Technical information:   (202) 691-5870     USDL 07-1032
                http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
                                            For release:  10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact:                 691-5902     Tuesday, July 10, 2007


                JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER:  MAY 2007

   On the last business day of May, there were 4.2 million job openings in
the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.9 percent, the Bureau of
Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.  The job
openings rate was unchanged in May, and the hires and total separations
rates were essentially unchanged.  This release includes estimates of the
number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total non-
farm sector by industry and geographic region.
   
   
Job Openings
   
   In May, the job openings rate was unchanged at 2.9 percent.  Job openings 
include only those jobs still open on the last business day of the month.
The job openings rate rose over the month in the accommodations and food ser-
vices industry.  None of the regions experienced a significant over-the-month
change in the job openings rate.  The seasonally adjusted job openings rate
was highest in May for the following industries:  accommodations and food ser-
vices (4.2 percent), professional and business services (3.7 percent), and
education and health services (3.7 percent).  (See table 1.)
   
   Over the year, the job openings rate increased in construction; nondurable
goods manufacturing; health care and social assistance; and accommodations and
food services.  The rate decreased in wholesale trade and retail trade.  The
job openings rate did not change significantly over the year in any of the
regions.  (See table 5.)
   
Hires
   
   The hires rate was little changed at 3.6 percent in May.  Hires are any
additions to the payroll during the month.  In May, there were no significant 
increases or decreases in the hires rate for any of the industries or regions.
The seasonally adjusted hires rate was highest in May in accommodations and
food services (6.9 percent).  (See table 2.)
   
   From May 2006 to May 2007, the hires rate rose in finance and insurance;
accommodations and food services; and federal government.  The hires rate
fell in durable goods manufacturing; information; professional and business
services; and health care and social assistance.  The hires rate decreased
over the year in the Northeast region.  (See table 6.)
   
Separations
   
   The total separations, or turnover, rate was little changed at 3.2 percent
in May.  Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any time
during the month.  Over the month, none of the industries or regions experi-
enced a significant change in the separations rate.  From May 2006 to May 2007,
the total separations rate increased in natural resources and mining and in
federal government.  The total separations rate decreased in construction; trade, 
transportation, and utilities; professional and business services; educational 
services; and state and local government.  Geographically, the total separations 
rate fell over the year in both the Northeast and Midwest regions.  (See tables 
3 and 7.)
   
                                  - 2 -
                                  
Table A.  Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally
adjusted
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     |    Job openings    |       Hires        | Total separations  
                     |--------------------------------------------------------------
     Industry        | May  | Apr. | May  | May  | Apr. | May  | May  | Apr. | May  
                     | 2006 | 2007 | 2007p| 2006 | 2007 | 2007p| 2006 | 2007 | 2007p
---------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
                     |                     Levels (in thousands)                    
                     |--------------------------------------------------------------
Total (1)............|4,037 |4,170 |4,163 |5,068 |4,832 |4,929 |4,953 |4,524 |4,419 
                     |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      
  Total private (1)..|3,611 |3,683 |3,703 |4,618 |4,423 |4,499 |4,647 |4,227 |4,089 
    Construction.....|  138 |  154 |  159 |  378 |  330 |  332 |  479 |  360 |  330 
    Manufacturing....|  310 |  350 |  370 |  385 |  350 |  357 |  385 |  380 |  385 
    Trade, trans-    |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      
     portation, and  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      
     utilities (2)...|  703 |  669 |  614 |1,064 |1,028 |1,046 |1,061 |  975 |  943 
       Retail trade..|  405 |  389 |  345 |  749 |  706 |  721 |  780 |  678 |  685 
    Professional     |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      
     and business    |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      
     services........|  739 |  735 |  687 |1,095 |  828 |  927 |  931 |  805 |  720 
    Education and    |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      
     health ser-     |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      
     vices...........|  648 |  706 |  713 |  545 |  507 |  498 |  445 |  414 |  431 
    Leisure and      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      
     hospitality (3) |  509 |  512 |  578 |  811 |  903 |  905 |  831 |  861 |  823 
     Accommodations  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      
       and food      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      
      services.......|  458 |  453 |  504 |  698 |  811 |  795 |  693 |  720 |  709 
  Government (4).....|  438 |  488 |  470 |  390 |  421 |  412 |  313 |  311 |  317 
    State and local  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      
     government......|  396 |  439 |  434 |  332 |  333 |  334 |  253 |  241 |  240 
                     |--------------------------------------------------------------
                     |                       Rates (percent)
                     |--------------------------------------------------------------
Total (1)............|  2.9 |  2.9 |  2.9 |  3.7 |  3.5 |  3.6 |  3.6 |  3.3 |  3.2 
                     |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      
  Total private (1)..|  3.1 |  3.1 |  3.1 |  4.1 |  3.8 |  3.9 |  4.1 |  3.7 |  3.5 
    Construction.....|  1.8 |  2.0 |  2.0 |  4.9 |  4.3 |  4.3 |  6.2 |  4.7 |  4.3 
    Manufacturing....|  2.1 |  2.4 |  2.6 |  2.7 |  2.5 |  2.5 |  2.7 |  2.7 |  2.7 
    Trade, trans-    |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      
     portation, and  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      
     utilities (2)...|  2.6 |  2.5 |  2.3 |  4.1 |  3.9 |  4.0 |  4.1 |  3.7 |  3.6 
       Retail trade..|  2.6 |  2.5 |  2.2 |  4.9 |  4.6 |  4.7 |  5.1 |  4.4 |  4.5 
    Professional     |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      
     and business    |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      
     services........|  4.1 |  4.0 |  3.7 |  6.3 |  4.6 |  5.2 |  5.3 |  4.5 |  4.0 
    Education and    |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      
     health ser-     |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      
     vices...........|  3.5 |  3.7 |  3.7 |  3.1 |  2.8 |  2.7 |  2.5 |  2.3 |  2.4 
    Leisure and      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      
     hospitality (3) |  3.7 |  3.7 |  4.1 |  6.2 |  6.7 |  6.7 |  6.4 |  6.4 |  6.1 
     Accommodations  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      
       and food      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      
      services.......|  3.9 |  3.8 |  4.2 |  6.3 |  7.0 |  6.9 |  6.2 |  6.3 |  6.1 
  Government (4).....|  2.0 |  2.1 |  2.1 |  1.8 |  1.9 |  1.9 |  1.4 |  1.4 |  1.4 
    State and local  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      
     government......|  2.0 |  2.2 |  2.2 |  1.7 |  1.7 |  1.7 |  1.3 |  1.2 |  1.2 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   1 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and
other services, not shown separately.
   2 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not
shown separately.
   3 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately.
   4 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
   p = preliminary.

                                  - 3 - 
  
   Total separations include quits (voluntary separations), layoffs and
discharges (involuntary separations), and other separations (including
retirements).  The quits rate, which can serve as a barometer of workers'
ability to change jobs, was unchanged at 1.9 percent in May.  None of the
industries or regions experienced a significant change in the quits rate
over the month.  In May, the seasonally adjusted quits rate among industries 
was highest in the accommodations and food services industry (4.4 percent).  
(See table 4.)
   
   Over the year, the quits rate rose in natural resources and mining;
durable goods manufacturing; and finance and insurance.  The quits rate
fell over the year in construction; information; professional and business
services; and educational services.  Geographically, the quits rate fell
over the year in the Northeast and Midwest regions.  (See table 8.)
   
   The other two components of total separations--layoffs and discharges,
and other separations--are not seasonally adjusted.  For May, the layoffs
and discharges rate (0.9 percent) and level (1.3 million) decreased from a
year earlier.  As is the case in many months, the layoffs and discharges
rate in May was highest in arts, entertainment, and recreation (3.0 per-
cent) and construction (2.0 percent).  From May 2006 to May 2007, the
other separations rate decreased slightly to 0.2 percent, and the level
decreased to 311,000.  (See tables 9 and 10.)
   
   The total separations rate is driven by the relative contribution of
its three components (quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations),
with quits contributing the largest portion.  The percentage of total separa-
tions attributable to quits has risen and fallen over time along with total
nonfarm employment levels. The proportion of total separations due to quits
fell from 61 percent in February 2001 to 51 percent in August 2003 (season-
ally adjusted), and has since risen.  In May 2007, quits accounted for 60
percent of total separations.
   
Flows in the Labor Market
   
   Several industries consistently have high rates of both hires and separa-
tions.  These include construction; retail trade; professional and business
services; arts, entertainment, and recreation; and accommodations and food
services.  In the 12 months ending in May 2007, these 5 industries pro-
duced 34.6 million hires and 32.5 million separations.  Thus, these five
industries accounted for 59 percent of total nonfarm hires and 59 percent
of total nonfarm separations while comprising only 39 percent of
total nonfarm employment.
   
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 June 2007 is scheduled
to be issued on Wednesday, August 8.





                                  - 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               May    Dec.   Jan.   Feb.   Mar.   Apr.   May     May   Dec.  Jan.  Feb.  Mar.  Apr.  May
                                             2006   2006   2007   2007   2007   2007   2007p   2006  2006  2007  2007  2007  2007  2007p

Total (4)..................................  4,037  4,401  4,222  4,149  4,176  4,170  4,163    2.9   3.1   3.0   2.9   2.9   2.9   2.9

                INDUSTRY

 Total private (4).........................  3,611  3,928  3,746  3,666  3,702  3,683  3,703    3.1   3.3   3.1   3.1   3.1   3.1   3.1
  Construction.............................    138    107    142    229    152    154    159    1.8   1.4   1.8   2.9   1.9   2.0   2.0
  Manufacturing............................    310    362    337    330    316    350    370    2.1   2.5   2.3   2.3   2.2   2.4   2.6
  Trade, transportation, and utilities (5).    703    767    727    660    677    669    614    2.6   2.8   2.7   2.4   2.5   2.5   2.3
   Retail trade............................    405    471    413    378    375    389    345    2.6   3.0   2.6   2.4   2.4   2.5   2.2
  Professional and business services.......    739    745    707    642    758    735    687    4.1   4.0   3.8   3.5   4.1   4.0   3.7
  Education and health services............    648    734    707    670    685    706    713    3.5   3.9   3.8   3.6   3.6   3.7   3.7
  Leisure and hospitality (6)..............    509    612    552    566    574    512    578    3.7   4.4   4.0   4.0   4.1   3.7   4.1
   Accommodations and food services........    458    538    495    511    506    453    504    3.9   4.5   4.1   4.3   4.2   3.8   4.2
 Government (7)............................    438    473    477    482    470    488    470    2.0   2.1   2.1   2.1   2.1   2.1   2.1
  State and local government...............    396    427    439    438    430    439    434    2.0   2.2   2.2   2.2   2.2   2.2   2.2

                 REGION (8)

  Northeast................................    673    849    733    717    703    675    674    2.6   3.2   2.8   2.7   2.7   2.6   2.5
  South....................................  1,670  1,674  1,653  1,631  1,658  1,670  1,650    3.3   3.3   3.2   3.2   3.3   3.3   3.2
  Midwest..................................    757    810    822    783    797    779    814    2.4   2.5   2.5   2.4   2.4   2.4   2.5
  West.....................................    949  1,044  1,005  1,011  1,027  1,038  1,042    3.0   3.3   3.2   3.2   3.2   3.3   3.3

   1 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day of the month.
   2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business day of the month as a percent of total employment plus
job openings.
   3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
   4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
   5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
   6 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately.
   7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
   8 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               May    Dec.   Jan.   Feb.   Mar.   Apr.   May     May   Dec.  Jan.  Feb.  Mar.  Apr.  May
                                             2006   2006   2007   2007   2007   2007   2007p   2006  2006  2007  2007  2007  2007  2007p

Total (4)..................................  5,068  4,959  4,959  4,815  4,815  4,832  4,929    3.7   3.6   3.6   3.5   3.5   3.5   3.6

                INDUSTRY

 Total private (4).........................  4,618  4,662  4,607  4,509  4,416  4,423  4,499    4.1   4.1   4.0   3.9   3.8   3.8   3.9
  Construction.............................    378    341    299    298    356    330    332    4.9   4.4   3.9   3.9   4.6   4.3   4.3
  Manufacturing............................    385    375    369    371    318    350    357    2.7   2.7   2.6   2.6   2.3   2.5   2.5
  Trade, transportation, and utilities (5).  1,064    990  1,020  1,018  1,006  1,028  1,046    4.1   3.8   3.9   3.9   3.8   3.9   4.0
   Retail trade............................    749    699    757    695    691    706    721    4.9   4.6   4.9   4.5   4.5   4.6   4.7
  Professional and business services.......  1,095    963    954    953    881    828    927    6.3   5.4   5.4   5.3   4.9   4.6   5.2
  Education and health services............    545    515    508    518    497    507    498    3.1   2.8   2.8   2.9   2.7   2.8   2.7
  Leisure and hospitality (6)..............    811    969    956    934    867    903    905    6.2   7.2   7.1   7.0   6.4   6.7   6.7
   Accommodations and food services........    698    793    825    778    726    811    795    6.3   6.9   7.2   6.8   6.3   7.0   6.9
 Government (7)............................    390    371    384    379    404    421    412    1.8   1.7   1.7   1.7   1.8   1.9   1.9
  State and local government...............    332    313    321    317    313    333    334    1.7   1.6   1.7   1.6   1.6   1.7   1.7

                 REGION (8)

  Northeast................................    842    768    833    709    740    759    712    3.3   3.0   3.2   2.8   2.9   2.9   2.8
  South....................................  1,882  1,900  1,899  1,837  1,835  1,894  1,916    3.9   3.9   3.9   3.7   3.7   3.8   3.9
  Midwest..................................  1,096  1,150  1,167  1,184  1,105  1,069  1,098    3.5   3.6   3.7   3.7   3.5   3.4   3.4
  West.....................................  1,172  1,209  1,142  1,156  1,157  1,122  1,163    3.9   3.9   3.7   3.8   3.8   3.6   3.8

   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 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
   6 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately.
   7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
   8 See footnote 8, 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              May    Dec.   Jan.   Feb.   Mar.   Apr.   May     May   Dec.  Jan.  Feb.  Mar.  Apr.  May
                                            2006   2006   2007   2007   2007   2007   2007p   2006  2006  2007  2007  2007  2007  2007p

Total (4).................................. 4,953  4,540  4,602  4,556  4,741  4,524  4,419    3.6   3.3   3.4   3.3   3.4   3.3   3.2

                INDUSTRY

 Total private (4)......................... 4,647  4,253  4,296  4,263  4,417  4,227  4,089    4.1   3.7   3.7   3.7   3.8   3.7   3.5
  Construction.............................   479    387    400    322    344    360    330    6.2   5.0   5.2   4.2   4.5   4.7   4.3
  Manufacturing.......................... .   385    372    399    422    400    380    385    2.7   2.6   2.8   3.0   2.8   2.7   2.7
  Trade, transportation, and utilities (5). 1,061    962    973    943    974    975    943    4.1   3.7   3.7   3.6   3.7   3.7   3.6
   Retail trade............................   780    707    680    656    682    678    685    5.1   4.6   4.4   4.3   4.4   4.4   4.5
  Professional and business services.......   931    851    894    862    876    805    720    5.3   4.8   5.0   4.8   4.9   4.5   4.0
  Education and health services............   445    430    423    419    429    414    431    2.5   2.4   2.3   2.3   2.4   2.3   2.4
  Leisure and hospitality (6)..............   831    835    768    835    846    861    823    6.4   6.2   5.7   6.2   6.3   6.4   6.1
   Accommodations and food services........   693    757    612    697    702    720    709    6.2   6.6   5.4   6.1   6.1   6.3   6.1
 Government (7)............................   313    283    309    294    315    311    317    1.4   1.3   1.4   1.3   1.4   1.4   1.4
  State and local government...............   253    255    254    243    238    241    240    1.3   1.3   1.3   1.2   1.2   1.2   1.2

                 REGION (8)

  Northeast...............................    827    670    740    675    667    640    618    3.3   2.6   2.9   2.6   2.6   2.5   2.4
  South...................................  1,899  1,796  1,783  1,763  1,829  1,904  1,756    3.9   3.7   3.6   3.6   3.7   3.9   3.6
  Midwest.................................  1,076  1,054  1,034  1,054  1,006    981    978    3.4   3.3   3.3   3.3   3.2   3.1   3.1
  West....................................  1,122  1,036  1,037  1,041  1,165  1,040  1,053    3.7   3.4   3.4   3.4   3.8   3.4   3.4

   1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month.
   2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 
   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 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
   6 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately.
   7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
   8 See footnote 8, 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              May    Dec.   Jan.   Feb.   Mar.   Apr.   May     May   Dec.  Jan.  Feb.  Mar.  Apr.  May
                                            2006   2006   2007   2007   2007   2007   2007p   2006  2006  2007  2007  2007  2007  2007p

Total (4).................................. 2,785  2,759  2,648  2,705  2,763  2,637  2,635    2.0   2.0   1.9   2.0   2.0   1.9   1.9

                INDUSTRY

 Total private (4).........................  2,628  2,615  2,505  2,571  2,591  2,486  2,479    2.3   2.3   2.2   2.2   2.2   2.2   2.1
  Construction.............................    198    143    141    120    131    126    118    2.6   1.9   1.8   1.6   1.7   1.6   1.5
  Manufacturing............................    208    222    229    212    216    199    213    1.5   1.6   1.6   1.5   1.5   1.4   1.5
  Trade, transportation, and utilities (5).    641    597    594    606    608    600    602    2.4   2.3   2.3   2.3   2.3   2.3   2.3
   Retail trade............................    469    438    422    438    428    440    443    3.1   2.9   2.7   2.9   2.8   2.9   2.9
  Professional and business services.......    437    497    498    486    461    418    394    2.5   2.8   2.8   2.7   2.6   2.3   2.2
  Education and health services............    280    289    271    280    267    274    280    1.6   1.6   1.5   1.5   1.5   1.5   1.5
  Leisure and hospitality (6)..............    563    602    489    579    590    592    551    4.3   4.5   3.7   4.3   4.4   4.4   4.1
   Accommodations and food services........    515    560    448    531    539    542    505    4.6   4.9   3.9   4.6   4.7   4.7   4.4
 Government (7)............................    157    146    150    139    155    153    157     .7    .7    .7    .6    .7    .7    .7
  State and local government...............    131    130    129    117    130    129    131     .7    .7    .7    .6    .7    .7    .7

                 REGION (8)

  Northeast..............................    397    367    355    322    352    350    327    1.6   1.4   1.4   1.3   1.4   1.4   1.3
  South..................................  1,177  1,171  1,099  1,152  1,150  1,163  1,128    2.4   2.4   2.2   2.3   2.3   2.4   2.3
  Midwest................................    572    559    595    599    588    544    526    1.8   1.8   1.9   1.9   1.9   1.7   1.7
  West...................................    627    638    602    629    665    590    644    2.1   2.1   2.0   2.0   2.2   1.9   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 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
  6 Includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, not shown separately.
  7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
  8 See footnote 8, 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                 May      Apr.     May            May      Apr.     May
                                                  2006     2007     2007p          2006     2007     2007p

Total...........................................  4,300    4,367    4,400           3.1      3.1      3.1

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  3,838    3,870    3,912           3.2      3.3      3.3
  Natural resources and mining..................     15       13       15           2.2      1.7      2.0
  Construction..................................    162      187      192           2.0      2.4      2.4
  Manufacturing.................................    324      361      384           2.2      2.5      2.7
   Durable goods................................    218      212      222           2.4      2.3      2.4
   Nondurable goods.............................    106      148      163           2.0      2.8      3.1
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    733      685      623           2.7      2.5      2.3
   Wholesale trade..............................    162      163      130           2.7      2.7      2.1
   Retail trade.................................    424      391      351           2.7      2.5      2.2
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...    147      131      142           2.8      2.5      2.7
  Information...................................    132      143      139           4.1      4.4      4.3
  Financial activities..........................    289      242      267           3.3      2.8      3.1
   Finance and insurance........................    227      173      214           3.5      2.7      3.3
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     62       70       54           2.8      3.1      2.4
  Professional and business services............    761      767      698           4.2      4.1      3.8
  Education and health services.................    676      724      742           3.6      3.8      3.9
   Educational services.........................     78       74       75           2.6      2.3      2.4
   Health care and social assistance............    598      651      667           3.9      4.1      4.2
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    583      594      665           4.2      4.3      4.6
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........     64       83       87           3.1      4.2      4.1
   Accommodations and food services.............    518      511      577           4.4      4.3      4.7
  Other services................................    164      153      187           2.9      2.7      3.3

 Government.....................................    462      498      488           2.0      2.2      2.1
  Federal.......................................     41       55       37           1.5      2.0      1.3
  State and local...............................    421      443      451           2.1      2.2      2.2

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................    708      682      695           2.7      2.6      2.6
  South.........................................  1,785    1,790    1,753           3.5      3.5      3.4
  Midwest.......................................    786      817      845           2.4      2.5      2.6
  West..........................................  1,021    1,078    1,106           3.2      3.4      3.4

   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 8, 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                 May      Apr.     May            May      Apr.     May
                                                  2006     2007     2007p          2006     2007     2007p

Total...........................................  5,752    4,883    5,658           4.2      3.5      4.1

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  5,352    4,575    5,231           4.7      4.0      4.5
  Natural resources and mining..................     23       23       35           3.4      3.2      4.8
  Construction..................................    494      442      430           6.3      5.9      5.6
  Manufacturing.................................    446      353      419           3.1      2.5      3.0
   Durable goods................................    272      205      244           3.0      2.3      2.7
   Nondurable goods.............................    174      148      175           3.4      2.9      3.4
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........  1,162    1,001    1,157           4.4      3.8      4.4
   Wholesale trade..............................    156      182      193           2.6      3.0      3.2
   Retail trade.................................    832      688      805           5.5      4.5      5.3
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...    174      131      158           3.5      2.6      3.1
  Information...................................     91       84       78           3.0      2.7      2.5
  Financial activities..........................    220      203      281           2.6      2.4      3.3
   Finance and insurance........................    130      149      182           2.1      2.4      2.9
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     90       54       99           4.1      2.5      4.5
  Professional and business services............  1,130      859      983           6.5      4.8      5.5
  Education and health services.................    541      452      492           3.0      2.5      2.7
   Educational services.........................     65       48       56           2.2      1.5      1.8
   Health care and social assistance............    475      404      436           3.2      2.6      2.8
  Leisure and hospitality.......................  1,060      992    1,169           8.0      7.4      8.5
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........    212      139      204          10.6      7.3      9.9
   Accommodations and food services.............    849      852      965           7.5      7.4      8.3
  Other services................................    184      167      187           3.4      3.1      3.4

 Government.....................................    401      308      427           1.8      1.4      1.9
  Federal.......................................     68       73       87           2.5      2.7      3.2
  State and local...............................    333      235      340           1.7      1.2      1.7

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................    997      781      842           3.9      3.0      3.2
  South.........................................  2,115    1,876    2,164           4.3      3.8      4.4
  Midwest.......................................  1,366    1,118    1,383           4.3      3.5      4.3
  West..........................................  1,274    1,109    1,269           4.2      3.6      4.1

   1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month.
   2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 
   3 See footnote 8, 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                 May      Apr.     May            May      Apr.     May
                                                  2006     2007     2007p          2006     2007     2007p

Total...........................................  4,940    4,260    4,385           3.6      3.1      3.2

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  4,603    4,034    4,040           4.0      3.5      3.5
  Natural resources and mining..................     13       22       25           1.9      3.1      3.5
  Construction..................................    457      299      304           5.9      4.0      3.9
  Manufacturing.................................    383      369      384           2.7      2.6      2.7
   Durable goods................................    205      211      220           2.3      2.4      2.5
   Nondurable goods.............................    178      158      163           3.4      3.1      3.2
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........  1,115      882      964           4.3      3.4      3.7
   Wholesale trade..............................    150      154      112           2.5      2.6      1.9
   Retail trade.................................    791      604      708           5.2      4.0      4.6
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...    174      125      143           3.5      2.5      2.8
  Information...................................     77       71       71           2.5      2.3      2.3
  Financial activities..........................    200      197      225           2.4      2.3      2.7
   Finance and insurance........................    146      141      156           2.4      2.3      2.5
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     54       56       70           2.5      2.6      3.2
  Professional and business services............    909      835      653           5.2      4.7      3.7
  Education and health services.................    496      386      482           2.8      2.1      2.6
   Educational services.........................     88       45       64           3.0      1.4      2.1
   Health care and social assistance............    408      340      418           2.7      2.2      2.7
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    800      835      790           6.0      6.3      5.8
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........    118      155      102           5.9      8.2      5.0
   Accommodations and food services.............    682      680      688           6.0      5.9      5.9
  Other services................................    153      138      143           2.8      2.5      2.6

 Government.....................................    336      226      345           1.5      1.0      1.5
  Federal.......................................     54       59       79           2.0      2.2      2.9
  State and local...............................    282      167      266           1.4       .8      1.3

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................    738      573      537           2.9      2.2      2.1
  South.........................................  2,027    1,883    1,857           4.1      3.8      3.7
  Midwest.......................................  1,038      842      916           3.3      2.7      2.9
  West..........................................  1,137      962    1,075           3.7      3.1      3.5

   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 8, 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                 May      Apr.     May            May      Apr.     May
                                                  2006     2007     2007p          2006     2007     2007p

Total...........................................  2,932    2,518    2,759           2.1      1.8      2.0

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  2,752    2,396    2,577           2.4      2.1      2.2
  Natural resources and mining..................      9       13       16           1.3      1.8      2.3
  Construction..................................    226      121      131           2.9      1.6      1.7
  Manufacturing.................................    215      198      221           1.5      1.4      1.6
   Durable goods................................    109      109      130           1.2      1.2      1.5
   Nondurable goods.............................    106       88       92           2.0      1.7      1.8
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    690      571      646           2.6      2.2      2.4
   Wholesale trade..............................     73       91       68           1.2      1.5      1.1
   Retail trade.................................    514      412      491           3.4      2.7      3.2
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...    102       68       88           2.0      1.3      1.7
  Information...................................     62       50       42           2.0      1.6      1.4
  Financial activities..........................    126      121      159           1.5      1.4      1.9
   Finance and insurance........................     95       95      118           1.5      1.5      1.9
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     31       26       41           1.4      1.2      1.8
  Professional and business services............    460      403      387           2.6      2.3      2.2
  Education and health services.................    297      258      299           1.7      1.4      1.6
   Educational services.........................     41       29       26           1.4       .9       .9
   Health care and social assistance............    257      229      273           1.7      1.5      1.8
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    581      572      565           4.4      4.3      4.1
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........     41       45       38           2.1      2.4      1.9
   Accommodations and food services.............    540      526      527           4.8      4.6      4.5
  Other services................................     86       90      110           1.6      1.6      2.0

 Government.....................................    179      122      182            .8       .5       .8
  Federal.......................................     27       22       27           1.0       .8      1.0
  State and local...............................    152      100      155            .8       .5       .8

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................    407      313      328           1.6      1.2      1.3
  South.........................................  1,255    1,170    1,199           2.6      2.4      2.4
  Midwest.......................................    618      485      552           2.0      1.5      1.7
  West..........................................    651      549      680           2.1      1.8      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 8, 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                 May      Apr.     May            May      Apr.     May
                                                  2006     2007     2007p          2006     2007     2007p

Total...........................................  1,598    1,451    1,316           1.2      1.1      0.9

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  1,498    1,398    1,226           1.3      1.2      1.1
  Natural resources and mining..................      2        5        6            .3       .8       .9
  Construction..................................    198      171      152           2.5      2.3      2.0
  Manufacturing.................................    138      132      138           1.0       .9      1.0
   Durable goods................................     76       80       76            .8       .9       .9
   Nondurable goods.............................     63       52       62           1.2      1.0      1.2
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    309      251      261           1.2      1.0      1.0
   Wholesale trade..............................     48       56       35            .8       .9       .6
   Retail trade.................................    207      147      183           1.4      1.0      1.2
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...     55       47       42           1.1       .9       .8
  Information...................................     11       16       25            .3       .5       .8
  Financial activities..........................     49       52       48            .6       .6       .6
   Finance and insurance........................     29       31       26            .5       .5       .4
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     20       21       22            .9      1.0      1.0
  Professional and business services............    379      391      222           2.2      2.2      1.2
  Education and health services.................    174      105      144           1.0       .6       .8
   Educational services.........................     45       13       33           1.5       .4      1.1
   Health care and social assistance............    129       92      111            .9       .6       .7
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    187      243      201           1.4      1.8      1.5
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........     73      105       61           3.7      5.5      3.0
   Accommodations and food services.............    114      139      139           1.0      1.2      1.2
  Other services................................     50       31       27            .9       .6       .5

 Government.....................................     99       53       90            .4       .2       .4
  Federal.......................................     12       13       18            .4       .5       .7
  State and local...............................     87       40       72            .4       .2       .4

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................    255      203      161           1.0       .8       .6
  South.........................................    592      612      545           1.2      1.2      1.1
  Midwest.......................................    349      291      303           1.1       .9       .9
  West..........................................    401      345      306           1.3      1.1      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.
   3 See footnote 8, 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                  May      Apr.     May           May      Apr.     May
                                                   2006     2007     2007p         2006     2007     2007p

Total...........................................    411      292      311           0.3      0.2      0.2

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................    353      241      238            .3       .2       .2
  Natural resources and mining..................      2        3        3            .3       .5       .4
  Construction..................................     33        7       21            .4       .1       .3
  Manufacturing.................................     30       39       25            .2       .3       .2
   Durable goods................................     21       22       15            .2       .2       .2
   Nondurable goods.............................      9       18        9            .2       .3       .2
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    116       61       57            .4       .2       .2
   Wholesale trade..............................     29        6        9            .5       .1       .1
   Retail trade.................................     70       45       35            .5       .3       .2
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...     17       10       13            .3       .2       .3
  Information...................................      4        5        4            .1       .2       .1
  Financial activities..........................     25       24       18            .3       .3       .2
   Finance and insurance........................     22       16       11            .4       .3       .2
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........      3        9        7            .1       .4       .3
  Professional and business services............     69       41       43            .4       .2       .2
  Education and health services.................     24       23       38            .1       .1       .2
   Educational services.........................      2        3        4            .1       .1       .1
   Health care and social assistance............     22       19       34            .1       .1       .2
  Leisure and hospitality.......................     31       20       24            .2       .2       .2
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........      4        6        3            .2       .3       .1
   Accommodations and food services.............     28       15       21            .2       .1       .2
  Other services................................     17       16        6            .3       .3       .1

 Government.....................................     58       51       73            .3       .2       .3
  Federal.......................................     15       24       34            .5       .9      1.2
  State and local...............................     43       27       39            .2       .1       .2

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................     76       57       48            .3       .2       .2
  South.........................................    180      101      113            .4       .2       .2
  Midwest.......................................     70       65       61            .2       .2       .2
  West..........................................     84       69       89            .3       .2       .3

   1 Other separations are the number of other separations during the entire month.
   2 The other separations rate is the number of other separations during the entire month as a percent 
of total employment.
   3 See footnote 8, table 1.
   p = preliminary.