For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Tuesday, February 7, 2017 USDL-17-0179

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

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

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER – DECEMBER 2016

The number of job openings was little changed at 5.5 million on the last business day of December, the

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the month, hires and separations were also little 

changed at 5.3 million and 5.0 million, respectively. Within separations, the quits rate was little changed 

at 2.0 percent and the layoffs and discharges rate was unchanged at 1.1 percent. This release includes 

estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the nonfarm sector by 

industry and by four geographic regions.

Job Openings

On the last business day of December, there were 5.5 million job openings, little changed from 

November. The job openings rate was 3.6 percent in December. The number of job openings was little 

changed for total private and decreased for government (-75,000). Job openings increased in other 

services (+50,000) and federal government (+13,000) but decreased in state and local government, 

excluding education (-85,000). The number of job openings was little changed in all four regions. (See 

table 1.)

Hires

The number of hires was essentially unchanged at 5.3 million in December. The hires rate was 3.6

percent. The number of hires was little changed for total private and decreased for government

(-38,000). Hires decreased in state and local government, excluding education (-33,000), and in mining 

and logging (-7,000). The number of hires was little changed in all four regions. (See table 2.)
- 2 -

Separations

Total separations includes quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Total separations is 

referred to as turnover. Quits are generally voluntary separations initiated by the employee. Therefore, 

the quits rate can serve as a measure of workers’ willingness or ability to leave jobs. Layoffs and 

discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the employer. Other separations includes separations 

due to retirement, death, disability, and transfers to other locations of the same firm.

There were 5.0 million total separations in December, little changed from November. The total 

separations rate in December was 3.4 percent. The number of total separations was little changed for 

total private and decreased for government (-37,000). Total separations decreased in state and local 

government education (-28,000). The number of total separations was little changed in all four regions. 

(See table 3.)

The number of quits was little changed in December at 3.0 million. The quits rate was 2.0 percent. Over 

the month, the number of quits was little changed for total private and for government. Quits decreased

in state and local government education (-14,000). The number of quits was little changed in all four 

regions. (See table 4.)

There were 1.6 million layoffs and discharges in December, essentially unchanged from November. 

The layoffs and discharges rate was 1.1 percent in December. The number of layoffs and discharges was 

little changed for total private and decreased for government (-27,000). The layoffs and discharges level

increased in construction (+75,000) but decreased in health care and social assistance (-46,000), state 

and local government, excluding education (-15,000), and state and local government education

(-12,000). Layoffs and discharges were little changed in all four regions. (See table 5.)

In December, the number of other separations was little changed for total nonfarm, total private, and 

government as well as in all industries and all four regions. (See table 6.)

Net Change in Employment

Large numbers of hires and separations occur every month throughout the business cycle. Net 

employment change results from the relationship between hires and separations. When the number of 

hires exceeds the number of separations, employment rises, even if the hires level is steady or declining. 

Conversely, when the number of hires is less than the number of separations, employment declines, even 

if the hires level is steady or rising. Over the 12 months ending in December, hires totaled 62.5 million 

and separations totaled 60.1 million, yielding a net employment gain of 2.4 million. These totals 

include workers who may have been hired and separated more than once during the year.

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey results for January 2017 are scheduled to be 

released on Thursday, March 16, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).

Revisions to the JOLTS Data

With the release of January 2017 data on March 16, 2017, BLS will revise the job openings, hires, 

and separations data to incorporate the annual updates to the Current Employment Statistics 

employment estimates and the JOLTS seasonal adjustment factors. Unadjusted data and seasonally 

adjusted data from January 2012 forward are subject to revision.
Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally adjusted

Category

Job openings Hires Total separations

Dec.

2015

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016p

Dec.

2015

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016p

Dec.

2015

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016p

LEVELS BY INDUSTRY

(in thousands)

Total................................................... 5,281 5,505 5,501 5,401 5,212 5,252 5,128 5,018 4,968

Total private....................................... 4,786 4,946 5,017 5,042 4,854 4,931 4,774 4,672 4,659

Mining and logging1............................ 14 16 19 33 30 23 45 28 29

Construction1................................... 124 174 148 322 332 388 283 318 363

Manufacturing.................................. 317 314 325 274 283 283 263 286 274

Durable goods1.............................. 174 181 183 163 166 163 162 165 153

Nondurable goods1

.......................... 143 133 141 112 117 119 101 121 121

Trade, transportation, and utilities........... 822 1,016 1,034 1,087 1,015 1,010 1,074 1,021 973

Wholesale trade1............................ 137 199 184 128 132 133 133 133 139

Retail trade................................... 538 640 661 760 672 673 762 685 653

Transportation, warehousing, and

utilities1

..................................... 147 177 188 199 211 204 178 203 180

Information1

..................................... 101 69 89 72 73 78 61 75 83

Financial activities.............................. 390 326 357 217 174 175 203 159 158

Finance and insurance..................... 319 260 275 142 112 117 142 117 108

Real estate and rental and leasing1. . . . .. 71 66 82 75 62 58 62 42 50

Professional and business services......... 1,034 935 911 1,175 1,034 1,112 1,095 1,005 1,065

Education and health services............... 1,075 1,148 1,193 641 655 649 578 609 589

Educational services1

....................... 93 83 93 84 82 81 74 69 75

Health care and social assistance. . . . . . .. 982 1,065 1,100 557 573 569 504 540 514

Leisure and hospitality........................ 710 758 703 1,024 1,048 1,028 1,003 997 954

Arts, entertainment, and recreation. . . . . .. 62 102 99 151 156 185 141 144 163

Accommodation and food services. . . . . .. 648 656 604 873 891 842 862 853 792

Other services1................................. 199 190 240 198 209 185 168 173 171

Government....................................... 495 558 483 359 359 321 354 346 309

Federal1

......................................... 80 82 95 45 41 42 40 41 41

State and local................................. 415 477 388 314 318 279 314 306 268

State and local education.................. 171 151 147 165 144 138 161 148 120

State and local, excluding education1

. . .. 245 326 241 149 174 141 153 158 148

RATES BY INDUSTRY

(percent)

Total................................................... 3.6 3.7 3.6 3.8 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.5 3.4

Total private....................................... 3.8 3.9 3.9 4.2 3.9 4.0 3.9 3.8 3.8

Mining and logging1

............................ 1.8 2.3 2.8 4.3 4.5 3.4 5.9 4.1 4.3

Construction1

................................... 1.8 2.5 2.2 4.9 4.9 5.8 4.3 4.7 5.4

Manufacturing.................................. 2.5 2.5 2.6 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.1 2.3 2.2

Durable goods1

.............................. 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.1 2.2 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.0

Nondurable goods1.......................... 3.0 2.8 3.0 2.4 2.6 2.6 2.2 2.6 2.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities........... 2.9 3.6 3.6 4.0 3.7 3.7 4.0 3.7 3.5

Wholesale trade1

............................ 2.3 3.2 3.0 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.3

Retail trade................................... 3.3 3.8 4.0 4.8 4.2 4.2 4.8 4.3 4.1

Transportation, warehousing, and

utilities1

..................................... 2.6 3.1 3.3 3.7 3.8 3.7 3.3 3.7 3.3

Information1

..................................... 3.5 2.4 3.1 2.6 2.6 2.8 2.2 2.7 3.0

Financial activities.............................. 4.5 3.8 4.1 2.6 2.1 2.1 2.5 1.9 1.9

Finance and insurance..................... 5.0 4.0 4.3 2.3 1.8 1.9 2.3 1.9 1.7

Real estate and rental and leasing1. . . . .. 3.3 3.0 3.7 3.6 2.9 2.7 2.9 2.0 2.3

Professional and business services......... 4.9 4.4 4.3 5.9 5.0 5.4 5.5 4.9 5.2

Education and health services............... 4.6 4.8 4.9 2.9 2.9 2.8 2.6 2.7 2.6

Educational services1

....................... 2.6 2.3 2.5 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.1 1.9 2.1

Health care and social assistance. . . . . . .. 4.9 5.2 5.4 2.9 3.0 2.9 2.7 2.8 2.6

Leisure and hospitality........................ 4.4 4.6 4.3 6.7 6.7 6.6 6.5 6.4 6.1

Arts, entertainment, and recreation. . . . . .. 2.7 4.3 4.3 6.9 7.0 8.3 6.5 6.4 7.3

Accommodation and food services. . . . . .. 4.7 4.7 4.3 6.6 6.7 6.3 6.6 6.4 5.9

Other services1

................................. 3.4 3.2 4.0 3.5 3.7 3.2 3.0 3.0 3.0

See footnotes at end of table.
Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally adjusted — Continued

Category

Job openings Hires Total separations

Dec.

2015

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016p

Dec.

2015

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016p

Dec.

2015

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016p

Government....................................... 2.2 2.5 2.1 1.6 1.6 1.4 1.6 1.6 1.4

Federal1

......................................... 2.8 2.8 3.3 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.5

State and local................................. 2.1 2.4 2.0 1.6 1.6 1.4 1.6 1.6 1.4

State and local education.................. 1.6 1.4 1.4 1.6 1.4 1.3 1.6 1.4 1.2

State and local, excluding education1

. . .. 2.6 3.5 2.6 1.6 1.9 1.5 1.7 1.7 1.6

1 No regular seasonal movements could be identified in this series; therefore, identical numbers appear for the unadjusted and seasonally adjusted

series.

p Preliminary
Technical Note

This news release presents statistics from the Job 

Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). The 

Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) collects and compiles 

JOLTS data monthly from a sample of nonfarm 

establishments. A more detailed discussion of JOLTS 

concepts and methodology is available online at

www.bls.gov/opub/hom/pdf/homch18.pdf.

Coverage and collection

The JOLTS program covers all private nonfarm establishments, as well as federal, state, and local government 

entities in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Data 

are collected for total employment, job openings, hires, 

quits, layoffs and discharges, other separations, and total 

separations.

Concepts

Industry classification. The industry classifications in 

this release are in accordance with the 2012 version of the 

North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).

Employment. Employment includes persons on the 

payroll who worked or received pay for the pay period 

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

and hourly employees are included, as are employees on 

paid vacations or other paid leave. Proprietors or partners 

of unincorporated businesses, unpaid family workers, or 

persons on leave without pay or on strike for the entire 

pay period, are not counted as employed. Employees of 

temporary help agencies, employee leasing companies, 

outside contractors, and consultants are counted by their 

employer of record, not by the establishment where they 

are working.

Job openings. Job openings information is collected 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 whether or not the employer found a 

suitable candidate, 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. The hires level is the total number of additions to 

the payroll occurring at any time during the reference 

month, including both new and rehired employees, fulltime 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. The separations level is the total number of 

employment terminations occurring at any time during the 

reference month, and is reported by type of separation—

quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. 

(Some respondents are only able to report total 

separations.) The quits count includes voluntary 

separations by employees (except for retirements, which 

are reported as other separations). The layoffs and 

discharges count is comprised of involuntary separations 

initiated by the employer and includes 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. The 

other separations count includes retirements, transfers to 

other locations, deaths, and separations due to disability. 

The separations count does 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.

Annual estimates. Annual levels for hires, quits, layoffs 

and discharges, other separations, and total separations 

are the sum of the 12 published monthly levels. Annual 

rates 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. Consistent with BLS practice, annual 

estimates are published only for not seasonally adjusted 

data and are released with the January news release each 

year. 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.
Sample and estimation methodology

The JOLTS survey design is a stratified random sample of 

16,000 nonfarm business and government establishments. 

The sample is stratified by ownership, region, industry 

sector, and establishment size class. The establishments 

are drawn from a universe of over 9.1 million 

establishments compiled by the Quarterly Census of 

Employment and Wages (QCEW) program which

includes all employers subject to state unemployment 

insurance laws and federal agencies subject to the 

Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees

program.

JOLTS total employment estimates are benchmarked, or 

ratio adjusted, monthly to the strike-adjusted employment 

estimates of the CES survey. A ratio of CES to JOLTS 

employment is used to adjust the levels for all other 

JOLTS data elements.

JOLTS business birth/death model

As with any sample survey, the JOLTS sample can only 

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

birth of an establishment until its appearance on the 

sampling frame is approximately one year. In addition, 

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

Since these universe units cannot be reflected on the 

sampling frame immediately, the JOLTS sample cannot 

capture job openings, hires, and separations from these 

units during their early existence. To compensate for the 

inability to capture data from these establishments, BLS 

has developed a birth/death model that uses birth and 

death activity from previous years. The estimates of job 

openings, hires, and separations produced by the 

birth/death model are added to the sample-based estimates 

produced from the survey to arrive at the estimates for 

openings, hires, and separations.

Seasonal adjustment

BLS uses X-13 ARIMA to seasonally adjust several 

JOLTS series utilizing moving averages as seasonal 

filters. 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 current month data. JOLTS seasonal adjustment 

includes both additive and multiplicative models and 

REGARIMA (regression with auto-correlated errors) 

modeling to improve the seasonal adjustment factors at 

the beginning and end of the series and to detect and 

adjust for outliers in the series.

Alignment procedure

The JOLTS measures for hires minus separations can be 

used to derive a measure of net employment change. This 

change should be comparable to the net employment 

change from the much larger CES survey. However, 

definitional differences as well as sampling and nonsampling errors between the two surveys historically 

caused JOLTS to diverge from CES over time. To limit 

the divergence, and improve the quality of the JOLTS 

hires and separations series, BLS implemented the 

Monthly Alignment Method.

This method applies the CES employment trends to the 

seasonally adjusted JOLTS implied employment trend 

(hires minus separations) forcing them to be 

approximately the same, while preserving the seasonality 

of the JOLTS data. First, the two series are seasonally 

adjusted and the difference between the JOLTS implied 

employment change and the CES net employment change 

is calculated. Next, the JOLTS implied employment 

change is adjusted to equal the CES net employment 

change through a proportional adjustment. This procedure 

adjusts the two components (hires, separations) 

proportionally to their contribution to the total churn 

(hires plus separations). The adjusted hires and 

separations are converted back to not seasonally adjusted 

data by reversing the application of the original seasonal 

factors. After the Monthly Alignment Method has been 

used to adjust the level estimates, rate estimates are 

computed from the adjusted levels. 

Reliability of the estimates

JOLTS estimates are subject to both sampling and 

nonsampling error. When a sample is surveyed rather than 

the entire population, 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. Sampling error estimates are available

at www.bls.gov/jlt/jolts_median_standard_errors.htm.

The JOLTS estimates also are affected by non-sampling 

error. Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, 

including the failure to include a segment of the 

population, the inability to obtain data from all units in 

the sample, the inability or unwillingness of respondents 

to provide data on a timely basis, mistakes made by 

respondents, errors made in the collection or processing 

of the data, and errors from the employment benchmark 

data used in estimation.

Other information

Information in this release will be made available to 

sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 

(202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.
Table 1. Job openings levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted1

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates2

Dec.

2015

Aug.

2016

Sept.

2016

Oct.

2016

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016p

Dec.

2015

Aug.

2016

Sept.

2016

Oct.

2016

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016p

Total............................................... 5,281 5,453 5,631 5,451 5,505 5,501 3.6 3.6 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.6

INDUSTRY

Total private................................... 4,786 4,941 5,112 4,951 4,946 5,017 3.8 3.9 4.0 3.9 3.9 3.9

Mining and logging3

....................... 14 11 20 14 16 19 1.8 1.6 2.8 2.0 2.3 2.8

Construction3............................... 124 192 221 193 174 148 1.8 2.8 3.2 2.8 2.5 2.2

Manufacturing.............................. 317 326 328 320 314 325 2.5 2.6 2.6 2.5 2.5 2.6

Durable goods3

.......................... 174 185 206 197 181 183 2.2 2.4 2.6 2.5 2.3 2.3

Nondurable goods3

...................... 143 141 122 123 133 141 3.0 3.0 2.6 2.6 2.8 3.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities. . . . . .. 822 997 1,020 1,024 1,016 1,034 2.9 3.5 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.6

Wholesale trade3

........................ 137 160 169 181 199 184 2.3 2.6 2.8 3.0 3.2 3.0

Retail trade............................... 538 628 663 653 640 661 3.3 3.8 4.0 3.9 3.8 4.0

Transportation, warehousing, and

utilities3

................................. 147 208 188 190 177 188 2.6 3.7 3.3 3.4 3.1 3.3

Information3................................. 101 83 97 76 69 89 3.5 2.9 3.4 2.7 2.4 3.1

Financial activities......................... 390 332 355 331 326 357 4.5 3.8 4.1 3.8 3.8 4.1

Finance and insurance................. 319 253 265 257 260 275 5.0 3.9 4.1 4.0 4.0 4.3

Real estate and rental and leasing3

... 71 79 89 74 66 82 3.3 3.5 4.0 3.3 3.0 3.7

Professional and business services. . . .. 1,034 1,022 1,113 980 935 911 4.9 4.8 5.2 4.6 4.4 4.3

Education and health services........... 1,075 1,041 1,072 1,159 1,148 1,193 4.6 4.4 4.5 4.8 4.8 4.9

Educational services3

................... 93 95 102 90 83 93 2.6 2.6 2.8 2.5 2.3 2.5

Health care and social assistance. . .. 982 946 970 1,069 1,065 1,100 4.9 4.7 4.8 5.3 5.2 5.4

Leisure and hospitality.................... 710 749 710 670 758 703 4.4 4.6 4.4 4.1 4.6 4.3

Arts, entertainment, and recreation. .. 62 74 67 82 102 99 2.7 3.2 2.9 3.5 4.3 4.3

Accommodation and food services. .. 648 675 642 589 656 604 4.7 4.8 4.6 4.2 4.7 4.3

Other services3

............................. 199 189 177 182 190 240 3.4 3.2 3.0 3.1 3.2 4.0

Government................................... 495 511 519 501 558 483 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.5 2.1

Federal3

..................................... 80 88 101 82 82 95 2.8 3.0 3.5 2.8 2.8 3.3

State and local............................. 415 424 419 419 477 388 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.4 2.0

State and local education.............. 171 147 130 131 151 147 1.6 1.4 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.4

State and local, excluding

education3

............................. 245 276 289 288 326 241 2.6 3.0 3.1 3.1 3.5 2.6

REGION4

Northeast...................................... 887 944 1,034 980 960 1,001 3.2 3.4 3.7 3.5 3.4 3.6

South........................................... 1,981 1,961 2,028 1,984 2,030 1,924 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.5

Midwest........................................ 1,100 1,223 1,270 1,247 1,221 1,232 3.3 3.6 3.8 3.7 3.6 3.7

West............................................ 1,313 1,324 1,299 1,240 1,294 1,343 3.9 3.9 3.8 3.6 3.8 3.9

1

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

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

3 No regular seasonal movements could be identified in this series; therefore, identical numbers appear for the unadjusted and seasonally adjusted

series.

4 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, Florida, Georgia,

Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest:

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona,

California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

p Preliminary
Table 2. Hires levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted1

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates2

Dec.

2015

Aug.

2016

Sept.

2016

Oct.

2016

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016p

Dec.

2015

Aug.

2016

Sept.

2016

Oct.

2016

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016p

Total............................................... 5,401 5,268 5,121 5,160 5,212 5,252 3.8 3.6 3.5 3.6 3.6 3.6

INDUSTRY

Total private................................... 5,042 4,888 4,757 4,804 4,854 4,931 4.2 4.0 3.9 3.9 3.9 4.0

Mining and logging......................... 33 31 28 32 30 23 4.3 4.6 4.2 4.7 4.5 3.4

Construction................................ 322 337 314 331 332 388 4.9 5.1 4.7 4.9 4.9 5.8

Manufacturing.............................. 274 274 279 274 283 283 2.2 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.3 2.3

Durable goods........................... 163 152 163 159 166 163 2.1 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.1

Nondurable goods....................... 112 122 116 114 117 119 2.4 2.6 2.5 2.5 2.6 2.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities. . . . . .. 1,087 1,091 1,097 1,083 1,015 1,010 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0 3.7 3.7

Wholesale trade......................... 128 160 136 132 132 133 2.2 2.7 2.3 2.2 2.2 2.2

Retail trade............................... 760 752 769 739 672 673 4.8 4.7 4.8 4.6 4.2 4.2

Transportation, warehousing, and

utilities.................................. 199 179 193 212 211 204 3.7 3.3 3.5 3.9 3.8 3.7

Information.................................. 72 71 80 71 73 78 2.6 2.6 2.9 2.5 2.6 2.8

Financial activities......................... 217 192 170 170 174 175 2.6 2.3 2.0 2.0 2.1 2.1

Finance and insurance................. 142 133 110 106 112 117 2.3 2.2 1.8 1.7 1.8 1.9

Real estate and rental and leasing. .. 75 59 60 63 62 58 3.6 2.8 2.8 2.9 2.9 2.7

Professional and business services. . . .. 1,175 1,072 1,080 1,043 1,034 1,112 5.9 5.3 5.3 5.1 5.0 5.4

Education and health services........... 641 634 616 646 655 649 2.9 2.8 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.8

Educational services.................... 84 92 87 75 82 81 2.4 2.6 2.4 2.1 2.3 2.3

Health care and social assistance. . .. 557 543 528 571 573 569 2.9 2.8 2.7 3.0 3.0 2.9

Leisure and hospitality.................... 1,024 1,005 909 972 1,048 1,028 6.7 6.5 5.8 6.2 6.7 6.6

Arts, entertainment, and recreation. .. 151 174 119 148 156 185 6.9 7.7 5.3 6.6 7.0 8.3

Accommodation and food services. .. 873 831 790 824 891 842 6.6 6.2 5.9 6.2 6.7 6.3

Other services.............................. 198 180 185 183 209 185 3.5 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.7 3.2

Government................................... 359 380 365 356 359 321 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.4

Federal...................................... 45 40 40 42 41 42 1.6 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.5

State and local............................. 314 339 325 314 318 279 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.4

State and local education.............. 165 160 159 134 144 138 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.3 1.4 1.3

State and local, excluding

education.............................. 149 180 165 180 174 141 1.6 2.0 1.8 2.0 1.9 1.5

REGION3

Northeast...................................... 827 895 802 864 822 842 3.1 3.3 3.0 3.2 3.1 3.1

South........................................... 2,109 2,002 2,000 2,061 1,991 2,058 4.0 3.8 3.8 3.9 3.8 3.9

Midwest........................................ 1,249 1,182 1,141 1,131 1,196 1,161 3.9 3.7 3.5 3.5 3.7 3.6

West............................................ 1,216 1,189 1,178 1,104 1,204 1,191 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.4 3.6 3.6

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 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, Florida, Georgia,

Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest:

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona,

California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

p Preliminary
Table 3. Total separations levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted1

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates2

Dec.

2015

Aug.

2016

Sept.

2016

Oct.

2016

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016p

Dec.

2015

Aug.

2016

Sept.

2016

Oct.

2016

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016p

Total............................................... 5,128 5,052 4,936 4,966 5,018 4,968 3.6 3.5 3.4 3.4 3.5 3.4

INDUSTRY

Total private................................... 4,774 4,696 4,578 4,631 4,672 4,659 3.9 3.8 3.7 3.8 3.8 3.8

Mining and logging......................... 45 31 26 33 28 29 5.9 4.6 3.9 4.9 4.1 4.3

Construction................................ 283 327 296 311 318 363 4.3 4.9 4.4 4.6 4.7 5.4

Manufacturing.............................. 263 268 278 269 286 274 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.3 2.2

Durable goods........................... 162 157 166 157 165 153 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.0 2.2 2.0

Nondurable goods....................... 101 111 112 113 121 121 2.2 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.6 2.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities. . . . . .. 1,074 1,009 1,039 1,046 1,021 973 4.0 3.7 3.8 3.8 3.7 3.5

Wholesale trade......................... 133 147 117 121 133 139 2.3 2.5 2.0 2.0 2.2 2.3

Retail trade............................... 762 707 722 736 685 653 4.8 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.3 4.1

Transportation, warehousing, and

utilities.................................. 178 156 199 189 203 180 3.3 2.8 3.6 3.4 3.7 3.3

Information.................................. 61 72 89 72 75 83 2.2 2.6 3.2 2.6 2.7 3.0

Financial activities......................... 203 186 163 156 159 158 2.5 2.2 2.0 1.9 1.9 1.9

Finance and insurance................. 142 123 107 98 117 108 2.3 2.0 1.7 1.6 1.9 1.7

Real estate and rental and leasing. .. 62 63 56 59 42 50 2.9 2.9 2.6 2.7 2.0 2.3

Professional and business services. . . .. 1,095 1,008 1,009 1,016 1,005 1,065 5.5 5.0 5.0 5.0 4.9 5.2

Education and health services........... 578 595 560 591 609 589 2.6 2.6 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.6

Educational services.................... 74 85 69 68 69 75 2.1 2.4 1.9 1.9 1.9 2.1

Health care and social assistance. . .. 504 510 491 523 540 514 2.7 2.7 2.5 2.7 2.8 2.6

Leisure and hospitality.................... 1,003 988 928 965 997 954 6.5 6.4 6.0 6.2 6.4 6.1

Arts, entertainment, and recreation. .. 141 193 147 149 144 163 6.5 8.6 6.6 6.7 6.4 7.3

Accommodation and food services. .. 862 795 781 815 853 792 6.6 6.0 5.9 6.1 6.4 5.9

Other services.............................. 168 211 191 173 173 171 3.0 3.7 3.3 3.0 3.0 3.0

Government................................... 354 357 357 334 346 309 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.4

Federal...................................... 40 37 37 33 41 41 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.5 1.5

State and local............................. 314 320 320 302 306 268 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.4

State and local education.............. 161 162 152 137 148 120 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.3 1.4 1.2

State and local, excluding

education.............................. 153 157 169 165 158 148 1.7 1.7 1.9 1.8 1.7 1.6

REGION3

Northeast...................................... 855 876 799 791 848 827 3.2 3.3 3.0 2.9 3.2 3.1

South........................................... 2,011 1,960 1,922 1,927 1,954 1,890 3.9 3.7 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.6

Midwest........................................ 1,105 1,052 1,037 1,119 1,079 1,088 3.5 3.3 3.2 3.5 3.3 3.3

West............................................ 1,156 1,164 1,178 1,128 1,137 1,163 3.6 3.5 3.6 3.4 3.4 3.5

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 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, Florida, Georgia,

Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest:

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona,

California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

p Preliminary
Table 4. Quits levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted1

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates2

Dec.

2015

Aug.

2016

Sept.

2016

Oct.

2016

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016p

Dec.

2015

Aug.

2016

Sept.

2016

Oct.

2016

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016p

Total............................................... 3,088 3,009 3,052 3,023 3,077 2,979 2.2 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.0

INDUSTRY

Total private................................... 2,922 2,847 2,867 2,861 2,914 2,825 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.3

Mining and logging......................... 16 13 13 13 14 15 2.1 1.9 1.9 2.0 2.0 2.2

Construction................................ 137 137 124 128 151 121 2.1 2.1 1.9 1.9 2.2 1.8

Manufacturing.............................. 133 140 150 155 163 160 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.3

Durable goods........................... 80 76 85 86 93 84 1.0 1.0 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.1

Nondurable goods....................... 54 64 64 69 69 76 1.2 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities. . . . . .. 719 651 654 675 661 640 2.7 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.4 2.3

Wholesale trade......................... 81 90 71 72 91 96 1.4 1.5 1.2 1.2 1.5 1.6

Retail trade............................... 518 475 462 492 457 446 3.3 3.0 2.9 3.1 2.9 2.8

Transportation, warehousing, and

utilities.................................. 120 85 121 111 113 99 2.2 1.6 2.2 2.0 2.0 1.8

Information.................................. 35 38 57 40 37 43 1.3 1.4 2.1 1.4 1.3 1.6

Financial activities......................... 122 105 86 91 83 77 1.5 1.3 1.0 1.1 1.0 0.9

Finance and insurance................. 87 68 57 64 64 59 1.4 1.1 0.9 1.0 1.0 0.9

Real estate and rental and leasing3... 36 37 29 27 19 18 1.7 1.7 1.3 1.2 0.9 0.8

Professional and business services. . . .. 614 598 597 588 620 612 3.1 2.9 2.9 2.9 3.0 3.0

Education and health services........... 385 375 411 396 394 407 1.7 1.6 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.8

Educational services.................... 49 51 45 38 43 40 1.4 1.5 1.3 1.1 1.2 1.1

Health care and social assistance. . .. 336 324 366 358 351 367 1.8 1.7 1.9 1.9 1.8 1.9

Leisure and hospitality.................... 671 639 671 668 709 669 4.4 4.1 4.3 4.3 4.5 4.3

Arts, entertainment, and recreation. .. 60 63 73 69 75 74 2.7 2.8 3.3 3.1 3.3 3.3

Accommodation and food services. .. 611 576 599 600 634 595 4.6 4.3 4.5 4.5 4.7 4.4

Other services3

............................. 89 150 103 108 84 81 1.6 2.6 1.8 1.9 1.5 1.4

Government................................... 166 162 185 163 163 153 0.8 0.7 0.8 0.7 0.7 0.7

Federal...................................... 13 13 13 12 16 14 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.6 0.5

State and local............................. 153 149 172 151 148 140 0.8 0.8 0.9 0.8 0.8 0.7

State and local education.............. 75 76 78 73 76 62 0.7 0.7 0.8 0.7 0.7 0.6

State and local, excluding

education.............................. 78 73 93 77 72 78 0.9 0.8 1.0 0.9 0.8 0.9

REGION4

Northeast...................................... 445 433 419 428 477 442 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.8 1.6

South........................................... 1,286 1,214 1,242 1,210 1,246 1,194 2.5 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.4 2.3

Midwest........................................ 656 625 648 678 667 639 2.0 1.9 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.0

West............................................ 701 737 743 707 687 703 2.2 2.2 2.3 2.1 2.1 2.1

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 No regular seasonal movements could be identified in this series; therefore, identical numbers appear for the unadjusted and seasonally adjusted

series.

4 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, Florida, Georgia,

Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest:

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona,

California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

p Preliminary
Table 5. Layoffs and discharges levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted1

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates2

Dec.

2015

Aug.

2016

Sept.

2016

Oct.

2016

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016p

Dec.

2015

Aug.

2016

Sept.

2016

Oct.

2016

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016p

Total............................................... 1,672 1,692 1,513 1,569 1,619 1,635 1.2 1.2 1.0 1.1 1.1 1.1

INDUSTRY

Total private................................... 1,549 1,557 1,402 1,460 1,496 1,539 1.3 1.3 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.3

Mining and logging3

....................... 26 13 8 13 10 8 3.4 1.9 1.2 1.9 1.5 1.2

Construction................................ 138 171 153 169 148 223 2.1 2.6 2.3 2.5 2.2 3.3

Manufacturing.............................. 104 110 100 92 101 94 0.8 0.9 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8

Durable goods........................... 65 70 60 56 56 55 0.8 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.7 0.7

Nondurable goods....................... 39 40 40 37 45 40 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.8 1.0 0.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities. . . . . .. 266 276 294 269 291 249 1.0 1.0 1.1 1.0 1.1 0.9

Wholesale trade3

........................ 39 48 33 35 31 30 0.7 0.8 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.5

Retail trade............................... 177 175 205 171 188 151 1.1 1.1 1.3 1.1 1.2 0.9

Transportation, warehousing, and

utilities.................................. 50 54 57 63 72 68 0.9 1.0 1.0 1.1 1.3 1.2

Information.................................. 19 24 21 20 28 27 0.7 0.9 0.8 0.7 1.0 1.0

Financial activities......................... 62 51 52 50 55 60 0.8 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.7

Finance and insurance................. 38 32 29 22 33 30 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.3 0.5 0.5

Real estate and rental and leasing. .. 24 18 23 29 23 30 1.1 0.9 1.1 1.3 1.1 1.4

Professional and business services. . . .. 414 358 352 368 342 391 2.1 1.8 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.9

Education and health services........... 149 179 108 160 185 145 0.7 0.8 0.5 0.7 0.8 0.6

Educational services.................... 22 26 19 27 24 31 0.6 0.7 0.5 0.8 0.7 0.9

Health care and social assistance. . .. 127 153 89 133 160 114 0.7 0.8 0.5 0.7 0.8 0.6

Leisure and hospitality.................... 298 317 231 264 254 258 1.9 2.0 1.5 1.7 1.6 1.6

Arts, entertainment, and recreation. .. 80 125 71 78 68 87 3.6 5.5 3.2 3.5 3.0 3.9

Accommodation and food services. .. 219 192 161 186 187 171 1.7 1.4 1.2 1.4 1.4 1.3

Other services.............................. 72 58 82 54 81 84 1.3 1.0 1.4 0.9 1.4 1.5

Government................................... 123 134 111 109 123 96 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.6 0.4

Federal...................................... 10 13 12 11 14 15 0.4 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.5

State and local............................. 113 122 100 99 108 81 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.6 0.4

State and local education.............. 61 64 49 39 49 37 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.4

State and local, excluding

education.............................. 52 58 50 60 59 44 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.7 0.5

REGION4

Northeast...................................... 324 372 308 299 307 323 1.2 1.4 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.2

South........................................... 601 601 537 575 579 552 1.2 1.1 1.0 1.1 1.1 1.0

Midwest........................................ 374 356 315 351 352 378 1.2 1.1 1.0 1.1 1.1 1.2

West............................................ 372 362 353 344 381 381 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.0 1.2 1.2

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 No regular seasonal movements could be identified in this series; therefore, identical numbers appear for the unadjusted and seasonally adjusted

series.

4 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, Florida, Georgia,

Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest:

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona,

California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

p Preliminary
Table 6. Other separations levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted1

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates2

Dec.

2015

Aug.

2016

Sept.

2016

Oct.

2016

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016p

Dec.

2015

Aug.

2016

Sept.

2016

Oct.

2016

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016p

Total............................................... 368 351 370 373 322 355 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2

INDUSTRY

Total private................................... 303 291 310 311 261 296 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2

Mining and logging......................... 3 5 6 7 4 6 0.3 0.7 0.8 1.0 0.6 0.8

Construction3

............................... 8 19 18 14 19 20 0.1 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.3

Manufacturing.............................. 26 18 28 22 23 20 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2

Durable goods........................... 17 11 21 15 16 15 0.2 0.1 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2

Nondurable goods3...................... 8 7 7 7 7 5 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities. . . . . .. 89 82 90 103 69 83 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.3

Wholesale trade......................... 14 9 13 13 11 13 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2

Retail trade............................... 68 57 55 74 40 56 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.5 0.2 0.4

Transportation, warehousing, and

utilities3

................................. 8 16 22 15 18 14 0.1 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.2

Information3................................. 7 10 11 12 9 12 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.4

Financial activities......................... 19 31 25 15 21 21 0.2 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.3

Finance and insurance................. 17 23 21 12 20 19 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.3

Real estate and rental and leasing3... 2 7 4 3 1 2 0.1 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.0 0.1

Professional and business services. . . .. 66 52 60 60 44 63 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.3

Education and health services........... 44 40 40 35 30 36 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.2

Educational services3................... 4 7 5 3 1 4 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.1

Health care and social assistance3

. .. 40 33 35 32 29 32 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.2

Leisure and hospitality.................... 34 32 26 32 34 28 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation3

... 2 5 4 2 2 3 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1

Accommodation and food services3... 32 27 22 30 32 25 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2

Other services3............................. 7 3 5 11 7 6 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1

Government................................... 65 60 61 62 61 59 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3

Federal...................................... 17 11 12 10 11 12 0.6 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.4

State and local............................. 48 49 49 52 50 47 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2

State and local education.............. 25 22 24 24 24 22 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2

State and local, excluding

education.............................. 23 27 25 28 26 26 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3

REGION4

Northeast...................................... 86 71 72 64 63 62 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2

South........................................... 125 145 143 143 128 144 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.3

Midwest........................................ 75 70 74 90 61 71 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.2

West............................................ 82 65 81 77 69 78 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2

1 Other separations are the number of other separations during the entire month.

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

3 No regular seasonal movements could be identified in this series; therefore, identical numbers appear for the unadjusted and seasonally adjusted

series.

4 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, Florida, Georgia,

Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest:

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona,

California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

p Preliminary

NOTE: Levels are rounded to the nearest thousand and rates are rounded to the nearest tenth. Levels and rates may round down to zero.
Table 7. Job openings levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted1

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates2

Dec.

2015

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016p

Dec.

2015

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016p

Total..................................................................... 4,844 5,233 5,040 3.3 3.5 3.3

INDUSTRY

Total private.......................................................... 4,368 4,686 4,573 3.5 3.6 3.6

Mining and logging............................................... 14 16 19 1.8 2.3 2.7

Construction....................................................... 124 174 148 1.9 2.5 2.2

Manufacturing..................................................... 317 314 325 2.5 2.5 2.6

Durable goods.................................................. 174 181 183 2.2 2.3 2.3

Nondurable goods............................................. 143 133 141 3.0 2.8 3.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 717 957 933 2.5 3.3 3.2

Wholesale trade................................................ 137 199 184 2.3 3.2 3.0

Retail trade..................................................... 433 581 560 2.6 3.4 3.3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities.................. 147 177 188 2.5 3.1 3.2

Information........................................................ 101 69 89 3.5 2.4 3.1

Financial activities................................................ 350 303 337 4.1 3.5 3.9

Finance and insurance........................................ 279 238 256 4.4 3.7 4.0

Real estate and rental and leasing.......................... 71 66 82 3.3 3.0 3.7

Professional and business services............................ 959 882 809 4.6 4.1 3.8

Education and health services.................................. 1,015 1,107 1,149 4.3 4.6 4.7

Educational services.......................................... 93 83 93 2.5 2.2 2.5

Health care and social assistance........................... 923 1,024 1,056 4.6 5.0 5.2

Leisure and hospitality........................................... 571 672 525 3.7 4.2 3.3

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......................... 43 84 69 2.1 3.9 3.3

Accommodation and food services.......................... 529 588 456 3.9 4.2 3.3

Other services.................................................... 199 190 240 3.4 3.2 4.0

Government.......................................................... 475 547 467 2.1 2.4 2.0

Federal............................................................. 80 82 95 2.8 2.8 3.3

State and local.................................................... 396 466 372 2.0 2.3 1.9

State and local education..................................... 151 139 131 1.4 1.3 1.2

State and local, excluding education........................ 245 326 241 2.7 3.5 2.6

REGION3

Northeast............................................................. 811 914 928 2.9 3.3 3.3

South................................................................. 1,854 1,897 1,790 3.4 3.4 3.3

Midwest............................................................... 1,016 1,201 1,142 3.1 3.5 3.4

West.................................................................. 1,161 1,221 1,181 3.4 3.5 3.4

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 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, Florida, Georgia,

Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest:

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona,

California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

p Preliminary
Table 8. Hires levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted1

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates2

Dec.

2015

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016p

Dec.

2015

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016p

Total..................................................................... 3,919 4,823 3,809 2.7 3.3 2.6

INDUSTRY

Total private.......................................................... 3,697 4,544 3,614 3.0 3.7 2.9

Mining and logging............................................... 22 27 16 2.8 3.9 2.3

Construction....................................................... 183 254 224 2.8 3.7 3.4

Manufacturing..................................................... 183 233 189 1.5 1.9 1.5

Durable goods.................................................. 109 138 109 1.4 1.8 1.4

Nondurable goods............................................. 74 95 79 1.6 2.1 1.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 874 1,316 812 3.1 4.7 2.9

Wholesale trade................................................ 94 97 95 1.6 1.6 1.6

Retail trade..................................................... 577 909 499 3.5 5.5 3.0

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities.................. 203 309 218 3.6 5.5 3.8

Information........................................................ 57 69 63 2.0 2.5 2.3

Financial activities................................................ 160 153 131 2.0 1.8 1.6

Finance and insurance........................................ 106 99 89 1.7 1.6 1.4

Real estate and rental and leasing.......................... 54 54 42 2.6 2.5 1.9

Professional and business services............................ 894 928 860 4.5 4.5 4.2

Education and health services.................................. 469 527 471 2.1 2.3 2.0

Educational services.......................................... 42 48 38 1.2 1.3 1.0

Health care and social assistance........................... 427 479 433 2.3 2.5 2.2

Leisure and hospitality........................................... 722 869 731 4.8 5.7 4.8

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......................... 103 106 128 5.1 5.1 6.2

Accommodation and food services.......................... 619 763 604 4.8 5.8 4.6

Other services.................................................... 133 167 118 2.4 2.9 2.1

Government.......................................................... 222 280 195 1.0 1.2 0.9

Federal............................................................. 37 53 36 1.3 1.9 1.3

State and local.................................................... 184 227 159 0.9 1.1 0.8

State and local education..................................... 86 92 68 0.8 0.9 0.6

State and local, excluding education........................ 99 135 91 1.1 1.5 1.0

REGION3

Northeast............................................................. 609 755 616 2.3 2.8 2.3

South................................................................. 1,524 1,825 1,503 2.9 3.4 2.8

Midwest............................................................... 900 1,113 832 2.8 3.4 2.5

West.................................................................. 886 1,130 858 2.7 3.4 2.6

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 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, Florida, Georgia,

Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest:

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona,

California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

p Preliminary
Table 9. Total separations levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted1

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates2

Dec.

2015

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016p

Dec.

2015

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016p

Total..................................................................... 4,822 4,367 4,698 3.3 3.0 3.2

INDUSTRY

Total private.......................................................... 4,511 4,125 4,428 3.7 3.3 3.6

Mining and logging............................................... 41 25 27 5.4 3.6 3.9

Construction....................................................... 304 311 428 4.7 4.6 6.5

Manufacturing..................................................... 234 248 237 1.9 2.0 1.9

Durable goods.................................................. 141 139 127 1.8 1.8 1.7

Nondurable goods............................................. 93 109 110 2.0 2.4 2.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 1,102 889 980 4.0 3.2 3.5

Wholesale trade................................................ 109 109 114 1.9 1.8 1.9

Retail trade..................................................... 780 593 660 4.8 3.6 4.0

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities.................. 212 187 206 3.8 3.3 3.6

Information........................................................ 53 69 76 1.9 2.5 2.7

Financial activities................................................ 189 139 152 2.3 1.7 1.8

Finance and insurance........................................ 131 96 104 2.2 1.6 1.7

Real estate and rental and leasing.......................... 58 43 48 2.8 2.0 2.2

Professional and business services............................ 1,064 881 1,043 5.3 4.3 5.1

Education and health services.................................. 504 480 506 2.2 2.1 2.2

Educational services.......................................... 55 37 55 1.5 1.0 1.5

Health care and social assistance........................... 448 443 451 2.4 2.3 2.3

Leisure and hospitality........................................... 867 915 819 5.8 6.0 5.4

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......................... 109 146 129 5.4 7.0 6.3

Accommodation and food services.......................... 758 768 690 5.8 5.8 5.2

Other services.................................................... 154 167 160 2.7 2.9 2.8

Government.......................................................... 311 242 270 1.4 1.1 1.2

Federal............................................................. 37 37 38 1.3 1.3 1.3

State and local.................................................... 275 206 232 1.4 1.0 1.2

State and local education..................................... 134 70 96 1.3 0.6 0.9

State and local, excluding education........................ 141 136 137 1.6 1.5 1.5

REGION3

Northeast............................................................. 842 737 824 3.2 2.7 3.0

South................................................................. 1,828 1,641 1,721 3.5 3.1 3.2

Midwest............................................................... 1,100 1,001 1,091 3.4 3.1 3.3

West.................................................................. 1,052 988 1,063 3.2 3.0 3.2

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 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, Florida, Georgia,

Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest:

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona,

California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

p Preliminary
Table 10. Quits levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted1

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates2

Dec.

2015

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016p

Dec.

2015

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016p

Total..................................................................... 2,604 2,565 2,507 1.8 1.8 1.7

INDUSTRY

Total private.......................................................... 2,476 2,455 2,387 2.0 2.0 1.9

Mining and logging............................................... 12 12 13 1.6 1.7 1.9

Construction....................................................... 106 117 94 1.6 1.7 1.4

Manufacturing..................................................... 97 126 119 0.8 1.0 1.0

Durable goods.................................................. 58 72 60 0.7 0.9 0.8

Nondurable goods............................................. 39 53 59 0.9 1.2 1.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 654 563 574 2.3 2.0 2.0

Wholesale trade................................................ 58 70 70 1.0 1.2 1.2

Retail trade..................................................... 471 387 403 2.9 2.4 2.4

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities.................. 125 106 101 2.2 1.9 1.8

Information........................................................ 28 32 37 1.0 1.2 1.3

Financial activities................................................ 107 66 65 1.3 0.8 0.8

Finance and insurance........................................ 71 48 47 1.2 0.8 0.8

Real estate and rental and leasing.......................... 36 19 18 1.7 0.9 0.8

Professional and business services............................ 527 534 525 2.6 2.6 2.5

Education and health services.................................. 317 305 335 1.4 1.3 1.4

Educational services.......................................... 34 25 27 0.9 0.7 0.7

Health care and social assistance........................... 283 280 308 1.5 1.4 1.6

Leisure and hospitality........................................... 539 616 543 3.6 4.0 3.6

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......................... 43 56 53 2.1 2.7 2.6

Accommodation and food services.......................... 496 560 490 3.8 4.2 3.7

Other services.................................................... 89 84 81 1.6 1.5 1.4

Government.......................................................... 129 110 120 0.6 0.5 0.5

Federal............................................................. 11 13 11 0.4 0.5 0.4

State and local.................................................... 118 97 109 0.6 0.5 0.6

State and local education..................................... 54 42 44 0.5 0.4 0.4

State and local, excluding education........................ 64 54 65 0.7 0.6 0.7

REGION3

Northeast............................................................. 365 389 367 1.4 1.4 1.4

South................................................................. 1,080 1,030 998 2.1 1.9 1.9

Midwest............................................................... 558 581 541 1.7 1.8 1.7

West.................................................................. 601 565 601 1.8 1.7 1.8

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

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

3 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, Florida, Georgia,

Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest:

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona,

California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

p Preliminary
Table 11. Layoffs and discharges levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted1

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates2

Dec.

2015

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016p

Dec.

2015

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016p

Total..................................................................... 1,844 1,525 1,822 1.3 1.0 1.2

INDUSTRY

Total private.......................................................... 1,727 1,432 1,735 1.4 1.2 1.4

Mining and logging............................................... 26 10 8 3.4 1.5 1.2

Construction....................................................... 190 176 314 2.9 2.6 4.8

Manufacturing..................................................... 112 105 98 0.9 0.9 0.8

Durable goods.................................................. 67 57 53 0.9 0.7 0.7

Nondurable goods............................................. 45 48 45 1.0 1.1 1.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 369 268 328 1.3 1.0 1.2

Wholesale trade................................................ 39 31 30 0.7 0.5 0.5

Retail trade..................................................... 250 174 206 1.5 1.1 1.2

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities.................. 80 62 91 1.4 1.1 1.6

Information........................................................ 18 28 27 0.6 1.0 1.0

Financial activities................................................ 60 50 63 0.7 0.6 0.7

Finance and insurance........................................ 40 27 35 0.7 0.4 0.6

Real estate and rental and leasing.......................... 20 23 28 1.0 1.1 1.3

Professional and business services............................ 458 310 441 2.3 1.5 2.1

Education and health services.................................. 142 145 134 0.6 0.6 0.6

Educational services.......................................... 18 11 24 0.5 0.3 0.7

Health care and social assistance........................... 125 134 110 0.7 0.7 0.6

Leisure and hospitality........................................... 294 264 248 2.0 1.7 1.6

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......................... 65 88 73 3.2 4.2 3.6

Accommodation and food services.......................... 230 176 175 1.8 1.3 1.3

Other services.................................................... 58 76 73 1.0 1.3 1.3

Government.......................................................... 116 93 87 0.5 0.4 0.4

Federal............................................................. 7 14 12 0.3 0.5 0.4

State and local.................................................... 109 79 74 0.6 0.4 0.4

State and local education..................................... 62 17 36 0.6 0.2 0.3

State and local, excluding education........................ 47 62 38 0.5 0.7 0.4

REGION3

Northeast............................................................. 396 301 400 1.5 1.1 1.5

South................................................................. 609 495 557 1.2 0.9 1.0

Midwest............................................................... 470 368 483 1.5 1.1 1.5

West.................................................................. 368 361 382 1.1 1.1 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 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, Florida, Georgia,

Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest:

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona,

California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

p Preliminary
Table 12. Other separations levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted1

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates2

Dec.

2015

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016p

Dec.

2015

Nov.

2016

Dec.

2016p

Total..................................................................... 375 277 369 0.3 0.2 0.3

INDUSTRY

Total private.......................................................... 308 238 306 0.3 0.2 0.2

Mining and logging............................................... 3 3 6 0.4 0.4 0.8

Construction....................................................... 8 19 20 0.1 0.3 0.3

Manufacturing..................................................... 25 17 19 0.2 0.1 0.2

Durable goods.................................................. 17 10 14 0.2 0.1 0.2

Nondurable goods............................................. 8 7 5 0.2 0.2 0.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 80 58 77 0.3 0.2 0.3

Wholesale trade................................................ 13 7 14 0.2 0.1 0.2

Retail trade..................................................... 59 32 50 0.4 0.2 0.3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities.................. 8 18 14 0.1 0.3 0.2

Information........................................................ 7 9 12 0.3 0.3 0.4

Financial activities................................................ 22 22 25 0.3 0.3 0.3

Finance and insurance........................................ 20 22 23 0.3 0.4 0.4

Real estate and rental and leasing.......................... 2 1 2 0.1 0.0 0.1

Professional and business services............................ 78 38 77 0.4 0.2 0.4

Education and health services.................................. 44 30 36 0.2 0.1 0.2

Educational services.......................................... 4 1 4 0.1 0.0 0.1

Health care and social assistance........................... 40 29 32 0.2 0.1 0.2

Leisure and hospitality........................................... 34 34 28 0.2 0.2 0.2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......................... 2 2 3 0.1 0.1 0.1

Accommodation and food services.......................... 32 32 25 0.2 0.2 0.2

Other services.................................................... 7 7 6 0.1 0.1 0.1

Government.......................................................... 66 39 63 0.3 0.2 0.3

Federal............................................................. 18 9 14 0.7 0.3 0.5

State and local.................................................... 48 30 49 0.2 0.2 0.2

State and local education..................................... 18 10 15 0.2 0.1 0.1

State and local, excluding education........................ 30 20 34 0.3 0.2 0.4

REGION3

Northeast............................................................. 80 47 56 0.3 0.2 0.2

South................................................................. 140 116 166 0.3 0.2 0.3

Midwest............................................................... 72 52 66 0.2 0.2 0.2

West.................................................................. 83 62 81 0.3 0.2 0.2

1 Other separations are the number of other separations during the entire month.

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

3 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, Florida, Georgia,

Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest:

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona,

California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

p Preliminary

NOTE: Levels are rounded to the nearest thousand and rates are rounded to the nearest tenth. Levels and rates may round down to zero.