

total private, and government levels. The layoffs and discharges level for total nonfarm, total private, 

and government was little changed in August at 2.3 million, 2.2 million, and 135,000 respectively. The 

corresponding layoffs and discharges rates were 1.8 percent, 2.0 percent, and 0.6 percent. The number of 

layoffs and discharges in August was 46 percent higher than the recent low point in January 2006. (See 

table B below.) 

The layoffs and discharges rate (not seasonally adjusted) was little changed over the 12 months ending 

in August for total nonfarm and total private and increased for government. The layoffs and discharges 

rate rose in mining and logging; construction; nondurable goods manufacturing; and state and local 

government. The layoffs and discharges rate increased in the Midwest and was little changed in the 

remaining regions. (See table 9.) 

The other separations series is not seasonally adjusted. In August, there were 321,000 other separations 

for total nonfarm, 263,000 for total private, and 58,000 for government. Compared to August 2008, the 

Table B. Layoffs and discharges, seasonally adjusted

Aug. July 

2009

Aug. 

2009p

Aug. 

2008

July 

2009

Aug. 

2009p 2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total........................................................................................................... 2,169 2,431 2,323 1.6 1.8 1.8

Total private............................................................................................ 2,078 2,348 2,179 1.8 2.2 2.0

Government......................................................................................... 99 120 135 0.4 0.5 0.6

 p = preliminary.

Industry

Levels (in thousands) Rates
- 4 - 

number of other separations was little changed for total nonfarm, total private, and government. (See 

table 10.) 

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

layoffs and discharges, and other separations. The percentage of total separations at the total nonfarm 

level attributable to the individual components has varied over time. The proportion of separations due 

to quits declined from 61 percent in January 2007 to a series low of 38 percent in April 2009. It then 

rose slightly and stood at 41 percent in August 2009. The proportion of layoffs and discharges reached a 

series high of 55 percent in July 2009 then dropped slightly to 54 percent in August 2009. (See tables 3 

and 4, and table B above.) 

Net Change in Employment 

Over the 12 months ending in August, hires totaled 50.9 million and separations totaled 56.1 million,

yielding a net employment loss of 5.2 million. 

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey results for September 2009 are scheduled to be 

released on Tuesday, November 10, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. (EST).
Technical Note 

 The data for the Job Openings and Labor Turnover 

Survey (JOLTS) are collected and compiled monthly from 

a sample of business establishments by the Bureau of 

Labor Statistics (BLS). 

Collection 

 In a monthly survey of business establishments, data are 

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

layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Data 

collection methods include computer-assisted telephone 

interviewing, touchtone data entry, fax, e-mail, and mail. 

Coverage 

 The JOLTS program covers all private nonfarm 

establishments such as factories, offices, and stores, as 

well as federal, state, and local government entities in the 

50 states and the District of Columbia. 

Concepts 

 Industry classification. The industry classifications in 

this release are in accordance with the 2007 version of the 

North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). 

In order to ensure the highest possible quality of data, 

State Workforce Agencies verify with employers and 

update, if necessary, the industry code, location, and 

ownership classification of all establishments on a 3-year 

cycle. Changes in establishment characteristics resulting 

from the verification process are always introduced into 

the JOLTS sampling frame with the data reported for the 

first month of the year. 

 Employment. Employment includes persons on the 

payroll who worked or received pay for the pay period 

that includes the 12th day of the reference month. Fulltime, part-time, permanent, short-term, seasonal, salaried, 

and hourly employees are included, as are employees on 

paid vacations or other paid leave. Proprietors or partners 

of unincorporated businesses, unpaid family workers, or 

persons on leave without pay or on strike for the entire 

pay period, are not counted as employed. Employees of 

temporary help agencies, employee leasing companies, 

outside contractors, and consultants are counted by their 

employer of record, not by the establishment where they 

are working. 

 Job openings. Establishments submit job openings 

information for the last business day of the reference 

month. A job opening requires that: 1) a specific position 

exists and there is work available for that position, 2) 

work could start within 30 days regardless of whether a 

suitable candidate is found, and 3) the employer is 

actively recruiting from outside the establishment to fill 

the position. Included are 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 are published only for not seasonally 

adjusted data. 

 Annual estimates are not calculated for job openings 

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

measurement for the last business day of each month. 

Only jobs still open on the last day of the month are 

counted. For the same reason job openings cannot be 

cumulated throughout each month, annual figures for job 

openings cannot be created by summing the monthly 

estimates. Hires and separations are flow measures and 

are cumulated over the month with a total reported for the 

month. Therefore, the annual figures can be created by 

summing the monthly estimates. 

Special Collection Procedures 

 An implied measure of employment change can be 

derived from the JOLTS data by subtracting separations 

from hires for a given month. Aggregating these monthly 

changes historically produced employment levels that 

overstated employment change as measured by CES at the 

total nonfarm level. Research into this problem showed 

that a significant amount of the divergence between the 

CES employment levels and the derived JOLTS 

employment levels was traceable to the Employment 

Services industry and to the State Government Education 

industry. In the former industry, businesses have a 

difficult time reporting hires and separations of temporary 

help workers. In the latter industry, employers have 

difficulty reporting hires and separations of student 

workers. BLS now devotes additional resources to the 

collection, editing, and review of data for these 

industries. BLS analysts more closely examine reported 

data that do not provide a consistent picture over time, 

and re-contact the respondents as necessary. Analysts 

work with the respondents to adjust their reporting 

practices as possible. Units that cannot be reconciled but 

are clearly incorrect on a consistent basis are not used, 

they are replaced by imputed values using standard 

techniques. 

Sample and estimation methodology 

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

nonfarm business establishments, including factories, 

offices, and stores, as well as federal, state, and local 

governments in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. 

The establishments are drawn from a universe of over 9.1 

million establishments compiled as part of the operations 

of the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages 

(QCEW) program. This program includes all employers 

subject to state Unemployment Insurance (UI) laws and 

federal agencies subject to Unemployment Compensation 

for Federal Employees (UCFE). 

 The sampling frame is stratified by ownership, region, 

industry sector, and size class. The JOLTS sample is 

constructed from individual panels of sample units drawn 

on an annual basis. The full annual sample consists of one 

certainty panel composed of only large units selected with 

virtual certainty based on their size and 24 non-certainty 

panels. Each month a new non-certainty panel is rolled 

into collection, and the oldest non-certainty panel is rolled 

out. This means that at any given time the JOLTS sample 

is constructed from panels from three different annual 

sampling frames. The entire sample of old plus new 

panels is post-stratified and re-weighted annually to 

represent the most recent sampling frame. Additionally, 

the out-of-business establishments are removed from the 

old panels. The annual sample is supplemented with a 

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

establishments) to better reflect the impact of younger 

establishments in the JOLTS sample. 

 JOLTS total employment estimates are benchmarked 

monthly to the employment estimates of the Current 

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

JOLTS employment is used to adjust the levels for all 

other JOLTS data elements. 

 JOLTS Business Birth/Death Model 

 As with any sample survey, the JOLTS sample can only 

be as current as its sampling frame. The time lag from the 

birth of an establishment until its appearance on the 

sampling frame is approximately one year. In addition, 

many of these new units may fail within the first year. 

Since these universe units cannot be reflected on the 

sampling frame immediately, the JOLTS sample cannot 

capture job openings, hires, and separations from these 

units during their early existence. BLS has developed a 

model to estimate birth/death activity for current months 

by examining the birth/death activity from previous years 

on the QCEW and projecting forward to the present using 

an econometric technique known as X-12 ARIMA 

modeling. The birth/death model also uses historical 

JOLTS data to estimate the amount of “churn” (hires and 

separations) that exists in establishments of various sizes. 

The model then combines the estimated churn with the 

projected employment change to estimate the number of 

hires and separations taking place in these units that 

cannot be measured through sampling. 
 The model-based estimate of total separations is 

distributed to the three components – quits; layoffs and 

discharges; and other separations - in proportion to their 

contribution to the sample-based estimate of total 

separations. Additionally, job openings for the modeled 

units are estimated by computing the ratio of openings to 

hires in the collected data and applying that ratio to the 

modeled hires. The estimates of job openings, hires, and 

separations produced by the birth/death model are then 

added to the sample-based estimates produced from the 

survey to arrive at the estimates for openings, hires, and 

separations. 

Seasonal adjustment 

 BLS seasonally adjusts several JOLTS series using the 

X-12-ARIMA seasonal adjustment program. Seasonal 

adjustment is the process of estimating and removing 

periodic fluctuations caused by events such as weather, 

holidays, and the beginning and ending of the school year. 

Seasonal adjustment makes it easier to observe 

fundamental changes in the level of the series, particularly 

those associated with general economic expansions and 

contractions. A concurrent seasonal adjustment 

methodology is used in which new seasonal adjustment 

factors are calculated each month, using all relevant data, 

up to and including the data for the current month. 

Alignment procedure 

 JOLTS hires minus separations should be comparable to 

the CES net employment change. However, definitional 

differences as well as sampling and non-sampling errors 

between the two surveys historically caused JOLTS to 

diverge from CES over time. To limit the divergence, and 

improve the quality of the JOLTS hires and separations 

series, BLS implemented the Monthly Alignment Method. 

The Monthly Alignment Method applies the CES 

employment trends to the seasonally adjusted JOLTS 

implied employment trend (hires minus separations) 

forcing them to be approximately the same, while 

preserving the seasonality of the JOLTS data. First, the 

two series are seasonally adjusted and the difference 

between the JOLTS implied employment trend and the 

CES net employment change is calculated. Next, the 

JOLTS implied employment trend is adjusted to equal the 

CES net employment change through a proportional 

adjustment. This proportional adjustment procedure 

adjusts the two components (hires, separations) 

proportionally to their contribution to the total churn 

(hires plus separations). For example, if hires are 40 

percent of the churn for a given month, they will receive 

40 percent of the needed adjustment and separations will 

receive 60 percent of the needed adjustment. The adjusted 

hires and separations are converted back to not seasonally 

adjusted data by reversing the application of the original 

seasonal factors. After the monthly alignment method has 

been used to adjust the level estimates, rate estimates are 

computed from the adjusted levels. The Monthly 

Alignment procedure assures a close match of the JOLTS 

implied employment trend with the CES trend. The CES 

series is considered a highly accurate measure of net 

employment change owing to its very large sample size 

and annual benchmarking to universe counts of 

employment from the QCEW program. 

Using JOLTS data 

 The JOLTS data series on job openings, hires, and 

separations are relatively new. The full sample is divided 

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

complement of panels for the original data series based on 

the 1987 Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system 

was not completely enrolled in the survey until January 

2002. The supplemental panels of establishments needed 

to create NAICS estimates were not completely enrolled 

until May 2003. The data collected up until those points 

are from less than a full sample. Therefore, estimates 

from earlier months should be used with caution, as fewer 

sampled units were reporting data at that time. 

 In March 2002, BLS procedures for collecting hires and 

separations data were revised to address possible 

underreporting. As a result, JOLTS hires and separations 

estimates for months prior to March 2002 may not be 

comparable to estimates for March 2002 and later. 

 The federal government reorganization that involved 

transferring approximately 180,000 employees to the new 

Department of Homeland Security is not reflected in the 

JOLTS hires and separations estimates for the federal 

government. The Office of Personnel Management's 

record shows these transfers were completed in March 

2003. The inclusion of transfers in the JOLTS definitions 

of hires and separations is intended to cover ongoing 

movements of workers between establishments. The 

Department of Homeland Security reorganization was a 

massive one-time event, and the inclusion of these 

intergovernmental transfers would distort the federal 

government time series. 

 JOLTS uses moving averages as seasonal filters in 

seasonal adjustment. JOLTS seasonal adjustment 

includes both additive and multiplicative seasonal 

adjustment models and REGARIMA (regression with 

autocorrelated errors) modeling to improve the seasonal 

adjustment factors at the beginning and end of the series 

and to detect and adjust for outliers in the series. 

Reliability of the estimates 

 JOLTS estimates are subject to both sampling and 

nonsampling error. When a sample rather than the entire 

population is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample 

estimates may differ from the "true" population values 

they represent. The exact difference, or sampling error, 

varies depending on the particular sample selected, and 

this variability is measured by the standard error of the 

estimate. BLS analysis is generally conducted at the 90-

percent level of confidence. That means that there is a 
90-percent chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate 

based on a sample will differ by no more than 1.6 

standard errors from the "true" population value because 

of sampling error. Estimates of sampling errors are 

available upon request. 

 The JOLTS estimates also are affected by nonsampling 

error. Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, 

including the failure to include a segment of the 

population, the inability to obtain data from all units in 

the sample, the inability or unwillingness of respondents 

to provide data on a timely basis, mistakes made by 

respondents, errors made in the collection or processing 

of the data, and errors from the employment benchmark 

data used in estimation. 

Other information 

 Information in this release will be made available to 

sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 

202-691-5200; TDD message referral phone: 1-800-877-

8339. 
Table 1. Job openings levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug.

2008 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009p

Total 4........................................................................................................... 3,722 2,633 2,513 2,523 2,513 2,408 2,387 2.6 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.8 1.8

INDUSTRY

Total private 4............................................................................................ 3,314 2,269 2,042 2,191 2,163 2,090 2,077 2.8 2.0 1.8 2.0 1.9 1.9 1.9

Construction........................................................................ 84 51 29 39 56 47 62 1.2 .8 .5 .6 .9 .8 1.0

Manufacturing................................................................ 300 115 95 105 113 110 125 2.2 .9 .8 .9 .9 .9 1.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5.............................. 638 414 332 466 469 393 439 2.4 1.6 1.3 1.8 1.8 1.5 1.7

Retail trade................................................................................. 393 265 205 319 308 260 281 2.5 1.8 1.4 2.1 2.0 1.7 1.9

Professional and business services......................... 692 428 461 451 445 431 401 3.8 2.5 2.7 2.6 2.6 2.5 2.4

Education and health services................................................. 707 537 515 530 531 553 514 3.6 2.7 2.6 2.7 2.7 2.8 2.6

Leisure and hospitality ...................................................... 438 289 322 265 276 256 247 3.2 2.1 2.4 2.0 2.1 1.9 1.8

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 56 25 22 20 19 17 20 2.8 1.3 1.1 1.0 1.0 .9 1.0

Accommodation and food services......................... 378 263 312 239 254 237 228 3.2 2.3 2.7 2.1 2.2 2.1 2.0

Government 6......................................................................................... 421 353 461 310 322 314 307 1.8 1.5 2.0 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.3

State and local government.................................................................................... 357 291 307 267 273 266 271 1.8 1.5 1.5 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.4

REGION 7

Northeast......................................................................... 707 583 520 554 609 508 507 2.7 2.3 2.0 2.2 2.4 2.0 2.0

South............................................................................................... 1,409 1,000 942 888 882 870 871 2.8 2.0 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8

Midwest......................................................................................... 794 499 512 512 496 509 507 2.5 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.7 1.7

West...................................................................................... 864 556 570 544 561 517 541 2.7 1.8 1.9 1.8 1.9 1.7 1.8

1

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

7

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

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

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

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

 

3

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

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

 

4

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

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

 

5

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

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

 

6

 Includes federal government, not shown separately. Wyoming.

 

p

 = preliminary.

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

Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug.

2008 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009p

Total 4........................................................................................................... 4,654 4,099 4,117 3,942 3,919 4,228 4,029 3.4 3.1 3.1 3.0 3.0 3.2 3.1

INDUSTRY

Total private 4............................................................................................ 4,378 3,799 3,822 3,739 3,654 3,930 3,762 3.8 3.4 3.5 3.4 3.3 3.6 3.5

Construction........................................................................ 424 343 341 365 277 355 306 5.9 5.3 5.4 5.8 4.5 5.8 5.0

Manufacturing................................................................ 285 244 236 206 225 272 249 2.1 2.0 1.9 1.7 1.9 2.3 2.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5.............................. 973 883 888 842 744 819 802 3.7 3.5 3.5 3.3 2.9 3.3 3.2

Retail trade................................................................................. 662 595 655 575 519 547 540 4.3 4.0 4.4 3.9 3.5 3.7 3.7

Professional and business services......................... 810 668 733 721 644 686 708 4.6 4.0 4.4 4.3 3.9 4.1 4.3

Education and health services................................................. 554 483 475 473 530 522 541 2.9 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.8 2.7 2.8

Leisure and hospitality ...................................................... 838 693 691 695 695 716 700 6.2 5.3 5.3 5.3 5.3 5.4 5.3

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 161 85 86 83 107 138 104 8.2 4.4 4.5 4.4 5.7 7.3 5.5

Accommodation and food services......................... 692 607 603 606 590 582 599 6.0 5.4 5.4 5.4 5.2 5.2 5.3

Government 6......................................................................................... 305 271 340 273 262 282 264 1.4 1.2 1.5 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.2

State and local government.................................................................................... 279 247 246 257 237 253 239 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.2

REGION 7

Northeast......................................................................... 800 696 729 712 735 714 710 3.1 2.8 2.9 2.9 3.0 2.9 2.9

South............................................................................................... 1,714 1,458 1,619 1,423 1,428 1,544 1,517 3.5 3.0 3.4 3.0 3.0 3.3 3.2

Midwest......................................................................................... 1,034 943 901 867 839 885 930 3.3 3.1 3.0 2.9 2.8 3.0 3.1

West...................................................................................... 1,124 931 949 995 917 1,042 867 3.7 3.1 3.2 3.4 3.1 3.5 2.9

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

 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, 

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

total employment. 6

 Includes federal government, not shown separately.

3

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

adjustment of the various series. p

 = preliminary.

4

 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, and 

other services, not shown separately.

Industry and region

Industry and region

Levels Rates 3 (in thousands)

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

 and rates 2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug.

2008 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009p

Total 4........................................................................................................... 4,888 4,712 4,641 4,356 4,306 4,430 4,265 3.6 3.5 3.5 3.3 3.3 3.4 3.3

INDUSTRY

Total private 4............................................................................................ 4,587 4,434 4,362 4,066 3,939 4,147 3,960 4.0 4.0 4.0 3.7 3.6 3.8 3.6

Construction........................................................................ 436 463 437 411 355 444 353 6.1 7.2 6.9 6.5 5.7 7.2 5.8

Manufacturing................................................................ 348 401 390 367 352 329 318 2.6 3.3 3.2 3.1 3.0 2.8 2.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5.............................. 1,031 1,001 982 951 816 874 826 3.9 3.9 3.9 3.8 3.2 3.5 3.3

Retail trade................................................................................. 699 646 678 601 549 578 549 4.6 4.3 4.6 4.1 3.7 3.9 3.7

Professional and business services......................... 871 778 839 771 698 738 721 4.9 4.6 5.0 4.6 4.2 4.4 4.3

Education and health services................................................. 505 466 462 419 489 500 506 2.7 2.4 2.4 2.2 2.5 2.6 2.6

Leisure and hospitality ...................................................... 857 751 716 684 696 713 718 6.4 5.7 5.4 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 152 95 102 88 115 121 117 7.7 4.9 5.4 4.6 6.1 6.4 6.2

Accommodation and food services......................... 708 649 612 596 594 594 601 6.2 5.8 5.4 5.3 5.3 5.3 5.3

Government 6......................................................................................... 290 265 255 288 340 298 291 1.3 1.2 1.1 1.3 1.5 1.3 1.3

State and local government.................................................................................... 268 251 243 250 272 274 270 1.4 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.4

REGION 7

Northeast......................................................................... 824 878 700 774 799 716 743 3.2 3.5 2.8 3.1 3.2 2.9 3.0

South............................................................................................... 1,799 1,741 1,682 1,565 1,535 1,602 1,509 3.6 3.6 3.5 3.3 3.2 3.4 3.2

Midwest......................................................................................... 1,026 1,085 1,065 1,016 958 958 967 3.3 3.6 3.5 3.4 3.2 3.2 3.2

West...................................................................................... 1,258 978 1,188 980 1,053 1,181 1,066 4.1 3.3 4.0 3.3 3.6 4.0 3.6

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

 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, 

month. not shown separately.

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

 Includes federal government, not shown separately.

entire month as a percent of total employment. 7

 See footnote 7, table 1. 

3

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

seasonal adjustment of the various series.

4

 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, 

and other services, not shown separately.

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

Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Aug. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug.

2008 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009p

Total 4........................................................................................................... 2,453 1,856 1,777 1,788 1,787 1,778 1,739 1.8 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.3

INDUSTRY

Total private 4............................................................................................ 2,322 1,749 1,678 1,682 1,680 1,673 1,639 2.0 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5

Construction........................................................................ 151 102 74 84 70 68 63 2.1 1.6 1.2 1.3 1.1 1.1 1.0

Manufacturing................................................................ 146 81 80 86 93 82 81 1.1 .7 .7 .7 .8 .7 .7

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5.............................. 541 444 385 398 391 415 384 2.1 1.7 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.5

Retail trade................................................................................. 397 344 271 296 299 295 290 2.6 2.3 1.8 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0

Professional and business services......................... 361 278 272 281 257 265 255 2.0 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.5 1.6 1.5

Education and health services................................................. 285 249 228 249 264 235 245 1.5 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.2 1.3

Leisure and hospitality ...................................................... 529 433 430 396 429 411 429 3.9 3.3 3.3 3.0 3.3 3.1 3.3

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 45 35 41 45 46 38 43 2.3 1.8 2.1 2.4 2.4 2.0 2.3

Accommodation and food services......................... 487 402 392 351 378 372 382 4.2 3.6 3.5 3.1 3.4 3.3 3.4

Government 6......................................................................................... 139 107 99 107 111 107 104 .6 .5 .4 .5 .5 .5 .5

State and local government.................................................................................... 131 106 96 97 99 101 96 .7 .5 .5 .5 .5 .5 .5

REGION 7

Northeast......................................................................... 337 273 263 303 279 234 265 1.3 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.1 1.0 1.1

South............................................................................................... 978 751 691 718 693 724 677 2.0 1.6 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.4

Midwest......................................................................................... 567 431 410 397 403 435 372 1.8 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.5 1.2

West...................................................................................... 566 408 453 398 434 404 435 1.8 1.4 1.5 1.3 1.5 1.4 1.5

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

 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, 

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

percent of total employment. 6

 Includes federal government, not shown separately.

3

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

seasonal adjustment of the various series. p

 = preliminary.

4

 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, 

and other services, not shown separately.

Industry and region

Industry and region

Levels 3 (in thousands) Rates

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

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug.

2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total........................................................................................................... 3,906 2,575 2,544 2.8 1.9 1.9

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 3,457 2,232 2,221 2.9 2.0 2.0

Mining and logging...................................................26 5 5 3.1 .7 .8

Construction...................................................................................................... 91 61 72 1.2 .9 1.1

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 295 117 144 2.1 1.0 1.2

Durable goods.............................................................................. 170 64 68 2.0 .9 .9

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 125 53 76 2.4 1.1 1.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 714 407 515 2.6 1.6 2.0

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 133 86 102 2.2 1.5 1.8

Retail trade................................................................................. 451 270 319 2.9 1.8 2.1

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 131 52 93 2.5 1.1 1.9

Information...................................................................................... 90 59 46 2.9 2.0 1.6

Financial activities........................................................................... 204 148 131 2.4 1.9 1.7

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 165 106 96 2.7 1.8 1.6

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 38 42 35 1.7 2.0 1.7

Professional and business services........................................ 683 459 393 3.7 2.7 2.3

Education and health services................................................................. 721 593 523 3.7 3.0 2.7

Educational services................................................................ 76 54 72 2.7 1.9 2.5

Health care and social assistance.................................. 645 539 450 3.9 3.2 2.7

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 438 269 250 3.0 1.9 1.8

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 60 16 21 2.6 .7 1.0

Accommodation and food services............................... 378 253 229 3.1 2.1 1.9

Other services................................................................................. 194 113 142 3.4 2.0 2.5

Government......................................................................................... 449 343 324 2.1 1.6 1.5

Federal................................................................................................ 70 60 30 2.4 2.1 1.1

State and local.................................................................................... 379 282 293 2.0 1.5 1.6

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 744 523 538 2.8 2.1 2.1

South............................................................................................... 1,439 944 907 2.8 2.0 1.9

Midwest................................................................................................. 832 570 533 2.6 1.9 1.8

West....................................................................................................... 891 537 567 2.8 1.8 1.9

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

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

plus job openings.

 3 See footnote 7, table 1.

 p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 6. Hires levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug.

2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total........................................................................................................... 5,159 4,694 4,425 3.8 3.6 3.4

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 4,651 4,377 3,987 4.0 4.0 3.6

Mining and logging...................................................37 26 19 4.6 3.6 2.6

Construction...................................................................................................... 429 408 304 5.7 6.3 4.8

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 311 306 271 2.3 2.6 2.3

Durable goods.............................................................................. 181 150 134 2.1 2.1 1.9

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 130 156 137 2.6 3.4 3.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 1,031 860 843 3.9 3.4 3.4

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 145 143 113 2.4 2.5 2.0

Retail trade................................................................................. 707 556 577 4.6 3.8 3.9

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 179 161 154 3.6 3.4 3.3

Information...................................................................................... 59 92 51 2.0 3.2 1.8

Financial activities........................................................................... 211 234 180 2.6 3.0 2.3

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 138 135 97 2.3 2.3 1.7

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 73 98 82 3.4 4.8 4.1

Professional and business services........................................ 797 756 713 4.5 4.5 4.3

Education and health services................................................................. 681 597 685 3.7 3.2 3.6

Educational services................................................................ 146 107 122 5.3 3.8 4.4

Health care and social assistance.................................. 535 491 563 3.4 3.0 3.5

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 885 805 747 6.3 5.8 5.4

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 140 165 94 6.3 7.5 4.4

Accommodation and food services............................... 745 640 653 6.3 5.5 5.6

Other services................................................................................. 209 291 175 3.7 5.3 3.2

Government......................................................................................... 508 317 438 2.4 1.5 2.1

Federal................................................................................................ 23 40 29 .8 1.4 1.0

State and local.................................................................................... 485 278 410 2.6 1.5 2.2

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 826 852 733 3.2 3.5 3.0

South............................................................................................... 1,943 1,700 1,712 3.9 3.6 3.6

Midwest................................................................................................. 1,107 946 1,006 3.6 3.2 3.4

West....................................................................................................... 1,283 1,196 975 4.2 4.1 3.3

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

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

 3 See footnote 7, 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

Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug.

2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total........................................................................................................... 5,638 4,970 4,829 4.1 3.8 3.7

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 5,211 4,561 4,397 4.5 4.1 4.0

Mining and logging...................................................27 31 27 3.3 4.2 3.7

Construction...................................................................................................... 490 478 386 6.5 7.4 6.0

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 379 313 320 2.8 2.6 2.7

Durable goods.............................................................................. 251 159 175 3.0 2.2 2.4

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 128 154 144 2.6 3.3 3.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 1,113 914 862 4.2 3.6 3.4

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 166 152 132 2.8 2.7 2.3

Retail trade................................................................................. 770 586 590 5.0 4.0 4.0

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 178 176 140 3.5 3.7 3.0

Information...................................................................................... 64 104 66 2.1 3.6 2.3

Financial activities........................................................................... 255 247 219 3.1 3.2 2.8

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 178 151 131 3.0 2.6 2.3

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 77 97 88 3.5 4.8 4.4

Professional and business services........................................ 913 781 741 5.1 4.7 4.4

Education and health services................................................................. 611 615 618 3.3 3.2 3.3

Educational services................................................................ 117 124 115 4.2 4.5 4.2

Health care and social assistance.................................. 494 490 503 3.1 3.0 3.1

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 1,058 797 902 7.5 5.8 6.5

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 217 115 178 9.8 5.2 8.3

Accommodation and food services............................... 841 682 724 7.1 5.9 6.2

Other services................................................................................. 301 281 256 5.4 5.1 4.7

Government......................................................................................... 427 409 432 2.0 1.9 2.0

Federal................................................................................................ 35 25 35 1.3 .9 1.2

State and local.................................................................................... 391 384 397 2.1 2.1 2.2

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 961 795 868 3.8 3.2 3.5

South............................................................................................... 2,082 1,832 1,705 4.2 3.9 3.6

Midwest................................................................................................. 1,168 1,011 1,094 3.8 3.4 3.7

West....................................................................................................... 1,427 1,333 1,162 4.6 4.5 4.0

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

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

 3 See footnote 7, table 1.

 p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 8. Quits levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug.

2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total........................................................................................................... 3,108 2,142 2,203 2.3 1.6 1.7

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 2,893 2,003 2,042 2.5 1.8 1.9

Mining and logging...................................................19 4 12 2.4 .5 1.6

Construction...................................................................................................... 219 100 90 2.9 1.6 1.4

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 188 94 106 1.4 .8 .9

Durable goods.............................................................................. 113 40 56 1.3 .5 .8

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 75 55 50 1.5 1.2 1.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 659 457 465 2.5 1.8 1.8

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 89 61 42 1.5 1.1 .7

Retail trade................................................................................. 488 318 353 3.2 2.2 2.4

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 83 78 70 1.6 1.6 1.5

Information...................................................................................... 47 45 36 1.6 1.6 1.3

Financial activities........................................................................... 130 94 98 1.6 1.2 1.3

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 98 59 71 1.6 1.0 1.2

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 32 36 27 1.4 1.8 1.3

Professional and business services........................................ 448 321 306 2.5 1.9 1.8

Education and health services................................................................. 349 285 300 1.9 1.5 1.6

Educational services................................................................ 52 29 36 1.9 1.0 1.3

Health care and social assistance.................................. 297 256 265 1.9 1.6 1.6

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 667 503 545 4.7 3.6 4.0

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 73 53 75 3.3 2.4 3.5

Accommodation and food services............................... 594 450 470 5.0 3.9 4.0

Other services................................................................................. 166 100 84 3.0 1.8 1.5

Government......................................................................................... 215 139 161 1.0 .7 .8

Federal................................................................................................ 17 4 17 .6 .1 .6

State and local.................................................................................... 198 136 144 1.1 .7 .8

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 432 291 339 1.7 1.2 1.4

South............................................................................................... 1,224 876 836 2.5 1.8 1.8

Midwest................................................................................................. 768 493 491 2.5 1.7 1.7

West....................................................................................................... 683 483 537 2.2 1.6 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 See footnote 7, 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

Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug.

2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total........................................................................................................... 2,227 2,476 2,305 1.6 1.9 1.8

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 2,071 2,297 2,091 1.8 2.1 1.9

Mining and logging...................................................6 25 14 .7 3.5 1.9

Construction...................................................................................................... 255 366 291 3.4 5.7 4.5

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 168 197 190 1.2 1.7 1.6

Durable goods.............................................................................. 121 109 104 1.4 1.5 1.4

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 46 87 86 .9 1.9 1.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 369 384 332 1.4 1.5 1.3

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 66 81 84 1.1 1.4 1.5

Retail trade................................................................................. 232 216 185 1.5 1.5 1.3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 71 87 63 1.4 1.8 1.3

Information...................................................................................... 16 55 23 .5 1.9 .8

Financial activities........................................................................... 106 139 102 1.3 1.8 1.3

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 66 85 45 1.1 1.5 .8

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 39 54 57 1.8 2.7 2.8

Professional and business services........................................ 427 404 384 2.4 2.4 2.3

Education and health services................................................................. 220 294 277 1.2 1.5 1.5

Educational services................................................................ 58 88 75 2.1 3.2 2.7

Health care and social assistance.................................. 162 206 202 1.0 1.3 1.2

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 373 269 330 2.6 1.9 2.4

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 141 57 98 6.3 2.6 4.5

Accommodation and food services............................... 232 211 232 2.0 1.8 2.0

Other services................................................................................. 133 164 149 2.4 3.0 2.7

Government......................................................................................... 156 179 213 .7 .8 1.0

Federal................................................................................................ 10 4 9 .3 .1 .3

State and local.................................................................................... 146 175 204 .8 .9 1.1

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 477 427 473 1.9 1.7 1.9

South............................................................................................... 745 826 746 1.5 1.7 1.6

Midwest................................................................................................. 326 441 531 1.0 1.5 1.8

West....................................................................................................... 679 782 554 2.2 2.7 1.9

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

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

employment.

 3 See footnote 7, table 1.

 p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 10. Other separations levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Aug. July Aug. Aug. July Aug.

2008 2009 2009p 2008 2009 2009p

Total........................................................................................................... 303 351 321 0.2 0.3 0.2

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 247 260 263 .2 .2 .2

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

Construction...................................................................................................... 16 12 6 .2 .2 .1

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 24 22 23 .2 .2 .2

Durable goods.............................................................................. 17 10 16 .2 .1 .2

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 7 12 8 .1 .3 .2

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 85 73 65 .3 .3 .3

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 12 10 6 .2 .2 .1

Retail trade................................................................................. 50 51 52 .3 .3 .4

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 24 12 8 .5 .2 .2

Information...................................................................................... 1 4 7 (

4

) .1 .3

Financial activities........................................................................... 20 14 20 .2 .2 .3

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 14 7 15 .2 .1 .3

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 6 7 5 .3 .3 .2

Professional and business services........................................ 38 57 51 .2 .3 .3

Education and health services................................................................. 42 36 41 .2 .2 .2

Educational services................................................................ 7 8 4 .2 .3 .1

Health care and social assistance.................................. 35 28 37 .2 .2 .2

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 18 26 27 .1 .2 .2

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

Accommodation and food services............................... 15 21 21 .1 .2 .2

Other services................................................................................. 2 17 23 (

4

) .3 .4

Government......................................................................................... 56 91 58 .3 .4 .3

Federal................................................................................................ 9 18 9 .3 .6 .3

State and local.................................................................................... 47 73 49 .3 .4 .3

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 51 77 55 .2 .3 .2

South............................................................................................... 113 130 123 .2 .3 .3

Midwest................................................................................................. 75 77 72 .2 .3 .2

West....................................................................................................... 63 67 72 .2 .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 7, table 1.

 4 Data round to zero.

 p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region