December 09, 2004 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Job openings by industry, October 2004

The job openings rate—2.5 percent—showed little change in October. The job openings rate has generally trended upward since August 2003.

[Chart data—TXT]

In October, the job openings rate dropped in the leisure and hospitality industry and edged up in government. The highest job openings rate was in the professional and business services sector, while the lowest were in construction and government.

These data are from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey program, which produces data on job openings, hires, and separations. Data for October are preliminary and subject to revision. To learn more, see the BLS news release, "Job Openings and Labor Turnover: October 2004" (PDF) (TXT), USDL 04-2462. A job opening requires that: 1) a specific position exists, 2) work could start within 30 days, and 3) the employer is actively recruiting. The job openings rate is computed by dividing the number of job openings by the sum of employment and job openings and multiplying that quotient by 100.