Technical information: (202) 691-5870 USDL 09-0361
http://www.bls.gov/jlt/
For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 Tuesday, April 7, 2009
(NOTE: This release was reissued on Wednesday, April 8,
2009, to correct text references to the most recent high
points for job openings and hires, and for the most
recent low point for the proportion of total separations
attributable to layoffs and discharges. Also, a
rounding error in a text statement concerning the
proportion of total separations attributable to quits in
February 2009 was corrected.)
JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: FEBRUARY 2009
On the last business day of February, there were 3.0 million job
openings in the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.2
percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of
Labor reported today. The job openings rate and the hires rate (3.3
percent) were little changed in February, with both remaining low.
The total separations rate (3.6 percent) was also essentially
unchanged in February. This release includes estimates of the number
and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm
sector by industry and geographic region.
Job Openings
Job openings were essentially unchanged from January to February,
although the number of job openings has trended downward since mid-
2007. At 3.0 million in February, monthly openings were down 1.8
million, or 38 percent, since the most recent high in June 2007. The
job openings rate changed significantly in February only in
manufacturing, where it edged up. (See table 1.)
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Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally
adjusted
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Job openings | Hires | Total separations
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Industry | Feb. | Jan. | Feb. | Feb. | Jan. | Feb. | Feb. | Jan. | Feb.
| 2008 | 2009 | 2009p| 2008 | 2009 | 2009p| 2008 | 2009 | 2009p
-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Levels (in thousands)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........|4,248 |2,920 |3,006 |5,035 |4,460 |4,360 |5,088 |4,949 |4,825
| | | | | | | | |
Total private(1)..|3,813 |2,461 |2,614 |4,694 |4,141 |4,068 |4,789 |4,686 |4,554
Construction.....| 136 | 55 | 26 | 375 | 381 | 366 | 410 | 524 | 454
Manufacturing....| 278 | 115 | 140 | 325 | 237 | 249 | 372 | 476 | 420
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and | | | | | | | | |
utilities(2)....| 722 | 488 | 495 |1,031 | 949 | 812 |1,060 |1,049 | 918
Retail trade....| 378 | 362 | 355 | 708 | 587 | 556 | 731 | 645 | 571
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services........| 766 | 501 | 471 | 851 | 762 | 760 | 924 | 866 | 947
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices...........| 806 | 636 | 625 | 581 | 539 | 536 | 534 | 494 | 505
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality.....| 558 | 272 | 282 | 927 | 743 | 696 | 932 | 763 | 726
Arts, enter- | | | | | | | | |
tainment and | | | | | | | | |
recreation.....| 64 | 27 | 20 | 140 | 105 | 85 | 147 | 117 | 93
Accommodation | | | | | | | | |
and food | | | | | | | | |
services.......| 487 | 242 | 266 | 787 | 627 | 605 | 788 | 650 | 628
Government(3).....| 446 | 417 | 392 | 335 | 306 | 270 | 293 | 277 | 254
State and local | | | | | | | | |
government......| 397 | 328 | 329 | 292 | 261 | 252 | 258 | 267 | 239
|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Rates (percent)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total(1)...........| 3.0 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.6
| | | | | | | | |
Total private(1)..| 3.2 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.1
Construction.....| 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 5.0 | 5.7 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 7.8 | 6.9
Manufacturing....| 2.0 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 2.7 | 3.8 | 3.4
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and | | | | | | | | |
utilities(2)....| 2.6 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 3.6
Retail trade....| 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 4.6 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 3.8
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services........| 4.1 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 5.1 | 5.0 | 5.6
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices...........| 4.1 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 2.6 | 2.6
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality.....| 4.0 | 2.0 | 2.1 | 6.9 | 5.6 | 5.3 | 6.9 | 5.7 | 5.5
Arts, enter- | | | | | | | | |
tainment and | | | | | | | | |
recreation.....| 3.1 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 7.0 | 5.4 | 4.4 | 7.4 | 6.0 | 4.8
Accommodation | | | | | | | | |
and food | | | | | | | | |
services.......| 4.1 | 2.1 | 2.3 | 6.8 | 5.5 | 5.4 | 6.8 | 5.7 | 5.6
Government(3).....| 2.0 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.1
State and local | | | | | | | | |
government......| 2.0 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.2
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, and
other services, not shown separately.
2 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not
shown separately.
3 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
Over the 12 months ending in February, the job openings rate (not
seasonally adjusted) was essentially unchanged in the Northeast region
and in six industries: retail trade; information; finance and
insurance; real estate and rental and leasing; educational services;
and other services. In the remaining 11 industries and at the total
nonfarm and total private level, the job openings rate fell
significantly over the year. Three of the four regions experienced a
significant decline in the job openings rate over the year: Midwest,
South, and West. The job openings rate rose significantly over the
year only in the federal government. (See table 5.)
- 3 -
Hires
Hires, at 4.4 million in February, were essentially unchanged
from January. However, monthly hires were down 1,274,000, or 23
percent, since the most recent high in July 2006. The hires rate was
3.3 percent in February. No industry experienced a significant change
in the hires rate in February. Regionally, the rate rose
significantly in the Northeast and fell significantly in the Midwest.
(See table 2.)
Over the 12 months ending in February, the hires rate did not
increase significantly in any industry or region. The rate decreased
significantly over the year for total nonfarm, total private, and
several industries, including retail trade; finance and insurance;
arts, entertainment, and recreation; accommodation and food services;
federal government; and state and local government. In three of the
four regions, the hires rate dropped significantly over the past 12
months: Midwest, South, and West. (See table 6.)
Separations
Total separations includes quits (voluntary separations), layoffs
and discharges (involuntary separations), and other separations
(including retirements). The total separations, or turnover, rate
(seasonally adjusted) was essentially unchanged in February at 3.6
percent. The total separations rate (not seasonally adjusted) was
also essentially unchanged over the 12 months ending in February
because quits fell while layoffs and discharges rose. (See tables 3,
7, 8 and 9.)
The quits rate can serve as a barometer of workers’ willingness
or ability to change jobs. The rate remained at 1.5 percent in
February—the lowest point in the 8-year series. Quits have been
trending downward since December 2006, declining by 1.2 million, or 37
percent. Comparing February 2009 to February 2008, the quits rate was
significantly lower for total nonfarm, total private, and most
industries. The rate was essentially unchanged in information;
educational services; arts, entertainment, and recreation; and other
services. The rate did not rise significantly in the past 12 months
in any industry. Regionally, the quits rate fell significantly in
three of the four regions—Northeast, South, and West. The rate was
essentially unchanged in the Midwest region. (See tables 4 and 8.)
The layoffs and discharges component of total separations is
seasonally adjusted at the total nonfarm, total private, and
government levels. Seasonally adjusted layoffs and discharges in
February were 2.5 million for total nonfarm, 2.3 million for total
private, and 106,000 for government, corresponding to layoffs and
discharges rates of 1.8 percent, 2.1 percent, and 0.5 percent,
respectively. Over the 12 months ending in February, the layoffs and
discharges rate (not seasonally adjusted) rose significantly for total
nonfarm, total private, and many industries, including mining and
logging; construction; durable goods manufacturing; nondurable goods
manufacturing; wholesale trade; transportation, warehousing, and
utilities; finance and insurance; real estate and rental and leasing;
and professional and business services. In the remaining industries,
the rate was essentially unchanged. Regionally, the layoffs and
discharges rate rose in the Midwest, South, and West and was little
changed in the Northeast. (See table 9 for not seasonally adjusted
layoffs and discharges. Seasonally adjusted layoffs and discharges
are not presented in a table but are available through the JOLTS web
site.)
The other separations series is not seasonally adjusted.
Comparing February 2008 to February 2009, the number of other
separations was little changed for total nonfarm (280,000), total
private (251,000), and government (29,000). (See table 10.)
- 4 -
The total separations rate is driven by the relative contribution
of its three components—quits, layoffs and discharges, and other
separations. The percentage of total separations attributable to the
individual components has varied over time. The proportion of quits
has been trending downward from a high of 62 percent in January 2006
to a series low of 41 percent in February 2009. The proportion of
layoffs and discharges has increased, climbing from the most recent
low of 33 percent in August 2006 to 51 percent in February 2009. (See
tables 3 and 4.)
Net Change in Employment
In the 12 months ending in February, hires totaled 55.3 million
and separations totaled 59.2 million, yielding a net employment loss
over the year of 3.9 million. The loss resulted from total
separations remaining level over the year, while hires trended sharply
downward.
For More Information
For additional information, please read the Technical Note
attached to this release, visit the JOLTS Web site at
http://www.bls.gov/jlt/, send e-mail to Joltsinfo@bls.gov, or call
(202) 691-5870.
---------------------------------------------
The Job Openings and Labor Turnover release for March 2009 is
scheduled to be issued on Tuesday, May 12.
