May 10, 2006 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Job openings in March 2006

On the last business day of March 2006, there were 4.0 million job openings in the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.9 percent.

[Chart data—TXT]

The job openings rate was unchanged over the month but has generally trended upward since September 2003.

In March, the job openings rates decreased in leisure and hospitality and in the Midwest. The industries with the highest seasonally adjusted job openings rates in March 2006 were professional and business services (3.8 percent), education and health services (3.7 percent), and leisure and hospitality (3.5 percent).

The job openings rate is the number of openings divided by employment plus job openings. A job opening requires that a specific position exists and there is work available for that position, work could start within 30 days regardless of whether a suitable candidate is found, and the employer is actively recruiting from outside the establishment to fill the position.

These data come from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. The above data are seasonally adjusted. Data for March 2006 are preliminary and subject to revision. Find additional information in "Job Openings and Labor Turnover: March 2006" (PDF) (TXT), USDL 06-821.