October 14, 2004 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Job openings rate unchanged in August 2004

On the last business day of August 2004 there were 3.2 million job openings in the United States and the job openings rate was 2.4 percent. The August rate was unchanged from July.

[Chart data—TXT]

The job openings rate has generally trended upward over the last 12 months. The rate was 2.0 percent in August of last year.

In August 2004, the job openings rate showed little or no change over the month for the major industry categories. Industry rates in August 2004 varied from 1.6 percent in government and in manufacturing to 3.5 percent in professional and business services.

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 August 2004 are preliminary and subject to revision. Find additional information in "Job Openings and Labor Turnover: August 2004" (PDF) (TXT), USDL 04-2098.