1

Technical information: (202) 691-5870

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

Media contact: 691-5902

USDL 06-1363

For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT

Wednesday, August 9, 2006

Chart 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted,

 July 2003 - June 2006

1.5

1.7

1.9

2.1

2.3

2.5

2.7

2.9

3.1

3.3

3.5

3.7

3.9

Percent

2004 2005 2006

Chart 2. Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted,

 July 2003 - June 2006

2.5

2.7

2.9

3.1

3.3

3.5

3.7

3.9

Percent

Separations

Hires

2004 2005 2006

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: JUNE 2006

The hires and total separations rates edged down, while the job openings rate was essentially unchanged

in June, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector

by industry and geographic region.

Job Openings

On the last business day of June 2006, there were 4.0 million job openings in the United States, and the

job openings rate was 2.9 percent. The job openings rate was about unchanged over the month and has

been essentially unchanged since November 2005. In June, the job openings rate increased in construction

and government and declined in professional and business services. The industries with the highest seasonally

adjusted job openings rate in June 2006 were education and health services (3.7 percent), leisure and hospitality (3.6 percent), and professional and business services (3.4 percent). (See table 1.)

Over the year, the job openings rate increased in many industries and in three of the four regions—the

Northeast, South, and West. None of the industries or regions experienced a significant decrease in the job

openings rate from the prior year. (See table 5.)

Hires

The hires rate edged down to 3.5 percent in June. Hires are any additions to the payroll during the

month. In June, the hires rate decreased in professional and business services, education and health services,

and in the Northeast and Midwest regions. There were no significant increases in the hires rate in any
2

Total 1........................................................... 4,949 4,758 4,590 4,811 4,550

 Total private 1...................................... 3,183 4,471 4,573 4,385 4,321 4,488

Construction ..................................... 112 119 413 374 362 403 478 318

Manufacturing ................................ 259 311 340 385 377 341 381 373

Trade, transportation, and

utilities ........................................... 636 687 663 1,057 1,018 1,037 980 1,046 1,042

Professional and business

services ......................................... 643 693 611 904 1,006 868 873 833 752

Education and health services ..... 601 651 674 462 549 471 412 487 464

Leisure and hospitality .................. 493 496 486 892 811 843 839 799 781

Government .......................................... 397 452 478 338 379 373 266 324 286

Total 1.......................................................... 2.6 2.8 2.9 3.6 3.7 3.5 3.4 3.6 3.4

Total private 1....................................... 2.8 3.0 3.0 4.0 4.0 3.9 3.9 4.0 3.8

Construction .................................... 1.5 1.6 2.0 5.7 5.0 4.8 5.5 6.4 4.2

Manufacturing ................................ 1.8 2.1 2.2 2.4 2.7 2.6 2.4 2.7 2.6

Trade, transportation, and

utilities ........................................... 2.4 2.6 2.5 4.1 3.9 4.0 3.8 4.0 4.0

Professional and business

services ......................................... 3.7 3.9 3.4 5.4 5.8 5.0 5.2 4.8 4.4

Education and health services ..... 3.4 3.6 3.7 2.7 3.1 2.7 2.4 2.8 2.6

Leisure and hospitality .................. 3.7 3.7 3.6 7.0 6.2 6.5 6.6 6.1 6.0

Government .......................................... 1.8 2.0 2.1 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.2 1.5 1.3

 Job openings

Industry

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

Hires Total separations

June May June June May June June May June

2005 2006 p 2005 2006 2006 p 2005 2006 2006 p

Levels (in thousands)

Rates (percent)

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

 p = preliminary.

2006

3,598 4,807

3,496

3,945

4,263

156

313

3,509

4,004

industry or region. The seasonally adjusted hires rate was highest in the leisure and hospitality industry

(6.5 percent). (See table 2.)

From June 2005 to June 2006, the hires rate rose in nondurable goods manufacturing, educational services, and state and local government and declined in construction; arts, entertainment, and recreation; and

the federal government. The hires rate did not change significantly over the year in any geographic region.

(See table 6.)

Separations

The total separations, or turnover, rate decreased to 3.4 percent in June. Separations are terminations

of employment that occur at any time during the month. In June, the total separations rate decreased in construction, government, and the Midwest region. There were no significant increases in the total separations

rate in any industry or region. (See table 3.)

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

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

ability to change jobs, was about unchanged at 1.9 percent in June. The quits rate decreased in construction, professional and business services, and government. In June, the seasonally adjusted quits rate was
3

highest in the leisure and hospitality industry (4.5 percent), which also had the highest hires rate. (See

table 4.)

Over the year, the quits rate grew in nondurable goods manufacturing and accommodations and food

services as well as in the South region. The quits rate declined in professional and business services. (See

table 8.)

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

seasonally adjusted. From June 2005 to June 2006, the layoffs and discharges rate decreased to 1.1 percent. For June 2006, the professional and business services industry had the highest layoffs and discharges

rate (1.9 percent). From June 2005 to June 2006, the other separations rate increased to 0.3 percent.

(See tables 9 and 10.)

Flows in the Labor Market

Hires and separations data help show dynamic flows in the labor market. Over the 12 months ending in

June 2006, hires have averaged 4.8 million per month and separations have averaged 4.5 million per month

(not seasonally adjusted). The comparable figures for the prior 12-month period were 4.7 million hires and

4.5 million separations. (See the Technical Note for additional information on these measures.)

For More Information

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

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

by calling (202) 691-5870.

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover release for July 2006 is scheduled to be issued on Tuesday,

September 12, 2006.

______________________________
Technical Note

The data for the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey

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

business establishments by the Bureau of Labor Statistics

(BLS).

Collection

Each month, data are collected in a survey of business

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

layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Data collection

methods include computer-assisted telephone interviewing,

touchtone data entry, fax, and mail.

Coverage

The JOLTS program covers all private nonfarm

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

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

the District of Columbia.

Concepts

Industry classification. The industry classifications in this

release are in accordance with the 2002 version of the North

American Industry Classification System (NAICS). In order to

ensure the highest possible quality of data, State Workforce

Agencies verify with employers and update, if necessary, the

industry code, location, and ownership classification of all

establishments on a 3-year cycle. Changes in establishment

characteristics resulting from the verification process are

always introduced into the JOLTS sampling frame with the data

reported for the first month of the year.

Employment. Employment includes persons on the payroll

who worked or received pay for the pay period that includes

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

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

employees are included, as are employees on paid vacations or

other paid leave. Proprietors or partners of unincorporated

businesses, unpaid family workers, or persons on leave without

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

employed. Employees of temporary help agencies, employee

leasing companies, outside contractors, and consultants are

counted by their employer of record, not by the establishment

where they are working.

Job openings. Establishments submit job openings

information for the last business day of the reference month.

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

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

within 30 days regardless of whether a suitable candidate is

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

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

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

Active recruiting means that the establishment is taking steps

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

posting help-wanted signs, accepting applications, or using

other similar methods.

Jobs to be filled only by internal transfers, promotions,

demotions, or recall from layoffs are excluded. Also excluded

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

for which employees have been hired but have not yet reported

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

agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors, or

consultants. The job openings rate is computed by dividing

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

openings and multiplying that quotient by 100.

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

occurring at any time during the reference month, including

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

permanent, short-term, and seasonal employees, employees

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

on-call or intermittent employees who returned to work after

having been formally separated, and transfers from other

locations. The hires count does not include transfers or

promotions within the reporting site, employees returning from

strike, employees of temporary help agencies or employee

leasing companies, outside contractors, or consultants. The

hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by

employment and multiplying that quotient by 100.

Separations. Separations are the total number of

terminations of employment occurring at any time during the

reference month, and are reported by type of separation—

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

voluntary separations by employees (except for retirements,

which are reported as other separations). Layoffs and

discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the

employer and include layoffs with no intent to rehire, formal

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

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

discharges for cause, terminations of permanent or short-term

employees, and terminations of seasonal employees. Other

separations include retirements, transfers to other locations,

deaths, and separations due to disability. Separations do not

include transfers within the same location or employees on

strike.

The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of

separations by employment and multiplying that quotient by

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

rates are computed similarly, dividing the number by

employment and multiplying by 100.

Annual estimates. Annual estimates of rates and levels of

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

separations are released with the January news release each year.

The JOLTS annual level estimates for hires, quits, layoffs

and discharges, other separations, and total separations are

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

estimates are computed by dividing the annual level by the

Current Employment Statistics (CES) annual average

employment level, and multiplying that quotient by 100. This

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

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

rounded to the nearest thousand before the annual estimates

are calculated. Consistent with BLS practices, annual estimates

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

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

measurement for the last business day of each month. Only

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

the same reason job openings cannot be cumulated throughout

each month, annual figures for job openings cannot be created

by summing the monthly estimates. Hires and separations are

flow measures and are cumulated over the month with a total

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

created by summing the monthly estimates.

Sample methodology

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

nonfarm business establishments, including factories, offices,

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

the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The establishments

are drawn from a universe of over eight million establishments

compiled as part of the operations of the Quarterly Census of

Employment and Wages, or QCEW, program. This program

includes all employers subject to state Unemployment

Insurance (UI) laws and federal agencies subject to

Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE).

The sampling frame is stratified by ownership, region,

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

with virtual certainty. JOLTS total employment estimates are

controlled to the employment estimates of the Current

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

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

elements. Rates are then computed from the adjusted levels.

Using JOLTS data

The JOLTS data series on job openings, hires, and

separations are relatively new. The full sample is divided into

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

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

Industrial Classification (SIC) system was not completely

enrolled in the survey until January 2002. The supplemental

panels of establishments needed to create NAICS estimates

were not completely enrolled until May 2003. The data

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

Therefore, estimates from earlier months should be used with

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

In March 2002, BLS procedures for collecting hires and

separations data were revised to address possible

underreporting. As a result, JOLTS hires and separations

estimates for months prior to March 2002 may not be

comparable with estimates for March 2002 and later.

The federal government reorganization that involved

transferring approximately 180,000 employees to the new

Department of Homeland Security is not reflected in the JOLTS

hires and separations estimates for the federal government.

The Office of Personnel Management’s record shows these

transfers were completed in March 2003. The inclusion of

transfers in the JOLTS definitions of hires and separations is

intended to cover ongoing movements of workers between

establishments. The Department of Homeland Security

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

of these intergovernmental transfers would distort the federal

government time series.

Seasonal adjustment

BLS seasonally adjusts several JOLTS series using the

X-12-ARIMA seasonal adjustment program. Seasonal

adjustment is the process of estimating and removing periodic

fluctuations caused by events such as weather, holidays,

and the beginning and ending of the school year. Seasonal

adjustment makes it easier to observe fundamental changes in

the level of the series, particularly those associated with

general economic expansions and contractions. A concurrent

seasonal adjustment methodology is used in which new

seasonal adjustment factors are calculated each month, using

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

month.

Data users should note that seasonal adjustment of the

JOLTS series is conducted with fewer data observations than

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

larger than normal revisions. Since the seasonal patterns in

economic data series typically emerge over time, the standard

use of moving averages as seasonal filters to capture these

effects requires longer series than are currently available. As

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

adjustment of the JOLTS data. When calculating seasonal

factors, this filter takes an average for each calendar month

after detrending the series. The stable seasonal filter assumes

that the seasonal factors are fixed; a necessary assumption

until sufficient data are available. When the stable seasonal

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

introduced, such as outlier adjustment and extended

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

such as layoffs and discharges and additional industries, may

be seasonally adjusted when more data are available.

Reliability of the estimates

JOLTS estimates are subject to both sampling and

nonsampling error. When a sample rather than the entire

population is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample

estimates may differ from the “true” population values they

represent. The exact difference, or sampling error, varies

depending on the particular sample selected, and this

variability is measured by the standard error of the estimate.

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

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

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

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

population value because of sampling error. Estimates of

sampling errors are available upon request.
The JOLTS estimates also are affected by nonsampling

error. Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, including

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

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

unwillingness of respondents to provide data on a timely basis,

mistakes made by respondents, errors made in the collection or

processing of the data, and errors from the employment

benchmark data used in estimation.

JOLTS hires and separations estimates cannot be used to

exactly explain net changes in nonfarm payroll employment.

Some reasons why it is problematic to compare changes in

payroll employment with JOLTS hires and separations,

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

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

month, while the reference period for hires and separations is

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

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

may not always work during the pay period that includes the

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

reporters systematically underreport separations relative to

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

payroll systems and practices. The shortfall appears to be

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

Other information

Information in this release will be made available to sensory

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

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

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

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 3,598 3,981 3,994 4,089 4,070 3,945 4,004 2.6 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.8 2.9

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 3,183 3,533 3,531 3,633 3,603 3,496 3,509 2.8 3.0 3.0 3.1 3.1 3.0 3.0

Construction........................................................................ 112 114 121 144 138 119 156 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.9 1.8 1.6 2.0

Manufacturing................................................................ 259 324 318 318 323 311 313 1.8 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 636 687 660 651 672 687 663 2.4 2.6 2.5 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.5

Professional and business services......................... 643 777 716 702 748 693 611 3.7 4.3 4.0 3.9 4.2 3.9 3.4

Education and health services................................................. 601 627 640 692 674 651 674 3.4 3.4 3.5 3.8 3.7 3.6 3.7

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 493 507 587 506 485 496 486 3.7 3.8 4.3 3.8 3.6 3.7 3.6

Government......................................................................................... 397 449 460 458 467 452 478 1.8 2.0 2.1 2.0 2.1 2.0 2.1

REGION 5

Northeast......................................................................... 628 740 707 732 672 670 726 2.4 2.8 2.7 2.8 2.6 2.6 2.8

South............................................................................................... 1,360 1,550 1,547 1,634 1,600 1,591 1,536 2.8 3.1 3.1 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.1

Midwest......................................................................................... 750 745 797 721 770 787 772 2.4 2.3 2.5 2.2 2.4 2.4 2.4

West...................................................................................... 828 928 957 985 1,022 918 933 2.7 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.0 3.0

1

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

of the month. North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia,

 2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business and West Virginia; Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan,

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

 

3

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

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

 

4

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

and other services, not shown separately. 

p

 = preliminary.

 

5

 The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 4,807 4,941 4,954 4,884 4,649 4,949 4,758 3.6 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.4 3.7 3.5

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 4,471 4,584 4,578 4,503 4,301 4,573 4,385 4.0 4.1 4.1 4.0 3.8 4.0 3.9

Construction........................................................................ 413 379 403 344 376 374 362 5.7 5.1 5.4 4.6 5.0 5.0 4.8

Manufacturing................................................................ 340 366 333 341 328 385 377 2.4 2.6 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.7 2.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 1,057 1,177 1,117 1,103 1,029 1,018 1,037 4.1 4.5 4.3 4.2 4.0 3.9 4.0

Professional and business services......................... 904 953 841 922 858 1,006 868 5.4 5.6 4.9 5.4 5.0 5.8 5.0

Education and health services................................................. 462 446 435 435 481 549 471 2.7 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.7 3.1 2.7

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 892 847 1,019 899 775 811 843 7.0 6.6 7.9 6.9 6.0 6.2 6.5

Government......................................................................................... 338 352 379 397 361 379 373 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.6 1.7 1.7

REGION 5

Northeast......................................................................... 779 727 814 914 849 852 716 3.1 2.9 3.2 3.6 3.3 3.3 2.8

South............................................................................................... 1,854 1,946 2,061 1,803 1,777 1,849 1,836 3.9 4.1 4.3 3.7 3.7 3.8 3.8

Midwest......................................................................................... 1,041 1,043 1,045 1,117 965 1,133 1,022 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.5 3.1 3.6 3.2

West...................................................................................... 1,137 1,176 1,083 1,127 1,152 1,114 1,177 3.9 4.0 3.6 3.8 3.9 3.7 3.9

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

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

3

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

4

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

5

 See footnote 5, table 1. 

p

 = preliminary.

Levels Rates 3 (in thousands)

Levels3 (in thousands) Rates
Table 3. Total separations levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

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

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 4,590 4,285 4,531 4,681 4,495 4,811 4,550 3.4 3.2 3.4 3.5 3.3 3.6 3.4

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 4,321 3,995 4,252 4,360 4,203 4,488 4,263 3.9 3.5 3.8 3.9 3.7 4.0 3.8

Construction........................................................................ 403 374 335 422 373 478 318 5.5 5.0 4.5 5.6 5.0 6.4 4.2

Manufacturing................................................................ 341 353 380 427 346 381 373 2.4 2.5 2.7 3.0 2.4 2.7 2.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 980 880 997 989 1,022 1,046 1,042 3.8 3.4 3.8 3.8 3.9 4.0 4.0

Professional and business services......................... 873 780 826 798 790 833 752 5.2 4.6 4.8 4.6 4.6 4.8 4.4

Education and health services................................................. 412 353 403 399 437 487 464 2.4 2.0 2.3 2.3 2.5 2.8 2.6

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 839 848 881 769 770 799 781 6.6 6.6 6.8 5.9 5.9 6.1 6.0

Government......................................................................................... 266 300 285 326 302 324 286 1.2 1.4 1.3 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.3

REGION 5

Northeast......................................................................... 785 701 736 714 711 779 742 3.1 2.8 2.9 2.8 2.8 3.1 2.9

South............................................................................................... 1,708 1,653 1,694 1,810 1,710 1,828 1,774 3.6 3.4 3.5 3.8 3.5 3.8 3.7

Midwest......................................................................................... 918 987 1,032 1,014 992 1,045 849 2.9 3.1 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.3 2.7

West...................................................................................... 1,120 970 1,054 1,188 1,116 1,136 1,127 3.8 3.3 3.5 4.0 3.7 3.8 3.8

 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

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

4

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

5 See footnote 5, table 1.

p

 = preliminary.

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

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

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

Total4........................................................................................................... 2,541 2,577 2,663 2,763 2,541 2,723 2,614 1.9 1.9 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.0 1.9

INDUSTRY

Total private4............................................................................................ 2,413 2,435 2,526 2,606 2,383 2,565 2,478 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.3 2.1 2.3 2.2

Construction........................................................................ 147 179 153 182 167 207 159 2.0 2.4 2.0 2.4 2.2 2.8 2.1

Manufacturing................................................................ 185 196 202 205 175 202 191 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.2 1.4 1.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities.............................. 587 551 602 598 613 622 594 2.3 2.1 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.3

Professional and business services......................... 414 415 422 426 409 434 357 2.5 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.5 2.1

Education and health services................................................. 269 225 279 267 253 276 286 1.5 1.3 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.6 1.6

Leisure and hospitality...................................................... 504 569 607 561 535 533 588 3.9 4.4 4.7 4.3 4.1 4.1 4.5

Government......................................................................................... 132 143 139 156 159 159 137 .6 .7 .6 .7 .7 .7 .6

REGION 5

Northeast......................................................................... 356 369 368 383 370 370 349 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.4

South............................................................................................... 998 1,068 1,114 1,129 1,026 1,152 1,120 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.1 2.4 2.3

Midwest......................................................................................... 538 571 600 619 575 581 535 1.7 1.8 1.9 2.0 1.8 1.8 1.7

West...................................................................................... 661 569 567 642 593 612 615 2.2 1.9 1.9 2.2 2.0 2.0 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

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

4

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

5 See footnote 5, table 1.

p

 = preliminary.

Levels3 (in thousands) Rates

Levels3 (in thousands) Rates
Table 5. Job openings levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region June May June June May June

2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p

Total........................................................................................................... 3,702 4,229 4,120 2.7 3.0 2.9

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 3,264 3,739 3,590 2.8 3.2 3.0

Natural resources and mining................................................... 13 15 15 2.0 2.2 2.1

Construction...................................................................................................... 130 145 187 1.7 1.9 2.4

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 275 325 333 1.9 2.2 2.3

Durable goods.............................................................................. 173 219 217 1.9 2.4 2.3

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 102 106 116 1.9 2.0 2.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 631 717 656 2.4 2.7 2.4

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 125 156 136 2.1 2.6 2.3

Retail trade................................................................................. 384 413 365 2.5 2.7 2.3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 122 148 154 2.4 2.9 3.0

Information...................................................................................... 93 131 138 2.9 4.1 4.3

Financial activities........................................................................... 211 285 285 2.5 3.3 3.3

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 171 221 220 2.8 3.5 3.4

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 39 64 65 1.8 2.9 2.9

Professional and business services........................................ 685 710 638 3.9 4.0 3.5

Education and health services................................................................. 616 681 695 3.5 3.7 3.8

Educational services................................................................ 65 80 62 2.4 2.7 2.3

Health care and social assistance.................................. 551 602 633 3.6 3.9 4.1

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 504 558 493 3.6 4.1 3.5

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 75 66 51 3.4 3.2 2.3

Accommodations and food services............................... 428 492 442 3.7 4.2 3.7

Other services................................................................................. 108 170 152 1.9 3.0 2.7

Government......................................................................................... 438 490 529 2.0 2.1 2.4

Federal................................................................................................ 36 44 41 1.3 1.6 1.5

State and local.................................................................................... 401 446 488 2.1 2.2 2.5

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 639 726 743 2.5 2.8 2.8

South............................................................................................... 1,414 1,683 1,592 2.9 3.4 3.2

Midwest................................................................................................. 760 818 787 2.4 2.5 2.4

West....................................................................................................... 889 1,002 998 2.9 3.2 3.2

1

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

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

3 See footnote 5, table 1.

 p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 6. Hires levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region June May June June May June

2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p

Total........................................................................................................... 5,855 5,666 5,775 4.4 4.2 4.2

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 5,416 5,277 5,290 4.8 4.6 4.6

Natural resources and mining................................................... 28 25 23 4.5 3.7 3.3

Construction...................................................................................................... 542 481 469 7.2 6.3 6.1

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 391 444 437 2.7 3.1 3.0

Durable goods.............................................................................. 261 286 275 2.9 3.2 3.0

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 130 158 162 2.4 3.0 3.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 1,170 1,107 1,143 4.5 4.3 4.4

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 171 155 180 3.0 2.6 3.1

Retail trade................................................................................. 828 784 765 5.4 5.2 5.0

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 171 168 198 3.5 3.4 4.0

Information...................................................................................... 78 98 80 2.5 3.2 2.6

Financial activities........................................................................... 196 226 240 2.4 2.7 2.9

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 120 131 142 2.0 2.1 2.3

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 77 95 98 3.6 4.4 4.4

Professional and business services........................................ 1,028 1,097 979 6.0 6.4 5.6

Education and health services................................................................. 558 542 567 3.3 3.0 3.2

Educational services................................................................ 61 66 88 2.3 2.2 3.3

Health care and social assistance.................................. 497 476 479 3.4 3.2 3.2

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 1,154 1,061 1,087 8.6 8.0 8.0

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 243 222 187 11.3 11.2 8.6

Accommodations and food services............................... 911 838 901 8.1 7.5 7.9

Other services................................................................................. 269 197 264 4.9 3.6 4.8

Government......................................................................................... 439 389 485 2.0 1.7 2.2

Federal................................................................................................ 56 67 37 2.0 2.5 1.4

State and local.................................................................................... 383 322 449 2.0 1.6 2.3

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 1,037 1,000 951 4.1 3.9 3.7

South............................................................................................... 2,189 2,092 2,172 4.6 4.3 4.5

Midwest................................................................................................. 1,255 1,365 1,222 4.0 4.3 3.8

West....................................................................................................... 1,373 1,209 1,430 4.6 4.0 4.7

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

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

3 See footnote 5, table 1.

 p = preliminary.

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region June May June June May June

2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p

Total........................................................................................................... 4,806 4,800 4,753 3.6 3.5 3.5

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 4,404 4,457 4,323 3.9 3.9 3.8

Natural resources and mining................................................... 15 13 16 2.4 1.9 2.3

Construction...................................................................................................... 398 422 311 5.3 5.6 4.0

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 349 367 376 2.4 2.6 2.6

Durable goods.............................................................................. 219 203 214 2.4 2.2 2.3

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 130 164 162 2.4 3.2 3.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 940 1,078 1,006 3.6 4.1 3.9

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 124 140 142 2.1 2.4 2.4

Retail trade................................................................................. 631 766 699 4.1 5.1 4.6

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...................... 185 173 165 3.8 3.5 3.3

Information...................................................................................... 70 84 72 2.3 2.7 2.3

Financial activities........................................................................... 186 211 219 2.3 2.5 2.6

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 126 152 123 2.1 2.5 2.0

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 60 58 96 2.8 2.7 4.3

Professional and business services........................................ 931 853 792 5.5 4.9 4.5

Education and health services................................................................. 478 514 537 2.8 2.9 3.1

Educational services................................................................ 88 83 85 3.4 2.9 3.2

Health care and social assistance.................................. 390 431 452 2.7 2.9 3.0

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 854 765 790 6.4 5.8 5.8

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 112 119 89 5.2 6.0 4.1

Accommodations and food services............................... 742 646 700 6.6 5.7 6.1

Other services................................................................................. 182 151 205 3.3 2.8 3.7

Government......................................................................................... 403 342 430 1.9 1.5 2.0

Federal................................................................................................ 47 52 31 1.7 1.9 1.1

State and local.................................................................................... 356 291 399 1.9 1.5 2.1

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 873 704 828 3.5 2.8 3.2

South............................................................................................... 1,777 1,945 1,850 3.7 4.0 3.8

Midwest................................................................................................. 1,007 1,018 913 3.2 3.2 2.9

West....................................................................................................... 1,149 1,133 1,163 3.9 3.8 3.8

 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 5, table 1.

 p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 8. Quits levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region June May June June May June

2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p

Total........................................................................................................... 2,729 2,860 2,797 2.0 2.1 2.1

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 2,545 2,677 2,607 2.3 2.4 2.3

Natural resources and mining................................................... 9 9 8 1.4 1.3 1.1

Construction...................................................................................................... 181 210 183 2.4 2.8 2.4

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 196 210 202 1.4 1.5 1.4

Durable goods.............................................................................. 125 112 117 1.4 1.2 1.3

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 71 99 84 1.3 1.9 1.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 585 663 589 2.3 2.5 2.3

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 76 70 82 1.3 1.2 1.4

Retail trade................................................................................. 427 498 431 2.8 3.3 2.8

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................83 94 76 1.7 1.9 1.5

Information...................................................................................... 49 67 54 1.6 2.2 1.7

Financial activities........................................................................... 144 134 146 1.8 1.6 1.7

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 96 99 84 1.6 1.6 1.4

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 48 35 63 2.2 1.6 2.8

Professional and business services........................................ 443 463 380 2.6 2.7 2.2

Education and health services................................................................. 298 294 321 1.7 1.7 1.8

Educational services................................................................ 49 39 42 1.9 1.3 1.6

Health care and social assistance.................................. 249 254 279 1.7 1.7 1.9

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 507 543 599 3.8 4.1 4.4

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 57 36 51 2.6 1.8 2.3

Accommodations and food services............................... 450 507 548 4.0 4.5 4.8

Other services................................................................................. 131 84 125 2.4 1.5 2.3

Government......................................................................................... 185 183 191 .9 .8 .9

Federal................................................................................................ 17 24 11 .6 .9 .4

State and local.................................................................................... 167 159 180 .9 .8 .9

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 389 383 378 1.5 1.5 1.5

South............................................................................................... 1,063 1,225 1,195 2.2 2.5 2.5

Midwest................................................................................................. 574 616 565 1.8 1.9 1.8

West....................................................................................................... 703 636 658 2.4 2.1 2.2

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

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

3 See footnote 5, table 1.

 p = preliminary.

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region June May June June May June

2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p

Total........................................................................................................... 1,745 1,547 1,551 1.3 1.1 1.1

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 1,624 1,446 1,397 1.4 1.3 1.2

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

Construction...................................................................................................... 195 179 110 2.6 2.4 1.4

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 127 127 145 .9 .9 1.0

Durable goods.............................................................................. 76 71 75 .8 .8 .8

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 51 56 69 1.0 1.1 1.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 304 320 335 1.2 1.2 1.3

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 43 57 46 .7 1.0 .8

Retail trade................................................................................. 177 204 223 1.2 1.3 1.5

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................83 59 66 1.7 1.2 1.3

Information...................................................................................... 17 12 11 .5 .4 .4

Financial activities........................................................................... 31 51 50 .4 .6 .6

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 20 32 21 .3 .5 .3

Real estate and rental and leasing................................... 11 20 29 .5 .9 1.3

Professional and business services........................................ 436 317 334 2.6 1.8 1.9

Education and health services................................................................. 147 195 180 .9 1.1 1.0

Educational services................................................................ 33 41 37 1.3 1.4 1.4

Health care and social assistance.................................. 114 153 143 .8 1.0 1.0

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 323 193 166 2.4 1.5 1.2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation..................................... 55 80 37 2.5 4.0 1.7

Accommodations and food services............................... 269 113 129 2.4 1.0 1.1

Other services................................................................................. 40 50 64 .7 .9 1.2

Government......................................................................................... 121 101 154 .6 .5 .7

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

State and local.................................................................................... 108 90 141 .6 .5 .7

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 402 242 368 1.6 .9 1.4

South............................................................................................... 607 557 493 1.3 1.1 1.0

Midwest................................................................................................. 368 326 257 1.2 1.0 .8

West....................................................................................................... 369 423 433 1.2 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 5, table 1.

 p = preliminary.

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

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region June May June June May June

2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p

Total........................................................................................................... 332 392 405 0.2 0.3 0.3

INDUSTRY

Total private............................................................................................ 235 334 320 .2 .3 .3

Natural resources and mining................................................... 2 2 5 .3 .4 .8

Construction...................................................................................................... 22 32 18 .3 .4 .2

Manufacturing..................................................................................... 26 30 30 .2 .2 .2

Durable goods.............................................................................. 18 20 21 .2 .2 .2

Nondurable goods....................................................................... 8 10 9 .1 .2 .2

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................................................... 51 96 82 .2 .4 .3

Wholesale trade........................................................................... 6 12 13 .1 .2 .2

Retail trade................................................................................. 27 64 46 .2 .4 .3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......................19 19 23 .4 .4 .5

Information...................................................................................... 5 5 7 .2 .2 .2

Financial activities........................................................................... 11 25 23 .1 .3 .3

Finance and insurance..................................................................................... 10 22 18 .2 .4 .3

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

Professional and business services........................................ 52 73 78 .3 .4 .4

Education and health services................................................................. 32 26 37 .2 .1 .2

Educational services................................................................ 5 3 6 .2 .1 .2

Health care and social assistance.................................. 27 23 31 .2 .2 .2

Leisure and hospitality.................................................................. 23 29 25 .2 .2 .2

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

4

) .2 .1

Accommodations and food services............................... 23 26 23 .2 .2 .2

Other services................................................................................. 12 17 15 .2 .3 .3

Government......................................................................................... 97 58 85 .4 .3 .4

Federal................................................................................................ 16 16 6 .6 .6 .2

State and local.................................................................................... 80 42 79 .4 .2 .4

REGION 3

Northeast......................................................................................... 82 79 82 .3 .3 .3

South............................................................................................... 107 163 162 .2 .3 .3

Midwest................................................................................................. 65 76 90 .2 .2 .3

West....................................................................................................... 78 74 71 .3 .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 5, table 1.

 4 Data round to zero.

 p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates