1

Technical information: (202) 691-5870

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

Media contact: 691-5902

USDL 06-637

For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Chart 2. Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted,

 March 2003 - February 2006

2.5

2.7

2.9

3.1

3.3

3.5

3.7

3.9

Percent

Separations

Hires

2004 2005 2006

Chart 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted,

 March 2003 - February 2006

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

2004 2005 2006

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: FEBRUARY 2006

The job openings, hires, and total separations rates were all essentially unchanged in February, 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 February 2006, there were 4.1 million job openings in the United States, and

the job openings rate was 2.9 percent. (See table 1.) The job openings rate was unchanged in February,

but has generally trended upward since September 2003. In February, the job openings rate did not change

significantly in any industry or region.

Hires and Separations

The hires rate was unchanged at 3.7 percent in February. (See table 2.) Hires are any additions to the

payroll during the month. Over the month, the hires rate increased in the leisure and hospitality industry. The

hires rate did not change significantly in any region.

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

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

separations rate increased in the trade, transportation, and utilities industry. The total separations rate did not

change significantly in any region.
2

Total 1......................................................... 4,054 4,941 4,972 4,481 4,285 4,492

 Total private ........................................ 3,591 4,503 4,584 4,601 4,215 3,995

Construction ................................... 127 114 430 379 412 402 374 306

Manufacturing ................................ 256 324 335 366 327 345 353 387

Trade, transportation, and

utilities ........................................... 631 687 708 1,055 1,177 1,110 969 880 990

Professional and business

services ......................................... 605 777 727 920 953 850 874 780 833

Education and health services .... 601 627 637 479 446 440 392 353 395

Leisure and hospitality ................. 426 507 536 786 847 1,042 814 848 853

Government .......................................... 392 449 458 325 352 376 270 300 288

Total 1......................................................... 2.6 2.9 2.9 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.4 3.2 3.3

Total private 1....................................... 2.7 3.0 3.1 4.1 4.1 4.1 3.8 3.5 3.7

Construction ................................... 1.7 1.5 1.9 6.0 5.1 5.5 5.6 5.0 4.1

Manufacturing ................................ 1.8 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.6 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.7

Trade, transportation, and

utilities ........................................... 2.4 2.6 2.6 4.1 4.5 4.3 3.8 3.4 3.8

Professional and business

services ......................................... 3.5 4.3 4.1 5.5 5.6 4.9 5.2 4.6 4.8

Education and health services .... 3.4 3.4 3.5 2.8 2.5 2.5 2.3 2.0 2.2

Leisure and hospitality ................. 3.2 3.8 4.0 6.2 6.6 8.0 6.4 6.6 6.6

Government .......................................... 1.8 2.0 2.0 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.2 1.4 1.3

 Job openings

Industry

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

Hires Total separations

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

2005 2006 2005 2006 2006 2005 2006 2006

Levels (in thousands)

Rates (percent)

2006

4,832

3,099

3,494

3,533 4,209

143

329

1

p p p

3,981

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 essentially unchanged at 2.0 percent in February. (See table 4.) The quits rate

rose in the education and health services industry. The quits rate did not change significantly in any region.

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

seasonally adjusted. From February 2005 to February 2006, the layoffs and discharges rate fell to 0.9 percent but the other separations rate was unchanged at 0.2 percent. (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 4.8 million per month and separations have averaged 4.5 million per month (not seasonally

adjusted). The comparable figures a year earlier were 4.6 million hires and 4.4 million separations. (See the

Technical Note for additional information on these measures.)

1

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

p = preliminary
3

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 2006 is scheduled to be issued on Tuesday,

May 9, 2006.
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 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.

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

2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2006 2006p 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2006 2006p

Total4.........................................................3,494 3,728 3,867 4,031 3,941 3,981 4,054 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.8 2.9 2.9

INDUSTRY

Total private4

.............................................3,099 3,285 3,460 3,604 3,509 3,533 3,591 2.7 2.8 3.0 3.1 3.0 3.0 3.1

Construction.......................................... 127 152 148 146 170 114 143 1.7 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.2 1.5 1.9

Manufacturing....................................... 256 285 297 333 313 324 329 1.8 2.0 2.1 2.3 2.2 2.2 2.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities............... 631 629 654 696 661 687 708 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.5 2.6 2.6

Professional and business services............ 605 671 723 782 750 777 727 3.5 3.8 4.1 4.4 4.2 4.3 4.1

Education and health services.................. 601 630 613 601 618 627 637 3.4 3.5 3.4 3.3 3.4 3.4 3.5

Leisure and hospitality.............................. 426 431 498 519 522 507 536 3.2 3.3 3.7 3.9 3.9 3.8 4.0

Government............................................. 392 443 416 434 435 449 458 1.8 2.0 1.9 1.9 2.0 2.0 2.0

REGION 5

Northeast............................................. 602 661 704 704 718 740 734 2.3 2.6 2.7 2.7 2.8 2.8 2.8

South................................................... 1,352 1,451 1,515 1,562 1,612 1,550 1,574 2.8 2.9 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.1 3.2

Midwest................................................ 718 760 762 748 738 745 769 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.4

West................................................... 824 890 873 1,046 919 928 977 2.7 2.9 2.9 3.4 3.0 3.0 3.2

1

 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, 

of the month. North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, 2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business and West Virginia; Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan,

day of the month as a percent of total employment plus job openings. Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota,

 3

 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii,

seasonal adjustment of the various series. Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington,

 4

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

and other services, not shown separately. p

 = preliminary.

 5

 The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise 

the regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, 

New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and 

Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, 

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

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

2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2006 2006p 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2006 2006p

Total4.........................................................4,832 4,748 4,822 4,813 4,694 4,941 4,972 3.6 3.5 3.6 3.6 3.5 3.7 3.7

INDUSTRY

Total private4

.............................................4,503 4,418 4,488 4,498 4,397 4,584 4,601 4.1 3.9 4.0 4.0 3.9 4.1 4.1

Construction.......................................... 430 436 430 393 426 379 412 6.0 6.0 5.9 5.3 5.8 5.1 5.5

Manufacturing....................................... 335 346 449 335 307 366 327 2.3 2.4 3.2 2.4 2.2 2.6 2.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities...............1,055 983 967 954 1,011 1,177 1,110 4.1 3.8 3.7 3.7 3.9 4.5 4.3

Professional and business services............ 920 904 849 907 849 953 850 5.5 5.3 5.0 5.3 5.0 5.6 4.9

Education and health services.................. 479 468 460 459 467 446 440 2.8 2.7 2.6 2.6 2.7 2.5 2.5

Leisure and hospitality.............................. 786 836 859 895 853 847 1,042 6.2 6.5 6.7 6.9 6.6 6.6 8.0

Government............................................. 325 314 319 314 293 352 376 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.6 1.7

REGION 5

Northeast............................................. 810 796 744 747 698 727 827 3.2 3.2 2.9 3.0 2.8 2.9 3.3

South................................................... 1,861 1,842 1,886 1,813 1,817 1,946 2,040 3.9 3.9 3.9 3.8 3.8 4.1 4.2

Midwest................................................1,090 965 1,017 1,031 1,038 1,043 1,051 3.5 3.1 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.3

West................................................... 1,104 1,139 1,154 1,188 1,127 1,176 1,088 3.8 3.8 3.9 4.0 3.8 4.0 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.

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.

5

 See footnote 5, table 1. 

p

 = preliminary.

Levels Rates 3 (in thousands)

Levels3

 (in thousands) Rates
Table 3. Total separations levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

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

2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2006 2006p 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2006 2006p

Total4...................................................... 4,481 4,798 4,359 4,476 4,359 4,285 4,492 3.4 3.6 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.3

INDUSTRY

Total private4

.......................................... 4,215 4,503 4,103 4,205 4,067 3,995 4,209 3.8 4.0 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.5 3.7

Construction....................................... 402 423 392 371 348 374 306 5.6 5.8 5.3 5.0 4.7 5.0 4.1

Manufacturing....................................... 345 437 340 388 355 353 387 2.4 3.1 2.4 2.7 2.5 2.5 2.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities............ 969 1,000 935 1,003 1,027 880 990 3.8 3.9 3.6 3.9 3.9 3.4 3.8

Professional and business services......... 874 856 757 753 735 780 833 5.2 5.0 4.5 4.4 4.3 4.6 4.8

Education and health services.................. 392 433 404 418 400 353 395 2.3 2.5 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.0 2.2

Leisure and hospitality........................... 814 871 798 834 843 848 853 6.4 6.8 6.2 6.5 6.5 6.6 6.6

Government............................................. 270 302 255 270 270 300 288 1.2 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.4 1.3

REGION 5

Northeast............................................. 717 797 657 619 685 701 735 2.9 3.2 2.6 2.4 2.7 2.8 2.9

South................................................ 1,699 1,779 1,710 1,711 1,759 1,653 1,650 3.6 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.7 3.4 3.4

Midwest............................................. 1,002 1,065 961 1,081 934 987 1,072 3.2 3.4 3.1 3.5 3.0 3.1 3.4

West...................................................1,041 1,127 1,012 1,004 997 970 1,015 3.5 3.8 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.3 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.

5 See footnote 5, table 1.

p

 = preliminary.

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

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

2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2006 2006p 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2006 2006p

Total4...................................................... 2,325 2,681 2,619 2,683 2,567 2,577 2,638 1.8 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.9 1.9 2.0

INDUSTRY

Total private4

.......................................... 2,203 2,529 2,470 2,540 2,428 2,435 2,497 2.0 2.3 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.2 2.2

Construction....................................... 145 210 205 183 189 179 145 2.0 2.9 2.8 2.5 2.6 2.4 1.9

Manufacturing....................................... 181 213 200 210 184 196 203 1.3 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.3 1.4 1.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities............ 512 566 573 606 634 551 598 2.0 2.2 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.1 2.3

Professional and business services......... 402 448 345 359 365 415 449 2.4 2.6 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.4 2.6

Education and health services.................. 252 283 258 277 254 225 269 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.4 1.3 1.5

Leisure and hospitality........................... 490 557 597 595 558 569 577 3.9 4.3 4.6 4.6 4.3 4.4 4.5

Government............................................. 124 154 142 142 139 143 144 .6 .7 .6 .6 .6 .7 .7

REGION 5

Northeast............................................. 329 361 341 333 390 369 385 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.5 1.5 1.5

South................................................ 938 1,125 1,109 1,102 1,069 1,068 1,081 2.0 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.2 2.2

Midwest............................................. 503 574 552 572 481 571 605 1.6 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.5 1.8 1.9

West................................................... 546 627 601 657 618 569 554 1.9 2.1 2.0 2.2 2.1 1.9 1.9

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

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

3

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

4

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

5 See footnote 5, table 1.

p

 = preliminary.

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

2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p

Total.................................................................. 3,350 3,678 3,895 2.5 2.7 2.8

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 2,993 3,259 3,475 2.7 2.9 3.0

Natural resources and mining........................... 9 9 12 1.5 1.5 1.8

Construction................................................... 118 94 134 1.7 1.3 1.9

Manufacturing................................................ 258 309 335 1.8 2.1 2.3

Durable goods............................................. 174 214 242 1.9 2.3 2.6

Nondurable goods....................................... 84 95 93 1.6 1.8 1.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 578 608 647 2.2 2.3 2.5

Wholesale trade.......................................... 140 104 153 2.4 1.8 2.6

Retail trade................................................ 347 395 371 2.3 2.5 2.4

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 91 110 123 1.8 2.2 2.5

Information................................................... 81 111 112 2.6 3.5 3.5

Financial activities............................................ 235 294 314 2.8 3.5 3.7

Finance and insurance................................. 182 232 273 3.0 3.7 4.3

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 53 62 41 2.5 2.8 1.9

Professional and business services..................... 601 719 715 3.5 4.1 4.1

Education and health services........................... 591 599 629 3.3 3.3 3.4

Educational services.................................... 47 59 68 1.6 2.1 2.2

Health care and social assistance.................. 544 539 561 3.7 3.5 3.7

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 398 445 508 3.2 3.5 3.9

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 57 63 51 3.3 3.6 2.9

Accommodations and food services............... 341 381 457 3.2 3.5 4.1

Other services................................................ 125 71 69 2.3 1.3 1.3

Government...................................................... 357 419 420 1.6 1.9 1.9

Federal......................................................... 41 46 45 1.5 1.7 1.6

State and local.............................................. 316 374 375 1.6 1.9 1.9

REGION 3

Northeast...................................................... 561 665 685 2.2 2.6 2.7

South............................................................ 1,343 1,481 1,565 2.8 3.0 3.2

Midwest......................................................... 671 667 720 2.1 2.1 2.3

West............................................................ 774 865 925 2.6 2.9 3.0

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 5, table 1.

 p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 6. Hires levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Feb. Jan. Feb. Feb. Jan. Feb.

2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p

Total.................................................................. 4,004 4,196 4,144 3.1 3.2 3.1

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 3,778 3,877 3,879 3.5 3.5 3.5

Natural resources and mining........................... 20 15 17 3.3 2.4 2.6

Construction................................................... 354 291 340 5.3 4.1 4.8

Manufacturing................................................ 314 361 302 2.2 2.6 2.1

Durable goods............................................. 212 207 174 2.4 2.3 1.9

Nondurable goods....................................... 101 153 128 1.9 3.0 2.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 804 861 850 3.2 3.3 3.3

Wholesale trade.......................................... 117 99 114 2.1 1.7 2.0

Retail trade................................................ 562 531 575 3.8 3.5 3.8

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 124 231 160 2.6 4.7 3.3

Information................................................... 64 61 81 2.1 2.0 2.7

Financial activities............................................ 164 172 191 2.0 2.1 2.3

Finance and insurance................................. 95 124 119 1.6 2.1 2.0

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 70 47 72 3.4 2.2 3.4

Professional and business services..................... 835 906 764 5.1 5.4 4.5

Education and health services........................... 414 413 378 2.4 2.4 2.1

Educational services.................................... 47 62 53 1.6 2.3 1.8

Health care and social assistance.................. 367 351 325 2.6 2.4 2.2

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 610 635 815 5.0 5.2 6.6

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 77 71 104 4.6 4.2 6.1

Accommodations and food services............... 533 564 712 5.1 5.3 6.7

Other services................................................ 200 162 141 3.7 3.0 2.6

Government...................................................... 226 319 265 1.0 1.5 1.2

Federal......................................................... 31 43 43 1.1 1.6 1.6

State and local.............................................. 195 276 222 1.0 1.4 1.1

REGION 3

Northeast...................................................... 570 564 592 2.3 2.3 2.4

South............................................................ 1,641 1,740 1,816 3.5 3.7 3.8

Midwest......................................................... 851 878 823 2.8 2.8 2.6

West............................................................ 942 1,014 913 3.2 3.5 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 5, table 1.

 p = preliminary.

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Feb. Jan. Feb. Feb. Jan. Feb.

2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p

Total.................................................................. 3,679 4,186 3,707 2.8 3.2 2.8

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 3,493 3,938 3,506 3.2 3.6 3.2

Natural resources and mining........................... 15 17 19 2.5 2.6 3.1

Construction................................................... 383 405 287 5.7 5.8 4.1

Manufacturing................................................ 296 344 344 2.1 2.4 2.4

Durable goods............................................. 193 192 201 2.2 2.2 2.3

Nondurable goods....................................... 103 151 143 2.0 2.9 2.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 834 991 855 3.3 3.8 3.3

Wholesale trade.......................................... 133 101 139 2.3 1.8 2.4

Retail trade................................................ 569 761 605 3.8 5.0 4.0

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 132 129 112 2.7 2.6 2.3

Information................................................... 45 63 63 1.5 2.1 2.1

Financial activities............................................ 157 165 202 2.0 2.0 2.5

Finance and insurance................................. 96 117 134 1.6 1.9 2.2

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 62 48 68 3.0 2.2 3.2

Professional and business services..................... 692 720 668 4.2 4.3 4.0

Education and health services........................... 330 345 333 1.9 2.0 1.9

Educational services.................................... 24 38 24 .8 1.4 .8

Health care and social assistance.................. 307 306 309 2.1 2.1 2.1

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 571 751 604 4.7 6.1 4.9

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 74 57 43 4.5 3.4 2.5

Accommodations and food services............... 497 694 561 4.7 6.5 5.2

Other services................................................ 171 137 130 3.2 2.6 2.4

Government...................................................... 187 248 201 .8 1.1 .9

Federal......................................................... 26 57 48 1.0 2.1 1.8

State and local.............................................. 161 191 153 .8 1.0 .8

REGION 3

Northeast...................................................... 546 667 577 2.2 2.7 2.3

South............................................................ 1,449 1,580 1,399 3.1 3.3 2.9

Midwest......................................................... 810 971 876 2.6 3.1 2.8

West............................................................ 875 968 855 3.0 3.3 2.9

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

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

3 See footnote 5, table 1.

 p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 8. Quits levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Feb. Jan. Feb. Feb. Jan. Feb.

2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p

Total.................................................................. 1,914 2,262 2,177 1.5 1.7 1.6

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 1,817 2,142 2,063 1.7 1.9 1.9

Natural resources and mining........................... 6 9 8 1.0 1.4 1.2

Construction................................................... 127 142 124 1.9 2.0 1.8

Manufacturing................................................ 153 166 174 1.1 1.2 1.2

Durable goods............................................. 99 96 103 1.1 1.1 1.2

Nondurable goods....................................... 54 69 71 1.0 1.3 1.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 425 516 498 1.7 2.0 1.9

Wholesale trade.......................................... 73 52 69 1.3 .9 1.2

Retail trade................................................ 300 406 361 2.0 2.7 2.4

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 52 58 68 1.1 1.2 1.4

Information................................................... 32 41 44 1.0 1.4 1.4

Financial activities............................................ 80 100 120 1.0 1.2 1.5

Finance and insurance................................. 60 76 72 1.0 1.3 1.2

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 20 24 47 1.0 1.1 2.2

Professional and business services..................... 308 371 349 1.9 2.2 2.1

Education and health services........................... 208 213 225 1.2 1.2 1.3

Educational services.................................... 15 23 16 .5 .8 .5

Health care and social assistance.................. 194 190 210 1.3 1.3 1.4

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 373 504 443 3.1 4.1 3.6

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 37 28 24 2.2 1.7 1.4

Accommodations and food services............... 337 476 419 3.2 4.5 3.9

Other services................................................ 104 81 77 1.9 1.5 1.4

Government...................................................... 97 120 114 .4 .6 .5

Federal......................................................... 12 24 23 .4 .9 .9

State and local.............................................. 86 96 91 .4 .5 .5

REGION 3

Northeast...................................................... 257 305 305 1.0 1.2 1.2

South............................................................ 795 939 920 1.7 2.0 1.9

Midwest......................................................... 401 508 487 1.3 1.6 1.6

West............................................................ 462 510 464 1.6 1.7 1.6

 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 5, table 1.

 p = preliminary.

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Feb. Jan. Feb. Feb. Jan. Feb.

2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p

Total.................................................................. 1,463 1,564 1,230 1.1 1.2 0.9

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 1,417 1,494 1,179 1.3 1.4 1.1

Natural resources and mining........................... 5 4 11 .9 .6 1.7

Construction................................................... 242 248 144 3.6 3.5 2.0

Manufacturing................................................ 115 132 121 .8 .9 .9

Durable goods............................................. 75 66 65 .8 .7 .7

Nondurable goods....................................... 39 65 57 .7 1.3 1.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 346 407 278 1.4 1.6 1.1

Wholesale trade.......................................... 51 44 51 .9 .8 .9

Retail trade................................................ 232 312 197 1.6 2.1 1.3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 64 52 30 1.3 1.1 .6

Information................................................... 10 12 13 .3 .4 .4

Financial activities............................................ 62 55 70 .8 .7 .9

Finance and insurance................................. 22 35 51 .4 .6 .8

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 40 20 19 1.9 .9 .9

Professional and business services..................... 303 260 280 1.8 1.6 1.7

Education and health services........................... 99 108 86 .6 .6 .5

Educational services.................................... 7 12 7 .2 .4 .2

Health care and social assistance.................. 92 96 79 .6 .7 .5

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 182 218 131 1.5 1.8 1.1

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 37 25 16 2.2 1.5 .9

Accommodations and food services............... 146 193 115 1.4 1.8 1.1

Other services................................................ 52 50 44 1.0 .9 .8

Government...................................................... 46 70 50 .2 .3 .2

Federal......................................................... 8 12 11 .3 .4 .4

State and local.............................................. 38 59 39 .2 .3 .2

REGION 3

Northeast...................................................... 243 293 222 1.0 1.2 .9

South............................................................ 533 518 375 1.1 1.1 .8

Midwest......................................................... 346 361 319 1.1 1.2 1.0

West............................................................ 340 392 314 1.2 1.3 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.

3 See footnote 5, table 1.

 p = preliminary.

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Feb. Jan. Feb. Feb. Jan. Feb.

2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p

Total.................................................................. 302 360 301 .2 .3 .2

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 259 302 264 .2 .3 .2

Natural resources and mining........................... 3 4 1 .6 .6 .2

Construction................................................... 14 15 19 .2 .2 .3

Manufacturing................................................ 28 46 48 .2 .3 .3

Durable goods............................................. 18 30 33 .2 .3 .4

Nondurable goods....................................... 9 16 15 .2 .3 .3

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 63 69 79 .2 .3 .3

Wholesale trade.......................................... 9 6 19 .2 .1 .3

Retail trade................................................ 38 44 47 .3 .3 .3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 16 19 13 .3 .4 .3

Information................................................... 3 10 6 .1 .3 .2

Financial activities............................................ 15 10 13 .2 .1 .2

Finance and insurance................................. 14 6 11 .2 .1 .2

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 2 4 2 .1 .2 .1

Professional and business services..................... 81 89 39 .5 .5 .2

Education and health services........................... 23 24 22 .1 .1 .1

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

Health care and social assistance.................. 21 21 20 .1 .1 .1

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 15 28 30 .1 .2 .2

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

Accommodations and food services............... 14 25 27 .1 .2 .3

Other services................................................ 14 6 9 .3 .1 .2

Government...................................................... 43 58 37 .2 .3 .2

Federal......................................................... 7 21 13 .2 .8 .5

State and local.............................................. 36 37 23 .2 .2 .1

REGION 3

Northeast...................................................... 46 68 50 .2 .3 .2

South............................................................ 121 124 104 .3 .3 .2

Midwest......................................................... 63 103 70 .2 .3 .2

West............................................................ 73 65 77 .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.

3 See footnote 5, table 1.

 p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates