Technical information:  (202) 691-5870       USDL 06-1943
               http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
                                             For release:  10:00 A.M. EST
Media contact:                691-5902       Tuesday, November 7, 2006

                                     
             JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER:  SEPTEMBER 2006

   The job openings and total separations rates were unchanged in September,
while the hires rate was essentially unchanged, the Bureau of Labor Statistics
of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.  This release includes esti-
mates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the
total nonfarm sector by industry and geographic region.

Job Openings
                              
   On the last business day of September 2006, there were 4.1 million job
openings in the United States and the job openings rate was 2.9 percent.
The job openings rate was unchanged over the month and has been little
changed since November 2005.  In September, the job openings rate did not
change significantly in any industry or region.  The industries with the
highest seasonally adjusted job openings rate in September 2006 were edu-
cation and health services (3.8 percent), leisure and hospitality (3.8 per-
cent), and professional and business services (3.7 percent).  (See table 1.)
                              
   Over the year, the job openings rate rose in several of the private sector
industries, in state and local government, and in the Northeast region.  The
job openings rate did not decline significantly over the year in any industry
or region.  (See table 5.)
   
Hires
   
   The hires rate was little changed at 3.5 percent in September.  Hires are
any additions to the payroll during the month.  In September, the hires rate
did not rise significantly in any industry but fell in trade, transportation,
and utilities and in government.  Geographically, the hires rate did not
change significantly in any region over the month.  The seasonally adjusted
hires rate was highest in September in the leisure and hospitality industry
(6.2 percent).  (See table 2.)
   
   From September 2005 to September 2006, the hires rate increased in mining
and in finance and insurance but decreased in construction; arts, entertain-
ment, and recreation; federal government; and the Northeast region.  (See
table 6.)
   
                                  - 2 -

Table A.  Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally
adjusted
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   |    Job openings    |       Hires        | Total separations
                   |--------------------------------------------------------------
     Industry      | Sept.| Aug. | Sept.| Sept.| Aug. | Sept.| Sept.| Aug. | Sept.
                   | 2005 | 2006 | 2006p| 2005 | 2006 | 2006p| 2005 | 2006 | 2006p
-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
                   |                     Levels (in thousands)
                   |--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........|3,728 |4,061 |4,053 |4,748 |4,831 |4,684 |4,798 |4,386 |4,339
                   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
  Total private(1).|3,285 |3,604 |3,570 |4,418 |4,396 |4,349 |4,503 |4,083 |4,054
    Construction...|  152 |  162 |  144 |  436 |  351 |  328 |  423 |  348 |  312
    Manufacturing..|  285 |  310 |  300 |  346 |  353 |  316 |  437 |  364 |  387
    Trade, trans-  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     portation, and|      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     utilities.....|  629 |  686 |  690 |  983 |1,070 |  966 |1,000 |  997 |  975
    Professional   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     and business  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     services......|  671 |  661 |  663 |  904 |  860 |  959 |  856 |  705 |  762
    Education and  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     health ser-   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     vices.........|  630 |  678 |  699 |  468 |  482 |  475 |  433 |  460 |  407
    Leisure and    |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     hospitality...|  431 |  501 |  515 |  836 |  794 |  807 |  871 |  801 |  764
  Government.......|  443 |  464 |  480 |  314 |  409 |  324 |  302 |  304 |  291
                   |--------------------------------------------------------------
                   |                       Rates (percent)
                   |--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........|  2.7 |  2.9 |  2.9 |  3.5 |  3.6 |  3.5 |  3.6 |  3.2 |  3.2
                   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
  Total private(1).|  2.8 |  3.1 |  3.0 |  3.9 |  3.9 |  3.8 |  4.0 |  3.6 |  3.6
    Construction...|  2.0 |  2.1 |  1.9 |  6.0 |  4.7 |  4.4 |  5.8 |  4.6 |  4.1
    Manufacturing..|  2.0 |  2.1 |  2.1 |  2.4 |  2.5 |  2.2 |  3.1 |  2.6 |  2.7
    Trade, trans-  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     portation, and|      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     utilities.....|  2.4 |  2.6 |  2.6 |  3.8 |  4.1 |  3.7 |  3.9 |  3.8 |  3.7
    Professional   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     and business  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     services......|  3.8 |  3.7 |  3.7 |  5.3 |  4.9 |  5.5 |  5.0 |  4.1 |  4.4
    Education and  |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     health ser-   |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     vices.........|  3.5 |  3.7 |  3.8 |  2.7 |  2.7 |  2.7 |  2.5 |  2.6 |  2.3
    Leisure and    |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |      |
     hospitality...|  3.3 |  3.7 |  3.8 |  6.5 |  6.1 |  6.2 |  6.8 |  6.1 |  5.8
  Government.......|  2.0 |  2.1 |  2.1 |  1.4 |  1.9 |  1.5 |  1.4 |  1.4 |  1.3
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   1 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and
other services, not shown separately.
   p = preliminary.


Separations
   
   The total separations, or turnover, rate was unchanged at 3.2 percent in
September.  Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any time
during the month.  In September, the total separations rate did not increase
significantly in any industry but did decrease in education and health ser-
vices.  Geographically, the separations rate did not change significantly in
any region over the month.  (See table 3.)
      
   Total separations include quits (voluntary separations), layoffs and dis-
charges (involuntary separations), and other separations (including retire-
ments).  The quits rate, which can serve as a barometer of workers' ability
to change jobs, edged down to 1.8 percent in September.  Over the month, the
quits rate did not rise significantly in any industry or region but declined
in leisure and hospitality and in the South region.  In September, the sea-
sonally adjusted quits rate was highest in the leisure and hospitality in-
dustry (3.6 percent), which also had the highest hires rate.  (See table 4.)

                                  - 3 -

   Over the year, the quits rate fell in many industries and in three of the
four regions--the Midwest, South, and West.  The quits rate rose significantly
over the year in only one industry:  real estate and rental and leasing.  (See
table 8.)
   
   The other two components of total separations--layoffs and discharges, and
other separations--are not seasonally adjusted.  From September 2005 to Septem-
ber 2006, the layoffs and discharges rate fell to 1.3 percent.  For September
2006, the arts, entertainment, and recreation industry had the highest layoffs
and discharges rate (12.5 percent).  From September 2005 to September 2006,
the other separations rate was little changed at 0.2 percent.  (See tables 9
and 10.)
   
Flows in the Labor Market
   
   Hires and separations data help show dynamic flows in the labor market.
Over the 12 months ending in September 2006, hires have averaged 4.9 million
per month and separations have averaged 4.5 million per month (not seasonally
adjusted).  The comparable figures for the prior 12-month period were 4.8 mil-
lion hires and 4.6 million separations.  (See the Technical Note for additio-
nal information on these measures.)
   
For More Information
   
   For additional information, please read the Technical Note or visit the
JOLTS Web site at http://www.bls.gov/jlt/.  Additional information about
JOLTS also may be obtained by e-mailing Joltsinfo@bls.gov or by calling
(202) 691-5870.
      
                      ______________________________
   
   
   The Job Openings and Labor Turnover release for October 2006 is scheduled
to be issued on Tuesday, December 12, 2006.
   





                                  - 4 -

Technical Note


  The data for the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) are
collected and compiled monthly from a sample of business establishments 
by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
   
Collection
   
  Each month, data are collected in a survey of business establishments
for total employment, job openings, hires, quits, layoffs and discharges,
and other separations.  Data collection methods include computer-assisted
telephone interviewing, touchtone data entry, fax, and mail.
   
Coverage
   
  The JOLTS program covers all private nonfarm establishments such as
factories, offices, and stores, as well as federal, state, and local
government entities in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
   
Concepts
   
  Industry classification.  The industry classifications in this release
are in accordance with the 2002 version of the North American Industry
Classification System (NAICS).  In order to ensure the highest possible
quality of data, State Workforce Agencies verify with employers and update,
if necessary, the industry code, location, and ownership classification of
all establishments on a 3-year cycle.  Changes in establishment characteris-
tics resulting from the verification process are always introduced into the
JOLTS sampling frame with the data reported for the first month of the year.
   
  Employment.  Employment includes persons on the payroll who worked or re-
ceived pay for the pay period that includes the 12th day of the reference
month.  Full-time, part-time, permanent, short-term, seasonal, salaried,
and hourly employees are included, as are employees on paid vacations or
other paid leave.  Proprietors or partners of unincorporated businesses,
unpaid family workers, or persons on leave without pay or on strike for 
the entire pay period, are not counted as employed.  Employees of tempo-
rary help agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors, and
consultants are counted by their employer of record, not by the establish-
ment where they are working.
   
  Job openings.  Establishments submit job openings information for the
last business day of the reference month.  A job opening requires that:  
1) a specific position exists and there is work available for that posi-
tion, 2) work could start within 30 days regardless of whether a suitable
candidate is found, and 3) the employer is actively recruiting from outside
the establishment to fill the position.  Included are full-time, part-time,
permanent, short-term, and seasonal openings.  Active recruiting means that
the establishment is taking steps to fill a position by advertising in news-
papers or on the Internet, posting help-wanted signs, accepting applications, 
or using other similar methods.
   
  Jobs to be filled only by internal transfers, promotions, demotions, or
recall from layoffs are excluded.  Also excluded are jobs with start dates
more than 30 days in the future, jobs for which employees have been hired
but have not yet reported for work, and jobs to be filled by employees of
temporary help agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors,
or consultants.  The job openings rate is computed by dividing the number
of job openings by the sum of employment and job openings and multiplying
that quotient by 100.
   
                                  - 5 -

  Hires.  Hires are the total number of additions to the payroll occurring
at any time during the reference month, including both new and rehired em-
ployees, full-time and part-time, permanent, short-term and seasonal em-
ployees, employees recalled to the location after a layoff lasting more
than 7 days, on-call or intermittent employees who returned to work after
having been formally separated, and transfers from other locations.  The
hires count does not include transfers or promotions within the reporting
site, employees returning from strike, employees of temporary help agencies
or employee leasing companies, outside contractors, or consultants.  The
hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by employment and
multiplying that quotient by 100.
   
  Separations.  Separations are the total number of terminations of
employment occurring at any time during the reference month, and are
reported by type of separation--quits, layoffs and discharges, and 
other separations.  Quits are voluntary separations by employees (ex-
cept for retirements, which are reported as other separations).  Lay-
offs and discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the em-
ployer and include layoffs with no intent to rehire, formal layoffs 
lasting or expected to last more than 7 days, discharges resulting 
from mergers, downsizing, or closings, firings or other discharges 
for cause, terminations of permanent or short-term employees, and 
terminations of seasonal employees.  Other separations include re-
tirements, transfers to other locations, deaths, and separations 
due to disability.  Separations do not include transfers within the 
same location or employees on strike.
   
  The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of separations
by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100.  The quits, layoffs
and discharges, and other separations rates are computed similarly, divid-
ing the number by employment and multiplying by 100.
   
   Annual estimates.  Annual estimates of rates and levels of hires, quits,
layoffs and discharges, other separations, and total separations are released
with the January news release each year.
   
   The JOLTS annual level estimates for hires, quits, layoffs and discharges,
other separations, and total separations are the sum of the 12 published
monthly levels.  The annual rate estimates are computed by dividing the an-
nual level by the Current Employment Statistics (CES) annual average employ-
ment level, and multiplying that quotient by 100.  This figure will be ap-
proximately equal to the sum of the 12 monthly rates.  Note that both the
JOLTS and CES annual levels are rounded to the nearest thousand before the
annual estimates are calculated.  Consistent with BLS practices, annual es-
timates will be published only for not seasonally adjusted data.
   
   Annual estimates are not calculated for job openings because job
openings are a stock, or point-in-time, measurement for the last business
day of each month.  Only jobs still open on the last day of the month are
counted.  For the same reason job openings cannot be cumulated throughout
each month, annual figures for job openings cannot be created by summing
the monthly estimates.  Hires and separations are flow measures and are
cumulated over the month with a total reported for the month.  Therefore,
the annual figures can be created by summing the monthly estimates.

                                  - 6 -

Sample methodology
   
  The JOLTS sample design is a random sample of 16,000 nonfarm business
establishments, including factories, offices, and stores, as well as
federal, state, and local governments in the 50 states and the District 
of Columbia.  The establishments are drawn from a universe of over eight
million establishments compiled as part of the operations of the Quarterly
Census of Employment and Wages, or QCEW, program.  This program includes
all employers subject to state Unemployment Insurance (UI) laws and federal
agencies subject to Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE).
   
  The sampling frame is stratified by ownership, region, industry sector,
and size class.  Large firms fall into the sample with virtual certainty.
JOLTS total employment estimates are controlled to the employment estimates
of the Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey.  A ratio of CES to JOLTS
employment is used to adjust the levels for all other JOLTS data elements.
Rates are then computed from the adjusted levels.
   
Using JOLTS data
   
  The JOLTS data series on job openings, hires, and separations are rel-
atively new.  The full sample is divided into panels, with one panel
enrolled each month.  A full complement of panels for the original data
series based on the 1987 Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system
was not completely enrolled in the survey until January 2002.  The supple-
mental panels of establishments needed to create NAICS estimates were not 
completely enrolled until May 2003.  The data collected up until those
points are from less than a full sample.  Therefore, estimates from earlier
months should be used with caution, as fewer sampled units were reporting
data at that time.
   
  In March 2002, BLS procedures for collecting hires and separations data
were revised to address possible underreporting.  As a result, JOLTS hires
and separations estimates for months prior to March 2002 may not be compar-
able with estimates for March 2002 and later.
   
  The federal government reorganization that involved transferring approx-
imately 180,000 employees to the new Department of Homeland Security is not 
reflected in the JOLTS hires and separations estimates for the federal gov-
ernment.  The Office of Personnel Management's record shows these transfers 
were completed in March 2003.  The inclusion of transfers in the JOLTS defi-
nitions of hires and separations is intended to cover ongoing movements of 
workers between establishments.  The Department of Homeland Security reorgan-
ization was a massive one-time event, and the inclusion of these intergovern-
mental transfers would distort the federal government time series.
   
Seasonal adjustment
   
  BLS seasonally adjusts several JOLTS series using the X-12-ARIMA
seasonal adjustment program.  Seasonal adjustment is the process of
estimating and removing periodic fluctuations caused by events such 
as weather, holidays, and the beginning and ending of the school year.
Seasonal adjustment makes it easier to observe fundamental changes in 
the level of the series, particularly those associated with general 
economic expansions and contractions.  A concurrent seasonal adjust-
ment methodology is used in which new seasonal adjustment factors are 
calculated each month, using all relevant data, up to and including 
the data for the current month.

                                  - 7 -

  Data users should note that seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS series is
conducted with fewer data observations than is customary.  The historical
data, therefore, may be subject to larger than normal revisions.  Since the
seasonal patterns in economic data series typically emerge over time, the
standard use of moving averages as seasonal filters to capture these effects 
requires longer series than are currently available.  As a result, the stable 
seasonal filter option is used in the seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS data.  
When calculating seasonal factors, this filter takes an average for each cal-
endar month after detrending the series.  The stable seasonal filter assumes 
that the seasonal factors are fixed; a necessary assumption until sufficient 
data are available.  When the stable seasonal filter is no longer needed, 
other program features also may be introduced, such as outlier adjustment 
and extended diagnostic testing.  Additionally, it is expected that more 
series, such as layoffs and discharges and additional industries, may be 
seasonally adjusted when more data are available.
   
Reliability of the estimates
   
  JOLTS estimates are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error.
When a sample rather than the entire population is surveyed, there is a
chance that the sample estimates may differ from the "true" population
values they represent.  The exact difference, or sampling error, varies
depending on the particular sample selected, and this variability is
measured by the standard error of the estimate.  BLS analysis is generally
conducted at the 90-percent level of confidence.  That means that there is
a 90-percent chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate based on a
sample will differ by no more than 1.6 standard errors from the "true"
population value because of sampling error.  Estimates of sampling errors
are available upon request.
   
  The JOLTS estimates also are affected by nonsampling error.  Nonsampling
error can occur for many reasons, including the failure to include a seg-
ment of the population, the inability to obtain data from all units in the 
sample, the inability or unwillingness of respondents to provide data on a 
timely basis, mistakes made by respondents, errors made in the collection 
or processing of the data, and errors from the employment benchmark data 
used in estimation.
   
  JOLTS hires and separations estimates cannot be used to exactly ex-
plain net changes in nonfarm payroll employment.  Some reasons why it is
problematic to compare changes in payroll employment with JOLTS hires and
separations, especially on a monthly basis, are: 1) the reference period
for payroll employment is the pay period including the 12th of the month,
while the reference period for hires and separations is the calendar month;
and 2) payroll employment can vary from month to month simply because part-
time and on-call workers may not always work during the pay period that in-
cludes the 12th of the month.  Additionally, research has found that some
reporters systematically underreport separations relative to hires due to a
number of factors, including the nature of their payroll systems and prac-
tices.  The shortfall appears to be about 2 percent or less over a 12-month 
period.
   
Other information
   
  Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired
individuals upon request.  Voice phone: 202-691-5200; TDD message referral
phone: 1-800-877-8339.





Table 1.  Job openings levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

                                                      Levels (3) (in thousands)                              Rates

           Industry and region           Sept.  Apr.   May    June   July   Aug.   Sept.   Sept. Apr.  May   June  July  Aug.  Sept.
                                         2005   2006   2006   2006   2006   2006   2006p   2005  2006  2006  2006  2006  2006  2006p

Total (4)............................... 3,728  4,070  3,945  3,960  3,844  4,061  4,053    2.7   2.9   2.8   2.8   2.8   2.9   2.9

                INDUSTRY

 Total private (4)...................... 3,285  3,603  3,496  3,476  3,363  3,604  3,570    2.8   3.1   3.0   3.0   2.9   3.1   3.0
  Construction.........................    152    138    119    161    148    162    144    2.0   1.8   1.6   2.1   1.9   2.1   1.9
  Manufacturing........................    285    323    311    301    305    310    300    2.0   2.2   2.1   2.1   2.1   2.1   2.1
  Trade, transportation, and utilities.    629    672    687    640    605    686    690    2.4   2.5   2.6   2.4   2.3   2.6   2.6
  Professional and business services...    671    748    693    616    651    661    663    3.8   4.2   3.9   3.4   3.6   3.7   3.7
  Education and health services........    630    674    651    659    643    678    699    3.5   3.7   3.6   3.6   3.5   3.7   3.8
  Leisure and hospitality..............    431    485    496    487    482    501    515    3.3   3.6   3.7   3.6   3.6   3.7   3.8
 Government............................    443    467    452    467    478    464    480    2.0   2.1   2.0   2.1   2.1   2.1   2.1

                 REGION (5)

  Northeast............................    661    672    670    699    699    747    773    2.6   2.6   2.6   2.7   2.7   2.8   2.9
  South................................  1,451  1,600  1,591  1,507  1,498  1,548  1,543    2.9   3.2   3.2   3.0   3.0   3.1   3.1
  Midwest..............................    760    770    787    777    739    809    790    2.4   2.4   2.4   2.4   2.3   2.5   2.4
  West.................................    890  1,022    918    935    911    955    972    2.9   3.3   3.0   3.0   3.0   3.1   3.1

  1 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day of the month.
  2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business day of the month as a percent of total employment plus
job openings.
  3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
  4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
  5 The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of
Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas,
Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio,
South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah,
Washington, and Wyoming.
  p = preliminary.





Table 2.  Hires levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

                                                      Levels(3) (in thousands)                              Rates

           Industry and region           Sept.  Apr.   May    June   July   Aug.   Sept.   Sept. Apr.  May   June  July  Aug.  Sept.
                                         2005   2006   2006   2006   2006   2006   2006p   2005  2006  2006  2006  2006  2006  2006p

Total (4)............................... 4,748  4,649  4,949  4,899  4,995  4,831  4,684    3.5   3.4   3.7   3.6   3.7   3.6   3.5

                INDUSTRY

 Total private (4).....................  4,418  4,301  4,573  4,508  4,741  4,396  4,349    3.9   3.8   4.0   4.0   4.2   3.9   3.8
  Construction.........................    436    376    374    366    365    351    328    6.0   5.0   5.0   4.9   4.9   4.7   4.4
  Manufacturing........................    346    328    385    378    380    353    316    2.4   2.3   2.7   2.7   2.7   2.5   2.2
  Trade, transportation, and utilities.    983  1,029  1,018  1,099  1,045  1,070    966    3.8   4.0   3.9   4.2   4.0   4.1   3.7
  Professional and business services...    904    858  1,006    905    967    860    959    5.3   5.0   5.8   5.2   5.6   4.9   5.5
  Education and health services........    468    481    549    465    521    482    475    2.7   2.7   3.1   2.6   2.9   2.7   2.7
  Leisure and hospitality..............    836    775    811    846    850    794    807    6.5   6.0   6.2   6.5   6.5   6.1   6.2
 Government............................    314    361    379    392    338    409    324    1.4   1.6   1.7   1.8   1.5   1.9   1.5

                 REGION (5)

  Northeast............................    796    849    852    729    841    738    697    3.2   3.3   3.3   2.9   3.3   2.9   2.7
  South................................  1,842  1,777  1,849  1,877  1,849  1,907  1,946    3.9   3.7   3.8   3.9   3.8   3.9   4.0
  Midwest..............................    965    965  1,133  1,072  1,123  1,008    965    3.1   3.1   3.6   3.4   3.6   3.2   3.1
  West.................................  1,139  1,152  1,114  1,207  1,177  1,160  1,104    3.8   3.9   3.7   4.0   3.9   3.9   3.7

  1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month.
  2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment. 
  3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
  4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
  5 See footnote 5, table 1.
  p = preliminary.





Table 3.  Total separations levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

                                                      Levels (3) (in thousands)                              Rates

           Industry and region           Sept.  Apr.   May    June   July   Aug.   Sept.   Sept. Apr.  May   June  July  Aug.  Sept.
                                         2005   2006   2006   2006   2006   2006   2006p   2005  2006  2006  2006  2006  2006  2006p

Total (4)............................... 4,798  4,495  4,811  4,631  4,479  4,386  4,339    3.6   3.3   3.6   3.4   3.3   3.2   3.2

                INDUSTRY

 Total private (4)...................... 4,503  4,203  4,488  4,299  4,168  4,083  4,054    4.0   3.7   4.0   3.8   3.7   3.6   3.6
  Construction.........................    423    373    478    324    415    348    312    5.8   5.0   6.4   4.3   5.5   4.6   4.1
  Manufacturing........................    437    346    381    370    358    364    387    3.1   2.4   2.7   2.6   2.5   2.6   2.7
  Trade, transportation, and utilities.  1,000  1,022  1,046  1,082    935    997    975    3.9   3.9   4.0   4.2   3.6   3.8   3.7
  Professional and business services...    856    790    833    755    735    705    762    5.0   4.6   4.8   4.4   4.2   4.1   4.4
  Education and health services........    433    437    487    424    431    460    407    2.5   2.5   2.8   2.4   2.4   2.6   2.3
  Leisure and hospitality..............    871    770    799    802    818    801    764    6.8   5.9   6.1   6.2   6.3   6.1   5.8
 Government............................    302    302    324    315    306    304    291    1.4   1.4   1.5   1.4   1.4   1.4   1.3

                 REGION (5)

  Northeast............................    797    711    779    724    763    695    760    3.2   2.8   3.1   2.8   3.0   2.7   3.0
  South................................  1,779  1,710  1,828  1,858  1,687  1,703  1,634    3.7   3.5   3.8   3.8   3.5   3.5   3.4
  Midwest..............................  1,065    992  1,045    871  1,087    942    896    3.4   3.2   3.3   2.8   3.4   3.0   2.8
  West.................................  1,127  1,116  1,136  1,137    979  1,070  1,046    3.8   3.7   3.8   3.8   3.3   3.6   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 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series.
  4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
  5 See footnote 5, table 1.
  p = preliminary.




Table 4.  Quits levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

                                                      Levels(3) (in thousands)                              Rates

           Industry and region           Sept.  Apr.   May    June   July   Aug.   Sept.   Sept. Apr.  May   June  July  Aug.  Sept.
                                         2005   2006   2006   2006   2006   2006   2006p   2005  2006  2006  2006  2006  2006  2006p

Total (4)..............................  2,681  2,541  2,723  2,699  2,623  2,597  2,401    2.0   1.9   2.0   2.0   1.9   1.9   1.8

                INDUSTRY

 Total private (4).....................  2,529  2,383  2,565  2,554  2,469  2,442  2,260    2.3   2.1   2.3   2.3   2.2   2.2   2.0
  Construction.........................    210    167    207    154    157    143    123    2.9   2.2   2.8   2.0   2.1   1.9   1.6
  Manufacturing........................    213    175    202    190    189    194    181    1.5   1.2   1.4   1.3   1.3   1.4   1.3
  Trade, transportation, and utilities.    566    613    622    615    586    604    582    2.2   2.4   2.4   2.4   2.3   2.3   2.2
  Professional and business services...    448    409    434    386    412    388    393    2.6   2.4   2.5   2.2   2.4   2.2   2.3
  Education and health services........    283    253    276    290    277    300    272    1.6   1.4   1.6   1.6   1.6   1.7   1.5
  Leisure and hospitality..............    557    535    533    622    549    542    476    4.3   4.1   4.1   4.8   4.2   4.1   3.6
 Government............................    154    159    159    146    156    153    146     .7    .7    .7    .7    .7    .7    .7

                 REGION (5)

  Northeast............................    361    370    370    358    378    404    378    1.4   1.5   1.5   1.4   1.5   1.6   1.5
  South................................  1,125  1,026  1,152  1,153  1,081  1,095    983    2.4   2.1   2.4   2.4   2.2   2.3   2.0
  Midwest..............................    574    575    581    552    562    551    511    1.8   1.8   1.8   1.8   1.8   1.7   1.6
  West.................................    627    593    612    631    598    553    543    2.1   2.0   2.0   2.1   2.0   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.
  5 See footnote 5, table 1.
  p = preliminary.





Table 5.  Job openings levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

                                                    Levels (in thousands)                  Rates

              Industry and region                 Sept.    Aug.     Sept.          Sept.    Aug.     Sept.
                                                  2005     2006     2006p          2005     2006     2006p

Total...........................................  3,897    4,396    4,235           2.8      3.1      3.0

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  3,465    3,890    3,765           3.0      3.3      3.2
  Natural resources and mining..................     17       16       23           2.5      2.3      3.2
  Construction..................................    153      180      143           2.0      2.2      1.8
  Manufacturing.................................    294      336      309           2.0      2.3      2.1
   Durable goods................................    196      218      198           2.1      2.4      2.2
   Nondurable goods.............................     99      117      110           1.8      2.2      2.1
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    708      764      780           2.7      2.8      2.9
   Wholesale trade..............................    119      146      165           2.0      2.4      2.7
   Retail trade.................................    461      453      465           2.9      2.9      3.0
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...    128      165      150           2.5      3.2      2.9
  Information...................................    112      153      166           3.5      4.7      5.2
  Financial activities..........................    257      253      235           3.1      2.9      2.7
   Finance and insurance........................    209      200      196           3.4      3.1      3.1
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     48       53       38           2.2      2.3      1.7
  Professional and business services............    708      726      699           4.0      4.0      3.8
  Education and health services.................    652      722      728           3.6      4.0      3.9
   Educational services.........................     69       62       61           2.4      2.4      2.1
   Health care and social assistance............    583      660      667           3.8      4.2      4.3
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    407      557      506           3.0      3.9      3.7
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........     46       62       59           2.3      2.7      2.9
   Accommodations and food services.............    361      496      447           3.2      4.1      3.8
  Other services................................    157      182      177           2.8      3.2      3.2

 Government.....................................    432      506      469           2.0      2.4      2.1
  Federal.......................................     48       52       38           1.7      1.9      1.4
  State and local...............................    384      455      432           2.0      2.4      2.2

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................    702      829      834           2.7      3.2      3.2
  South.........................................  1,491    1,631    1,581           3.0      3.3      3.2
  Midwest.......................................    810      905      840           2.5      2.8      2.6
  West..........................................    895    1,030      979           2.9      3.3      3.1


  1 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day of the month.
  2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business day of the month as a
percent of total employment plus job openings.
  3 See footnote 5, table 1.
  p = preliminary.





Table 6.  Hires levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

                                                    Levels (in thousands)                  Rates

              Industry and region                 Sept.    Aug.     Sept.          Sept.    Aug.     Sept.
                                                  2005     2006     2006p          2005     2006     2006p

Total...........................................  5,268    5,588    5,153           3.9      4.1      3.8

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  4,788    4,933    4,666           4.3      4.3      4.1
  Natural resources and mining..................     15       26       30           2.3      3.7      4.4
  Construction..................................    449      351      333           6.0      4.5      4.3
  Manufacturing.................................    362      408      329           2.5      2.8      2.3
   Durable goods................................    213      254      184           2.4      2.8      2.0
   Nondurable goods.............................    149      154      145           2.8      2.9      2.8
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........  1,113    1,200    1,069           4.3      4.6      4.1
   Wholesale trade..............................    151      168      142           2.6      2.9      2.4
   Retail trade.................................    762      783      741           5.0      5.1      4.9
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...    200      250      186           4.0      5.0      3.7
  Information...................................     81       93       81           2.6      3.0      2.6
  Financial activities..........................    188      199      233           2.3      2.4      2.8
   Finance and insurance........................    117      127      152           2.0      2.1      2.5
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     71       72       82           3.3      3.3      3.7
  Professional and business services............    929      968      989           5.4      5.5      5.6
  Education and health services.................    606      601      611           3.5      3.4      3.4
   Educational services.........................    131       94      128           4.7      3.7      4.6
   Health care and social assistance............    475      507      483           3.3      3.4      3.2
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    845      891      807           6.5      6.5      6.1
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........    147       99       71           7.4      4.5      3.6
   Accommodations and food services.............    697      792      736           6.3      6.9      6.5
  Other services................................    201      196      183           3.7      3.6      3.4

 Government.....................................    480      655      488           2.2      3.1      2.2
  Federal.......................................     59       83       43           2.2      3.1      1.6
  State and local...............................    420      572      444           2.2      3.2      2.3

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................  1,037      802      884           4.1      3.2      3.5
  South.........................................  1,860    2,275    1,985           3.9      4.7      4.1
  Midwest.......................................  1,117    1,201    1,082           3.6      3.8      3.4
  West..........................................  1,255    1,309    1,203           4.2      4.4      4.0


  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. 
  3 See footnote 5, table 1.
  p = preliminary.





Table 7.  Total separations levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

                                                    Levels (in thousands)                  Rates

              Industry and region                 Sept.    Aug.     Sept.          Sept.    Aug.     Sept.
                                                  2005     2006     2006p          2005     2006     2006p

Total...........................................  5,419    5,617    4,865           4.0      4.1      3.6

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  5,046    5,152    4,512           4.5      4.5      4.0
  Natural resources and mining..................     17       23       22           2.7      3.3      3.2
  Construction..................................    463      400      336           6.1      5.1      4.3
  Manufacturing.................................    444      449      396           3.1      3.1      2.8
   Durable goods................................    276      265      244           3.1      2.9      2.7
   Nondurable goods.............................    168      183      153           3.2      3.5      2.9
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........  1,065    1,179    1,028           4.1      4.5      4.0
   Wholesale trade..............................    135      183      135           2.3      3.1      2.3
   Retail trade.................................    742      810      710           4.9      5.3      4.7
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...    188      186      183           3.8      3.8      3.6
  Information...................................     97      102       83           3.2      3.3      2.7
  Financial activities..........................    184      243      202           2.3      2.9      2.4
   Finance and insurance........................    113      160      122           1.9      2.6      2.0
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     71       83       80           3.3      3.7      3.7
  Professional and business services............    884      896      783           5.2      5.1      4.5
  Education and health services.................    475      588      446           2.7      3.4      2.5
   Educational services.........................     85       97       60           3.0      3.8      2.1
   Health care and social assistance............    390      491      386           2.7      3.3      2.6
  Leisure and hospitality.......................  1,199    1,010    1,042           9.2      7.4      7.8
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........    313      152      314          15.8      6.9     15.9
   Accommodations and food services.............    886      858      728           8.0      7.4      6.4
  Other services................................    217      263      174           4.0      4.8      3.2

 Government.....................................    373      465      353           1.7      2.2      1.6
  Federal.......................................     57       88       33           2.1      3.2      1.2
  State and local...............................    316      377      320           1.7      2.1      1.7

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................  1,000      908      959           4.0      3.6      3.8
  South.........................................  1,878    2,201    1,680           3.9      4.5      3.5
  Midwest.......................................  1,244    1,237    1,031           4.0      3.9      3.3
  West..........................................  1,297    1,270    1,195           4.4      4.2      4.0


  1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month.
  2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of
total employment.
  3 See footnote 5, table 1.
  p = preliminary.





Table 8.  Quits levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

                                                    Levels (in thousands)                  Rates

              Industry and region                 Sept.    Aug.     Sept.          Sept.    Aug.     Sept.
                                                  2005     2006     2006p          2005     2006     2006p

Total...........................................  3,105    3,623    2,764           2.3      2.7      2.0

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  2,936    3,373    2,606           2.6      2.9      2.3
  Natural resources and mining..................      9       16       12           1.4      2.3      1.7
  Construction..................................    233      190      141           3.1      2.4      1.8
  Manufacturing.................................    247      274      206           1.7      1.9      1.4
   Durable goods................................    153      161      120           1.7      1.8      1.3
   Nondurable goods.............................     95      113       86           1.8      2.1      1.6
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    643      814      656           2.5      3.1      2.5
   Wholesale trade..............................     85      125       86           1.5      2.1      1.5
   Retail trade.................................    465      573      472           3.1      3.8      3.1
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...     93      116       98           1.9      2.3      1.9
  Information...................................     68       72       61           2.2      2.3      2.0
  Financial activities..........................    107      147      124           1.3      1.8      1.5
   Finance and insurance........................     77      103       75           1.3      1.7      1.2
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     29       44       49           1.4      2.0      2.2
  Professional and business services............    463      553      402           2.7      3.1      2.3
  Education and health services.................    318      404      302           1.8      2.3      1.7
   Educational services.........................     45       60       34           1.6      2.4      1.2
   Health care and social assistance............    273      345      268           1.9      2.3      1.8
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    719      748      607           5.5      5.4      4.6
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........     72       75       62           3.6      3.4      3.1
   Accommodations and food services.............    647      673      545           5.9      5.8      4.8
  Other services................................    129      155       95           2.4      2.8      1.8

 Government.....................................    169      250      157            .8      1.2       .7
  Federal.......................................     23       41       20            .8      1.5       .8
  State and local...............................    146      209      137            .8      1.2       .7

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................    470      589      492           1.9      2.3      1.9
  South.........................................  1,236    1,467    1,064           2.6      3.0      2.2
  Midwest.......................................    675      815      588           2.2      2.6      1.9
  West..........................................    722      752      620           2.4      2.5      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 See footnote 5, table 1.
  p = preliminary.





Table 9.  Layoffs and discharges levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

                                                    Levels (in thousands)                  Rates

              Industry and region                 Sept.    Aug.     Sept.          Sept.    Aug.     Sept.
                                                  2005     2006     2006p          2005     2006     2006p

Total...........................................  1,967    1,644    1,779           1.5      1.2      1.3

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................  1,817    1,504    1,624           1.6      1.3      1.4
  Natural resources and mining..................      8        3        8           1.2       .5      1.2
  Construction..................................    215      193      161           2.8      2.5      2.1
  Manufacturing.................................    154      141      161           1.1      1.0      1.1
   Durable goods................................     89       80      105           1.0       .9      1.2
   Nondurable goods.............................     65       61       56           1.2      1.2      1.1
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........    358      289      286           1.4      1.1      1.1
   Wholesale trade..............................     30       52       39            .5       .9       .7
   Retail trade.................................    242      185      177           1.6      1.2      1.2
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...     86       53       69           1.7      1.1      1.4
  Information...................................     20       19       15            .7       .6       .5
  Financial activities..........................     67       77       57            .8       .9       .7
   Finance and insurance........................     27       43       29            .4       .7       .5
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........     41       34       29           1.9      1.5      1.3
  Professional and business services............    336      306      342           2.0      1.7      1.9
  Education and health services.................    126      148      116            .7       .9       .7
   Educational services.........................     37       34       19           1.3      1.3       .7
   Health care and social assistance............     89      115       98            .6       .8       .7
  Leisure and hospitality.......................    460      233      416           3.5      1.7      3.1
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........    239       75      248          12.0      3.4     12.5
   Accommodations and food services.............    221      158      168           2.0      1.4      1.5
  Other services................................     73       94       62           1.4      1.7      1.2

 Government.....................................    151      140      155            .7       .7       .7
  Federal.......................................     15       29        6            .5      1.1       .2
  State and local...............................    136      111      149            .7       .6       .8

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................    493      268      401           2.0      1.1      1.6
  South.........................................    536      612      514           1.1      1.3      1.1
  Midwest.......................................    464      341      367           1.5      1.1      1.2
  West..........................................    474      424      498           1.6      1.4      1.7

  1 Layoffs and discharges are the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire month.
  2 The layoffs and discharges rate is the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire month as a
percent of total employment.
  3 See footnote 5, table 1.
  p = preliminary.





Table 10.  Other separations levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

                                                    Levels (in thousands)                  Rates

              Industry and region                  Sept.    Aug.     Sept.         Sept.    Aug.     Sept.
                                                   2005     2006     2006p         2005     2006     2006p

Total...........................................    347      350      322           0.3      0.3      0.2

                   INDUSTRY

 Total private..................................    293      275      281            .3       .2       .2
  Natural resources and mining..................      1        4        3            .1       .6       .4
  Construction..................................     15       17       33            .2       .2       .4
  Manufacturing.................................     43       34       30            .3       .2       .2
   Durable goods................................     34       24       19            .4       .3       .2
   Nondurable goods.............................      8       10       11            .2       .2       .2
  Trade, transportation, and utilities..........     63       77       86            .2       .3       .3
   Wholesale trade..............................     20        7        9            .4       .1       .2
   Retail trade.................................     34       52       61            .2       .3       .4
   Transportation, warehousing, and utilities...      9       17       16            .2       .4       .3
  Information...................................      9       11        7            .3       .4       .2
  Financial activities..........................     10       18       21            .1       .2       .2
   Finance and insurance........................      9       14       18            .2       .2       .3
   Real estate and rental and leasing...........      1        5        2            .1       .2       .1
  Professional and business services............     86       36       40            .5       .2       .2
  Education and health services.................     31       35       28            .2       .2       .2
   Educational services.........................      3        4        7            .1       .1       .3
   Health care and social assistance............     28       32       21            .2       .2       .1
  Leisure and hospitality.......................     20       29       18            .2       .2       .1
   Arts, entertainment, and recreation..........      2        2        4            .1       .1       .2
   Accommodations and food services.............     18       27       15            .2       .2       .1
  Other services................................     15       14       16            .3       .3       .3

 Government.....................................     54       75       40            .2       .4       .2
  Federal.......................................     19       18        6            .7       .7       .2
  State and local...............................     35       57       34            .2       .3       .2

                    REGION (3)

  Northeast.....................................     37       52       66            .1       .2       .3
  South.........................................    105      123      101            .2       .3       .2
  Midwest.......................................    105       81       76            .3       .3       .2
  West..........................................    100       95       78            .3       .3       .3

  1 Other separations are the number of other separations during the entire month.
  2 The other separations rate is the number of other separations during the entire month as a percent of
total employment.
  3 See footnote 5, table 1.
  p = preliminary.