Technical information:  (202) 691-5870     USDL 05-622
               http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
                                           For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                691-5902     Tuesday, April 12, 2005


              JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER:  FEBRUARY 2005

   The job openings rate was unchanged in February at 2.5 percent, while
the hires and total separations rates were little changed at 3.5 and 3.1
percent, respectively, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Depart-
ment of Labor reported today.  This release includes estimates of the num-
ber 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 February 2005, there were 3.5 million job
openings in the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.5 percent.
(See table 1.)  The job openings rate has generally trended upward since
September 2003.  In February, the job openings rate increased for govern-
ment; trade, transportation, and utilities; and education and health ser-
vices.  The job openings rate fell in the professional and business ser-
vices sector.  The job openings rate rose slightly in the West region
but showed little or no change in the other regions of the country.

Hires and Separations
     
   The hires rate (the number of hires during the month divided by employ-
ment) was 3.5 percent in February, essentially unchanged from a month ear-
lier.  (See table 2.)  Hires are any additions to the payroll during the
month.  Professional and business services and leisure and hospitality were
the only two industries showing significant change in the hires rate from
January to February; both industries registered declines.
   
   The total separations, or turnover, rate (the total number of separa-
tions during the month divided by employment) was 3.1 percent in February.
The overall total separations rate is near its most recent low reached in
November 2003.  Separations are terminations of employment that occur at
any time during the month.  (See table 3.) The total separations rate fell
in the professional and business services industry and in the South region
in February.

   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, declined to 1.7 percent in February.  (See table 4.)  The
quits rate fell in February for private industries overall, for the leisure
and hospitality industry, and for the Northeast and South regions.  The other
two components of total separations, layoffs and discharges and other separa-
tions, are not seasonally adjusted.  The layoffs and discharges rate (1.0 per-
cent) was little changed from February 2004 to February 2005; the other sepa-
rations rate (0.2 percent) was unchanged.  (See tables 9 and 10.)

                                  - 2 -

Table A.  Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally
adjusted           
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------                       
                   |    Job openings    |       Hires        | Total separations
                   |--------------------------------------------------------------
     Industry      | Feb. | Jan. | Feb. | Feb. | Jan. | Feb. | Feb. | Jan. | Feb.
                   | 2004 | 2005 | 2005p| 2004 | 2005 | 2005p| 2004 | 2005 | 2005p
-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
                   |                     Levels (in thousands)
                   |--------------------------------------------------------------
Total 1/...........|2,961 |3,385 |3,458 |4,159 |4,709 |4,595 |4,196 |4,352 |4,157
  Total private 1/.|2,606 |3,020 |3,053 |3,832 |4,374 |4,271 |3,926 |4,091 |3,894
    Construction...|  114 |  127 |  140 |  352 |  339 |  406 |  378 |  417 |  408
    Manufacturing..|  206 |  252 |  246 |  361 |  307 |  327 |  345 |  361 |  338
    Trade, trans-  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     portation, and|      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     utilities.....|  474 |  564 |  627 |  978 |1,056 |1,054 |1,003 |  882 |  914
    Professional   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     and business  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     services......|  493 |  682 |  604 |  549 |  882 |  773 |  645 |  836 |  734
    Education and  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     health ser-   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     vices.........|  542 |  560 |  603 |  453 |  445 |  477 |  389 |  356 |  372
    Leisure and    |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     hospitality...|  399 |  434 |  408 |  779 |  826 |  740 |  725 |  832 |  778
  Government.......|  344 |  346 |  387 |  338 |  341 |  330 |  273 |  258 |  263
                   |--------------------------------------------------------------
                   |                       Rates (percent)                
                   |--------------------------------------------------------------
Total 1/...........|  2.2 |  2.5 |  2.5 |  3.2 |  3.6 |  3.5 |  3.2 |  3.3 |  3.1
  Total private 1/.|  2.3 |  2.7 |  2.7 |  3.5 |  3.9 |  3.8 |  3.6 |  3.7 |  3.5
    Construction...|  1.6 |  1.8 |  1.9 |  5.1 |  4.8 |  5.7 |  5.5 |  5.9 |  5.7
    Manufacturing..|  1.4 |  1.7 |  1.7 |  2.5 |  2.1 |  2.3 |  2.4 |  2.5 |  2.4
    Trade, trans-  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     portation, and|      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     utilities.....|  1.8 |  2.2 |  2.4 |  3.9 |  4.1 |  4.1 |  4.0 |  3.4 |  3.6
    Professional   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     and business  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     services......|  3.0 |  3.9 |  3.5 |  3.4 |  5.3 |  4.6 |  4.0 |  5.0 |  4.4
    Education and  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     health serv-  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     ices..........|  3.1 |  3.2 |  3.4 |  2.7 |  2.6 |  2.8 |  2.3 |  2.1 |  2.2
    Leisure and    |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     hospitality...|  3.1 |  3.3 |  3.1 |  6.3 |  6.6 |  5.9 |  5.9 |  6.6 |  6.2
  Government.......|  1.6 |  1.6 |  1.7 |  1.6 |  1.6 |  1.5 |  1.3 |  1.2 |  1.2
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  1/ Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and
other services, not shown separately.
  p = preliminary.

   
   Hires and separations data show dynamic flows in the labor market.  Over
the last 12 months, hires have averaged 4.6 million per month and separations
have averaged 4.3 million per month.  The comparable figures a year earlier
were 4.1 million hires and 4.0 million separations.  (See the Technical Note
for additional information on these measures.)
   
For More Information
   
   For additional information, please see the Technical Note or the JOLTS
Web site at www.bls.gov/jlt/.  Additional information about JOLTS also may
be obtained by e-mailing Joltsinfo@bls.gov or by calling (202) 691-5870.
   
                      ______________________________
   
   
   The Job Openings and Labor Turnover release for March 2005 is scheduled
to be issued on Tuesday, May 10, 2005.
   
   
   
   
   
                                  - 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            Feb.   Sept.  Oct.   Nov.   Dec.   Jan.  Feb.    Feb.  Sept. Oct.  Nov.  Dec.  Jan.  Feb.
                                          2004   2004   2004   2004   2004   2005  2005p   2004  2004  2004  2004  2004  2005  2005p

Total(4)...............................  2,961  3,265  3,300  3,277  3,507  3,385  3,458    2.2   2.4   2.4   2.4   2.6   2.5   2.5

                INDUSTRY

 Total private(4)......................  2,606  2,905  2,924  2,910  3,106  3,020  3,053    2.3   2.6   2.6   2.6   2.7   2.7   2.7
  Construction.........................    114    105    114    118    132    127    140    1.6   1.5   1.6   1.6   1.8   1.8   1.9
  Manufacturing........................    206    245    250    248    266    252    246    1.4   1.7   1.7   1.7   1.8   1.7   1.7
  Trade, transportation, and utilities.    474    609    559    554    561    564    627    1.8   2.3   2.1   2.1   2.1   2.2   2.4
  Professional and business services...    493    583    602    620    699    682    604    3.0   3.4   3.5   3.6   4.0   3.9   3.5
  Education and health services........    542    529    547    543    557    560    603    3.1   3.0   3.1   3.1   3.1   3.2   3.4
  Leisure and hospitality..............    399    419    413    411    450    434    408    3.1   3.2   3.2   3.2   3.4   3.3   3.1
 Government............................    344    360    400    369    396    346    387    1.6   1.6   1.8   1.7   1.8   1.6   1.7


                 REGION

  Northeast............................    528    564    562    560    620    602    565    2.1   2.2   2.2   2.2   2.4   2.3   2.2
  South................................  1,172  1,239  1,318  1,250  1,329  1,342  1,375    2.5   2.6   2.7   2.6   2.8   2.8   2.8
  Midwest..............................    680    699    688    726    740    716    724    2.2   2.2   2.1   2.3   2.3   2.2   2.3
  West.................................    583    797    742    759    792    718    798    2.0   2.7   2.5   2.6   2.7   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.
  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            Feb.   Sept.  Oct.   Nov.   Dec.   Jan.  Feb.    Feb.  Sept. Oct.  Nov.  Dec.  Jan.  Feb.
                                          2004   2004   2004   2004   2004   2005  2005p   2004  2004  2004  2004  2004  2005  2005p

Total(4)...............................  4,159  4,406  4,552  4,990  4,639  4,709  4,595    3.2   3.3   3.4   3.8   3.5   3.6   3.5

                INDUSTRY

 Total private(4)......................  3,832  3,957  4,216  4,652  4,337  4,374  4,271    3.5   3.6   3.8   4.2   3.9   3.9   3.8
  Construction.........................    352    363    353    373    368    339    406    5.1   5.2   5.0   5.3   5.2   4.8   5.7
  Manufacturing........................    361    361    353    386    324    307    327    2.5   2.5   2.5   2.7   2.3   2.1   2.3
  Trade, transportation, and utilities.    978    908    977  1,077    986  1,056  1,054    3.9   3.6   3.8   4.2   3.8   4.1   4.1
  Professional and business services...    549    761    812    935    878    882    773    3.4   4.6   4.9   5.6   5.3   5.3   4.6
  Education and health services........    453    416    420    447    452    445    477    2.7   2.4   2.5   2.6   2.6   2.6   2.8
  Leisure and hospitality..............    779    772    801    858    834    826    740    6.3   6.2   6.4   6.8   6.6   6.6   5.9
 Government............................    338    375    318    335    307    341    330    1.6   1.7   1.5   1.5   1.4   1.6   1.5


                 REGION

  Northeast............................    704    794    811    851    858    762    774    2.8   3.1   3.2   3.4   3.4   3.0   3.1
  South................................  1,666  1,754  1,809  1,903  1,770  1,880  1,827    3.6   3.8   3.9   4.1   3.8   4.0   3.9
  Midwest..............................    974    889  1,013  1,149  1,043  1,092  1,038    3.2   2.8   3.2   3.7   3.3   3.5   3.3
  West.................................    910    963    916  1,014    970    959  1,032    3.2   3.3   3.2   3.5   3.4   3.3   3.5


  1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month.
  2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 
  3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
  4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
  p = preliminary.
  NOTE:  See NOTE, table 1.





Table 3.  Total separations levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

                                                      Levels(3) (in thousands)                              Rates

           Industry and region            Feb.   Sept.  Oct.   Nov.   Dec.   Jan.  Feb.    Feb.  Sept. Oct.  Nov.  Dec.  Jan.  Feb.
                                          2004   2004   2004   2004   2004   2005  2005p   2004  2004  2004  2004  2004  2005  2005p

Total(4)...............................  4,196  4,214  4,215  4,266  4,435  4,352  4,157    3.2   3.2   3.2   3.2   3.3   3.3   3.1

                INDUSTRY

 Total private(4)......................  3,926  3,918  3,957  3,996  4,146  4,091  3,894    3.6   3.6   3.6   3.6   3.7   3.7   3.5
  Construction.........................    378    377    425    351    355    417    408    5.5   5.4   6.0   5.0   5.0   5.9   5.7
  Manufacturing........................    345    368    354    327    353    361    338    2.4   2.6   2.5   2.3   2.5   2.5   2.4
  Trade, transportation, and utilities.  1,003    909    889    943  1,062    882    914    4.0   3.6   3.5   3.7   4.1   3.4   3.6
  Professional and business services...    645    686    585    822    833    836    734    4.0   4.2   3.5   4.9   5.0   5.0   4.4
  Education and health services........    389    380    376    408    375    356    372    2.3   2.2   2.2   2.4   2.2   2.1   2.2
  Leisure and hospitality..............    725    732    767    727    758    832    778    5.9   5.8   6.1   5.8   6.0   6.6   6.2
 Government............................    273    305    263    275    274    258    263    1.3   1.4   1.2   1.3   1.3   1.2   1.2


                 REGION

  Northeast............................    749    725    711    756    773    773    681    3.0   2.9   2.8   3.0   3.0   3.1   2.7
  South................................  1,554  1,604  1,614  1,594  1,707  1,747  1,578    3.4   3.4   3.5   3.4   3.6   3.7   3.3
  Midwest..............................    901    922    952  1,041    986    981    947    2.9   3.0   3.0   3.3   3.1   3.1   3.0
  West.................................    977    982    896    826    953    964    954    3.4   3.4   3.1   2.9   3.3   3.3   3.3


  1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month.
  2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 
  3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
  4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
  p = preliminary.
  NOTE:  See NOTE, table 1.





Table 4.  Quits levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

                                                      Levels(3) (in thousands)                              Rates

           Industry and region            Feb.   Sept.  Oct.   Nov.   Dec.   Jan.  Feb.    Feb.  Sept. Oct.  Nov.  Dec.  Jan.  Feb.
                                          2004   2004   2004   2004   2004   2005  2005p   2004  2004  2004  2004  2004  2005  2005p

Total(4)...............................  2,130  2,291  2,344  2,436  2,495  2,530  2,225    1.6   1.7   1.8   1.8   1.9   1.9   1.7

                INDUSTRY

 Total private(4)......................  1,990  2,166  2,217  2,319  2,366  2,412  2,112    1.8   2.0   2.0   2.1   2.1   2.2   1.9
  Construction.........................    111    159    182    159    162    171    146    1.6   2.3   2.6   2.2   2.3   2.4   2.1
  Manufacturing........................    169    181    187    185    194    185    180    1.2   1.3   1.3   1.3   1.4   1.3   1.3
  Trade, transportation, and utilities.    497    529    517    568    570    563    518    2.0   2.1   2.0   2.2   2.2   2.2   2.0
  Professional and business services...    304    358    281    401    415    417    375    1.9   2.2   1.7   2.4   2.5   2.5   2.2
  Education and health services........    227    235    239    250    232    230    238    1.3   1.4   1.4   1.5   1.4   1.3   1.4
  Leisure and hospitality..............    433    451    474    499    506    516    462    3.5   3.6   3.8   4.0   4.0   4.1   3.7
 Government............................    132    127    123    118    129    124    116     .6    .6    .6    .5    .6    .6    .5


                 REGION

  Northeast............................    310    317    333    359    392    424    312    1.2   1.3   1.3   1.4   1.5   1.7   1.2
  South................................    854    950    943  1,014  1,021  1,053    898    1.9   2.0   2.0   2.2   2.2   2.2   1.9
  Midwest..............................    462    492    500    551    544    539    488    1.5   1.6   1.6   1.8   1.7   1.7   1.6
  West.................................    497    541    550    492    536    530    529    1.7   1.9   1.9   1.7   1.9   1.8   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                  Feb.     Jan.    Feb.           Feb.     Jan.     Feb.
                                                   2004     2005    2005p          2004     2005     2005p

Total...........................................  2,829    3,157    3,317           2.1      2.4      2.5

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  2,521    2,833    2,961           2.3      2.5      2.6
  Natural resources and mining..................      6        9        9           1.0      1.5      1.5
  Construction..................................    105      104      131           1.6      1.5      1.9
  Manufacturing.................................    204      236      244           1.4      1.6      1.7
   Durable goods................................    134      163      166           1.5      1.8      1.8
   Nondurable goods.............................     70       73       78           1.3      1.4      1.4
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    423      495      580           1.7      1.9      2.2
   Wholesale trade..............................     78      103      130           1.4      1.8      2.3
   Retail trade.................................    266      302      352           1.8      2.0      2.3
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...     78       90       98           1.6      1.8      2.0
  Information...................................     69       93       84           2.2      2.9      2.6
  Financial activities..........................    178      203      220           2.2      2.5      2.6
   Finance and insurance........................    152      168      177           2.5      2.7      2.9
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     27       36       43           1.3      1.7      2.0
  Professional and business services............    495      641      594           3.0      3.8      3.5
  Education and health services.................    530      534      597           3.0      3.0      3.3
   Educational services.........................     43       46       51           1.5      1.7      1.7
   Health care and social assistance............    487      487      546           3.4      3.3      3.7
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    385      391      384           3.1      3.2      3.1
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........     59       54       49           3.5      3.3      3.0
   Accommodations and food services.............    326      337      335           3.1      3.1      3.1
  Other services................................    126      126      118           2.3      2.3      2.1

 Government.....................................    309      324      356           1.4      1.5      1.6
  Federal.......................................     42       31       44           1.5      1.1      1.6
  State and local...............................    267      293      312           1.4      1.5      1.6

                    REGION

  Northeast.....................................    491      552      520           1.9      2.2      2.0
  South.........................................  1,161    1,287    1,368           2.5      2.7      2.8
  Midwest.......................................    634      645      676           2.0      2.1      2.1
  West..........................................    543      674      753           1.9      2.3      2.6


  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                  Feb.     Jan.    Feb.           Feb.     Jan.     Feb.
                                                   2004     2005    2005p          2004     2005     2005p

Total...........................................  3,440    3,991    3,779           2.7      3.1      2.9

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  3,204    3,686    3,548           3.0      3.4      3.2
  Natural resources and mining..................     16       21       19           2.8      3.5      3.2
  Construction..................................    286      267      340           4.5      4.0      5.1
  Manufacturing.................................    337      301      309           2.4      2.1      2.2
   Durable goods................................    228      206      209           2.6      2.3      2.3
   Nondurable goods.............................    109       95      100           2.0      1.8      1.9
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    740      763      802           3.0      3.0      3.2
   Wholesale trade..............................    113      156      122           2.0      2.8      2.2
   Retail trade.................................    499      448      566           3.4      3.0      3.8
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...    128      159      113           2.7      3.3      2.3
  Information...................................     71       56       60           2.3      1.8      1.9
  Financial activities..........................    124      192      151           1.6      2.4      1.9
   Finance and insurance........................     79      125       86           1.3      2.1      1.4
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     45       68       65           2.2      3.2      3.1
  Professional and business services............    491      840      678           3.1      5.1      4.1
  Education and health services.................    387      425      414           2.3      2.5      2.4
   Educational services.........................     59       52       47           2.1      1.9      1.6
   Health care and social assistance............    327      373      367           2.3      2.6      2.6
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    617      630      585           5.2      5.2      4.8
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........     76      110       71           4.6      6.9      4.4
   Accommodations and food services.............    541      519      514           5.3      5.0      4.9
  Other services................................    135      192      190           2.5      3.6      3.5

 Government.....................................    236      305      231           1.1      1.4      1.0
  Federal.......................................     32       31       31           1.2      1.2      1.1
  State and local...............................    204      274      200           1.1      1.4      1.0

                    REGION

  Northeast.....................................    501      597      539           2.0      2.4      2.2
  South.........................................  1,441    1,675    1,580           3.2      3.6      3.4
  Midwest.......................................    744      901      783           2.4      2.9      2.5
  West..........................................    754      818      877           2.7      2.9      3.0


  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                  Feb.     Jan.    Feb.           Feb.     Jan.     Feb.
                                                   2004     2005    2005p          2004     2005     2005p

Total...........................................  3,464    4,399    3,420           2.7      3.4      2.6

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  3,275    4,186    3,238           3.1      3.8      3.0
  Natural resources and mining..................     14       21       14           2.5      3.6      2.4
  Construction..................................    355      454      391           5.6      6.8      5.9
  Manufacturing.................................    303      366      294           2.1      2.6      2.1
   Durable goods................................    181      232      191           2.1      2.6      2.1
   Nondurable goods.............................    122      134      103           2.3      2.5      1.9
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    871    1,011      790           3.5      4.0      3.1
   Wholesale trade..............................    126      117      133           2.3      2.1      2.4
   Retail trade.................................    635      759      541           4.3      5.1      3.6
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...    110      135      116           2.3      2.8      2.4
  Information...................................     85       71       41           2.7      2.3      1.3
  Financial activities..........................    146      204      133           1.8      2.5      1.6
   Finance and insurance........................    106      121       87           1.8      2.0      1.5
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     40       84       45           2.0      4.0      2.2
  Professional and business services............    497      818      559           3.1      5.0      3.4
  Education and health services.................    332      357      314           2.0      2.1      1.8
   Educational services.........................     34       41       27           1.2      1.5       .9
   Health care and social assistance............    299      316      288           2.1      2.2      2.0
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    502      732      541           4.2      6.1      4.5
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........     59       71       65           3.6      4.4      4.0
   Accommodations and food services.............    443      661      476           4.4      6.3      4.5
  Other services................................    170      153      161           3.2      2.8      3.0

 Government.....................................    189      213      182            .9      1.0       .8
  Federal.......................................     38       36       19           1.4      1.3       .7
  State and local...............................    152      177      163            .8       .9       .8

                    REGION

  Northeast.....................................    582      742      512           2.4      3.0      2.0
  South.........................................  1,327    1,694    1,339           2.9      3.7      2.9
  Midwest.......................................    732      976      762           2.4      3.2      2.5
  West..........................................    822      987      808           2.9      3.5      2.8


  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.
  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                  Feb.     Jan.    Feb.           Feb.     Jan.     Feb.
                                                   2004     2005    2005p          2004     2005     2005p

Total...........................................  1,773    2,250    1,843           1.4      1.7      1.4

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  1,666    2,146    1,752           1.6      2.0      1.6
  Natural resources and mining..................      7        8        6           1.2      1.3      1.0
  Construction..................................    102      136      131           1.6      2.0      2.0
  Manufacturing.................................    144      159      152           1.0      1.1      1.1
   Durable goods................................     89       93       95           1.0      1.1      1.1
   Nondurable goods.............................     54       65       57           1.0      1.2      1.1
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    416      530      425           1.7      2.1      1.7
   Wholesale trade..............................     51       65       72            .9      1.2      1.3
   Retail trade.................................    317      404      298           2.2      2.7      2.0
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...     49       61       55           1.0      1.3      1.1
  Information...................................     42       42       30           1.4      1.3      1.0
  Financial activities..........................     90      105       79           1.1      1.3      1.0
   Finance and insurance........................     63       59       61           1.1      1.0      1.0
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     27       46       19           1.3      2.2       .9
  Professional and business services............    231      393      279           1.5      2.4      1.7
  Education and health services.................    188      225      197           1.1      1.3      1.1
   Educational services.........................     18       22       16            .6       .8       .5
   Health care and social assistance............    170      203      182           1.2      1.4      1.3
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    334      449      351           2.8      3.7      2.9
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........     23       30       30           1.4      1.9      1.8
   Accommodations and food services.............    311      419      322           3.1      4.0      3.1
  Other services................................    111       99      102           2.1      1.8      1.9

 Government.....................................    106      104       91            .5       .5       .4
  Federal.......................................     24        9        7            .9       .3       .3
  State and local...............................     82       95       84            .4       .5       .4

                    REGION

  Northeast.....................................    244      347      241           1.0      1.4      1.0
  South.........................................    731      934      757           1.6      2.0      1.6
  Midwest.......................................    370      486      389           1.2      1.6      1.3
  West..........................................    427      483      456           1.5      1.7      1.6


  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                  Feb.     Jan.    Feb.           Feb.     Jan.     Feb.
                                                   2004     2005    2005p          2004     2005     2005p

Total...........................................  1,426    1,841    1,327           1.1      1.4      1.0

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  1,388    1,788    1,280           1.3      1.6      1.2
  Natural resources and mining..................      4        8        5            .7      1.3       .9
  Construction..................................    239      310      246           3.7      4.7      3.7
  Manufacturing.................................    135      174      113           1.0      1.2       .8
   Durable goods................................     76      114       76            .9      1.3       .8
   Nondurable goods.............................     59       60       37           1.1      1.1       .7
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    399      416      304           1.6      1.6      1.2
   Wholesale trade..............................     64       45       51           1.1       .8       .9
   Retail trade.................................    289      316      209           2.0      2.1      1.4
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...     47       56       45           1.0      1.1       .9
  Information...................................     39       26        8           1.2       .8       .3
  Financial activities..........................     38       70       44            .5       .9       .5
   Finance and insurance........................     28       41       19            .5       .7       .3
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     10       28       25            .5      1.4      1.2
  Professional and business services............    228      390      238           1.4      2.4      1.4
  Education and health services.................    107      105       97            .6       .6       .6
   Educational services.........................     14       15       10            .5       .5       .3
   Health care and social assistance............     94       90       87            .7       .6       .6
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    152      244      175           1.3      2.0      1.4
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........     34       38       34           2.0      2.4      2.1
   Accommodations and food services.............    119      206      140           1.2      2.0      1.3
  Other services................................     45       46       50            .8       .9       .9

 Government.....................................     38       53       47            .2       .2       .2
  Federal.......................................      5        5        5            .2       .2       .2
  State and local...............................     34       47       42            .2       .3       .2

                    REGION

  Northeast.....................................    290      344      224           1.2      1.4       .9
  South.........................................    492      663      487           1.1      1.4      1.0
  Midwest.......................................    307      416      324           1.0      1.4      1.1
  West..........................................    338      418      293           1.2      1.5      1.0


  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                  Feb.     Jan.     Feb.          Feb.     Jan.     Feb.
                                                   2004     2005     2005p         2004     2005     2005p

Total...........................................    265      308      250           0.2      0.2      0.2

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................    221      252      205            .2       .2       .2
  Natural resources and mining..................      3        6        3            .5      1.0       .5
  Construction..................................     14        8       14            .2       .1       .2
  Manufacturing.................................     24       33       30            .2       .2       .2
   Durable goods................................     16       24       20            .2       .3       .2
   Nondurable goods.............................      8        9       10            .1       .2       .2
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........     56       65       60            .2       .3       .2
   Wholesale trade..............................     11        7       10            .2       .1       .2
   Retail trade.................................     30       40       34            .2       .3       .2
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...     14       18       16            .3       .4       .3
  Information...................................      4        4        3            .1       .1       .1
  Financial activities..........................     18       29        9            .2       .4       .1
   Finance and insurance........................     15       20        7            .2       .3       .1
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........      3        9        1            .2       .4       .1
  Professional and business services............     38       35       42            .2       .2       .3
  Education and health services.................     37       26       20            .2       .2       .1
   Educational services.........................      2        4        1            .1       .1      (3)
   Health care and social assistance............     34       23       19            .2       .2       .1
  Leisure and hospitality.......................     15       39       15            .1       .3       .1
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........      2        3        1            .1       .2      (3)
   Accommodations and food services.............     13       36       14            .1       .3       .1
  Other services................................     14        7        9            .3       .1       .2

 Government.....................................     45       56       45            .2       .3       .2
  Federal.......................................      8       21        7            .3       .8       .2
  State and local...............................     36       35       38            .2       .2       .2

                    REGION

  Northeast.....................................     48       51       47            .2       .2       .2
  South.........................................    104       98       95            .2       .2       .2
  Midwest.......................................     55       74       48            .2       .2       .2
  West..........................................     58       85       59            .2       .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.
  3 Data round to zero.
  p = preliminary.
  NOTE:  See NOTE, table 1.