Technical information:   (202) 691-5870     USDL 04-1762
                http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
                                            For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                 691-5902     Wednesday, September 8, 2004


                JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER:  JULY 2004


   The hires rate fell in July but remained above the separations rate,
the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported
today.  The hires rate was 3.2 percent in July, and the separations rate
was 3.1 percent.  The job openings rate edged up to 2.4 percent.  This
report includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires,
and separations for the total nonfarm sector by industry and geographic
region.
     
Job Openings

   On the last business day of July 2004, there were 3.2 million job
openings in the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.4 percent.
(See table 1.)  The job openings rate continued to remain in the range of
2.0 to 2.4 percent, as it has since October 2001.  In July, the job open-
ings rate increased in the trade, transportation, and utilities industry
group and continued on an upward trend in leisure and hospitality.  The
job openings rate edged down in government and showed little or no change
for the other major industry categories in July.

Hires and Separations

   The hires rate (the number of hires during the month divided by
employment) was 3.2 percent in July, down from 3.4 percent a month ago.
(See table 2.)  Hires are any additions to the payroll during the month.
The hires rate decreased in construction and edged down in government
(including federal, state, and local) over the month, while other major
industries showed little or no change in their hires rates.  The hires
rates in the Midwest and West decreased from a month ago.

   The total separations, or turnover, rate (the number of separations
during the month divided by employment) was 3.1 percent in July, unchanged
from the month before.  The total separations rate has been relatively
unchanged since December 2001, ranging from 2.9 percent to 3.3 percent.
Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any time during
the month.  (See table 3.)  In July, the total separations rate showed
little or no change for all major industry categories.

   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 July.  (See table
4.)  The quits rate increased in education and health services over the
month.  The other two components of total separations, layoffs and
discharges (1.1 percent) and other separations (0.2 percent), are not
seasonally adjusted.  (See tables 9 and 10.)

                                  - 2 -

Table A.  Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally
adjusted           
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------                       
                   |    Job openings    |       Hires        | Total separations
                   |--------------------------------------------------------------
     Industry      | July | June | July | July | June | July | July | June | July
                   | 2003 | 2004 | 2004p| 2003 | 2004 | 2004p| 2003 | 2004 | 2004p
-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
                   |                     Levels (in thousands)
                   |--------------------------------------------------------------
Total 1/...........|2,738 |3,022 |3,190 |4,014 |4,433 |4,233 |3,861 |4,069 |4,011
  Total private 1/.|2,390 |2,640 |2,836 |3,715 |4,110 |3,936 |3,579 |3,789 |3,725
    Construction...|   95 |   94 |   85 |  383 |  436 |  351 |  380 |  382 |  380
    Manufacturing..|  183 |  247 |  230 |  319 |  370 |  349 |  396 |  343 |  365
    Trade, trans-  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     portation, and|      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     utilities.....|  428 |  503 |  571 |  812 |  945 |  939 |  842 |  927 |  939
    Professional   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     and business  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     services......|  503 |  494 |  529 |  631 |  692 |  621 |  513 |  607 |  576
    Education and  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     health ser-   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     vices.........|  519 |  496 |  513 |  427 |  428 |  435 |  368 |  362 |  368
    Leisure and    |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     hospitality...|  331 |  421 |  452 |  709 |  749 |  771 |  665 |  734 |  680
  Government.......|  345 |  380 |  353 |  289 |  328 |  301 |  272 |  270 |  273
                   |--------------------------------------------------------------
                   |                       Rates (percent)                
                   |--------------------------------------------------------------
Total 1/...........|  2.1 |  2.3 |  2.4 |  3.1 |  3.4 |  3.2 |  3.0 |  3.1 |  3.1
  Total private 1/.|  2.2 |  2.3 |  2.5 |  3.4 |  3.7 |  3.6 |  3.3 |  3.5 |  3.4
    Construction...|  1.4 |  1.3 |  1.2 |  5.7 |  6.3 |  5.1 |  5.7 |  5.5 |  5.5
    Manufacturing..|  1.3 |  1.7 |  1.6 |  2.2 |  2.6 |  2.4 |  2.7 |  2.4 |  2.5
    Trade, trans-  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     portation, and|      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     utilities.....|  1.7 |  1.9 |  2.2 |  3.2 |  3.7 |  3.7 |  3.3 |  3.6 |  3.7
    Professional   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     and business  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     services......|  3.0 |  2.9 |  3.1 |  3.9 |  4.2 |  3.8 |  3.2 |  3.7 |  3.5
    Education and  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     health ser-   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |           
     vices.........|  3.0 |  2.9 |  2.9 |  2.6 |  2.5 |  2.6 |  2.2 |  2.1 |  2.2
    Leisure and    |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     hospitality...|  2.7 |  3.3 |  3.5 |  5.8 |  6.1 |  6.2 |  5.5 |  5.9 |  5.5
  Government.......|  1.6 |  1.7 |  1.6 |  1.3 |  1.5 |  1.4 |  1.3 |  1.3 |  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.)
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 report on Job Openings and Labor Turnover for August 2004 is
scheduled to be released on Wednesday, October 13, 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            July   Feb.   Mar.   Apr.   May    June   July   July  Feb.  Mar.  Apr.  May   June  July
                                          2003   2004   2004   2004   2004   2004   2004p  2003  2004  2004  2004  2004  2004  2004p

Total(4)...............................  2,738  2,906  3,079  3,135  3,105  3,022  3,190    2.1   2.2   2.3   2.3   2.3   2.3   2.4

                INDUSTRY

 Total private(4)......................  2,390  2,534  2,740  2,778  2,746  2,640  2,836    2.2   2.3   2.5   2.5   2.4   2.3   2.5
  Construction.........................     95     99    113    105    108     94     85    1.4   1.4   1.6   1.5   1.5   1.3   1.2
  Manufacturing........................    183    226    232    251    244    247    230    1.3   1.6   1.6   1.7   1.7   1.7   1.6
  Trade, transportation, and utilities.    428    458    524    531    521    503    571    1.7   1.8   2.0   2.0   2.0   1.9   2.2
  Professional and business services...    503    491    502    518    530    494    529    3.0   2.9   3.0   3.1   3.1   2.9   3.1
  Education and health services........    519    551    559    576    542    496    513    3.0   3.2   3.2   3.3   3.1   2.9   2.9
  Leisure and hospitality..............    331    383    370    376    391    421    452    2.7   3.0   2.9   3.0   3.1   3.3   3.5
 Government............................    345    364    353    354    360    380    353    1.6   1.7   1.6   1.6   1.6   1.7   1.6


                 REGION

  Northeast............................    529    500    569    560    526    546    530    2.1   2.0   2.2   2.2   2.0   2.1   2.1
  South................................  1,055  1,112  1,176  1,191  1,164  1,164  1,236    2.2   2.4   2.5   2.5   2.5   2.4   2.6
  Midwest..............................    567    680    663    692    688    631    655    1.8   2.2   2.1   2.2   2.2   2.0   2.1
  West.................................    565    632    655    694    765    677    725    2.0   2.2   2.2   2.4   2.6   2.3   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            July   Feb.   Mar.   Apr.   May    June   July   July  Feb.  Mar.  Apr.  May   June  July
                                          2003   2004   2004   2004   2004   2004   2004p  2003  2004  2004  2004  2004  2004  2004p

Total(4)...............................  4,014  4,103  4,603  4,398  4,206  4,433  4,233    3.1   3.2   3.5   3.4   3.2   3.4   3.2

                INDUSTRY

 Total private(4)......................  3,715  3,772  4,256  4,090  3,938  4,110  3,936    3.4   3.5   3.9   3.7   3.6   3.7   3.6
  Construction.........................    383    382    437    421    406    436    351    5.7   5.6   6.4   6.1   5.9   6.3   5.1
  Manufacturing........................    319    355    361    354    336    370    349    2.2   2.5   2.5   2.5   2.3   2.6   2.4
  Trade, transportation, and utilities.    812    945  1,009  1,032    938    945    939    3.2   3.7   4.0   4.1   3.7   3.7   3.7
  Professional and business services...    631    529    713    609    631    692    621    3.9   3.3   4.4   3.7   3.8   4.2   3.8
  Education and health services........    427    447    444    460    451    428    435    2.6   2.7   2.6   2.7   2.7   2.5   2.6
  Leisure and hospitality..............    709    766    810    766    739    749    771    5.8   6.3   6.6   6.2   6.0   6.1   6.2
 Government............................    289    323    343    300    272    328    301    1.3   1.5   1.6   1.4   1.3   1.5   1.4


                 REGION

  Northeast............................    681    689    744    810    708    703    760    2.7   2.8   3.0   3.2   2.8   2.8   3.0
  South................................  1,513  1,608  1,781  1,582  1,606  1,709  1,628    3.3   3.5   3.9   3.4   3.5   3.7   3.5
  Midwest..............................    865    953  1,040    991    956  1,009    914    2.8   3.1   3.4   3.2   3.1   3.2   2.9
  West.................................    903    876  1,029  1,093    951  1,023    844    3.2   3.1   3.6   3.8   3.3   3.6   2.9


  1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month.
  2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 
  3 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            July   Feb.   Mar.   Apr.   May    June   July   July  Feb.  Mar.  Apr.  May   June  July
                                          2003   2004   2004   2004   2004   2004   2004p  2003  2004  2004  2004  2004  2004  2004p

Total(4)...............................  3,861  4,073  4,134  4,088  4,040  4,069  4,011    3.0   3.1   3.2   3.1   3.1   3.1   3.1

                INDUSTRY

 Total private(4)......................  3,579  3,807  3,868  3,843  3,761  3,789  3,725    3.3   3.5   3.5   3.5   3.4   3.5   3.4
  Construction.........................    380    400    392    391    367    382    380    5.7   5.9   5.7   5.7   5.3   5.5   5.5
  Manufacturing........................    396    355    377    353    377    343    365    2.7   2.5   2.6   2.5   2.6   2.4   2.5
  Trade, transportation, and utilities.    842    899    978  1,013    917    927    939    3.3   3.5   3.8   4.0   3.6   3.6   3.7
  Professional and business services...    513    590    597    606    556    607    576    3.2   3.6   3.7   3.7   3.4   3.7   3.5
  Education and health services........    368    388    382    386    379    362    368    2.2   2.3   2.3   2.3   2.2   2.1   2.2
  Leisure and hospitality..............    665    727    715    679    696    734    680    5.5   5.9   5.8   5.5   5.6   5.9   5.5
 Government............................    272    268    284    245    268    270    273    1.3   1.2   1.3   1.1   1.2   1.3   1.3


                 REGION

  Northeast............................    648    688    666    716    648    704    699    2.6   2.8   2.7   2.9   2.6   2.8   2.8
  South................................  1,474  1,499  1,612  1,524  1,504  1,533  1,505    3.2   3.3   3.5   3.3   3.2   3.3   3.2
  Midwest..............................    866    929    938    877    833    853    904    2.8   3.0   3.0   2.8   2.7   2.7   2.9
  West.................................    887    941  1,003    959  1,008    979    915    3.1   3.3   3.5   3.4   3.5   3.4   3.2


  1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month.
  2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 
  3 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            July   Feb.   Mar.   Apr.   May    June   July   July  Feb.  Mar.  Apr.  May   June  July
                                          2003   2004   2004   2004   2004   2004   2004p  2003  2004  2004  2004  2004  2004  2004p

Total(4)...............................  2,024  2,178  2,271  2,278  2,173  2,284  2,235    1.6   1.7   1.7   1.7   1.7   1.7   1.7

                INDUSTRY

 Total private(4)......................  1,897  2,051  2,144  2,151  2,036  2,162  2,113    1.8   1.9   2.0   2.0   1.9   2.0   1.9
  Construction.........................    121    133    154    149    144    156    123    1.8   2.0   2.3   2.2   2.1   2.3   1.8
  Manufacturing........................    157    169    176    189    171    171    180    1.1   1.2   1.2   1.3   1.2   1.2   1.3
  Trade, transportation, and utilities.    477    493    530    563    525    536    547    1.9   1.9   2.1   2.2   2.1   2.1   2.1
  Professional and business services...    268    302    309    323    259    322    306    1.7   1.9   1.9   2.0   1.6   2.0   1.9
  Education and health services........    220    234    252    245    223    225    264    1.3   1.4   1.5   1.5   1.3   1.3   1.6
  Leisure and hospitality..............    429    447    465    429    455    480    430    3.5   3.7   3.8   3.5   3.7   3.9   3.5
 Government............................    126    126    129    129    129    123    123     .6    .6    .6    .6    .6    .6    .6


                 REGION

  Northeast............................    294    319    314    390    318    334    347    1.2   1.3   1.3   1.6   1.3   1.3   1.4
  South................................    814    867    957    888    857    910    869    1.8   1.9   2.1   1.9   1.8   2.0   1.9
  Midwest..............................    455    455    474    479    479    485    501    1.5   1.5   1.5   1.5   1.5   1.6   1.6
  West.................................    456    520    565    524    521    573    508    1.6   1.8   2.0   1.8   1.8   2.0   1.8


  1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month.
  2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 
  3 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                  July     June     July          July     June     July
                                                   2003     2004     2004p         2003     2004     2004p

Total...........................................  2,878    3,125    3,369           2.2      2.3      2.5

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  2,503    2,704    2,989           2.2      2.4      2.6
  Natural resources and mining..................      6       10        8           1.0      1.6      1.3
  Construction..................................    125      114      106           1.8      1.6      1.4
  Manufacturing.................................    199      266      251           1.4      1.8      1.7
   Durable goods................................    114      163      153           1.3      1.8      1.7
   Nondurable goods.............................     84      104       97           1.5      1.9      1.7
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    429      493      590           1.7      1.9      2.3
   Wholesale trade..............................     93      123      136           1.6      2.1      2.3
   Retail trade.................................    270      288      368           1.8      1.9      2.4
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...     66       82       86           1.4      1.7      1.8
  Information...................................     48       75       83           1.5      2.3      2.5
  Financial activities..........................    179      203      201           2.2      2.4      2.4
   Finance and insurance........................    133      157      153           2.2      2.5      2.5
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     46       47       48           2.1      2.1      2.2
  Professional and business services............    508      523      544           3.1      3.0      3.2
  Education and health services.................    546      512      537           3.3      3.0      3.1
   Educational services.........................     47       43       48           1.9      1.7      1.9
   Health care and social assistance............    500      469      489           3.5      3.2      3.3
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    363      404      517           2.8      3.0      3.8
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........     32       40       43           1.5      1.9      2.0
   Accommodations and food services.............    331      364      474           3.0      3.2      4.2
  Other services................................    101      105      153           1.8      1.9      2.7

 Government.....................................    375      421      380           1.8      1.9      1.8
  Federal.......................................     46       37       41           1.6      1.3      1.5
  State and local...............................    329      384      339           1.8      2.0      1.9

                    REGION

  Northeast.....................................    553      565      556           2.2      2.2      2.2
  South.........................................  1,110    1,230    1,322           2.4      2.6      2.8
  Midwest.......................................    606      634      699           1.9      2.0      2.2
  West..........................................    610      697      792           2.1      2.4      2.7


  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                  July     June     July          July     June     July
                                                   2003     2004     2004p         2003     2004     2004p

Total...........................................  4,275    5,399    4,455           3.3      4.1      3.4

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  3,953    4,972    4,122           3.6      4.5      3.7
  Natural resources and mining..................     16       23       23           2.7      3.9      3.8
  Construction..................................    443      580      389           6.3      8.1      5.4
  Manufacturing.................................    351      431      378           2.4      3.0      2.6
   Durable goods................................    210      272      243           2.4      3.0      2.7
   Nondurable goods.............................    141      159      135           2.5      2.9      2.5
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    811    1,058      925           3.2      4.1      3.6
   Wholesale trade..............................    132      193      133           2.4      3.4      2.4
   Retail trade.................................    559      725      646           3.8      4.8      4.3
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...    120      140      145           2.6      2.9      3.0
  Information...................................     52       94       61           1.6      2.9      1.9
  Financial activities..........................    172      256      177           2.1      3.2      2.2
   Finance and insurance........................    109      144       89           1.8      2.4      1.5
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     63      112       88           3.0      5.3      4.1
  Professional and business services............    674      766      647           4.2      4.6      3.9
  Education and health services.................    483      508      492           3.0      3.0      3.0
   Educational services.........................     59       77       72           2.5      3.1      3.0
   Health care and social assistance............    424      431      419           3.1      3.0      3.0
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    747      978      819           5.9      7.6      6.3
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........    100      169      126           4.8      8.3      6.1
   Accommodations and food services.............    647      809      694           6.1      7.5      6.4
  Other services................................    204      278      210           3.7      5.1      3.8

 Government.....................................    322      427      334           1.6      2.0      1.6
  Federal.......................................     39       46       38           1.4      1.7      1.4
  State and local...............................    283      381      296           1.6      2.0      1.7

                    REGION

  Northeast.....................................    775      953      887           3.1      3.8      3.5
  South.........................................  1,609    1,991    1,718           3.5      4.3      3.7
  Midwest.......................................    862    1,227      899           2.8      3.9      2.9
  West..........................................  1,029    1,228      951           3.6      4.2      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. 
  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                  July     June     July          July     June     July
                                                   2003     2004     2004p         2003     2004     2004p

Total...........................................  4,095    4,310    4,234           3.2      3.3      3.2

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  3,753    3,902    3,883           3.4      3.5      3.5
  Natural resources and mining..................     18       17       18           3.1      2.8      3.0
  Construction..................................    354      366      349           5.0      5.1      4.8
  Manufacturing.................................    413      357      387           2.9      2.5      2.7
   Durable goods................................    250      249      260           2.8      2.8      2.9
   Nondurable goods.............................    164      108      127           2.9      2.0      2.3
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    837      930      935           3.3      3.6      3.7
   Wholesale trade..............................    155      182      146           2.8      3.2      2.6
   Retail trade.................................    560      588      623           3.8      3.9      4.2
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...    122      160      166           2.6      3.3      3.5
  Information...................................     81       69       57           2.5      2.1      1.8
  Financial activities..........................    145      217      176           1.8      2.7      2.2
   Finance and insurance........................     92      126      104           1.5      2.1      1.7
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     53       91       72           2.5      4.3      3.4
  Professional and business services............    553      614      615           3.4      3.7      3.7
  Education and health services.................    422      431      418           2.6      2.6      2.5
   Educational services.........................     59       73       59           2.5      2.9      2.4
   Health care and social assistance............    363      358      359           2.6      2.5      2.5
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    711      735      715           5.6      5.7      5.5
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........    104       88       89           5.0      4.3      4.3
   Accommodations and food services.............    606      647      627           5.7      6.0      5.8
  Other services................................    220      168      212           4.0      3.1      3.9

 Government.....................................    342      408      352           1.7      1.9      1.7
  Federal.......................................     31       35       25           1.1      1.3       .9
  State and local...............................    310      373      327           1.8      2.0      1.8

                    REGION

  Northeast.....................................    656      789      705           2.6      3.1      2.8
  South.........................................  1,606    1,605    1,634           3.5      3.4      3.5
  Midwest.......................................    868      929      917           2.8      3.0      3.0
  West..........................................    965      988      978           3.4      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                  July     June     July          July     June     July
                                                   2003     2004     2004p         2003     2004     2004p

Total...........................................  2,257    2,464    2,489           1.7      1.9      1.9

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  2,107    2,297    2,343           1.9      2.1      2.1
  Natural resources and mining..................      8       10       11           1.4      1.7      1.9
  Construction..................................    164      192      158           2.3      2.7      2.2
  Manufacturing.................................    179      181      208           1.2      1.2      1.4
   Durable goods................................    108      118      138           1.2      1.3      1.5
   Nondurable goods.............................     71       63       70           1.3      1.2      1.3
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    497      532      572           2.0      2.1      2.2
   Wholesale trade..............................     85      106       97           1.5      1.9      1.7
   Retail trade.................................    351      375      396           2.4      2.5      2.6
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...     61       51       79           1.3      1.1      1.6
  Information...................................     48       50       38           1.5      1.6      1.2
  Financial activities..........................     79      133      123           1.0      1.6      1.5
   Finance and insurance........................     48       77       67            .8      1.3      1.1
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     31       56       57           1.5      2.6      2.7
  Professional and business services............    297      336      340           1.8      2.0      2.0
  Education and health services.................    232      247      282           1.4      1.5      1.7
   Educational services.........................     25       29       36           1.1      1.1      1.5
   Health care and social assistance............    207      218      246           1.5      1.5      1.7
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    493      495      487           3.9      3.8      3.8
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........     45       40       43           2.1      2.0      2.1
   Accommodations and food services.............    448      455      443           4.2      4.2      4.1
  Other services................................    111      120      126           2.0      2.2      2.3

 Government.....................................    150      168      146            .7       .8       .7
  Federal.......................................     16        9       11            .6       .3       .4
  State and local...............................    133      158      135            .8       .8       .8

                    REGION

  Northeast.....................................    314      372      382           1.3      1.5      1.5
  South.........................................    947      992    1,010           2.1      2.1      2.2
  Midwest.......................................    486      515      536           1.6      1.6      1.7
  West..........................................    510      586      562           1.8      2.0      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                  July     June     July          July     June     July
                                                   2003     2004     2004p         2003     2004     2004p

Total...........................................  1,532    1,497    1,440           1.2      1.1      1.1

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  1,404    1,346    1,294           1.3      1.2      1.2
  Natural resources and mining..................      8        4        5           1.4       .7       .9
  Construction..................................    171      160      171           2.4      2.2      2.4
  Manufacturing.................................    204      145      152           1.4      1.0      1.1
   Durable goods................................    123      110      102           1.4      1.2      1.1
   Nondurable goods.............................     81       35       49           1.5       .6       .9
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    277      323      292           1.1      1.3      1.1
   Wholesale trade..............................     58       63       43           1.0      1.1       .8
   Retail trade.................................    174      166      179           1.2      1.1      1.2
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...     46       94       70           1.0      1.9      1.5
  Information...................................     26       14       16            .8       .4       .5
  Financial activities..........................     46       56       31            .6       .7       .4
   Finance and insurance........................     28       28       21            .5       .5       .4
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     18       28       10            .9      1.3       .5
  Professional and business services............    215      234      238           1.3      1.4      1.4
  Education and health services.................    161      151      118           1.0       .9       .7
   Educational services.........................     29       37       21           1.2      1.5       .9
   Health care and social assistance............    132      114       97           1.0       .8       .7
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    198      219      208           1.6      1.7      1.6
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........     58       46       42           2.8      2.3      2.0
   Accommodations and food services.............    140      173      166           1.3      1.6      1.5
  Other services................................     97       39       64           1.8       .7      1.2

 Government.....................................    128      152      146            .6       .7       .7
  Federal.......................................      9       16        5            .3       .6       .2
  State and local...............................    118      135      141            .7       .7       .8

                    REGION

  Northeast.....................................    283      337      256           1.1      1.3      1.0
  South.........................................    541      502      518           1.2      1.1      1.1
  Midwest.......................................    326      330      315           1.1      1.1      1.0
  West..........................................    382      328      351           1.3      1.1      1.2


  1 Layoffs and discharges are the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire month.
  2 The layoffs and discharges rate is the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire month as a
percent of total employment.
  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                  July     June     July          July     June     July
                                                   2003     2004     2004p         2003     2004     2004p

Total...........................................    306      349      305           0.2      0.3      0.2

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................    242      260      245            .2       .2       .2
  Natural resources and mining..................      2        3        1            .3       .5       .2
  Construction..................................     19       13       21            .3       .2       .3
  Manufacturing.................................     31       30       28            .2       .2       .2
   Durable goods................................     19       20       20            .2       .2       .2
   Nondurable goods.............................     12       10        8            .2       .2       .1
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........     63       75       72            .2       .3       .3
   Wholesale trade..............................     12       14        6            .2       .2       .1
   Retail trade.................................     36       48       48            .2       .3       .3
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...     15       14       17            .3       .3       .4
  Information...................................      7        5        3            .2       .2       .1
  Financial activities..........................     20       28       21            .2       .3       .3
   Finance and insurance........................     16       20       16            .3       .3       .3
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........      3        8        5            .2       .4       .2
  Professional and business services............     41       44       37            .3       .3       .2
  Education and health services.................     28       33       19            .2       .2       .1
   Educational services.........................      5        7        3            .2       .3       .1
   Health care and social assistance............     23       26       16            .2       .2       .1
  Leisure and hospitality.......................     20       21       20            .2       .2       .2
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........      1        2        3            .1       .1       .1
   Accommodations and food services.............     18       18       17            .2       .2       .2
  Other services................................     12        8       22            .2       .2       .4

 Government.....................................     64       89       60            .3       .4       .3
  Federal.......................................      6        9        9            .2       .3       .3
  State and local...............................     58       80       51            .3       .4       .3

                    REGION

  Northeast.....................................     60       80       67            .2       .3       .3
  South.........................................    117      112      106            .3       .2       .2
  Midwest.......................................     56       83       66            .2       .3       .2
  West..........................................     73       73       66            .3       .3       .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.
  p = preliminary.
  NOTE:  See NOTE, table 1.