News

Bureau of Labor Statistics Washington, D.C. 20212 

United States 

Department 

of Labor 

Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 08-0942 

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

 For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT 

Media contact: (202) 691-5902 Wednesday, July 9, 2008 

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: MAY 2008 

On the last business day of May, there were 3.6 million job openings in the United States, and 

the job openings rate was 2.6 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor 

reported today. The job openings rate and total separations rate were unchanged in May while the hires 

rate fell. 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. 

Chart 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted,

 June 2005 - May 2008

1.6

1.8

2.0

2.2

2.4

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

Percent

2006 2007 2008

Chart 2. Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted,

 June 2005 - May 2008

2.6

2.8

3.0

3.2

3.4

3.6

3.8

4.0

Percent

Separations

Hires

2006 2007 2008

Although the month-to-month changes in job openings, hires, and turnover data are often small, 

the trends over time are notable. The job openings rate remained essentially flat from August 2006 

through September 2007 then began trending downward, driven by decreases in manufacturing; 

transportation, warehousing, and utilities; and information. As the declines in these industries leveled 

off, the job openings rate has remained at 2.6 percent in March, April and May. The hires rate has 

trended downward since July 2006 and in May was at the lowest point in almost five years. The same 

industries that drove the decline in the job openings rate have driven the decline in the hires rate: 

manufacturing; transportation, warehousing, and utilities; and information. The separations rate began 

an overall downward trend in November 2006, driven by declines in several industries, but has leveled 

off in 2008. (See tables 1, 2, and 3.) 
2 

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

Industry May Apr. May May Apr. May May Apr. May

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total 1................................................4,133 3,612 3,626 4,875 4,715 4,301 4,542 4,404 4,381

Total private 1

.................................... 3,681 3,192 3,180 4,457 4,311 3,990 4,223 4,112 4,084

Construction.................................... 165 99 118 355 385 300 350 378 400

Manufacturing................................. 342 244 236 348 300 274 393 390 362

Trade, transportation, and utilities 2

......... 671 550 603 1,050 943 835 959 1,003 885

 Retail trade.................................. 355 338 383 739 642 585 692 716 618

Professional and business services............ 677 676 601 915 858 799 750 739 718

Education and health services............... 699 684 672 500 510 499 432 429 417

Leisure and hospitality 3

........................ 553 491 518 868 841 884 815 722 831

 Accommodation and food services...... 486 433 443 743 719 749 704 619 702

Government 4

..................................... 453 422 453 400 407 388 316 295 294

 State and local government.................. 416 395 410 327 315 312 247 248 244

Total 1

................................................ 2.9 2.6 2.6 3.5 3.4 3.1 3.3 3.2 3.2

Total private 1

.................................... 3.1 2.7 2.7 3.9 3.7 3.5 3.7 3.6 3.5

Construction.................................... 2.1 1.3 1.6 4.6 5.3 4.1 4.6 5.2 5.5

Manufacturing................................. 2.4 1.8 1.7 2.5 2.2 2.0 2.8 2.9 2.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities 2

......... 2.5 2.0 2.2 3.9 3.6 3.2 3.6 3.8 3.3

 Retail trade.................................... 2.2 2.2 2.4 4.8 4.2 3.8 4.5 4.7 4.0

Professional and business services............3.6 3.6 3.2 5.1 4.8 4.4 4.2 4.1 4.0

Education and health services............... 3.7 3.5 3.4 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.4 2.3 2.2

Leisure and hospitality 3

........................ 4.0 3.5 3.6 6.5 6.1 6.4 6.1 5.3 6.1

 Accommodation and food services...... 4.1 3.6 3.7 6.5 6.2 6.4 6.1 5.3 6.0

Government 4

.................................... 2.0 1.8 2.0 1.8 1.8 1.7 1.4 1.3 1.3

 State and local government.................. 2.1 2.0 2.0 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.3 1.3 1.2

 1 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately. 2 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately. 3 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately. 4 Includes federal government, not shown separately. p = preliminary.

Rates (percent)

Job openings Hires Total separations

Levels (in thousands)

Job Openings

In May, the job openings rate was unchanged at 2.6 percent. Job openings include only those 

jobs open on the last business day of the month. Over the month, the job openings rate changed 

significantly only in the government sector where it rose. Since the series began in December 2000, 

three industries consistently have had higher job openings rates than the other industries: 

accommodation and food services (3.7 percent in May), education and health services (3.4 percent), and 

professional and business services (3.2 percent). (See table 1.) 
3 

Over the year, the job openings rate (not seasonally adjusted) did not rise significantly for any 

industry or region. The rate fell over the year for total nonfarm (to 2.7 percent) and total private (2.8 

percent) as well as in several industries, including construction (1.9 percent); durable goods 

manufacturing (1.6 percent); nondurable goods manufacturing (2.0 percent); wholesale trade (2.4 

percent); transportation, warehousing, and utilities (1.8 percent); information (2.1 percent); finance and 

insurance (2.0 percent); and educational services (1.7 percent). Regionally, the job openings rate fell 

over the year in the South (2.9 percent). (See table 5.) 

Hires

The hires rate decreased significantly to 3.1 percent in May, the lowest point since June 2003. 

Hires are any additions to the payroll during the month. After four months of no significant over-themonth changes in any industry, the hires rate fell in May for total nonfarm (to 3.1 percent), total private 

(3.5 percent), construction (4.1 percent), and trade, transportation, and utilities (3.2 percent). As occurs 

nearly every month, the seasonally adjusted hires rate was highest in May in accommodation and food 

services (6.4 percent) and lowest in state and local government (1.6 percent). (See table 2.) 

From May 2007 to May 2008, the hires rate (not seasonally adjusted) did not increase 

significantly in any industry; the rate decreased significantly for total nonfarm (to 3.6 percent) and total 

private (4.0 percent), and in durable goods manufacturing (2.0 percent), nondurable goods 

manufacturing (2.9 percent), wholesale trade (1.9 percent), retail trade (4.2 percent), information (1.6 

percent), and finance and insurance (2.1 percent). Regionally, the hires rate fell over the year in the 

Midwest (3.7 percent) and South (3.6 percent). (See table 6.) 

Separations

The total separations, or turnover, rate was unchanged at 3.2 percent in May. Separations are 

terminations of employment that occur at any time during the month. Over the month, the separations 

rate decreased in retail trade (to 4.0 percent). The seasonally adjusted separations rate was highest in 

May in accommodation and food services (6.0 percent) and lowest in state and local government (1.2 

percent). From May 2007 to May 2008, the total separations rate rose in construction (5.2 percent), 

educational services (3.3 percent), and other services (4.1 percent). The rate fell over the year in retail 

trade (4.0 percent), information (1.6 percent), finance and insurance (2.1 percent), health care and social 

assistance (2.3 percent), the federal government (1.9 percent) and the South region (3.5 percent). (See 

tables 3 and 7.) 

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 little changed in May for total nonfarm (at 1.7 

percent) and has been stable since November 2007. The quits rate decreased in May in education and 

health services (to 1.2 percent) and in state and local government (0.6 percent). As has occurred every 

month since the series began in December 2000, the seasonally adjusted quits rate was highest in the 

accommodation and food services industry (4.2 percent) and lowest in state and local government (0.6 

percent). (See table 4.) 
4 

From May 2007 to May 2008, the quits rate (not seasonally adjusted) fell for total nonfarm, total 

private, many of the industries, and three of the four regions. The industries in which the quits rate fell 

over the year were: natural resources and mining; durable goods manufacturing; nondurable goods 

manufacturing; retail trade; transportation, warehousing, and utilities; finance and insurance; health care 

and social assistance; federal government; and state and local government. The three regions in which 

the quits rate decreased over the year were the Midwest, South, and West. The quits rate did not rise 

significantly in May in any industry or region. (See table 8.) 

The other two components of total separations—layoffs and discharges, and other separations—

are not seasonally adjusted. For May, the layoffs and discharges rate (1.2 percent) and level (1.6 

million) were both higher than a year earlier. The layoffs and discharges rate increased significantly in 

construction, educational services, other services, and the Northeast region; the rate fell for the federal 

government. The layoffs and discharges rate in May 2008 was highest in construction (3.1 percent) and 

arts, entertainment, and recreation (3.2 percent) and lowest in federal government (0.4 percent). The 

other separations rate (0.2 percent) and level (269,000) were little changed in May from a year earlier. 

As usual, the highest other separations rate in May 2008 was for the federal government (0.8 percent). 

The other separations rate for most of the other industries range from 0.1 to 0.3 percent each month. 

(See tables 9 and 10.) 

The total separations rate is driven by the relative contribution of its three components (quits, 

layoffs and discharges, and other separations), with quits contributing the largest portion. The 

percentage of total separations attributable to quits has risen and fallen over time. The proportion of total 

separations due to quits (seasonally adjusted) rose from a post-recession low of 50 percent in December 

2003 to a high of 61 percent in December 2006 before trending downward again. In May 2008, quits 

accounted for 54 percent of total separations. The proportion of separations attributable to quits has 

varied the most over the life of the series in the construction industry (varying from 26 percent to 55 

percent) and in the Northeast region (varying from 39 percent to 65 percent). The proportion of 

separations attributable to quits varies widely by industry with the highest proportion regularly occurring 

in the accommodation and food services industry (71 percent in May) and the lowest proportion 

regularly occurring in the construction industry (30 percent in May). (See tables 3 and 4.) 

Flows in the Labor Market

Several industries consistently have high rates of both hires and separations. These include 

construction; retail trade; professional and business services; arts, entertainment, and recreation; and 

accommodation and food services. In the 12 months ending in May 2008, these 5 industries produced 

32.5 million hires and 31.6 million separations. Therefore, these five industries accounted for 58 

percent of total nonfarm hires and 59 percent of total nonfarm separations while comprising only 40 

percent of total nonfarm employment. 

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 June 2008 is scheduled to be issued on 

Tuesday, August 12. 
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 2007 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.

Prior to the January 2007 benchmark release in March 2007,

seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS series was conducted using

the stable seasonal filter option since there were not enough

data observations available for the standard use of moving

averages as seasonal filters. Although the seasonal

adjustment of the JOLTS series is conducted with fewer data

observations than is customary, the number of observations is

now above the minimum required by X-12 ARIMA to use the

normal seasonal filters. Therefore, the standard use of moving

averages as seasonal filters is now in place for JOLTS seasonal

adjustment. JOLTS seasonal adjustment now includes both

additive and multiplicative seasonal adjustment models and

REGARIMA (regression with autocorrelated errors) modeling

to improve the seasonal adjustment factors at the beginning

and end of the series and to detect and adjust for outliers in

the series.

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 levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May

2007 2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008p 2007 2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008p

Total 4................................................... 4,133 3,974 3,889 3,799 3,672 3,612 3,626 2.9 2.8 2.7 2.7 2.6 2.6 2.6

INDUSTRY

Total private 4....................................... 3,681 3,526 3,449 3,350 3,225 3,192 3,180 3.1 3.0 2.9 2.8 2.7 2.7 2.7

Construction....................................... 165 140 133 123 102 99 118 2.1 1.8 1.8 1.6 1.4 1.3 1.6

Manufacturing.................................... 342 305 286 239 251 244 236 2.4 2.2 2.0 1.7 1.8 1.8 1.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 671 667 643 598 562 550 603 2.5 2.4 2.4 2.2 2.1 2.0 2.2

Retail trade....................................... 355 358 346 326 344 338 383 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.4

Professional and business services......... 677 706 752 699 714 676 601 3.6 3.7 4.0 3.7 3.8 3.6 3.2

Education and health services............... 699 698 680 737 696 684 672 3.7 3.6 3.5 3.8 3.6 3.5 3.4

Leisure and hospitality 6

........................ 553 574 515 530 501 491 518 4.0 4.0 3.6 3.7 3.5 3.5 3.6

Accommodation and food services...... 486 514 467 477 450 433 443 4.1 4.2 3.9 3.9 3.7 3.6 3.7

Government 7

....................................... 453 446 439 450 441 422 453 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.0 1.9 1.8 2.0

State and local government................... 416 398 401 413 389 395 410 2.1 2.0 2.0 2.1 1.9 2.0 2.0

REGION 8

Northeast.......................................... 671 644 662 576 602 618 617 2.5 2.4 2.5 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.3

South................................................ 1,700 1,574 1,536 1,485 1,386 1,364 1,373 3.3 3.1 3.0 2.9 2.7 2.7 2.7

Midwest............................................. 762 779 749 766 781 752 719 2.4 2.4 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.3 2.2

West................................................ 999 988 966 954 918 883 919 3.1 3.1 3.0 3.0 2.9 2.8 2.9

1

 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day of the 8 The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the 

month. regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New 2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business day Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and 

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

 3

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

adjustment of the various series. Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and 

 4

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

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

 5

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

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

 6

 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately. Wyoming.

 7

 Includes federal government, not shown separately. p = preliminary.

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

May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May

2007 2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008p 2007 2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008p

Total 4................................................... 4,875 4,717 4,639 4,586 4,569 4,715 4,301 3.5 3.4 3.4 3.3 3.3 3.4 3.1

INDUSTRY

Total private 4....................................... 4,457 4,314 4,227 4,203 4,147 4,311 3,990 3.9 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.7 3.5

Construction....................................... 355 335 319 349 350 385 300 4.6 4.5 4.3 4.7 4.8 5.3 4.1

Manufacturing.................................... 348 350 326 285 309 300 274 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.1 2.3 2.2 2.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 1,050 970 916 882 884 943 835 3.9 3.6 3.4 3.3 3.3 3.6 3.2

Retail trade....................................... 739 693 656 603 598 642 585 4.8 4.5 4.2 3.9 3.9 4.2 3.8

Professional and business services......... 915 851 897 780 893 858 799 5.1 4.7 5.0 4.3 5.0 4.8 4.4

Education and health services............... 500 460 516 522 501 510 499 2.7 2.5 2.8 2.8 2.7 2.7 2.7

Leisure and hospitality 6

........................ 868 880 824 868 801 841 884 6.5 6.4 6.0 6.4 5.9 6.1 6.4

Accommodation and food services...... 743 713 702 730 654 719 749 6.5 6.1 6.0 6.3 5.6 6.2 6.4

Government 7

....................................... 400 390 394 387 429 407 388 1.8 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.9 1.8 1.7

State and local government................... 327 326 319 306 315 315 312 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6

REGION 8

Northeast.......................................... 712 770 767 713 715 743 697 2.8 3.0 3.0 2.8 2.8 2.9 2.7

South................................................ 1,910 1,802 1,814 1,769 1,703 1,725 1,591 3.9 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.4 3.5 3.2

Midwest.............................................1,083 1,045 998 944 986 986 941 3.4 3.3 3.2 3.0 3.1 3.1 3.0

West................................................ 1,132 1,067 1,058 1,186 1,170 1,246 1,149 3.7 3.4 3.4 3.8 3.8 4.0 3.7

 1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month. 5

 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, 2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of not shown separately.

total employment. 6

 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately. 3

 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal 7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.

adjustment of the various series. 8

 See footnote 8, table 1. 4

 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and p = preliminary.

other services, not shown separately.

Industry and region

Industry and region

Levels Rates 3

 (in thousands)

Levels 3

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

 and rates 2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May

2007 2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008p 2007 2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008p

Total 4................................................... 4,542 4,408 4,477 4,503 4,390 4,404 4,381 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.2

INDUSTRY

Total private 4

....................................... 4,223 4,107 4,188 4,224 4,100 4,112 4,084 3.7 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.5

Construction....................................... 350 331 311 329 367 378 400 4.6 4.4 4.2 4.5 5.0 5.2 5.5

Manufacturing.................................... 393 325 348 350 304 390 362 2.8 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.2 2.9 2.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 959 981 1,005 957 941 1,003 885 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.6 3.5 3.8 3.3

Retail trade.................................... 692 686 689 669 688 716 618 4.5 4.4 4.4 4.3 4.5 4.7 4.0

Professional and business services......... 750 814 790 861 806 739 718 4.2 4.5 4.4 4.8 4.5 4.1 4.0

Education and health services............... 432 417 447 459 449 429 417 2.4 2.2 2.4 2.5 2.4 2.3 2.2

Leisure and hospitality 6

........................ 815 803 800 854 776 722 831 6.1 5.9 5.9 6.2 5.7 5.3 6.1

Accommodation and food services...... 704 697 657 718 656 619 702 6.1 6.0 5.7 6.2 5.6 5.3 6.0

Government 7

....................................... 316 295 290 278 291 295 294 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.3

State and local government................... 247 256 237 229 228 248 244 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.2

REGION 8

Northeast.......................................... 648 635 697 770 737 709 750 2.5 2.5 2.7 3.0 2.9 2.8 2.9

South................................................1,783 1,712 1,699 1,673 1,617 1,666 1,627 3.6 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.3 3.4 3.3

Midwest.............................................1,008 980 975 902 918 949 931 3.2 3.1 3.1 2.9 2.9 3.0 3.0

West................................................ 1,077 1,117 1,107 1,167 1,101 1,094 1,064 3.5 3.6 3.6 3.8 3.6 3.5 3.4

 1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire and other services, not shown separately.

month. 5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, 2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the not shown separately.

entire month as a percent of total employment. 6

 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately. 3

 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent 7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.

seasonal adjustment of the various series. 8

 See footnote 8, table 1. 4

 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, p = preliminary.

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

May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May

2007 2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008p 2007 2007 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008p

Total 4................................................... 2,657 2,494 2,493 2,522 2,375 2,444 2,344 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.7 1.8 1.7

INDUSTRY

Total private 4

....................................... 2,503 2,358 2,355 2,384 2,258 2,301 2,209 2.2 2.0 2.0 2.1 2.0 2.0 1.9

Construction....................................... 129 119 113 133 111 127 120 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.8 1.5 1.7 1.6

Manufacturing.................................... 212 182 183 187 157 182 167 1.5 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.2 1.3 1.2

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 600 590 598 532 535 550 499 2.3 2.2 2.2 2.0 2.0 2.1 1.9

Retail trade.................................... 444 445 437 374 399 404 356 2.9 2.9 2.8 2.4 2.6 2.6 2.3

Professional and business services......... 415 367 351 492 386 385 380 2.3 2.0 1.9 2.7 2.1 2.1 2.1

Education and health services............... 283 258 276 271 279 270 230 1.6 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.2

Leisure and hospitality 6

........................ 547 561 525 539 529 516 546 4.1 4.1 3.8 3.9 3.9 3.8 4.0

Accommodation and food services...... 506 513 465 488 494 473 495 4.4 4.4 4.0 4.2 4.2 4.1 4.2

Government 7

....................................... 153 137 138 135 126 144 134 .7 .6 .6 .6 .6 .6 .6

State and local government................... 129 120 119 116 101 129 116 .7 .6 .6 .6 .5 .7 .6

REGION 8

Northeast.......................................... 331 312 358 410 334 368 352 1.3 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.3 1.4 1.4

South................................................1,145 1,008 1,045 1,021 996 1,001 948 2.3 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.0 2.0 1.9

Midwest............................................. 541 521 502 475 491 500 477 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.5

West................................................ 640 632 583 632 568 575 564 2.1 2.0 1.9 2.0 1.8 1.9 1.8

 1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month. 5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, 2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a not shown separately.

percent of total employment. 6

 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately. 3

 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent 7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.

seasonal adjustment of the various series. 8

 See footnote 8, table 1. 4

 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, p = preliminary.

and other services, not shown separately.

Industry and region

Industry and region

Levels 3

 (in thousands) Rates

Levels 3

 (in thousands) Rates
Table 5. Job openings levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

May Apr. May May Apr. May

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 4,361 3,725 3,802 3.1 2.6 2.7

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 3,886 3,300 3,325 3.2 2.8 2.8

Natural resources and mining........................ 15 16 16 2.0 2.1 2.1

Construction................................................ 196 114 143 2.5 1.6 1.9

Manufacturing............................................. 362 253 242 2.5 1.8 1.8

Durable goods.......................................... 213 152 143 2.3 1.7 1.6

Nondurable goods.................................... 150 102 99 2.9 2.0 2.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 690 555 629 2.5 2.1 2.3

Wholesale trade....................................... 212 123 147 3.4 2.0 2.4

Retail trade............................................. 350 334 388 2.2 2.2 2.5

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 128 98 95 2.5 1.9 1.8

Information................................................ 140 66 65 4.4 2.1 2.1

Financial activities......................................... 246 211 186 2.9 2.5 2.2

Finance and insurance.............................. 198 151 127 3.1 2.4 2.0

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 48 60 59 2.2 2.8 2.7

Professional and business services.................. 696 703 607 3.7 3.8 3.3

Education and health services........................ 724 694 687 3.8 3.5 3.5

Educational services................................. 70 51 54 2.3 1.6 1.7

Health care and social assistance.................. 654 644 633 4.1 3.9 3.8

Leisure and hospitality................................. 643 544 603 4.5 3.9 4.2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 75 83 89 3.5 4.0 4.1

Accommodation and food services............... 567 461 514 4.7 3.8 4.2

Other services............................................. 174 143 147 3.1 2.5 2.6

Government................................................... 475 425 477 2.1 1.8 2.0

Federal...................................................... 37 27 43 1.3 1.0 1.6

State and local........................................... 438 398 433 2.2 1.9 2.1

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 670 616 613 2.5 2.3 2.3

South......................................................... 1,846 1,422 1,475 3.6 2.8 2.9

Midwest...................................................... 798 780 744 2.5 2.4 2.3

West......................................................... 1,047 907 970 3.3 2.8 3.0

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

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

plus job openings.

 3 See footnote 8, table 1.

 p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 6. Hires levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

May Apr. May May Apr. May

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 5,612 4,799 5,012 4.1 3.5 3.6

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 5,193 4,488 4,609 4.5 3.9 4.0

Natural resources and mining........................ 35 34 29 4.9 4.6 3.9

Construction................................................ 465 513 387 6.0 7.2 5.3

Manufacturing............................................. 407 300 313 2.9 2.2 2.3

Durable goods.......................................... 234 173 172 2.6 2.0 2.0

Nondurable goods.................................... 173 127 142 3.4 2.6 2.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 1,164 934 898 4.4 3.6 3.4

Wholesale trade....................................... 186 140 117 3.1 2.3 1.9

Retail trade............................................. 826 629 639 5.3 4.1 4.2

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 152 165 142 3.0 3.3 2.8

Information................................................ 78 53 49 2.6 1.8 1.6

Financial activities......................................... 264 186 210 3.2 2.3 2.6

Finance and insurance.............................. 168 118 127 2.7 1.9 2.1

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 96 68 83 4.4 3.2 3.9

Professional and business services.................. 986 911 852 5.5 5.1 4.7

Education and health services........................ 503 463 496 2.7 2.4 2.6

Educational services................................. 54 52 66 1.8 1.6 2.1

Health care and social assistance.................. 449 411 431 2.9 2.6 2.7

Leisure and hospitality................................. 1,106 905 1,146 8.1 6.7 8.2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 209 151 228 10.2 7.7 10.9

Accommodation and food services............... 897 754 917 7.7 6.5 7.8

Other services............................................. 186 189 229 3.4 3.4 4.1

Government................................................... 419 312 402 1.9 1.4 1.8

Federal...................................................... 82 85 78 3.0 3.1 2.9

State and local........................................... 336 226 324 1.7 1.1 1.6

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 838 769 812 3.3 3.0 3.1

South......................................................... 2,168 1,720 1,782 4.3 3.5 3.6

Midwest...................................................... 1,382 1,071 1,179 4.4 3.4 3.7

West......................................................... 1,224 1,240 1,239 3.9 4.0 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 8, table 1. p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 7. Total separations levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

May Apr. May May Apr. May

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 4,531 4,093 4,362 3.3 3.0 3.2

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 4,184 3,875 4,035 3.6 3.4 3.5

Natural resources and mining........................ 25 21 17 3.4 2.9 2.3

Construction................................................ 320 312 382 4.1 4.4 5.2

Manufacturing............................................. 393 388 365 2.8 2.9 2.7

Durable goods.......................................... 233 236 221 2.6 2.7 2.6

Nondurable goods.................................... 160 152 144 3.2 3.1 2.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 988 901 884 3.7 3.4 3.3

Wholesale trade....................................... 133 140 158 2.2 2.3 2.6

Retail trade............................................. 719 632 609 4.7 4.2 4.0

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 136 130 117 2.7 2.6 2.3

Information................................................ 78 52 48 2.6 1.7 1.6

Financial activities......................................... 247 213 194 3.0 2.6 2.4

Finance and insurance.............................. 167 128 126 2.7 2.1 2.1

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 80 86 68 3.7 4.1 3.2

Professional and business services.................. 703 749 627 3.9 4.2 3.5

Education and health services........................ 488 401 465 2.7 2.1 2.5

Educational services................................. 67 60 101 2.2 1.9 3.3

Health care and social assistance.................. 422 341 364 2.7 2.2 2.3

Leisure and hospitality................................. 792 672 824 5.8 5.0 5.9

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 91 89 120 4.4 4.5 5.7

Accommodation and food services............... 701 583 704 6.0 5.0 6.0

Other services............................................. 150 164 230 2.7 3.0 4.1

Government................................................... 347 219 326 1.5 1.0 1.4

Federal...................................................... 71 47 52 2.6 1.7 1.9

State and local........................................... 277 172 275 1.4 .9 1.4

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 573 622 682 2.2 2.4 2.6

South......................................................... 1,905 1,653 1,725 3.8 3.3 3.5

Midwest...................................................... 965 819 889 3.1 2.6 2.8

West......................................................... 1,088 1,000 1,066 3.5 3.2 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 See footnote 8, table 1. p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 8. Quits levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

May Apr. May May Apr. May

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 2,843 2,325 2,479 2.1 1.7 1.8

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 2,664 2,208 2,322 2.3 1.9 2.0

Natural resources and mining........................ 18 12 12 2.4 1.6 1.5

Construction................................................ 141 121 133 1.8 1.7 1.8

Manufacturing............................................. 225 180 174 1.6 1.3 1.3

Durable goods.......................................... 129 101 96 1.5 1.2 1.1

Nondurable goods.................................... 95 79 78 1.9 1.6 1.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 652 520 538 2.5 2.0 2.0

Wholesale trade....................................... 73 69 87 1.2 1.1 1.4

Retail trade............................................. 496 374 390 3.2 2.5 2.6

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 83 76 61 1.6 1.5 1.2

Information................................................ 45 32 32 1.5 1.1 1.1

Financial activities......................................... 175 114 122 2.1 1.4 1.5

Finance and insurance.............................. 130 69 86 2.1 1.1 1.4

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 45 45 36 2.1 2.1 1.7

Professional and business services.................. 420 377 379 2.3 2.1 2.1

Education and health services........................ 309 258 249 1.7 1.4 1.3

Educational services................................. 29 24 41 1.0 .8 1.3

Health care and social assistance.................. 280 234 209 1.8 1.5 1.3

Leisure and hospitality................................. 561 486 564 4.1 3.6 4.1

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 37 36 49 1.8 1.8 2.3

Accommodation and food services............... 525 450 515 4.5 3.9 4.4

Other services............................................. 117 109 119 2.1 2.0 2.1

Government................................................... 179 118 157 .8 .5 .7

Federal...................................................... 26 17 18 .9 .6 .7

State and local........................................... 154 100 139 .8 .5 .7

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 337 341 358 1.3 1.3 1.4

South......................................................... 1,244 1,006 1,019 2.5 2.0 2.0

Midwest...................................................... 581 460 502 1.8 1.5 1.6

West......................................................... 682 518 601 2.2 1.7 1.9

 1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month. 2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 3 See footnote 8, table 1. p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 9. Layoffs and discharges levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

May Apr. May May Apr. May

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 1,378 1,421 1,614 1.0 1.0 1.2

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 1,282 1,368 1,510 1.1 1.2 1.3

Natural resources and mining........................ 6 6 4 .8 .8 .6

Construction................................................ 159 164 227 2.1 2.3 3.1

Manufacturing............................................. 133 181 166 1.0 1.3 1.2

Durable goods.......................................... 79 116 109 .9 1.3 1.3

Nondurable goods.................................... 54 65 56 1.1 1.3 1.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 277 269 291 1.0 1.0 1.1

Wholesale trade....................................... 51 62 65 .8 1.0 1.1

Retail trade............................................. 184 161 182 1.2 1.1 1.2

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 41 45 44 .8 .9 .9

Information................................................ 23 13 12 .8 .4 .4

Financial activities......................................... 55 75 51 .7 .9 .6

Finance and insurance.............................. 27 42 29 .4 .7 .5

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 28 32 23 1.3 1.5 1.1

Professional and business services.................. 244 341 220 1.4 1.9 1.2

Education and health services........................ 148 114 185 .8 .6 1.0

Educational services................................. 34 32 52 1.1 1.0 1.7

Health care and social assistance.................. 114 82 133 .7 .5 .8

Leisure and hospitality................................. 210 163 246 1.5 1.2 1.8

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 51 47 68 2.5 2.4 3.2

Accommodation and food services............... 159 116 177 1.4 1.0 1.5

Other services............................................. 27 43 108 .5 .8 1.9

Government................................................... 96 53 104 .4 .2 .5

Federal...................................................... 16 12 11 .6 .4 .4

State and local........................................... 81 41 93 .4 .2 .5

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 187 205 279 .7 .8 1.1

South......................................................... 558 533 604 1.1 1.1 1.2

Midwest...................................................... 309 276 324 1.0 .9 1.0

West......................................................... 324 406 406 1.0 1.3 1.3

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

employment.

 3 See footnote 8, table 1. p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region
Table 10. Other separations levels 1

 and rates 2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

May Apr. May May Apr. May

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 310 348 269 0.2 0.3 0.2

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 238 299 203 .2 .3 .2

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

Construction................................................ 19 28 22 .3 .4 .3

Manufacturing............................................. 35 27 25 .3 .2 .2

Durable goods.......................................... 25 19 16 .3 .2 .2

Nondurable goods.................................... 10 8 10 .2 .2 .2

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 59 113 55 .2 .4 .2

Wholesale trade....................................... 8 8 6 .1 .1 .1

Retail trade............................................. 39 97 37 .3 .6 .2

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 12 8 13 .2 .2 .2

Information................................................ 10 7 4 .3 .2 .1

Financial activities......................................... 17 25 20 .2 .3 .2

Finance and insurance.............................. 10 16 11 .2 .3 .2

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 7 9 9 .3 .4 .4

Professional and business services.................. 38 30 27 .2 .2 .2

Education and health services........................ 31 30 30 .2 .2 .2

Educational services................................. 4 4 8 .1 .1 .3

Health care and social assistance.................. 27 26 22 .2 .2 .1

Leisure and hospitality................................. 21 24 14 .2 .2 .1

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 3 6 3 .2 .3 .1

Accommodation and food services............... 17 18 12 .1 .2 .1

Other services............................................. 6 12 3 .1 .2 .1

Government................................................... 71 49 65 .3 .2 .3

Federal...................................................... 29 18 22 1.1 .7 .8

State and local........................................... 42 31 43 .2 .2 .2

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 49 76 45 .2 .3 .2

South......................................................... 103 114 102 .2 .2 .2

Midwest...................................................... 76 82 62 .2 .3 .2

West......................................................... 82 76 60 .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 8, table 1. p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region