Bureau of Labor Statistics Washington, D.C. 20212 

Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 08-0787 

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

 For release: 10:00 A.M. (EDT) 

Media contact: (202) 691-5902 Tuesday, June 10, 2008 

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: APRIL 2008 

On the last business day of April, there were 3.7 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, hires, and total separations rates were essentially unchanged in April. 

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,

 May 2005 - April 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,

 May 2005 - April 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; in March and April, the rate has been at the lowest 

point since mid-2005. The hires rate had an overall downward trend from July 2006 through March 

2008, reaching the lowest point since 2004. The over-the-month change in the hires rate in April was 

positive, but the rise was not statistically significant. The separations rate has had an overall downward 

trend since November 2006. (See tables 1, 2, and 3.) 

Job Openings

In April, 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 did not rise or fall 

News United States 

Department 

of Labor 
2 

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

Industry Apr. Mar. Apr. Apr. Mar. Apr. Apr. Mar. Apr.

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

Total 1................................................4,148 3,672 3,705 4,816 4,569 4,784 4,523 4,390 4,465

Total private 1

.................................... 3,670 3,225 3,276 4,383 4,147 4,332 4,214 4,100 4,159

Construction.................................... 148 102 102 333 350 375 362 367 409

Manufacturing................................. 336 251 246 343 309 307 383 304 383

Trade, transportation, and utilities 2

......... 736 562 596 1,008 884 911 970 941 1,008

 Retail trade.................................. 365 344 365 679 598 639 667 688 721

Professional and business services............ 693 714 691 826 893 934 786 806 735

Education and health services............... 694 696 692 510 501 510 416 449 431

Leisure and hospitality 3

........................ 511 501 514 910 801 826 852 776 727

 Accommodation and food services...... 450 450 454 800 654 688 702 656 628

Government 4

..................................... 477 441 433 421 429 428 315 291 312

 State and local government.................. 430 389 392 331 315 311 246 228 253

Total 1

................................................ 2.9 2.6 2.6 3.5 3.3 3.5 3.3 3.2 3.2

Total private 1

.................................... 3.1 2.7 2.8 3.8 3.6 3.8 3.7 3.6 3.6

Construction.................................... 1.9 1.4 1.4 4.3 4.8 5.2 4.7 5.0 5.6

Manufacturing................................. 2.4 1.8 1.8 2.5 2.3 2.3 2.7 2.2 2.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities 2

......... 2.7 2.1 2.2 3.8 3.3 3.4 3.7 3.5 3.8

 Retail trade.................................... 2.3 2.2 2.3 4.4 3.9 4.2 4.3 4.5 4.7

Professional and business services............3.7 3.8 3.7 4.6 5.0 5.2 4.4 4.5 4.1

Education and health services............... 3.7 3.6 3.6 2.8 2.7 2.7 2.3 2.4 2.3

Leisure and hospitality 3

........................ 3.7 3.5 3.6 6.8 5.9 6.0 6.4 5.7 5.3

 Accommodation and food services...... 3.8 3.7 3.7 7.0 5.6 5.9 6.1 5.6 5.4

Government 4

.................................... 2.1 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.4 1.3 1.4

 State and local government.................. 2.2 1.9 2.0 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.3 1.2 1.3

 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)

significantly in any industry or region. Since the series began in December 2000, three industries 

consistently have had higher job openings rates than the other industries: professional and business 

services (3.7 percent in April), education and health services (3.6 percent), and accommodation and food 

services (3.7 percent). (See table 1.) 

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

industry. The rate fell over the year for total nonfarm (to 2.7 percent) and total private (2.9 percent) as 

well as in several industries, including construction (1.6 percent); durable goods manufacturing (1.7 
3 

percent); nondurable goods manufacturing (2.1 percent); wholesale trade (2.0 percent); information (2.3 

percent); finance and insurance (2.0 percent); educational services (1.6 percent); and state and local 

government (1.9 percent). Two industries—wholesale trade and information—have experienced 

exceptionally steep declines in the job openings rate over the past year. The job openings rate for 

wholesale trade fell from 4.1 percent in April 2007 to 2.0 percent in April 2008; the rate for information 

fell from 4.3 percent to 2.3 percent. Regionally, the job openings rate fell over the year in the South (2.8 

percent). (See table 5.) 

Hires

The hires rate, at 3.5 percent in April, did not change significantly over the month. Hires are any 

additions to the payroll during the month. For the fourth month in a row, the hires rate did not change 

significantly in any industry or region. As occurs nearly every month, the seasonally adjusted hires rate 

was highest in April in accommodation and food services (5.9 percent) and lowest in state and local 

government (1.6 percent). (See table 2.) 

From April 2007 to April 2008, the hires rate (not seasonally adjusted) increased in natural 

resources and mining (to 4.9 percent), construction (7.0 percent), and federal government (4.0 percent). 

Over the year, the hires rate decreased significantly in wholesale trade (2.1 percent), information (1.9 

percent), finance and insurance (1.8 percent), and accommodation and food services (6.2 percent). The 

hires rate did not change significantly in any region in April. (See table 6.) The steep downward trend 

in the hires rate since 2006 continues in transportation, warehousing, and utilities, but the rates have 

leveled off in construction, information, and professional and business services. 

Separations

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

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

rate increased in two industries—manufacturing (to 2.8 percent) and state and local government (to 1.3 

percent). The seasonally adjusted separations rate was highest in April in construction (5.6 percent) and 

lowest in state and local government (1.3 percent). From April 2007 to April 2008, the total separations 

rate did not rise in any industry or region; the rate fell in arts, entertainment, and recreation (4.5 percent), 

accommodation and food services (5.0 percent), and in the South region (3.3 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 April for total nonfarm (at 1.8 

percent). The quits rate did not decrease in any industry in April, but rose in state and local government 

(to 0.7 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 (4.0 percent) and 

lowest in state and local government (0.7 percent). (See table 4.) 

From April 2007 to April 2008, the quits rate (not seasonally adjusted) rose in real estate and rental 

and leasing (to 2.4 percent). The quits rate fell over the year in wholesale trade (1.1 percent), 

accommodation and food services (3.8 percent), and in the South region (2.1 percent). (See table 8.) 

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

not seasonally adjusted. For April, the layoffs and discharges rate (1.0 percent) and level (1.4 million) 
4 

were little changed from a year earlier. The layoffs and discharges rate in April 2008 was highest in 

construction (2.6 percent) and arts, entertainment, and recreation (2.4 percent), and lowest in state and 

local government (0.2 percent). The other separations rate (0.3 percent) and level (355,000) were 

essentially unchanged in April from a year earlier. The highest other separations rate in April 2008 was 

for the federal government (0.9 percent). The other separations rate for most of the other industries 

ranged 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 rose from a post-recession low of 50 percent in December 2003 to a high of 

61 percent in December 2006 (seasonally adjusted) before trending downward again. In April 2008, 

quits accounted for 56 percent of total separations. The proportion of separations attributable to quits 

varies widely by industry with the highest proportion regularly occurring in the accommodation and 

food services industry (74 percent in April) and the lowest proportion regularly occurring in the 

construction industry (34 percent in April). (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 April 2008, these 5 industries produced 

32.9 million hires and 31.7 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 May 2008 is scheduled to be issued on 

Wednesday, July 9. 
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

Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr.

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

Total 4................................................... 4,148 3,972 3,974 3,889 3,799 3,672 3,705 2.9 2.8 2.8 2.7 2.7 2.6 2.6

INDUSTRY

Total private 4....................................... 3,670 3,520 3,526 3,449 3,350 3,225 3,276 3.1 3.0 3.0 2.9 2.8 2.7 2.8

Construction....................................... 148 138 140 133 123 102 102 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.6 1.4 1.4

Manufacturing.................................... 336 303 305 286 239 251 246 2.4 2.2 2.2 2.0 1.7 1.8 1.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 736 648 667 643 598 562 596 2.7 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.2 2.1 2.2

Retail trade....................................... 365 344 358 346 326 344 365 2.3 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.1 2.2 2.3

Professional and business services......... 693 685 706 752 699 714 691 3.7 3.7 3.7 4.0 3.7 3.8 3.7

Education and health services............... 694 713 698 680 737 696 692 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.5 3.8 3.6 3.6

Leisure and hospitality 6

........................ 511 591 574 515 530 501 514 3.7 4.2 4.0 3.6 3.7 3.5 3.6

Accommodation and food services...... 450 518 514 467 477 450 454 3.8 4.3 4.2 3.9 3.9 3.7 3.7

Government 7

....................................... 477 454 446 439 450 441 433 2.1 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.0 1.9 1.9

State and local government................... 430 404 398 401 413 389 392 2.2 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.1 1.9 2.0

REGION 8

Northeast.......................................... 681 629 644 662 576 602 628 2.6 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.2 2.3 2.4

South................................................ 1,692 1,620 1,574 1,536 1,485 1,386 1,374 3.3 3.2 3.1 3.0 2.9 2.7 2.7

Midwest............................................. 763 755 779 749 766 781 767 2.4 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.4

West................................................ 1,016 957 988 966 954 918 937 3.2 3.0 3.1 3.0 3.0 2.9 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

Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr.

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

Total 4................................................... 4,816 4,672 4,717 4,639 4,586 4,569 4,784 3.5 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.3 3.3 3.5

INDUSTRY

Total private 4....................................... 4,383 4,305 4,314 4,227 4,203 4,147 4,332 3.8 3.7 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.8

Construction....................................... 333 351 335 319 349 350 375 4.3 4.7 4.5 4.3 4.7 4.8 5.2

Manufacturing.................................... 343 353 350 326 285 309 307 2.5 2.6 2.5 2.4 2.1 2.3 2.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 1,008 946 970 916 882 884 911 3.8 3.5 3.6 3.4 3.3 3.3 3.4

Retail trade....................................... 679 655 693 656 603 598 639 4.4 4.2 4.5 4.2 3.9 3.9 4.2

Professional and business services......... 826 902 851 897 780 893 934 4.6 5.0 4.7 5.0 4.3 5.0 5.2

Education and health services............... 510 527 460 516 522 501 510 2.8 2.8 2.5 2.8 2.8 2.7 2.7

Leisure and hospitality 6

........................ 910 846 880 824 868 801 826 6.8 6.2 6.4 6.0 6.4 5.9 6.0

Accommodation and food services...... 800 708 713 702 730 654 688 7.0 6.1 6.1 6.0 6.3 5.6 5.9

Government 7

....................................... 421 349 390 394 387 429 428 1.9 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.9 1.9

State and local government................... 331 287 326 319 306 315 311 1.7 1.5 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6

REGION 8

Northeast.......................................... 737 761 770 767 713 715 751 2.9 3.0 3.0 3.0 2.8 2.8 2.9

South................................................ 1,917 1,828 1,802 1,814 1,769 1,703 1,769 3.9 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.4 3.6

Midwest.............................................1,044 1,027 1,045 998 944 986 1,017 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.0 3.1 3.2

West................................................ 1,137 1,018 1,067 1,058 1,186 1,170 1,208 3.7 3.3 3.4 3.4 3.8 3.8 3.9

 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

Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr.

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

Total 4................................................... 4,523 4,640 4,408 4,477 4,503 4,390 4,465 3.3 3.4 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.2 3.2

INDUSTRY

Total private 4

....................................... 4,214 4,367 4,107 4,188 4,224 4,100 4,159 3.7 3.8 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.6 3.6

Construction....................................... 362 322 331 311 329 367 409 4.7 4.3 4.4 4.2 4.5 5.0 5.6

Manufacturing.................................... 383 400 325 348 350 304 383 2.7 2.9 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.2 2.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 970 1,065 981 1,005 957 941 1,008 3.7 4.0 3.7 3.8 3.6 3.5 3.8

Retail trade.................................... 667 764 686 689 669 688 721 4.3 4.9 4.4 4.4 4.3 4.5 4.7

Professional and business services......... 786 878 814 790 861 806 735 4.4 4.9 4.5 4.4 4.8 4.5 4.1

Education and health services............... 416 423 417 447 459 449 431 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.4 2.5 2.4 2.3

Leisure and hospitality 6

........................ 852 799 803 800 854 776 727 6.4 5.9 5.9 5.9 6.2 5.7 5.3

Accommodation and food services...... 702 667 697 657 718 656 628 6.1 5.7 6.0 5.7 6.2 5.6 5.4

Government 7

....................................... 315 286 295 290 278 291 312 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.4

State and local government................... 246 240 256 237 229 228 253 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3

REGION 8

Northeast.......................................... 638 860 635 697 770 737 720 2.5 3.3 2.5 2.7 3.0 2.9 2.8

South................................................1,853 1,709 1,712 1,699 1,673 1,617 1,675 3.7 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.3 3.4

Midwest............................................. 998 974 980 975 902 918 991 3.2 3.1 3.1 3.1 2.9 2.9 3.1

West................................................ 1,052 1,117 1,117 1,107 1,167 1,101 1,092 3.4 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.8 3.6 3.5

 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

Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. Apr. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr.

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

Total 4................................................... 2,604 2,501 2,494 2,493 2,522 2,375 2,521 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.7 1.8

INDUSTRY

Total private 4

....................................... 2,452 2,361 2,358 2,355 2,384 2,258 2,370 2.1 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.1 2.0 2.1

Construction....................................... 132 116 119 113 133 111 138 1.7 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.8 1.5 1.9

Manufacturing.................................... 194 187 182 183 187 157 178 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.2 1.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities 5

......... 583 572 590 598 532 535 552 2.2 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.0 2.0 2.1

Retail trade.................................... 422 433 445 437 374 399 408 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.8 2.4 2.6 2.6

Professional and business services......... 418 398 367 351 492 386 429 2.3 2.2 2.0 1.9 2.7 2.1 2.4

Education and health services............... 272 269 258 276 271 279 282 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5

Leisure and hospitality 6

........................ 577 557 561 525 539 529 508 4.3 4.1 4.1 3.8 3.9 3.9 3.7

Accommodation and food services...... 529 516 513 465 488 494 467 4.6 4.4 4.4 4.0 4.2 4.2 4.0

Government 7

....................................... 150 140 137 138 135 126 155 .7 .6 .6 .6 .6 .6 .7

State and local government................... 128 125 120 119 116 101 136 .7 .6 .6 .6 .6 .5 .7

REGION 8

Northeast.......................................... 343 367 312 358 410 334 382 1.3 1.4 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.3 1.5

South................................................1,146 996 1,008 1,045 1,021 996 1,016 2.3 2.0 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.0 2.0

Midwest............................................. 541 529 521 502 475 491 536 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.7

West................................................ 586 607 632 583 632 568 588 1.9 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.0 1.8 1.9

 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

Apr. Mar. Apr. Apr. Mar. Apr.

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 4,326 3,722 3,829 3.1 2.6 2.7

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 3,841 3,291 3,392 3.2 2.8 2.9

Natural resources and mining........................ 12 13 16 1.7 1.7 2.1

Construction................................................ 182 102 119 2.4 1.4 1.6

Manufacturing............................................. 352 253 253 2.5 1.8 1.8

Durable goods.......................................... 212 160 149 2.3 1.8 1.7

Nondurable goods.................................... 141 94 104 2.7 1.9 2.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 759 566 613 2.8 2.1 2.3

Wholesale trade....................................... 257 131 121 4.1 2.1 2.0

Retail trade............................................. 367 329 374 2.3 2.1 2.4

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 135 106 119 2.6 2.1 2.3

Information................................................ 135 61 72 4.3 2.0 2.3

Financial activities......................................... 247 215 190 2.9 2.6 2.3

Finance and insurance.............................. 178 157 126 2.8 2.5 2.0

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 68 58 64 3.1 2.7 3.0

Professional and business services.................. 714 713 706 3.8 3.9 3.8

Education and health services........................ 708 693 697 3.7 3.5 3.6

Educational services................................. 72 55 52 2.3 1.7 1.6

Health care and social assistance.................. 636 638 645 4.0 3.9 3.9

Leisure and hospitality................................. 580 551 576 4.2 4.0 4.1

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 83 57 87 4.1 3.0 4.2

Accommodation and food services............... 497 494 489 4.2 4.1 4.0

Other services............................................. 152 124 152 2.7 2.2 2.7

Government................................................... 486 431 437 2.1 1.9 1.9

Federal...................................................... 49 60 39 1.8 2.2 1.4

State and local........................................... 437 371 398 2.2 1.8 1.9

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 684 577 630 2.6 2.2 2.4

South......................................................... 1,801 1,431 1,432 3.5 2.8 2.8

Midwest...................................................... 784 813 787 2.4 2.5 2.4

West......................................................... 1,058 901 979 3.3 2.8 3.1

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

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

plus job openings.

 3 See footnote 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

Apr. Mar. Apr. Apr. Mar. Apr.

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 4,872 4,354 4,853 3.5 3.2 3.5

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 4,561 4,043 4,524 4.0 3.5 3.9

Natural resources and mining........................ 23 24 37 3.2 3.3 4.9

Construction................................................ 432 375 499 5.7 5.4 7.0

Manufacturing............................................. 342 308 301 2.5 2.3 2.2

Durable goods.......................................... 198 179 176 2.2 2.1 2.0

Nondurable goods.................................... 144 129 125 2.9 2.6 2.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 988 839 895 3.7 3.2 3.4

Wholesale trade....................................... 192 142 130 3.2 2.3 2.1

Retail trade............................................. 658 568 622 4.3 3.7 4.1

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 138 129 143 2.7 2.6 2.8

Information................................................ 78 49 58 2.6 1.6 1.9

Financial activities......................................... 232 166 183 2.8 2.0 2.2

Finance and insurance.............................. 177 112 111 2.9 1.8 1.8

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 55 54 72 2.6 2.6 3.4

Professional and business services.................. 857 879 999 4.8 4.9 5.6

Education and health services........................ 462 449 463 2.5 2.4 2.4

Educational services................................. 56 46 49 1.8 1.5 1.5

Health care and social assistance.................. 406 402 413 2.7 2.6 2.6

Leisure and hospitality................................. 991 793 898 7.5 6.0 6.6

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 145 122 174 7.6 6.5 8.9

Accommodation and food services............... 846 672 724 7.4 5.9 6.2

Other services............................................. 156 160 191 2.8 2.9 3.5

Government................................................... 311 311 329 1.4 1.4 1.4

Federal...................................................... 76 96 108 2.8 3.5 4.0

State and local........................................... 235 216 220 1.2 1.1 1.1

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 750 654 773 2.9 2.6 3.0

South......................................................... 1,897 1,635 1,761 3.8 3.3 3.5

Midwest...................................................... 1,105 963 1,109 3.5 3.1 3.5

West......................................................... 1,120 1,102 1,210 3.6 3.6 3.9

 1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month. 2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 3 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

Apr. Mar. Apr. Apr. Mar. Apr.

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 4,224 3,915 4,154 3.1 2.9 3.0

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 3,992 3,714 3,917 3.5 3.3 3.4

Natural resources and mining........................ 21 20 23 3.0 2.7 3.1

Construction................................................ 293 326 347 3.9 4.7 4.9

Manufacturing............................................. 379 301 380 2.7 2.2 2.8

Durable goods.......................................... 228 184 229 2.6 2.1 2.7

Nondurable goods.................................... 151 117 151 3.0 2.4 3.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 865 839 908 3.3 3.2 3.5

Wholesale trade....................................... 154 121 135 2.6 2.0 2.2

Retail trade............................................. 583 591 642 3.8 3.9 4.2

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 128 127 131 2.5 2.5 2.6

Information................................................ 66 45 57 2.2 1.5 1.9

Financial activities......................................... 184 189 212 2.2 2.3 2.6

Finance and insurance.............................. 126 124 132 2.1 2.0 2.2

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 58 66 80 2.7 3.1 3.8

Professional and business services.................. 828 795 750 4.6 4.5 4.2

Education and health services........................ 393 415 401 2.1 2.2 2.1

Educational services................................. 51 39 54 1.7 1.2 1.7

Health care and social assistance.................. 342 376 347 2.2 2.4 2.2

Leisure and hospitality................................. 823 642 674 6.2 4.8 5.0

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 155 82 89 8.1 4.4 4.5

Accommodation and food services............... 668 560 586 5.9 4.9 5.0

Other services............................................. 140 142 165 2.5 2.6 3.0

Government................................................... 232 201 237 1.0 .9 1.0

Federal...................................................... 65 53 61 2.4 2.0 2.2

State and local........................................... 167 148 176 .8 .7 .9

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 563 627 638 2.2 2.4 2.5

South......................................................... 1,843 1,466 1,659 3.7 3.0 3.3

Midwest...................................................... 859 805 866 2.7 2.6 2.8

West......................................................... 959 1,018 991 3.1 3.3 3.2

 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

Apr. Mar. Apr. Apr. Mar. Apr.

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 2,473 2,187 2,403 1.8 1.6 1.7

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 2,352 2,091 2,274 2.0 1.8 2.0

Natural resources and mining........................ 14 12 14 1.9 1.6 1.8

Construction................................................ 121 96 131 1.6 1.4 1.8

Manufacturing............................................. 191 160 175 1.4 1.2 1.3

Durable goods.......................................... 108 92 104 1.2 1.1 1.2

Nondurable goods.................................... 83 67 71 1.7 1.4 1.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 551 495 517 2.1 1.9 2.0

Wholesale trade....................................... 97 65 64 1.6 1.1 1.1

Retail trade............................................. 391 357 374 2.6 2.3 2.5

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 64 74 79 1.3 1.5 1.6

Information................................................ 46 28 37 1.5 .9 1.2

Financial activities......................................... 108 117 122 1.3 1.4 1.5

Finance and insurance.............................. 81 71 73 1.3 1.2 1.2

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 27 46 49 1.3 2.2 2.4

Professional and business services.................. 415 390 429 2.3 2.2 2.4

Education and health services........................ 258 258 270 1.4 1.4 1.4

Educational services................................. 28 20 22 .9 .6 .7

Health care and social assistance.................. 230 237 248 1.5 1.5 1.6

Leisure and hospitality................................. 554 448 477 4.2 3.4 3.5

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 47 30 35 2.4 1.6 1.8

Accommodation and food services............... 508 418 442 4.5 3.7 3.8

Other services............................................. 93 89 103 1.7 1.6 1.9

Government................................................... 121 96 129 .5 .4 .6

Federal...................................................... 22 19 22 .8 .7 .8

State and local........................................... 99 76 106 .5 .4 .5

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 311 297 357 1.2 1.2 1.4

South......................................................... 1,151 914 1,020 2.3 1.9 2.1

Midwest...................................................... 479 456 496 1.5 1.5 1.6

West......................................................... 532 520 531 1.7 1.7 1.7

 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

Apr. Mar. Apr. Apr. Mar. Apr.

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 1,444 1,396 1,396 1.1 1.0 1.0

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 1,388 1,342 1,344 1.2 1.2 1.2

Natural resources and mining........................ 6 6 7 .9 .8 1.0

Construction................................................ 163 211 184 2.2 3.0 2.6

Manufacturing............................................. 149 110 179 1.1 .8 1.3

Durable goods.......................................... 98 71 107 1.1 .8 1.2

Nondurable goods.................................... 51 39 72 1.0 .8 1.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 251 263 276 1.0 1.0 1.1

Wholesale trade....................................... 51 52 64 .9 .9 1.1

Retail trade............................................. 150 166 168 1.0 1.1 1.1

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 50 46 45 1.0 .9 .9

Information................................................ 15 13 16 .5 .4 .5

Financial activities......................................... 53 60 66 .6 .7 .8

Finance and insurance.............................. 30 46 40 .5 .8 .7

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 23 14 26 1.1 .7 1.2

Professional and business services.................. 370 328 287 2.1 1.8 1.6

Education and health services........................ 112 125 105 .6 .7 .6

Educational services................................. 19 14 29 .6 .4 .9

Health care and social assistance.................. 93 111 75 .6 .7 .5

Leisure and hospitality................................. 239 179 175 1.8 1.3 1.3

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 103 51 47 5.4 2.8 2.4

Accommodation and food services............... 136 128 128 1.2 1.1 1.1

Other services............................................. 31 47 48 .6 .9 .9

Government................................................... 56 54 52 .2 .2 .2

Federal...................................................... 15 10 14 .6 .4 .5

State and local........................................... 41 44 39 .2 .2 .2

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 192 259 208 .7 1.0 .8

South......................................................... 588 467 528 1.2 .9 1.1

Midwest...................................................... 314 269 278 1.0 .9 .9

West......................................................... 351 401 382 1.1 1.3 1.2

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

employment.

 3 See footnote 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

Apr. Mar. Apr. Apr. Mar. Apr.

2007 2008 2008p 2007 2008 2008p

Total............................................................... 306 333 355 0.2 0.2 0.3

INDUSTRY

Total private................................................... 252 281 299 .2 .2 .3

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

Construction................................................ 8 18 32 .1 .3 .5

Manufacturing............................................. 39 31 26 .3 .2 .2

Durable goods.......................................... 22 21 18 .3 .2 .2

Nondurable goods.................................... 17 10 8 .3 .2 .2

Trade, transportation, and utilities.................. 62 81 115 .2 .3 .4

Wholesale trade....................................... 6 4 7 .1 .1 .1

Retail trade............................................. 42 68 101 .3 .5 .7

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...... 14 8 7 .3 .2 .1

Information................................................ 5 5 4 .2 .2 .1

Financial activities......................................... 24 13 23 .3 .2 .3

Finance and insurance.............................. 16 7 19 .3 .1 .3

Real estate and rental and leasing............... 8 6 4 .4 .3 .2

Professional and business services.................. 42 77 35 .2 .4 .2

Education and health services........................ 23 32 26 .1 .2 .1

Educational services................................. 4 5 2 .1 .1 .1

Health care and social assistance.................. 19 28 24 .1 .2 .2

Leisure and hospitality................................. 30 15 23 .2 .1 .2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation............... 5 1 7 .3 .1 .3

Accommodation and food services............... 25 14 16 .2 .1 .1

Other services............................................. 16 6 13 .3 .1 .2

Government................................................... 55 52 56 .2 .2 .2

Federal...................................................... 28 24 25 1.0 .9 .9

State and local........................................... 27 28 31 .1 .1 .2

REGION 3

Northeast................................................... 60 71 74 .2 .3 .3

South......................................................... 104 85 112 .2 .2 .2

Midwest...................................................... 66 80 92 .2 .3 .3

West......................................................... 76 97 78 .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 8, table 1. p = preliminary.

Levels (in thousands) Rates

Industry and region