August 12, 2004 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

June job openings rates

On the last business day of June 2004, there were 3.0 million job openings in the United States.

[Chart data—TXT]

The job openings rate (the number of job openings on the last business day of the month divided by employment plus job openings) for private industry and government combined was 2.3 percent. The job openings rate has remained in the range of 2.0 percent to 2.4 percent since October 2001. 

In June, the job openings rate showed little or no change for all major industry categories. The rate was highest in leisure and hospitality (3.2 percent) and lowest in construction (1.2 percent).

These data come from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. Data for June 2004 are preliminary and subject to revision. To learn more, see "Job Openings and Labor Turnover: June 2004" (PDF) (TXT), USDL 04-1519. "Job openings" are defined as situations where: 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.