1

Technical information: (202) 691-5870

 http://www.bls.gov/jlt/

Media contact: 691-5902

USDL 06-457

For release: 10:00 A.M. EST

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: JANUARY 2006

The job openings, hires, and total separations rates were all unchanged in January, the Bureau of Labor

Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This release includes estimates of the number and

Job Openings

On the last business day of January 2006, there were 3.9 million job openings in the United States, and

the job openings rate was 2.8 percent. (See table 1.) The job openings rate was unchanged in January but

has generally trended upward since September 2003. In January, the job openings rate fell in construction.

Rates did not change significantly in any geographic region.

Revisions to Monthly JOLTS Data and First Publication of Annual Data

The job openings, hires, and separations data in this release have been revised to incor-

 porate annual updates to the Current Employment Statistics employment estimates and the

JOLTS seasonal adjustment factors. See page 4 for more information.

With this release, annual rates and levels for hires and separations from the JOLTS program are published for the first time. Data for the years 2001 through 2005 are presented in

tables 11 through 20. See page 3 for more information.

rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector by industry and geographic region.

The annual turnover, or separations, rate rose to 41 percent in 2005, up from 37 percent in 2003.

Chart 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted,

 February 2003 - January 2006

1.5

1.7

1.9

2.1

2.3

2.5

2.7

2.9

3.1

3.3

3.5

3.7

3.9

Percent

2004 2005 2006

Chart 2. Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted,

 February 2003 - January 2006

2.5

2.7

2.9

3.1

3.3

3.5

3.7

3.9

Percent

Separations

Hires

2004 2005 2006
2

Total............................................................ 3,916 4,694 4,768 4,540 4,359 4,304

 Total private ........................................ 3,486 4,499 4,397 4,439 4,276 4,067

Construction ................................... 132 170 387 426 356 465 348 365

Manufacturing ................................ 263 313 310 307 371 371 355 347

Trade, transportation, and

utilities ........................................... 547 661 661 1,092 1,011 1,151 964 1,027 890

Professional and business

services ......................................... 610 750 788 883 849 903 809 735 845

Education and health services .... 574 618 604 470 467 440 362 400 357

Leisure and hospitality ................. 435 522 534 851 853 776 831 843 834

Government .......................................... 373 435 432 341 293 330 256 270 311

Total 1......................................................... 2.5 2.8 2.8 3.7 3.5 3.5 3.4 3.2 3.2

Total private 1....................................... 2.6 3.0 3.0 4.1 3.9 3.9 3.9 3.6 3.5

Construction ................................... 1.8 2.2 1.7 5.4 5.8 4.8 6.5 4.7 4.9

Manufacturing ................................ 1.8 2.2 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.6 2.6 2.5 2.4

Trade, transportation, and

utilities ........................................... 2.1 2.5 2.5 4.2 3.9 4.4 3.7 3.9 3.4

Professional and business

services ......................................... 3.5 4.2 4.4 5.3 5.0 5.3 4.9 4.3 4.9

Education and health services .... 3.2 3.4 3.3 2.7 2.7 2.5 2.1 2.3 2.0

Leisure and hospitality ................. 3.3 3.9 4.0 6.7 6.6 6.0 6.6 6.5 6.5

Government .......................................... 1.7 2.0 1.9 1.6 1.3 1.5 1.2 1.2 1.4

 Job openings

Industry

Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally adjusted

Hires Total separations

Jan. Dec. Jan. Jan. Dec. Jan. Jan. Dec. Jan.

2005 2006 2005 2005 2006 2005 2005 2006

Levels (in thousands)

Rates (percent)

 1 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.

 p = preliminary.

 NOTE: Data have been revised to incorporate the annual updates to the Current Employment Statistics employment estimates and the JOLTS seasonal adjustment factors. See the note on page 4 for more information.

2005

4,840

2,968

3,339

3,509 3,998

129

300

1

1

p p p

Hires and Separations

The hires rate was unchanged at 3.5 percent in January. (See table 2.) Hires are any additions to the

payroll during the month. Over the month, the hires rate increased in manufacturing; trade, transportation,

and utilities; and government. The hires rate did not change significantly in any region.

The total separations, or turnover, rate was unchanged at 3.2 percent in January. (See table 3.) Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any time during the month. In January, the total separations rate decreased in the trade, transportation, and utilities industry but increased in professional and

business services and in government. The total separations rate did not change significantly in any region.

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 little changed at 2.0 percent in January. (See table 4.) The quits rate fell in the

trade, transportation, and utilities industry but increased in the professional and business services industry.

The quits rate rose in the Midwest.

3,941
3

The other two components of total separations—layoffs and discharges, and other separations—are not

seasonally adjusted. From January 2005 to January 2006, the layoffs and discharges rate fell to 1.2 percent,

and the other separations rate rose to 0.3 percent. (See tables 9 and 10.)

Hires and separations data help show dynamic flows in the labor market. Over the last 12 months, hires

have averaged 4.8 million per month and separations have averaged 4.5 million per month (not seasonally

adjusted). The comparable figures a year earlier were 4.6 million hires and 4.4 million separations. (See the

Technical Note for additional information on these measures.)

Annual Levels and Rates

This release begins the publication of JOLTS annual rates and levels for hires, total separations, quits,

layoffs and discharges, and other separations. (See tables 11 through 20.) These data series were developed in response to numerous requests by data users. Note that annual figures for job openings are not

calculated because job openings are measured on a stock, or point-in-time, basis rather than on a flow basis

over a specified time period. This first release includes annual data for the years 2001 through 2005. The

annual figures and additional tables will be published with the release of January data each year. (See the

Technical Note for additional information on these measures.)

Calculating annual levels and rates allows additional comparisons across years. In 2005, annual hires

rose for the second year in a row, reaching 57 million after weaker hiring in 2002 and 2003. (See table 11.)

Total separations rose to 55 million in 2005, yielding an annual turnover rate of 41 percent. (See tables 13

and 14.) (The annual turnover rate is the number of total separations during the entire year as a percent of

annual average employment.) The number of quits increased notably for the second year in a row, reaching

31 million in 2005, while the quits rate rose to 23 percent for the first time since 2001. (See tables 15 and

16.) In contrast, the levels of layoffs and discharges were relatively flat over the past several years at

around 20 million per year, as was the level of other separations at about 3.7 million per year. (See tables

17 and 19.) The corresponding rates for these measures also have shown little change since 2001. (See

tables 18 and 20.)

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 February 2006 is scheduled to be issued on Tuesday,

April 11, 2006.
4

In accordance with annual practice, the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) data have

been revised to reflect annual updates to the Current Employment Statistics (CES), or establishment survey,

employment estimates. The JOLTS employment levels (not published) are ratio-adjusted to the CES

employment levels, and the resulting ratios are applied to all JOLTS data elements. This annual benchmark

process resulted in revisions to all not seasonally adjusted JOLTS data series from April 2004 forward, the

time period since the last benchmark was established. Additionally, the seasonally adjusted JOLTS data

series have been recalculated from December 2000 forward to reflect updated seasonal adjustment factors.

Table B presents revisions to seasonally adjusted job openings data for April 2004 forward, while table

C presents revisions to hires data, table D presents revisions to total separations data, and table E presents

revisions to quits data. All revised historical seasonally adjusted and not seasonally adjusted JOLTS data

can be accessed through the JOLTS homepage at http://www.bls.gov/jlt/.

Further information on the revisions released today may be obtained by calling 202-691-5870 or via the

Internet on the JOLTS homepage.

Revisions to Job Openings and Labor Turnover Data

Table B. Revisions in job openings data, seasonally adjusted, April 2004 - December 2005

Levels (in thousands) Rates (percent)

As

previously

 published

As revised Difference

As

previously

 published

As revised Difference

2004

April................................. 3,111 3,151 40 2.3 2.3 0.0

May................................. 3,181 3,159 -22 2.4 2.3 -.1

June................................ 3,140 3,160 20 2.3 2.3 .0

July.................................. 3,231 3,276 45 2.4 2.4 .0

August............................. 3,206 3,277 71 2.4 2.4 .0

September........................ 3,265 3,326 61 2.4 2.5 .1

October............................ 3,300 3,370 70 2.4 2.5 .1

November......................... 3,277 3,262 -15 2.4 2.4 .0

December......................... 3,507 3,405 -102 2.6 2.5 -.1

2005

January............................ 3,385 3,339 -46 2.5 2.5 .0

February........................... 3,569 3,494 -75 2.6 2.6 .0

March............................... 3,598 3,658 60 2.6 2.7 .1

April................................. 3,576 3,589 13 2.6 2.6 .0

May................................. 3,416 3,364 -52 2.5 2.5 .0

June................................ 3,647 3,598 -49 2.7 2.6 -.1

July.................................. 3,588 3,580 -8 2.6 2.6 .0

August............................. 3,487 3,697 210 2.5 2.7 .2

September......................... 3,836 3,728 -108 2.8 2.7 -.1

October............................ 3,937 3,867 -70 2.9 2.8 -.1

November.......................... 3,927 4,031 104 2.8 2.9 .1

December......................... 4,050 3,941 -109 2.9 2.8 -.1

Year and month
5

Table C. Revisions in hires data, seasonally adjusted, April 2004 - December 2005

Levels (in thousands) Rates (percent)

As

previously

 published

As revised Difference

As

previously

 published

As revised Difference

2004

April.............................. 4,509 4,553 44 3.4 3.5 0.1

May.............................. 4,339 4,436 97 3.3 3.4 .1

June.............................. 4,492 4,600 108 3.4 3.5 .1

July.............................. 4,297 4,371 74 3.3 3.3 .0

August........................... 4,504 4,591 87 3.4 3.5 .1

September........................ 4,406 4,498 92 3.3 3.4 .1

October........................... 4,552 4,622 70 3.4 3.5 .1

November........................ 4,990 5,021 31 3.8 3.8 .0

December........................ 4,639 4,796 157 3.5 3.6 .1

2005

January........................... 4,709 4,840 131 3.6 3.7 .1

February........................ 4,760 4,832 72 3.6 3.6 .0

March........................... 4,841 4,902 61 3.6 3.7 .1

April.............................. 4,538 4,574 36 3.4 3.4 .0

May.............................. 4,740 4,778 38 3.6 3.6 .0

June.............................. 4,694 4,807 113 3.5 3.6 .1

July.............................. 4,649 4,727 78 3.5 3.5 .0

August........................... 4,601 4,824 223 3.4 3.6 .2

September........................ 4,719 4,748 29 3.5 3.5 .0

October........................... 4,650 4,822 172 3.5 3.6 .1

November........................ 4,641 4,813 172 3.5 3.6 .1

December........................ 4,507 4,694 187 3.4 3.5 .1

Year and month
6

Table D. Revisions in total separations data, seasonally adjusted, April 2004 - December 2005

Levels (in thousands) Rates (percent)

As

previously

 published

As revised Difference

As

previously

 published

As revised Difference

2004

April.............................. 4,334 4,370 36 3.3 3.3 0.0

May.............................. 4,254 4,272 18 3.2 3.3 .1

June.............................. 4,235 4,324 89 3.2 3.3 .1

July.............................. 4,190 4,291 101 3.2 3.3 .1

August........................... 4,271 4,337 66 3.2 3.3 .1

September........................ 4,214 4,375 161 3.2 3.3 .1

October........................... 4,215 4,420 205 3.2 3.3 .1

November........................ 4,266 4,323 57 3.2 3.3 .1

December........................ 4,435 4,590 155 3.3 3.5 .2

2005

January........................... 4,352 4,540 188 3.3 3.4 .1

February........................ 4,295 4,481 186 3.2 3.4 .2

March........................... 4,502 4,610 108 3.4 3.5 .1

April.............................. 4,562 4,614 52 3.4 3.5 .1

May.............................. 4,504 4,543 39 3.4 3.4 .0

June.............................. 4,477 4,590 113 3.4 3.4 .0

July.............................. 4,270 4,464 194 3.2 3.3 .1

August........................... 4,499 4,633 134 3.4 3.5 .1

September........................ 4,779 4,798 19 3.6 3.6 .0

October........................... 4,331 4,359 28 3.2 3.3 .1

November........................ 4,315 4,476 161 3.2 3.3 .1

December........................ 4,133 4,359 226 3.1 3.2 .1

Year and month
7

Table E. Revisions in quits data, seasonally adjusted, April 2004 - December 2005

Levels (in thousands) Rates (percent)

As

previously

 published

As revised Difference

As

previously

 published

As revised Difference

2004

April.............................. 2,302 2,323 21 1.8 1.8 0.0

May.............................. 2,276 2,277 1 1.7 1.7 .0

June.............................. 2,330 2,386 56 1.8 1.8 .0

July.............................. 2,340 2,414 74 1.8 1.8 .0

August........................... 2,288 2,307 19 1.7 1.8 .1

September........................ 2,291 2,298 7 1.7 1.7 .0

October........................... 2,344 2,415 71 1.8 1.8 .0

November........................ 2,436 2,418 -18 1.8 1.8 .0

December........................ 2,495 2,517 22 1.9 1.9 .0

2005

January........................... 2,530 2,554 24 1.9 1.9 .0

February........................ 2,307 2,325 18 1.7 1.8 .1

March........................... 2,516 2,552 36 1.9 1.9 .0

April.............................. 2,520 2,586 66 1.9 1.9 .0

May.............................. 2,514 2,534 20 1.9 1.9 .0

June.............................. 2,475 2,541 66 1.9 1.9 .0

July.............................. 2,474 2,511 37 1.8 1.9 .1

August........................... 2,605 2,651 46 1.9 2.0 .1

September........................ 2,778 2,681 -97 2.1 2.0 -.1

October........................... 2,578 2,619 41 1.9 2.0 .1

November........................ 2,587 2,683 96 1.9 2.0 .1

December........................ 2,470 2,567 97 1.8 1.9 .1

Year and month
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

characteristics resulting from the verification process are

always introduced into the JOLTS sampling frame with the data

reported for the first month of the year.

Employment. Employment includes persons on the payroll

who worked or received 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 temporary help agencies, employee

leasing companies, outside contractors, and consultants are

counted by their employer of record, not by the establishment

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 position, 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 newspapers 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.

Hires. Hires are the total number of additions to the payroll

occurring at any time during the reference month, including

both new and rehired employees, full-time and part-time,

permanent, short-term, and seasonal employees, 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 (except for retirements,

which are reported as other separations). Layoffs and

discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the

employer 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 retirements, 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, dividing 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 annual level by the

Current Employment Statistics (CES) annual average

employment level, and multiplying that quotient by 100. This

figure will be approximately 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 estimates

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.

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 relatively 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 supplemental

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

comparable with estimates for March 2002 and later.

The federal government reorganization that involved

transferring approximately 180,000 employees to the new

Department of Homeland Security is not reflected in the JOLTS

hires and separations estimates for the federal government.

The Office of Personnel Management’s record shows these

transfers were completed in March 2003. The inclusion of

transfers in the JOLTS definitions of hires and separations is

intended to cover ongoing movements of workers between

establishments. The Department of Homeland Security

reorganization was a massive one-time event, and the inclusion

of these intergovernmental 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 adjustment methodology is used in which new

seasonal adjustment factors are calculated each month, using

all relevant data, up to and including the data for the current

month.

Data users should note that seasonal adjustment of the

JOLTS series is conducted with fewer data observations than

is customary. The historical data, therefore, may be subject to

larger than normal revisions. Since the seasonal patterns in

economic data series typically emerge over time, the standard

use of moving averages as seasonal filters to capture these

effects requires longer series than are currently available. As

a result, the stable seasonal filter option is used in the seasonal

adjustment of the JOLTS data. When calculating seasonal

factors, this filter takes an average for each calendar 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 segment 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 explain 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 includes 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 practices. 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 levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Jan. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Jan. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan.

2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2006p 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2006p

Total4......................................................... 3,339 3,697 3,728 3,867 4,031 3,941 3,916 2.5 2.7 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.8 2.8

INDUSTRY

Total private4

............................................. 2,968 3,239 3,285 3,460 3,604 3,509 3,486 2.6 2.8 2.8 3.0 3.1 3.0 3.0

Construction.......................................... 132 133 152 148 146 170 129 1.8 1.8 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.2 1.7

Manufacturing....................................... 263 256 285 297 333 313 300 1.8 1.8 2.0 2.1 2.3 2.2 2.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities............... 547 637 629 654 696 661 661 2.1 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.5 2.5

Professional and business services............ 610 687 671 723 782 750 788 3.5 3.9 3.8 4.1 4.4 4.2 4.4

Education and health services.................. 574 620 630 613 601 618 604 3.2 3.4 3.5 3.4 3.3 3.4 3.3

Leisure and hospitality.............................. 435 426 431 498 519 522 534 3.3 3.2 3.3 3.7 3.9 3.9 4.0

Government............................................. 373 459 443 416 434 435 432 1.7 2.1 2.0 1.9 1.9 2.0 1.9

REGION 5

Northeast............................................. 573 617 661 704 704 718 728 2.2 2.4 2.6 2.7 2.7 2.8 2.8

South................................................... 1,301 1,442 1,451 1,515 1,562 1,612 1,539 2.7 2.9 2.9 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.1

Midwest................................................ 710 724 760 762 748 738 748 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.3

West...................................................... 744 925 890 873 1,046 919 886 2.5 3.0 2.9 2.9 3.4 3.0 2.9

1

 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, 

of the month. North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia,

 2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business and West Virginia; Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan,

day of the month as a percent of total employment plus job openings. Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota,

 3

 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii,

seasonal adjustment of the various series. Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington,

 4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and Wyoming.

and other services, not shown separately. p

 = preliminary.

 5 The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise NOTE: Data have been revised to incorporate the annual updates to the Current 

the regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Employment Statistics employment estimates and the JOLTS seasonal 

New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and adjustment factors.

Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, 

Table 2. Hires levels1 and rates2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Jan. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Jan. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan.

2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2006p 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2006p

Total4......................................................... 4,840 4,824 4,748 4,822 4,813 4,694 4,768 3.7 3.6 3.5 3.6 3.6 3.5 3.5

INDUSTRY

Total private4

............................................. 4,499 4,489 4,418 4,488 4,498 4,397 4,439 4.1 4.0 3.9 4.0 4.0 3.9 3.9

Construction.......................................... 387 446 436 430 393 426 356 5.4 6.1 6.0 5.9 5.3 5.8 4.8

Manufacturing....................................... 310 346 346 449 335 307 371 2.2 2.4 2.4 3.2 2.4 2.2 2.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities............... 1,092 1,043 983 967 954 1,011 1,151 4.2 4.0 3.8 3.7 3.7 3.9 4.4

Professional and business services............ 883 900 904 849 907 849 903 5.3 5.3 5.3 5.0 5.3 5.0 5.3

Education and health services.................. 470 468 468 460 459 467 440 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.6 2.6 2.7 2.5

Leisure and hospitality.............................. 851 818 836 859 895 853 776 6.7 6.4 6.5 6.7 6.9 6.6 6.0

Government............................................. 341 342 314 319 314 293 330 1.6 1.6 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.5

REGION 5

Northeast............................................. 765 805 796 744 747 698 730 3.1 3.2 3.2 2.9 3.0 2.8 2.9

South................................................... 1,857 1,870 1,842 1,886 1,813 1,817 1,903 3.9 3.9 3.9 3.9 3.8 3.8 4.0

Midwest................................................ 1,160 955 965 1,017 1,031 1,038 1,004 3.8 3.1 3.1 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.2

West......................................................1,026 1,186 1,139 1,154 1,188 1,127 1,092 3.5 4.0 3.8 3.9 4.0 3.8 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.

 NOTE: Data have been revised to incorporate the annual updates to the Current Employment Statistics 

employment estimates and the JOLTS seasonal adjustment factors.

Levels Rates 3 (in thousands)

Levels3

 (in thousands) Rates
Table 3. Total separations levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Jan. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Jan. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan.

2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2006p 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2006p

Total4...................................................... 4,540 4,633 4,798 4,359 4,476 4,359 4,304 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.2

INDUSTRY

Total private4

.......................................... 4,276 4,377 4,503 4,103 4,205 4,067 3,998 3.9 3.9 4.0 3.7 3.7 3.6 3.5

Construction....................................... 465 454 423 392 371 348 365 6.5 6.2 5.8 5.3 5.0 4.7 4.9

Manufacturing....................................... 371 392 437 340 388 355 347 2.6 2.8 3.1 2.4 2.7 2.5 2.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities............ 964 1,036 1,000 935 1,003 1,027 890 3.7 4.0 3.9 3.6 3.9 3.9 3.4

Professional and business services......... 809 754 856 757 753 735 845 4.9 4.5 5.0 4.5 4.4 4.3 4.9

Education and health services.................. 362 434 433 404 418 400 357 2.1 2.5 2.5 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.0

Leisure and hospitality........................... 831 815 871 798 834 843 834 6.6 6.3 6.8 6.2 6.5 6.5 6.5

Government............................................. 256 265 302 255 270 270 311 1.2 1.2 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.4

REGION 5

Northeast............................................. 799 772 797 657 619 685 714 3.2 3.1 3.2 2.6 2.4 2.7 2.8

South................................................ 1,759 1,692 1,779 1,710 1,711 1,759 1,656 3.7 3.5 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.7 3.4

Midwest............................................. 1,040 1,053 1,065 961 1,081 934 986 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.1 3.5 3.0 3.1

West...................................................1,006 1,140 1,127 1,012 1,004 997 1,007 3.4 3.9 3.8 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.4

 1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month.

 2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of total employment.

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.

 NOTE: Data have been revised to incorporate the annual updates to the Current Employment Statistics 

employment estimates and the JOLTS seasonal adjustment factors.

Table 4. Quits levels1 and rates2 by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Jan. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Jan. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan.

2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2006p 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2006p

Total4...................................................... 2,554 2,651 2,681 2,619 2,683 2,567 2,628 1.9 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.9 2.0

INDUSTRY

Total private4

.......................................... 2,429 2,517 2,529 2,470 2,540 2,428 2,484 2.2 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.3 2.2 2.2

Construction....................................... 172 208 210 205 183 189 185 2.4 2.8 2.9 2.8 2.5 2.6 2.5

Manufacturing....................................... 183 186 213 200 210 184 193 1.3 1.3 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.3 1.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities............ 599 640 566 573 606 634 563 2.3 2.5 2.2 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.2

Professional and business services......... 398 387 448 345 359 365 452 2.4 2.3 2.6 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.6

Education and health services.................. 243 275 283 258 277 254 238 1.4 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.6 1.4 1.4

Leisure and hospitality........................... 511 543 557 597 595 558 575 4.0 4.2 4.3 4.6 4.6 4.3 4.4

Government............................................. 127 132 154 142 142 139 147 .6 .6 .7 .6 .6 .6 .7

REGION 5

Northeast............................................. 421 410 361 341 333 390 381 1.7 1.6 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.5 1.5

South................................................ 1,055 1,094 1,125 1,109 1,102 1,069 1,078 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.2

Midwest............................................. 543 544 574 552 572 481 593 1.8 1.7 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.5 1.9

West................................................... 552 611 627 601 657 618 589 1.9 2.1 2.1 2.0 2.2 2.1 2.0

 1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month.

 2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment.

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.

 NOTE: Data have been revised to incorporate the annual updates to the Current Employment Statistics 

employment estimates and the JOLTS seasonal adjustment factors.

Levels3 (in thousands) Rates

Levels3

 (in thousands) Rates
Table 5. Job openings levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Jan. Dec. Jan. Jan. Dec. Jan.

2005 2005 2006p 2005 2005 2006p

Total.................................................................. 3,088 3,444 3,622 2.3 2.5 2.7

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 2,741 3,042 3,220 2.5 2.6 2.8

Natural resources and mining........................... 10 9 9 1.7 1.4 1.4

Construction................................................... 108 122 106 1.6 1.6 1.5

Manufacturing................................................ 249 265 284 1.7 1.8 2.0

Durable goods............................................. 171 184 204 1.9 2.0 2.2

Nondurable goods....................................... 77 82 81 1.5 1.5 1.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 466 519 563 1.8 1.9 2.1

Wholesale trade.......................................... 103 104 99 1.8 1.8 1.7

Retail trade................................................ 278 315 353 1.8 1.9 2.3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 85 100 111 1.7 2.0 2.2

Information................................................... 85 95 114 2.7 3.0 3.6

Financial activities............................................ 198 291 287 2.4 3.4 3.4

Finance and insurance................................. 170 235 217 2.8 3.7 3.5

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 28 56 70 1.3 2.6 3.2

Professional and business services..................... 561 673 726 3.3 3.8 4.2

Education and health services........................... 547 580 574 3.1 3.2 3.2

Educational services.................................... 45 63 57 1.6 2.1 2.0

Health care and social assistance.................. 501 517 517 3.4 3.4 3.4

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 393 407 483 3.2 3.1 3.8

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 56 34 53 3.3 1.9 3.0

Accommodations and food services............... 336 373 430 3.1 3.3 3.9

Other services................................................ 125 80 74 2.3 1.5 1.4

Government...................................................... 347 401 402 1.6 1.8 1.8

Federal......................................................... 33 40 41 1.2 1.4 1.5

State and local.............................................. 314 362 362 1.6 1.8 1.9

REGION 3

Northeast...................................................... 513 588 652 2.0 2.3 2.5

South............................................................ 1,243 1,405 1,471 2.6 2.8 3.0

Midwest......................................................... 640 634 674 2.1 2.0 2.1

West............................................................ 692 816 824 2.3 2.7 2.7

1

 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day of the month.

 2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business day of the month as a percent of total employment plus job openings.

3 See footnote 5, table 1.

 p = preliminary.

 NOTE: Data have been revised to incorporate the annual updates to the Current Employment Statistics employment estimates. 

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 6. Hires levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Jan. Dec. Jan. Jan. Dec. Jan.

2005 2005 2006p 2005 2005 2006p

Total.................................................................. 4,095 3,479 4,034 3.1 2.6 3.0

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 3,787 3,285 3,736 3.5 2.9 3.4

Natural resources and mining........................... 24 14 13 4.0 2.2 2.0

Construction................................................... 300 259 276 4.5 3.6 3.9

Manufacturing................................................ 312 211 372 2.2 1.5 2.6

Durable goods............................................. 216 126 213 2.4 1.4 2.4

Nondurable goods....................................... 96 84 159 1.8 1.6 3.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 797 834 840 3.1 3.1 3.3

Wholesale trade.......................................... 151 93 97 2.7 1.6 1.7

Retail trade................................................ 462 555 530 3.1 3.5 3.5

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 184 186 214 3.8 3.8 4.4

Information................................................... 58 61 62 1.9 2.0 2.0

Financial activities............................................ 196 135 174 2.4 1.6 2.1

Finance and insurance................................. 128 97 128 2.1 1.6 2.1

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 68 38 47 3.3 1.8 2.2

Professional and business services..................... 830 660 850 5.1 3.9 5.1

Education and health services........................... 434 340 406 2.5 1.9 2.3

Educational services.................................... 52 43 58 1.9 1.5 2.1

Health care and social assistance.................. 382 297 348 2.7 2.0 2.4

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 637 636 581 5.3 5.1 4.7

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 116 72 68 7.1 4.1 4.1

Accommodations and food services............... 521 564 513 5.0 5.2 4.8

Other services................................................ 199 134 162 3.7 2.5 3.0

Government...................................................... 308 195 297 1.4 .9 1.4

Federal......................................................... 34 34 45 1.2 1.3 1.7

State and local.............................................. 274 161 252 1.5 .8 1.3

REGION 3

Northeast...................................................... 603 487 575 2.5 1.9 2.3

South............................................................ 1,659 1,370 1,700 3.6 2.8 3.6

Midwest......................................................... 967 723 836 3.2 2.3 2.7

West............................................................ 866 899 922 3.0 3.0 3.1

 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 5, table 1.

 p = preliminary.

 NOTE: Data have been revised to incorporate the annual updates to the Current Employment Statistics employment estimates. 

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 7. Total separations levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Jan. Dec. Jan. Jan. Dec. Jan.

2005 2005 2006p 2005 2005 2006p

Total.................................................................. 4,492 4,140 4,259 3.4 3.1 3.2

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 4,281 3,910 4,002 3.9 3.5 3.6

Natural resources and mining........................... 24 16 15 4.1 2.5 2.4

Construction................................................... 485 387 381 7.3 5.3 5.4

Manufacturing................................................ 362 318 339 2.6 2.2 2.4

Durable goods............................................. 231 195 181 2.6 2.2 2.0

Nondurable goods....................................... 131 123 157 2.5 2.3 3.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 1,082 1,117 1,000 4.2 4.2 3.9

Wholesale trade.......................................... 119 133 93 2.1 2.3 1.6

Retail trade................................................ 827 745 769 5.5 4.7 5.1

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 136 239 137 2.8 4.8 2.8

Information................................................... 75 62 82 2.5 2.0 2.7

Financial activities............................................ 217 164 173 2.7 2.0 2.1

Finance and insurance................................. 128 104 113 2.2 1.7 1.9

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 88 60 60 4.3 2.8 2.8

Professional and business services..................... 764 700 798 4.7 4.1 4.8

Education and health services........................... 353 346 348 2.1 2.0 2.0

Educational services.................................... 39 45 36 1.4 1.5 1.3

Health care and social assistance.................. 314 300 312 2.2 2.0 2.1

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 734 691 736 6.1 5.5 6.0

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 72 99 66 4.4 5.7 3.9

Accommodations and food services............... 662 592 671 6.3 5.5 6.3

Other services................................................ 184 109 131 3.5 2.0 2.5

Government...................................................... 211 230 257 1.0 1.0 1.2

Federal......................................................... 37 43 59 1.4 1.6 2.2

State and local.............................................. 174 187 198 .9 1.0 1.0

REGION 3

Northeast...................................................... 766 694 685 3.1 2.7 2.7

South............................................................ 1,683 1,607 1,584 3.6 3.3 3.3

Midwest......................................................... 1,032 895 977 3.4 2.8 3.2

West............................................................ 1,012 944 1,013 3.5 3.2 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 5, table 1.

 p = preliminary.

 NOTE: Data have been revised to incorporate the annual updates to the Current Employment Statistics employment estimates.

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 8. Quits levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Jan. Dec. Jan. Jan. Dec. Jan.

2005 2005 2006p 2005 2005 2006p

Total.................................................................. 2,262 2,111 2,328 1.7 1.6 1.8

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 2,155 2,004 2,204 2.0 1.8 2.0

Natural resources and mining........................... 9 6 9 1.6 .9 1.4

Construction................................................... 134 150 148 2.0 2.1 2.1

Manufacturing................................................ 156 129 165 1.1 .9 1.2

Durable goods............................................. 95 80 98 1.1 .9 1.1

Nondurable goods....................................... 61 49 67 1.2 .9 1.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 558 564 524 2.2 2.1 2.0

Wholesale trade.......................................... 65 56 52 1.2 1.0 .9

Retail trade................................................ 421 423 407 2.8 2.7 2.7

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 71 85 65 1.5 1.7 1.3

Information................................................... 45 37 57 1.5 1.2 1.9

Financial activities............................................ 112 91 96 1.4 1.1 1.2

Finance and insurance................................. 64 61 72 1.1 1.0 1.2

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 47 30 24 2.3 1.4 1.1

Professional and business services..................... 353 301 401 2.2 1.8 2.4

Education and health services........................... 224 222 220 1.3 1.3 1.3

Educational services.................................... 22 21 21 .8 .7 .8

Health care and social assistance.................. 202 201 198 1.4 1.4 1.3

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 454 441 510 3.8 3.5 4.1

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 28 39 33 1.7 2.2 1.9

Accommodations and food services............... 426 402 478 4.1 3.7 4.5

Other services................................................ 109 63 75 2.0 1.2 1.4

Government...................................................... 107 108 123 .5 .5 .6

Federal......................................................... 12 16 24 .5 .6 .9

State and local.............................................. 95 91 100 .5 .5 .5

REGION 3

Northeast...................................................... 352 315 319 1.4 1.2 1.3

South............................................................ 931 873 951 2.0 1.8 2.0

Midwest......................................................... 484 402 529 1.6 1.3 1.7

West............................................................ 495 523 528 1.7 1.7 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 See footnote 5, table 1.

 p = preliminary.

 NOTE: Data have been revised to incorporate the annual updates to the Current Employment Statistics employment estimates. 

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 9. Layoffs and discharges levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Jan. Dec. Jan. Jan. Dec. Jan.

2005 2005 2006p 2005 2005 2006p

Total.................................................................. 1,908 1,674 1,549 1.5 1.2 1.2

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 1,857 1,600 1,477 1.7 1.4 1.3

Natural resources and mining........................... 8 8 4 1.3 1.2 .6

Construction................................................... 340 226 215 5.1 3.1 3.1

Manufacturing................................................ 174 147 140 1.2 1.0 1.0

Durable goods............................................. 115 83 65 1.3 .9 .7

Nondurable goods....................................... 59 64 75 1.1 1.2 1.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 462 474 400 1.8 1.8 1.5

Wholesale trade.......................................... 44 71 34 .8 1.2 .6

Retail trade................................................ 367 274 318 2.4 1.7 2.1

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 50 129 49 1.0 2.6 1.0

Information................................................... 26 14 10 .9 .4 .3

Financial activities............................................ 81 53 62 1.0 .6 .8

Finance and insurance................................. 44 25 35 .7 .4 .6

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 37 28 27 1.8 1.3 1.3

Professional and business services..................... 360 352 285 2.2 2.1 1.7

Education and health services........................... 102 92 106 .6 .5 .6

Educational services.................................... 13 22 12 .5 .8 .4

Health care and social assistance.................. 89 70 94 .6 .5 .6

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 236 195 205 2.0 1.6 1.7

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 40 57 30 2.5 3.3 1.8

Accommodations and food services............... 195 138 175 1.9 1.3 1.6

Other services................................................ 68 39 50 1.3 .7 .9

Government...................................................... 52 75 73 .2 .3 .3

Federal......................................................... 7 19 11 .3 .7 .4

State and local.............................................. 45 56 62 .2 .3 .3

REGION 3

Northeast...................................................... 358 331 297 1.5 1.3 1.2

South............................................................ 656 613 514 1.4 1.3 1.1

Midwest......................................................... 467 407 330 1.5 1.3 1.1

West............................................................ 428 323 408 1.5 1.1 1.4

 1 Layoffs and discharges are the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire month.

 2 The layoffs and discharges rate is the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire month as a percent of total employment.

3 See footnote 5, table 1.

 p = preliminary.

 NOTE: Data have been revised to incorporate the annual updates to the Current Employment Statistics employment estimates. 

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 10. Other separations levels1

 and rates2 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

Industry and region Jan. Dec. Jan. Jan. Dec. Jan.

2005 2005 2006p 2005 2005 2006p

Total.................................................................. 322 355 382 .2 .3 .3

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 269 307 321 .2 .3 .3

Natural resources and mining........................... 7 2 2 1.1 .3 .4

Construction................................................... 10 11 18 .1 .1 .3

Manufacturing................................................ 32 42 34 .2 .3 .2

Durable goods............................................. 21 32 19 .2 .4 .2

Nondurable goods....................................... 11 10 15 .2 .2 .3

Trade, transportation, and utilities..................... 63 79 75 .2 .3 .3

Wholesale trade.......................................... 10 6 8 .2 .1 .1

Retail trade................................................ 38 48 45 .3 .3 .3

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities......... 15 25 23 .3 .5 .5

Information................................................... 4 11 15 .1 .4 .5

Financial activities............................................ 24 20 15 .3 .2 .2

Finance and insurance................................. 20 19 6 .3 .3 .1

Real estate and rental and leasing.................. 4 2 9 .2 .1 .4

Professional and business services..................... 50 47 112 .3 .3 .7

Education and health services........................... 27 32 22 .2 .2 .1

Educational services.................................... 4 2 2 .2 .1 .1

Health care and social assistance.................. 23 30 20 .2 .2 .1

Leisure and hospitality.................................... 44 55 21 .4 .4 .2

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 4 3 3 .3 .2 .2

Accommodations and food services............... 40 52 18 .4 .5 .2

Other services................................................ 7 7 6 .1 .1 .1

Government...................................................... 53 48 61 .2 .2 .3

Federal......................................................... 18 9 25 .7 .3 .9

State and local.............................................. 35 39 36 .2 .2 .2

REGION 3

Northeast...................................................... 56 48 69 .2 .2 .3

South............................................................ 96 121 119 .2 .3 .3

Midwest......................................................... 81 87 119 .3 .3 .4

West............................................................ 88 99 76 .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.

 NOTE: Data have been revised to incorporate the annual updates to the Current Employment Statistics employment estimates. 

Levels (in thousands) Rates
Table 11. Annual hires levels1

 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

(In thousands)

Total..................................................................... 54,578 49,718 49,294 54,721 57,353

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 50,401 45,673 45,620 50,858 53,432

Natural resources and mining.............................. 221 219 216 229 273

Construction................................................... 4,501 4,421 4,580 4,677 5,057

Manufacturing................................................... 4,130 4,062 3,861 4,316 4,111

Durable goods................................................ 2,239 2,356 2,389 2,718 2,576

Nondurable goods.......................................... 1,890 1,704 1,470 1,598 1,533

Trade, transportation, and utilities........................ 11,984 10,517 10,389 11,988 12,268

Wholesale trade............................................. 1,711 1,556 1,481 1,702 1,717

Retail trade................................................... 8,621 7,557 7,423 8,392 8,512

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities............ 1,651 1,406 1,489 1,893 2,040

Information...................................................... 967 799 748 792 916

Financial activities............................................ 2,207 2,002 2,031 2,292 2,287

Finance and insurance.................................... 1,444 1,253 1,209 1,354 1,429

Real estate and rental and leasing..................... 763 749 820 939 863

Professional and business services..................... 8,521 7,758 7,842 9,416 10,597

Education and health services.............................. 5,484 5,133 5,164 5,253 5,613

Educational services....................................... 686 587 726 713 723

Health care and social assistance..................... 4,798 4,544 4,439 4,541 4,891

Leisure and hospitality....................................... 10,397 8,868 8,628 9,670 9,906

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 1,543 1,383 1,349 1,495 1,512

Accommodations and food services................. 8,854 7,484 7,281 8,173 8,392

Other services................................................ 1,992 1,899 2,160 2,223 2,402

Government...................................................... 4,177 4,043 3,674 3,863 3,920

Federal......................................................... 513 617 476 464 488

State and local................................................. 3,667 3,426 3,197 3,399 3,433

REGION 2

Northeast......................................................... 9,102 7,900 8,687 9,745 9,501

South............................................................ 20,335 19,079 18,705 20,998 21,937

Midwest......................................................... 13,439 11,561 10,666 11,931 12,474

West............................................................... 11,703 11,179 11,236 12,048 13,441

 1 The annual hires level is the total number of hires during the entire year.

 2 See footnote 5, table 1.

Industry and region 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Table 12. Annual hires rates1

 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

(Percent)

Total..................................................................... 41.4 38.1 37.9 41.6 43.0

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 45.5 42.0 42.1 46.3 47.9

Natural resources and mining.............................. 36.5 37.6 37.8 38.7 43.7

Construction................................................... 65.9 65.8 68.0 67.0 69.5

Manufacturing................................................... 25.1 26.6 26.6 30.2 28.9

Durable goods................................................ 21.7 24.8 26.7 30.5 28.8

Nondurable goods.......................................... 30.9 29.5 26.5 29.6 29.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities........................ 46.1 41.2 41.1 47.0 47.4

Wholesale trade............................................. 29.6 27.5 26.4 30.1 29.9

Retail trade................................................... 56.6 50.3 49.8 55.7 55.8

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities............ 33.2 29.2 31.3 39.3 41.6

Information...................................................... 26.6 23.5 23.5 25.4 29.9

Financial activities............................................ 28.3 25.5 25.5 28.5 28.1

Finance and insurance.................................... 25.0 21.5 20.4 22.8 23.8

Real estate and rental and leasing..................... 37.5 36.9 39.9 45.1 40.5

Professional and business services..................... 51.7 48.6 49.1 57.4 62.8

Education and health services.............................. 35.1 31.7 31.1 31.0 32.4

Educational services....................................... 27.3 22.2 26.9 25.8 25.6

Health care and social assistance..................... 36.5 33.5 32.0 32.0 33.7

Leisure and hospitality....................................... 86.4 74.0 70.9 77.4 77.4

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 84.6 77.6 74.4 80.8 80.0

Accommodations and food services................. 86.7 73.4 70.3 76.8 76.9

Other services................................................ 37.9 35.3 40.0 41.1 44.6

Government...................................................... 19.8 18.8 17.0 17.9 18.0

Federal......................................................... 18.6 22.3 17.2 17.0 17.9

State and local................................................. 20.0 18.3 17.0 18.0 18.0

REGION 2

Northeast......................................................... 36.2 31.7 34.9 39.2 37.8

South............................................................ 43.7 41.4 40.7 44.9 46.0

Midwest......................................................... 42.9 37.4 34.7 38.8 40.1

West............................................................... 40.7 39.3 39.6 41.5 45.5

 1 The annual hires rate is the number of hires during the entire year as a percent of annual average employment.

 2 See footnote 5, table 1.

Industry and region 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Table 13. Annual total separations levels1

 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

(In thousands)

Total..................................................................... 54,556 49,597 48,294 51,779 54,530

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 51,406 46,454 45,136 48,479 51,295

Natural resources and mining.............................. 233 229 218 216 218

Construction................................................... 4,794 4,531 4,555 4,638 4,787

Manufacturing................................................... 6,177 5,121 4,350 4,255 4,502

Durable goods................................................ 3,800 3,148 2,709 2,661 2,875

Nondurable goods.......................................... 2,378 1,972 1,641 1,591 1,627

Trade, transportation, and utilities........................ 12,324 11,108 10,682 11,704 11,956

Wholesale trade............................................. 1,820 1,777 1,647 1,720 1,594

Retail trade................................................... 8,725 7,750 7,378 8,177 8,407

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities............ 1,778 1,584 1,657 1,810 1,953

Information...................................................... 1,181 960 796 927 898

Financial activities............................................ 2,147 2,099 1,899 2,161 2,110

Finance and insurance.................................... 1,369 1,330 1,162 1,339 1,354

Real estate and rental and leasing..................... 776 772 738 824 755

Professional and business services..................... 7,858 7,078 7,362 8,568 9,767

Education and health services.............................. 4,779 4,570 4,500 4,710 4,970

Educational services....................................... 489 566 627 594 641

Health care and social assistance..................... 4,292 4,001 3,874 4,118 4,328

Leisure and hospitality....................................... 9,939 8,737 8,589 9,012 9,705

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 1,370 1,370 1,334 1,493 1,473

Accommodations and food services................. 8,570 7,366 7,257 7,520 8,232

Other services................................................ 1,977 2,024 2,185 2,285 2,380

Government...................................................... 3,150 3,144 3,158 3,298 3,238

Federal......................................................... 403 409 468 414 431

State and local................................................. 2,745 2,734 2,688 2,888 2,807

REGION 2

Northeast......................................................... 9,053 8,136 8,283 9,169 8,969

South............................................................ 19,710 18,752 18,579 19,356 20,677

Midwest......................................................... 13,856 11,307 10,596 11,378 12,239

West............................................................... 11,936 11,403 10,836 11,878 12,649

 1 The annual total separations level is the total number of total separations during the entire year.

 2 See footnote 5, table 1.

Industry and region 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Table 14. Annual total separations rates1

 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

(Percent)

Total..................................................................... 41.4 38.1 37.1 39.4 40.9

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 46.4 42.7 41.6 44.1 45.9

Natural resources and mining.............................. 38.4 39.3 38.1 36.5 34.9

Construction................................................... 70.2 67.5 67.6 66.5 65.8

Manufacturing................................................... 37.6 33.6 30.0 29.7 31.6

Durable goods................................................ 36.8 33.2 30.2 29.8 32.1

Nondurable goods.......................................... 38.9 34.1 29.6 29.5 30.8

Trade, transportation, and utilities........................ 47.4 43.6 42.2 45.8 46.1

Wholesale trade............................................. 31.5 31.4 29.4 30.4 27.7

Retail trade................................................... 57.3 51.6 49.5 54.3 55.1

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities............ 35.8 32.9 34.8 37.6 39.8

Information...................................................... 32.5 28.3 25.0 29.7 29.3

Financial activities............................................ 27.5 26.7 23.8 26.9 25.9

Finance and insurance.................................... 23.7 22.9 19.6 22.5 22.5

Real estate and rental and leasing..................... 38.1 38.0 35.9 39.6 35.5

Professional and business services..................... 47.7 44.3 46.0 52.3 57.9

Education and health services.............................. 30.5 28.2 27.1 27.8 28.7

Educational services....................................... 19.5 21.4 23.3 21.5 22.7

Health care and social assistance..................... 32.7 29.5 27.9 29.0 29.8

Leisure and hospitality....................................... 82.6 72.9 70.6 72.1 75.8

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 75.1 76.8 73.6 80.7 77.9

Accommodations and food services................. 83.9 72.2 70.0 70.7 75.4

Other services................................................ 37.6 37.7 40.5 42.2 44.2

Government...................................................... 14.9 14.6 14.6 15.3 14.9

Federal......................................................... 14.6 14.8 17.0 15.2 15.8

State and local................................................. 15.0 14.6 14.3 15.3 14.7

REGION 2

Northeast......................................................... 36.0 32.6 33.3 36.9 35.7

South............................................................ 42.3 40.7 40.4 41.3 43.4

Midwest......................................................... 44.2 36.6 34.4 37.0 39.3

West............................................................... 41.5 40.1 38.2 41.0 42.8

 1 The annual total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire year as a percent of annual average employment.

 2 See footnote 5, table 1.

Industry and region 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Table 15. Annual quits levels1

 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

(In thousands)

Total..................................................................... 30,817 26,833 24,881 27,939 30,875

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 29,127 25,282 23,452 26,375 29,276

Natural resources and mining.............................. 103 87 83 98 111

Construction................................................... 1,869 1,657 1,563 1,766 2,064

Manufacturing................................................... 2,463 2,142 1,870 2,140 2,264

Durable goods................................................ 1,423 1,271 1,161 1,322 1,400

Nondurable goods.......................................... 1,042 870 712 815 865

Trade, transportation, and utilities........................ 7,499 6,401 5,738 6,581 7,112

Wholesale trade............................................. 979 918 845 881 865

Retail trade................................................... 5,591 4,730 4,229 4,927 5,341

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities............ 929 756 664 772 905

Information...................................................... 682 496 440 499 590

Financial activities............................................ 1,259 1,177 1,103 1,315 1,267

Finance and insurance.................................... 830 767 666 814 850

Real estate and rental and leasing..................... 428 410 436 499 412

Professional and business services..................... 4,293 3,679 3,453 4,085 4,786

Education and health services.............................. 3,184 2,835 2,723 2,933 3,233

Educational services....................................... 282 312 293 304 357

Health care and social assistance..................... 2,905 2,526 2,427 2,630 2,876

Leisure and hospitality....................................... 6,647 5,605 5,309 5,554 6,371

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 609 619 537 505 611

Accommodations and food services................. 6,038 4,989 4,775 5,049 5,761

Other services................................................ 1,128 1,200 1,176 1,402 1,472

Government...................................................... 1,690 1,553 1,428 1,562 1,601

Federal......................................................... 254 209 194 163 183

State and local................................................. 1,436 1,343 1,234 1,397 1,421

REGION 2

Northeast......................................................... 4,929 3,971 3,660 4,104 4,553

South............................................................ 11,783 10,708 10,200 11,304 12,528

Midwest......................................................... 7,727 6,057 5,467 6,034 6,545

West............................................................... 6,380 6,097 5,552 6,495 7,250

 1 The annual quits level is the total number of quits during the entire year.

 2 See footnote 5, table 1.

Industry and region 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Table 16. Annual quits rates1

 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

(Percent)

Total..................................................................... 23.4 20.6 19.1 21.3 23.1

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 26.3 23.2 21.6 24.0 26.2

Natural resources and mining.............................. 17.0 14.9 14.5 16.6 17.8

Construction................................................... 27.4 24.7 23.2 25.3 28.4

Manufacturing................................................... 15.0 14.0 12.9 14.9 15.9

Durable goods................................................ 13.8 13.4 13.0 14.8 15.6

Nondurable goods.......................................... 17.1 15.1 12.8 15.1 16.4

Trade, transportation, and utilities........................ 28.9 25.1 22.7 25.8 27.5

Wholesale trade............................................. 17.0 16.2 15.1 15.6 15.0

Retail trade................................................... 36.7 31.5 28.4 32.7 35.0

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities............ 18.7 15.7 13.9 16.0 18.5

Information...................................................... 18.8 14.6 13.8 16.0 19.2

Financial activities............................................ 16.1 15.0 13.8 16.4 15.6

Finance and insurance.................................... 14.4 13.2 11.2 13.7 14.1

Real estate and rental and leasing..................... 21.0 20.2 21.2 24.0 19.4

Professional and business services..................... 26.1 23.0 21.6 24.9 28.3

Education and health services.............................. 20.4 17.5 16.4 17.3 18.6

Educational services....................................... 11.2 11.8 10.9 11.0 12.7

Health care and social assistance..................... 22.1 18.6 17.5 18.5 19.8

Leisure and hospitality....................................... 55.2 46.8 43.6 44.5 49.8

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 33.4 34.7 29.6 27.3 32.3

Accommodations and food services................. 59.1 48.9 46.1 47.4 52.8

Other services................................................ 21.5 22.3 21.8 25.9 27.3

Government...................................................... 8.0 7.2 6.6 7.2 7.3

Federal......................................................... 9.2 7.6 7.0 6.0 6.7

State and local................................................. 7.8 7.2 6.6 7.4 7.4

REGION 2

Northeast......................................................... 19.6 15.9 14.7 16.5 18.1

South............................................................ 25.3 23.3 22.2 24.1 26.3

Midwest......................................................... 24.7 19.6 17.8 19.6 21.0

West............................................................... 22.2 21.4 19.6 22.4 24.5

 1 The annual quits rate is the number of quits during the entire year as a percent of annual average employment.

 2 See footnote 5, table 1.

Industry and region 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Table 17. Annual layoffs and discharges levels1

 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

(In thousands)

Total..................................................................... 19,954 19,023 19,746 20,153 19,923

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 19,048 18,057 18,628 19,048 18,886

Natural resources and mining.............................. 107 103 95 70 71

Construction................................................... 2,697 2,705 2,827 2,677 2,530

Manufacturing................................................... 3,186 2,555 2,073 1,799 1,780

Durable goods................................................ 1,995 1,600 1,285 1,129 1,128

Nondurable goods.......................................... 1,197 956 788 673 650

Trade, transportation, and utilities........................ 4,147 3,944 4,151 4,315 4,121

Wholesale trade............................................. 727 733 666 706 632

Retail trade................................................... 2,713 2,534 2,691 2,750 2,624

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities............ 706 674 791 860 866

Information...................................................... 415 394 306 360 222

Financial activities............................................ 645 723 576 605 663

Finance and insurance.................................... 347 409 329 321 350

Real estate and rental and leasing..................... 298 313 247 283 315

Professional and business services..................... 3,012 2,771 3,367 3,922 4,315

Education and health services.............................. 1,226 1,369 1,428 1,441 1,407

Educational services....................................... 150 209 285 251 239

Health care and social assistance..................... 1,076 1,161 1,143 1,191 1,166

Leisure and hospitality....................................... 2,924 2,804 2,941 3,116 3,013

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 728 725 771 957 844

Accommodations and food services................. 2,197 2,077 2,173 2,160 2,170

Other services................................................ 685 686 860 740 764

Government...................................................... 907 967 1,120 1,102 1,040

Federal......................................................... 61 117 164 111 120

State and local................................................. 846 849 954 994 919

REGION 2

Northeast......................................................... 3,425 3,447 3,899 4,282 3,787

South............................................................ 6,566 6,726 7,065 6,741 6,893

Midwest......................................................... 5,121 4,394 4,336 4,558 4,787

West............................................................... 4,843 4,455 4,450 4,573 4,458

 1 The annual layoffs and discharges level is the total number of layoffs and discharges during the entire year.

 2 See footnote 5, table 1.

Industry and region 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Table 18. Annual layoffs and discharges rates1

 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

(Percent)

Total..................................................................... 15.1 14.6 15.2 15.3 14.9

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 17.2 16.6 17.2 17.3 16.9

Natural resources and mining.............................. 17.7 17.7 16.6 11.8 11.4

Construction................................................... 39.5 40.3 42.0 38.4 34.8

Manufacturing................................................... 19.4 16.7 14.3 12.6 12.5

Durable goods................................................ 19.3 16.9 14.3 12.7 12.6

Nondurable goods.......................................... 19.6 16.6 14.2 12.5 12.3

Trade, transportation, and utilities........................ 16.0 15.5 16.4 16.9 15.9

Wholesale trade............................................. 12.6 13.0 11.9 12.5 11.0

Retail trade................................................... 17.8 16.9 18.0 18.3 17.2

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities............ 14.2 14.0 16.6 17.9 17.7

Information...................................................... 11.4 11.6 9.6 11.5 7.2

Financial activities............................................ 8.3 9.2 7.2 7.5 8.1

Finance and insurance.................................... 6.0 7.0 5.6 5.4 5.8

Real estate and rental and leasing..................... 14.6 15.4 12.0 13.6 14.8

Professional and business services..................... 18.3 17.3 21.1 23.9 25.6

Education and health services.............................. 7.8 8.5 8.6 8.5 8.1

Educational services....................................... 6.0 7.9 10.6 9.1 8.5

Health care and social assistance..................... 8.2 8.6 8.2 8.4 8.0

Leisure and hospitality....................................... 24.3 23.4 24.2 24.9 23.5

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 39.9 40.7 42.5 51.7 44.7

Accommodations and food services................. 21.5 20.4 21.0 20.3 19.9

Other services................................................ 13.0 12.8 15.9 13.7 14.2

Government...................................................... 4.3 4.5 5.2 5.1 4.8

Federal......................................................... 2.2 4.2 5.9 4.1 4.4

State and local................................................. 4.6 4.5 5.1 5.3 4.8

REGION 2

Northeast......................................................... 13.6 13.8 15.7 17.2 15.1

South............................................................ 14.1 14.6 15.4 14.4 14.5

Midwest......................................................... 16.3 14.2 14.1 14.8 15.4

West............................................................... 16.8 15.7 15.7 15.8 15.1

 1 The annual layoffs and discharges rate is the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire year as a percent of annual average employment.

 2 See footnote 5, table 1.

Industry and region 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Table 19. Annual other separations levels1

 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

(In thousands)

Total..................................................................... 3,784 3,742 3,666 3,689 3,734

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 3,231 3,116 3,055 3,056 3,135

Natural resources and mining.............................. 24 39 43 45 37

Construction................................................... 227 170 165 198 192

Manufacturing................................................... 528 423 406 315 457

Durable goods................................................ 386 277 263 210 346

Nondurable goods.......................................... 143 147 144 104 111

Trade, transportation, and utilities........................ 677 762 795 810 720

Wholesale trade............................................. 115 125 132 130 98

Retail trade................................................... 420 484 458 501 441

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities............ 141 152 203 178 183

Information...................................................... 84 69 50 65 86

Financial activities............................................ 240 201 223 243 184

Finance and insurance.................................... 193 153 167 202 155

Real estate and rental and leasing..................... 50 49 56 41 28

Professional and business services..................... 551 627 543 562 665

Education and health services.............................. 365 361 351 333 328

Educational services....................................... 57 49 48 38 43

Health care and social assistance..................... 311 315 303 294 286

Leisure and hospitality....................................... 369 326 340 342 320

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 35 29 30 32 22

Accommodations and food services................. 331 298 311 308 298

Other services................................................ 166 135 148 147 146

Government...................................................... 553 623 610 634 598

Federal......................................................... 88 86 109 138 131

State and local................................................. 464 539 500 495 468

REGION 2

Northeast......................................................... 700 719 724 786 630

South............................................................ 1,360 1,319 1,313 1,310 1,255

Midwest......................................................... 1,011 854 793 784 907

West............................................................... 714 853 838 810 941

 1 The annual other separations level is the total number of other separations during the entire year.

 2 See footnote 5, table 1.

Industry and region 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Table 20. Annual other separations rates1

 by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

(Percent)

Total..................................................................... 2.9 2.9 2.8 2.8 2.8

INDUSTRY

Total private...................................................... 2.9 2.9 2.8 2.8 2.8

Natural resources and mining.............................. 4.0 6.7 7.5 7.6 5.9

Construction................................................... 3.3 2.5 2.4 2.8 2.6

Manufacturing................................................... 3.2 2.8 2.8 2.2 3.2

Durable goods................................................ 3.7 2.9 2.9 2.4 3.9

Nondurable goods.......................................... 2.3 2.5 2.6 1.9 2.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities........................ 2.6 3.0 3.1 3.2 2.8

Wholesale trade............................................. 2.0 2.2 2.4 2.3 1.7

Retail trade................................................... 2.8 3.2 3.1 3.3 2.9

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities............ 2.8 3.2 4.3 3.7 3.7

Information...................................................... 2.3 2.0 1.6 2.1 2.8

Financial activities............................................ 3.1 2.6 2.8 3.0 2.3

Finance and insurance.................................... 3.3 2.6 2.8 3.4 2.6

Real estate and rental and leasing..................... 2.5 2.4 2.7 2.0 1.3

Professional and business services..................... 3.3 3.9 3.4 3.4 3.9

Education and health services.............................. 2.3 2.2 2.1 2.0 1.9

Educational services....................................... 2.3 1.9 1.8 1.4 1.5

Health care and social assistance..................... 2.4 2.3 2.2 2.1 2.0

Leisure and hospitality....................................... 3.1 2.7 2.8 2.7 2.5

Arts, entertainment, and recreation.................. 1.9 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.2

Accommodations and food services................. 3.2 2.9 3.0 2.9 2.7

Other services................................................ 3.2 2.5 2.7 2.7 2.7

Government...................................................... 2.6 2.9 2.8 2.9 2.7

Federal......................................................... 3.2 3.1 3.9 5.1 4.8

State and local................................................. 2.5 2.9 2.7 2.6 2.5

REGION 2

Northeast......................................................... 2.8 2.9 2.9 3.2 2.5

South............................................................ 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.8 2.6

Midwest......................................................... 3.2 2.8 2.6 2.5 2.9

West............................................................... 2.5 3.0 3.0 2.8 3.2

 1 The annual other separations rate is the number of other separations during the entire year as a percent of annual average employment.

 2 See footnote 5, table 1.

Industry and region 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005