October 08, 2010 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)
Job openings for total nonfarm are little changed in August 2010
The number of job openings in August was 3.2 million, which was little changed from July.
![Number of job openings, total nonfarm, seasonally adjusted, September 2007–August 2010](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20120921185150im_/http://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/images/2010/ted_20101008a.png)
[Chart data]
The number of job openings has risen by 863,000 (37 percent) since the most recent series trough of 2.3 million in July 2009. This trough immediately followed the end of the recession in June 2009 (as designated by the National Bureau of Economic Research). Even with the gains since July 2009, the number of job openings remained below the 4.4 million jobs open when the recession began in December 2007.
The hires rate (3.2 percent) and the separations rate (3.2 percent) were little changed from July.
![Hires and separations rates, seasonally adjusted, September 2007–August 2010](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20120921185150im_/http://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/images/2010/ted_20101008b.png)
[Chart data]
Over the 12 months ending in August, the hires rate (not seasonally adjusted) was little changed for total nonfarm, total private, and government. The hires rate increased over the past 12 months in mining and logging and in construction.
Over the 12 months ending in August, the total separations rate (not seasonally adjusted) was little changed for total nonfarm and total private but increased for government.
These data are from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. Data for the most recent month are preliminary and subject to revision. Find additional information in "Job Openings and Labor Turnover — August 2010" (HTML) (PDF), news release USDL-10-1392. Total separations includes quits (voluntary separations), layoffs and discharges (involuntary separations), and other separations (including retirements).
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