1

Technical information: (202) 691-5870

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

Media contact: 691-5902

USDL 05-1290

For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT

Tuesday, July 12, 2005

Chart 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted,

 December 2000 - May 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 - May 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: MAY 2005

The job openings, hires, and total separations rates were all essentially unchanged in May, 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 May 2005, there were 3.5 million job openings in the United States, and the

job openings rate was 2.5 percent. (See table 1.) The job openings rate was little changed in May, but has

generally trended upward since September 2003. In May, the job openings rate decreased in the manufacturing industry and in the Northeast region.

Hires and Separations

The hires rate was little changed at 3.5 percent in May. (See table 2.) Hires are any additions to the

payroll during the month. In May, the hires rate did not change significantly in any industry, but increased in

the South and Midwest regions.

The total separations, or turnover, rate was little changed at 3.3 percent in May. (See table 3.)

Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any time during the month. In May, the total

separations rate did not change significantly in any industry, but decreased in the Northeast region.
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Total............................................................ 4,538 4,708 4,254 4,562 4,425

 Total private ........................................ 4,057 4,212 4,366 3,986 4,306

Construction ................................... 114 113 369 412 422 388 421 392

Manufacturing ................................ 241 259 347 319 345 370 369 357

Trade, transportation, and

utilities ........................................... 549 627 622 954 1,042 1,036 976 1,018 946

Professional and business

services ......................................... 582 691 645 691 792 834 648 869 824

Education and health services .... 540 608 604 445 487 460 390 433 413

Leisure and hospitality ................. 394 457 465 790 742 750 736 709 746

Government .......................................... 359 396 374 276 329 338 274 256 254

Total 1......................................................... 2.4 2.6 2.5 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.2 3.4 3.3

Total private 1....................................... 2.5 2.8 2.7 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.6 3.9 3.7

Construction ................................... 1.6 1.5 1.5 5.3 5.7 5.8 5.6 5.8 5.4

Manufacturing ................................ 1.7 1.8 1.6 2.4 2.2 2.4 2.6 2.6 2.5

Trade, transportation, and

utilities ........................................... 2.1 2.4 2.4 3.7 4.0 4.0 3.8 3.9 3.7

Professional and business

services ......................................... 3.4 3.9 3.7 4.2 4.7 5.0 4.0 5.2 4.9

Education and health services .... 3.1 3.4 3.4 2.6 2.8 2.7 2.3 2.5 2.4

Leisure and hospitality ................. 3.1 3.5 3.5 6.3 5.8 5.9 5.9 5.6 5.9

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

 Job openings

Industry

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

Hires Total separations

May Apr. May May Apr. May May Apr. May

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

4,339

2,819

3,181

3,178

3,576

4,180

111

236

3,090

3,465

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, remained at 1.9 percent in May. (See table 4.) The quits rate did not change

significantly in any industry in May, but decreased in the Northeast region. The other two components of

total separations—layoffs and discharges, and other separations—are not seasonally adjusted. From May

2004 to May 2005, the layoffs and discharges rate (1.1 percent) and the other separations rate (0.2 percent)

were 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 4.3 million hires and 4.1 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 June 2005 is scheduled to be issued on Wednesday,

August 10, 2005.

______________________________
Technical Note

The data for the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey

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

business establishments by the Bureau of Labor Statistics

(BLS).

Collection

Each month, data are collected in a survey of business

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

layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Data collection

methods include computer-assisted telephone interviewing,

touchtone data entry, fax, and mail.

Coverage

The JOLTS program covers all private nonfarm

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

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

the District of Columbia.

Concepts

Industry classification. The industry classifications in this

release are in accordance with the 2002 version of the North

American Industry Classification System (NAICS). In order to

ensure the highest possible quality of data, State Employment

Security Agencies verify with employers and update, if

necessary, the industry code, location, and ownership

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

in establishment characteristics resulting from the verification

process are always introduced into the JOLTS sampling frame

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

Employment. Employment includes persons on the payroll

who worked or received pay for the pay period that includes

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

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

employees are included, as are employees on paid vacations or

other paid leave. Proprietors or partners of unincorporated

businesses, unpaid family workers, or persons on leave without

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

employed. Employees of temporary help agencies, employee

leasing companies, outside contractors, and consultants are

counted by their employer of record, not by the establishment

where they are working.

Job openings. Establishments submit job openings

information for the last business day of the reference month.

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

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

within 30 days regardless of whether a suitable candidate is

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

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

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

Active recruiting means that the establishment is taking steps

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

posting help-wanted signs, accepting applications, or using

other similar methods.

Jobs to be filled only by internal transfers, promotions,

demotions, or recall from layoffs are excluded. Also excluded

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

for which employees have been hired but have not yet reported

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

agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors, or

consultants. The job openings rate is computed by dividing

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

openings and multiplying that quotient by 100.

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

occurring at any time during the reference month, including

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

permanent, short-term, and seasonal employees, employees

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

on-call or intermittent employees who returned to work after

having been formally separated, and transfers from other

locations. The hires count does not include transfers or

promotions within the reporting site, employees returning from

strike, employees of temporary help agencies or employee

leasing companies, outside contractors, or consultants. The

hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by

employment and multiplying that quotient by 100.

Separations. Separations are the total number of

terminations of employment occurring at any time during the

reference month, and are reported by type of separation—

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

voluntary separations by employees (except for retirements,

which are reported as other separations). Layoffs and

discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the

employer and include layoffs with no intent to rehire, formal

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

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

discharges for cause, terminations of permanent or short-term

employees, and terminations of seasonal employees. Other

separations include retirements, transfers to other locations,

deaths, and separations due to disability. Separations do not

include transfers within the same location or employees on

strike.

The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of

separations by employment and multiplying that quotient by

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

rates are computed similarly, dividing the number by

employment and multiplying by 100.

Sample methodology

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

nonfarm business establishments, including factories, offices,

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

the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The establishments

are drawn from a universe of over eight million establishments

compiled as part of the operations of the Quarterly Census of

Employment and Wages, or QCEW, program. This program

includes all employers subject to state Unemployment

Insurance (UI) laws and federal agencies subject to

Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE).

The sampling frame is stratified by ownership, region,

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

controlled to the employment estimates of the Current

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

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

elements. Rates are then computed from the adjusted levels.

Using JOLTS data

The JOLTS data series on job openings, hires, and

separations are relatively new. The full sample is divided into

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

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

Industrial Classification (SIC) system was not completely

enrolled in the survey until January 2002. The supplemental

panels of establishments needed to create NAICS estimates

were not completely enrolled until May 2003. The data

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

Therefore, estimates from earlier months should be used with

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

In March 2002, BLS procedures for collecting hires and

separations data were revised to address possible

underreporting. As a result, JOLTS hires and separations

estimates for months prior to March 2002 may not be

comparable with estimates for March 2002 and later.

The federal government reorganization that involved

transferring approximately 180,000 employees to the new

Department of Homeland Security is not reflected in the JOLTS

hires and separations estimates for the federal government.

The Office of Personnel Management’s record shows these

transfers were completed in March 2003. The inclusion of

transfers in the JOLTS definitions of hires and separations is

intended to cover ongoing movements of workers between

establishments. The Department of Homeland Security

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

of these intergovernmental transfers would distort the federal

government time series.

Seasonal adjustment

BLS seasonally adjusts several JOLTS series using the

X-12-ARIMA seasonal adjustment program. Seasonal

adjustment is the process of estimating and removing periodic

fluctuations caused by events such as weather, holidays, and

the beginning and ending of the school year. Seasonal

adjustment makes it easier to observe fundamental changes in

the level of the series, particularly those associated with

general economic expansions and contractions. A concurrent

seasonal adjustment methodology is used in which new

seasonal adjustment factors are calculated each month, using

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

month.

Data users should note that seasonal adjustment of the

JOLTS series is conducted with fewer data observations than

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

larger than normal revisions. Since the seasonal patterns in

economic data series typically emerge over time, the standard

use of moving averages as seasonal filters to capture these

effects requires longer series than are currently available. As

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

adjustment of the JOLTS data. When calculating seasonal

factors, this filter takes an average for each calendar month

after detrending the series. The stable seasonal filter assumes

that the seasonal factors are fixed; a necessary assumption

until sufficient data are available. When the stable seasonal

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

introduced, such as outlier adjustment and extended

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

such as layoffs and discharges and additional industries, may

be seasonally adjusted when more data are available.

Reliability of the estimates

JOLTS estimates are subject to both sampling and

nonsampling error. When a sample rather than the entire

population is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample

estimates may differ from the “true” population values they

represent. The exact difference, or sampling error, varies

depending on the particular sample selected, and this

variability is measured by the standard error of the estimate.

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

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

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

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

population value because of sampling error. Estimates of

sampling errors are available upon request.

The JOLTS estimates also are affected by nonsampling

error. Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, including

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

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

unwillingness of respondents to provide data on a timely basis,

mistakes made by respondents, errors made in the collection or

processing of the data, and errors from the employment

benchmark data used in estimation.

JOLTS hires and separations estimates cannot be used to

exactly explain net changes in nonfarm payroll employment.

Some reasons why it is problematic to compare changes in

payroll employment with JOLTS hires and separations,

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

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

month, while the reference period for hires and separations is

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

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

may not always work during the pay period that includes the

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

reporters systematically underreport separations relative to

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

payroll systems and practices. The shortfall appears to be

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

Other information

Information in this release will be made available to sensory

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

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

Industry and region May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 3,181 3,507 3,385 3,569 3,598 3,576 3,465 2.4 2.6 2.5 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.5

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 2,819 3,106 3,020 3,160 3,212 3,178 3,090 2.5 2.7 2.7 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.7

Construction........................................................................ 114 132 127 133 170 113 111 1.6 1.8 1.8 1.8 2.3 1.5 1.5

Manufacturing................................................................ 241 266 252 252 258 259 236 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.8 1.8 1.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 549 561 564 668 624 627 622 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.5 2.4 2.4 2.4

Professional and business services......................... 582 699 682 607 646 691 645 3.4 4.0 3.9 3.5 3.7 3.9 3.7

Education and health services................................................. 540 557 560 602 616 608 604 3.1 3.1 3.2 3.4 3.5 3.4 3.4

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 394 450 434 447 440 457 465 3.1 3.4 3.3 3.4 3.4 3.5 3.5

Government......................................................................................... 359 396 346 404 383 396 374 1.6 1.8 1.6 1.8 1.7 1.8 1.7

REGION

Northeast......................................................................... 546 620 602 606 615 602 548 2.1 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.1

South............................................................................................... 1,224 1,329 1,342 1,399 1,447 1,414 1,335 2.6 2.8 2.8 2.9 3.0 2.9 2.7

Midwest......................................................................................... 698 740 716 745 737 742 798 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.5

West...................................................................................... 720 792 718 823 806 818 801 2.5 2.7 2.4 2.8 2.7 2.7 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 May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 4,339 4,639 4,709 4,760 4,841 4,538 4,708 3.3 3.5 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.4 3.5

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 4,057 4,337 4,374 4,430 4,497 4,212 4,366 3.7 3.9 3.9 4.0 4.0 3.8 3.9

Construction........................................................................ 369 368 339 430 414 412 422 5.3 5.2 4.8 6.0 5.8 5.7 5.8

Manufacturing................................................................ 347 324 307 336 334 319 345 2.4 2.3 2.1 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 954 986 1,056 1,055 1,047 1,042 1,036 3.7 3.8 4.1 4.1 4.1 4.0 4.0

Professional and business services......................... 691 878 882 853 895 792 834 4.2 5.3 5.3 5.1 5.3 4.7 5.0

Education and health services................................................. 445 452 445 500 472 487 460 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.9 2.7 2.8 2.7

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 790 834 826 771 798 742 750 6.3 6.6 6.6 6.1 6.3 5.8 5.9

Government......................................................................................... 276 307 341 329 336 329 338 1.3 1.4 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.6

REGION

Northeast......................................................................... 769 858 762 820 856 825 768 3.1 3.4 3.0 3.2 3.4 3.3 3.0

South............................................................................................... 1,645 1,770 1,880 1,867 1,922 1,701 1,834 3.5 3.8 4.0 4.0 4.1 3.6 3.9

Midwest......................................................................................... 982 1,043 1,092 1,081 1,034 1,020 1,113 3.2 3.3 3.5 3.5 3.3 3.3 3.5

West...................................................................................... 957 970 959 1,069 1,036 1,037 1,005 3.3 3.4 3.3 3.7 3.6 3.6 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.

 

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 May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 4,254 4,435 4,352 4,295 4,502 4,562 4,425 3.2 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.4 3.4 3.3

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 3,986 4,146 4,091 4,035 4,237 4,306 4,180 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.8 3.9 3.7

Construction........................................................................ 388 355 417 403 303 421 392 5.6 5.0 5.9 5.7 4.2 5.8 5.4

Manufacturing................................................................ 370 353 361 341 360 369 357 2.6 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 976 1,062 882 940 980 1,018 946 3.8 4.1 3.4 3.7 3.8 3.9 3.7

Professional and business services......................... 648 833 836 772 924 869 824 4.0 5.0 5.0 4.6 5.5 5.2 4.9

Education and health services................................................. 390 375 356 389 445 433 413 2.3 2.2 2.1 2.3 2.6 2.5 2.4

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 736 758 832 790 743 709 746 5.9 6.0 6.6 6.3 5.9 5.6 5.9

Government......................................................................................... 274 274 258 260 267 256 251 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2

REGION

Northeast......................................................................... 753 773 773 732 802 807 685 3.0 3.0 3.1 2.9 3.2 3.2 2.7

South............................................................................................... 1,594 1,707 1,747 1,647 1,763 1,766 1,728 3.4 3.6 3.7 3.5 3.7 3.7 3.6

Midwest......................................................................................... 881 986 981 937 1,051 982 976 2.8 3.1 3.1 3.0 3.4 3.1 3.1

West...................................................................................... 1,026 953 964 961 926 1,006 984 3.6 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.4 3.4

 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 May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 2,276 2,495 2,530 2,307 2,516 2,520 2,493 1.7 1.9 1.9 1.7 1.9 1.9 1.9

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 2,148 2,366 2,412 2,192 2,383 2,395 2,370 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.1

Construction........................................................................ 142 162 171 139 150 146 151 2.0 2.3 2.4 2.0 2.1 2.0 2.1

Manufacturing................................................................ 170 194 185 181 186 178 168 1.2 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 533 570 563 512 583 577 589 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.0 2.3 2.2 2.3

Professional and business services......................... 311 415 417 410 424 417 413 1.9 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.5

Education and health services................................................. 229 232 230 259 280 272 260 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.5

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 480 506 516 474 458 506 494 3.8 4.0 4.1 3.8 3.6 4.0 3.9

Government......................................................................................... 128 129 124 117 124 125 122 .6 .6 .6 .5 .6 .6 .6

REGION

Northeast......................................................................... 331 392 424 340 410 446 364 1.3 1.5 1.7 1.3 1.6 1.8 1.4

South............................................................................................... 896 1,021 1,053 914 1,003 992 1,024 1.9 2.2 2.2 1.9 2.1 2.1 2.2

Midwest......................................................................................... 502 544 539 509 561 540 556 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.8 1.7 1.8

West...................................................................................... 545 536 530 550 562 573 544 1.9 1.9 1.8 1.9 1.9 2.0 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 May Apr. May May Apr. May

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total........................................................................................................... 3,456 3,711 3,761 2.6 2.7 2.7

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 3,059 3,323 3,349 2.7 2.9 2.9

Natural resources and mining................................................... 5 9 13 .9 1.4 2.0

Construction...................................................................................................... 151 141 143 2.1 2.0 1.9

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 272 266 265 1.9 1.8 1.8

Durable goods.............................................................................. 168 178 176 1.8 1.9 1.9

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 104 88 89 1.9 1.6 1.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 577 631 654 2.2 2.4 2.5

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 111 126 137 1.9 2.2 2.3

Retail trade................................................................................. 379 413 381 2.5 2.7 2.5

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................87 92 135 1.8 1.8 2.7

Information...................................................................................... 83 78 79 2.6 2.4 2.4

Financial activities........................................................................... 199 226 224 2.4 2.7 2.7

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 163 175 168 2.7 2.8 2.7

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 36 51 57 1.7 2.4 2.6

Professional and business services........................................ 627 707 683 3.7 4.0 3.9

Education and health services................................................................. 559 604 630 3.2 3.3 3.5

Educational services................................................................ 47 62 72 1.6 2.0 2.4

Health care and social assistance.................................. 513 542 558 3.5 3.6 3.7

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 449 543 533 3.4 4.1 4.0

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 64 67 53 3.3 3.6 2.7

Accommodations and food services............................... 385 476 481 3.4 4.2 4.2

Other services................................................................................. 137 118 125 2.4 2.1 2.2

Government......................................................................................... 397 388 412 1.8 1.7 1.8

Federal................................................................................................ 49 58 62 1.8 2.1 2.2

State and local.................................................................................... 348 330 350 1.8 1.7 1.8

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 619 632 607 2.4 2.4 2.3

South............................................................................................... 1,305 1,465 1,418 2.7 3.0 2.9

Midwest................................................................................................. 730 774 843 2.3 2.4 2.6

West....................................................................................................... 802 840 893 2.7 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.

 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 May Apr. May May Apr. May

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total........................................................................................................... 4,935 4,774 5,354 3.7 3.6 4.0

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 4,653 4,535 5,007 4.2 4.1 4.5

Natural resources and mining................................................... 22 28 25 3.7 4.6 4.1

Construction...................................................................................................... 461 541 541 6.6 7.6 7.4

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 391 326 398 2.7 2.3 2.8

Durable goods.............................................................................. 243 193 248 2.7 2.2 2.8

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 148 132 149 2.7 2.5 2.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 1,044 1,031 1,131 4.1 4.0 4.4

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 147 167 165 2.6 2.9 2.9

Retail trade................................................................................. 746 709 792 5.0 4.7 5.2

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 151 155 174 3.1 3.2 3.5

Information...................................................................................... 80 80 82 2.6 2.6 2.6

Financial activities........................................................................... 235 174 268 2.9 2.1 3.3

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 118 117 166 2.0 1.9 2.7

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 117 57 102 5.6 2.7 4.8

Professional and business services........................................ 735 895 892 4.5 5.3 5.3

Education and health services................................................................. 432 431 447 2.5 2.5 2.6

Educational services................................................................ 41 45 45 1.5 1.5 1.6

Health care and social assistance.................................. 391 386 403 2.8 2.7 2.8

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 1,054 853 992 8.3 6.7 7.7

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 193 145 160 10.1 8.1 8.5

Accommodations and food services............................... 862 709 832 8.0 6.5 7.5

Other services................................................................................. 197 176 230 3.6 3.2 4.2

Government......................................................................................... 282 239 347 1.3 1.1 1.6

Federal................................................................................................ 45 34 44 1.6 1.3 1.6

State and local.................................................................................... 238 205 304 1.2 1.1 1.6

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 905 803 891 3.6 3.2 3.5

South............................................................................................... 1,839 1,749 2,052 3.9 3.7 4.3

Midwest................................................................................................. 1,153 1,146 1,326 3.7 3.7 4.2

West....................................................................................................... 1,038 1,075 1,085 3.6 3.7 3.7

 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 May Apr. May May Apr. May

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total........................................................................................................... 4,222 4,231 4,368 3.2 3.2 3.3

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 3,931 4,039 4,104 3.6 3.6 3.7

Natural resources and mining................................................... 19 15 18 3.2 2.5 2.9

Construction...................................................................................................... 344 355 348 4.9 5.0 4.8

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 351 366 337 2.4 2.6 2.4

Durable goods.............................................................................. 202 242 226 2.3 2.7 2.5

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 150 124 111 2.8 2.3 2.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 1,001 891 966 3.9 3.5 3.7

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 183 135 158 3.2 2.4 2.8

Retail trade................................................................................. 645 631 656 4.3 4.2 4.3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 172 125 152 3.6 2.6 3.1

Information...................................................................................... 71 80 72 2.3 2.5 2.3

Financial activities........................................................................... 184 159 190 2.3 2.0 2.3

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 110 99 101 1.8 1.6 1.7

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 74 61 89 3.5 2.9 4.2

Professional and business services........................................ 655 890 816 4.0 5.3 4.8

Education and health services................................................................. 404 394 430 2.4 2.3 2.5

Educational services................................................................ 59 38 58 2.1 1.3 2.0

Health care and social assistance.................................. 345 356 371 2.4 2.5 2.6

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 713 692 720 5.6 5.5 5.6

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 81 88 85 4.2 4.9 4.5

Accommodations and food services............................... 632 604 635 5.9 5.6 5.8

Other services................................................................................. 189 196 207 3.5 3.6 3.8

Government......................................................................................... 291 192 264 1.3 .9 1.2

Federal................................................................................................ 35 28 26 1.3 1.0 .9

State and local.................................................................................... 256 164 238 1.3 .8 1.2

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 673 723 607 2.7 2.8 2.4

South............................................................................................... 1,673 1,694 1,823 3.6 3.6 3.8

Midwest................................................................................................. 860 870 950 2.8 2.8 3.0

West....................................................................................................... 1,016 944 988 3.5 3.2 3.4

 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 May Apr. May May Apr. May

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total........................................................................................................... 2,396 2,420 2,625 1.8 1.8 2.0

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 2,251 2,321 2,486 2.0 2.1 2.2

Natural resources and mining................................................... 7 9 12 1.1 1.4 1.9

Construction...................................................................................................... 143 148 152 2.0 2.1 2.1

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 179 183 176 1.2 1.3 1.2

Durable goods.............................................................................. 112 112 108 1.3 1.3 1.2

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 67 71 67 1.2 1.3 1.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 551 545 616 2.2 2.1 2.4

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 101 71 71 1.8 1.2 1.2

Retail trade................................................................................. 392 419 478 2.6 2.8 3.2

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................58 55 67 1.2 1.1 1.3

Information...................................................................................... 33 51 50 1.1 1.6 1.6

Financial activities........................................................................... 139 89 125 1.7 1.1 1.5

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 78 55 65 1.3 .9 1.1

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 62 34 59 2.9 1.6 2.8

Professional and business services........................................ 315 399 412 1.9 2.4 2.4

Education and health services................................................................. 243 254 276 1.4 1.5 1.6

Educational services................................................................ 27 21 31 1.0 .7 1.1

Health care and social assistance.................................. 216 234 245 1.5 1.6 1.7

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 514 493 529 4.0 3.9 4.1

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 37 44 49 2.0 2.5 2.6

Accommodations and food services............................... 476 449 480 4.4 4.1 4.4

Other services................................................................................. 126 150 139 2.3 2.7 2.5

Government......................................................................................... 145 99 139 .7 .4 .6

Federal................................................................................................ 15 11 11 .5 .4 .4

State and local.................................................................................... 130 89 128 .7 .5 .7

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 345 399 367 1.4 1.6 1.4

South............................................................................................... 946 978 1,098 2.0 2.1 2.3

Midwest................................................................................................. 533 503 592 1.7 1.6 1.9

West....................................................................................................... 572 540 567 2.0 1.8 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.

 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 May Apr. May May Apr. May

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total........................................................................................................... 1,509 1,549 1,451 1.1 1.2 1.1

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 1,420 1,495 1,376 1.3 1.3 1.2

Natural resources and mining................................................... 8 5 4 1.4 .7 .6

Construction...................................................................................................... 190 194 180 2.7 2.7 2.5

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 136 150 133 .9 1.1 .9

Durable goods.............................................................................. 65 105 95 .7 1.2 1.1

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 71 45 38 1.3 .9 .7

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 382 292 299 1.5 1.1 1.2

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 76 61 80 1.3 1.1 1.4

Retail trade................................................................................. 206 182 150 1.4 1.2 1.0

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................99 49 70 2.1 1.0 1.4

Information...................................................................................... 33 19 19 1.1 .6 .6

Financial activities........................................................................... 30 51 54 .4 .6 .7

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 21 28 26 .4 .5 .4

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 9 23 28 .4 1.1 1.3

Professional and business services........................................ 296 446 341 1.8 2.6 2.0

Education and health services................................................................. 131 118 129 .8 .7 .7

Educational services................................................................ 28 13 25 1.0 .4 .9

Health care and social assistance.................................. 103 105 104 .7 .7 .7

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 169 179 163 1.3 1.4 1.3

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 39 42 35 2.0 2.4 1.9

Accommodations and food services............................... 130 137 128 1.2 1.3 1.2

Other services................................................................................. 44 42 55 .8 .8 1.0

Government......................................................................................... 89 54 75 .4 .2 .3

Federal................................................................................................ 6 7 8 .2 .3 .3

State and local.................................................................................... 83 47 67 .4 .2 .3

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 249 265 188 1.0 1.0 .7

South............................................................................................... 632 624 636 1.4 1.3 1.3

Midwest................................................................................................. 264 307 296 .8 1.0 .9

West....................................................................................................... 364 353 331 1.3 1.2 1.1

 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 May Apr. May May Apr. May

2004 2005 2005p 2004 2005 2005p

Total........................................................................................................... 317 263 292 .2 .2 .2

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 260 224 242 .2 .2 .2

Natural resources and mining................................................... 4 2 3 .7 .4 .4

Construction...................................................................................................... 10 14 17 .1 .2 .2

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 36 33 29 .3 .2 .2

Durable goods.............................................................................. 25 25 23 .3 .3 .3

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 11 8 6 .2 .2 .1

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 68 54 51 .3 .2 .2

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 7 3 7 .1 .1 .1

Retail trade................................................................................. 47 30 28 .3 .2 .2

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................15 21 16 .3 .4 .3

Information...................................................................................... 4 9 4 .1 .3 .1

Financial activities........................................................................... 14 19 11 .2 .2 .1

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 11 16 9 .2 .3 .1

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

Professional and business services........................................ 44 46 63 .3 .3 .4

Education and health services................................................................. 29 22 25 .2 .1 .1

Educational services................................................................ 4 5 2 .1 .2 .1

Health care and social assistance.................................. 25 17 23 .2 .1 .2

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 30 20 28 .2 .2 .2

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

Accommodations and food services............................... 26 18 26 .2 .2 .2

Other services................................................................................. 19 4 13 .4 .1 .2

Government......................................................................................... 57 39 50 .3 .2 .2

Federal................................................................................................ 14 10 7 .5 .4 .3

State and local.................................................................................... 43 29 43 .2 .1 .2

REGION

Northeast......................................................................................... 79 60 52 .3 .2 .2

South............................................................................................... 95 92 89 .2 .2 .2

Midwest................................................................................................. 62 61 62 .2 .2 .2

West....................................................................................................... 80 51 90 .3 .2 .3

 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.

 P = preliminary.

 NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.

Levels (in thousands) Rates