1

Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 08-0454

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

For release: 10:00 A.M. (EDT)

Media contact: (202) 691-5902 Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Chart 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted,

 March 2005 - February 2008

1.5

1.7

1.9

2.1

2.3

2.5

2.7

2.9

3.1

3.3

3.5

3.7

3.9

Percent

2006 2007 2008

Chart 2. Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted,

 March 2005 - February 2008

2.5

2.7

2.9

3.1

3.3

3.5

3.7

3.9

Percent

Separations

Hires

2006 2007 2008

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: FEBRUARY 2008

On the last business day of February, there were 3.8 million job openings in the United States, and the

job openings rate was 2.7 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported

today. The job openings, hires, and total separations rates were essentially unchanged in February. 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.

Although the month-to-month changes in job openings, hires and turnover data are often small, the trends

over time are notable. The job openings rate remained essentially flat from August 2006 through September

2007 then began trending downward. The hires rate has had an overall downward trend since July 2006,

and the separations rate has had an overall downward trend since November 2006. (See tables 1, 2, and 3.)

Job Openings

In February, the job openings rate remained at 2.7 percent. Job openings include only those jobs open

on the last business day of the month. Over the month, the job openings rate rose in education and health

services (to 3.9 percent) and fell in manufacturing (1.8 percent). Geographically, the job openings rate did

not change significantly in any region. Since the series began in December 2000, three industries have consistently had higher job openings rates than the other industries: education and health services (3.9 percent in

February), accommodation and food services (3.8 percent), and professional and business services (3.7 percent). (See table 1.)

News

Bureau of Labor Statistics Washington, D.C. 20212

United States

Department 

of Labor
2

 Job openings

Industry

Hires Total separations

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

2007 2008 2007 2008 2008 2007 2008 2008

Levels (in thousands)

Rates (percent)

2008

1

p p p

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

Total ................................................................. 4,168 3,889 3,820 4,800 4,639 4,638 4,524 4,477 4,485

Total private ................................................ 3,706 3,449 3,378 4,468 4,227 4,261 4,221 4,188 4,205

Construction .............................................. 237 133 140 277 319 358 359 311 330

Manufacturing ........................................... 341 286 246 362 326 285 409 348 353

Trade, transportation, and utilities ...... 683 643 611 1,018 916 901 959 1,005 958

Retail trade .............................................. 387 346 346 695 656 617 669 689 656

Professional and business services ...... 627 752 695 911 897 821 796 790 854

Education and health services ............... 684 680 748 525 516 522 413 447 462

Leisure and hospitality ......................... 544 515 519 935 824 850 831 800 848

Accommodation and food services ... 483 467 462 782 702 706 701 657 706

Government ................................................. 458 439 441 393 394 389 307 290 283

 State and local government ..................... 422 401 415 321 319 302 244 237 228

Total ................................................................. 2.9 2.7 2.7 3.5 3.4 3.4 3.3 3.2 3.3

Total private ................................................ 3.1 2.9 2.8 3.9 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.6

Construction .............................................. 3.0 1.8 1.9 3.6 4.3 4.8 4.7 4.2 4.5

Manufacturing ........................................... 2.4 2.0 1.8 2.6 2.4 2.1 2.9 2.5 2.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities ..... 2.5 2.4 2.2 3.8 3.4 3.4 3.6 3.8 3.6

Retail trade .............................................. 2.4 2.2 2.2 4.5 4.2 4.0 4.3 4.4 4.2

Professional and business services ...... 3.4 4.0 3.7 5.1 5.0 4.5 4.5 4.4 4.7

Education and health services ............... 3.6 3.5 3.9 2.9 2.8 2.8 2.3 2.4 2.5

Leisure and hospitality .......................... 3.9 3.6 3.7 7.0 6.0 6.2 6.2 5.9 6.2

Accommodation and food services ... 4.1 3.9 3.8 6.9 6.0 6.1 6.2 5.7 6.1

Government ................................................. 2.0 1.9 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.7 1.4 1.3 1.3

 State and local government ..................... 2.1 2.0 2.1 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.3 1.2 1.2

1

2

3

4

1

1

2

 3

4

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

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

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

Includes federal government, not shown separately.

1

2

3

4

p = preliminary.

Over the year, the job openings rate did not rise significantly in any industry. The rate fell over the year

for total nonfarm (to 2.6 percent) and total private (2.8 percent) as well as in several industries, including construction (1.8 percent); durable goods manufacturing (1.6 percent); nondurable goods manufacturing (2.1 percent); transportation, warehousing, and utilities (2.2 percent); information (1.7 percent); other services (2.1 percent); and federal government (1.1 percent). Regionally, the job openings rate fell over the year in the Northeast (2.2 percent) and in the South (2.8 percent). (See table 5.)

Hires

The hires rate was unchanged at 3.4 percent in February. Hires are any additions to the payroll during

the month. Over the month, the hires rate did not change significantly in any industry or region. As occurs

nearly every month, the seasonally adjusted hires rate was highest in February in accommodation and food

services (6.1 percent) and lowest in state and local government (1.5 percent). (See table 2.)
3

From February 2007 to February 2008, the hires rate rose in construction (to 4.3 percent); other services (3.0 percent); and in federal government (2.4 percent). Over the year, the hires rate fell in durable

goods manufacturing (1.7 percent); nondurable goods manufacturing (2.3 percent); educational services

(2.0 percent); and in the Midwest region (2.5 percent). (See table 6.)

Separations

The total separations, or turnover, rate remained essentially unchanged at 3.3 percent in February.

Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any time during the month. Over the month, the

separations rate did not change significantly in any industry or region. As with hires, the seasonally adjusted

separations rate was, as usual, highest in February in accommodation and food services (6.1 percent) and

lowest in state and local government (1.2 percent). From February 2007 to February 2008, the total separations rate rose in healthcare and social assistance (2.3 percent); the rate fell over the year in durable goods

manufacturing (1.9 percent) and in the Midwest region (2.4 percent). (See tables 3 and 7.)

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

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

ability to change jobs, was unchanged in February for total nonfarm (1.8 percent) but rose in the professional

and business services industry (to 2.7 percent) and in the Northeast region (1.6 percent) and fell in retail

trade (to 2.4 percent). As has occurred every month since the series began in December 2000, the seasonally adjusted quits rate was highest in the accommodation and food services industry (4.3 percent) and

lowest in state and local government (0.6 percent). (See table 4.)

From February 2007 to February 2008, the quits rate did not change significantly in any industry. Geographically, the quits rate rose in the Northeast (to 1.2 percent) and fell in the Midwest (to 1.3 percent).

(See table 8.)

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

seasonally adjusted. For February, the layoffs and discharges rate (1.0 percent) and level (1.4 million) were

essentially unchanged from a year earlier. The layoffs and discharges rate in February 2008 was highest in

arts, entertainment, and recreation (2.5 percent) and lowest in state and local government (0.1 percent). The

other separations rate (0.2 percent) and level (281,000) were little changed in February from a year ago.

The highest other separations rate in February was in federal government (0.6 percent). The other separations rate is 0.2 percent or lower in most industries each month. (See tables 9 and 10.)

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

discharges, and other separations), with quits contributing the largest portion. The percentage of total separations attributable to quits has risen and fallen over time along with total nonfarm employment levels. The proportion of total separations due to quits rose from a post-recession low of 50 percent in December 2003 to

a high of 61 percent in December 2006 (seasonally adjusted) before trending downward again. In February

2008, quits accounted for 56 percent of total separations. The proportion of separations attributable to quits

varies widely by industry with the highest proportion regularly occurring in the accommodation and food services industry (70 percent in February) and the lowest proportion regularly occurring in the construction industry (43 percent in February). (See tables 3 and 4.)

Flows in the Labor Market

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

retail trade; professional and business services; arts, entertainment, and recreation; and accommodation and

food services. In the 12 months ending in February 2008, these 5 industries produced 33.1 million hires and
4

31.8 million separations. Thus, these five industries accounted for 58 percent of total nonfarm hires and

58 percent of total nonfarm separations while comprising only 40 percent of total nonfarm employment.

For More Information

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

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

calling (202) 691-5870.

______________________________

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover release for March 2008 is scheduled to be issued on

Thursday, May 15.
Technical Note

The data for the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey

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

business establishments by the Bureau of Labor Statistics

(BLS).

Collection

Each month, data are collected in a survey of business

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

layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Data collection

methods include computer-assisted telephone interviewing,

touchtone data entry, fax, and mail.

Coverage

The JOLTS program covers all private nonfarm

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

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

the District of Columbia.

Concepts

Industry classification. The industry classifications in this

release are in accordance with the 2007 version of the North

American Industry Classification System (NAICS). In order to

ensure the highest possible quality of data, State Workforce

Agencies verify with employers and update, if necessary, the

industry code, location, and ownership classification of all

establishments on a 3-year cycle. Changes in establishment

characteristics resulting from the verification process are

always introduced into the JOLTS sampling frame with the data

reported for the first month of the year.

Employment. Employment includes persons on the payroll

who worked or received pay for the pay period that includes

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

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

employees are included, as are employees on paid vacations or

other paid leave. Proprietors or partners of unincorporated

businesses, unpaid family workers, or persons on leave without

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

employed. Employees of temporary help agencies, employee

leasing companies, outside contractors, and consultants are

counted by their employer of record, not by the establishment

where they are working.

Job openings. Establishments submit job openings

information for the last business day of the reference month.

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

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

within 30 days regardless of whether a suitable candidate is

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

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

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

Active recruiting means that the establishment is taking steps

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

posting help-wanted signs, accepting applications, or using

other similar methods.

Jobs to be filled only by internal transfers, promotions,

demotions, or recall from layoffs are excluded. Also excluded

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

for which employees have been hired but have not yet reported

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

agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors, or

consultants. The job openings rate is computed by dividing

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

openings and multiplying that quotient by 100.

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

occurring at any time during the reference month, including

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

permanent, short-term, and seasonal employees, employees

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

on-call or intermittent employees who returned to work after

having been formally separated, and transfers from other

locations. The hires count does not include transfers or

promotions within the reporting site, employees returning from

strike, employees of temporary help agencies or employee

leasing companies, outside contractors, or consultants. The

hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by

employment and multiplying that quotient by 100.

Separations. Separations are the total number of

terminations of employment occurring at any time during the

reference month, and are reported by type of separation—

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

voluntary separations by employees (except for retirements,

which are reported as other separations). Layoffs and

discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the

employer and include layoffs with no intent to rehire, formal

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

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

discharges for cause, terminations of permanent or short-term

employees, and terminations of seasonal employees. Other

separations include retirements, transfers to other locations,

deaths, and separations due to disability. Separations do not

include transfers within the same location or employees on

strike.

The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of

separations by employment and multiplying that quotient by

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

rates are computed similarly, dividing the number by

employment and multiplying by 100.

Annual estimates. Annual estimates of rates and levels of

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

separations are released with the January news release each year.

The JOLTS annual level estimates for hires, quits, layoffs

and discharges, other separations, and total separations are

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

estimates are computed by dividing the annual level by the

Current Employment Statistics (CES) annual average

employment level, and multiplying that quotient by 100. This

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

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

rounded to the nearest thousand before the annual estimates

are calculated. Consistent with BLS practices, annual estimates

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

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

measurement for the last business day of each month. Only

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

the same reason job openings cannot be cumulated throughout

each month, annual figures for job openings cannot be created

by summing the monthly estimates. Hires and separations are

flow measures and are cumulated over the month with a total

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

created by summing the monthly estimates.

Sample methodology

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

nonfarm business establishments, including factories, offices,

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

the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The establishments

are drawn from a universe of over eight million establishments

compiled as part of the operations of the Quarterly Census of

Employment and Wages, or QCEW, program. This program

includes all employers subject to state Unemployment

Insurance (UI) laws and federal agencies subject to

Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE).

The sampling frame is stratified by ownership, region,

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

with virtual certainty. JOLTS total employment estimates are

controlled to the employment estimates of the Current

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

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

elements. Rates are then computed from the adjusted levels.

Using JOLTS data

The JOLTS data series on job openings, hires, and

separations are relatively new. The full sample is divided into

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

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

Industrial Classification (SIC) system was not completely

enrolled in the survey until January 2002. The supplemental

panels of establishments needed to create NAICS estimates

were not completely enrolled until May 2003. The data

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

Therefore, estimates from earlier months should be used with

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

In March 2002, BLS procedures for collecting hires and

separations data were revised to address possible

underreporting. As a result, JOLTS hires and separations

estimates for months prior to March 2002 may not be

comparable with estimates for March 2002 and later.

The federal government reorganization that involved

transferring approximately 180,000 employees to the new

Department of Homeland Security is not reflected in the JOLTS

hires and separations estimates for the federal government.

The Office of Personnel Management’s record shows these

transfers were completed in March 2003. The inclusion of

transfers in the JOLTS definitions of hires and separations is

intended to cover ongoing movements of workers between

establishments. The Department of Homeland Security

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

of these intergovernmental transfers would distort the federal

government time series.

Seasonal adjustment

BLS seasonally adjusts several JOLTS series using the

X-12-ARIMA seasonal adjustment program. Seasonal

adjustment is the process of estimating and removing periodic

fluctuations caused by events such as weather, holidays,

and the beginning and ending of the school year. Seasonal

adjustment makes it easier to observe fundamental changes in

the level of the series, particularly those associated with

general economic expansions and contractions. A concurrent

seasonal adjustment methodology is used in which new

seasonal adjustment factors are calculated each month, using

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

month.

Prior to the January 2007 benchmark release in March 2007,

seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS series was conducted using

the stable seasonal filter option since there were not enough

data observations available for the standard use of moving

averages as seasonal filters. Although the seasonal

adjustment of the JOLTS series is conducted with fewer data

observations than is customary, the number of observations is

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

normal seasonal filters. Therefore, the standard use of moving

averages as seasonal filters is now in place for JOLTS seasonal

adjustment. JOLTS seasonal adjustment now includes both

additive and multiplicative seasonal adjustment models and

REGARIMA (regression with autocorrelated errors) modeling

to improve the seasonal adjustment factors at the beginning

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

the series.

Reliability of the estimates

JOLTS estimates are subject to both sampling and

nonsampling error. When a sample rather than the entire

population is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample

estimates may differ from the “true” population values they

represent. The exact difference, or sampling error, varies

depending on the particular sample selected, and this

variability is measured by the standard error of the estimate.

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

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

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

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

population value because of sampling error. Estimates of

sampling errors are available upon request.

The JOLTS estimates also are affected by nonsampling

error. Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, including
the failure to include a segment of the population, the inability

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

unwillingness of respondents to provide data on a timely basis,

mistakes made by respondents, errors made in the collection or

processing of the data, and errors from the employment

benchmark data used in estimation.

JOLTS hires and separations estimates cannot be used to

exactly explain net changes in nonfarm payroll employment.

Some reasons why it is problematic to compare changes in

payroll employment with JOLTS hires and separations,

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

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

month, while the reference period for hires and separations is

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

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

may not always work during the pay period that includes the

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

reporters systematically underreport separations relative to

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

payroll systems and practices. The shortfall appears to be

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

Other information

Information in this release will be made available to sensory

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

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

 and rates 2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

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

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

Total 4................................................... 4,168 4,080 4,044 3,972 3,974 3,889 3,820 2.9 2.9 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.7 2.7

INDUSTRY

Total private 4....................................... 3,706 3,637 3,597 3,520 3,526 3,449 3,378 3.1 3.1 3.0 3.0 3.0 2.9 2.8

Construction....................................... 237 128 150 138 140 133 140 3.0 1.7 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.9

Manufacturing.................................... 341 314 303 303 305 286 246 2.4 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.0 1.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 683 679 644 648 667 643 611 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.2

Retail trade....................................... 387 357 321 344 358 346 346 2.4 2.3 2.0 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.2

Professional and business services......... 627 673 758 685 706 752 695 3.4 3.6 4.0 3.7 3.7 4.0 3.7

Education and health services............... 684 712 704 713 698 680 748 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.5 3.9

Leisure and hospitality 6

........................ 544 663 614 591 574 515 519 3.9 4.7 4.3 4.2 4.0 3.6 3.7

Accommodation and food services...... 483 595 543 518 514 467 462 4.1 4.9 4.5 4.3 4.2 3.9 3.8

Government 7

....................................... 458 443 448 454 446 439 441 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.9 1.9

State and local government................... 422 403 408 404 398 401 415 2.1 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.1

REGION 8

Northeast.......................................... 713 594 657 629 644 662 610 2.7 2.3 2.5 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.3

South................................................ 1,636 1,641 1,629 1,620 1,574 1,536 1,506 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.1 3.0 2.9

Midwest............................................. 778 787 747 755 779 749 734 2.4 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.3

West................................................ 1,024 1,054 1,014 957 988 966 980 3.2 3.3 3.2 3.0 3.1 3.0 3.1

1

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

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

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

 3

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

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

 4

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

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

 5

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

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

 6

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

 7

 Includes federal government, not shown separately. p = preliminary.

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

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

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

Total 4................................................... 4,800 4,700 4,914 4,672 4,717 4,639 4,638 3.5 3.4 3.6 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.4

INDUSTRY

Total private 4....................................... 4,468 4,325 4,552 4,305 4,314 4,227 4,261 3.9 3.7 3.9 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.7

Construction....................................... 277 336 331 351 335 319 358 3.6 4.4 4.4 4.7 4.5 4.3 4.8

Manufacturing.................................... 362 352 396 353 350 326 285 2.6 2.5 2.9 2.6 2.5 2.4 2.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 1,018 977 1,018 946 970 916 901 3.8 3.7 3.8 3.5 3.6 3.4 3.4

Retail trade....................................... 695 699 699 655 693 656 617 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.2 4.5 4.2 4.0

Professional and business services......... 911 799 855 902 851 897 821 5.1 4.4 4.7 5.0 4.7 5.0 4.5

Education and health services............... 525 453 517 527 460 516 522 2.9 2.5 2.8 2.8 2.5 2.8 2.8

Leisure and hospitality 6

........................ 935 888 924 846 880 824 850 7.0 6.6 6.8 6.2 6.4 6.0 6.2

Accommodation and food services...... 782 732 803 708 713 702 706 6.9 6.3 6.9 6.1 6.1 6.0 6.1

Government 7

....................................... 393 359 373 349 390 394 389 1.8 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.7

State and local government................... 321 287 315 287 326 319 302 1.7 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.7 1.6 1.5

REGION 8

Northeast.......................................... 705 689 653 761 770 767 768 2.8 2.7 2.5 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0

South................................................ 1,854 1,844 1,924 1,828 1,802 1,814 1,789 3.7 3.7 3.9 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.6

Midwest.............................................1,154 1,093 1,097 1,027 1,045 998 966 3.7 3.5 3.5 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.1

West................................................ 1,133 1,048 1,216 1,018 1,067 1,058 1,146 3.7 3.4 3.9 3.3 3.4 3.4 3.7

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

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

total employment. 6

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

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

adjustment of the various series. 8

 See footnote 8, table 1. 4

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

other services, not shown separately.

Industry and region

Industry and region

Levels Rates 3

 (in thousands)

Levels 3

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

 and rates 2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

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

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

Total 4................................................... 4,524 4,456 4,594 4,640 4,408 4,477 4,485 3.3 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.2 3.2 3.3

INDUSTRY

Total private 4

....................................... 4,221 4,168 4,314 4,367 4,107 4,188 4,205 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.5 3.6 3.6

Construction....................................... 359 355 355 322 331 311 330 4.7 4.7 4.7 4.3 4.4 4.2 4.5

Manufacturing.................................... 409 374 393 400 325 348 353 2.9 2.7 2.9 2.9 2.4 2.5 2.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 959 950 1,010 1,065 981 1,005 958 3.6 3.6 3.8 4.0 3.7 3.8 3.6

Retail trade.................................... 669 683 702 764 686 689 656 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.9 4.4 4.4 4.2

Professional and business services......... 796 824 935 878 814 790 854 4.5 4.6 5.2 4.9 4.5 4.4 4.7

Education and health services............... 413 414 434 423 417 447 462 2.3 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.4 2.5

Leisure and hospitality 6

........................ 831 730 761 799 803 800 848 6.2 5.4 5.6 5.9 5.9 5.9 6.2

Accommodation and food services...... 701 645 651 667 697 657 706 6.2 5.6 5.6 5.7 6.0 5.7 6.1

Government 7

....................................... 307 290 286 286 295 290 283 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3

State and local government................... 244 219 238 240 256 237 228 1.3 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.2

REGION 8

Northeast.......................................... 665 635 652 860 635 697 761 2.6 2.5 2.5 3.3 2.5 2.7 3.0

South................................................1,770 1,786 1,764 1,709 1,712 1,699 1,671 3.6 3.6 3.5 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.4

Midwest.............................................1,032 983 994 974 980 975 900 3.3 3.1 3.2 3.1 3.1 3.1 2.9

West................................................ 1,035 1,038 1,186 1,117 1,117 1,107 1,168 3.4 3.4 3.8 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.8

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

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

entire month as a percent of total employment. 6

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

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

seasonal adjustment of the various series. 8

 See footnote 8, table 1. 4

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

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

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

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

Total 4................................................... 2,666 2,396 2,648 2,501 2,494 2,493 2,526 1.9 1.7 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8

INDUSTRY

Total private 4

....................................... 2,525 2,253 2,508 2,361 2,358 2,355 2,387 2.2 1.9 2.2 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.1

Construction....................................... 135 132 137 116 119 113 141 1.8 1.7 1.8 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.9

Manufacturing.................................... 206 183 199 187 182 183 184 1.5 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 606 549 588 572 590 598 534 2.3 2.1 2.2 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.0

Retail trade.................................... 441 412 432 433 445 437 374 2.9 2.7 2.8 2.8 2.9 2.8 2.4

Professional and business services......... 454 405 479 398 367 351 490 2.5 2.2 2.7 2.2 2.0 1.9 2.7

Education and health services............... 273 253 264 269 258 276 268 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.4

Leisure and hospitality 6

........................ 568 440 545 557 561 525 550 4.3 3.2 4.0 4.1 4.1 3.8 4.0

Accommodation and food services...... 521 367 503 516 513 465 497 4.6 3.2 4.3 4.4 4.4 4.0 4.3

Government 7

....................................... 141 146 144 140 137 138 139 .6 .7 .6 .6 .6 .6 .6

State and local government................... 118 123 128 125 120 119 117 .6 .6 .7 .6 .6 .6 .6

REGION 8

Northeast.......................................... 320 306 338 367 312 358 411 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.2 1.4 1.6

South................................................1,135 1,003 1,088 996 1,008 1,045 1,020 2.3 2.0 2.2 2.0 2.0 2.1 2.1

Midwest............................................. 592 524 524 529 521 502 491 1.9 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.6

West................................................ 611 575 691 607 632 583 624 2.0 1.9 2.2 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.0

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

percent of total employment. 6

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

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

seasonal adjustment of the various series. 8

 See footnote 8, table 1. 4

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

and other services, not shown separately.

Industry and region

Industry and region

Levels 3

 (in thousands) Rates

Levels 3

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

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

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

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 3,981 3,597 3,627 2.9 2.6 2.6

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 3,560 3,196 3,224 3.0 2.7 2.8

Natural resources and mining........................ 12 15 17 1.8 2.0 2.3

Construction................................................ 217 112 128 2.9 1.6 1.8

Manufacturing............................................. 346 284 246 2.4 2.0 1.8

Durable goods.......................................... 215 156 137 2.4 1.8 1.6

Nondurable goods.................................... 131 128 108 2.5 2.5 2.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 625 558 537 2.3 2.1 2.0

Wholesale trade....................................... 149 153 133 2.5 2.5 2.2

Retail trade............................................. 330 296 289 2.1 1.9 1.9

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 146 109 115 2.8 2.1 2.2

Information................................................ 152 59 51 4.8 1.9 1.7

Financial activities......................................... 225 245 230 2.6 2.9 2.7

Finance and insurance.............................. 183 192 184 2.9 3.1 2.9

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 42 53 46 1.9 2.5 2.2

Professional and business services.................. 623 743 671 3.4 4.0 3.6

Education and health services........................ 671 633 744 3.6 3.3 3.8

Educational services................................. 58 53 50 1.8 1.8 1.6

Health care and social assistance.................. 614 581 694 3.9 3.6 4.3

Leisure and hospitality................................. 516 449 484 3.9 3.3 3.6

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 60 43 59 3.3 2.3 3.1

Accommodation and food services............... 455 406 425 4.0 3.5 3.6

Other services............................................. 173 98 115 3.1 1.8 2.1

Government................................................... 421 401 404 1.8 1.8 1.7

Federal...................................................... 43 36 30 1.6 1.3 1.1

State and local........................................... 378 365 374 1.9 1.8 1.8

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 686 600 575 2.6 2.3 2.2

South......................................................... 1,586 1,426 1,432 3.1 2.8 2.8

Midwest...................................................... 747 685 700 2.4 2.2 2.2

West......................................................... 963 886 920 3.1 2.8 2.9

 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 8, table 1.

 p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 6. Hires levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

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

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 4,027 3,981 3,842 3.0 2.9 2.8

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 3,753 3,624 3,571 3.3 3.2 3.1

Natural resources and mining........................ 21 20 20 3.0 2.8 2.8

Construction................................................ 215 235 297 3.0 3.3 4.3

Manufacturing............................................. 336 325 262 2.4 2.4 1.9

Durable goods.......................................... 192 188 149 2.2 2.2 1.7

Nondurable goods.................................... 144 136 113 2.9 2.7 2.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 812 710 712 3.1 2.7 2.7

Wholesale trade....................................... 138 153 116 2.3 2.5 1.9

Retail trade............................................. 539 463 469 3.6 3.0 3.1

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 135 94 127 2.7 1.9 2.5

Information................................................ 55 61 41 1.8 2.1 1.4

Financial activities......................................... 175 168 206 2.1 2.1 2.5

Finance and insurance.............................. 113 125 123 1.8 2.1 2.0

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 62 43 83 2.9 2.0 4.0

Professional and business services.................. 832 887 728 4.7 5.0 4.1

Education and health services........................ 459 482 463 2.5 2.6 2.5

Educational services................................. 81 65 64 2.7 2.2 2.0

Health care and social assistance.................. 378 417 400 2.5 2.7 2.6

Leisure and hospitality................................. 742 628 680 5.8 4.8 5.2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 82 94 80 4.7 5.3 4.4

Accommodation and food services............... 660 533 599 6.0 4.7 5.3

Other services............................................. 106 108 162 2.0 2.0 3.0

Government................................................... 274 357 271 1.2 1.6 1.2

Federal...................................................... 51 66 64 1.9 2.4 2.4

State and local........................................... 224 292 207 1.1 1.5 1.0

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 505 593 559 2.0 2.3 2.2

South......................................................... 1,638 1,656 1,566 3.4 3.4 3.2

Midwest...................................................... 954 851 769 3.1 2.7 2.5

West......................................................... 930 881 949 3.1 2.9 3.1

 1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month. 2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 3 See footnote 8, table 1. p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 7. Total separations levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

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

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 3,730 4,349 3,697 2.7 3.2 2.7

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 3,529 4,117 3,519 3.1 3.6 3.1

Natural resources and mining........................ 18 28 23 2.6 3.9 3.1

Construction................................................ 316 343 290 4.4 4.9 4.2

Manufacturing............................................. 364 338 317 2.6 2.5 2.3

Durable goods.......................................... 228 212 168 2.6 2.4 1.9

Nondurable goods.................................... 137 127 149 2.7 2.5 3.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 824 1,118 800 3.2 4.2 3.1

Wholesale trade....................................... 114 164 133 1.9 2.7 2.2

Retail trade............................................. 587 785 556 3.9 5.1 3.7

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 123 170 110 2.5 3.4 2.2

Information................................................ 65 61 45 2.1 2.0 1.5

Financial activities......................................... 199 227 169 2.4 2.8 2.1

Finance and insurance.............................. 130 159 109 2.1 2.6 1.8

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 69 68 59 3.2 3.2 2.8

Professional and business services.................. 674 763 740 3.8 4.3 4.2

Education and health services........................ 333 411 383 1.8 2.2 2.0

Educational services................................. 39 49 28 1.3 1.7 .9

Health care and social assistance.................. 294 363 355 1.9 2.3 2.3

Leisure and hospitality................................. 617 684 648 4.8 5.2 4.9

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 72 101 87 4.1 5.7 4.8

Accommodation and food services............... 545 582 561 4.9 5.2 5.0

Other services............................................. 118 143 105 2.2 2.6 1.9

Government................................................... 201 232 177 .9 1.0 .8

Federal...................................................... 48 46 42 1.8 1.7 1.6

State and local........................................... 153 186 135 .8 1.0 .7

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 518 686 609 2.0 2.7 2.4

South......................................................... 1,509 1,605 1,390 3.1 3.3 2.8

Midwest...................................................... 859 994 734 2.8 3.2 2.4

West......................................................... 843 1,065 963 2.8 3.5 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 See footnote 8, table 1. p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 8. Quits levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

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

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 2,168 2,193 2,064 1.6 1.6 1.5

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 2,067 2,085 1,965 1.8 1.8 1.7

Natural resources and mining........................ 10 14 12 1.5 1.9 1.7

Construction................................................ 101 87 107 1.4 1.2 1.5

Manufacturing............................................. 178 159 159 1.3 1.2 1.2

Durable goods.......................................... 96 88 87 1.1 1.0 1.0

Nondurable goods.................................... 82 71 72 1.6 1.4 1.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 508 565 445 1.9 2.1 1.7

Wholesale trade....................................... 75 75 73 1.3 1.2 1.2

Retail trade............................................. 368 413 309 2.4 2.7 2.0

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 65 77 63 1.3 1.5 1.3

Information................................................ 37 36 27 1.2 1.2 .9

Financial activities......................................... 115 133 96 1.4 1.6 1.2

Finance and insurance.............................. 84 92 72 1.4 1.5 1.2

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 31 41 24 1.5 2.0 1.1

Professional and business services.................. 363 323 403 2.1 1.8 2.3

Education and health services........................ 226 245 223 1.2 1.3 1.2

Educational services................................. 18 22 16 .6 .7 .5

Health care and social assistance.................. 209 223 207 1.4 1.4 1.3

Leisure and hospitality................................. 446 438 434 3.5 3.4 3.3

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 33 41 41 1.9 2.3 2.2

Accommodation and food services............... 413 397 393 3.7 3.5 3.5

Other services............................................. 82 85 59 1.5 1.6 1.1

Government................................................... 101 109 99 .4 .5 .4

Federal...................................................... 17 14 16 .6 .5 .6

State and local........................................... 84 94 83 .4 .5 .4

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 239 300 310 .9 1.2 1.2

South......................................................... 947 927 853 1.9 1.9 1.7

Midwest...................................................... 491 459 395 1.6 1.5 1.3

West......................................................... 490 507 506 1.6 1.7 1.7

 1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month. 2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 3 See footnote 8, table 1. p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 9. Layoffs and discharges levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

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

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 1,276 1,845 1,353 0.9 1.4 1.0

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 1,231 1,775 1,317 1.1 1.6 1.2

Natural resources and mining........................ 6 10 9 .9 1.4 1.3

Construction................................................ 193 245 168 2.7 3.5 2.4

Manufacturing............................................. 148 152 132 1.1 1.1 1.0

Durable goods.......................................... 101 105 69 1.1 1.2 .8

Nondurable goods.................................... 48 47 63 .9 .9 1.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 250 479 273 1.0 1.8 1.0

Wholesale trade....................................... 32 72 56 .5 1.2 .9

Retail trade............................................. 181 326 179 1.2 2.1 1.2

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 37 81 38 .7 1.6 .8

Information................................................ 25 22 15 .8 .8 .5

Financial activities......................................... 69 83 53 .8 1.0 .7

Finance and insurance.............................. 37 59 24 .6 1.0 .4

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 32 24 29 1.5 1.1 1.4

Professional and business services.................. 270 385 300 1.5 2.2 1.7

Education and health services........................ 88 139 122 .5 .8 .7

Educational services................................. 18 24 11 .6 .8 .3

Health care and social assistance.................. 70 115 111 .5 .7 .7

Leisure and hospitality................................. 158 203 201 1.2 1.6 1.5

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 37 58 45 2.1 3.2 2.5

Accommodation and food services............... 121 146 156 1.1 1.3 1.4

Other services............................................. 25 56 44 .5 1.0 .8

Government................................................... 45 70 35 .2 .3 .2

Federal...................................................... 11 15 10 .4 .6 .4

State and local........................................... 34 55 25 .2 .3 .1

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 225 329 234 .9 1.3 .9

South......................................................... 464 598 456 .9 1.2 .9

Midwest...................................................... 314 439 270 1.0 1.4 .9

West......................................................... 272 479 392 .9 1.6 1.3

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

employment.

 3 See footnote 8, table 1. p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 10. Other separations levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

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

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 286 311 281 0.2 0.2 0.2

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 231 257 237 .2 .2 .2

Natural resources and mining........................ 2 4 2 .2 .6 .2

Construction................................................ 23 11 15 .3 .2 .2

Manufacturing............................................. 38 27 25 .3 .2 .2

Durable goods.......................................... 30 19 12 .3 .2 .1

Nondurable goods.................................... 8 9 13 .1 .2 .3

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 66 74 82 .3 .3 .3

Wholesale trade....................................... 7 16 5 .1 .3 .1

Retail trade............................................. 38 46 69 .3 .3 .5

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 21 12 9 .4 .2 .2

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

Financial activities......................................... 16 11 20 .2 .1 .2

Finance and insurance.............................. 10 8 13 .2 .1 .2

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

Professional and business services.................. 41 54 37 .2 .3 .2

Education and health services........................ 19 27 38 .1 .1 .2

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

Health care and social assistance.................. 16 24 37 .1 .2 .2

Leisure and hospitality................................. 13 42 13 .1 .3 .1

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

Accommodation and food services............... 11 40 12 .1 .4 .1

Other services............................................. 11 2 2 .2 (

4

) (4)

Government................................................... 55 54 43 .2 .2 .2

Federal...................................................... 21 17 16 .8 .6 .6

State and local........................................... 35 37 27 .2 .2 .1

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 55 57 66 .2 .2 .3

South......................................................... 98 79 81 .2 .2 .2

Midwest...................................................... 54 96 69 .2 .3 .2

West......................................................... 80 79 65 .3 .3 .2

 1 Other separations are the number of other separations during the entire month. 2 The other separations rate is the number of other separations during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 3 See footnote 8, table 1. 4 Data round to zero. p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region