Technical information:  (202) 691-5870     USDL 06-1585
               http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
                                           For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                691-5902     Tuesday, September 12, 2006


                JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER:  JULY 2006

   The job openings, hires, and total separations rates were essentially 
unchanged in July, 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 July 2006, there were 3.8 million job openings 
in the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.8 percent.  The job open-
ings rate was unchanged over the month and has been little changed since Novem-
ber 2005.  In July, the job openings rate increased in government.  There were 
no significant decreases in the job openings rate in any industry or region.  
The industries with the highest seasonally adjusted job openings rates in July 
2006 were education and health services (3.6 percent), leisure and hospitality 
(3.4 percent), and professional and business services (3.3 percent).  (See 
table 1.)
   
   Over the year, the job openings rate increased in transportation, warehousing, 
and utilities; information; health care and social assistance; state and local gov-
ernment; and the West region.  The job openings rate declined significantly over 
the year in the arts, entertainment, and recreation industry.  (See table 5.)

Hires
     
   The hires rate was essentially unchanged at 3.7 percent in July.  Hires
are any additions to the payroll during the month.  In July, the hires rate
increased in education and health services and in the Northeast region and de-
clined in government.  The seasonally adjusted hires rate was highest in the 
leisure and hospitality industry (6.4 percent).  (See table 2.)
     
   From July 2005 to July 2006, the hires rate rose in nondurable goods
manufacturing, information, finance and insurance, real estate rental and
leasing, and health care and social assistance.  The hires rate declined in
natural resources and mining over the year.  The hires rate did not change
significantly over the year in any geographic region.  (See table 6.)

                                  - 2 -

Table A.  Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally
adjusted
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   |    Job openings    |       Hires        | Total separations
                   |--------------------------------------------------------------
     Industry      | July | June | July | July | June | July | July | June | July
                   | 2005 | 2006 | 2006p| 2005 | 2006 | 2006p| 2005 | 2006 | 2006p
-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
                   |                     Levels (in thousands)
                   |--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........|3,580 |3,960 |3,844 |4,727 |4,899 |4,949 |4,464 |4,631 |4,447
                   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
  Total private(1).|3,162 |3,476 |3,354 |4,430 |4,508 |4,623 |4,186 |4,299 |4,143
    Construction...|  120 |  161 |  157 |  374 |  366 |  367 |  378 |  324 |  435
    Manufacturing..|  281 |  301 |  304 |  335 |  378 |  379 |  389 |  370 |  363
    Trade, trans-  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     portation, and|      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     utilities.....|  625 |  640 |  622 |1,010 |1,099 |1,050 |  977 |1,082 |  953
    Professional   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     and business  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     services......|  643 |  616 |  591 |  909 |  905 |  878 |  804 |  755 |  702
    Education and  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     health ser-   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     vices.........|  598 |  659 |  662 |  448 |  465 |  536 |  405 |  424 |  403
    Leisure and    |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     hospitality...|  450 |  487 |  466 |  838 |  846 |  840 |  792 |  802 |  823
  Government.......|  418 |  467 |  490 |  327 |  392 |  345 |  275 |  315 |  297
                   |--------------------------------------------------------------
                   |                       Rates (percent)
                   |--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........|  2.6 |  2.8 |  2.8 |  3.5 |  3.6 |  3.7 |  3.3 |  3.4 |  3.3
                   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
  Total private(1).|  2.8 |  3.0 |  2.9 |  4.0 |  4.0 |  4.1 |  3.7 |  3.8 |  3.7
    Construction...|  1.6 |  2.1 |  2.1 |  5.1 |  4.9 |  4.9 |  5.2 |  4.3 |  5.8
    Manufacturing..|  1.9 |  2.1 |  2.1 |  2.4 |  2.7 |  2.7 |  2.7 |  2.6 |  2.5
    Trade, trans-  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     portation, and|      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     utilities.....|  2.4 |  2.4 |  2.3 |  3.9 |  4.2 |  4.0 |  3.8 |  4.2 |  3.7
    Professional   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     and business  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     services......|  3.7 |  3.4 |  3.3 |  5.4 |  5.2 |  5.1 |  4.8 |  4.4 |  4.0
    Education and  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     health ser-   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     vices.........|  3.3 |  3.6 |  3.6 |  2.6 |  2.6 |  3.0 |  2.3 |  2.4 |  2.3
    Leisure and    |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     hospitality...|  3.4 |  3.6 |  3.4 |  6.5 |  6.5 |  6.4 |  6.2 |  6.2 |  6.3
  Government.......|  1.9 |  2.1 |  2.2 |  1.5 |  1.8 |  1.6 |  1.3 |  1.4 |  1.4
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and
other services, not shown separately.
  p = preliminary.

  
Separations
     
   The total separations, or turnover, rate was little changed at 3.3 percent 
in July.  Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any time 
during the month.  In July, the total separations rate increased in construc-
tion and in the Midwest region and declined in trade, transportation, and util-
ities and in the South and West regions.  (See table 3.)
   
   Total separations include quits (voluntary separations), layoffs and dis-
charges (involuntary separations), and other separations (including retire-
ments).  The quits rate, which can serve as a barometer of workers' ability 
to change jobs, was about unchanged at 1.9 percent in July.  The quits rate 
decreased in leisure and hospitality and in the South region.  In July, the 
seasonally adjusted quits rate was highest in the leisure and hospitality in-
dustry (4.2 percent), which also had the highest hires rate.  (See table 4.)

                                  - 3 -

   Over the year, the quits rate grew in transportation, warehousing, and
utilities; information; real estate rental and leasing; and state and local
government.  The quits rate declined in federal government.  The quits rate
did not change significantly over the year in any geographic region. (See
table 8.)
   
   The other two components of total separations--layoffs and discharges, 
and other separations--are not seasonally adjusted.  From July 2005 to 
July 2006, the layoffs and discharges rate was about unchanged at 1.0 per-
cent.  For July 2006, the construction industry had the highest layoffs 
and discharges rate (2.6 percent).  From July 2005 to July 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 July 2006, hires have averaged 4.9 million per
month and separations have averaged 4.6 million per month (not seasonally ad-
justed).  The comparable figures for the prior 12-month period were 4.7 mil-
lion hires and 4.5 million separations.  (See the Technical Note for addi-
tional 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 August 2006 is scheduled 
to be issued on Wednesday, October 11, 2006.
   
   
   
   
   
                                  - 4 -

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 characteris-
tics 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 re-
ceived 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 tempo-
rary help agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors, and
consultants are counted by their employer of record, not by the establish-
ment 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 posi-
tion, 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 news-
papers 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.
   
                                  - 5 -

  Hires.  Hires are the total number of additions to the payroll occurring
at any time during the reference month, including both new and rehired em-
ployees, full-time and part-time, permanent, short-term and seasonal em-
ployees, 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 (ex-
cept for retirements, which are reported as other separations).  Lay-
offs and discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the em-
ployer 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 re-
tirements, 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, divid-
ing 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 an-
nual level by the Current Employment Statistics (CES) annual average employ-
ment level, and multiplying that quotient by 100.  This figure will be ap-
proximately 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 es-
timates 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.

                                  - 6 -

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 rel-
atively 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 supple-
mental 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 compar-
able with estimates for March 2002 and later.
   
  The federal government reorganization that involved transferring approx-
imately 180,000 employees to the new Department of Homeland Security is not 
reflected in the JOLTS hires and separations estimates for the federal gov-
ernment.  The Office of Personnel Management's record shows these transfers 
were completed in March 2003.  The inclusion of transfers in the JOLTS defi-
nitions of hires and separations is intended to cover ongoing movements of 
workers between establishments.  The Department of Homeland Security reorgan-
ization was a massive one-time event, and the inclusion of these intergovern-
mental 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 adjust-
ment 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.

                                  - 7 -

  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 cal-
endar 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 seg-
ment 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 ex-
plain 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 in-
cludes 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 prac-
tices.  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 levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

                                                      Levels(3) (in thousands)                              Rates

           Industry and region            July   Feb.   Mar.   Apr.   May    June   July   July  Feb.  Mar.  Apr.  May   June  July
                                          2005   2006   2006   2006   2006   2006   2006p  2005  2006  2006  2006  2006  2006  2006p

Total (4)..............................  3,580  3,994  4,089  4,070  3,945  3,960  3,844    2.6   2.9   2.9   2.9   2.8   2.8   2.8

                INDUSTRY

 Total private (4).....................  3,162  3,531  3,633  3,603  3,496  3,476  3,354    2.8   3.0   3.1   3.1   3.0   3.0   2.9
  Construction.........................    120    121    144    138    119    161    157    1.6   1.6   1.9   1.8   1.6   2.1   2.1
  Manufacturing........................    281    318    318    323    311    301    304    1.9   2.2   2.2   2.2   2.1   2.1   2.1
  Trade, transportation, and utilities.    625    660    651    672    687    640    622    2.4   2.5   2.4   2.5   2.6   2.4   2.3
  Professional and business services...    643    716    702    748    693    616    591    3.7   4.0   3.9   4.2   3.9   3.4   3.3
  Education and health services........    598    640    692    674    651    659    662    3.3   3.5   3.8   3.7   3.6   3.6   3.6
  Leisure and hospitality..............    450    587    506    485    496    487    466    3.4   4.3   3.8   3.6   3.7   3.6   3.4
 Government............................    418    460    458    467    452    467    490    1.9   2.1   2.0   2.1   2.0   2.1   2.2


                 REGION (5)

  Northeast............................    621    707    732    672    670    699    690    2.4   2.7   2.8   2.6   2.6   2.7   2.6
  South................................  1,368  1,547  1,634  1,600  1,591  1,507  1,472    2.8   3.1   3.3   3.2   3.2   3.0   3.0
  Midwest..............................    774    797    721    770    787    777    745    2.4   2.5   2.2   2.4   2.4   2.4   2.3
  West.................................    778    957    985  1,022    918    935    914    2.6   3.1   3.2   3.3   3.0   3.0   3.0


  1 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day of the month.
  2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business day of the month as a percent of total employment plus
job openings.
  3 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 The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of
Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas,
Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio,
South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah,
Washington, and Wyoming.
  p = preliminary.





Table 2.  Hires levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

                                                      Levels (3) (in thousands)                              Rates

           Industry and region            July   Feb.   Mar.   Apr.   May    June   July   July  Feb.  Mar.  Apr.  May   June  July
                                          2005   2006   2006   2006   2006   2006   2006p  2005  2006  2006  2006  2006  2006  2006p

Total (4)..............................  4,727  4,954  4,884  4,649  4,949  4,899  4,949    3.5   3.7   3.6   3.4   3.7   3.6   3.7

                INDUSTRY

 Total private (4).....................  4,430  4,578  4,503  4,301  4,573  4,508  4,623    4.0   4.1   4.0   3.8   4.0   4.0   4.1
  Construction.........................    374    403    344    376    374    366    367    5.1   5.4   4.6   5.0   5.0   4.9   4.9
  Manufacturing........................    335    333    341    328    385    378    379    2.4   2.3   2.4   2.3   2.7   2.7   2.7
  Trade, transportation, and utilities.  1,010  1,117  1,103  1,029  1,018  1,099  1,050    3.9   4.3   4.2   4.0   3.9   4.2   4.0
  Professional and business services...    909    841    922    858  1,006    905    878    5.4   4.9   5.4   5.0   5.8   5.2   5.1
  Education and health services........    448    435    435    481    549    465    536    2.6   2.5   2.5   2.7   3.1   2.6   3.0
  Leisure and hospitality..............    838  1,019    899    775    811    846    840    6.5   7.9   6.9   6.0   6.2   6.5   6.4
 Government............................    327    379    397    361    379    392    345    1.5   1.7   1.8   1.6   1.7   1.8   1.6


                 REGION (5)

  Northeast............................    785    814    914    849    852    729    831    3.1   3.2   3.6   3.3   3.3   2.9   3.3
  South................................  1,766  2,061  1,803  1,777  1,849  1,877  1,850    3.7   4.3   3.7   3.7   3.8   3.9   3.8
  Midwest..............................  1,034  1,045  1,117    965  1,133  1,072  1,092    3.3   3.3   3.5   3.1   3.6   3.4   3.5
  West.................................  1,105  1,083  1,127  1,152  1,114  1,207  1,147    3.7   3.6   3.8   3.9   3.7   4.0   3.8


  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.






Table 3.  Total separations levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

                                                      Levels (3) (in thousands)                              Rates

           Industry and region            July   Feb.   Mar.   Apr.   May    June   July   July  Feb.  Mar.  Apr.  May   June  July
                                          2005   2006   2006   2006   2006   2006   2006p  2005  2006  2006  2006  2006  2006  2006p

Total (4)..............................  4,464  4,531  4,681  4,495  4,811  4,631  4,447    3.3   3.4   3.5   3.3   3.6   3.4   3.3

                INDUSTRY

 Total private (4).....................  4,186  4,252  4,360  4,203  4,488  4,299  4,143    3.7   3.8   3.9   3.7   4.0   3.8   3.7
  Construction.........................    378    335    422    373    478    324    435    5.2   4.5   5.6   5.0   6.4   4.3   5.8
  Manufacturing........................    389    380    427    346    381    370    363    2.7   2.7   3.0   2.4   2.7   2.6   2.5
  Trade, transportation, and utilities.    977    997    989  1,022  1,046  1,082    953    3.8   3.8   3.8   3.9   4.0   4.2   3.7
  Professional and business services...    804    826    798    790    833    755    702    4.8   4.8   4.6   4.6   4.8   4.4   4.0
  Education and health services........    405    403    399    437    487    424    403    2.3   2.3   2.3   2.5   2.8   2.4   2.3
  Leisure and hospitality..............    792    881    769    770    799    802    823    6.2   6.8   5.9   5.9   6.1   6.2   6.3
 Government............................    275    285    326    302    324    315    297    1.3   1.3   1.5   1.4   1.5   1.4   1.4


                 REGION (5)

  Northeast............................    721    736    714    711    779    724    741    2.9   2.9   2.8   2.8   3.1   2.8   2.9
  South................................  1,637  1,694  1,810  1,710  1,828  1,858  1,649    3.4   3.5   3.8   3.5   3.8   3.8   3.4
  Midwest..............................  1,058  1,032  1,014    992  1,045    871  1,048    3.4   3.3   3.2   3.2   3.3   2.8   3.3
  West.................................  1,076  1,054  1,188  1,116  1,136  1,137  1,022    3.6   3.5   4.0   3.7   3.8   3.8   3.4


  1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month.
  2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 
  3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
  4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
  5 See footnote 5, table 1.
  p = preliminary.





Table 4.  Quits levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

                                                      Levels (3) (in thousands)                              Rates

           Industry and region            July   Feb.   Mar.   Apr.   May    June   July    July  Feb.  Mar.  Apr.  May   June  July
                                          2005   2006   2006   2006   2006   2006   2006p   2005  2006  2006  2006  2006  2006  2006p

Total (4)...............................  2,511  2,663  2,763  2,541  2,723  2,699  2,570    1.9   2.0   2.0   1.9   2.0   2.0   1.9

                INDUSTRY

 Total private (4)......................  2,395  2,526  2,606  2,383  2,565  2,554  2,423    2.1   2.2   2.3   2.1   2.3   2.3   2.1
  Construction.........................     151    153    182    167    207    154    145    2.1   2.0   2.4   2.2   2.8   2.0   1.9
  Manufacturing........................     190    202    205    175    202    190    187    1.3   1.4   1.4   1.2   1.4   1.3   1.3
  Trade, transportation, and utilities.     587    602    598    613    622    615    598    2.3   2.3   2.3   2.4   2.4   2.4   2.3
  Professional and business services...     373    422    426    409    434    386    385    2.2   2.5   2.5   2.4   2.5   2.2   2.2
  Education and health services........     281    279    267    253    276    290    271    1.6   1.6   1.5   1.4   1.6   1.6   1.5
  Leisure and hospitality..............     527    607    561    535    533    622    544    4.1   4.7   4.3   4.1   4.1   4.8   4.2
 Government............................     122    139    156    159    159    146    151     .6    .6    .7    .7    .7    .7    .7


                 REGION (5)

  Northeast............................     374    368    383    370    370    358    374    1.5   1.4   1.5   1.5   1.5   1.4   1.5
  South................................     988  1,114  1,129  1,026  1,152  1,153  1,066    2.1   2.3   2.3   2.1   2.4   2.4   2.2
  Midwest..............................     555    600    619    575    581    552    533    1.8   1.9   2.0   1.8   1.8   1.8   1.7
  West.................................     591    567    642    593    612    631    593    2.0   1.9   2.2   2.0   2.0   2.1   2.0


  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.





Table 5.  Job openings levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

                                                    Levels (in thousands)                  Rates

              Industry and region                  July     June     July          July     June     July
                                                   2005     2006     2006p         2005     2006     2006p

Total...........................................  3,783    4,081    4,045           2.8      2.9      2.9

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  3,333    3,568    3,515           2.9      3.0      3.0
  Natural resources and mining..................     14       14       13           2.2      2.1      1.9
  Construction..................................    135      193      180           1.7      2.4      2.3
  Manufacturing.................................    303      319      325           2.1      2.2      2.2
   Durable goods................................    194      212      213           2.1      2.3      2.3
   Nondurable goods.............................    109      106      112           2.0      2.0      2.1
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    648      633      640           2.4      2.4      2.4
   Wholesale trade..............................    133      136      128           2.2      2.3      2.1
   Retail trade.................................    400      351      367           2.5      2.3      2.4
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...    115      147      145           2.3      2.8      2.8
  Information...................................     79      141      150           2.5      4.4      4.7
  Financial activities..........................    231      284      239           2.7      3.3      2.8
   Finance and insurance........................    190      219      185           3.1      3.4      2.9
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     42       65       54           1.9      2.9      2.4
  Professional and business services............    661      647      596           3.7      3.6      3.3
  Education and health services.................    620      676      687           3.5      3.7      3.8
   Educational services.........................     61       68       61           2.4      2.5      2.4
   Health care and social assistance............    559      608      625           3.7      3.9      4.0
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    506      498      519           3.6      3.5      3.6
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........     88       57       58           3.8      2.6      2.5
   Accommodations and food services.............    418      442      461           3.6      3.7      3.8
  Other services................................    137      162      167           2.4      2.9      3.0

 Government.....................................    450      513      530           2.1      2.3      2.5
  Federal.......................................     43       40       52           1.6      1.4      1.9
  State and local...............................    406      473      478           2.2      2.4      2.6

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................    635      712      705           2.5      2.7      2.7
  South.........................................  1,472    1,564    1,568           3.0      3.1      3.1
  Midwest.......................................    840      804      805           2.6      2.5      2.5
  West..........................................    836    1,002      967           2.7      3.2      3.1


  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 5, table 1.
  p = preliminary.





Table 6.  Hires levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

                                                    Levels (in thousands)                  Rates

              Industry and region                  July     June    July           July     June     July
                                                   2005     2006    2006p          2005     2006     2006p

Total...........................................  4,935    5,962    5,161           3.7      4.4      3.8

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  4,571    5,446    4,783           4.1      4.8      4.2
  Natural resources and mining..................     32       23       19           5.1      3.3      2.8
  Construction..................................    388      476      377           5.1      6.2      4.8
  Manufacturing.................................    362      437      412           2.5      3.0      2.9
   Durable goods................................    215      280      231           2.4      3.1      2.6
   Nondurable goods.............................    147      157      181           2.8      3.0      3.4
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    993    1,222    1,026           3.8      4.7      3.9
   Wholesale trade..............................    143      182      145           2.5      3.1      2.5
   Retail trade.................................    697      833      712           4.6      5.5      4.7
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...    154      207      169           3.1      4.1      3.4
  Information...................................     68       96       97           2.2      3.1      3.2
  Financial activities..........................    190      240      272           2.3      2.9      3.2
   Finance and insurance........................    129      148      176           2.1      2.4      2.9
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     60       93       96           2.8      4.2      4.3
  Professional and business services............    939    1,031      896           5.5      5.9      5.1
  Education and health services.................    481      561      586           2.8      3.2      3.4
   Educational services.........................     70       86       75           2.8      3.3      3.0
   Health care and social assistance............    411      475      512           2.8      3.2      3.4
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    883    1,092      883           6.5      8.0      6.4
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........    129      183      124           5.9      8.5      5.6
   Accommodations and food services.............    754      910      759           6.7      7.9      6.6
  Other services................................    235      268      213           4.3      4.9      3.9

 Government.....................................    364      516      379           1.8      2.4      1.8
  Federal.......................................     43       66       31           1.6      2.4      1.1
  State and local...............................    321      450      347           1.8      2.3      1.9

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................    871      969      926           3.5      3.8      3.6
  South.........................................  1,854    2,229    1,950           3.9      4.6      4.0
  Midwest.......................................  1,028    1,289    1,085           3.3      4.1      3.5
  West..........................................  1,183    1,476    1,200           4.0      4.9      4.0


  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.





Table 7.  Total separations levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

                                                    Levels (in thousands)                  Rates

              Industry and region                  July     June    July           July     June     July
                                                   2005     2006    2006p          2005     2006     2006p

Total...........................................  4,695    4,882    4,660           3.5      3.6      3.4

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  4,348    4,402    4,284           3.9      3.8      3.7
  Natural resources and mining..................     24       16       13           3.8      2.3      1.9
  Construction..................................    330      317      395           4.3      4.1      5.1
  Manufacturing.................................    416      374      392           2.9      2.6      2.7
   Durable goods................................    269      216      242           3.0      2.4      2.7
   Nondurable goods.............................    147      158      150           2.8      3.0      2.8
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    976    1,069      944           3.8      4.1      3.6
   Wholesale trade..............................    135      148      167           2.3      2.5      2.8
   Retail trade.................................    702      753      630           4.6      4.9      4.1
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...    139      168      147           2.9      3.4      3.0
  Information...................................     74       91       79           2.4      2.9      2.6
  Financial activities..........................    171      225      239           2.1      2.7      2.8
   Finance and insurance........................    128      133      147           2.1      2.2      2.4
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     43       93       92           2.0      4.2      4.1
  Professional and business services............    915      798      778           5.4      4.6      4.4
  Education and health services.................    450      491      444           2.6      2.8      2.6
   Educational services.........................     62       83       64           2.5      3.1      2.5
   Health care and social assistance............    388      408      381           2.7      2.7      2.6
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    796      814      835           5.9      6.0      6.1
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........     86       86      102           3.9      4.0      4.6
   Accommodations and food services.............    710      728      734           6.3      6.4      6.4
  Other services................................    194      206      165           3.6      3.8      3.0

 Government.....................................    348      481      375           1.7      2.2      1.8
  Federal.......................................     39       75       23           1.4      2.8       .8
  State and local...............................    308      405      352           1.7      2.1      2.0

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................    701      805      721           2.8      3.1      2.8
  South.........................................  1,773    1,952    1,778           3.7      4.0      3.7
  Midwest.......................................  1,063      946    1,067           3.4      3.0      3.4
  West..........................................  1,158    1,179    1,094           3.9      3.9      3.6


  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.






Table 8.  Quits levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

                                                    Levels (in thousands)                  Rates

              Industry and region                  July     June    July           July     June     July
                                                   2005     2006    2006p          2005     2006     2006p

Total...........................................  2,780    2,920    2,827           2.1      2.1      2.1

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  2,636    2,716    2,650           2.3      2.4      2.3
  Natural resources and mining..................     12        8        9           1.9      1.1      1.3
  Construction..................................    173      183      159           2.3      2.4      2.0
  Manufacturing.................................    224      201      217           1.6      1.4      1.5
   Durable goods................................    137      120      127           1.5      1.3      1.4
   Nondurable goods.............................     87       81       91           1.6      1.5      1.7
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    611      614      620           2.4      2.3      2.4
   Wholesale trade..............................     78       89       84           1.3      1.5      1.4
   Retail trade.................................    464      451      442           3.0      3.0      2.9
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...     69       74       94           1.4      1.5      1.9
  Information...................................     43       71       58           1.4      2.3      1.9
  Financial activities..........................    111      150      148           1.3      1.8      1.8
   Finance and insurance........................     83       93       96           1.4      1.5      1.6
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     27       58       52           1.3      2.6      2.3
  Professional and business services............    425      408      433           2.5      2.3      2.5
  Education and health services.................    306      326      294           1.8      1.9      1.7
   Educational services.........................     33       41       40           1.3      1.5      1.6
   Health care and social assistance............    273      286      254           1.9      1.9      1.7
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    588      627      604           4.4      4.6      4.4
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........     60       54       50           2.7      2.5      2.3
   Accommodations and food services.............    528      573      553           4.7      5.0      4.8
  Other services................................    142      129      109           2.6      2.4      2.0

 Government.....................................    144      204      176            .7       .9       .9
  Federal.......................................     18       30       10            .6      1.1       .4
  State and local...............................    127      174      166            .7       .9       .9

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................    412      390      413           1.6      1.5      1.6
  South.........................................  1,127    1,248    1,204           2.4      2.6      2.5
  Midwest.......................................    583      588      553           1.9      1.9      1.8
  West..........................................    658      695      657           2.2      2.3      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.





Table 9.  Layoffs and discharges levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

                                                    Levels (in thousands)                  Rates

              Industry and region                  July     June     July          July     June     July
                                                   2005     2006     2006p         2005     2006     2006p

Total...........................................  1,591    1,534    1,418           1.2      1.1      1.0

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  1,456    1,355    1,284           1.3      1.2      1.1
  Natural resources and mining..................      5        3        2            .8       .4       .3
  Construction..................................    148      113      201           1.9      1.5      2.6
  Manufacturing.................................    139      144      129           1.0      1.0       .9
   Durable goods................................     91       76       81           1.0       .8       .9
   Nondurable goods.............................     49       68       48            .9      1.3       .9
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    303      352      246           1.2      1.3       .9
   Wholesale trade..............................     48       46       62            .8       .8      1.1
   Retail trade.................................    198      234      145           1.3      1.5      1.0
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...     57       72       39           1.2      1.4       .8
  Information...................................     20       12       15            .7       .4       .5
  Financial activities..........................     40       54       63            .5       .6       .7
   Finance and insurance........................     27       24       29            .4       .4       .5
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     14       29       34            .6      1.3      1.5
  Professional and business services............    454      315      268           2.7      1.8      1.5
  Education and health services.................    112      133      108            .7       .8       .6
   Educational services.........................     23       36       21            .9      1.4       .8
   Health care and social assistance............     89       97       88            .6       .6       .6
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    189      166      207           1.4      1.2      1.5
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........     25       31       50           1.1      1.4      2.3
   Accommodations and food services.............    164      135      157           1.5      1.2      1.4
  Other services................................     46       64       44            .8      1.2       .8

 Government.....................................    135      179      134            .7       .8       .6
  Federal.......................................      9       26        7            .3       .9       .3
  State and local...............................    126      153      127            .7       .8       .7

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................    241      330      241           1.0      1.3       .9
  South.........................................    531      524      434           1.1      1.1       .9
  Midwest.......................................    386      273      394           1.2       .9      1.3
  West..........................................    433      408      349           1.5      1.3      1.2


  1 Layoffs and discharges are the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire month.
  2 The layoffs and discharges rate is the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire month as a
percent of total employment.
  3 See footnote 5, table 1.
  p = preliminary.





 Table 10.  Other separations levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

                                                    Levels (in thousands)                  Rates

              Industry and region                  July     June     July          July     June     July
                                                   2005     2006     2006p         2005     2006     2006p

Total...........................................    325      428      415           0.2      0.3      0.3

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................    256      331      350            .2       .3       .3
  Natural resources and mining..................      8        5        3           1.2       .8       .4
  Construction..................................      9       21       35            .1       .3       .4
  Manufacturing.................................     53       29       46            .4       .2       .3
   Durable goods................................     41       20       34            .5       .2       .4
   Nondurable goods.............................     12        9       11            .2       .2       .2
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........     62      103       77            .2       .4       .3
   Wholesale trade..............................      9       13       20            .2       .2       .3
   Retail trade.................................     40       68       43            .3       .4       .3
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...     14       21       14            .3       .4       .3
  Information...................................     10        7        6            .3       .2       .2
  Financial activities..........................     21       21       28            .3       .3       .3
   Finance and insurance........................     18       16       23            .3       .3       .4
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........      2        6        6            .1       .2       .3
  Professional and business services............     36       76       77            .2       .4       .4
  Education and health services.................     32       32       42            .2       .2       .2
   Educational services.........................      6        6        3            .2       .2       .1
   Health care and social assistance............     26       25       39            .2       .2       .3
  Leisure and hospitality.......................     19       22       25            .1       .2       .2
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........      2        2        1            .1       .1       .1
   Accommodations and food services.............     17       20       24            .2       .2       .2
  Other services................................      7       14       12            .1       .3       .2

 Government.....................................     69       97       65            .3       .4       .3
  Federal.......................................     13       19        6            .5       .7       .2
  State and local...............................     56       78       59            .3       .4       .3

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................     48       85       68            .2       .3       .3
  South.........................................    115      181      139            .2       .4       .3
  Midwest.......................................     94       86      120            .3       .3       .4
  West..........................................     67       76       88            .2       .3       .3


  1 Other separations are the number of other separations during the entire month.
  2 The other separations rate is the number of other separations during the entire month as a percent of
total employment.
  3 See footnote 5, table 1.
  p = preliminary.