March 16, 2005 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Job openings rate in January 2005

On the last business day of January 2005, there were 3.3 million job openings in the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.4 percent.

[Chart data—TXT]

In January, the job openings rate decreased for private industries overall and for government. The job openings rate fell in the West region, but showed little or no change in the other regions of the country.

The job openings rate trended upward from September 2003 through May 2004, then leveled off.

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 January 2005 are preliminary and subject to revision. Find additional information in "Job Openings and Labor Turnover: January 2005" (PDF) (TXT), USDL 05-431.