1

Technical information: (202) 691-5870

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

Media contact: 691-5902

USDL 05-833

For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT

Tuesday, May 10, 2005

Chart 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted,

 December 2000 - March 2005

1.8

2.0

2.2

2.4

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

Percent

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

Chart 2. Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted,

 December 2000 - March 2005

1.8

2.0

2.2

2.4

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

Percent

Separations

Hires

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: MARCH 2005

The job openings rate was unchanged in March at 2.6 percent, while the hires and total separations rates

were little changed at 3.7 and 3.3 percent, respectively, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires,

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

Job Openings

On the last business day of March 2005, there were 3.6 million job openings in the United States, and

the job openings rate was 2.6 percent. (See table 1.) The job openings rate was unchanged in March but

has generally trended upward since September 2003. In March, the job openings rate changed significantly

only for the government sector, where the rate fell slightly. The job openings rate did not change significantly

in any of the regions.

Hires and Separations

The hires rate (the number of hires during the month divided by employment) was 3.7 percent in March,

essentially unchanged from a month earlier. (See table 2.) Hires are any additions to the payroll during the

month. None of the industries or regions had significant changes in their hires rates from February to March.

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

employment) was 3.3 percent in March, little changed from February. Separations are terminations of

employment that occur at any time during the month. (See table 3.) The total separations rate fell in

construction and rose in professional and business services and in the Midwest region in March.
2

Total............................................................ 4,760 4,880 4,289 4,295 4,421

 Total private ........................................ 4,494 4,430 4,541 4,013 4,035

Construction ................................... 114 133 408 430 409 394 403 297

Manufacturing ................................ 240 252 376 336 335 373 341 356

Trade, transportation, and

utilities ........................................... 562 668 615 1,068 1,055 1,046 1,003 940 971

Professional and business

services ......................................... 529 607 667 815 853 924 674 772 902

Education and health services .... 551 602 599 441 500 464 386 389 441

Leisure and hospitality ................. 379 447 437 885 771 822 759 790 728

Government .......................................... 341 404 365 341 329 336 273 260 261

Total 1......................................................... 2.3 2.6 2.6 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.3 3.2 3.3

Total private 1....................................... 2.5 2.8 2.8 4.1 4.0 4.1 3.7 3.6 3.7

Construction ................................... 1.6 1.8 2.2 5.9 6.0 5.7 5.7 5.7 4.2

Manufacturing ................................ 1.7 1.7 1.8 2.6 2.3 2.3 2.6 2.4 2.5

Trade, transportation, and

utilities ........................................... 2.2 2.5 2.3 4.2 4.1 4.1 3.9 3.7 3.8

Professional and business

services ......................................... 3.2 3.5 3.8 5.0 5.1 5.5 4.2 4.6 5.4

Education and health services .... 3.2 3.4 3.4 2.6 2.9 2.7 2.3 2.3 2.6

Leisure and hospitality ................. 3.0 3.4 3.3 7.1 6.1 6.5 6.1 6.3 5.8

Government .......................................... 1.6 1.8 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.3 1.2 1.2

 Job openings

Industry

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

Hires Total separations

Mar. Feb. Mar. Mar. Feb. Mar. Mar. Feb. Mar.

2004 2005p 2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Levels (in thousands)

Rates (percent)

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

 p = preliminary.

2005

4,838

2,780

3,105

3,160

3,569

4,158

158

258

3,199

3,568

1

1

Total separations include quits (voluntary separations), layoffs and discharges (involuntary separations),

and other separations (including retirements). The quits rate, which can serve as a barometer of workers’

ability to change jobs, increased to 1.9 percent in March. (See table 4.) The quits rate rose in March for

private industries overall; for the trade, transportation, and utilities industry; and for the Northeast and Midwest regions. The other two components of total separations, layoffs and discharges and other separations,

are not seasonally adjusted. From March 2004 to March 2005, the layoffs and discharges rate (1.0 percent) was little changed and the other separations rate (0.2 percent) was unchanged. (See tables 9 and 10.)

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

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

figures a year earlier were 4.2 million hires and 4.0 million separations. (See the Technical Note for

additional information on these measures.)
3

For More Information

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

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

(202) 691-5870.

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover release for April 2005 is scheduled to be issued on Tuesday,

June 7, 2005.

______________________________
Technical Note

The data for the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey

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

business establishments by the Bureau of Labor Statistics

(BLS).

Collection

Each month, data are collected in a survey of business

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

layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Data collection

methods include computer-assisted telephone interviewing,

touchtone data entry, fax, and mail.

Coverage

The JOLTS program covers all private nonfarm

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

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

the District of Columbia.

Concepts

Industry classification. The industry classifications in this

release are in accordance with the 2002 version of the North

American Industry Classification System (NAICS). In order to

ensure the highest possible quality of data, State Employment

Security Agencies verify with employers and update, if

necessary, the industry code, location, and ownership

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

in establishment characteristics resulting from the verification

process are always introduced into the JOLTS sampling frame

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

Employment. Employment includes persons on the payroll

who worked or received pay for the pay period that includes

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

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

employees are included, as are employees on paid vacations or

other paid leave. Proprietors or partners of unincorporated

businesses, unpaid family workers, or persons on leave without

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

employed. Employees of temporary help agencies, employee

leasing companies, outside contractors, and consultants are

counted by their employer of record, not by the establishment

where they are working.

Job openings. Establishments submit job openings

information for the last business day of the reference month.

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

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

within 30 days regardless of whether a suitable candidate is

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

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

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

Active recruiting means that the establishment is taking steps

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

posting help-wanted signs, accepting applications, or using

other similar methods.

Jobs to be filled only by internal transfers, promotions,

demotions, or recall from layoffs are excluded. Also excluded

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

for which employees have been hired but have not yet reported

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

agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors, or

consultants. The job openings rate is computed by dividing

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

openings and multiplying that quotient by 100.

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

occurring at any time during the reference month, including

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

permanent, short-term, and seasonal employees, employees

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

on-call or intermittent employees who returned to work after

having been formally separated, and transfers from other

locations. The hires count does not include transfers or

promotions within the reporting site, employees returning from

strike, employees of temporary help agencies or employee

leasing companies, outside contractors, or consultants. The

hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by

employment and multiplying that quotient by 100.

Separations. Separations are the total number of

terminations of employment occurring at any time during the

reference month, and are reported by type of separation—

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

voluntary separations by employees (except for retirements,

which are reported as other separations). Layoffs and

discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the

employer and include layoffs with no intent to rehire, formal

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

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

discharges for cause, terminations of permanent or short-term

employees, and terminations of seasonal employees. Other

separations include retirements, transfers to other locations,

deaths, and separations due to disability. Separations do not

include transfers within the same location or employees on

strike.

The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of

separations by employment and multiplying that quotient by

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

rates are computed similarly, dividing the number by

employment and multiplying by 100.

Sample methodology

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

nonfarm business establishments, including factories, offices,

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

the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The establishments

are drawn from a universe of over eight million establishments

compiled as part of the operations of the Quarterly Census of

Employment and Wages, or QCEW, program. This program

includes all employers subject to state Unemployment

Insurance (UI) laws and federal agencies subject to

Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE).

The sampling frame is stratified by ownership, region,

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

controlled to the employment estimates of the Current

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

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

elements. Rates are then computed from the adjusted levels.

Using JOLTS data

The JOLTS data series on job openings, hires, and

separations are relatively new. The full sample is divided into

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

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

Industrial Classification (SIC) system was not completely

enrolled in the survey until January 2002. The supplemental

panels of establishments needed to create NAICS estimates

were not completely enrolled until May 2003. The data

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

Therefore, estimates from earlier months should be used with

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

In March 2002, BLS procedures for collecting hires and

separations data were revised to address possible

underreporting. As a result, JOLTS hires and separations

estimates for months prior to March 2002 may not be

comparable with estimates for March 2002 and later.

The federal government reorganization that involved

transferring approximately 180,000 employees to the new

Department of Homeland Security is not reflected in the JOLTS

hires and separations estimates for the federal government.

The Office of Personnel Management’s record shows these

transfers were completed in March 2003. The inclusion of

transfers in the JOLTS definitions of hires and separations is

intended to cover ongoing movements of workers between

establishments. The Department of Homeland Security

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

of these intergovernmental transfers would distort the federal

government time series.

Seasonal adjustment

BLS seasonally adjusts several JOLTS series using the

X-12-ARIMA seasonal adjustment program. Seasonal

adjustment is the process of estimating and removing periodic

fluctuations caused by events such as weather, holidays, and

the beginning and ending of the school year. Seasonal

adjustment makes it easier to observe fundamental changes in

the level of the series, particularly those associated with

general economic expansions and contractions. A concurrent

seasonal adjustment methodology is used in which new

seasonal adjustment factors are calculated each month, using

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

month.

Data users should note that seasonal adjustment of the

JOLTS series is conducted with fewer data observations than

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

larger than normal revisions. Since the seasonal patterns in

economic data series typically emerge over time, the standard

use of moving averages as seasonal filters to capture these

effects requires longer series than are currently available. As

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

adjustment of the JOLTS data. When calculating seasonal

factors, this filter takes an average for each calendar month

after detrending the series. The stable seasonal filter assumes

that the seasonal factors are fixed; a necessary assumption

until sufficient data are available. When the stable seasonal

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

introduced, such as outlier adjustment and extended

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

such as layoffs and discharges and additional industries, may

be seasonally adjusted when more data are available.

Reliability of the estimates

JOLTS estimates are subject to both sampling and

nonsampling error. When a sample rather than the entire

population is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample

estimates may differ from the “true” population values they

represent. The exact difference, or sampling error, varies

depending on the particular sample selected, and this

variability is measured by the standard error of the estimate.

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

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

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

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

population value because of sampling error. Estimates of

sampling errors are available upon request.

The JOLTS estimates also are affected by nonsampling

error. Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, including

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

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

unwillingness of respondents to provide data on a timely basis,

mistakes made by respondents, errors made in the collection or

processing of the data, and errors from the employment

benchmark data used in estimation.

JOLTS hires and separations estimates cannot be used to

exactly explain net changes in nonfarm payroll employment.

Some reasons why it is problematic to compare changes in

payroll employment with JOLTS hires and separations,

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

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

month, while the reference period for hires and separations is

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

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

may not always work during the pay period that includes the

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

reporters systematically underreport separations relative to

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

payroll systems and practices. The shortfall appears to be

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

Other information

Information in this release will be made available to sensory

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

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Mar. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Mar. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar.

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 3,105 3,300 3,277 3,507 3,385 3,569 3,568 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.6 2.5 2.6 2.6

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 2,780 2,924 2,910 3,106 3,020 3,160 3,199 2.5 2.6 2.6 2.7 2.7 2.8 2.8

Construction........................................................................ 114 114 118 132 127 133 158 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.8 1.8 1.8 2.2

Manufacturing................................................................ 240 250 248 266 252 252 258 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 562 559 554 561 564 668 615 2.2 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.5 2.3

Professional and business services......................... 529 602 620 699 682 607 667 3.2 3.5 3.6 4.0 3.9 3.5 3.8

Education and health services................................................. 551 547 543 557 560 602 599 3.2 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.2 3.4 3.4

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 379 413 411 450 434 447 437 3.0 3.2 3.2 3.4 3.3 3.4 3.3

Government......................................................................................... 341 400 369 396 346 404 365 1.6 1.8 1.7 1.8 1.6 1.8 1.7

REGION

Northeast......................................................................... 606 562 560 620 602 606 587 2.4 2.2 2.2 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.3

South............................................................................................... 1,197 1,318 1,250 1,329 1,342 1,399 1,416 2.5 2.7 2.6 2.8 2.8 2.9 2.9

Midwest......................................................................................... 673 688 726 740 716 745 759 2.1 2.1 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.3 2.4

West...................................................................................... 634 742 759 792 718 823 811 2.2 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.4 2.8 2.7

1

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

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

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

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

 

3

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

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

 

4

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

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

 

P

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

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

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

Industry and region Mar. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Mar. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar.

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 4,838 4,552 4,990 4,639 4,709 4,760 4,880 3.7 3.4 3.8 3.5 3.6 3.6 3.7

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 4,494 4,216 4,652 4,337 4,374 4,430 4,541 4.1 3.8 4.2 3.9 3.9 4.0 4.1

Construction........................................................................ 408 353 373 368 339 430 409 5.9 5.0 5.3 5.2 4.8 6.0 5.7

Manufacturing................................................................ 376 353 386 324 307 336 335 2.6 2.5 2.7 2.3 2.1 2.3 2.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 1,068 977 1,077 986 1,056 1,055 1,046 4.2 3.8 4.2 3.8 4.1 4.1 4.1

Professional and business services......................... 815 812 935 878 882 853 924 5.0 4.9 5.6 5.3 5.3 5.1 5.5

Education and health services................................................. 441 420 447 452 445 500 464 2.6 2.5 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.9 2.7

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 885 801 858 834 826 771 822 7.1 6.4 6.8 6.6 6.6 6.1 6.5

Government......................................................................................... 341 318 335 307 341 329 336 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.6 1.5 1.5

REGION

Northeast......................................................................... 803 811 851 858 762 820 873 3.2 3.2 3.4 3.4 3.0 3.2 3.4

South............................................................................................... 1,912 1,809 1,903 1,770 1,880 1,867 1,904 4.1 3.9 4.1 3.8 4.0 4.0 4.0

Midwest......................................................................................... 1,043 1,013 1,149 1,043 1,092 1,081 1,083 3.4 3.2 3.7 3.3 3.5 3.5 3.5

West...................................................................................... 1,087 916 1,014 970 959 1,069 1,024 3.8 3.2 3.5 3.4 3.3 3.7 3.5

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

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

 

3

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

 

4

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

 

P

 = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels3 (in thousands) Rates

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Mar. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Mar. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar.

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 4,289 4,215 4,266 4,435 4,352 4,295 4,421 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.3

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 4,013 3,957 3,996 4,146 4,091 4,035 4,158 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.7

Construction........................................................................ 394 425 351 355 417 403 297 5.7 6.0 5.0 5.0 5.9 5.7 4.2

Manufacturing................................................................ 373 354 327 353 361 341 356 2.6 2.5 2.3 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 1,003 889 943 1,062 882 940 971 3.9 3.5 3.7 4.1 3.4 3.7 3.8

Professional and business services......................... 674 585 822 833 836 772 902 4.2 3.5 4.9 5.0 5.0 4.6 5.4

Education and health services................................................. 386 376 408 375 356 389 441 2.3 2.2 2.4 2.2 2.1 2.3 2.6

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 759 767 727 758 832 790 728 6.1 6.1 5.8 6.0 6.6 6.3 5.8

Government......................................................................................... 273 263 275 274 258 260 261 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2

REGION

Northeast......................................................................... 729 711 756 773 773 732 778 2.9 2.8 3.0 3.0 3.1 2.9 3.1

South............................................................................................... 1,631 1,614 1,594 1,707 1,747 1,647 1,713 3.5 3.5 3.4 3.6 3.7 3.5 3.6

Midwest......................................................................................... 1,004 952 1,041 986 981 937 1,094 3.2 3.0 3.3 3.1 3.1 3.0 3.5

West...................................................................................... 990 896 826 953 964 961 898 3.5 3.1 2.9 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.1

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

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

 

3

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

 

4

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

 

P

 = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

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

Industry and region Mar. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Mar. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar.

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 2,346 2,344 2,436 2,495 2,530 2,307 2,496 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.9 1.9 1.7 1.9

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 2,211 2,217 2,319 2,366 2,412 2,192 2,368 2.0 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.0 2.1

Construction........................................................................ 152 182 159 162 171 139 146 2.2 2.6 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.0 2.0

Manufacturing................................................................ 194 187 185 194 185 181 182 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 541 517 568 570 563 512 584 2.1 2.0 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.0 2.3

Professional and business services......................... 341 281 401 415 417 410 429 2.1 1.7 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.6

Education and health services................................................. 245 239 250 232 230 259 286 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.5 1.7

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 469 474 499 506 516 474 461 3.8 3.8 4.0 4.0 4.1 3.8 3.6

Government......................................................................................... 130 123 118 129 124 117 123 .6 .6 .5 .6 .6 .5 .6

REGION

Northeast......................................................................... 327 333 359 392 424 340 396 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.7 1.3 1.6

South............................................................................................... 992 943 1,014 1,021 1,053 914 972 2.1 2.0 2.2 2.2 2.2 1.9 2.1

Midwest......................................................................................... 491 500 551 544 539 509 619 1.6 1.6 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.6 2.0

West...................................................................................... 545 550 492 536 530 550 549 1.9 1.9 1.7 1.9 1.8 1.9 1.9

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

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

 

3

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

 

4

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

 

P

 = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels3 (in thousands) Rates

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Mar. Feb. Mar. Mar. Feb. Mar.

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total........................................................................................................... 3,098 3,433 3,586 2.3 2.5 2.6

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 2,761 3,064 3,228 2.5 2.7 2.9

Natural resources and mining................................................... 7 8 12 1.1 1.4 1.9

Construction...................................................................................................... 106 121 162 1.6 1.8 2.3

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 246 248 265 1.7 1.7 1.8

Durable goods.............................................................................. 167 164 176 1.9 1.8 1.9

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 79 85 89 1.5 1.6 1.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 552 619 610 2.1 2.4 2.3

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 98 143 121 1.7 2.5 2.1

Retail trade................................................................................. 352 373 391 2.3 2.4 2.6

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 102 103 99 2.1 2.1 2.0

Information...................................................................................... 63 87 85 2.0 2.7 2.6

Financial activities........................................................................... 182 220 227 2.2 2.6 2.7

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 159 174 184 2.6 2.8 3.0

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 23 46 44 1.1 2.2 2.0

Professional and business services........................................ 518 597 651 3.1 3.5 3.8

Education and health services................................................................. 540 597 593 3.1 3.3 3.3

Educational services................................................................ 41 57 59 1.4 1.9 1.9

Health care and social assistance.................................. 499 540 534 3.4 3.6 3.6

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 418 436 483 3.3 3.5 3.8

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 43 57 50 2.5 3.4 2.9

Accommodations and food services............................... 375 379 433 3.5 3.5 3.9

Other services................................................................................. 129 132 140 2.3 2.4 2.5

Government......................................................................................... 337 369 358 1.5 1.6 1.6

Federal................................................................................................ 46 48 52 1.7 1.8 1.9

State and local.................................................................................... 291 321 306 1.5 1.6 1.6

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 594 567 573 2.3 2.2 2.2

South............................................................................................... 1,181 1,393 1,408 2.5 2.9 2.9

Midwest................................................................................................. 701 695 797 2.2 2.2 2.5

West....................................................................................................... 621 778 809 2.1 2.6 2.7

1

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

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

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 6. Hires levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Mar. Feb. Mar. Mar. Feb. Mar.

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total........................................................................................................... 4,603 3,938 4,680 3.5 3.0 3.5

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 4,373 3,709 4,451 4.0 3.4 4.0

Natural resources and mining................................................... 18 19 24 3.1 3.1 3.9

Construction...................................................................................................... 450 363 466 6.9 5.5 6.9

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 390 318 351 2.7 2.2 2.5

Durable goods.............................................................................. 256 211 214 2.9 2.4 2.4

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 134 107 136 2.5 2.0 2.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 968 803 948 3.9 3.2 3.7

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 171 116 137 3.1 2.1 2.4

Retail trade................................................................................. 655 560 684 4.4 3.8 4.6

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 141 126 126 3.0 2.6 2.6

Information...................................................................................... 62 62 71 2.0 2.0 2.3

Financial activities........................................................................... 173 158 200 2.2 1.9 2.5

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 111 93 112 1.9 1.5 1.9

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 62 65 88 3.0 3.1 4.2

Professional and business services........................................ 803 758 923 5.0 4.6 5.6

Education and health services................................................................. 410 430 435 2.4 2.5 2.5

Educational services................................................................ 40 51 41 1.4 1.7 1.4

Health care and social assistance.................................. 370 380 393 2.6 2.6 2.7

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 913 607 849 7.6 5.0 6.9

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 122 78 103 7.2 4.8 6.3

Accommodations and food services............................... 791 529 746 7.6 5.0 7.0

Other services................................................................................. 187 192 186 3.5 3.5 3.4

Government......................................................................................... 230 230 229 1.0 1.0 1.0

Federal................................................................................................ 29 33 24 1.1 1.2 .9

State and local.................................................................................... 201 197 205 1.0 1.0 1.1

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 692 578 762 2.8 2.3 3.0

South............................................................................................... 1,868 1,619 1,879 4.1 3.5 4.0

Midwest................................................................................................. 1,002 823 1,049 3.3 2.7 3.4

West....................................................................................................... 1,041 918 990 3.7 3.2 3.4

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

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

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Mar. Feb. Mar. Mar. Feb. Mar.

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total........................................................................................................... 3,739 3,529 3,878 2.9 2.7 2.9

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 3,555 3,350 3,703 3.3 3.1 3.4

Natural resources and mining................................................... 15 15 18 2.6 2.5 3.0

Construction...................................................................................................... 363 386 271 5.5 5.8 4.0

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 340 297 325 2.4 2.1 2.3

Durable goods.............................................................................. 212 189 196 2.4 2.1 2.2

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 128 108 129 2.4 2.0 2.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 904 815 881 3.6 3.2 3.5

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 134 134 113 2.4 2.4 2.0

Retail trade................................................................................. 612 549 655 4.1 3.7 4.4

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 158 133 113 3.3 2.7 2.3

Information...................................................................................... 73 45 68 2.3 1.5 2.2

Financial activities........................................................................... 130 146 135 1.6 1.8 1.7

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 89 97 94 1.5 1.6 1.6

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 42 49 41 2.0 2.3 1.9

Professional and business services........................................ 601 591 838 3.8 3.6 5.1

Education and health services................................................................. 351 333 409 2.1 1.9 2.4

Educational services................................................................ 37 27 45 1.3 .9 1.5

Health care and social assistance.................................. 314 305 364 2.2 2.1 2.5

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 626 553 593 5.2 4.6 4.8

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 81 66 71 4.8 4.1 4.3

Accommodations and food services............................... 545 486 522 5.2 4.6 4.9

Other services................................................................................. 152 169 164 2.8 3.1 3.0

Government......................................................................................... 184 179 175 .8 .8 .8

Federal................................................................................................ 30 21 21 1.1 .8 .8

State and local.................................................................................... 154 158 154 .8 .8 .8

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 595 553 643 2.4 2.2 2.6

South............................................................................................... 1,422 1,406 1,507 3.1 3.0 3.2

Midwest................................................................................................. 813 753 922 2.6 2.4 3.0

West....................................................................................................... 909 816 806 3.2 2.8 2.8

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

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

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 8. Quits levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Mar. Feb. Mar. Mar. Feb. Mar.

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total........................................................................................................... 2,089 1,912 2,249 1.6 1.5 1.7

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 1,990 1,820 2,155 1.8 1.7 2.0

Natural resources and mining................................................... 6 6 11 1.1 1.0 1.9

Construction...................................................................................................... 144 123 136 2.2 1.8 2.0

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 185 152 172 1.3 1.1 1.2

Durable goods.............................................................................. 114 96 104 1.3 1.1 1.2

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 71 56 68 1.3 1.1 1.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 501 426 546 2.0 1.7 2.1

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 72 73 74 1.3 1.3 1.3

Retail trade................................................................................. 371 302 410 2.5 2.0 2.8

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................58 51 62 1.2 1.1 1.3

Information...................................................................................... 31 29 39 1.0 .9 1.3

Financial activities........................................................................... 72 87 79 .9 1.1 1.0

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 52 67 57 .9 1.1 .9

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 20 21 22 1.0 1.0 1.1

Professional and business services........................................ 324 311 417 2.0 1.9 2.5

Education and health services................................................................. 221 217 264 1.3 1.3 1.5

Educational services................................................................ 17 18 25 .6 .6 .8

Health care and social assistance.................................. 204 199 239 1.4 1.4 1.7

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 399 364 387 3.3 3.0 3.1

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 31 31 40 1.9 1.9 2.4

Accommodations and food services............................... 367 333 347 3.5 3.2 3.3

Other services................................................................................. 108 105 104 2.0 1.9 1.9

Government......................................................................................... 99 92 94 .5 .4 .4

Federal................................................................................................ 15 8 6 .6 .3 .2

State and local.................................................................................... 84 83 88 .4 .4 .5

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 274 262 333 1.1 1.0 1.3

South............................................................................................... 886 766 865 1.9 1.6 1.8

Midwest................................................................................................. 424 407 542 1.4 1.3 1.7

West....................................................................................................... 505 477 509 1.8 1.7 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.

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Mar. Feb. Mar. Mar. Feb. Mar.

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total........................................................................................................... 1,407 1,364 1,375 1.1 1.0 1.0

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 1,363 1,320 1,336 1.3 1.2 1.2

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

Construction...................................................................................................... 209 255 129 3.2 3.8 1.9

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 132 116 128 .9 .8 .9

Durable goods.............................................................................. 82 74 76 .9 .8 .9

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 50 42 51 .9 .8 1.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 334 331 259 1.3 1.3 1.0

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 55 51 36 1.0 .9 .6

Retail trade................................................................................. 189 212 185 1.3 1.4 1.2

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................90 67 38 1.9 1.4 .8

Information...................................................................................... 39 13 23 1.2 .4 .8

Financial activities........................................................................... 42 44 45 .5 .5 .6

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 24 19 29 .4 .3 .5

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 19 26 16 .9 1.2 .8

Professional and business services........................................ 247 235 380 1.5 1.4 2.3

Education and health services................................................................. 115 97 131 .7 .6 .8

Educational services................................................................ 18 8 16 .6 .3 .5

Health care and social assistance.................................. 97 89 115 .7 .6 .8

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 204 172 186 1.7 1.4 1.5

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 49 34 30 2.9 2.1 1.8

Accommodations and food services............................... 155 139 157 1.5 1.3 1.5

Other services................................................................................. 35 49 48 .6 .9 .9

Government......................................................................................... 44 44 39 .2 .2 .2

Federal................................................................................................ 7 5 4 .3 .2 .1

State and local.................................................................................... 37 39 36 .2 .2 .2

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 278 250 259 1.1 1.0 1.0

South............................................................................................... 442 544 553 1.0 1.2 1.2

Midwest................................................................................................. 333 299 329 1.1 1.0 1.1

West....................................................................................................... 354 271 235 1.2 .9 .8

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

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

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Mar. Feb. Mar. Mar. Feb. Mar.

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total........................................................................................................... 243 253 254 0.2 0.2 0.2

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 202 210 212 .2 .2 .2

Natural resources and mining................................................... 2 3 1 .3 .6 .2

Construction...................................................................................................... 10 8 6 .2 .1 .1

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 24 28 26 .2 .2 .2

Durable goods.............................................................................. 16 18 16 .2 .2 .2

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

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 69 58 76 .3 .2 .3

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 7 10 4 .1 .2 .1

Retail trade................................................................................. 52 34 60 .4 .2 .4

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................10 14 12 .2 .3 .3

Information...................................................................................... 3 3 5 .1 .1 .2

Financial activities........................................................................... 15 14 10 .2 .2 .1

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 12 12 8 .2 .2 .1

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

Professional and business services........................................ 30 44 42 .2 .3 .3

Education and health services................................................................. 15 19 14 .1 .1 .1

Educational services................................................................ 2 1 3 .1 (

3

) .1

Health care and social assistance.................................. 13 18 10 .1 .1 .1

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 24 16 20 .2 .1 .2

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

Accommodations and food services............................... 22 15 18 .2 .1 .2

Other services................................................................................. 10 16 12 .2 .3 .2

Government......................................................................................... 41 43 42 .2 .2 .2

Federal................................................................................................ 8 8 12 .3 .3 .4

State and local.................................................................................... 33 35 30 .2 .2 .2

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 43 41 51 .2 .2 .2

South............................................................................................... 95 96 89 .2 .2 .2

Midwest................................................................................................. 56 48 52 .2 .2 .2

West....................................................................................................... 50 68 62 .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 Data round to zero.

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels (in thousands) Rates