The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) is a monthly survey
that has been developed to address the need for data on job openings,
hires, and separations.
These data serve as demand-side indicators of labor shortages at the
national level. Prior to JOLTS, there was no economic indicator of the
unmet demand for labor with which to assess the presence or extent of
labor shortages in the United States. The availability of unfilled
jobs—the job openings rate—is an important measure of the tightness of
job markets, parallel to existing measures of unemployment.
Data from a sample of approximately 16,000 U.S. business establishments
are collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics through the Atlanta JOLTS
Data Collection Center. The JOLTS survey covers all nonagricultural
industries in the public and private sectors for the 50 States and the
District of Columbia.
JOLTS collects data on Total Employment, Job Openings, Hires, Quits,
Layoffs & Discharges, and Other Separations.
Reference Periods
Total Employment - the pay period that includes the 12th of the month.
Job Openings - the last business day of the month.
Hires and Separations - the entire calendar month.
- Monthly release of data in either news release or tables format
- Internet - main database (LABSTAT)
- National economic policy
- Business cycle analysis
- Industry retention rates
- Economic research and planning
- Industry studies
- Education and job training
For additional information, please contact us.
Last Modified Date: January 12, 2007
|