Technical information:      (202) 691-5870        USDL 06-943
                   http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
                                                  For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                    691-5902        Tuesday, June 6, 2006


               JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER:  APRIL 2006


   The job openings rate was unchanged, while the hires and total separations
rates decreased in April, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Depart-
ment 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 April 2006, there were 4.1 million job open-
ings in the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.9 percent.  The
job openings rate was unchanged over the month in every industry and region,
but the overall rate has generally trended upward since September 2003.  The
industries with the highest seasonally adjusted job openings rate in April
2006 were professional and business services (4.1 percent), leisure and hospi-
tality (3.8 percent), and education and health services (3.7 percent).  (See
table 1.)
     
   Over the year, the job openings rate increased in several industries, with 
the largest gains in information and educational services.  The job openings
rate also increased over the year in three of the four regions--the Northeast,
South, and West.  None of the industries or regions experienced a significant
decrease in their job openings rate from the prior year.  (See table 5.)
     
Hires
     
   The hires rate decreased to 3.4 percent in April.  Hires are any additions
to the payroll during the month.  Over the month, the hires rate increased in
education and health services and decreased in trade, transportation, and util-
ities; leisure and hospitality; government; and in the Midwest region.  In April,
the seasonally adjusted hires rate was highest in the leisure and hospitality
industry (5.8 percent).  (See table 2.)
     
   From April 2005 to April 2006, the hires rate rose in educational services,
but fell in construction and health care and social assistance.  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      | Apr. | Mar. | Apr. | Apr. | Mar. | Apr. | Apr. | Mar. | Apr.
                   | 2005 | 2006 | 2006p| 2005 | 2006 | 2006p| 2005 | 2006 | 2006p
-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
                   |                     Levels (in thousands)
                   |--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........|3,589 |4,089 |4,095 |4,574 |4,884 |4,544 |4,614 |4,681 |4,419
                   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
  Total private(1).|3,208 |3,633 |3,643 |4,246 |4,503 |4,227 |4,351 |4,360 |4,157
    Construction...|  110 |  144 |  137 |  440 |  344 |  372 |  429 |  422 |  385
    Manufacturing..|  266 |  318 |  333 |  320 |  341 |  320 |  378 |  427 |  355
    Trade, trans-  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     portation, and|      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     utilities.....|  642 |  651 |  662 |1,019 |1,103 |  969 |1,008 |  989 |  973
    Professional   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     and business  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     services......|  645 |  702 |  743 |  830 |  922 |  858 |  877 |  798 |  786
    Education and  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     health ser-   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     vices.........|  616 |  692 |  673 |  498 |  435 |  485 |  438 |  399 |  422
    Leisure and    |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     hospitality...|  465 |  506 |  516 |  707 |  899 |  750 |  707 |  769 |  769
  Government.......|  378 |  458 |  451 |  328 |  397 |  331 |  263 |  326 |  268
                   |--------------------------------------------------------------
                   |                       Rates (percent)
                   |--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........|  2.6 |  2.9 |  2.9 |  3.4 |  3.6 |  3.4 |  3.5 |  3.5 |  3.3
                   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
  Total private(1).|  2.8 |  3.1 |  3.1 |  3.8 |  4.0 |  3.7 |  3.9 |  3.9 |  3.7
    Construction...|  1.5 |  1.9 |  1.8 |  6.1 |  4.6 |  5.0 |  5.9 |  5.6 |  5.1
    Manufacturing..|  1.8 |  2.2 |  2.3 |  2.2 |  2.4 |  2.2 |  2.7 |  3.0 |  2.5
    Trade, trans-  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     portation, and|      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     utilities.....|  2.4 |  2.4 |  2.5 |  3.9 |  4.2 |  3.7 |  3.9 |  3.8 |  3.7
    Professional   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     and business  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     services......|  3.7 |  3.9 |  4.1 |  4.9 |  5.4 |  5.0 |  5.2 |  4.6 |  4.6
    Education and  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     health ser-   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     vices.........|  3.5 |  3.8 |  3.7 |  2.9 |  2.5 |  2.7 |  2.5 |  2.3 |  2.4
    Leisure and    |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     hospitality...|  3.5 |  3.8 |  3.8 |  5.5 |  6.9 |  5.8 |  5.5 |  5.9 |  5.9
  Government.......|  1.7 |  2.0 |  2.0 |  1.5 |  1.8 |  1.5 |  1.2 |  1.5 |  1.2
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and
other services, not shown separately.
  p = preliminary.
     
                                  
Separations                             
     
   The total separations, or turnover, rate declined to 3.3 percent in April.
Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any time during the
month.  In April, the total separations rate decreased in manufacturing, govern-
ment, and in the South region.  (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, dropped to 1.8 percent in April.  The quits rate declined in
the manufacturing industry and in the South region.  In April, the seasonally
adjusted quits rate was highest in the leisure and hospitality industry (3.9
percent), which also had the highest hires rate.  (See table 4.)

                                  - 3 -

   Over the year, the quits rate fell in health care and social assistance,
other services, and in the Northeast region.  The quits rate did not rise
significantly in any industry or region over the year.  (See table 8.)
     
   The other two components of total separations--layoffs and discharges, and
other separations--are not seasonally adjusted.  From April 2005 to April 2006,
the layoffs and discharges rate was little changed at 1.0 percent.  For April
2006, the arts, entertainment, and recreation industry had the highest layoffs
and discharges rate (2.3 percent).  From April 2005 to April 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 last 12 months, hires have averaged 4.8 million per month and separa-
tions have averaged 4.5 million per month (not seasonally adjusted).  The com-
parable figures a year earlier were 4.7 million hires and 4.4 million separa-
tions.  (See the Technical Note for additional information on these measures.)

For More Information

   For additional information, please read the Technical Note or visit the Job
Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (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 May 2006 is scheduled to be
issued on Tuesday, July 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            Apr.   Nov.   Dec.   Jan.   Feb.   Mar.   Apr.   Apr.  Nov.  Dec.  Jan.  Feb.  Mar.  Apr.
                                          2005   2005   2005   2006   2006   2006   2006p  2005  2005  2005  2006  2006  2006  2006p

Total(4)...............................  3,589  4,031  3,941  3,981  3,994  4,089  4,095    2.6   2.9   2.8   2.9   2.9   2.9   2.9

                INDUSTRY

 Total private(4)......................  3,208  3,604  3,509  3,533  3,531  3,633  3,643    2.8   3.1   3.0   3.0   3.0   3.1   3.1
  Construction.........................    110    146    170    114    121    144    137    1.5   1.9   2.2   1.5   1.6   1.9   1.8
  Manufacturing........................    266    333    313    324    318    318    333    1.8   2.3   2.2   2.2   2.2   2.2   2.3
  Trade, transportation, and utilities.    642    696    661    687    660    651    662    2.4   2.6   2.5   2.6   2.5   2.4   2.5
  Professional and business services...    645    782    750    777    716    702    743    3.7   4.4   4.2   4.3   4.0   3.9   4.1
  Education and health services........    616    601    618    627    640    692    673    3.5   3.3   3.4   3.4   3.5   3.8   3.7
  Leisure and hospitality..............    465    519    522    507    587    506    516    3.5   3.9   3.9   3.8   4.3   3.8   3.8
 Government............................    378    434    435    449    460    458    451    1.7   1.9   2.0   2.0   2.1   2.0   2.0


                 REGION(5)

  Northeast............................    605    704    718    740    707    732    744    2.4   2.7   2.8   2.8   2.7   2.8   2.8
  South................................  1,405  1,562  1,612  1,550  1,547  1,634  1,653    2.9   3.2   3.3   3.1   3.1   3.3   3.3
  Midwest..............................    732    748    738    745    797    721    733    2.3   2.3   2.3   2.3   2.5   2.2   2.3
  West.................................    839  1,046    919    928    957    985    956    2.8   3.4   3.0   3.0   3.1   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 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            Apr.   Nov.   Dec.   Jan.   Feb.   Mar.   Apr.   Apr.  Nov.  Dec.  Jan.  Feb.  Mar.  Apr.
                                          2005   2005   2005   2006   2006   2006   2006p  2005  2005  2005  2006  2006  2006  2006p

Total(4)...............................  4,574  4,813  4,694  4,941  4,954  4,884  4,544    3.4   3.6   3.5   3.7   3.7   3.6   3.4

                INDUSTRY

 Total private(4)......................  4,246  4,498  4,397  4,584  4,578  4,503  4,227    3.8   4.0   3.9   4.1   4.1   4.0   3.7
  Construction.........................    440    393    426    379    403    344    372    6.1   5.3   5.8   5.1   5.4   4.6   5.0
  Manufacturing........................    320    335    307    366    333    341    320    2.2   2.4   2.2   2.6   2.3   2.4   2.2
  Trade, transportation, and utilities.  1,019    954  1,011  1,177  1,117  1,103    969    3.9   3.7   3.9   4.5   4.3   4.2   3.7
  Professional and business services...    830    907    849    953    841    922    858    4.9   5.3   5.0   5.6   4.9   5.4   5.0
  Education and health services........    498    459    467    446    435    435    485    2.9   2.6   2.7   2.5   2.5   2.5   2.7
  Leisure and hospitality..............    707    895    853    847  1,019    899    750    5.5   6.9   6.6   6.6   7.9   6.9   5.8
 Government............................    328    314    293    352    379    397    331    1.5   1.4   1.3   1.6   1.7   1.8   1.5


                 REGION(5)

  Northeast............................    874    747    698    727    814    914    838    3.5   3.0   2.8   2.9   3.2   3.6   3.3
  South................................  1,696  1,813  1,817  1,946  2,061  1,803  1,742    3.6   3.8   3.8   4.1   4.3   3.7   3.6
  Midwest..............................  1,024  1,031  1,038  1,043  1,045  1,117  1,001    3.3   3.3   3.3   3.3   3.3   3.5   3.2
  West.................................  1,073  1,188  1,127  1,176  1,083  1,127  1,087    3.6   4.0   3.8   4.0   3.6   3.8   3.6


  1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month.
  2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 
  3 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            Apr.   Nov.   Dec.   Jan.   Feb.   Mar.   Apr.   Apr.  Nov.  Dec.  Jan.  Feb.  Mar.  Apr.
                                          2005   2005   2005   2006   2006   2006   2006p  2005  2005  2005  2006  2006  2006  2006p

Total(4)...............................  4,614  4,476  4,359  4,285  4,531  4,681  4,419    3.5   3.3   3.2   3.2   3.4   3.5   3.3

                INDUSTRY

 Total private(4)......................  4,351  4,205  4,067  3,995  4,252  4,360  4,157    3.9   3.7   3.6   3.5   3.8   3.9   3.7
  Construction.........................    429    371    348    374    335    422    385    5.9   5.0   4.7   5.0   4.5   5.6   5.1
  Manufacturing........................    378    388    355    353    380    427    355    2.7   2.7   2.5   2.5   2.7   3.0   2.5
  Trade, transportation, and utilities.  1,008  1,003  1,027    880    997    989    973    3.9   3.9   3.9   3.4   3.8   3.8   3.7
  Professional and business services...    877    753    735    780    826    798    786    5.2   4.4   4.3   4.6   4.8   4.6   4.6
  Education and health services........    438    418    400    353    403    399    422    2.5   2.4   2.3   2.0   2.3   2.3   2.4
  Leisure and hospitality..............    707    834    843    848    881    769    769    5.5   6.5   6.5   6.6   6.8   5.9   5.9
 Government............................    263    270    270    300    285    326    268    1.2   1.2   1.2   1.4   1.3   1.5   1.2


                 REGION(5)

  Northeast............................    840    619    685    701    736    714    718    3.3   2.4   2.7   2.8   2.9   2.8   2.8
  South................................  1,748  1,711  1,759  1,653  1,694  1,810  1,668    3.7   3.6   3.7   3.4   3.5   3.8   3.5
  Midwest..............................  1,030  1,081    934    987  1,032  1,014    981    3.3   3.5   3.0   3.1   3.3   3.2   3.1
  West.................................  1,027  1,004    997    970  1,054  1,188  1,093    3.5   3.4   3.4   3.3   3.5   4.0   3.7


  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            Apr.   Nov.   Dec.   Jan.   Feb.   Mar.   Apr.   Apr.  Nov.  Dec.  Jan.  Feb.  Mar.  Apr.
                                          2005   2005   2005   2006   2006   2006   2006p  2005  2005  2005  2006  2006  2006  2006p

Total(4)...............................  2,586  2,683  2,567  2,577  2,663  2,763  2,488    1.9   2.0   1.9   1.9   2.0   2.0   1.8

                INDUSTRY

 Total private(4)......................  2,452  2,540  2,428  2,435  2,526  2,606  2,345    2.2   2.3   2.2   2.2   2.2   2.3   2.1
  Construction.........................    148    183    189    179    153    182    177    2.0   2.5   2.6   2.4   2.0   2.4   2.4
  Manufacturing........................    182    210    184    196    202    205    176    1.3   1.5   1.3   1.4   1.4   1.4   1.2
  Trade, transportation, and utilities.    580    606    634    551    602    598    577    2.2   2.3   2.4   2.1   2.3   2.3   2.2
  Professional and business services...    458    359    365    415    422    426    413    2.7   2.1   2.1   2.4   2.5   2.5   2.4
  Education and health services........    281    277    254    225    279    267    252    1.6   1.6   1.4   1.3   1.6   1.5   1.4
  Leisure and hospitality..............    500    595    558    569    607    561    508    3.9   4.6   4.3   4.4   4.7   4.3   3.9
 Government............................    131    142    139    143    139    156    144     .6    .6    .6    .7    .6    .7    .7


                 REGION(5)

  Northeast............................    441    333    390    369    368    383    366    1.8   1.3   1.5   1.5   1.4   1.5   1.4
  South................................  1,019  1,102  1,069  1,068  1,114  1,129    995    2.1   2.3   2.2   2.2   2.3   2.3   2.1
  Midwest..............................    540    572    481    571    600    619    568    1.7   1.8   1.5   1.8   1.9   2.0   1.8
  West.................................    600    657    618    569    567    642    577    2.0   2.2   2.1   1.9   1.9   2.2   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 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                  Apr.     Mar.     Apr.          Apr.     Mar.     Apr.
                                                   2005     2006     2006p         2005     2006     2006p

Total...........................................  3,723    4,088    4,258           2.7      3.0      3.1

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  3,347    3,637    3,810           2.9      3.2      3.3
  Natural resources and mining..................     10       14       10           1.6      2.2      1.6
  Construction..................................    132      155      164           1.8      2.1      2.2
  Manufacturing.................................    267      323      337           1.8      2.2      2.3
   Durable goods................................    179      221      234           2.0      2.4      2.5
   Nondurable goods.............................     88      102      103           1.6      1.9      1.9
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    646      648      665           2.5      2.5      2.5
   Wholesale trade..............................    135      151      136           2.3      2.5      2.3
   Retail trade.................................    414      379      414           2.7      2.5      2.7
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...     97      118      115           1.9      2.3      2.3
  Information...................................     82      121      149           2.6      3.8      4.6
  Financial activities..........................    246      306      305           3.0      3.6      3.6
   Finance and insurance........................    193      242      243           3.1      3.8      3.8
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     53       64       63           2.5      2.9      2.8
  Professional and business services............    659      675      756           3.8      3.8      4.2
  Education and health services.................    614      690      677           3.4      3.7      3.7
   Educational services.........................     57       76       90           1.9      2.5      2.9
   Health care and social assistance............    557      614      587           3.7      4.0      3.8
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    558      567      624           4.2      4.3      4.6
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........     79       71      101           4.1      3.9      5.2
   Accommodations and food services.............    479      495      523           4.2      4.4      4.5
  Other services................................    132      138      122           2.4      2.5      2.2

 Government.....................................    376      451      447           1.7      2.0      2.0
  Federal.......................................     42       45       34           1.5      1.6      1.3
  State and local...............................    334      407      413           1.7      2.0      2.1

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................    629      717      775           2.4      2.8      3.0
  South.........................................  1,459    1,627    1,725           3.0      3.3      3.5
  Midwest.......................................    768      755      768           2.4      2.4      2.4
  West..........................................    867      989      990           2.9      3.2      3.2


  1 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day of the month.
  2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business day of the month as a
percent of total employment plus job openings.
  3 See footnote 5, table 1.
  p = preliminary.





Table 6.  Hires levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

                                                    Levels (in thousands)                  Rates

              Industry and region                  Apr.     Mar.     Apr.          Apr.     Mar.     Apr.
                                                   2005     2006     2006p         2005     2006     2006p

Total...........................................  4,819    4,718    4,759           3.6      3.5      3.5

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  4,577    4,441    4,516           4.1      4.0      4.0
  Natural resources and mining..................     32       21       27           5.3      3.3      4.1
  Construction..................................    585      369      489           8.2      5.2      6.7
  Manufacturing.................................    330      357      327           2.3      2.5      2.3
   Durable goods................................    197      216      205           2.2      2.4      2.3
   Nondurable goods.............................    132      141      121           2.5      2.7      2.3
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........  1,006    1,039      959           3.9      4.0      3.7
   Wholesale trade..............................    162      115      139           2.8      2.0      2.4
   Retail trade.................................    695      754      679           4.6      5.0      4.5
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...    149      170      141           3.1      3.5      2.9
  Information...................................     82       62       76           2.7      2.0      2.5
  Financial activities..........................    178      186      187           2.2      2.3      2.3
   Finance and insurance........................    118      120      111           2.0      2.0      1.8
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     60       66       76           2.8      3.1      3.5
  Professional and business services............    920      914      943           5.5      5.4      5.5
  Education and health services.................    442      400      432           2.5      2.3      2.4
   Educational services.........................     42       41       74           1.4      1.4      2.5
   Health care and social assistance............    400      359      358           2.8      2.4      2.4
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    822      943      868           6.5      7.5      6.7
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........    161      135      172           8.7      7.8      9.3
   Accommodations and food services.............    661      808      696           6.1      7.4      6.3
  Other services................................    179      149      209           3.3      2.8      3.9

 Government.....................................    241      277      243           1.1      1.2      1.1
  Federal.......................................     37       45       29           1.3      1.7      1.1
  State and local...............................    205      232      214           1.1      1.2      1.1

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................    850      801      819           3.4      3.2      3.2
  South.........................................  1,748    1,752    1,751           3.7      3.7      3.6
  Midwest.......................................  1,148    1,087    1,112           3.7      3.5      3.5
  West..........................................  1,073    1,077    1,076           3.6      3.6      3.6


  1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month.
  2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 
  3 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                  Apr.     Mar.     Apr.          Apr.     Mar.     Apr.
                                                   2005     2006     2006p         2005     2006     2006p

Total...........................................  4,267    4,132    4,087           3.2      3.1      3.0

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  4,068    3,909    3,886           3.7      3.5      3.4
  Natural resources and mining..................     16       25       24           2.6      3.9      3.6
  Construction..................................    347      392      311           4.9      5.5      4.2
  Manufacturing.................................    374      400      348           2.6      2.8      2.5
   Durable goods................................    256      216      180           2.9      2.4      2.0
   Nondurable goods.............................    118      184      169           2.3      3.5      3.2
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    872      902      840           3.4      3.5      3.3
   Wholesale trade..............................    132      132      137           2.3      2.3      2.3
   Retail trade.................................    611      622      582           4.1      4.1      3.9
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...    129      148      121           2.6      3.0      2.5
  Information...................................     78       63       78           2.5      2.1      2.6
  Financial activities..........................    178      198      174           2.2      2.4      2.1
   Finance and insurance........................    114      133      120           1.9      2.2      2.0
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     64       64       54           3.0      3.0      2.5
  Professional and business services............    915      747      820           5.5      4.4      4.8
  Education and health services.................    401      365      389           2.3      2.1      2.2
   Educational services.........................     36       41       39           1.2      1.4      1.3
   Health care and social assistance............    365      324      350           2.5      2.2      2.4
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    693      624      740           5.5      4.9      5.7
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........    107       68       95           5.8      3.9      5.1
   Accommodations and food services.............    586      556      645           5.4      5.1      5.8
  Other services................................    194      193      161           3.6      3.6      3.0

 Government.....................................    199      223      201            .9      1.0       .9
  Federal.......................................     29       51       25           1.1      1.9       .9
  State and local...............................    171      173      176            .9       .9       .9

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................    762      595      654           3.0      2.4      2.6
  South.........................................  1,666    1,592    1,582           3.5      3.3      3.3
  Midwest.......................................    899      868      849           2.9      2.8      2.7
  West..........................................    940    1,077    1,002           3.2      3.6      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 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                  Apr.     Mar.     Apr.          Apr.     Mar.     Apr.
                                                   2005     2006     2006p         2005     2006     2006p

Total...........................................  2,471    2,496    2,367           1.9      1.9      1.8

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  2,368    2,376    2,254           2.1      2.1      2.0
  Natural resources and mining..................      9       13       11           1.4      2.0      1.7
  Construction..................................    142      169      171           2.0      2.4      2.3
  Manufacturing.................................    184      199      175           1.3      1.4      1.2
   Durable goods................................    116      117      103           1.3      1.3      1.1
   Nondurable goods.............................     68       81       71           1.3      1.6      1.4
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    537      558      527           2.1      2.2      2.0
   Wholesale trade..............................     72       86       80           1.3      1.5      1.4
   Retail trade.................................    407      398      377           2.7      2.6      2.5
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...     58       74       70           1.2      1.5      1.4
  Information...................................     52       44       59           1.7      1.4      1.9
  Financial activities..........................     93      106      103           1.1      1.3      1.2
   Finance and insurance........................     60       85       68           1.0      1.4      1.1
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     33       21       35           1.6      1.0      1.6
  Professional and business services............    454      424      410           2.7      2.5      2.4
  Education and health services.................    268      246      239           1.5      1.4      1.3
   Educational services.........................     20       19       19            .7       .6       .6
   Health care and social assistance............    248      227      220           1.7      1.5      1.5
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    481      467      486           3.8      3.7      3.8
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........     50       36       49           2.7      2.1      2.6
   Accommodations and food services.............    431      431      438           4.0      4.0      4.0
  Other services................................    148      151       72           2.8      2.8      1.3

 Government.....................................    103      120      113            .5       .5       .5
  Federal.......................................     10       22       14            .4       .8       .5
  State and local...............................     93       98       99            .5       .5       .5

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................    396      335      321           1.6      1.3      1.3
  South.........................................  1,010    1,017      983           2.1      2.1      2.0
  Midwest.......................................    503      548      527           1.6      1.8      1.7
  West..........................................    563      595      536           1.9      2.0      1.8


  1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month.
  2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 
  3 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                  Apr.     Mar.     Apr.          Apr.     Mar.     Apr.
                                                   2005     2006     2006p         2005     2006     2006p

Total...........................................  1,522    1,319    1,368           1.1      1.0      1.0

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  1,467    1,262    1,317           1.3      1.1      1.2
  Natural resources and mining..................      5       10       10            .9      1.5      1.6
  Construction..................................    192      202      114           2.7      2.8      1.6
  Manufacturing.................................    156      170      140           1.1      1.2      1.0
   Durable goods................................    115       78       58           1.3       .9       .6
   Nondurable goods.............................     41       93       81            .8      1.8      1.6
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    280      265      238           1.1      1.0       .9
   Wholesale trade..............................     56       37       43           1.0       .6       .7
   Retail trade.................................    174      173      169           1.2      1.1      1.1
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...     51       56       25           1.0      1.1       .5
  Information...................................     16       14       14            .5       .5       .5
  Financial activities..........................     62       74       44            .8       .9       .5
   Finance and insurance........................     36       38       28            .6       .6       .5
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     26       37       16           1.2      1.7       .8
  Professional and business services............    408      266      346           2.4      1.6      2.0
  Education and health services.................    114       94      109            .7       .5       .6
   Educational services.........................     13       17       17            .4       .6       .6
   Health care and social assistance............    100       77       93            .7       .5       .6
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    193      135      225           1.5      1.1      1.7
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........     54       30       44           2.9      1.7      2.3
   Accommodations and food services.............    139      105      181           1.3      1.0      1.6
  Other services................................     41       31       78            .8       .6      1.4

 Government.....................................     55       57       50            .2       .3       .2
  Federal.......................................      7       11        4            .3       .4       .1
  State and local...............................     48       45       47            .2       .2       .2

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................    311      203      260           1.2       .8      1.0
  South.........................................    551      470      457           1.2      1.0       .9
  Midwest.......................................    332      267      260           1.1       .9       .8
  West..........................................    327      379      390           1.1      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 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                  Apr.     Mar.     Apr.          Apr.     Mar.     Apr.
                                                   2005     2006     2006p         2005     2006     2006p

Total...........................................    274      317      353           0.2      0.2      0.3

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................    233      270      315            .2       .2       .3
  Natural resources and mining..................      2        3        2            .4       .5       .3
  Construction..................................     13       21       26            .2       .3       .4
  Manufacturing.................................     34       31       34            .2       .2       .2
   Durable goods................................     25       21       18            .3       .2       .2
   Nondurable goods.............................      9       10       16            .2       .2       .3
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........     55       78       76            .2       .3       .3
   Wholesale trade..............................      4        9       14            .1       .2       .2
   Retail trade.................................     30       52       36            .2       .3       .2
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...     20       18       26            .4       .4       .5
  Information...................................     10        5        5            .3       .2       .2
  Financial activities..........................     23       17       27            .3       .2       .3
   Finance and insurance........................     19       11       24            .3       .2       .4
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........      5        7        3            .2       .3       .1
  Professional and business services............     53       57       65            .3       .3       .4
  Education and health services.................     19       24       41            .1       .1       .2
   Educational services.........................      3        4        4            .1       .1       .1
   Health care and social assistance............     16       20       37            .1       .1       .3
  Leisure and hospitality.......................     19       22       29            .1       .2       .2
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........      2        2        3            .1       .1       .2
   Accommodations and food services.............     17       20       26            .2       .2       .2
  Other services................................      4       12       11            .1       .2       .2

 Government.....................................     42       47       38            .2       .2       .2
  Federal.......................................     12       17        7            .4       .6       .3
  State and local...............................     30       29       30            .2       .2       .2

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................     55       56       73            .2       .2       .3
  South.........................................    105      105      142            .2       .2       .3
  Midwest.......................................     64       54       62            .2       .2       .2
  West..........................................     50      102       76            .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.