For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Tuesday, February 12, 2013 USDL-13-0234 

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 2012

There were 3.6 million job openings on the last business day of December, little changed from 

November, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The hires rate (3.1 percent) and 

separations rate (3.0 percent) also were little changed in December. This release includes estimates of 

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

geographic region. 

Job Openings 

The number of job openings in December was 3.6 million, little changed from November. (See table 1.) 

The number of openings decreased in retail trade and was little changed in all remaining industries and 

in all four regions in December. The level of total nonfarm job openings was 2.4 million at the end of 

the recession in June 2009. (Recession dates are determined by the National Bureau of Economic 

Research.) 

The number of job openings in December (not seasonally adjusted) was little changed over the year for 

total nonfarm, total private, and government. Job openings increased over the year for retail trade, real 

estate and rental and leasing, educational services, and health care and social assistance but decreased in 

mining and logging and in professional and business services. The Midwest region experienced an 

increase in job openings over the 12 months ending in December. (See table 7.) 

1.0

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

2.0

2.2

2.4

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

Percent

2011 2012

Chart 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted,

January 2010 - December 2012

2010

2.0

2.2

2.4

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

Hires

Separations

Percent

2011 2012

Chart 2. Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted,

January 2010 - December 2012

2010
- 2 - 

Hires 

In December, the hires rate was little changed at 3.1 percent. The hires rate decreased in construction 

and in professional and business services. The hires rate was little changed in all four regions. (See table 

2.) The number of hires in December was 4.2 million, up from 3.7 million at the end of the recession in 

June 2009. 

Over the 12 months ending in December, the hires rate (not seasonally adjusted) was essentially 

unchanged for total nonfarm, total private, and government. The hires rate was little changed in all 

industries and in all regions over the 12 months ending in December. (See table 8.) 

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

Industry Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec.

2011 2012 2012p2011 2012 2012p2011 2012 2012p

Total .........................................................3,540 3,790 3,617 4,188 4,403 4,194 4,023 4,222 4,069

Total private 1................................................... 3,188 3,427 3,257 3,889 4,111 3,915 3,695 3,915 3,767

Construction................................................78 89 92 315 380 287 303 369 280

Manufacturing..........................................252 281 259 269 241 251 239 237 216

Trade, transportation, and utilities 2..................... 574 740 673 812 886 882 773 785 859

Retail trade..................................... 323 496 420 517 591 599 509 513 595

Professional and business services......................... 785 632 540 818 930 780 792 866 800

Education and health services 3.....................605 718 710 494 479 526 468 469 458

 Health care and social assistance...... 552 656 640 414 425 445 402 409 396

Leisure and hospitality .................................... 441 478 461 743 695 743 695 683 718

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 44 51 61 141 107 114 133 102 118

Accommodation and food services..........397 427 400 602 588 629 562 582 600

Government 4........................................ 352 363 360 299 293 279 328 307 302

State and local..................................... 301 296 299 270 264 246 292 269 263

Total ...................................................... 2.6 2.8 2.6 3.2 3.3 3.1 3.0 3.2 3.0

Total private 1................................................... 2.8 3.0 2.8 3.5 3.7 3.5 3.4 3.5 3.4

Construction..........................................1.4 1.6 1.6 5.7 6.9 5.2 5.5 6.7 5.0

Manufacturing................................................ 2.1 2.3 2.1 2.3 2.0 2.1 2.0 2.0 1.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities 2........................ 2.2 2.8 2.6 3.2 3.5 3.5 3.1 3.1 3.4

Retail trade.................................... 2.1 3.2 2.7 3.5 4.0 4.0 3.5 3.4 4.0

Professional and business services......................... 4.3 3.4 2.9 4.6 5.2 4.3 4.5 4.8 4.4

Education and health services 3.....................2.9 3.4 3.3 2.5 2.3 2.6 2.3 2.3 2.2

 Health care and social assistance...... 3.2 3.7 3.6 2.5 2.5 2.6 2.4 2.4 2.3

Leisure and hospitality .................................... 3.2 3.4 3.2 5.5 5.1 5.4 5.2 5.0 5.2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 2.3 2.6 3.0 7.4 5.5 5.9 7.0 5.2 6.1

Accommodation and food services..........3.3 3.5 3.3 5.2 5.0 5.3 4.9 4.9 5.1

Government 4........................................ 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.5 1.4 1.4

State and local.....................................1.5 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.5 1.4 1.4

 1 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, and other services, not show n separately.

 2 Includes w holesale trade and transportation, w arehousing, and utilities, not show n separately.

 3 Includes educational services, not show n separately.

 4 Includes federal government, not show n separately.

 p Preliminary

Rates (percent)

Job openings Hires Total separations

Levels (in thousands)
- 3 - 

Separations 

The total separations figure includes quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Total 

separations also 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 

include separations due to retirement, death, and disability, as well as transfers to other locations of the 

same firm. 

In December, the quits rate was unchanged at 1.6 percent. The quits rate was unchanged for total private

and little changed for government. (See table 4.) The number of quits was 2.2 million in December 

compared to 1.8 million at the end of the recession in June 2009. 

The number of quits (not seasonally adjusted) was essentially unchanged over the 12 months ending in 

December for total nonfarm, total private, and government. The quits level increased over the year in 

accommodation and food services and in the South. (See table 10.) 

The layoffs and discharges component of total separations is seasonally adjusted at the total nonfarm, 

total private, and government levels and for the four regions. The layoffs and discharges rate was little 

changed in December at 1.2 percent. The rate was essentially unchanged for total private, government,

and all four regions. (See table 5.) The number of layoffs and discharges for total nonfarm was 1.6

million in December, down from 2.1 million at the end of the recession in June 2009. 

The layoffs and discharges level (not seasonally adjusted) was essentially unchanged for total nonfarm, 

total private, and government over the 12 months ending in December 2012. Over the year, the number 

of layoffs and discharges rose in mining and logging and in retail trade but fell in professional and 

business services. The number of layoffs and discharges decreased over the year in the South. (See table 

11.) 

In December, there were 345,000 other separations for total nonfarm, unchanged from the previous 

month. The number of other separations was little changed over the year. (See tables 6 and 12.) 

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 2012, hires totaled 51.8 

million and separations totaled 50.0 million, yielding a net employment gain of 1.8 million. These 

figures 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 2013 are scheduled to be 

released on Tuesday, March 12, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).
- 4 - 

Revisions to the JOLTS Data 

With the release of January data on March 12, 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 2008 forward are subject to revision. 
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

 In a monthly survey of business establishments, data 

are collected for total employment, job openings, hires, 

quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. 

Data collection methods include computer-assisted 

telephone interviewing, touchtone data entry, web, fax, 

e-mail, 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 2012 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. 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. 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 fulltime, 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, 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. 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 are 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.

Special collection procedures

 An implied measure of employment change can be 

derived from the JOLTS data by subtracting separations from hires for a given month. Aggregating 

these monthly changes historically produced employment levels that overstated employment change as 

measured by CES at the total nonfarm level. Research 

into this problem showed that a significant amount of 

the divergence between the CES employment levels 

and the derived JOLTS employment levels was traceable to the Employment Services industry and to the 

State Government Education industry. In the former 

industry, businesses have a difficult time reporting 

hires and separations of temporary help workers. In 

the latter industry, employers have difficulty reporting 

hires and separations of student workers. BLS now devotes additional resources to the collection, editing, and 

review of data for these industries. BLS analysts more 

closely examine reported data that do not provide a 

consistent picture over time, and re-contact the 

respondents as necessary. Analysts work with the 

respondents to adjust their reporting practices as 

possible. Units that cannot be reconciled but are clearly incorrect on a consistent basis are not used; they are 

replaced by imputed values using standard techniques.

Sample and estimation methodology

 The JOLTS survey design is a stratified random 

sample of 16,400 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 9.1 million 

establishments compiled as part of the operations of the 

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (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 establishment size class. The 

JOLTS sample is constructed from individual panels of 

sample units drawn on an annual basis. The full annual 

sample consists of one certainty panel composed of 

only large units selected with virtual certainty based on 

their size and 24 non-certainty panels. Each month a 

new non-certainty panel is rolled into collection, and 

the oldest non-certainty panel is rolled out. This means 

that at any given time the JOLTS sample is constructed 

from panels from three different annual sampling 

frames. The entire sample of old plus new panels is 

post-stratified and re-weighted annually to represent 

the most recent sampling frame. Additionally, the outof-business establishments are removed from the old 

panels. The annual sample is supplemented with a 

quarterly sample of birth establishments (i.e., new 

establishments) to better reflect the impact of younger 

establishments in the JOLTS sample.

 JOLTS total employment estimates are benchmarked

or ratio adjusted monthly to the strike-adjusted 

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. 

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. 

BLS has developed a model to estimate birth/death 

activity for current months by examining the birth/

death activity from previous years on the QCEW and 

projecting forward using the ratio of over-the-year CES 

employment change. The birth/death model also uses 

historical JOLTS data to estimate the amount of 

“churn” (hires and separations) that exists in 

establishments of various sizes. The model then 

combines the estimated churn with the projected 

employment change to estimate the number of hires 

and separations taking place in these units that cannot 

be measured through sampling. 

 The model-based estimate of total separations is 

distributed to the three components—quits; layoffs and 

discharges; and other separations—in proportion to 

their contribution to the sample-based estimate of total 

separations. Additionally, job openings for the modeled units are estimated by computing the ratio of 

openings to hires in the collected data and applying that 

ratio to the modeled hires. The estimates of job openings, hires, and separations produced by the birth/death 

model are then added to the sample-based estimates 

produced from the survey to arrive at the estimates for 

openings, hires, and separations.

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.

 JOLTS uses moving averages as seasonal filters in 

seasonal adjustment. JOLTS seasonal adjustment includes both additive and multiplicative seasonal adjustment models and REGARIMA (regression with autocorrelated errors) modeling to improve the seasonal 

adjustment factors at the beginning and end of the 

series and to detect and adjust for outliers in the series.

Alignment procedure

 JOLTS hires minus separations should be comparable 

to the CES net employment change. 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. The Monthly Alignment 

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 trend and the CES net 

employment change is calculated. Next, the JOLTS 

implied employment trend is adjusted to equal the CES 

net employment change through a proportional adjustment. This proportional adjustment procedure adjusts 

the two components (hires, separations) proportionally 

to their contribution to the total churn (hires plus separations). For example, if hires are 40 percent of the 

churn for a given month, they will receive 40 percent 

of the needed adjustment and separations will receive 

60 percent of the needed adjustment. 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. The 

monthly alignment procedure assures a close match of 

the JOLTS implied employment trend with the CES 

trend. The CES series is considered a highly accurate 

measure of net employment change owing to its very

large sample size and annual benchmarking to universe 

counts of employment from the QCEW program.

Historical changes in 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 to 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.

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.

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 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012p 2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012p

Total ........................................................................................................... 3,540 3,593 3,661 3,547 3,665 3,790 3,617 2.6 2.6 2.7 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.6

INDUSTRY

Total private 4............................................................................................ 3,188 3,211 3,257 3,172 3,301 3,427 3,257 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.9 3.0 2.8

Construction........................................................................ 78 67 81 82 99 89 92 1.4 1.2 1.4 1.5 1.8 1.6 1.6

Manufacturing................................................................ 252 273 257 241 281 281 259 2.1 2.2 2.1 2.0 2.3 2.3 2.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5.............................. 574 585 592 592 610 740 673 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.8 2.6

Retail trade................................................................................. 323 334 350 342 374 496 420 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.5 3.2 2.7

Professional and business services......................... 785 641 761 622 645 632 540 4.3 3.5 4.1 3.3 3.5 3.4 2.9

Education and health services 6........................................... 605 689 661 725 681 718 710 2.9 3.3 3.1 3.4 3.2 3.4 3.3

 Health care and social assistance... 552 604 601 654 627 656 640 3.2 3.4 3.4 3.7 3.5 3.7 3.6

Leisure and hospitality ...................................................... 441 469 405 366 442 478 461 3.2 3.3 2.9 2.6 3.1 3.4 3.2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 44 50 50 54 49 51 61 2.3 2.5 2.5 2.7 2.5 2.6 3.0

Accommodation and food services......................... 397 419 355 312 394 427 400 3.3 3.5 2.9 2.6 3.2 3.5 3.3

Government 7......................................................................................... 352 382 404 375 364 363 360 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.6

State and local.................................................................................... 301 329 327 306 304 296 299 1.5 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.5

REGION 8

Northeast ......................................................................... 595 671 681 659 654 679 654 2.3 2.6 2.6 2.5 2.5 2.6 2.5

South ............................................................................................... 1,443 1,399 1,431 1,325 1,420 1,417 1,322 2.9 2.8 2.9 2.7 2.8 2.8 2.6

Midwest ......................................................................................... 763 759 790 817 849 913 904 2.5 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.9 2.9

West ...................................................................................... 740 763 758 747 742 782 737 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.6 2.4

1

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

8

 The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the 

month. regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New

 2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business day Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and 

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

 

3

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

adjustment of the various series and because not all series are shown. Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and 

 

4

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

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

 

5

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

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

 

6

 Includes educational services, not shown separately. Wyoming.

 

7

 Includes federal government, not shown separately. 

p

 Preliminary

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

Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012p 2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012p

Total ........................................................................................................... 4,188 4,278 4,440 4,204 4,316 4,403 4,194 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.1

INDUSTRY

Total private 4............................................................................................ 3,889 3,989 4,109 3,922 4,053 4,111 3,915 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.5

Construction........................................................................ 315 359 323 327 318 380 287 5.7 6.5 5.9 5.9 5.7 6.9 5.2

Manufacturing................................................................ 269 244 230 235 242 241 251 2.3 2.0 1.9 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5.............................. 812 848 892 819 907 886 882 3.2 3.3 3.5 3.2 3.6 3.5 3.5

Retail trade................................................................................. 517 570 577 548 615 591 599 3.5 3.9 3.9 3.7 4.1 4.0 4.0

Professional and business services......................... 818 871 915 848 887 930 780 4.6 4.9 5.1 4.7 4.9 5.2 4.3

Education and health services 6........................................... 494 500 502 499 501 479 526 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.5 2.3 2.6

 Health care and social assistance... 414 427 430 417 433 425 445 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.6

Leisure and hospitality ...................................................... 743 720 747 708 738 695 743 5.5 5.3 5.5 5.2 5.4 5.1 5.4

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 141 106 104 102 120 107 114 7.4 5.5 5.4 5.3 6.2 5.5 5.9

Accommodation and food services......................... 602 614 643 606 618 588 629 5.2 5.2 5.5 5.1 5.2 5.0 5.3

Government 7......................................................................................... 299 288 332 283 263 293 279 1.4 1.3 1.5 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.3

State and local.................................................................................... 270 268 300 251 236 264 246 1.4 1.4 1.6 1.3 1.2 1.4 1.3

REGION 8

Northeast ......................................................................... 676 675 676 745 648 711 672 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.9 2.5 2.8 2.6

South ............................................................................................... 1,634 1,674 1,758 1,722 1,710 1,657 1,646 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.6 3.5 3.4 3.4

Midwest ......................................................................................... 986 993 1,056 893 954 1,018 926 3.3 3.3 3.5 2.9 3.1 3.3 3.0

West ...................................................................................... 891 935 951 844 1,005 1,016 950 3.1 3.2 3.3 2.9 3.4 3.5 3.2

 1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month. 6

 Includes educational services, not shown separately.

 2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of 7

 Includes federal government, not shown separately.

total employment. 8

 See footnote 8, table 1. 

3

 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal p Preliminary

adjustment of the various series and because not all series are shown.

4

 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, and 

other services, not shown separately.

5

 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, 

not shown separately.

Industry and region

Industry and region

Levels Rates 3 (in thousands)

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

 and rates 2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012p 2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012p

Total ........................................................................................................... 4,023 4,088 4,355 4,017 4,087 4,222 4,069 3.0 3.1 3.3 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.0

INDUSTRY

Total private 4............................................................................................ 3,695 3,789 4,062 3,759 3,767 3,915 3,767 3.4 3.4 3.6 3.4 3.4 3.5 3.4

Construction........................................................................ 303 358 316 332 290 369 280 5.5 6.5 5.7 6.0 5.2 6.7 5.0

Manufacturing................................................................ 239 228 250 235 228 237 216 2.0 1.9 2.1 2.0 1.9 2.0 1.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5.............................. 773 815 883 805 824 785 859 3.1 3.2 3.5 3.2 3.2 3.1 3.4

Retail trade................................................................................. 509 556 587 541 552 513 595 3.5 3.8 4.0 3.7 3.7 3.4 4.0

Professional and business services......................... 792 807 911 821 785 866 800 4.5 4.5 5.1 4.6 4.4 4.8 4.4

Education and health services 6........................................... 468 463 474 438 477 469 458 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.1 2.3 2.3 2.2

 Health care and social assistance.... 402 396 404 375 397 409 396 2.4 2.3 2.4 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.3

Leisure and hospitality ...................................................... 695 685 730 672 706 683 718 5.2 5.0 5.3 4.9 5.1 5.0 5.2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 133 105 88 104 112 102 118 7.0 5.5 4.5 5.4 5.8 5.2 6.1

Accommodation and food services......................... 562 579 642 568 594 582 600 4.9 4.9 5.5 4.8 5.0 4.9 5.1

Government 7......................................................................................... 328 299 292 258 320 307 302 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.2 1.5 1.4 1.4

State and local.................................................................................... 292 271 262 226 282 269 263 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.2 1.5 1.4 1.4

REGION 8

Northeast......................................................................... 631 711 671 704 660 662 661 2.5 2.8 2.6 2.8 2.6 2.6 2.6

South............................................................................................... 1,592 1,579 1,696 1,646 1,644 1,607 1,624 3.3 3.3 3.5 3.4 3.4 3.3 3.3

Midwest......................................................................................... 905 894 1,056 868 840 1,002 900 3.0 3.0 3.5 2.9 2.8 3.3 3.0

West...................................................................................... 895 905 931 801 942 951 884 3.1 3.1 3.2 2.7 3.2 3.2 3.0

 1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire 6

 Includes educational services, not shown separately.

month. 7

 Includes federal government, not shown separately.

 2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the 8

 See footnote 8, table 1. 

entire month as a percent of total employment. p

 Preliminary

3

 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent 

seasonal adjustment of the various series and because not all series are shown.

4

 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, 

and other services, not shown separately.

5

 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, 

not shown separately.

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

Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012p 2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012p

Total ........................................................................................................... 2,008 2,163 2,151 1,964 2,092 2,178 2,157 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.6

INDUSTRY

Total private 4............................................................................................ 1,867 2,033 2,025 1,849 1,944 2,034 2,021 1.7 1.8 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.8 1.8

Construction........................................................................ 76 87 75 69 89 84 68 1.4 1.6 1.4 1.3 1.6 1.5 1.2

Manufacturing................................................................ 113 107 113 109 102 106 107 1.0 .9 .9 .9 .9 .9 .9

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5.............................. 447 482 471 425 452 466 486 1.8 1.9 1.9 1.7 1.8 1.8 1.9

Retail trade................................................................................. 331 340 337 317 315 336 344 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.1 2.1 2.3 2.3

Professional and business services......................... 363 386 386 362 363 407 410 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.0 2.0 2.3 2.3

Education and health services 6........................................... 265 279 277 243 265 279 260 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.3

 Health care and social assistance.... 233 248 234 206 233 249 238 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.2 1.4 1.5 1.4

Leisure and hospitality ...................................................... 388 432 430 411 441 446 458 2.9 3.2 3.2 3.0 3.2 3.2 3.3

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 48 47 44 33 40 40 41 2.5 2.5 2.3 1.7 2.1 2.0 2.1

Accommodation and food services......................... 340 385 386 377 401 407 417 2.9 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.4 3.4 3.5

Government 7......................................................................................... 141 130 125 115 147 144 136 .6 .6 .6 .5 .7 .7 .6

State and local.................................................................................... 131 119 115 105 133 133 124 .7 .6 .6 .5 .7 .7 .6

REGION 8

Northeast ......................................................................... 279 315 325 290 292 298 314 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.2

South ............................................................................................... 816 945 906 868 896 899 936 1.7 2.0 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.9

Midwest ......................................................................................... 469 449 488 431 442 513 454 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.4 1.5 1.7 1.5

West ...................................................................................... 445 454 432 375 462 468 453 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.3 1.6 1.6 1.5

 1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month. 6

 Includes educational services, not shown separately.

 2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a 7

 Includes federal government, not shown separately.

percent of total employment. 8

 See footnote 8, table 1. 

3

 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent p Preliminary

seasonal adjustment of the various series and because not all series are shown.

4

 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, 

and other services, not shown separately.

5

 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, 

not shown separately.

Industry and region

Industry and region

Levels 3 (in thousands) Rates

Levels 3 (in thousands) Rates
Table 5. Layoffs and discharges levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012p 2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012p

Total ........................................................................................................... 1,685 1,582 1,848 1,728 1,673 1,699 1,567 1.3 1.2 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.2

INDUSTRY

Total private 4............................................................................................ 1,572 1,482 1,745 1,643 1,564 1,604 1,473 1.4 1.3 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.3

Construction........................................................................ – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Manufacturing................................................................ – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5.............................. – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Retail trade................................................................................. – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Professional and business services......................... – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Education and health services 6........................................... – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

 Health care and social assistance... – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Leisure and hospitality ...................................................... – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Accommodation and food services......................... – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Government 7......................................................................................... 112 100 103 85 108 94 94 .5 .5 .5 .4 .5 .4 .4

State and local.................................................................................... – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

REGION 8

Northeast......................................................................... 296 323 269 344 309 305 279 1.2 1.3 1.1 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.1

South............................................................................................... 649 522 686 653 632 584 548 1.4 1.1 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.1

Midwest......................................................................................... 354 365 467 365 329 402 369 1.2 1.2 1.5 1.2 1.1 1.3 1.2

West...................................................................................... 386 372 426 366 403 408 371 1.3 1.3 1.5 1.2 1.4 1.4 1.3

 1 Layoffs and discharges are the number of layoffs and discharges during the 6

 Includes educational services, not shown separately.

entire month. 7

 Includes federal government, not shown separately.

 2 The layoffs and discharges rate is the number of layoffs and discharges during 8

 See footnote 8, table 1. 

the entire month as a percent of total employment. p

 Preliminary

3

 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent – Data not available.

seasonal adjustment of the various series and because not all series are shown.

4

 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, 

and other services, not shown separately.

5

 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, 

not shown separately.

Table 6. Other separations levels 1 and rates 2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Dec. July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012p 2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012p

Total ........................................................................................................... 330 343 356 326 323 345 345 .2 .3 .3 .2 .2 .3 .3

INDUSTRY

Total private 4............................................................................................ 255 274 292 267 258 276 273 .2 .2 .3 .2 .2 .2 .2

Construction........................................................................ – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Manufacturing................................................................ – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5.............................. – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Retail trade................................................................................. – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Professional and business services......................... – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Education and health services 6........................................... – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

 Health care and social assistance... – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Leisure and hospitality ...................................................... – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Accommodation and food services......................... – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Government 7......................................................................................... 75 69 64 59 65 69 72 .3 .3 .3 .3 .3 .3 .3

State and local.................................................................................... – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

REGION 8

Northeast ......................................................................... – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

South ............................................................................................... – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Midwest ......................................................................................... – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

West ...................................................................................... – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

 1 Other separations are the number of other separations during the entire month. 6

 Includes educational services, not shown separately.

 2 The other separations rate is the number of other separations during the entire 7

 Includes federal government, not shown separately.

month as a percent of total employment. 8

 See footnote 8, table 1. 

3

 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent p Preliminary

seasonal adjustment of the various series and because not all series are shown. – Data not available.

4

 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, 

and other services, not shown separately.

5

 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, 

not shown separately.

Industry and region

Levels 3 (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region

Levels 3 (in thousands) Rates
Table 7. Job openings levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec.

2011 2012 2012p 2011 2012 2012p

Total........................................................................................................... 3,118 3,380 3,131 2.3 2.4 2.3

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 2,779 3,039 2,789 2.5 2.6 2.4

Mining and logging...................................................28 13 17 3.3 1.6 2.0

Construction...................................................................................................... 52 64 62 .9 1.1 1.1

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 218 244 224 1.8 2.0 1.8

Durable goods.............................................................................. 149 160 155 2.0 2.1 2.0

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 69 84 69 1.5 1.8 1.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 443 645 530 1.7 2.4 2.0

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 94 116 114 1.7 2.0 2.0

Retail trade................................................................................. 235 435 308 1.5 2.8 2.0

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 114 94 108 2.2 1.8 2.1

Information...................................................................................... 103 94 74 3.7 3.4 2.7

Financial activities........................................................................... 176 212 243 2.2 2.7 3.0

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 156 171 168 2.6 2.9 2.8

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 20 42 74 1.0 2.1 3.7

Professional and business services........................................ 748 585 502 4.1 3.1 2.7

Education and health services................................................................. 573 678 668 2.8 3.2 3.1

Educational services................................................................ 45 56 65 1.3 1.6 1.8

Health care and social assistance.................................. 528 622 603 3.0 3.5 3.4

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 332 390 352 2.5 2.8 2.6

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 26 45 39 1.5 2.4 2.1

Accommodation and food services............................... 306 345 314 2.6 2.9 2.6

Other services................................................................................. 107 113 118 2.0 2.1 2.1

Government......................................................................................... 338 341 342 1.5 1.5 1.5

Federal................................................................................................ 50 61 54 1.7 2.2 1.9

State and local.................................................................................... 289 280 288 1.5 1.4 1.5

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 506 607 544 2.0 2.3 2.1

South............................................................................................... 1,329 1,255 1,193 2.7 2.5 2.4

Midwest................................................................................................. 648 797 774 2.1 2.5 2.5

West....................................................................................................... 633 720 621 2.1 2.4 2.1

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

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

plus job openings.

 3 See footnote 8, table 1.

 p Preliminary

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 8. Hires levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec.

2011 2012 2012p 2011 2012 2012p

Total........................................................................................................... 3,038 3,986 3,017 2.3 3.0 2.2

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 2,856 3,771 2,845 2.6 3.3 2.5

Mining and logging...................................................20 26 20 2.4 3.1 2.4

Construction...................................................................................................... 199 275 179 3.7 4.9 3.3

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 171 198 155 1.4 1.7 1.3

Durable goods.............................................................................. 108 131 93 1.5 1.8 1.2

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 64 66 63 1.4 1.5 1.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 635 1,058 693 2.5 4.1 2.7

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 101 90 98 1.8 1.6 1.7

Retail trade................................................................................. 385 762 451 2.5 5.0 2.9

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 149 206 145 3.0 4.1 2.9

Information...................................................................................... 52 72 46 2.0 2.7 1.7

Financial activities........................................................................... 124 174 126 1.6 2.2 1.6

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 86 120 77 1.5 2.1 1.3

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 38 55 48 2.0 2.8 2.5

Professional and business services........................................ 663 845 597 3.7 4.6 3.3

Education and health services................................................................. 347 391 374 1.7 1.9 1.8

Educational services................................................................ 41 36 42 1.2 1.0 1.2

Health care and social assistance.................................. 307 355 331 1.8 2.1 1.9

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 515 581 523 3.9 4.3 3.9

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 96 87 81 5.5 4.8 4.5

Accommodation and food services............................... 419 493 442 3.7 4.2 3.8

Other services................................................................................. 131 150 133 2.5 2.8 2.5

Government......................................................................................... 181 215 171 .8 1.0 .8

Federal................................................................................................ 23 26 27 .8 .9 1.0

State and local.................................................................................... 158 189 145 .8 1.0 .7

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 492 639 488 1.9 2.5 1.9

South............................................................................................... 1,204 1,509 1,200 2.5 3.1 2.5

Midwest................................................................................................. 683 880 633 2.3 2.9 2.1

West....................................................................................................... 659 959 695 2.3 3.2 2.4

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

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

 3 See footnote 8, table 1.

 p Preliminary

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 9. Total separations levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec.

2011 2012 2012p 2011 2012 2012p

Total........................................................................................................... 3,903 3,800 3,889 2.9 2.8 2.9

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 3,618 3,597 3,619 3.3 3.2 3.2

Mining and logging...................................................26 24 31 3.1 2.9 3.8

Construction...................................................................................................... 341 401 307 6.3 7.1 5.6

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 210 213 184 1.8 1.8 1.5

Durable goods.............................................................................. 115 124 112 1.6 1.7 1.5

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 94 89 72 2.1 2.0 1.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 847 686 950 3.3 2.6 3.6

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 121 96 108 2.2 1.7 1.9

Retail trade................................................................................. 521 449 625 3.4 2.9 4.1

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 205 140 218 4.1 2.8 4.3

Information...................................................................................... 61 49 62 2.3 1.8 2.3

Financial activities........................................................................... 136 163 138 1.8 2.1 1.8

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 99 99 88 1.7 1.7 1.5

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 37 65 49 1.9 3.3 2.5

Professional and business services........................................ 844 845 798 4.8 4.6 4.4

Education and health services................................................................. 416 377 400 2.1 1.8 1.9

Educational services................................................................ 49 36 47 1.5 1.0 1.4

Health care and social assistance.................................. 367 341 353 2.2 2.0 2.0

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 591 654 603 4.5 4.8 4.5

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 104 117 95 5.9 6.5 5.3

Accommodation and food services............................... 488 537 508 4.3 4.6 4.4

Other services................................................................................. 146 185 145 2.7 3.4 2.7

Government......................................................................................... 285 204 270 1.3 .9 1.2

Federal................................................................................................ 36 30 41 1.3 1.1 1.5

State and local.................................................................................... 249 173 229 1.3 .9 1.2

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 634 615 650 2.5 2.4 2.5

South............................................................................................... 1,492 1,361 1,488 3.1 2.8 3.0

Midwest................................................................................................. 929 952 919 3.1 3.1 3.0

West....................................................................................................... 847 872 832 2.9 2.9 2.8

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

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

 3 See footnote 8, table 1.

 p Preliminary

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 10. Quits levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec.

2011 2012 2012p 2011 2012 2012p

Total........................................................................................................... 1,642 1,782 1,763 1.2 1.3 1.3

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 1,532 1,682 1,656 1.4 1.5 1.5

Mining and logging...................................................12 12 12 1.5 1.5 1.4

Construction...................................................................................................... 56 76 50 1.0 1.4 .9

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 78 80 75 .7 .7 .6

Durable goods.............................................................................. 41 45 39 .6 .6 .5

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 37 36 35 .8 .8 .8

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 393 392 429 1.5 1.5 1.6

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 40 33 50 .7 .6 .9

Retail trade................................................................................. 297 284 308 2.0 1.9 2.0

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 56 75 70 1.1 1.5 1.4

Information...................................................................................... 26 27 40 1.0 1.0 1.5

Financial activities........................................................................... 74 85 56 1.0 1.1 .7

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 55 56 36 .9 1.0 .6

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 19 29 20 1.0 1.5 1.0

Professional and business services........................................ 293 362 329 1.7 2.0 1.8

Education and health services................................................................. 225 226 221 1.1 1.1 1.1

Educational services................................................................ 23 20 15 .7 .6 .4

Health care and social assistance.................................. 202 206 205 1.2 1.2 1.2

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 314 354 371 2.4 2.6 2.8

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 34 26 30 1.9 1.4 1.7

Accommodation and food services............................... 280 328 341 2.5 2.8 2.9

Other services................................................................................. 62 67 75 1.2 1.3 1.4

Government......................................................................................... 110 100 106 .5 .4 .5

Federal................................................................................................ 9 8 10 .3 .3 .4

State and local.................................................................................... 101 92 96 .5 .5 .5

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 217 240 245 .9 .9 1.0

South............................................................................................... 664 741 769 1.4 1.5 1.6

Midwest................................................................................................. 400 420 379 1.3 1.4 1.2

West....................................................................................................... 362 380 369 1.2 1.3 1.3

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

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

 3 See footnote 8, table 1.

 p Preliminary

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 11. Layoffs and discharges levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec.

2011 2012 2012p 2011 2012 2012p

Total........................................................................................................... 1,937 1,751 1,791 1.5 1.3 1.3

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 1,837 1,689 1,705 1.7 1.5 1.5

Mining and logging...................................................12 10 19 1.5 1.2 2.2

Construction...................................................................................................... 265 318 252 4.9 5.6 4.6

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 112 119 93 .9 1.0 .8

Durable goods.............................................................................. 63 71 63 .9 .9 .8

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 49 48 30 1.1 1.1 .7

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 397 226 458 1.5 .9 1.8

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 71 52 48 1.3 .9 .8

Retail trade................................................................................. 196 128 271 1.3 .8 1.8

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 130 47 139 2.6 .9 2.8

Information...................................................................................... 30 17 16 1.1 .6 .6

Financial activities........................................................................... 38 58 43 .5 .7 .5

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 22 29 22 .4 .5 .4

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 16 29 20 .8 1.5 1.0

Professional and business services........................................ 507 443 425 2.9 2.4 2.3

Education and health services................................................................. 139 113 140 .7 .5 .7

Educational services................................................................ 23 13 27 .7 .4 .8

Health care and social assistance.................................. 117 100 112 .7 .6 .7

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 257 283 203 2.0 2.1 1.5

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 68 89 63 3.9 4.9 3.5

Accommodation and food services............................... 190 194 140 1.7 1.7 1.2

Other services................................................................................. 79 102 57 1.5 1.9 1.1

Government......................................................................................... 100 63 86 .4 .3 .4

Federal................................................................................................ 10 12 13 .4 .4 .5

State and local.................................................................................... 90 51 73 .5 .3 .4

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 363 336 341 1.4 1.3 1.3

South............................................................................................... 708 521 583 1.5 1.1 1.2

Midwest................................................................................................. 454 466 467 1.5 1.5 1.5

West....................................................................................................... 412 429 399 1.4 1.4 1.4

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

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

employment.

 3 See footnote 8, table 1.

 p Preliminary

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 12. Other separations levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Dec. Nov. Dec. Dec. Nov. Dec.

2011 2012 2012p 2011 2012 2012p

Total........................................................................................................... 323 267 335 0.2 0.2 0.2

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 248 226 257 .2 .2 .2

Mining and logging...................................................1 2 1 .2 .2 .2

Construction...................................................................................................... 20 7 4 .4 .2 .1

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 20 14 17 .2 .1 .1

Durable goods.............................................................................. 11 9 11 .2 .1 .1

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 8 5 7 .2 .1 .1

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 57 67 64 .2 .3 .2

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 11 11 10 .2 .2 .2

Retail trade................................................................................. 27 37 45 .2 .2 .3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 19 19 9 .4 .4 .2

Information...................................................................................... 5 5 5 .2 .2 .2

Financial activities........................................................................... 25 21 39 .3 .3 .5

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 23 14 30 .4 .2 .5

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 2 7 9 .1 .3 .5

Professional and business services........................................ 44 40 45 .2 .2 .2

Education and health services................................................................. 52 38 40 .3 .2 .2

Educational services................................................................ 4 3 4 .1 .1 .1

Health care and social assistance.................................. 48 35 36 .3 .2 .2

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 20 17 29 .2 .1 .2

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

Accommodation and food services............................... 18 15 27 .2 .1 .2

Other services................................................................................. 5 16 13 .1 .3 .2

Government......................................................................................... 75 41 78 .3 .2 .4

Federal................................................................................................ 17 11 18 .6 .4 .6

State and local.................................................................................... 58 30 60 .3 .2 .3

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 54 39 63 .2 .2 .2

South............................................................................................... 121 100 136 .3 .2 .3

Midwest................................................................................................. 76 65 72 .3 .2 .2

West....................................................................................................... 73 63 63 .2 .2 .2

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

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

 3 See footnote 8, table 1.

 p Preliminary

Industry and region

Levels (in thousands) Rates