Technical information: ( 202) 691-5870 USDL 07-0020 http://www.bls.gov/jlt/ For release: 10:00 A.M. EST Media contact: 691-5902 Wednesday, January 10, 2007 JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER: NOVEMBER 2006 The job openings, hires, and total separations rates showed little or no change in November, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. 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 On the last business day of November 2006, there were 4.2 million job openings in the United States, and the job openings rate was 3.0 percent. The job openings rate was unchanged over the month and has shown little change since November 2005. In November 2006, the job openings rate fell in construction, manufacturing, and education and health services; the rate did not rise significantly in any industry. Geographically, the job open- ings rate increased in the West region and fell in the South region over the month. The seasonally adjusted job openings rate was highest in Novem- ber for the following industries: leisure and hospitality (4.5 percent), professional and business services (4.3 percent), and education and health services (3.8 percent). (See table 1.) Over the year, the job openings rate rose in information; health care and social assistance; arts, entertainment, and recreation; and accommodations and food services. The rate declined over the year in construction; retail trade; and finance and insurance. The job openings rate rose over the year in the Northeast and West regions. (See table 5.) Hires The hires rate was unchanged at 3.7 percent in November. Hires are any additions to the payroll during the month. In November, the hires rate did not rise significantly in any industry or region but declined in education and health services. The seasonally adjusted hires rate was highest in November in the leisure and hospitality industry (6.6 percent). (See table 2.) - 2 - Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally adjusted ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | Job openings | Hires | Total separations |-------------------------------------------------------------- Industry | Nov. | Oct. | Nov. | Nov. | Oct. | Nov. | Nov. | Oct. | Nov. | 2005 | 2006 | 2006p| 2005 | 2006 | 2006p| 2005 | 2006 | 2006p ---------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------- | Levels (in thousands) |-------------------------------------------------------------- Total (1)............|4,031 |4,248 |4,238 |4,813 |4,988 |5,003 |4,476 |4,524 |4,660 | | | | | | | | | Total private (1)..|3,604 |3,790 |3,795 |4,498 |4,615 |4,646 |4,205 |4,246 |4,367 Construction.....| 146 | 134 | 96 | 393 | 356 | 382 | 371 | 351 | 406 Manufacturing....| 333 | 364 | 338 | 335 | 358 | 361 | 388 | 344 | 343 Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | | portation, and | | | | | | | | | utilities.......| 696 | 639 | 637 | 954 | 984 | 980 |1,003 | 962 |1,011 Professional and | | | | | | | | | business ser- | | | | | | | | | vices...........| 782 | 805 | 790 | 907 | 994 |1,073 | 753 | 933 |1,008 Education and | | | | | | | | | health ser- | | | | | | | | | vices...........| 601 | 754 | 707 | 459 | 531 | 489 | 418 | 413 | 428 Leisure and | | | | | | | | | hospitality.....| 519 | 573 | 622 | 895 | 886 | 877 | 834 | 762 | 783 Government.........| 434 | 476 | 455 | 314 | 353 | 348 | 270 | 278 | 292 |-------------------------------------------------------------- | Rates (percent) |-------------------------------------------------------------- Total(1).............| 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.4 | | | | | | | | | Total private (1)..| 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.8 Construction.....| 1.9 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 5.3 | 4.8 | 5.1 | 5.0 | 4.7 | 5.4 Manufacturing....| 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.7 | 2.4 | 2.4 Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | | portation, and | | | | | | | | | utilities.......| 2.6 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.9 Professional and | | | | | | | | | business ser- | | | | | | | | | vices...........| 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 5.3 | 5.7 | 6.1 | 4.4 | 5.3 | 5.8 Education and | | | | | | | | | health ser- | | | | | | | | | vices...........| 3.3 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 2.7 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.4 Leisure and | | | | | | | | | hospitality.....| 3.9 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 6.9 | 6.7 | 6.6 | 6.5 | 5.8 | 5.9 Government.........| 1.9 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately. p = preliminary. From November 2005 to November 2006, the hires rate rose in retail trade and in professional and business services but fell in transportation, ware- housing, and utilities and in other services. The hires rate did not rise or decline significantly in any region over the year. (See table 6.) Separations The total separations, or turnover, rate was little changed at 3.4 per- cent in November. Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any time during the month. In November, the total separations rate did not increase or decrease significantly in any industry. Geographically, the separations rate rose in the South region over the month. From Novem- ber 2005 to November 2006, the total separations rate increased in real estate and rental and leasing; and in professional and business services. The total separations rate also increased in the South region. The total separations rate did not decline significantly in any industry or region over the year. (See tables 3 and 7.) - 3 - Total separations include quits (voluntary separations), layoffs and discharges (involuntary separations), and other separations (including retirements). The quits rate, which can serve as a barometer of workers’ ability to change jobs, rose to 2.1 percent in November. Over the month, the quits rate rose in trade, transportation, and utilities and in pro- fessional and business services. The quits rate also rose in the South region. In November, the seasonally adjusted quits rate was highest in the leisure and hospitality industry (4.2 percent), which also had the highest hires rate. (See table 4.) Over the year, the quits rate rose in finance and insurance; real estate and rental and leasing; and professional and business services. The quits rate also rose in the Northeast region. Over the same time period, the quits rate fell in the other services industry. (See table 8.) The other two components of total separations--layoffs and discharges, and other separations--are not seasonally adjusted. The layoffs and discharges rate, at 1.2 percent, was unchanged from the prior year. For November 2006, the arts, entertainment, and recreation industry had the highest layoffs and discharges rate (5.0 percent). From November 2005 to November 2006, the other separations rate was unchanged at 0.2 percent. (See tables 9 and 10.) Flows in the Labor Market Hires and separations data help show dynamic flows in the labor market. Over the 12 months ending in November 2006, hires have averaged 4.9 million per month and separations have averaged 4.5 million per month (not season- ally adjusted). The comparable figures for the prior 12-month period were 4.8 million hires and 4.6 million separations. (See the Technical Note for additional information on these measures.) For More Information For additional information, please read the Technical Note or visit the JOLTS Web site at http://www.bls.gov/jlt/. Additional information about JOLTS also may be obtained by e-mailing Joltsinfo@bls.gov or by calling (202) 691-5870. ______________________________ The Job Openings and Labor Turnover release for December 2006 is scheduled to be issued on Tuesday, February 6. The remaining release dates for 2007 are as follows: March 13 July 10 November 6 April 10 August 8 December 11 May 8 September 11 June 12 October 10 - 4 - 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 Each month, data are collected in a survey of business establishments for total employment, job openings, hires, quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Data collection methods include computer-assisted telephone interviewing, touchtone data entry, fax, 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 2002 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 characteris- tics 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 re- ceived 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 tempo- rary help agencies, employee leasing companies, outside contractors, and consultants are counted by their employer of record, not by the establish- ment 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 posi- tion, 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 news- papers 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. - 5 - Hires. Hires are the total number of additions to the payroll occurring at any time during the reference month, including both new and rehired em- ployees, full-time and part-time, permanent, short-term and seasonal em- ployees, 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 (ex- cept for retirements, which are reported as other separations). Lay- offs and discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the em- ployer 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 re- tirements, 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, divid- ing 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 an- nual level by the Current Employment Statistics (CES) annual average employ- ment level, and multiplying that quotient by 100. This figure will be ap- proximately 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 es- timates will be 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. - 6 - Sample methodology The JOLTS sample design is a random sample of 16,000 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 eight million establishments compiled as part of the operations of the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, or 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 size class. Large firms fall into the sample with virtual certainty. JOLTS total employment estimates are controlled to the 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. Rates are then computed from the adjusted levels. Using JOLTS data The JOLTS data series on job openings, hires, and separations are rel- atively 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 supple- mental 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 compar- able with estimates for March 2002 and later. The federal government reorganization that involved transferring approx- imately 180,000 employees to the new Department of Homeland Security is not reflected in the JOLTS hires and separations estimates for the federal gov- ernment. The Office of Personnel Management's record shows these transfers were completed in March 2003. The inclusion of transfers in the JOLTS defi- nitions of hires and separations is intended to cover ongoing movements of workers between establishments. The Department of Homeland Security reorgan- ization was a massive one-time event, and the inclusion of these intergovern- mental transfers would distort the federal government time series. 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 adjust- ment 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. - 7 - Data users should note that seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS series is conducted with fewer data observations than is customary. The historical data, therefore, may be subject to larger than normal revisions. Since the seasonal patterns in economic data series typically emerge over time, the standard use of moving averages as seasonal filters to capture these effects requires longer series than are currently available. As a result, the stable seasonal filter option is used in the seasonal adjustment of the JOLTS data. When calculating seasonal factors, this filter takes an average for each cal- endar month after detrending the series. The stable seasonal filter assumes that the seasonal factors are fixed; a necessary assumption until sufficient data are available. When the stable seasonal filter is no longer needed, other program features also may be introduced, such as outlier adjustment and extended diagnostic testing. Additionally, it is expected that more series, such as layoffs and discharges and additional industries, may be seasonally adjusted when more data are available. 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 seg- ment 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. JOLTS hires and separations estimates cannot be used to exactly ex- plain net changes in nonfarm payroll employment. Some reasons why it is problematic to compare changes in payroll employment with JOLTS hires and separations, especially on a monthly basis, are: 1) the reference period for payroll employment is the pay period including the 12th of the month, while the reference period for hires and separations is the calendar month; and 2) payroll employment can vary from month to month simply because part- time and on-call workers may not always work during the pay period that in- cludes the 12th of the month. Additionally, research has found that some reporters systematically underreport separations relative to hires due to a number of factors, including the nature of their payroll systems and prac- tices. The shortfall appears to be about 2 percent or less over a 12-month period. Other information Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; TDD message referral phone: 1-800-877-8339. Table 1. Job openings levels (1) and rates (2) by industry and region, seasonally adjusted Levels (3) (in thousands) Rates Industry and region Nov. June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Nov. June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p Total (4).............................. 4,031 3,960 3,844 4,061 4,154 4,248 4,238 2.9 2.8 2.8 2.9 3.0 3.0 3.0 INDUSTRY Total private (4)..................... 3,604 3,476 3,363 3,604 3,659 3,790 3,795 3.1 3.0 2.9 3.1 3.1 3.2 3.2 Construction......................... 146 161 148 162 140 134 96 1.9 2.1 1.9 2.1 1.8 1.8 1.3 Manufacturing........................ 333 301 305 310 307 364 338 2.3 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.5 2.3 Trade, transportation, and utilities. 696 640 605 686 736 639 637 2.6 2.4 2.3 2.6 2.7 2.4 2.4 Professional and business services... 782 616 651 661 728 805 790 4.4 3.4 3.6 3.7 4.0 4.4 4.3 Education and health services........ 601 659 643 678 691 754 707 3.3 3.6 3.5 3.7 3.7 4.0 3.8 Leisure and hospitality.............. 519 487 482 501 520 573 622 3.9 3.6 3.6 3.7 3.8 4.2 4.5 Government............................ 434 467 478 464 492 476 455 1.9 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.2 2.1 2.0 REGION (5) Northeast............................ 704 699 699 747 824 791 807 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.8 3.1 3.0 3.0 South................................ 1,562 1,507 1,498 1,548 1,582 1,630 1,532 3.2 3.0 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.1 Midwest.............................. 748 777 739 809 783 764 769 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.5 2.4 2.4 2.4 West................................. 1,046 935 911 955 991 1,062 1,142 3.4 3.0 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.4 3.7 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. 4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately. 5 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 Nov. June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Nov. June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p Total (4).............................. 4,813 4,899 4,995 4,831 4,803 4,988 5,003 3.6 3.6 3.7 3.6 3.5 3.7 3.7 INDUSTRY Total private (4)..................... 4,498 4,508 4,741 4,396 4,395 4,615 4,646 4.0 4.0 4.2 3.9 3.9 4.1 4.1 Construction......................... 393 366 365 351 338 356 382 5.3 4.9 4.9 4.7 4.5 4.8 5.1 Manufacturing........................ 335 378 380 353 325 358 361 2.4 2.7 2.7 2.5 2.3 2.5 2.5 Trade, transportation, and utilities. 954 1,099 1,045 1,070 968 984 980 3.7 4.2 4.0 4.1 3.7 3.8 3.8 Professional and business services... 907 905 967 860 988 994 1,073 5.3 5.2 5.6 4.9 5.7 5.7 6.1 Education and health services........ 459 465 521 482 465 531 489 2.6 2.6 2.9 2.7 2.6 3.0 2.7 Leisure and hospitality.............. 895 846 850 794 827 886 877 6.9 6.5 6.5 6.1 6.3 6.7 6.6 Government............................ 314 392 338 409 380 353 348 1.4 1.8 1.5 1.9 1.7 1.6 1.6 REGION (5) Northeast............................ 747 729 841 738 718 731 721 3.0 2.9 3.3 2.9 2.8 2.9 2.8 South................................ 1,813 1,877 1,849 1,907 1,993 1,944 1,930 3.8 3.9 3.8 3.9 4.1 4.0 4.0 Midwest.............................. 1,031 1,072 1,123 1,008 997 1,096 1,043 3.3 3.4 3.6 3.2 3.1 3.5 3.3 West................................. 1,188 1,207 1,177 1,160 1,122 1,204 1,274 4.0 4.0 3.9 3.9 3.7 4.0 4.2 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. 4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately. 5 See footnote 5, 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 Nov. June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Nov. June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p Total (4).............................. 4,476 4,631 4,479 4,386 4,380 4,524 4,660 3.3 3.4 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.4 INDUSTRY Total private (4)..................... 4,205 4,299 4,168 4,083 4,050 4,246 4,367 3.7 3.8 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.7 3.8 Construction......................... 371 324 415 348 332 351 406 5.0 4.3 5.5 4.6 4.4 4.7 5.4 Manufacturing........................ 388 370 358 364 391 344 343 2.7 2.6 2.5 2.6 2.8 2.4 2.4 Trade, transportation, and utilities. 1,003 1,082 935 997 1,004 962 1,011 3.9 4.2 3.6 3.8 3.9 3.7 3.9 Professional and business services... 753 755 735 705 781 933 1,008 4.4 4.4 4.2 4.1 4.5 5.3 5.8 Education and health services........ 418 424 431 460 390 413 428 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.6 2.2 2.3 2.4 Leisure and hospitality.............. 834 802 818 801 711 762 783 6.5 6.2 6.3 6.1 5.4 5.8 5.9 Government............................ 270 315 306 304 322 278 292 1.2 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.3 1.3 REGION (5) Northeast............................ 619 724 763 695 766 763 685 2.4 2.8 3.0 2.7 3.0 3.0 2.7 South................................ 1,711 1,858 1,687 1,703 1,659 1,599 1,928 3.6 3.8 3.5 3.5 3.4 3.3 4.0 Midwest.............................. 1,081 871 1,087 942 904 1,028 990 3.5 2.8 3.4 3.0 2.9 3.2 3.1 West................................. 1,004 1,137 979 1,070 1,031 1,101 1,044 3.4 3.8 3.3 3.6 3.4 3.7 3.5 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. 4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately. 5 See footnote 5, 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 Nov. June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Nov. June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006p Total (4).............................. 2,683 2,699 2,623 2,597 2,473 2,606 2,806 2.0 2.0 1.9 1.9 1.8 1.9 2.1 INDUSTRY Total private (4)..................... 2,540 2,554 2,469 2,442 2,309 2,461 2,661 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.2 2.0 2.2 2.3 Construction......................... 183 154 157 143 131 135 143 2.5 2.0 2.1 1.9 1.7 1.8 1.9 Manufacturing........................ 210 190 189 194 182 195 213 1.5 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.5 Trade, transportation, and utilities. 606 615 586 604 594 571 659 2.3 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.5 Professional and business services... 359 386 412 388 401 425 500 2.1 2.2 2.4 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.9 Education and health services........ 277 290 277 300 262 278 280 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.5 1.6 1.6 Leisure and hospitality.............. 595 622 549 542 495 544 557 4.6 4.8 4.2 4.1 3.8 4.1 4.2 Government............................ 142 146 156 153 159 143 145 .6 .7 .7 .7 .7 .6 .7 REGION (5) Northeast............................ 333 358 378 404 383 366 407 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.6 South................................ 1,102 1,153 1,081 1,095 1,029 1,047 1,149 2.3 2.4 2.2 2.3 2.1 2.2 2.4 Midwest.............................. 572 552 562 551 522 605 577 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.7 1.6 1.9 1.8 West................................. 657 631 598 553 544 579 628 2.2 2.1 2.0 1.8 1.8 1.9 2.1 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. 4 Includes natural resources and mining, information, financial activities, and other services, not shown separately. 5 See footnote 5, 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 Nov. Oct. Nov. Nov. Oct. Nov. 2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p Total........................................... 3,721 4,288 3,916 2.7 3.0 2.8 INDUSTRY Total private.................................. 3,305 3,833 3,483 2.8 3.2 3.0 Natural resources and mining.................. 14 16 14 2.1 2.2 2.0 Construction.................................. 123 119 79 1.6 1.5 1.0 Manufacturing................................. 290 355 296 2.0 2.4 2.0 Durable goods................................ 197 221 193 2.2 2.4 2.1 Nondurable goods............................. 93 134 104 1.7 2.5 2.0 Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 655 755 596 2.4 2.8 2.2 Wholesale trade.............................. 102 130 105 1.7 2.2 1.8 Retail trade................................. 426 483 366 2.6 3.1 2.3 Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 127 143 126 2.5 2.7 2.4 Information................................... 99 137 163 3.1 4.3 5.1 Financial activities.......................... 276 238 231 3.3 2.8 2.7 Finance and insurance........................ 221 193 181 3.5 3.0 2.8 Real estate and rental and leasing........... 56 46 50 2.5 2.1 2.2 Professional and business services............ 738 816 760 4.1 4.4 4.1 Education and health services................. 567 743 661 3.1 4.0 3.5 Educational services......................... 64 69 50 2.1 2.2 1.6 Health care and social assistance............ 503 674 611 3.3 4.3 3.9 Leisure and hospitality....................... 438 508 546 3.4 3.7 4.0 Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 46 72 74 2.6 3.7 4.0 Accommodations and food services............. 392 436 472 3.5 3.7 4.1 Other services................................ 105 144 137 1.9 2.6 2.5 Government..................................... 416 455 432 1.8 2.0 1.9 Federal....................................... 38 41 33 1.4 1.5 1.2 State and local............................... 378 414 399 1.9 2.1 2.0 REGION (3) Northeast..................................... 678 845 781 2.6 3.2 2.9 South......................................... 1,449 1,607 1,417 2.9 3.2 2.8 Midwest....................................... 662 770 678 2.1 2.4 2.1 West.......................................... 931 1,066 1,040 3.0 3.4 3.3 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 5, 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 Nov. Oct. Nov. Nov. Oct. Nov. 2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p Total........................................... 4,359 4,991 4,531 3.2 3.6 3.3 INDUSTRY Total private.................................. 4,105 4,654 4,257 3.6 4.1 3.7 Natural resources and mining.................. 18 19 12 2.7 2.7 1.8 Construction.................................. 298 325 295 4.0 4.2 3.9 Manufacturing................................. 269 337 292 1.9 2.4 2.1 Durable goods................................ 166 194 171 1.9 2.2 1.9 Nondurable goods............................. 103 143 121 2.0 2.7 2.3 Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 1,126 1,137 1,152 4.3 4.3 4.3 Wholesale trade.............................. 112 140 105 1.9 2.4 1.8 Retail trade................................. 810 834 903 5.2 5.5 5.8 Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 205 162 144 4.1 3.2 2.9 Information................................... 94 73 75 3.1 2.4 2.4 Financial activities.......................... 197 217 201 2.4 2.6 2.4 Finance and insurance........................ 123 141 126 2.0 2.3 2.0 Real estate and rental and leasing........... 75 76 75 3.5 3.5 3.5 Professional and business services............ 793 1,003 959 4.6 5.7 5.5 Education and health services................. 388 538 412 2.2 3.0 2.3 Educational services......................... 48 72 37 1.6 2.3 1.2 Health care and social assistance............ 340 466 375 2.3 3.1 2.5 Leisure and hospitality....................... 741 797 731 5.9 6.1 5.7 Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 81 80 119 4.6 4.2 6.7 Accommodations and food services............. 660 717 612 6.1 6.4 5.5 Other services................................ 180 208 128 3.4 3.8 2.4 Government..................................... 254 337 274 1.1 1.5 1.2 Federal....................................... 32 32 43 1.2 1.2 1.6 State and local............................... 222 305 231 1.1 1.5 1.2 REGION (3) Northeast..................................... 700 746 664 2.7 2.9 2.6 South......................................... 1,623 1,942 1,733 3.4 4.0 3.5 Midwest....................................... 930 1,069 930 2.9 3.4 2.9 West.......................................... 1,106 1,234 1,204 3.7 4.1 4.0 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 5, 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 Nov. Oct. Nov. Nov. Oct. Nov. 2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p Total........................................... 4,152 4,571 4,346 3.1 3.3 3.2 INDUSTRY Total private.................................. 3,954 4,335 4,136 3.5 3.8 3.6 Natural resources and mining.................. 14 15 13 2.1 2.1 1.9 Construction.................................. 401 360 442 5.3 4.7 5.9 Manufacturing................................. 376 361 325 2.6 2.5 2.3 Durable goods................................ 223 205 199 2.5 2.3 2.2 Nondurable goods............................. 153 155 126 2.9 3.0 2.4 Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 934 940 939 3.5 3.6 3.5 Wholesale trade.............................. 135 135 127 2.3 2.3 2.2 Retail trade................................. 638 638 679 4.1 4.2 4.3 Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 160 168 134 3.2 3.3 2.7 Information................................... 82 77 72 2.7 2.5 2.4 Financial activities.......................... 142 247 199 1.7 3.0 2.4 Finance and insurance........................ 83 149 108 1.4 2.4 1.8 Real estate and rental and leasing........... 58 98 90 2.7 4.5 4.2 Professional and business services............ 672 892 907 3.9 5.1 5.2 Education and health services................. 344 378 353 1.9 2.1 1.9 Educational services......................... 36 35 36 1.2 1.2 1.2 Health care and social assistance............ 308 343 317 2.1 2.3 2.1 Leisure and hospitality....................... 816 904 767 6.5 6.9 5.9 Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 124 158 126 7.0 8.4 7.1 Accommodations and food services............. 692 745 640 6.4 6.6 5.7 Other services................................ 175 162 119 3.3 3.0 2.2 Government..................................... 198 237 210 .9 1.1 .9 Federal....................................... 29 32 30 1.1 1.2 1.1 State and local............................... 169 205 180 .9 1.0 .9 REGION (3) Northeast..................................... 587 789 635 2.3 3.1 2.5 South......................................... 1,503 1,662 1,705 3.1 3.4 3.5 Midwest....................................... 1,087 1,011 1,000 3.4 3.2 3.1 West.......................................... 976 1,110 1,006 3.3 3.7 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 See footnote 5, 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 Nov. Oct. Nov. Nov. Oct. Nov. 2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p Total........................................... 2,313 2,556 2,414 1.7 1.9 1.8 INDUSTRY Total private.................................. 2,203 2,437 2,305 1.9 2.1 2.0 Natural resources and mining.................. 9 8 7 1.3 1.2 .9 Construction.................................. 158 141 119 2.1 1.8 1.6 Manufacturing................................. 162 200 167 1.1 1.4 1.2 Durable goods................................ 105 108 99 1.2 1.2 1.1 Nondurable goods............................. 57 91 67 1.1 1.7 1.3 Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 550 567 607 2.1 2.2 2.3 Wholesale trade.............................. 48 66 71 .8 1.1 1.2 Retail trade................................. 432 427 462 2.8 2.8 3.0 Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 70 73 75 1.4 1.5 1.5 Information................................... 53 49 48 1.7 1.6 1.6 Financial activities.......................... 80 161 121 1.0 1.9 1.5 Finance and insurance........................ 56 106 75 .9 1.7 1.2 Real estate and rental and leasing........... 23 55 46 1.1 2.5 2.1 Professional and business services............ 313 402 438 1.8 2.3 2.5 Education and health services................. 234 263 234 1.3 1.5 1.3 Educational services......................... 23 17 19 .8 .6 .6 Health care and social assistance............ 210 246 215 1.4 1.6 1.4 Leisure and hospitality....................... 527 572 497 4.2 4.4 3.8 Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 36 64 35 2.0 3.4 2.0 Accommodations and food services............. 491 509 462 4.5 4.5 4.1 Other services................................ 118 74 66 2.2 1.4 1.2 Government..................................... 109 119 109 .5 .5 .5 Federal....................................... 17 15 15 .6 .5 .5 State and local............................... 93 104 95 .5 .5 .5 REGION (3) Northeast..................................... 281 372 354 1.1 1.4 1.4 South......................................... 945 1,064 988 2.0 2.2 2.0 Midwest....................................... 514 581 518 1.6 1.8 1.6 West.......................................... 572 538 554 1.9 1.8 1.8 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 5, 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 Nov. Oct. Nov. Nov. Oct. Nov. 2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p Total........................................... 1,560 1,697 1,645 1.2 1.2 1.2 INDUSTRY Total private.................................. 1,499 1,611 1,572 1.3 1.4 1.4 Natural resources and mining.................. 4 4 4 .6 .6 .6 Construction.................................. 212 186 292 2.8 2.4 3.9 Manufacturing................................. 172 135 137 1.2 .9 1.0 Durable goods................................ 86 81 89 1.0 .9 1.0 Nondurable goods............................. 86 54 48 1.6 1.0 .9 Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 332 296 267 1.3 1.1 1.0 Wholesale trade.............................. 80 62 44 1.4 1.1 .8 Retail trade................................. 174 167 171 1.1 1.1 1.1 Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 79 67 52 1.6 1.3 1.0 Information................................... 23 23 18 .8 .7 .6 Financial activities.......................... 52 65 67 .6 .8 .8 Finance and insurance........................ 19 30 23 .3 .5 .4 Real estate and rental and leasing........... 34 35 43 1.6 1.6 2.0 Professional and business services............ 308 432 403 1.8 2.5 2.3 Education and health services................. 89 88 88 .5 .5 .5 Educational services......................... 11 15 12 .4 .5 .4 Health care and social assistance............ 78 73 76 .5 .5 .5 Leisure and hospitality....................... 267 312 254 2.1 2.4 2.0 Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... 88 93 89 5.0 4.9 5.0 Accommodations and food services............. 179 219 166 1.7 2.0 1.5 Other services................................ 40 71 43 .7 1.3 .8 Government..................................... 61 86 73 .3 .4 .3 Federal....................................... 7 10 8 .3 .4 .3 State and local............................... 54 76 65 .3 .4 .3 REGION (3) Northeast..................................... 263 359 216 1.0 1.4 .8 South......................................... 467 475 623 1.0 1.0 1.3 Midwest....................................... 496 375 413 1.6 1.2 1.3 West.......................................... 335 489 393 1.1 1.6 1.3 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 5, 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 Nov. Oct. Nov. Nov. Oct. Nov. 2005 2006 2006p 2005 2006 2006p Total........................................... 279 318 287 0.2 0.2 0.2 INDUSTRY Total private.................................. 252 286 260 .2 .2 .2 Natural resources and mining.................. 2 2 3 .3 .3 .4 Construction.................................. 31 33 31 .4 .4 .4 Manufacturing................................. 42 26 22 .3 .2 .2 Durable goods................................ 33 16 11 .4 .2 .1 Nondurable goods............................. 10 10 11 .2 .2 .2 Trade, transportation, and utilities.......... 51 77 65 .2 .3 .2 Wholesale trade.............................. 8 7 11 .1 .1 .2 Retail trade................................. 33 43 46 .2 .3 .3 Transportation, warehousing, and utilities... 11 27 8 .2 .5 .2 Information................................... 5 5 6 .2 .2 .2 Financial activities.......................... 10 21 11 .1 .2 .1 Finance and insurance........................ 8 13 10 .1 .2 .2 Real estate and rental and leasing........... 1 8 1 .1 .4 (4) Professional and business services............ 51 58 66 .3 .3 .4 Education and health services................. 21 28 31 .1 .2 .2 Educational services......................... 2 4 5 .1 .1 .1 Health care and social assistance............ 19 25 26 .1 .2 .2 Leisure and hospitality....................... 22 19 15 .2 .1 .1 Arts, entertainment, and recreation.......... (4) 2 2 (4) .1 .1 Accommodations and food services............. 21 18 13 .2 .2 .1 Other services................................ 18 17 10 .3 .3 .2 Government..................................... 27 32 28 .1 .1 .1 Federal....................................... 5 7 7 .2 .2 .3 State and local............................... 22 26 20 .1 .1 .1 REGION (3) Northeast..................................... 43 58 66 .2 .2 .3 South......................................... 91 123 94 .2 .3 .2 Midwest....................................... 77 54 69 .2 .2 .2 West.......................................... 68 83 59 .2 .3 .2 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 5, table 1. 4 Data round to zero. p = preliminary.