Technical information:      (202) 691-5870        USDL 06-1363
                   http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
                                                  For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                    691-5902        Wednesday, August 9, 2006


                JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER:  JUNE 2006


   The hires and total separations rates edged down, while the job openings
rate was essentially unchanged in June, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of
the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.  This release includes estimates
of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total
nonfarm sector by industry and geographic region.

Job Openings

   On the last business day of June 2006, there were 4.0 million job openings
in the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.9 percent.  The job open-
ings rate was about unchanged over the month and has been essentially unchanged
since November 2005.  In June, the job openings rate increased in construction
and government and declined in professional and business services.  The indus-
tries with the highest seasonally adjusted job openings rate in June 2006 were
education and health services (3.7 percent), leisure and hospitality (3.6 per-
cent), and professional and business services (3.4 percent).  (See table 1.)
     
   Over the year, the job openings rate increased in many industries and in
three of the four regions--the Northeast, South, and West.  None of the indus-
tries or regions experienced a significant decrease in the job openings rate
from the prior year.  (See table 5.)
     
Hires
     
   The hires rate edged down to 3.5 percent in June.  Hires are any additions
to the payroll during the month.  In June, the hires rate decreased in profes-
sional and business services, education and health services, and in the North-
east and Midwest regions.  There were no significant increases in the hires
rate in any industry or region.  The seasonally adjusted hires rate was high-
est in the leisure and hospitality industry (6.5 percent).  (See table 2.)
     
   From June 2005 to June 2006, the hires rate rose in nondurable goods manu-
facturing, educational services, and state and local government and declined
in construction; arts, entertainment, and recreation; and the federal govern-
ment.  The hires rate did not change significantly over the year in any geo-
graphic region.  (See table 6.)

                                  - 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
                   | 2005 | 2006 | 2006p| 2005 | 2006 | 2006p| 2005 | 2006 | 2006p
-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
                   |                     Levels (in thousands)
                   |--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........|3,598 |3,945 |4,004 |4,807 |4,949 |4,758 |4,590 |4,811 |4,550
                   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
  Total private(1).|3,183 |3,496 |3,509 |4,471 |4,573 |4,385 |4,321 |4,488 |4,263
    Construction...|  112 |  119 |  156 |  413 |  374 |  362 |  403 |  478 |  318
    Manufacturing..|  259 |  311 |  313 |  340 |  385 |  377 |  341 |  381 |  373
    Trade, trans-  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     portation, and|      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     utilities.....|  636 |  687 |  663 |1,057 |1,018 |1,037 |  980 |1,046 |1,042
    Professional   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     and business  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     services......|  643 |  693 |  611 |  904 |1,006 |  868 |  873 |  833 |  752
    Education and  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     health ser-   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     vices.........|  601 |  651 |  674 |  462 |  549 |  471 |  412 |  487 |  464
    Leisure and    |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     hospitality...|  493 |  496 |  486 |  892 |  811 |  843 |  839 |  799 |  781
  Government.......|  397 |  452 |  478 |  338 |  379 |  373 |  266 |  324 |  286
                   |--------------------------------------------------------------
                   |                       Rates (percent)
                   |--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........|  2.6 |  2.8 |  2.9 |  3.6 |  3.7 |  3.5 |  3.4 |  3.6 |  3.4
                   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
  Total private(1).|  2.8 |  3.0 |  3.0 |  4.0 |  4.0 |  3.9 |  3.9 |  4.0 |  3.8
    Construction...|  1.5 |  1.6 |  2.0 |  5.7 |  5.0 |  4.8 |  5.5 |  6.4 |  4.2
    Manufacturing..|  1.8 |  2.1 |  2.2 |  2.4 |  2.7 |  2.6 |  2.4 |  2.7 |  2.6
    Trade, trans-  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     portation, and|      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     utilities.....|  2.4 |  2.6 |  2.5 |  4.1 |  3.9 |  4.0 |  3.8 |  4.0 |  4.0
    Professional   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     and business  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     services......|  3.7 |  3.9 |  3.4 |  5.4 |  5.8 |  5.0 |  5.2 |  4.8 |  4.4
    Education and  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     health ser-   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     vices.........|  3.4 |  3.6 |  3.7 |  2.7 |  3.1 |  2.7 |  2.4 |  2.8 |  2.6
    Leisure and    |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     hospitality...|  3.7 |  3.7 |  3.6 |  7.0 |  6.2 |  6.5 |  6.6 |  6.1 |  6.0
  Government.......|  1.8 |  2.0 |  2.1 |  1.6 |  1.7 |  1.7 |  1.2 |  1.5 |  1.3
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and
other services, not shown separately.
  p = preliminary.

     
Separations
     
   The total separations, or turnover, rate decreased to 3.4 percent in June.
Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any time during the
month.  In June, the total separations rate decreased in construction, govern-
ment, and the Midwest region.  There were no significant increases in the total
separations rate in any industry or region.  (See table 3.)
     
   Total separations include quits (voluntary separations), layoffs and dis-
charges (involuntary separations), and other separations (including retire-
ments).  The quits rate, which can serve as a barometer of workers' ability
to change jobs, was about unchanged at 1.9 percent in June.  The quits rate
decreased in construction, professional and business services, and govern-
ment.  In June, the seasonally adjusted quits rate was highest in the lei-
sure and hospitality industry (4.5 percent), which also had the highest
hires rate.  (See table 4.)

                                  - 3 -
     
   Over the year, the quits rate grew in nondurable goods manufacturing and
accommodations and food services as well as in the South region.  The quits
rate declined in professional and business services.  (See table 8.)
     
   The other two components of total separations--layoffs and discharges,
and other separations--are not seasonally adjusted.  From June 2005 to
June 2006, the layoffs and discharges rate decreased to 1.1 percent.  For
June 2006, the professional and business services industry had the highest
layoffs and discharges rate (1.9 percent).  From June 2005 to June 2006,
the other separations rate increased to 0.3 percent.  (See tables 9 and 10.)
     
Flows in the Labor Market

   Hires and separations data help show dynamic flows in the labor market.
Over the 12 months ending in June 2006, hires have averaged 4.8 million per
month and separations have averaged 4.5 million per month (not seasonally
adjusted).  The comparable figures for the prior 12-month period were 4.7
million hires and 4.5 million separations.  (See the Technical Note for
additional information on these measures.)

For More Information

   For additional information, please read the Technical Note or visit the
JOLTS Web site at http://www.bls.gov/jlt/.  Additional information about
JOLTS also may be obtained by e-mailing Joltsinfo@bls.gov or by calling
(202) 691-5870.
   
                      ______________________________

   
     The Job Openings and Labor Turnover release for July 2006 is scheduled
to be issued on Tuesday, September 12, 2006.



                                  - 4 -

Technical Note


  The data for the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) are
collected and compiled monthly from a sample of business establishments 
by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
   
Collection
   
  Each month, data are collected in a survey of business establishments
for total employment, job openings, hires, quits, layoffs and discharges,
and other separations.  Data collection methods include computer-assisted
telephone interviewing, touchtone data entry, fax, and mail.
   
Coverage
   
  The JOLTS program covers all private nonfarm establishments such as
factories, offices, and stores, as well as federal, state, and local
government entities in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
   
Concepts
   
  Industry classification.  The industry classifications in this release
are in accordance with the 2002 version of the North American Industry
Classification System (NAICS).  In order to ensure the highest possible
quality of data, State Workforce Agencies verify with employers and update,
if necessary, the industry code, location, and ownership classification of
all establishments on a 3-year cycle.  Changes in establishment characteris-
tics resulting from the verification process are always introduced into the
JOLTS sampling frame with the data reported for the first month of the year.
   
  Employment.  Employment includes persons on the payroll who worked or re-
ceived pay for the pay period that includes the 12th day of the reference
month.  Full-time, part-time, permanent, short-term, seasonal, salaried,
and hourly employees are included, as are employees on paid vacations or
other paid leave.  Proprietors or partners of unincorporated businesses,
unpaid family workers, or persons on leave without pay or on strike for 
the entire pay period, are not counted as employed.  Employees of tempo-
rary help agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors, and
consultants are counted by their employer of record, not by the establish-
ment where they are working.
   
  Job openings.  Establishments submit job openings information for the
last business day of the reference month.  A job opening requires that:  
1) a specific position exists and there is work available for that posi-
tion, 2) work could start within 30 days regardless of whether a suitable
candidate is found, and 3) the employer is actively recruiting from outside
the establishment to fill the position.  Included are full-time, part-time,
permanent, short-term, and seasonal openings.  Active recruiting means that
the establishment is taking steps to fill a position by advertising in news-
papers or on the Internet, posting help-wanted signs, accepting applications, 
or using other similar methods.
   
  Jobs to be filled only by internal transfers, promotions, demotions, or
recall from layoffs are excluded.  Also excluded are jobs with start dates
more than 30 days in the future, jobs for which employees have been hired
but have not yet reported for work, and jobs to be filled by employees of
temporary help agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors,
or consultants.  The job openings rate is computed by dividing the number
of job openings by the sum of employment and job openings and multiplying
that quotient by 100.
   
                                  - 5 -

  Hires.  Hires are the total number of additions to the payroll occurring
at any time during the reference month, including both new and rehired em-
ployees, full-time and part-time, permanent, short-term and seasonal em-
ployees, employees recalled to the location after a layoff lasting more
than 7 days, on-call or intermittent employees who returned to work after
having been formally separated, and transfers from other locations.  The
hires count does not include transfers or promotions within the reporting
site, employees returning from strike, employees of temporary help agencies
or employee leasing companies, outside contractors, or consultants.  The
hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by employment and
multiplying that quotient by 100.
   
  Separations.  Separations are the total number of terminations of
employment occurring at any time during the reference month, and are
reported by type of separation--quits, layoffs and discharges, and 
other separations.  Quits are voluntary separations by employees (ex-
cept for retirements, which are reported as other separations).  Lay-
offs and discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the em-
ployer and include layoffs with no intent to rehire, formal layoffs 
lasting or expected to last more than 7 days, discharges resulting 
from mergers, downsizing, or closings, firings or other discharges 
for cause, terminations of permanent or short-term employees, and 
terminations of seasonal employees.  Other separations include re-
tirements, transfers to other locations, deaths, and separations 
due to disability.  Separations do not include transfers within the 
same location or employees on strike.
   
  The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of separations
by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100.  The quits, layoffs
and discharges, and other separations rates are computed similarly, divid-
ing the number by employment and multiplying by 100.
   
   Annual estimates.  Annual estimates of rates and levels of hires, quits,
layoffs and discharges, other separations, and total separations are released
with the January news release each year.
   
   The JOLTS annual level estimates for hires, quits, layoffs and discharges,
other separations, and total separations are the sum of the 12 published
monthly levels.  The annual rate estimates are computed by dividing the an-
nual level by the Current Employment Statistics (CES) annual average employ-
ment level, and multiplying that quotient by 100.  This figure will be ap-
proximately equal to the sum of the 12 monthly rates.  Note that both the
JOLTS and CES annual levels are rounded to the nearest thousand before the
annual estimates are calculated.  Consistent with BLS practices, annual es-
timates will be published only for not seasonally adjusted data.
   
   Annual estimates are not calculated for job openings because job
openings are a stock, or point-in-time, measurement for the last business
day of each month.  Only jobs still open on the last day of the month are
counted.  For the same reason job openings cannot be cumulated throughout
each month, annual figures for job openings cannot be created by summing
the monthly estimates.  Hires and separations are flow measures and are
cumulated over the month with a total reported for the month.  Therefore,
the annual figures can be created by summing the monthly estimates.

                                  - 6 -

Sample methodology
   
  The JOLTS sample design is a random sample of 16,000 nonfarm business
establishments, including factories, offices, and stores, as well as
federal, state, and local governments in the 50 states and the District 
of Columbia.  The establishments are drawn from a universe of over eight
million establishments compiled as part of the operations of the Quarterly
Census of Employment and Wages, or QCEW, program.  This program includes
all employers subject to state Unemployment Insurance (UI) laws and federal
agencies subject to Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE).
   
  The sampling frame is stratified by ownership, region, industry sector,
and size class.  Large firms fall into the sample with virtual certainty.
JOLTS total employment estimates are controlled to the employment estimates
of the Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey.  A ratio of CES to JOLTS
employment is used to adjust the levels for all other JOLTS data elements.
Rates are then computed from the adjusted levels.
   
Using JOLTS data
   
  The JOLTS data series on job openings, hires, and separations are rel-
atively new.  The full sample is divided into panels, with one panel
enrolled each month.  A full complement of panels for the original data
series based on the 1987 Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system
was not completely enrolled in the survey until January 2002.  The supple-
mental panels of establishments needed to create NAICS estimates were not 
completely enrolled until May 2003.  The data collected up until those
points are from less than a full sample.  Therefore, estimates from earlier
months should be used with caution, as fewer sampled units were reporting
data at that time.
   
  In March 2002, BLS procedures for collecting hires and separations data
were revised to address possible underreporting.  As a result, JOLTS hires
and separations estimates for months prior to March 2002 may not be compar-
able with estimates for March 2002 and later.
   
  The federal government reorganization that involved transferring approx-
imately 180,000 employees to the new Department of Homeland Security is not 
reflected in the JOLTS hires and separations estimates for the federal gov-
ernment.  The Office of Personnel Management's record shows these transfers 
were completed in March 2003.  The inclusion of transfers in the JOLTS defi-
nitions of hires and separations is intended to cover ongoing movements of 
workers between establishments.  The Department of Homeland Security reorgan-
ization was a massive one-time event, and the inclusion of these intergovern-
mental transfers would distort the federal government time series.
   
Seasonal adjustment
   
  BLS seasonally adjusts several JOLTS series using the X-12-ARIMA
seasonal adjustment program.  Seasonal adjustment is the process of
estimating and removing periodic fluctuations caused by events such 
as weather, holidays, and the beginning and ending of the school year.
Seasonal adjustment makes it easier to observe fundamental changes in 
the level of the series, particularly those associated with general 
economic expansions and contractions.  A concurrent seasonal adjust-
ment methodology is used in which new seasonal adjustment factors are 
calculated each month, using all relevant data, up to and including 
the data for the current month.

                                  - 7 -

  Data users should note that seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS series is
conducted with fewer data observations than is customary.  The historical
data, therefore, may be subject to larger than normal revisions.  Since the
seasonal patterns in economic data series typically emerge over time, the
standard use of moving averages as seasonal filters to capture these effects 
requires longer series than are currently available.  As a result, the stable 
seasonal filter option is used in the seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS data.  
When calculating seasonal factors, this filter takes an average for each cal-
endar month after detrending the series.  The stable seasonal filter assumes 
that the seasonal factors are fixed; a necessary assumption until sufficient 
data are available.  When the stable seasonal filter is no longer needed, 
other program features also may be introduced, such as outlier adjustment 
and extended diagnostic testing.  Additionally, it is expected that more 
series, such as layoffs and discharges and additional industries, may be 
seasonally adjusted when more data are available.
   
Reliability of the estimates
   
  JOLTS estimates are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error.
When a sample rather than the entire population is surveyed, there is a
chance that the sample estimates may differ from the "true" population
values they represent.  The exact difference, or sampling error, varies
depending on the particular sample selected, and this variability is
measured by the standard error of the estimate.  BLS analysis is generally
conducted at the 90-percent level of confidence.  That means that there is
a 90-percent chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate based on a
sample will differ by no more than 1.6 standard errors from the "true"
population value because of sampling error.  Estimates of sampling errors
are available upon request.
   
  The JOLTS estimates also are affected by nonsampling error.  Nonsampling
error can occur for many reasons, including the failure to include a seg-
ment of the population, the inability to obtain data from all units in the 
sample, the inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide data on a 
timely basis, mistakes made by respondents, errors made in the collection 
or processing of the data, and errors from the employment benchmark data 
used in estimation.
   
  JOLTS hires and separations estimates cannot be used to exactly ex-
plain net changes in nonfarm payroll employment.  Some reasons why it is
problematic to compare changes in payroll employment with JOLTS hires and
separations, especially on a monthly basis, are: 1) the reference period
for payroll employment is the pay period including the 12th of the month,
while the reference period for hires and separations is the calendar month;
and 2) payroll employment can vary from month to month simply because part-
time and on-call workers may not always work during the pay period that in-
cludes the 12th of the month.  Additionally, research has found that some
reporters systematically underreport separations relative to hires due to a
number of factors, including the nature of their payroll systems and prac-
tices.  The shortfall appears to be about 2 percent or less over a 12-month 
period.
   
Other information
   
  Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired
individuals upon request.  Voice phone: 202-691-5200; TDD message referral
phone: 1-800-877-8339.





Table 1.  Job openings levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

                                                      Levels(3) (in thousands)                              Rates

           Industry and region            June   Jan.   Feb.   Mar.   Apr.   May    June   June  Jan.  Feb.  Mar.  Apr.  May   June
                                          2005   2006   2006   2006   2006   2006   2006p  2005  2006  2006  2006  2006  2006  2006p

Total(4)...............................  3,598  3,981  3,994  4,089  4,070  3,945  4,004    2.6   2.9   2.9   2.9   2.9   2.8   2.9

                INDUSTRY

 Total private(4)......................  3,183  3,533  3,531  3,633  3,603  3,496  3,509    2.8   3.0   3.0   3.1   3.1   3.0   3.0
  Construction.........................    112    114    121    144    138    119    156    1.5   1.5   1.6   1.9   1.8   1.6   2.0
  Manufacturing........................    259    324    318    318    323    311    313    1.8   2.2   2.2   2.2   2.2   2.1   2.2
  Trade, transportation, and utilities.    636    687    660    651    672    687    663    2.4   2.6   2.5   2.4   2.5   2.6   2.5
  Professional and business services...    643    777    716    702    748    693    611    3.7   4.3   4.0   3.9   4.2   3.9   3.4
  Education and health services........    601    627    640    692    674    651    674    3.4   3.4   3.5   3.8   3.7   3.6   3.7
  Leisure and hospitality..............    493    507    587    506    485    496    486    3.7   3.8   4.3   3.8   3.6   3.7   3.6
 Government............................    397    449    460    458    467    452    478    1.8   2.0   2.1   2.0   2.1   2.0   2.1


                 REGION(5)

  Northeast............................    628    740    707    732    672    670    726    2.4   2.8   2.7   2.8   2.6   2.6   2.8
  South................................  1,360  1,550  1,547  1,634  1,600  1,591  1,536    2.8   3.1   3.1   3.3   3.2   3.2   3.1
  Midwest..............................    750    745    797    721    770    787    772    2.4   2.3   2.5   2.2   2.4   2.4   2.4
  West.................................    828    928    957    985  1,022    918    933    2.7   3.0   3.1   3.2   3.3   3.0   3.0


  1 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day of the month.
  2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business day of the month as a percent of total employment plus
job openings.
  3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
  4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
  5 The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of
Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas,
Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio,
South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah,
Washington, and Wyoming.
  p = preliminary.






Table 2.  Hires levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

                                                      Levels(3) (in thousands)                              Rates

           Industry and region            June   Jan.   Feb.   Mar.   Apr.   May    June   June  Jan.  Feb.  Mar.  Apr.  May   June
                                          2005   2006   2006   2006   2006   2006   2006p  2005  2006  2006  2006  2006  2006  2006p

Total(4)...............................  4,807  4,941  4,954  4,884  4,649  4,949  4,758    3.6   3.7   3.7   3.6   3.4   3.7   3.5

                INDUSTRY

 Total private(4)......................  4,471  4,584  4,578  4,503  4,301  4,573  4,385    4.0   4.1   4.1   4.0   3.8   4.0   3.9
  Construction.........................    413    379    403    344    376    374    362    5.7   5.1   5.4   4.6   5.0   5.0   4.8
  Manufacturing........................    340    366    333    341    328    385    377    2.4   2.6   2.3   2.4   2.3   2.7   2.6
  Trade, transportation, and utilities.  1,057  1,177  1,117  1,103  1,029  1,018  1,037    4.1   4.5   4.3   4.2   4.0   3.9   4.0
  Professional and business services...    904    953    841    922    858  1,006    868    5.4   5.6   4.9   5.4   5.0   5.8   5.0
  Education and health services........    462    446    435    435    481    549    471    2.7   2.5   2.5   2.5   2.7   3.1   2.7
  Leisure and hospitality..............    892    847  1,019    899    775    811    843    7.0   6.6   7.9   6.9   6.0   6.2   6.5
 Government............................    338    352    379    397    361    379    373    1.6   1.6   1.7   1.8   1.6   1.7   1.7


                 REGION(5)

  Northeast............................    779    727    814    914    849    852    716    3.1   2.9   3.2   3.6   3.3   3.3   2.8
  South................................  1,854  1,946  2,061  1,803  1,777  1,849  1,836    3.9   4.1   4.3   3.7   3.7   3.8   3.8
  Midwest..............................  1,041  1,043  1,045  1,117    965  1,133  1,022    3.3   3.3   3.3   3.5   3.1   3.6   3.2
  West.................................  1,137  1,176  1,083  1,127  1,152  1,114  1,177    3.9   4.0   3.6   3.8   3.9   3.7   3.9


  1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month.
  2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 
  3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
  4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
  5 See footnote 5, table 1.
  p = preliminary.






Table 3.  Total separations levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

                                                      Levels(3) (in thousands)                              Rates

           Industry and region            June   Jan.   Feb.   Mar.   Apr.   May    June   June  Jan.  Feb.  Mar.  Apr.  May   June
                                          2005   2006   2006   2006   2006   2006   2006p  2005  2006  2006  2006  2006  2006  2006p

Total(4)...............................  4,590  4,285  4,531  4,681  4,495  4,811  4,550    3.4   3.2   3.4   3.5   3.3   3.6   3.4

                INDUSTRY

 Total private(4)......................  4,321  3,995  4,252  4,360  4,203  4,488  4,263    3.9   3.5   3.8   3.9   3.7   4.0   3.8
  Construction.........................    403    374    335    422    373    478    318    5.5   5.0   4.5   5.6   5.0   6.4   4.2
  Manufacturing........................    341    353    380    427    346    381    373    2.4   2.5   2.7   3.0   2.4   2.7   2.6
  Trade, transportation, and utilities.    980    880    997    989  1,022  1,046  1,042    3.8   3.4   3.8   3.8   3.9   4.0   4.0
  Professional and business services...    873    780    826    798    790    833    752    5.2   4.6   4.8   4.6   4.6   4.8   4.4
  Education and health services........    412    353    403    399    437    487    464    2.4   2.0   2.3   2.3   2.5   2.8   2.6
  Leisure and hospitality..............    839    848    881    769    770    799    781    6.6   6.6   6.8   5.9   5.9   6.1   6.0
 Government............................    266    300    285    326    302    324    286    1.2   1.4   1.3   1.5   1.4   1.5   1.3


                 REGION(5)

  Northeast............................    785    701    736    714    711    779    742    3.1   2.8   2.9   2.8   2.8   3.1   2.9
  South................................  1,708  1,653  1,694  1,810  1,710  1,828  1,774    3.6   3.4   3.5   3.8   3.5   3.8   3.7
  Midwest..............................    918    987  1,032  1,014    992  1,045    849    2.9   3.1   3.3   3.2   3.2   3.3   2.7
  West.................................  1,120    970  1,054  1,188  1,116  1,136  1,127    3.8   3.3   3.5   4.0   3.7   3.8   3.8


  1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month.
  2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 
  3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
  4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
  5 See footnote 5, table 1.
  p = preliminary.






Table 4.  Quits levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

                                                      Levels(3) (in thousands)                              Rates

           Industry and region            June   Jan.   Feb.   Mar.   Apr.   May    June   June  Jan.  Feb.  Mar.  Apr.  May   June
                                          2005   2006   2006   2006   2006   2006   2006p  2005  2006  2006  2006  2006  2006  2006p

Total(4)...............................  2,541  2,577  2,663  2,763  2,541  2,723  2,614    1.9   1.9   2.0   2.0   1.9   2.0   1.9

                INDUSTRY

 Total private(4)......................  2,413  2,435  2,526  2,606  2,383  2,565  2,478    2.2   2.2   2.2   2.3   2.1   2.3   2.2
  Construction.........................    147    179    153    182    167    207    159    2.0   2.4   2.0   2.4   2.2   2.8   2.1
  Manufacturing........................    185    196    202    205    175    202    191    1.3   1.4   1.4   1.4   1.2   1.4   1.3
  Trade, transportation, and utilities.    587    551    602    598    613    622    594    2.3   2.1   2.3   2.3   2.4   2.4   2.3
  Professional and business services...    414    415    422    426    409    434    357    2.5   2.4   2.5   2.5   2.4   2.5   2.1
  Education and health services........    269    225    279    267    253    276    286    1.5   1.3   1.6   1.5   1.4   1.6   1.6
  Leisure and hospitality..............    504    569    607    561    535    533    588    3.9   4.4   4.7   4.3   4.1   4.1   4.5
 Government............................    132    143    139    156    159    159    137     .6    .7    .6    .7    .7    .7    .6


                 REGION(5)

  Northeast............................    356    369    368    383    370    370    349    1.4   1.5   1.4   1.5   1.5   1.5   1.4
  South................................    998  1,068  1,114  1,129  1,026  1,152  1,120    2.1   2.2   2.3   2.3   2.1   2.4   2.3
  Midwest..............................    538    571    600    619    575    581    535    1.7   1.8   1.9   2.0   1.8   1.8   1.7
  West.................................    661    569    567    642    593    612    615    2.2   1.9   1.9   2.2   2.0   2.0   2.1


  1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month.
  2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 
  3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
  4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
  5 See footnote 5, table 1.
  p = preliminary.






Table 5.  Job openings levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

                                                    Levels (in thousands)                  Rates

              Industry and region                  June     May      June          June     May      June
                                                   2005     2006     2006p         2005     2006     2006p

Total...........................................  3,702    4,229    4,120           2.7      3.0      2.9

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  3,264    3,739    3,590           2.8      3.2      3.0
  Natural resources and mining..................     13       15       15           2.0      2.2      2.1
  Construction..................................    130      145      187           1.7      1.9      2.4
  Manufacturing.................................    275      325      333           1.9      2.2      2.3
   Durable goods................................    173      219      217           1.9      2.4      2.3
   Nondurable goods.............................    102      106      116           1.9      2.0      2.2
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    631      717      656           2.4      2.7      2.4
   Wholesale trade..............................    125      156      136           2.1      2.6      2.3
   Retail trade.................................    384      413      365           2.5      2.7      2.3
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...    122      148      154           2.4      2.9      3.0
  Information...................................     93      131      138           2.9      4.1      4.3
  Financial activities..........................    211      285      285           2.5      3.3      3.3
   Finance and insurance........................    171      221      220           2.8      3.5      3.4
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     39       64       65           1.8      2.9      2.9
  Professional and business services............    685      710      638           3.9      4.0      3.5
  Education and health services.................    616      681      695           3.5      3.7      3.8
   Educational services.........................     65       80       62           2.4      2.7      2.3
   Health care and social assistance............    551      602      633           3.6      3.9      4.1
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    504      558      493           3.6      4.1      3.5
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........     75       66       51           3.4      3.2      2.3
   Accommodations and food services.............    428      492      442           3.7      4.2      3.7
  Other services................................    108      170      152           1.9      3.0      2.7

 Government.....................................    438      490      529           2.0      2.1      2.4
  Federal.......................................     36       44       41           1.3      1.6      1.5
  State and local...............................    401      446      488           2.1      2.2      2.5

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................    639      726      743           2.5      2.8      2.8
  South.........................................  1,414    1,683    1,592           2.9      3.4      3.2
  Midwest.......................................    760      818      787           2.4      2.5      2.4
  West..........................................    889    1,002      998           2.9      3.2      3.2


  1 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day of the month.
  2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business day of the month as a
percent of total employment plus job openings.
  3 See footnote 5, table 1.
  p = preliminary.






Table 6.  Hires levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

                                                    Levels (in thousands)                  Rates

              Industry and region                  June     May      June          June     May      June
                                                   2005     2006     2006p         2005     2006     2006p

Total...........................................  5,855    5,666    5,775           4.4      4.2      4.2

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  5,416    5,277    5,290           4.8      4.6      4.6
  Natural resources and mining..................     28       25       23           4.5      3.7      3.3
  Construction..................................    542      481      469           7.2      6.3      6.1
  Manufacturing.................................    391      444      437           2.7      3.1      3.0
   Durable goods................................    261      286      275           2.9      3.2      3.0
   Nondurable goods.............................    130      158      162           2.4      3.0      3.1
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........  1,170    1,107    1,143           4.5      4.3      4.4
   Wholesale trade..............................    171      155      180           3.0      2.6      3.1
   Retail trade.................................    828      784      765           5.4      5.2      5.0
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...    171      168      198           3.5      3.4      4.0
  Information...................................     78       98       80           2.5      3.2      2.6
  Financial activities..........................    196      226      240           2.4      2.7      2.9
   Finance and insurance........................    120      131      142           2.0      2.1      2.3
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     77       95       98           3.6      4.4      4.4
  Professional and business services............  1,028    1,097      979           6.0      6.4      5.6
  Education and health services.................    558      542      567           3.3      3.0      3.2
   Educational services.........................     61       66       88           2.3      2.2      3.3
   Health care and social assistance............    497      476      479           3.4      3.2      3.2
  Leisure and hospitality.......................  1,154    1,061    1,087           8.6      8.0      8.0
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........    243      222      187          11.3     11.2      8.6
   Accommodations and food services.............    911      838      901           8.1      7.5      7.9
  Other services................................    269      197      264           4.9      3.6      4.8

 Government.....................................    439      389      485           2.0      1.7      2.2
  Federal.......................................     56       67       37           2.0      2.5      1.4
  State and local...............................    383      322      449           2.0      1.6      2.3

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................  1,037    1,000      951           4.1      3.9      3.7
  South.........................................  2,189    2,092    2,172           4.6      4.3      4.5
  Midwest.......................................  1,255    1,365    1,222           4.0      4.3      3.8
  West..........................................  1,373    1,209    1,430           4.6      4.0      4.7


  1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month.
  2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 
  3 See footnote 5, table 1.
  p = preliminary.






Table 7.  Total separations levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

                                                    Levels (in thousands)                  Rates

              Industry and region                  June     May      June          June     May      June
                                                   2005     2006     2006p         2005     2006     2006p

Total...........................................  4,806    4,800    4,753           3.6      3.5      3.5

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  4,404    4,457    4,323           3.9      3.9      3.8
  Natural resources and mining..................     15       13       16           2.4      1.9      2.3
  Construction..................................    398      422      311           5.3      5.6      4.0
  Manufacturing.................................    349      367      376           2.4      2.6      2.6
   Durable goods................................    219      203      214           2.4      2.2      2.3
   Nondurable goods.............................    130      164      162           2.4      3.2      3.1
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    940    1,078    1,006           3.6      4.1      3.9
   Wholesale trade..............................    124      140      142           2.1      2.4      2.4
   Retail trade.................................    631      766      699           4.1      5.1      4.6
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...    185      173      165           3.8      3.5      3.3
  Information...................................     70       84       72           2.3      2.7      2.3
  Financial activities..........................    186      211      219           2.3      2.5      2.6
   Finance and insurance........................    126      152      123           2.1      2.5      2.0
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     60       58       96           2.8      2.7      4.3
  Professional and business services............    931      853      792           5.5      4.9      4.5
  Education and health services.................    478      514      537           2.8      2.9      3.1
   Educational services.........................     88       83       85           3.4      2.9      3.2
   Health care and social assistance............    390      431      452           2.7      2.9      3.0
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    854      765      790           6.4      5.8      5.8
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........    112      119       89           5.2      6.0      4.1
   Accommodations and food services.............    742      646      700           6.6      5.7      6.1
  Other services................................    182      151      205           3.3      2.8      3.7

 Government.....................................    403      342      430           1.9      1.5      2.0
  Federal.......................................     47       52       31           1.7      1.9      1.1
  State and local...............................    356      291      399           1.9      1.5      2.1

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................    873      704      828           3.5      2.8      3.2
  South.........................................  1,777    1,945    1,850           3.7      4.0      3.8
  Midwest.......................................  1,007    1,018      913           3.2      3.2      2.9
  West..........................................  1,149    1,133    1,163           3.9      3.8      3.8


  1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month.
  2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of
total employment.
  3 See footnote 5, table 1.
  p = preliminary.






Table 8.  Quits levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

                                                    Levels (in thousands)                  Rates

              Industry and region                  June     May      June          June     May      June
                                                   2005     2006     2006p         2005     2006     2006p

Total...........................................  2,729    2,860    2,797           2.0      2.1      2.1

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  2,545    2,677    2,607           2.3      2.4      2.3
  Natural resources and mining..................      9        9        8           1.4      1.3      1.1
  Construction..................................    181      210      183           2.4      2.8      2.4
  Manufacturing.................................    196      210      202           1.4      1.5      1.4
   Durable goods................................    125      112      117           1.4      1.2      1.3
   Nondurable goods.............................     71       99       84           1.3      1.9      1.6
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    585      663      589           2.3      2.5      2.3
   Wholesale trade..............................     76       70       82           1.3      1.2      1.4
   Retail trade.................................    427      498      431           2.8      3.3      2.8
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...     83       94       76           1.7      1.9      1.5
  Information...................................     49       67       54           1.6      2.2      1.7
  Financial activities..........................    144      134      146           1.8      1.6      1.7
   Finance and insurance........................     96       99       84           1.6      1.6      1.4
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     48       35       63           2.2      1.6      2.8
  Professional and business services............    443      463      380           2.6      2.7      2.2
  Education and health services.................    298      294      321           1.7      1.7      1.8
   Educational services.........................     49       39       42           1.9      1.3      1.6
   Health care and social assistance............    249      254      279           1.7      1.7      1.9
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    507      543      599           3.8      4.1      4.4
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........     57       36       51           2.6      1.8      2.3
   Accommodations and food services.............    450      507      548           4.0      4.5      4.8
  Other services................................    131       84      125           2.4      1.5      2.3

 Government.....................................    185      183      191            .9       .8       .9
  Federal.......................................     17       24       11            .6       .9       .4
  State and local...............................    167      159      180            .9       .8       .9

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................    389      383      378           1.5      1.5      1.5
  South.........................................  1,063    1,225    1,195           2.2      2.5      2.5
  Midwest.......................................    574      616      565           1.8      1.9      1.8
  West..........................................    703      636      658           2.4      2.1      2.2


  1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month.
  2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 
  3 See footnote 5, table 1.
  p = preliminary.






Table 9.  Layoffs and discharges levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

                                                    Levels (in thousands)                  Rates

              Industry and region                  June     May      June          June     May      June
                                                   2005     2006     2006p         2005     2006     2006p

Total...........................................  1,745    1,547    1,551           1.3      1.1      1.1

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  1,624    1,446    1,397           1.4      1.3      1.2
  Natural resources and mining..................      4        2        3            .6       .3       .4
  Construction..................................    195      179      110           2.6      2.4      1.4
  Manufacturing.................................    127      127      145            .9       .9      1.0
   Durable goods................................     76       71       75            .8       .8       .8
   Nondurable goods.............................     51       56       69           1.0      1.1      1.3
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    304      320      335           1.2      1.2      1.3
   Wholesale trade..............................     43       57       46            .7      1.0       .8
   Retail trade.................................    177      204      223           1.2      1.3      1.5
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...     83       59       66           1.7      1.2      1.3
  Information...................................     17       12       11            .5       .4       .4
  Financial activities..........................     31       51       50            .4       .6       .6
   Finance and insurance........................     20       32       21            .3       .5       .3
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     11       20       29            .5       .9      1.3
  Professional and business services............    436      317      334           2.6      1.8      1.9
  Education and health services.................    147      195      180            .9      1.1      1.0
   Educational services.........................     33       41       37           1.3      1.4      1.4
   Health care and social assistance............    114      153      143            .8      1.0      1.0
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    323      193      166           2.4      1.5      1.2
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........     55       80       37           2.5      4.0      1.7
   Accommodations and food services.............    269      113      129           2.4      1.0      1.1
  Other services................................     40       50       64            .7       .9      1.2

 Government.....................................    121      101      154            .6       .5       .7
  Federal.......................................     13       12       13            .5       .4       .5
  State and local...............................    108       90      141            .6       .5       .7

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................    402      242      368           1.6       .9      1.4
  South.........................................    607      557      493           1.3      1.1      1.0
  Midwest.......................................    368      326      257           1.2      1.0       .8
  West..........................................    369      423      433           1.2      1.4      1.4


  1 Layoffs and discharges are the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire month.
  2 The layoffs and discharges rate is the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire month as a
percent of total employment.
  3 See footnote 5, table 1.
  p = preliminary.






Table 10.  Other separations levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

                                                    Levels (in thousands)                  Rates

              Industry and region                  June     May      June          June     May      June
                                                   2005     2006     2006p         2005     2006     2006p

Total...........................................    332      392      405           0.2      0.3      0.3

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................    235      334      320            .2       .3       .3
  Natural resources and mining..................      2        2        5            .3       .4       .8
  Construction..................................     22       32       18            .3       .4       .2
  Manufacturing.................................     26       30       30            .2       .2       .2
   Durable goods................................     18       20       21            .2       .2       .2
   Nondurable goods.............................      8       10        9            .1       .2       .2
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........     51       96       82            .2       .4       .3
   Wholesale trade..............................      6       12       13            .1       .2       .2
   Retail trade.................................     27       64       46            .2       .4       .3
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...     19       19       23            .4       .4       .5
  Information...................................      5        5        7            .2       .2       .2
  Financial activities..........................     11       25       23            .1       .3       .3
   Finance and insurance........................     10       22       18            .2       .4       .3
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........      1        3        5            .1       .2       .2
  Professional and business services............     52       73       78            .3       .4       .4
  Education and health services.................     32       26       37            .2       .1       .2
   Educational services.........................      5        3        6            .2       .1       .2
   Health care and social assistance............     27       23       31            .2       .2       .2
  Leisure and hospitality.......................     23       29       25            .2       .2       .2
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........      1        3        2           (4)       .2       .1
   Accommodations and food services.............     23       26       23            .2       .2       .2
  Other services................................     12       17       15            .2       .3       .3

 Government.....................................     97       58       85            .4       .3       .4
  Federal.......................................     16       16        6            .6       .6       .2
  State and local...............................     80       42       79            .4       .2       .4

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................     82       79       82            .3       .3       .3
  South.........................................    107      163      162            .2       .3       .3
  Midwest.......................................     65       76       90            .2       .2       .3
  West..........................................     78       74       71            .3       .2       .2


  1 Other separations are the number of other separations during the entire month.
  2 The other separations rate is the number of other separations during the entire month as a percent of
total employment.
  3 See footnote 5, table 1.
  4 Data round to zero.
  p = preliminary.