Technical information:  (202) 691-5870     USDL 05-206
               http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
                                           For release:  10:00 A.M. EST
Media contact:                691-5902     Wednesday, February 9, 2005


              JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER:  DECEMBER 2004

   The job openings rate, at 2.5 percent, was up slightly in December,
while the hires rate decreased to 3.4 percent and the total separations
rate was little changed at 3.2 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of
the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.  This release includes esti-
mates 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 December 2004, there were 3.4 million job
openings in the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.5 percent.
(See table 1.)  The job openings rate has generally trended upward since
August 2003.  In December, the job openings rate increased for private
industries overall, and for the professional and business services and
leisure and hospitality industries. The job openings rate rose in the
South region, but showed little or no change in the other regions of the
country.

Hires and Separations
   
   The hires rate (the number of hires during the month divided by employ-
ment) was 3.4 percent in December, a slight decrease from a month earlier.
(See table 2.)  Hires are any additions to the payroll during the month.
The hires rate decreased in manufacturing, professional and business ser-
vices, and government over the month.  The hires rate also fell in the Mid-
west region.
   
   The total separations, or turnover, rate (the total number of separations
during the month divided by employment) was 3.2 percent in December.  The
overall total separations rate is 0.3 percentage point higher than its most
recent low in November 2003.  Separations are terminations of employment that
occur at any time during the month.  (See table 3.)  The total separations
rate increased in the trade, transportation, and utilities industry in Decem-
ber, but decreased in government.
   
   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 unchanged at 1.8 percent in December, after
holding steady at 1.7 percent from February through October 2004.  (See
table 4.)  The quits rate did not change significantly from November to
December for any industry or region.  The other two components of total
separations, layoffs and discharges (1.4 percent) and other separations
(0.2 percent), are not seasonally adjusted.  Both rates showed no change
from a year earlier.
   
                                  - 2 -

Table A.  Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally
adjusted           
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------                       
                   |    Job openings    |       Hires        | Total separations
                   |--------------------------------------------------------------
     Industry      | Dec. | Nov. | Dec. | Dec. | Nov. | Dec. | Dec. | Nov. | Dec.
                   | 2003 | 2004 | 2004p| 2003 | 2004 | 2004p| 2003 | 2004 | 2004p
-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
                   |                     Levels (in thousands)
                   |--------------------------------------------------------------
Total 1/...........|3,062 |3,205 |3,385 |4,216 |4,780 |4,488 |4,022 |4,131 |4,278
  Total private 1/.|2,719 |2,864 |3,027 |3,923 |4,467 |4,198 |3,723 |3,832 |3,994
    Construction...|  110 |  108 |  126 |  404 |  388 |  385 |  391 |  360 |  343
    Manufacturing..|  234 |  248 |  251 |  340 |  376 |  327 |  343 |  334 |  372
    Trade, trans-  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     portation, and|      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     utilities.....|  520 |  532 |  536 |  913 |1,081 |1,022 |  968 |  934 |1,073
    Professional   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     and business  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     services......|  594 |  593 |  662 |  650 |  801 |  718 |  575 |  694 |  649
    Education and  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     health ser-   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     vices.........|  520 |  561 |  586 |  427 |  447 |  439 |  330 |  422 |  380
    Leisure and    |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     hospitality...|  399 |  387 |  430 |  753 |  802 |  803 |  723 |  692 |  750
  Government.......|  351 |  356 |  370 |  300 |  325 |  287 |  269 |  307 |  277
                   |--------------------------------------------------------------
                   |                       Rates (percent)                
                   |--------------------------------------------------------------
Total 1/...........|  2.3 |  2.4 |  2.5 |  3.2 |  3.6 |  3.4 |  3.1 |  3.1 |  3.2
  Total private 1/.|  2.4 |  2.5 |  2.7 |  3.6 |  4.0 |  3.8 |  3.4 |  3.5 |  3.6
    Construction...|  1.6 |  1.5 |  1.8 |  6.0 |  5.5 |  5.5 |  5.8 |  5.1 |  4.9
    Manufacturing..|  1.6 |  1.7 |  1.7 |  2.4 |  2.6 |  2.3 |  2.4 |  2.3 |  2.6
    Trade, trans-  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     portation, and|      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     utilities.....|  2.0 |  2.0 |  2.1 |  3.6 |  4.2 |  4.0 |  3.8 |  3.7 |  4.2
    Professional   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     and business  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     services......|  3.5 |  3.4 |  3.8 |  4.0 |  4.8 |  4.3 |  3.6 |  4.2 |  3.9
    Education and  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     health ser-   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |           
     vices.........|  3.0 |  3.2 |  3.3 |  2.5 |  2.6 |  2.6 |  2.0 |  2.5 |  2.2
    Leisure and    |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     hospitality...|  3.2 |  3.0 |  3.4 |  6.2 |  6.5 |  6.5 |  5.9 |  5.6 |  6.1
  Government.......|  1.6 |  1.6 |  1.7 |  1.4 |  1.5 |  1.3 |  1.2 |  1.4 |  1.3
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1/ Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and
other services, not shown separately.
  p = preliminary.


   Hires and separations help show dynamic flows in the labor market.
Over the last 12 months, hires have averaged 4.4 million per month and
separations have averaged 4.1 million per month.  (See the Technical
Note for additional information on these measures.)
     
For More Information
     
   For additional information, please see the Technical Note or the JOLTS
Web site at 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 January 2005 is scheduled
to be issued on Tuesday, March 15, 2005.


  -------------------------------------------------------------------
 |                    Revisions to the JOLTS data                    |
 |                                                                   |
 |    With the release of January data on March 15, BLS will revise  |
 | the job openings, hires, and separations data to incorporate the  |
 | annual updates to the Current Employment Statistics employment    |
 | counts.  Unadjusted data since April 2003 and seasonally adjusted |
 | data since December 2000 are subject to change.                   |
  -------------------------------------------------------------------





                                  - 3 -

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 Employment Security Agencies verify with employers
and update, if necessary, the industry code, location, and ownership clas-
sification of all establishments on a 3-year cycle.  Changes in establish-
ment 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 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.
   
                                  - 4 -

  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.
   
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.
   
                                  - 5 -

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.
   
  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.
   
                                  - 6 -

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            Dec.   July   Aug.  Sept.   Oct.   Nov.  Dec.    Dec.  July  Aug.  Sept. Oct.  Nov.  Dec.
                                          2003   2004   2004  2004    2004   2004  2004p   2003  2004  2004  2004  2004  2004  2004p

Total(4)...............................  3,062  3,237  3,195  3,294  3,420  3,205  3,385    2.3   2.4   2.4   2.4   2.5   2.4   2.5

                INDUSTRY

 Total private(4)......................  2,719  2,894  2,859  2,934  3,042  2,864  3,027    2.4   2.6   2.5   2.6   2.7   2.5   2.7
  Construction.........................    110     88    121    113    114    108    126    1.6   1.3   1.7   1.6   1.6   1.5   1.8
  Manufacturing........................    234    240    234    251    263    248    251    1.6   1.6   1.6   1.7   1.8   1.7   1.7
  Trade, transportation, and utilities.    520    567    551    591    630    532    536    2.0   2.2   2.1   2.3   2.4   2.0   2.1
  Professional and business services...    594    583    594    564    614    593    662    3.5   3.4   3.5   3.3   3.6   3.4   3.8
  Education and health services........    520    537    536    543    550    561    586    3.0   3.1   3.1   3.1   3.1   3.2   3.3
  Leisure and hospitality..............    399    435    410    425    405    387    430    3.2   3.4   3.2   3.3   3.2   3.0   3.4
 Government............................    351    343    337    350    403    356    370    1.6   1.6   1.5   1.6   1.8   1.6   1.7


                 REGION

  Northeast............................    541    545    540    562    606    535    569    2.1   2.1   2.1   2.2   2.3   2.1   2.2
  South................................  1,204  1,280  1,259  1,245  1,385  1,217  1,297    2.6   2.7   2.6   2.6   2.9   2.5   2.7
  Midwest..............................    666    635    613    699    711    715    762    2.1   2.0   1.9   2.2   2.2   2.2   2.4
  West.................................    649    738    771    790    756    753    745    2.2   2.5   2.6   2.7   2.6   2.5   2.5


  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.
  p = preliminary.
  NOTE:  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.





Table 2.  Hires levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

                                                      Levels(3) (in thousands)                              Rates

           Industry and region            Dec.   July   Aug.  Sept.   Oct.   Nov.  Dec.    Dec.  July  Aug.  Sept. Oct.  Nov.  Dec.
                                          2003   2004   2004  2004    2004   2004  2004p   2003  2004  2004  2004  2004  2004  2004p

Total(4)...............................  4,216  4,229  4,375  4,253  4,469  4,780  4,488    3.2   3.2   3.3   3.2   3.4   3.6   3.4

                INDUSTRY

 Total private(4)......................  3,923  3,930  4,058  3,906  4,149  4,467  4,198    3.6   3.6   3.7   3.6   3.8   4.0   3.8
  Construction.........................    404    368    401    383    361    388    385    6.0   5.3   5.8   5.5   5.1   5.5   5.5
  Manufacturing........................    340    352    356    379    333    376    327    2.4   2.4   2.5   2.6   2.3   2.6   2.3
  Trade, transportation, and utilities.    913    957    984    864    976  1,081  1,022    3.6   3.8   3.9   3.4   3.8   4.2   4.0
  Professional and business services...    650    621    690    689    783    801    718    4.0   3.8   4.2   4.2   4.7   4.8   4.3
  Education and health services........    427    418    470    401    411    447    439    2.5   2.5   2.8   2.4   2.4   2.6   2.6
  Leisure and hospitality..............    753    760    760    782    769    802    803    6.2   6.2   6.1   6.3   6.2   6.5   6.5
 Government............................    300    310    322    337    321    325    287    1.4   1.4   1.5   1.6   1.5   1.5   1.3


                 REGION

  Northeast............................    792    720    763    745    755    793    796    3.2   2.9   3.0   2.9   3.0   3.1   3.1
  South................................  1,517  1,640  1,643  1,635  1,694  1,799  1,704    3.3   3.5   3.5   3.5   3.6   3.9   3.6
  Midwest..............................    897    935    945    942  1,054  1,114    998    2.9   3.0   3.0   3.0   3.4   3.6   3.2
  West.................................    992    865  1,018    942    928  1,022    951    3.5   3.0   3.5   3.3   3.2   3.5   3.3


  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.
  p = preliminary.
  NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.




     
Table 3.  Total separations levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

                                                      Levels(3) (in thousands)                              Rates

           Industry and region            Dec.   July   Aug.  Sept.   Oct.   Nov.  Dec.    Dec.  July  Aug.  Sept. Oct.  Nov.  Dec.
                                          2003   2004   2004  2004    2004   2004  2004p   2003  2004  2004  2004  2004  2004  2004p

Total(4)...............................  4,022  4,074  4,134  4,158  4,129  4,131  4,278    3.1   3.1   3.1   3.2   3.1   3.1   3.2

                INDUSTRY

 Total private(4)......................  3,723  3,793  3,894  3,856  3,877  3,832  3,994    3.4   3.5   3.5   3.5   3.5   3.5   3.6
  Construction.........................    391    364    391    350    423    360    343    5.8   5.3   5.6   5.0   6.0   5.1   4.9
  Manufacturing........................    343    367    379    381    338    334    372    2.4   2.5   2.6   2.6   2.3   2.3   2.6
  Trade, transportation, and utilities.    968    972    951    909    922    934  1,073    3.8   3.8   3.7   3.6   3.6   3.7   4.2
  Professional and business services...    575    613    575    590    580    694    649    3.6   3.7   3.5   3.6   3.5   4.2   3.9
  Education and health services........    330    363    380    384    373    422    380    2.0   2.1   2.2   2.3   2.2   2.5   2.2
  Leisure and hospitality..............    723    694    760    756    747    692    750    5.9   5.6   6.2   6.1   6.0   5.6   6.1
 Government............................    269    273    246    306    260    307    277    1.2   1.3   1.1   1.4   1.2   1.4   1.3


                 REGION

  Northeast............................    687    674    717    730    670    738    782    2.8   2.7   2.8   2.9   2.6   2.9   3.1
  South................................  1,518  1,545  1,527  1,506  1,568  1,572  1,599    3.3   3.3   3.3   3.2   3.4   3.4   3.4
  Midwest..............................    901    935    831    931    948    986    949    2.9   3.0   2.7   3.0   3.0   3.1   3.0
  West.................................    898    945  1,087    978    914    817    938    3.2   3.3   3.8   3.4   3.2   2.8   3.3


  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.
  p = preliminary.
  NOTE:  See NOTE, table 1.




     
Table 4.  Quits levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

                                                      Levels(3) (in thousands)                              Rates

           Industry and region            Dec.   July   Aug.  Sept.   Oct.   Nov.  Dec.    Dec.  July  Aug.  Sept. Oct.  Nov.  Dec.
                                          2003   2004   2004  2004    2004   2004  2004p   2003  2004  2004  2004  2004  2004  2004p

Total(4)...............................  2,131  2,265  2,252  2,248  2,283  2,325  2,408    1.6   1.7   1.7   1.7   1.7   1.8   1.8

                INDUSTRY

 Total private(4)......................  2,010  2,141  2,140  2,118  2,147  2,206  2,283    1.9   2.0   1.9   1.9   1.9   2.0   2.1
  Construction.........................    171    101    147    138    161    155    162    2.5   1.5   2.1   2.0   2.3   2.2   2.3
  Manufacturing........................    178    174    165    183    172    182    191    1.2   1.2   1.1   1.3   1.2   1.3   1.3
  Trade, transportation, and utilities.    534    559    552    536    515    551    553    2.1   2.2   2.2   2.1   2.0   2.2   2.2
  Professional and business services...    256    322    308    325    296    357    356    1.6   2.0   1.9   2.0   1.8   2.1   2.1
  Education and health services........    212    271    239    240    242    258    234    1.3   1.6   1.4   1.4   1.4   1.5   1.4
  Leisure and hospitality..............    462    442    476    439    476    453    498    3.8   3.6   3.9   3.6   3.9   3.7   4.0
 Government............................    119    126    116    130    122    119    127     .6    .6    .5    .6    .6    .5    .6


                 REGION

  Northeast............................    315    338    339    325    316    355    350    1.3   1.3   1.3   1.3   1.2   1.4   1.4
  South................................    894    901    897    903    910    971    995    1.9   1.9   1.9   1.9   2.0   2.1   2.1
  Midwest..............................    465    505    447    472    510    508    512    1.5   1.6   1.4   1.5   1.6   1.6   1.6
  West.................................    436    519    566    546    539    468    519    1.5   1.8   2.0   1.9   1.9   1.6   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 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.
  p = preliminary.
  NOTE:  See NOTE, table 1.





Table 5.  Job openings levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

                                                    Levels (in thousands)                  Rates

              Industry and region                  Dec.     Nov.    Dec.           Dec.     Nov.     Dec.
                                                   2003     2004    2004p          2003     2004     2004p

Total...........................................  2,662    2,944    2,937           2.0      2.2      2.2

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  2,342    2,599    2,597           2.1      2.3      2.3
  Natural resources and mining..................      8        8        8           1.4      1.3      1.3
  Construction..................................     71       83       87           1.1      1.1      1.2
  Manufacturing.................................    190      213      202           1.3      1.5      1.4
   Durable goods................................    114      136      134           1.3      1.5      1.5
   Nondurable goods.............................     76       76       68           1.4      1.4      1.2
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    417      493      422           1.6      1.9      1.6
   Wholesale trade..............................     81       97       93           1.4      1.7      1.6
   Retail trade.................................    244      294      245           1.6      1.9      1.5
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...     92      102       83           1.9      2.0      1.7
  Information...................................     61       70       88           1.9      2.2      2.7
  Financial activities..........................    168      202      199           2.1      2.4      2.4
   Finance and insurance........................    139      171      165           2.3      2.8      2.7
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     28       30       34           1.4      1.4      1.6
  Professional and business services............    524      526      602           3.1      3.0      3.5
  Education and health services.................    484      533      547           2.8      3.0      3.1
   Educational services.........................     31       48       49           1.1      1.6      1.6
   Health care and social assistance............    453      485      498           3.1      3.3      3.3
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    305      334      335           2.5      2.7      2.7
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........     26       39       40           1.5      2.3      2.4
   Accommodations and food services.............    280      295      294           2.6      2.7      2.7
  Other services................................    113      139      107           2.1      2.5      1.9

 Government.....................................    321      344      340           1.4      1.5      1.5
  Federal.......................................     38       35       33           1.4      1.3      1.2
  State and local...............................    283      309      308           1.5      1.6      1.6

                    REGION

  Northeast.....................................    461      516      500           1.8      2.0      1.9
  South.........................................  1,059    1,118    1,129           2.2      2.3      2.3
  Midwest.......................................    570      634      665           1.8      2.0      2.1
  West..........................................    572      675      644           2.0      2.3      2.2


  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.
  p = preliminary.
  NOTE:  See NOTE, table 1.





Table 6.  Hires levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

                                                    Levels (in thousands)                  Rates

              Industry and region                  Dec.     Nov.    Dec.           Dec.     Nov.     Dec.
                                                   2003     2004    2004p          2003     2004     2004p

Total...........................................  3,145    4,361    3,335           2.4      3.3      2.5

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  2,935    4,094    3,140           2.7      3.7      2.8
  Natural resources and mining..................     10       16       15           1.8      2.7      2.6
  Construction..................................    249      299      236           3.7      4.2      3.4
  Manufacturing.................................    233      307      218           1.6      2.1      1.5
   Durable goods................................    152      177      124           1.7      2.0      1.4
   Nondurable goods.............................     82      130       94           1.5      2.4      1.7
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    760    1,301      846           2.9      5.0      3.2
   Wholesale trade..............................     76      104       66           1.4      1.8      1.2
   Retail trade.................................    573    1,004      619           3.7      6.5      4.0
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...    111      193      161           2.3      4.0      3.3
  Information...................................     39       75       41           1.2      2.4      1.3
  Financial activities..........................    118      190      132           1.5      2.3      1.6
   Finance and insurance........................     92      136       81           1.6      2.3      1.3
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     26       54       51           1.3      2.6      2.4
  Professional and business services............    521      714      582           3.2      4.3      3.5
  Education and health services.................    306      381      316           1.8      2.2      1.8
   Educational services.........................     32       43       33           1.1      1.5      1.1
   Health care and social assistance............    275      338      283           2.0      2.4      2.0
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    554      661      597           4.6      5.4      4.9
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........     76       68       72           4.6      4.2      4.4
   Accommodations and food services.............    478      593      526           4.7      5.6      5.0
  Other services................................    144      150      156           2.7      2.8      2.9

 Government.....................................    210      267      195           1.0      1.2       .9
  Federal.......................................     35       27       31           1.3      1.0      1.1
  State and local...............................    175      240      163            .9      1.2       .8

                    REGION

  Northeast.....................................    556      746      605           2.2      2.9      2.4
  South.........................................  1,155    1,681    1,281           2.5      3.6      2.7
  Midwest.......................................    633      973      692           2.0      3.1      2.2
  West..........................................    802      961      757           2.8      3.3      2.6


  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. 
  p = preliminary.
  NOTE:  See NOTE, table 1.





Table 7.  Total separations levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

                                                    Levels (in thousands)                  Rates

              Industry and region                  Dec.     Nov.    Dec.           Dec.     Nov.     Dec.
                                                   2003     2004    2004p          2003     2004     2004p

Total...........................................  3,835    3,834    4,101           2.9      2.9      3.1

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  3,608    3,602    3,871           3.3      3.2      3.5
  Natural resources and mining..................     23       20       20           4.0      3.3      3.3
  Construction..................................    461      398      390           6.9      5.6      5.6
  Manufacturing.................................    317      312      353           2.2      2.2      2.5
   Durable goods................................    192      183      221           2.2      2.0      2.5
   Nondurable goods.............................    125      129      132           2.3      2.4      2.4
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........  1,001      852    1,132           3.9      3.3      4.3
   Wholesale trade..............................    144      124      111           2.6      2.2      2.0
   Retail trade.................................    682      589      808           4.4      3.8      5.2
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...    176      139      213           3.7      2.9      4.3
  Information...................................     69       46       49           2.2      1.4      1.6
  Financial activities..........................    130      172      180           1.6      2.1      2.2
   Finance and insurance........................     78      114      109           1.3      1.9      1.8
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     52       58       70           2.5      2.8      3.4
  Professional and business services............    570      628      637           3.5      3.7      3.8
  Education and health services.................    280      338      319           1.7      2.0      1.8
   Educational services.........................     34       31       33           1.2      1.0      1.1
   Health care and social assistance............    246      307      286           1.8      2.1      2.0
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    597      665      618           5.0      5.5      5.1
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........     89      123       91           5.3      7.5      5.6
   Accommodations and food services.............    509      542      528           5.0      5.2      5.0
  Other services................................    160      171      173           3.0      3.2      3.2

 Government.....................................    226      231      231           1.0      1.0      1.0
  Federal.......................................     53       23       43           1.9       .9      1.6
  State and local...............................    173      208      188            .9      1.1      1.0

                    REGION

  Northeast.....................................    688      705      799           2.7      2.8      3.1
  South.........................................  1,398    1,375    1,481           3.0      2.9      3.2
  Midwest.......................................    885      947      930           2.9      3.0      3.0
  West..........................................    863      806      892           3.0      2.8      3.1


  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.
  p = preliminary.
  NOTE:  See NOTE, table 1.





Table 8.  Quits levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

                                                    Levels (in thousands)                  Rates

              Industry and region                  Dec.     Nov.    Dec.           Dec.     Nov.     Dec.
                                                   2003     2004    2004p          2003     2004     2004p

Total...........................................  1,764    1,992    2,000           1.3      1.5      1.5

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  1,673    1,899    1,901           1.5      1.7      1.7
  Natural resources and mining..................      6        8        7           1.0      1.3      1.1
  Construction..................................    132      129      128           2.0      1.8      1.9
  Manufacturing.................................    124      137      137            .9      1.0      1.0
   Durable goods................................     71       70       84            .8       .8       .9
   Nondurable goods.............................     53       68       53           1.0      1.2      1.0
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    476      484      496           1.8      1.9      1.9
   Wholesale trade..............................     71       52       65           1.3       .9      1.1
   Retail trade.................................    338      365      366           2.2      2.4      2.3
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...     66       68       66           1.4      1.4      1.3
  Information...................................     27       28       29            .9       .9       .9
  Financial activities..........................     67       87       85            .8      1.1      1.0
   Finance and insurance........................     47       62       61            .8      1.0      1.0
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     20       25       23           1.0      1.2      1.1
  Professional and business services............    213      322      300           1.3      1.9      1.8
  Education and health services.................    189      213      207           1.1      1.2      1.2
   Educational services.........................     14       15       19            .5       .5       .6
   Health care and social assistance............    175      198      188           1.3      1.4      1.3
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    356      392      391           3.0      3.2      3.2
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........     33       38       35           2.0      2.3      2.1
   Accommodations and food services.............    323      354      356           3.1      3.4      3.4
  Other services................................     83       99      122           1.5      1.8      2.3

 Government.....................................     91       92       98            .4       .4       .4
  Federal.......................................     10       11       11            .4       .4       .4
  State and local...............................     81       82       88            .4       .4       .5

                    REGION

  Northeast.....................................    262      306      293           1.0      1.2      1.1
  South.........................................    737      834      833           1.6      1.8      1.8
  Midwest.......................................    391      443      433           1.3      1.4      1.4
  West..........................................    374      408      440           1.3      1.4      1.5


  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. 
  p = preliminary.
  NOTE:  See NOTE, table 1.






Table 9.  Layoffs and discharges levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

                                                    Levels (in thousands)                  Rates

              Industry and region                  Dec.     Nov.    Dec.           Dec.     Nov.     Dec.
                                                   2003     2004    2004p          2003     2004     2004p

Total...........................................  1,809    1,611    1,799           1.4      1.2      1.4

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  1,711    1,505    1,714           1.6      1.4      1.5
  Natural resources and mining..................     16        9        8           2.9      1.5      1.4
  Construction..................................    309      262      250           4.6      3.7      3.6
  Manufacturing.................................    158      157      170           1.1      1.1      1.2
   Durable goods................................     98      102       99           1.1      1.1      1.1
   Nondurable goods.............................     60       55       71           1.1      1.0      1.3
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    470      313      564           1.8      1.2      2.2
   Wholesale trade..............................     58       69       37           1.0      1.2       .7
   Retail trade.................................    317      187      398           2.0      1.2      2.5
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...     94       57      129           2.0      1.2      2.6
  Information...................................     36       13       14           1.1       .4       .5
  Financial activities..........................     47       73       80            .6       .9      1.0
   Finance and insurance........................     20       41       39            .3       .7       .6
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     27       32       42           1.3      1.5      2.0
  Professional and business services............    329      279      301           2.0      1.7      1.8
  Education and health services.................     63      104       87            .4       .6       .5
   Educational services.........................     15       14       12            .5       .5       .4
   Health care and social assistance............     48       89       75            .3       .6       .5
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    216      231      200           1.8      1.9      1.7
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........     54       80       53           3.3      4.9      3.3
   Accommodations and food services.............    163      151      147           1.6      1.4      1.4
  Other services................................     67       65       38           1.2      1.2       .7

 Government.....................................     98      106       84            .4       .5       .4
  Federal.......................................     37        3       19           1.3       .1       .7
  State and local...............................     62      103       66            .3       .5       .3

                    REGION

  Northeast.....................................    354      350      447           1.4      1.4      1.7
  South.........................................    583      463      540           1.3      1.0      1.1
  Midwest.......................................    433      454      425           1.4      1.4      1.4
  West..........................................    440      343      387           1.5      1.2      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.
  p = preliminary.
  NOTE:  See NOTE, table 1.





Table 10.  Other separations levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

                                                    Levels (in thousands)                  Rates

              Industry and region                  Dec.     Nov.     Dec.          Dec.     Nov.     Dec.
                                                   2003     2004     2004p         2003     2004     2004p

Total...........................................    261      231      303           0.2      0.2      0.2

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................    224      197      256            .2       .2       .2
  Natural resources and mining..................    (3)        3        5            .1       .5       .8
  Construction..................................     20        8       11            .3       .1       .2
  Manufacturing.................................     35       18       46            .2       .1       .3
   Durable goods................................     23       11       39            .3       .1       .4
   Nondurable goods.............................     12        7        7            .2       .1       .1
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........     56       55       72            .2       .2       .3
   Wholesale trade..............................     14        3       10            .3       .1       .2
   Retail trade.................................     27       38       44            .2       .2       .3
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...     15       14       18            .3       .3       .4
  Information...................................      6        5        6            .2       .2       .2
  Financial activities..........................     16       12       15            .2       .1       .2
   Finance and insurance........................     11       11       10            .2       .2       .2
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........      5        1        5            .2      (3)       .3
  Professional and business services............     27       27       36            .2       .2       .2
  Education and health services.................     28       21       25            .2       .1       .1
   Educational services.........................      6        1        2            .2      (3)       .1
   Health care and social assistance............     23       19       23            .2       .1       .2
  Leisure and hospitality.......................     25       42       27            .2       .3       .2
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........      2        5        3            .1       .3       .2
   Accommodations and food services.............     23       37       24            .2       .4       .2
  Other services................................     11        7       12            .2       .1       .2

 Government.....................................     37       33       48            .2       .2       .2
  Federal.......................................      6       10       13            .2       .4       .5
  State and local...............................     31       24       34            .2       .1       .2

                    REGION

  Northeast.....................................     72       49       59            .3       .2       .2
  South.........................................     78       77      108            .2       .2       .2
  Midwest.......................................     62       49       72            .2       .2       .2
  West..........................................     49       55       65            .2       .2       .2


  1 Other separations are the number of other separations during the entire month.
  2 The other separations rate is the number of other separations during the entire month as a percent of
total employment.
  3 Data round to zero.
  p = preliminary.
  NOTE:  See NOTE, table 1.