For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Tuesday, July 10, 2012 USDL-12-1379
Technical information: (202) 691-5870 • JoltsInfo@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/jlt
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 • PressOffice@bls.gov
Job Openings and Labor Turnover – May 2012
There were 3.6 million job openings on the last business day of May,
little changed from 3.4 million in April, the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics reported today. The hires rate (3.3 percent) and
separations rate (3.3 percent) were essentially unchanged in May. This
release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings,
hires, and separations for the nonfarm sector by industry and by
geographic region.
Job Openings
The number of job openings in May was 3.6 million, little changed from
April. (See table 1.) Job openings increased for manufacturing,
government, and state and local government. The number of openings
also increased for the Midwest region. The level of total nonfarm job
openings in May was up from 2.4 million at the end of the recession in
June 2009. (Recession dates are determined by the National Bureau of
Economic Research.)
The number of job openings in May (not seasonally adjusted) increased
over the year for total nonfarm, total private, and government. Job
openings increased over the year for several industries and the
Northeast and South regions. (See table 5.)
Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally
adjusted
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Job openings | Hires | Total separations
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Industry | May | Apr. | May | May | Apr. | May | May | Apr. | May
| 2011 | 2012 | 2012p| 2011 | 2012 | 2012p| 2011 | 2012 | 2012p
-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Levels (in thousands)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total..............|3,077 |3,447 |3,642 |4,182 |4,213 |4,361 |4,177 |4,142 |4,349
| | | | | | | | |
Total private(1)..|2,774 |3,093 |3,247 |3,923 |3,916 |4,063 |3,867 |3,838 |4,020
Construction.....| 100 | 69 | 77 | 366 | 276 | 284 | 369 | 290 | 327
Manufacturing....| 227 | 259 | 310 | 269 | 260 | 258 | 258 | 239 | 241
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and | | | | | | | | |
utilities(2)....| 513 | 562 | 594 | 833 | 826 | 857 | 793 | 817 | 790
Retail trade....| 303 | 338 | 348 | 564 | 556 | 552 | 548 | 560 | 539
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services........| 626 | 660 | 688 | 911 | 888 | 925 | 894 | 855 | 961
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices(3)........| 575 | 665 | 699 | 468 | 495 | 536 | 438 | 470 | 479
Health care | | | | | | | | |
and social | | | | | | | | |
assistance.....| 527 | 610 | 640 | 412 | 427 | 462 | 372 | 408 | 416
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality.....| 301 | 419 | 429 | 643 | 717 | 727 | 688 | 710 | 732
Arts, enter- | | | | | | | | |
tainment and | | | | | | | | |
recreation.....| 33 | 61 | 56 | 120 | 123 | 113 | 151 | 133 | 139
Accommodation | | | | | | | | |
and food | | | | | | | | |
services.......| 268 | 358 | 373 | 523 | 594 | 614 | 538 | 577 | 594
Government(4).....| 303 | 354 | 395 | 258 | 297 | 298 | 310 | 304 | 329
State and local | | | | | | | | |
government......| 257 | 282 | 333 | 228 | 263 | 261 | 281 | 271 | 297
|--------------------------------------------------------------
| Rates (percent)
|--------------------------------------------------------------
Total..............| 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.7 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.3
| | | | | | | | |
Total private(1)..| 2.5 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.6
Construction.....| 1.8 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 6.7 | 5.0 | 5.2 | 6.7 | 5.2 | 5.9
Manufacturing....| 1.9 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.0 | 2.0
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and | | | | | | | | |
utilities(2)....| 2.0 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.1
Retail trade....| 2.0 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.7
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services........| 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 5.3 | 5.0 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 4.8 | 5.4
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices(3)........|. 2.8 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.4
Health care | | | | | | | | |
and social | | | | | | | | |
assistance.....|. 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.7 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 2.5
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality.....| 2.2 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 4.8 | 5.3 | 5.4 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.4
Arts, enter- | | | | | | | | |
tainment and | | | | | | | | |
recreation.....| 1.7 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 6.3 | 6.4 | 5.9 | 7.9 | 6.9 | 7.3
Accommodation | | | | | | | | |
and food | | | | | | | | |
services.......| 2.3 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 4.6 | 5.1 | 5.3 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 5.1
Government(4).....| 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.5
State and local | | | | | | | | |
government......| 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.5
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 educational services, not shown separately.
4 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
p = Preliminary
Hires
In May, the hires rate was essentially unchanged at 3.3 percent for
total nonfarm. The hires rate was little changed in all industries and
regions. (See table 2.) The number of hires in May was 4.4 million, up
from 3.7 million at the end of the recession in June 2009.
Over the 12 months ending in May, the hires rate (not seasonally
adjusted) was little changed for total nonfarm and total private but
increased for government. The hires rate declined over the year in
construction but rose in transportation, warehousing, and utilities
and federal government. (See table 6.)
Separations
The total separations figure includes quits, layoffs and discharges,
and other separations. Total separations is also referred to as
turnover. Quits are generally voluntary separations initiated by the
employee. Therefore, the quits rate can serve as a measure of workers’
willingness or ability to leave jobs. Layoffs and discharges are
involuntary separations initiated by the employer. Other separations
include separations due to retirement, death, and disability, as well
as transfers to other locations of the same firm.
The seasonally adjusted total separations rate was essentially
unchanged for total nonfarm, total private, and government in May.
(See table 3.) Over the year, the total separations rate (not
seasonally adjusted) was essentially unchanged for total nonfarm,
total private, and government. (See table 7.)
In May, the quits rate displayed little or no change for total
nonfarm, total private, and government. (See table 4.) The number of
quits was 2.1 million in May, up from 1.8 million at the end of the
recession in June 2009.
The number of quits (not seasonally adjusted) in May was essentially
unchanged over the year for total nonfarm, total private, and
government. The number of quits increased over the year in several
industries but decreased in retail trade. (See table 8.)
The layoffs and discharges component of total separations is
seasonally adjusted at the total nonfarm, total private, and
government levels and for the four regions. The layoffs and discharges
rate was essentially unchanged for total nonfarm and total private but
increased for government. The layoffs and discharges rate showed
little change in all four regions. (See table B.) The number of
layoffs and discharges for total nonfarm was 1.9 million in May 2012,
down from 2.1 million at the end of the recession in June 2009.
Table B. Layoffs and discharges, seasonally adjusted
------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Levels (in thousands) | Rates (percent)
|------------------------------------------------
Industry and region(1) | May | Apr. | May | May | Apr. | May
| 2011 | 2012 | 2012p| 2011 | 2012 | 2012p
-----------------------|------------------------------------------------
Total..................| 1,843 | 1,743 | 1,885 | 1.4 | 1.3 | 1.4
Total private.........| 1,732 | 1,644 | 1,749 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.6
Government............| 111 | 98 | 136 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.6
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
Northeast.............| 377 | 334 | 354 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 1.4
South.................| 612 | 614 | 662 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.4
Midwest...............| 399 | 406 | 459 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.5
West..................| 455 | 388 | 410 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.4
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 For region definitions see footnote 8, table 1.
p = Preliminary
The layoffs and discharges level (not seasonally adjusted) for total
nonfarm, total private, and government was little changed over the 12
months ending in May 2012. Over the year, the number of layoffs and
discharges rose for mining and logging and was essentially unchanged
in all four regions. (See table 9.)
The other separations component of total separations is seasonally
adjusted at the total nonfarm, total private, and government levels.
In May 2012, there were 344,000 other separations for total nonfarm,
an increase from the previous month. Over the 12 months ending in May
2012, the number of other separations was little changed. (See tables
C and 10.)
Table C. Other separations, seasonally adjusted
--------------------------------------------------------------------
| Levels (in thousands) | Rates (percent)
|------------------------------------------------
Industry | May | Apr. | May | May | Apr. | May
| 2011 | 2012 | 2012p| 2011 | 2012 | 2012p
-------------------|------------------------------------------------
Total..............| 338 | 285 | 344 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.3
Total private.....| 261 | 224 | 286 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.3
Government........| 77 | 61 | 58 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.3
--------------------------------------------------------------------
p = Preliminary
Net Change in Employment
Large numbers of hires and separations occur every month throughout
the business cycle. Net employment change results from the
relationship between hires and separations. When the number of hires
exceeds the number of separations, employment rises, even if the hires
level is steady or declining. Conversely, when the number of hires is
less than the number of separations, employment declines, even if the
hires level is steady or rising. Over the 12 months ending in May
2012, hires totaled 51.1 million and separations totaled 49.3 million,
yielding a net employment gain of 1.8 million. These figures include
workers who may have been hired and separated more than once during
the year.
____________
The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey results for June 2012 are
scheduled to be released on Tuesday, August 7, 2012 at 10:00 a.m.
(EDT).
___________________________________________________________________
| Upcoming Changes to the Job Openings and Labor Turnover News |
| Release |
| |
| Effective with the release of June data on Tuesday, August |
| 7, 2012, current tables B and C will be moved to the |
| numbered tables section and will become tables 5 and 6, |
| respectively. Current tables 5 through 10 will be renumbered |
| tables 7 through 12. |
|_________________________________________________________________|
Technical Note
The data for the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS)
are collected and compiled monthly from a sample of business
establishments by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Collection
In a monthly survey of business establishments, data are
collected for total employment, job openings, hires, quits, layoffs
and discharges, and other separations. Data collection methods
include computer-assisted telephone interviewing, touchtone data
entry, web, fax, e-mail, and mail.
Coverage
The JOLTS program covers all private nonfarm establishments such
as factories, offices, and stores, as well as federal, state, and
local government entities in the 50 states and the District of
Columbia.
Concepts
Industry classification. The industry classifications in this
release are in accordance with the 2012 version of the North
American Industry Classification System (NAICS). In order to
ensure the highest possible quality of data, State Workforce
Agencies verify with employers and update, if necessary, the
industry code, location, and ownership classification of all
establishments on a 3-year cycle. Changes in establishment
characteristics resulting from the verification process are always
introduced into the JOLTS sampling frame with the data reported for
the first month of the year.
Employment. Employment includes persons on the payroll who
worked or received pay for the pay period that includes the 12th
day of the reference month. Full-time, part-time, permanent, short-
term, seasonal, salaried, and hourly employees are included, as are
employees on paid vacations or other paid leave. Proprietors or
partners of unincorporated businesses, unpaid family workers, or
persons on leave without pay or on strike for the entire pay
period, are not counted as employed. Employees of temporary help
agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors, and
consultants are counted by their employer of record, not by the
establishment where they are working.
Job openings. Establishments submit job openings information for
the last business day of the reference month. A job opening
requires that: 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. Included are full-time, part-time, permanent,
short-term, and seasonal openings. Active recruiting means that
the establishment is taking steps to fill a position by advertising
in newspapers or on the Internet, posting help-wanted signs,
accepting applications, or using other similar methods.
Jobs to be filled only by internal transfers, promotions,
demotions, or recall from layoffs are excluded. Also excluded are
jobs with start dates more than 30 days in the future, jobs for
which employees have been hired but have not yet reported for work,
and jobs to be filled by employees of temporary help agencies,
employee leasing companies, outside contractors, or consultants.
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.
Hires. Hires are the total number of additions to the payroll
occurring at any time during the reference month, including both
new and rehired employees, full-time and part-time, permanent,
short-term and seasonal employees, employees recalled to the
location after a layoff lasting more than 7 days, on-call or
intermittent employees who returned to work after having been
formally separated, and transfers from other locations. The hires
count does not include transfers or promotions within the reporting
site, employees returning from strike, employees of temporary help
agencies or employee leasing companies, outside contractors, or
consultants. The hires rate is computed by dividing the number of
hires by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100.
Separations. Separations are the total number of terminations of
employment occurring at any time during the reference month, and
are reported by type of separation--quits, layoffs and discharges,
and other separations. Quits are voluntary separations by
employees (except for retirements, which are reported as other
separations). Layoffs and discharges are involuntary separations
initiated by the employer and include layoffs with no intent to
rehire; formal layoffs lasting or expected to last more than 7
days; discharges resulting from mergers, downsizing, or closings;
firings or other discharges for cause; terminations of permanent or
short-term employees; and terminations of seasonal employees.
Other separations include retirements, transfers to other
locations, deaths, and separations due to disability. Separations
do not include transfers within the same location or employees on
strike.
The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of
separations by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100.
The quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations rates are
computed similarly, dividing the number by employment and
multiplying by 100.
Annual estimates. Annual estimates of rates and levels of hires,
quits, layoffs and discharges, other separations, and total
separations are released with the January news release each year.
The JOLTS annual level estimates for hires, quits, layoffs and
discharges, other separations, and total separations are the sum of
the 12 published monthly levels. The annual rate estimates are
computed by dividing the annual level by the Current Employment
Statistics (CES) annual average employment level, and multiplying
that quotient by 100. This figure will be approximately equal to
the sum of the 12 monthly rates. Note that both the JOLTS and CES
annual levels are rounded to the nearest thousand before the annual
estimates are calculated. Consistent with BLS practices, annual
estimates are published only for not seasonally adjusted data.
Annual estimates are not calculated for job openings because job
openings are a stock, or point-in-time, measurement for the last
business day of each month. Only jobs still open on the last day
of the month are counted. For the same reason job openings cannot
be cumulated throughout each month, annual figures for job openings
cannot be created by summing the monthly estimates. Hires and
separations are flow measures and are cumulated over the month with
a total reported for the month. Therefore, the annual figures can
be created by summing the monthly estimates.
Special collection procedures
An implied measure of employment change can be derived from the
JOLTS data by subtracting separations from hires for a given
month. Aggregating these monthly changes historically produced
employment levels that overstated employment change as measured by
CES at the total nonfarm level. Research into this problem showed
that a significant amount of the divergence between the CES
employment levels and the derived JOLTS employment levels was
traceable to the Employment Services industry and to the State
Government Education industry. In the former industry, businesses
have a difficult time reporting hires and separations of temporary
help workers. In the latter industry, employers have difficulty
reporting hires and separations of student workers. BLS now
devotes additional resources to the collection, editing, and review
of data for these industries. BLS analysts more closely examine
reported data that do not provide a consistent picture over time,
and re-contact the respondents as necessary. Analysts work with
the respondents to adjust their reporting practices as possible.
Units that cannot be reconciled but are clearly incorrect on a
consistent basis are not used, they are replaced by imputed values
using standard techniques.
Sample and estimation methodology
The JOLTS survey design is a stratified random sample of 16,400
nonfarm business establishments, including factories, offices, and
stores, as well as federal, state, and local governments in the 50
states and the District of Columbia. The establishments are drawn
from a universe of over 9.1 million establishments compiled as part
of the operations of the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
(QCEW) program. This program includes all employers subject to state
Unemployment Insurance (UI) laws and federal agencies subject to
Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE).
The sampling frame is stratified by ownership, region, industry
sector, and establishment size class. The JOLTS sample is constructed
from individual panels of sample units drawn on an annual basis. The
full annual sample consists of one certainty panel composed of only
large units selected with virtual certainty based on their size and
24 non-certainty panels. Each month a new non-certainty panel is
rolled into collection, and the oldest non-certainty panel is
rolled out. This means that at any given time the JOLTS sample is
constructed from panels from three different annual sampling
frames. The entire sample of old plus new panels is post-
stratified and re-weighted annually to represent the most recent
sampling frame. Additionally, the out-of-business establishments
are removed from the old panels. The annual sample is supplemented
with a quarterly sample of birth establishments (i.e., new
establishments) to better reflect the impact of younger
establishments in the JOLTS sample.
JOLTS total employment estimates are benchmarked or ratio adjusted
monthly to the strike-adjusted employment estimates of the Current
Employment Statistics (CES) survey. A ratio of CES to JOLTS employment
is used to adjust the levels for all other JOLTS data elements.
JOLTS business birth/death model
As with any sample survey, the JOLTS sample can only be as
current as its sampling frame. The time lag from the birth of an
establishment until its appearance on the sampling frame is
approximately one year. In addition, many of these new units may
fail within the first year. Since these universe units cannot be
reflected on the sampling frame immediately, the JOLTS
sample cannot capture job openings, hires, and separations from
these units during their early existence. BLS has developed a model
to estimate birth/death activity for current months by examining the
birth/death activity from previous years on the QCEW and projecting
forward using the ratio of over-the-year CES employment change.
The birth/death model also uses historical JOLTS data to estimate the
amount of “churn” (hires and separations) that exists in establishments
of various sizes. The model then combines the estimated churn with
the projected employment change to estimate the number of hires and
separations taking place in these units that cannot be measured
through sampling.
The model-based estimate of total separations is distributed to
the three components–-quits; layoffs and discharges; and other
separations--in proportion to their contribution to the sample-
based estimate of total separations. Additionally, job openings
for the modeled units are estimated by computing the ratio of
openings to hires in the collected data and applying that ratio to
the modeled hires. The estimates of job openings, hires, and
separations produced by the birth/death model are then added to the
sample-based estimates produced from the survey to arrive at the
estimates for openings, hires, and separations.
Seasonal adjustment
BLS seasonally adjusts several JOLTS series using the X-12 ARIMA
seasonal adjustment program. Seasonal adjustment is the process of
estimating and removing periodic fluctuations caused by events such
as weather, holidays, and the beginning and ending of the school
year. Seasonal adjustment makes it easier to observe fundamental
changes in the level of the series, particularly those associated
with general economic expansions and contractions. A concurrent
seasonal adjustment methodology is used in which new seasonal
adjustment factors are calculated each month, using all relevant
data, up to and including the data for the current month.
JOLTS uses moving averages as seasonal filters in seasonal
adjustment. JOLTS seasonal adjustment includes both additive and
multiplicative seasonal adjustment models and REGARIMA (regression
with autocorrelated errors) modeling to improve the seasonal
adjustment factors at the beginning and end of the series and to
detect and adjust for outliers in the series.
Alignment procedure
JOLTS hires minus separations should be comparable to the CES net
employment change. However, definitional differences as well as
sampling and non-sampling errors between the two surveys
historically caused JOLTS to diverge from CES over time. To limit
the divergence, and improve the quality of the JOLTS hires and
separations series, BLS implemented the Monthly Alignment Method.
The Monthly Alignment Method applies the CES employment trends to
the seasonally adjusted JOLTS implied employment trend (hires minus
separations) forcing them to be approximately the same, while
preserving the seasonality of the JOLTS data. First, the two
series are seasonally adjusted and the difference between the JOLTS
implied employment trend and the CES net employment change is
calculated. Next, the JOLTS implied employment trend is adjusted to
equal the CES net employment change through a proportional
adjustment. This proportional adjustment procedure adjusts the two
components (hires, separations) proportionally to their
contribution to the total churn (hires plus separations). For
example, if hires are 40 percent of the churn for a given month,
they will receive 40 percent of the needed adjustment and
separations will receive 60 percent of the needed adjustment. The
adjusted hires and separations are converted back to not seasonally
adjusted data by reversing the application of the original seasonal
factors. After the Monthly Alignment Method has been used to
adjust the level estimates, rate estimates are computed from the
adjusted levels. The monthly alignment procedure assures a close
match of the JOLTS implied employment trend with the CES trend. The
CES series is considered a highly accurate measure of net
employment change owing to its very large sample size and annual
benchmarking to universe counts of employment from the QCEW
program.
Historical changes in JOLTS data
The JOLTS data series on job openings, hires, and separations are
relatively new. The full sample is divided into panels, with one
panel enrolled each month. A full complement of panels for the
original data series based on the 1987 Standard Industrial
Classification (SIC) system was not completely enrolled in the
survey until January 2002. The supplemental panels of
establishments needed to create NAICS estimates were not completely
enrolled until May 2003. The data collected up until those points
are from less than a full sample. Therefore, estimates from
earlier months should be used with caution, as fewer sampled units
were reporting data at that time.
In March 2002, BLS procedures for collecting hires and
separations data were revised to address possible underreporting.
As a result, JOLTS hires and separations estimates for months prior
to March 2002 may not be comparable to estimates for March 2002 and
later.
The federal government reorganization that involved transferring
approximately 180,000 employees to the new Department of Homeland
Security is not reflected in the JOLTS hires and separations
estimates for the federal government. The Office of Personnel
Management's record shows these transfers were completed in March
2003. The inclusion of transfers in the JOLTS definitions of hires
and separations is intended to cover ongoing movements of workers
between establishments. The Department of Homeland Security
reorganization was a massive one-time event, and the inclusion of
these intergovernmental transfers would distort the federal government
time series.
Reliability of the estimates
JOLTS estimates are subject to both sampling and nonsampling
error. When a sample rather than the entire population is
surveyed, there is a chance that the sample estimates may differ
from the "true" population values they represent. The exact
difference, or sampling error, varies depending on the particular
sample selected, and this variability is measured by the standard
error of the estimate. BLS analysis is generally conducted at the
90-percent level of confidence. That means that there is a 90-
percent chance, or level of confidence, that an estimate based on a
sample will differ by no more than 1.6 standard errors from the
"true" population value because of sampling error. Estimates of
sampling errors are available upon request.
The JOLTS estimates also are affected by nonsampling error.
Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, including the failure
to include a segment of the population, the inability to obtain
data from all units in the sample, the inability or unwillingness
of respondents to provide data on a timely basis, mistakes made by
respondents, errors made in the collection or processing of the
data, and errors from the employment benchmark data used in
estimation.
Other information
Information in this release will be made available to sensory
impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200;
Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.
Table 1. Job openings levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels(3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May
2011 2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012p 2011 2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012p
Total................................. 3,077 3,540 3,477 3,565 3,741 3,447 3,642 2.3 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.7 2.5 2.7
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)........................ 2,774 3,188 3,119 3,163 3,362 3,093 3,247 2.5 2.8 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.7 2.8
Construction........................... 100 78 86 73 92 69 77 1.8 1.4 1.5 1.3 1.6 1.2 1.4
Manufacturing.......................... 227 252 261 271 308 259 310 1.9 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.5 2.1 2.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities(5) 513 574 584 584 598 562 594 2.0 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.3
Retail trade.......................... 303 323 315 365 368 338 348 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.4 2.4 2.2 2.3
Professional and business services..... 626 785 695 710 787 660 688 3.5 4.3 3.8 3.8 4.2 3.6 3.7
Education and health services(6)........ 575 605 630 655 670 665 699 2.8 2.9 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.2 3.3
Health care and social assistance 527 552 576 598 605 610 640 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.5 3.6
Leisure and hospitality................ 301 441 432 408 431 419 429 2.2 3.2 3.1 2.9 3.1 3.0 3.1
Arts, entertainment, and recreation... 33 44 72 48 57 61 56 1.7 2.3 3.6 2.5 2.8 3.1 2.8
Accommodation and food services....... 268 397 360 360 375 358 373 2.3 3.3 3.0 3.0 3.1 3.0 3.1
Government(7)......................... 303 352 358 402 378 354 395 1.4 1.6 1.6 1.8 1.7 1.6 1.8
State and local government............. 257 301 305 338 310 282 333 1.3 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.7
REGION(8)
Northeast........................... 565 595 590 671 688 679 684 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.6
South............................... 1,078 1,443 1,442 1,402 1,453 1,370 1,428 2.2 2.9 2.9 2.8 2.9 2.8 2.9
Midwest............................. 706 763 738 791 853 666 758 2.3 2.5 2.4 2.6 2.7 2.2 2.4
West................................ 728 740 707 702 746 732 774 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.6
1 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day of the month.
2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business day of the month as a percent of total employment plus
job openings.
3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series and because not all series are shown.
4 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
6 Includes educational services, not shown separately.
7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
8 The States (including the District of Columbia) that comprise the regions are: Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont; South: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, District of
Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas,
Virginia, and West Virginia; Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio,
South Dakota, and Wisconsin; West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah,
Washington, and Wyoming.
p = Preliminary
Table 2. Hires levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels(3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May
2011 2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012p 2011 2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012p
Total................................. 4,182 4,188 4,239 4,444 4,335 4,213 4,361 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.3
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)........................ 3,923 3,889 3,945 4,128 4,041 3,916 4,063 3.6 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.6 3.5 3.7
Construction........................... 366 315 331 318 286 276 284 6.7 5.7 5.9 5.7 5.1 5.0 5.2
Manufacturing.......................... 269 269 253 260 263 260 258 2.3 2.3 2.1 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities(5) 833 812 836 815 827 826 857 3.3 3.2 3.3 3.2 3.3 3.3 3.4
Retail trade.......................... 564 517 557 551 550 556 552 3.9 3.5 3.8 3.7 3.7 3.8 3.7
Professional and business services..... 911 818 831 973 888 888 925 5.3 4.6 4.7 5.5 5.0 5.0 5.2
Education and health services(6)........ 468 494 517 527 523 495 536 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.4 2.6
Health care and social assistance 412 414 441 455 442 427 462 2.5 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.6 2.5 2.7
Leisure and hospitality................ 643 743 757 794 795 717 727 4.8 5.5 5.6 5.9 5.8 5.3 5.4
Arts, entertainment, and recreation... 120 141 139 156 154 123 113 6.3 7.4 7.2 8.1 7.9 6.4 5.9
Accommodation and food services....... 523 602 618 639 640 594 614 4.6 5.2 5.3 5.5 5.5 5.1 5.3
Government(7)......................... 258 299 294 316 294 297 298 1.2 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.4
State and local government............. 228 270 275 284 264 263 261 1.2 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.4
REGION(8)
Northeast........................... 717 676 710 756 711 673 669 2.9 2.7 2.8 3.0 2.8 2.7 2.6
South............................... 1,646 1,634 1,667 1,748 1,677 1,676 1,748 3.5 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.5 3.5 3.6
Midwest............................. 942 986 977 985 1,004 938 979 3.2 3.3 3.2 3.3 3.3 3.1 3.2
West................................ 876 891 884 955 943 925 965 3.0 3.1 3.0 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.3
1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month.
2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series and because not all series are shown.
4 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
6 Includes educational services, not shown separately.
7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
8 See footnote 8, table 1.
p = Preliminary
Table 3. Total separations levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels(3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May
2011 2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012p 2011 2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012p
Total................................. 4,177 4,023 4,017 4,124 4,167 4,142 4,349 3.2 3.0 3.0 3.1 3.1 3.1 3.3
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)........................ 3,867 3,695 3,729 3,823 3,869 3,838 4,020 3.5 3.4 3.4 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.6
Construction........................... 369 303 308 317 281 290 327 6.7 5.5 5.5 5.7 5.1 5.2 5.9
Manufacturing.......................... 258 239 217 235 234 239 241 2.2 2.0 1.8 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0
Trade, transportation, and utilities(5) 793 773 837 780 832 817 790 3.2 3.1 3.3 3.1 3.3 3.2 3.1
Retail trade.......................... 548 509 579 543 566 560 539 3.8 3.5 3.9 3.7 3.8 3.8 3.7
Professional and business services..... 894 792 745 850 835 855 961 5.2 4.5 4.2 4.8 4.7 4.8 5.4
Education and health services(6)........ 438 468 501 458 473 470 479 2.2 2.3 2.5 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.4
Health care and social assistance 372 402 412 396 414 408 416 2.2 2.4 2.4 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.5
Leisure and hospitality................ 688 695 700 747 753 710 732 5.2 5.2 5.2 5.5 5.5 5.2 5.4
Arts, entertainment, and recreation... 151 133 125 153 128 133 139 7.9 7.0 6.5 7.9 6.6 6.9 7.3
Accommodation and food services....... 538 562 575 594 625 577 594 4.7 4.9 5.0 5.1 5.4 4.9 5.1
Government(7)......................... 310 328 288 301 299 304 329 1.4 1.5 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.5
State and local government............. 281 292 262 269 267 271 297 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.5
REGION(8)
Northeast........................... 753 631 692 703 624 697 701 3.0 2.5 2.7 2.8 2.5 2.8 2.8
South............................... 1,523 1,592 1,598 1,571 1,678 1,556 1,643 3.2 3.3 3.3 3.3 3.5 3.2 3.4
Midwest............................. 927 905 866 970 943 971 1,047 3.1 3.0 2.9 3.2 3.1 3.2 3.5
West................................ 974 895 862 880 923 918 958 3.4 3.1 3.0 3.0 3.2 3.1 3.3
1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month.
2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series and because not all series are shown.
4 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
6 Includes educational services, not shown separately.
7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
8 See footnote 8, table 1.
p = Preliminary
Table 4. Quits levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Levels(3) (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May May Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May
2011 2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012p 2011 2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012p
Total................................. 1,996 2,008 2,002 2,072 2,159 2,114 2,120 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.6
INDUSTRY
Total private(4)........................ 1,874 1,867 1,876 1,947 2,025 1,969 1,986 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.8
Construction........................... 91 76 70 75 74 70 64 1.7 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.2
Manufacturing.......................... 109 113 97 102 112 114 108 .9 1.0 .8 .9 .9 1.0 .9
Trade, transportation, and utilities(5) 473 447 449 461 472 455 421 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.9 1.8 1.7
Retail trade.......................... 351 331 342 345 343 332 301 2.4 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.0
Professional and business services..... 366 363 352 371 380 396 430 2.1 2.1 2.0 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.4
Education and health services(6)........ 247 265 282 287 284 266 262 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.3
Health care and social assistance 217 233 251 256 253 238 234 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.4
Leisure and hospitality................ 383 388 398 425 471 445 470 2.9 2.9 2.9 3.1 3.5 3.3 3.5
Arts, entertainment, and recreation... 39 48 43 58 47 47 55 2.0 2.5 2.2 3.0 2.4 2.5 2.9
Accommodation and food services....... 344 340 355 368 425 398 415 3.0 2.9 3.1 3.2 3.6 3.4 3.6
Government(7)......................... 122 141 125 125 134 145 134 .6 .6 .6 .6 .6 .7 .6
State and local government............. 113 131 116 113 122 132 121 .6 .7 .6 .6 .6 .7 .6
REGION(8)
Northeast........................... 310 279 343 314 278 309 292 1.2 1.1 1.4 1.2 1.1 1.2 1.2
South............................... 793 816 827 825 908 855 864 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.9 1.8 1.8
Midwest............................. 454 469 412 493 508 495 506 1.5 1.6 1.4 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.7
West................................ 440 445 419 440 465 456 458 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.6
1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month.
2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
3 Detail will not necessarily add to totals because of the independent seasonal adjustment of the various series and because not all series are shown.
4 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately.
5 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not shown separately.
6 Includes educational services, not shown separately.
7 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
8 See footnote 8, table 1.
p = Preliminary
Table 5. Job openings levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May
2011 2012 2012p 2011 2012 2012p
Total........................................... 3,074 3,683 3,669 2.3 2.7 2.7
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 2,766 3,326 3,266 2.5 2.9 2.8
Mining and Logging............................ 22 16 19 2.8 1.9 2.2
Construction.................................. 121 87 97 2.1 1.6 1.7
Manufacturing................................. 236 268 330 2.0 2.2 2.7
Durable goods................................ 157 167 220 2.1 2.2 2.9
Nondurable goods............................. 80 101 110 1.8 2.2 2.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 499 580 578 2.0 2.3 2.2
Wholesale trade.............................. 84 126 127 1.5 2.2 2.2
Retail trade................................. 293 350 336 2.0 2.3 2.2
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 123 103 115 2.5 2.1 2.3
Information................................... 101 110 79 3.6 4.0 2.9
Financial activities.......................... 187 226 202 2.4 2.9 2.6
Finance and insurance........................ 142 192 149 2.4 3.2 2.5
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 46 34 53 2.3 1.7 2.6
Professional and business services............ 607 675 671 3.4 3.7 3.6
Education and health services................. 566 693 701 2.8 3.3 3.3
Educational services......................... 51 62 60 1.5 1.8 1.8
Health care and social assistance............ 515 631 641 3.0 3.6 3.6
Leisure and hospitality....................... 319 508 456 2.3 3.6 3.2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 43 77 74 2.1 4.0 3.6
Accommodation and food services............. 276 430 382 2.3 3.6 3.1
Other services................................ 106 164 135 1.9 3.0 2.4
Government..................................... 309 357 403 1.4 1.6 1.8
Federal....................................... 44 79 59 1.5 2.7 2.0
State and local............................... 265 278 344 1.3 1.4 1.7
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 563 708 695 2.2 2.7 2.7
South......................................... 1,055 1,447 1,415 2.2 2.9 2.8
Midwest....................................... 718 752 769 2.3 2.4 2.5
West.......................................... 739 776 790 2.5 2.6 2.6
1 Job openings are the number of job openings on the last business day of the month.
2 The job openings rate is the number of job openings on the last business day of the month as a
percent of total employment plus job openings.
3 See footnote 8, table 1.
p = Preliminary
Table 6. Hires levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May
2011 2012 2012p 2011 2012 2012p
Total........................................... 4,577 4,490 4,796 3.5 3.4 3.6
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 4,297 4,281 4,469 3.9 3.9 4.0
Mining and Logging............................ 32 34 37 4.2 4.2 4.4
Construction.................................. 460 366 358 8.3 6.8 6.4
Manufacturing................................. 303 271 292 2.6 2.3 2.4
Durable goods................................ 181 169 180 2.5 2.3 2.4
Nondurable goods............................. 121 102 113 2.7 2.3 2.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 864 874 893 3.5 3.5 3.5
Wholesale trade.............................. 144 146 127 2.6 2.6 2.3
Retail trade................................. 596 592 585 4.1 4.1 4.0
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 124 136 180 2.6 2.8 3.7
Information................................... 61 59 70 2.3 2.2 2.6
Financial activities.......................... 173 198 191 2.3 2.6 2.5
Finance and insurance........................ 115 115 123 2.0 2.0 2.1
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 58 83 69 3.0 4.3 3.5
Professional and business services............ 958 991 1,000 5.5 5.6 5.6
Education and health services................. 437 457 511 2.2 2.2 2.5
Educational services......................... 38 45 48 1.2 1.3 1.4
Health care and social assistance............ 399 411 463 2.4 2.4 2.7
Leisure and hospitality....................... 810 828 896 6.0 6.1 6.5
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 189 159 171 9.6 8.5 8.6
Accommodation and food services............. 621 669 725 5.4 5.8 6.1
Other services................................ 199 202 221 3.7 3.8 4.1
Government..................................... 280 209 328 1.2 .9 1.5
Federal....................................... 35 29 48 1.2 1.0 1.7
State and local............................... 245 180 279 1.2 .9 1.4
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 803 711 738 3.2 2.8 2.9
South......................................... 1,707 1,793 1,852 3.6 3.7 3.8
Midwest....................................... 1,110 1,046 1,144 3.7 3.5 3.8
West.......................................... 957 941 1,062 3.3 3.2 3.6
1 Hires are the number of hires during the entire month.
2 The hires rate is the number of hires during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
3 See footnote 8, table 1.
p = Preliminary
Table 7. Total separations levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May
2011 2012 2012p 2011 2012 2012p
Total........................................... 3,912 4,034 4,092 3.0 3.0 3.1
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 3,549 3,825 3,733 3.2 3.5 3.4
Mining and Logging............................ 16 30 28 2.1 3.7 3.3
Construction.................................. 310 277 280 5.6 5.1 5.0
Manufacturing................................. 243 246 232 2.1 2.1 1.9
Durable goods................................ 130 139 134 1.8 1.9 1.8
Nondurable goods............................. 113 107 98 2.5 2.4 2.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 776 770 744 3.1 3.1 2.9
Wholesale trade.............................. 135 105 104 2.4 1.9 1.9
Retail trade................................. 543 525 515 3.7 3.6 3.5
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 98 139 125 2.0 2.9 2.5
Information................................... 60 57 68 2.2 2.2 2.6
Financial activities.......................... 128 190 163 1.7 2.5 2.1
Finance and insurance........................ 94 127 114 1.6 2.2 2.0
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 35 64 50 1.8 3.3 2.5
Professional and business services............ 803 933 885 4.6 5.2 5.0
Education and health services................. 430 439 472 2.2 2.2 2.3
Educational services......................... 76 48 71 2.3 1.4 2.1
Health care and social assistance............ 354 392 401 2.1 2.3 2.4
Leisure and hospitality....................... 612 683 671 4.5 5.1 4.9
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 112 128 108 5.7 6.8 5.5
Accommodation and food services............. 501 555 563 4.3 4.8 4.8
Other services................................ 169 199 190 3.2 3.7 3.5
Government..................................... 363 209 358 1.6 .9 1.6
Federal....................................... 27 29 31 .9 1.0 1.1
State and local............................... 337 180 328 1.7 .9 1.7
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 658 644 602 2.6 2.5 2.4
South......................................... 1,503 1,608 1,613 3.1 3.3 3.3
Midwest....................................... 844 879 962 2.8 2.9 3.2
West.......................................... 907 903 915 3.1 3.1 3.1
1 Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month.
2 The total separations rate is the number of total separations during the entire month as a percent of
total employment.
3 See footnote 8, table 1.
p = Preliminary
Table 8. Quits levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May
2011 2012 2012p 2011 2012 2012p
Total........................................... 2,010 2,144 2,143 1.5 1.6 1.6
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 1,866 2,036 1,987 1.7 1.8 1.8
Mining and Logging............................ 10 18 16 1.3 2.1 1.9
Construction.................................. 87 70 62 1.6 1.3 1.1
Manufacturing................................. 113 120 111 1.0 1.0 .9
Durable goods................................ 59 65 59 .8 .9 .8
Nondurable goods............................. 54 56 52 1.2 1.3 1.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 491 469 426 2.0 1.9 1.7
Wholesale trade.............................. 63 51 53 1.1 .9 .9
Retail trade................................. 372 337 310 2.6 2.3 2.1
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 56 80 64 1.1 1.6 1.3
Information................................... 34 32 35 1.3 1.2 1.3
Financial activities.......................... 76 112 89 1.0 1.5 1.2
Finance and insurance........................ 51 70 61 .9 1.2 1.1
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 24 42 28 1.3 2.2 1.4
Professional and business services............ 358 406 437 2.1 2.3 2.5
Education and health services................. 244 262 256 1.2 1.3 1.3
Educational services......................... 31 24 28 .9 .7 .8
Health care and social assistance............ 213 237 228 1.3 1.4 1.3
Leisure and hospitality....................... 372 456 468 2.8 3.4 3.4
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 36 45 51 1.8 2.4 2.6
Accommodation and food services............. 337 411 417 2.9 3.5 3.5
Other services................................ 81 94 86 1.5 1.8 1.6
Government..................................... 144 107 156 .6 .5 .7
Federal....................................... 9 11 14 .3 .4 .5
State and local............................... 135 97 142 .7 .5 .7
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 300 314 277 1.2 1.2 1.1
South......................................... 812 905 887 1.7 1.9 1.8
Midwest....................................... 439 468 495 1.5 1.5 1.6
West.......................................... 459 457 484 1.6 1.6 1.6
1 Quits are the number of quits during the entire month.
2 The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of total employment.
3 See footnote 8, table 1.
p = Preliminary
Table 9. Layoffs and discharges levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May
2011 2012 2012p 2011 2012 2012p
Total........................................... 1,578 1,618 1,608 1.2 1.2 1.2
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 1,443 1,564 1,473 1.3 1.4 1.3
Mining and Logging............................ 5 11 10 .7 1.4 1.2
Construction.................................. 211 196 207 3.8 3.6 3.7
Manufacturing................................. 110 99 97 .9 .8 .8
Durable goods................................ 58 58 58 .8 .8 .8
Nondurable goods............................. 52 41 39 1.2 .9 .9
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 208 231 237 .8 .9 .9
Wholesale trade.............................. 62 43 40 1.1 .8 .7
Retail trade................................. 121 143 150 .8 1.0 1.0
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 25 44 47 .5 .9 .9
Information................................... 22 21 24 .8 .8 .9
Financial activities.......................... 36 53 46 .5 .7 .6
Finance and insurance........................ 26 34 28 .5 .6 .5
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 10 18 18 .5 .9 .9
Professional and business services............ 402 497 402 2.3 2.8 2.3
Education and health services................. 150 153 181 .8 .7 .9
Educational services......................... 38 20 39 1.2 .6 1.1
Health care and social assistance............ 112 133 142 .7 .8 .8
Leisure and hospitality....................... 220 201 175 1.6 1.5 1.3
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 73 81 54 3.7 4.3 2.8
Accommodation and food services............. 148 120 121 1.3 1.0 1.0
Other services................................ 77 101 95 1.4 1.9 1.8
Government..................................... 135 54 134 .6 .2 .6
Federal....................................... 7 7 7 .3 .3 .2
State and local............................... 128 47 128 .7 .2 .7
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 299 280 276 1.2 1.1 1.1
South......................................... 573 614 604 1.2 1.3 1.2
Midwest....................................... 333 348 386 1.1 1.2 1.3
West.......................................... 373 376 341 1.3 1.3 1.2
1 Layoffs and discharges are the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire month.
2 The layoffs and discharges rate is the number of layoffs and discharges during the entire month as a
percent of total employment.
3 See footnote 8, table 1.
p = Preliminary
Table 10. Other separations levels(1) and rates(2) by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Levels (in thousands) Rates
Industry and region May Apr. May May Apr. May
2011 2012 2012p 2011 2012 2012p
Total........................................... 324 273 341 0.2 0.2 0.3
INDUSTRY
Total private.................................. 240 225 273 .2 .2 .2
Mining and Logging............................ 1 2 2 .2 .2 .3
Construction.................................. 12 11 10 .2 .2 .2
Manufacturing................................. 20 27 24 .2 .2 .2
Durable goods................................ 13 16 17 .2 .2 .2
Nondurable goods............................. 7 10 7 .2 .2 .2
Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 77 71 80 .3 .3 .3
Wholesale trade.............................. 10 11 11 .2 .2 .2
Retail trade................................. 50 45 55 .3 .3 .4
Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 18 15 14 .4 .3 .3
Information................................... 3 4 8 .1 .2 .3
Financial activities.......................... 17 26 29 .2 .3 .4
Finance and insurance........................ 16 22 25 .3 .4 .4
Real estate and rental and leasing........... 1 4 4 (4) .2 .2
Professional and business services............ 43 30 46 .2 .2 .3
Education and health services................. 35 25 36 .2 .1 .2
Educational services......................... 7 4 4 .2 .1 .1
Health care and social assistance............ 28 21 31 .2 .1 .2
Leisure and hospitality....................... 20 27 28 .1 .2 .2
Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 3 3 3 .2 .1 .1
Accommodation and food services............. 17 24 26 .1 .2 .2
Other services................................ 11 4 10 .2 .1 .2
Government..................................... 84 47 68 .4 .2 .3
Federal....................................... 11 11 10 .4 .4 .4
State and local............................... 74 36 58 .4 .2 .3
REGION (3)
Northeast..................................... 59 50 49 .2 .2 .2
South......................................... 118 90 122 .2 .2 .3
Midwest....................................... 71 62 80 .2 .2 .3
West.......................................... 75 70 91 .3 .2 .3
1 Other separations are the number of other separations during the entire month.
2 The other separations rate is the number of other separations during the entire month as a percent of
total employment.
3 See footnote 8, table 1.
4 Data round to zero.
p = Preliminary
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
