April 13, 2005 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Job openings in February 2005

On the last business day of February 2005, there were 3.5 million job openings in the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.5 percent.

[Chart data—TXT]

Although the February job openings rate was unchanged from January, the job openings rate has generally trended upward since September 2003.

From January 2005 to February 2005, the job openings rate increased for government; trade, transportation, and utilities; and education and health services. The job openings rate fell in the professional and business services sector. The job openings rate rose slightly in the West region but showed little or no change in the other regions of the country.

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 February 2005 are preliminary and subject to revision. Find additional information in "Job Openings and Labor Turnover: February 2005" (PDF) (TXT), USDL 05-622.