Technical information:     (202) 691-5870    USDL 04-1519
                  http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
                                             For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                   691-5902    Wednesday, August 11, 2004


                JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER:  JUNE 2004

   The number of hires continued to outpace the number of separations in
June, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor
reported today.  There were 4.3 million hires and 4.1 million separations
in June, little changed from the month before.  The job openings rate was
unchanged at 2.3 percent in June.  The series in this report include
estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations
for the total nonfarm sector by industry and geographic region.
     
Job Openings
     
   On the last business day of June 2004, there were 3.0 million job openings
in the United States, and the job openings rate (the number of job openings
on the last business day of the month divided by employment plus job openings)
was 2.3 percent.  (See table 1.)  The job openings rate has remained in the
range of 2.0 percent to 2.4 percent since October 2001.  In June, the job
openings rate showed little or no change for all major industry categories.
     
Hires and Separations
     
   The hires rate (the number of hires during the month divided by employ-
ment) was 3.3 percent in June, little changed from a month earlier.  (See
table 2.)  Hires are any additions to the payroll during the month.  Most
major industries showed little or no change in their hires rates.
   
   The total separations, or turnover, rate (the number of separations
during the month divided by employment) was 3.1 percent in June, unchanged
from the month before.  The total separations rate has remained in the
range of 2.9 percent to 3.3 percent since December 2001.  Separations are
terminations of employment that occur at any time during the month.  (See
table 3.)

   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 1.7 percent in June.  (See table
4.)  The quits rate increased in professional and business services over
the month.  Quits as a percent of the total separations increased to
55.2 percent in June.  The other two components of total separations,
layoffs and discharges (1.1 percent) and other separations (0.3 percent),
are not seasonally adjusted.  The layoffs and discharges rate was lower than
a year ago, and the other separations rate was little changed over the year.
(See tables 9 and 10.)

                                  - 2 -

Table A.  Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally
adjusted           
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------                       
                   |    Job openings    |       Hires        | Total separations
                   |--------------------------------------------------------------
     Industry      | June | May  | June | June | May  | June | June | May  | June
                   | 2003 | 2004 | 2004p| 2003 | 2004 | 2004p| 2003 | 2004 | 2004p
-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
                   |                     Levels (in thousands)
                   |--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........|2,859 |3,105 |3,029 |4,035 |4,206 |4,329 |4,002 |4,040 |4,052
  Total private(1).|2,498 |2,746 |2,688 |3,742 |3,938 |4,028 |3,735 |3,761 |3,766
    Construction...|   88 |  108 |   87 |  385 |  406 |  403 |  377 |  367 |  365
    Manufacturing..|  178 |  244 |  256 |  315 |  336 |  364 |  368 |  377 |  362
    Trade, trans-  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     portation, and|      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     utilities.....|  433 |  521 |  500 |  852 |  938 |  917 |  872 |  917 |  914
    Professional   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     and business  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     services......|  516 |  530 |  515 |  629 |  631 |  677 |  545 |  556 |  576
    Education and  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     health ser-   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     vices.........|  551 |  542 |  516 |  424 |  451 |  429 |  375 |  379 |  357
    Leisure and    |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     hospitality...|  382 |  391 |  413 |  713 |  739 |  735 |  749 |  696 |  700
  Government.......|  357 |  360 |  342 |  296 |  272 |  305 |  259 |  268 |  272
                   |--------------------------------------------------------------
                   |                       Rates (percent)                
                   |--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........|  2.2 |  2.3 |  2.3 |  3.1 |  3.2 |  3.3 |  3.1 |  3.1 |  3.1
  Total private(1).|  2.3 |  2.4 |  2.4 |  3.5 |  3.6 |  3.7 |  3.4 |  3.4 |  3.4
    Construction...|  1.3 |  1.5 |  1.2 |  5.7 |  5.9 |  5.8 |  5.6 |  5.3 |  5.3
    Manufacturing..|  1.2 |  1.7 |  1.8 |  2.2 |  2.3 |  2.5 |  2.5 |  2.6 |  2.5
    Trade, trans-  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     portation, and|      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     utilities.....|  1.7 |  2.0 |  1.9 |  3.4 |  3.7 |  3.6 |  3.5 |  3.6 |  3.6
    Professional   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     and business  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     services......|  3.1 |  3.1 |  3.0 |  3.9 |  3.8 |  4.1 |  3.4 |  3.4 |  3.5
    Education and  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     health ser-   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |           
     vices.........|  3.2 |  3.1 |  3.0 |  2.6 |  2.7 |  2.5 |  2.3 |  2.2 |  2.1
    Leisure and    |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     hospitality...|  3.1 |  3.1 |  3.2 |  5.9 |  6.0 |  6.0 |  6.2 |  5.6 |  5.7
  Government.......|  1.6 |  1.6 |  1.6 |  1.4 |  1.3 |  1.4 |  1.2 |  1.2 |  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 4.2 million per month and separations
have averaged 4.0 million per month.  (See the Technical Note for additional
information on these measures.)  Hires have outpaced separations in each of
the last 14 months.  In June, hires outpaced separations in every industry.

For More Information
   
   For additional information, please see the Technical Note or the JOLTS
Web site at http://www.bls.gov/jlt/.  Additional information about JOLTS also
maybe obtained by e-mailing Joltsinfo@bls.gov or by calling (202) 691-5870.


                      ______________________________


   The report on Job Openings and Labor Turnover for July 2004 is scheduled
to be released on Wednesday, September 8, 2004.





                                  - 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            June   Jan.   Feb.   Mar.   Apr.   May    June   June  Jan.  Feb.  Mar.  Apr.  May   June
                                          2003   2004   2004   2004   2004   2004   2004p  2003  2004  2004  2004  2004  2004  2004p

Total(4)...............................  2,859  2,868  2,906  3,079  3,135  3,105  3,029    2.2   2.2   2.2   2.3   2.3   2.3   2.3

                INDUSTRY

 Total private(4)......................  2,498  2,518  2,534  2,740  2,778  2,746  2,688    2.3   2.3   2.3   2.5   2.5   2.4   2.4
  Construction.........................     88    106     99    113    105    108     87    1.3   1.5   1.4   1.6   1.5   1.5   1.2
  Manufacturing........................    178    233    226    232    251    244    256    1.2   1.6   1.6   1.6   1.7   1.7   1.8
  Trade, transportation, and utilities.    433    430    458    524    531    521    500    1.7   1.7   1.8   2.0   2.0   2.0   1.9
  Professional and business services...    516    501    491    502    518    530    515    3.1   3.0   2.9   3.0   3.1   3.1   3.0
  Education and health services........    551    549    551    559    576    542    516    3.2   3.2   3.2   3.2   3.3   3.1   3.0
  Leisure and hospitality..............    382    368    383    370    376    391    413    3.1   2.9   3.0   2.9   3.0   3.1   3.2
 Government............................    357    350    364    353    354    360    342    1.6   1.6   1.7   1.6   1.6   1.6   1.6


                 REGION

  Northeast............................    517    476    500    569    560    526    543    2.0   1.9   2.0   2.2   2.2   2.0   2.1
  South................................  1,045  1,132  1,112  1,176  1,191  1,164  1,135    2.2   2.4   2.4   2.5   2.5   2.5   2.4
  Midwest..............................    586    679    680    663    692    688    675    1.9   2.2   2.2   2.1   2.2   2.2   2.1
  West.................................    690    586    632    655    694    765    659    2.4   2.0   2.2   2.2   2.4   2.6   2.3


  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            June   Jan.   Feb.   Mar.   Apr.   May    June   June  Jan.  Feb.  Mar.  Apr.  May   June
                                          2003   2004   2004   2004   2004   2004   2004p  2003  2004  2004  2004  2004  2004  2004p

Total(4)...............................  4,035  4,106  4,103  4,603  4,398  4,206  4,329    3.1   3.2   3.2   3.5   3.4   3.2   3.3

                INDUSTRY

 Total private(4)......................  3,742  3,800  3,772  4,256  4,090  3,938  4,028    3.5   3.5   3.5   3.9   3.7   3.6   3.7
  Construction.........................    385    358    382    437    421    406    403    5.7   5.3   5.6   6.4   6.1   5.9   5.8
  Manufacturing........................    315    349    355    361    354    336    364    2.2   2.4   2.5   2.5   2.5   2.3   2.5
  Trade, transportation, and utilities.    852    957    945  1,009  1,032    938    917    3.4   3.8   3.7   4.0   4.1   3.7   3.6
  Professional and business services...    629    708    529    713    609    631    677    3.9   4.4   3.3   4.4   3.7   3.8   4.1
  Education and health services........    424    416    447    444    460    451    429    2.6   2.5   2.7   2.6   2.7   2.7   2.5
  Leisure and hospitality..............    713    715    766    810    766    739    735    5.9   5.9   6.3   6.6   6.2   6.0   6.0
 Government............................    296    295    323    343    300    272    305    1.4   1.4   1.5   1.6   1.4   1.3   1.4


                 REGION

  Northeast............................    661    722    689    744    810    708    693    2.7   2.9   2.8   3.0   3.2   2.8   2.8
  South................................  1,507  1,585  1,608  1,781  1,582  1,606  1,666    3.3   3.4   3.5   3.9   3.4   3.5   3.6
  Midwest..............................    862    921    953  1,040    991    956    971    2.8   3.0   3.1   3.4   3.2   3.1   3.1
  West.................................  1,037    883    876  1,029  1,093    951  1,016    3.7   3.1   3.1   3.6   3.8   3.3   3.5


  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            June   Jan.   Feb.   Mar.   Apr.   May    June   June  Jan.  Feb.  Mar.  Apr.  May   June
                                          2003   2004   2004   2004   2004   2004   2004p  2003  2004  2004  2004  2004  2004  2004p

Total(4)...............................  4,002  3,968  4,073  4,134  4,088  4,040  4,052    3.1   3.0   3.1   3.2   3.1   3.1   3.1

                INDUSTRY

 Total private(4)......................  3,735  3,716  3,807  3,868  3,843  3,761  3,766    3.4   3.4   3.5   3.5   3.5   3.4   3.4
  Construction.........................    377    436    400    392    391    367    365    5.6   6.4   5.9   5.7   5.7   5.3   5.3
  Manufacturing........................    368    323    355    377    353    377    362    2.5   2.3   2.5   2.6   2.5   2.6   2.5
  Trade, transportation, and utilities.    872    936    899    978  1,013    917    914    3.5   3.7   3.5   3.8   4.0   3.6   3.6
  Professional and business services...    545    572    590    597    606    556    576    3.4   3.5   3.6   3.7   3.7   3.4   3.5
  Education and health services........    375    389    388    382    386    379    357    2.3   2.3   2.3   2.3   2.3   2.2   2.1
  Leisure and hospitality..............    749    709    727    715    679    696    700    6.2   5.8   5.9   5.8   5.5   5.6   5.7
 Government............................    259    258    268    284    245    268    272    1.2   1.2   1.2   1.3   1.1   1.2   1.3


                 REGION

  Northeast............................    695    712    688    666    716    648    670    2.8   2.9   2.8   2.7   2.9   2.6   2.7
  South................................  1,539  1,505  1,499  1,612  1,524  1,504  1,534    3.4   3.3   3.3   3.5   3.3   3.2   3.3
  Midwest..............................    851    903    929    938    877    833    820    2.8   2.9   3.0   3.0   2.8   2.7   2.6
  West.................................    891    896    941  1,003    959  1,008    977    3.1   3.2   3.3   3.5   3.4   3.5   3.4


  1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month.
  2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 
  3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
  4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
  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            June   Jan.   Feb.   Mar.   Apr.   May    June   June  Jan.  Feb.  Mar.  Apr.  May   June
                                          2003   2004   2004   2004   2004   2004   2004p  2003  2004  2004  2004  2004  2004  2004p

Total(4)...............................  2,052  2,118  2,178  2,271  2,278  2,173  2,238    1.6   1.6   1.7   1.7   1.7   1.7   1.7

                INDUSTRY

 Total private(4)......................  1,936  2,002  2,051  2,144  2,151  2,036  2,120    1.8   1.8   1.9   2.0   2.0   1.9   1.9
  Construction.........................    134    148    133    154    149    144    159    2.0   2.2   2.0   2.3   2.2   2.1   2.3
  Manufacturing........................    144    165    169    176    189    171    169    1.0   1.2   1.2   1.2   1.3   1.2   1.2
  Trade, transportation, and utilities.    468    530    493    530    563    525    531    1.9   2.1   1.9   2.1   2.2   2.1   2.1
  Professional and business services...    278    261    302    309    323    259    305    1.7   1.6   1.9   1.9   2.0   1.6   1.9
  Education and health services........    212    237    234    252    245    223    223    1.3   1.4   1.4   1.5   1.5   1.3   1.3
  Leisure and hospitality..............    492    428    447    465    429    455    461    4.1   3.5   3.7   3.8   3.5   3.7   3.7
 Government............................    121    116    126    129    129    129    118     .6    .5    .6    .6    .6    .6    .5


                 REGION

  Northeast............................    304    288    319    314    390    318    318    1.2   1.2   1.3   1.3   1.6   1.3   1.3
  South................................    829    852    867    957    888    857    878    1.8   1.9   1.9   2.1   1.9   1.8   1.9
  Midwest..............................    442    513    455    474    479    479    476    1.4   1.7   1.5   1.5   1.5   1.5   1.5
  West.................................    482    475    520    565    524    521    567    1.7   1.7   1.8   2.0   1.8   1.8   2.0


  1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month.
  2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 
  3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
  4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
  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                  June     May      June          June     May      June
                                                   2003     2004     2004p         2003     2004     2004p

Total...........................................  2,971    3,402    3,139           2.2      2.5      2.3

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  2,577    3,008    2,765           2.3      2.7      2.4
  Natural resources and mining..................      5        6        7            .8      1.0      1.1
  Construction..................................    110      145      103           1.6      2.0      1.4
  Manufacturing.................................    186      263      269           1.3      1.8      1.8
   Durable goods................................    102      165      165           1.1      1.8      1.8
   Nondurable goods.............................     85       98      104           1.5      1.8      1.9
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    429      543      496           1.7      2.1      1.9
   Wholesale trade..............................     81      120      119           1.4      2.1      2.1
   Retail trade.................................    284      346      295           1.9      2.3      1.9
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...     64       77       82           1.3      1.6      1.7
  Information...................................     53       74       83           1.6      2.3      2.5
  Financial activities..........................    181      210      216           2.2      2.6      2.6
   Finance and insurance........................    138      171      166           2.3      2.8      2.7
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     42       39       50           2.0      1.8      2.3
  Professional and business services............    561      575      558           3.4      3.4      3.2
  Education and health services.................    572      564      530           3.4      3.2      3.1
   Educational services.........................     46       50       39           1.8      1.8      1.5
   Health care and social assistance............    526      514      491           3.6      3.5      3.3
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    365      457      404           2.8      3.5      3.0
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........     44       58       35           2.1      3.0      1.7
   Accommodations and food services.............    322      399      369           2.9      3.6      3.3
  Other services................................    115      170      100           2.1      3.0      1.8

 Government.....................................    394      394      375           1.8      1.8      1.7
  Federal.......................................     38       42       44           1.4      1.5      1.6
  State and local...............................    356      352      331           1.9      1.8      1.7

                    REGION

  Northeast.....................................    532      586      560           2.1      2.3      2.2
  South.........................................  1,112    1,255    1,205           2.3      2.6      2.5
  Midwest.......................................    605      722      693           1.9      2.3      2.2
  West..........................................    722      839      682           2.5      2.8      2.3


  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                  June     May      June          June     May      June
                                                   2003     2004     2004p         2003     2004     2004p

Total...........................................  4,859    4,802    5,232           3.7      3.6      4.0

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  4,479    4,513    4,838           4.1      4.1      4.4
  Natural resources and mining..................     22       22       23           3.8      3.8      3.9
  Construction..................................    499      505      520           7.2      7.3      7.3
  Manufacturing.................................    363      383      422           2.5      2.7      2.9
   Durable goods................................    225      234      259           2.5      2.6      2.9
   Nondurable goods.............................    139      149      163           2.5      2.8      3.0
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    954    1,034    1,018           3.8      4.1      4.0
   Wholesale trade..............................    135      139      172           2.4      2.5      3.0
   Retail trade.................................    704      744      686           4.7      5.0      4.6
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...    115      152      160           2.4      3.2      3.3
  Information...................................     88       70       89           2.7      2.2      2.8
  Financial activities..........................    203      206      268           2.5      2.6      3.3
   Finance and insurance........................    123      119      151           2.1      2.0      2.5
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     80       87      117           3.8      4.2      5.5
  Professional and business services............    685      691      753           4.3      4.2      4.5
  Education and health services.................    509      439      507           3.1      2.6      3.0
   Educational services.........................     65       36       68           2.6      1.3      2.7
   Health care and social assistance............    443      403      439           3.2      2.8      3.1
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    939      981      963           7.4      7.8      7.5
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........    161      165      141           7.9      8.8      7.0
   Accommodations and food services.............    778      816      822           7.3      7.6      7.6
  Other services................................    218      180      274           4.0      3.3      5.0

 Government.....................................    380      289      394           1.8      1.3      1.8
  Federal.......................................     46       36       42           1.7      1.3      1.6
  State and local...............................    334      253      351           1.8      1.3      1.9

                    REGION

  Northeast.....................................    906      845      939           3.6      3.3      3.7
  South.........................................  1,728    1,776    1,928           3.7      3.8      4.1
  Midwest.......................................  1,030    1,147    1,163           3.3      3.7      3.7
  West..........................................  1,194    1,034    1,202           4.2      3.6      4.1


  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                  June     May      June          June     May      June
                                                   2003     2004     2004p         2003     2004     2004p

Total...........................................  4,207    3,923    4,209           3.2      3.0      3.2

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  3,819    3,633    3,797           3.5      3.3      3.4
  Natural resources and mining..................     15       19       16           2.6      3.3      2.8
  Construction..................................    366      316      344           5.3      4.5      4.8
  Manufacturing.................................    388      361      383           2.7      2.5      2.6
   Durable goods................................    238      211      251           2.6      2.4      2.8
   Nondurable goods.............................    150      150      132           2.7      2.8      2.4
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    893      904      907           3.5      3.6      3.5
   Wholesale trade..............................    121      151      169           2.1      2.7      3.0
   Retail trade.................................    596      623      571           4.0      4.2      3.8
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...    176      130      167           3.7      2.7      3.5
  Information...................................     73       63       65           2.3      2.0      2.0
  Financial activities..........................    162      160      202           2.0      2.0      2.5
   Finance and insurance........................    107      107      112           1.8      1.8      1.9
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     55       53       90           2.6      2.5      4.2
  Professional and business services............    545      577      560           3.4      3.5      3.4
  Education and health services.................    449      391      424           2.7      2.3      2.5
   Educational services.........................     79       54       73           3.2      1.9      2.9
   Health care and social assistance............    370      337      351           2.7      2.4      2.5
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    733      657      689           5.8      5.2      5.3
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........     67       72       80           3.3      3.8      4.0
   Accommodations and food services.............    666      585      609           6.3      5.5      5.6
  Other services................................    194      184      206           3.6      3.4      3.8

 Government.....................................    389      291      412           1.8      1.3      1.9
  Federal.......................................     46       30       41           1.6      1.1      1.5
  State and local...............................    343      260      371           1.8      1.4      2.0

                    REGION

  Northeast.....................................    771      577      745           3.1      2.3      2.9
  South.........................................  1,602    1,553    1,597           3.5      3.3      3.4
  Midwest.......................................    947      824      889           3.1      2.6      2.8
  West..........................................    887      968      978           3.1      3.4      3.4


  1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month.
  2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of
total employment.
  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                  June     May      June          June     May      June
                                                   2003     2004     2004p         2003     2004     2004p

Total...........................................  2,186    2,265    2,385           1.7      1.7      1.8

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  2,020    2,116    2,225           1.8      1.9      2.0
  Natural resources and mining..................      6        8        9           1.0      1.3      1.5
  Construction..................................    164      143      194           2.4      2.1      2.7
  Manufacturing.................................    154      181      181           1.1      1.3      1.2
   Durable goods................................     95      113      118           1.1      1.3      1.3
   Nondurable goods.............................     59       68       63           1.1      1.3      1.1
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    468      538      527           1.9      2.1      2.1
   Wholesale trade..............................     64       92      100           1.1      1.6      1.8
   Retail trade.................................    343      391      363           2.3      2.6      2.4
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...     61       56       65           1.3      1.2      1.3
  Information...................................     39       33       45           1.2      1.0      1.4
  Financial activities..........................     98      114      120           1.2      1.4      1.5
   Finance and insurance........................     68       76       70           1.1      1.3      1.2
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     30       39       50           1.4      1.8      2.3
  Professional and business services............    283      273      316           1.8      1.7      1.9
  Education and health services.................    240      235      247           1.5      1.4      1.5
   Educational services.........................     33       24       27           1.3       .8      1.1
   Health care and social assistance............    207      211      220           1.5      1.5      1.5
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    478      474      457           3.8      3.8      3.5
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........     43       34       36           2.1      1.8      1.8
   Accommodations and food services.............    435      440      421           4.1      4.1      3.9
  Other services................................     90      117      130           1.7      2.2      2.4

 Government.....................................    166      149      160            .8       .7       .7
  Federal.......................................     21       14        9            .8       .5       .3
  State and local...............................    145      135      151            .8       .7       .8

                    REGION

  Northeast.....................................    341      327      350           1.4      1.3      1.4
  South.........................................    888      889      944           1.9      1.9      2.0
  Midwest.......................................    473      512      508           1.5      1.6      1.6
  West..........................................    484      538      583           1.7      1.9      2.0


  1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month.
  2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 
  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                  June     May      June          June     May      June
                                                   2003     2004     2004p         2003     2004     2004p

Total...........................................  1,709    1,320    1,483           1.3      1.0      1.1

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  1,567    1,240    1,315           1.4      1.1      1.2
  Natural resources and mining..................      8        8        4           1.4      1.3       .7
  Construction..................................    193      163      138           2.8      2.3      1.9
  Manufacturing.................................    204      146      172           1.4      1.0      1.2
   Durable goods................................    125       74      113           1.4       .8      1.2
   Nondurable goods.............................     80       72       59           1.4      1.3      1.1
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    362      301      300           1.4      1.2      1.2
   Wholesale trade..............................     49       51       55            .9       .9      1.0
   Retail trade.................................    219      188      155           1.5      1.3      1.0
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...     94       62       90           2.0      1.3      1.9
  Information...................................     29       26       14            .9       .8       .5
  Financial activities..........................     44       33       58            .6       .4       .7
   Finance and insurance........................     23       22       27            .4       .4       .4
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     22       12       31           1.0       .6      1.5
  Professional and business services............    226      240      199           1.4      1.5      1.2
  Education and health services.................    172      120      148           1.1       .7       .9
   Educational services.........................     40       26       42           1.6       .9      1.6
   Health care and social assistance............    132       94      106            .9       .7       .7
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    230      154      212           1.8      1.2      1.6
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........     22       34       42           1.1      1.8      2.1
   Accommodations and food services.............    208      120      171           2.0      1.1      1.6
  Other services................................     97       48       69           1.8       .9      1.3

 Government.....................................    142       80      168            .7       .4       .8
  Federal.......................................     12        6       17            .4       .2       .6
  State and local...............................    131       74      151            .7       .4       .8

                    REGION

  Northeast.....................................    358      174      322           1.4       .7      1.3
  South.........................................    602      561      535           1.3      1.2      1.1
  Midwest.......................................    417      247      309           1.3       .8      1.0
  West..........................................    331      338      318           1.2      1.2      1.1


  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                  June     May      June          June     May      June
                                                   2003     2004     2004p         2003     2004     2004p

Total...........................................    312      338      341           0.2      0.3      0.3

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................    231      276      257            .2       .3       .2
  Natural resources and mining..................      1        4        3            .2       .7       .5
  Construction..................................      9       10       13            .1       .1       .2
  Manufacturing.................................     29       34       31            .2       .2       .2
   Durable goods................................     18       23       20            .2       .3       .2
   Nondurable goods.............................     11       10       10            .2       .2       .2
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........     63       64       80            .2       .3       .3
   Wholesale trade..............................      8        8       14            .1       .1       .2
   Retail trade.................................     34       44       54            .2       .3       .4
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...     21       12       12            .4       .2       .3
  Information...................................      5        4        5            .1       .1       .2
  Financial activities..........................     20       13       25            .3       .2       .3
   Finance and insurance........................     16       10       16            .3       .2       .3
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........      4        3        9            .2       .1       .4
  Professional and business services............     36       65       45            .2       .4       .3
  Education and health services.................     37       36       29            .2       .2       .2
   Educational services.........................      6        5        4            .3       .2       .2
   Health care and social assistance............     31       31       25            .2       .2       .2
  Leisure and hospitality.......................     25       29       19            .2       .2       .1
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........      1        4        3            .1       .2       .1
   Accommodations and food services.............     23       25       17            .2       .2       .2
  Other services................................      7       18        7            .1       .3       .1

 Government.....................................     81       62       84            .4       .3       .4
  Federal.......................................     13       11       15            .5       .4       .6
  State and local...............................     68       51       69            .4       .3       .4

                    REGION

  Northeast.....................................     72       77       73            .3       .3       .3
  South.........................................    111      103      118            .2       .2       .3
  Midwest.......................................     56       66       72            .2       .2       .2
  West..........................................     72       92       78            .3       .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.
  p = preliminary.
  NOTE: See NOTE, table 1.