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On the last business day of November, the number of job openings fell to 6.9 million, hires edged down to 5.7 million, and total separations were little changed at 5.5 million. Over the 12 months ending in November, hires totaled 68.0 million and separations totaled 65.6 million, yielding a net employment gain of 2.4 million. These totals include workers who may have been hired and separated more than once during the year.
Hires, job openings, and total separations, seasonally adjusted, November 2008-November 2018
Month
Hires
Job Openings
Total Separations
Nov 2008
3,954,000
2,956,000
4,605,000
Dec 2008
4,218,000
2,830,000
4,814,000
Jan 2009
4,158,000
2,767,000
4,974,000
Feb 2009
4,011,000
2,791,000
4,674,000
Mar 2009
3,730,000
2,491,000
4,536,000
Apr 2009
3,853,000
2,357,000
4,655,000
May 2009
3,793,000
2,427,000
4,146,000
Jun 2009
3,675,000
2,428,000
4,192,000
Jul 2009
3,854,000
2,196,000
4,297,000
Aug 2009
3,744,000
2,306,000
4,060,000
Sep 2009
3,859,000
2,478,000
4,084,000
Oct 2009
3,767,000
2,400,000
3,951,000
Nov 2009
3,992,000
2,350,000
3,873,000
Dec 2009
3,806,000
2,407,000
3,989,000
Jan 2010
3,880,000
2,636,000
3,894,000
Feb 2010
3,781,000
2,578,000
3,830,000
Mar 2010
4,182,000
2,666,000
3,949,000
Apr 2010
4,082,000
3,220,000
3,892,000
May 2010
4,376,000
2,891,000
3,831,000
Jun 2010
4,064,000
2,664,000
4,223,000
Jul 2010
4,116,000
2,965,000
4,278,000
Aug 2010
3,910,000
2,920,000
4,009,000
Sep 2010
3,978,000
2,767,000
4,026,000
Oct 2010
4,061,000
3,033,000
3,784,000
Nov 2010
4,101,000
2,914,000
3,843,000
Dec 2010
4,155,000
2,857,000
4,026,000
Jan 2011
3,908,000
2,940,000
3,907,000
Feb 2011
4,059,000
3,062,000
3,838,000
Mar 2011
4,290,000
3,132,000
3,980,000
Apr 2011
4,216,000
3,286,000
3,924,000
May 2011
4,114,000
3,114,000
4,035,000
Jun 2011
4,295,000
3,223,000
4,093,000
Jul 2011
4,137,000
3,476,000
4,082,000
Aug 2011
4,168,000
3,176,000
4,113,000
Sep 2011
4,317,000
3,494,000
4,114,000
Oct 2011
4,236,000
3,422,000
4,010,000
Nov 2011
4,242,000
3,152,000
4,000,000
Dec 2011
4,228,000
3,372,000
3,993,000
Jan 2012
4,299,000
3,725,000
4,013,000
Feb 2012
4,416,000
3,497,000
4,175,000
Mar 2012
4,460,000
3,830,000
4,133,000
Apr 2012
4,295,000
3,641,000
4,260,000
May 2012
4,442,000
3,693,000
4,336,000
Jun 2012
4,429,000
3,800,000
4,366,000
Jul 2012
4,270,000
3,694,000
4,141,000
Aug 2012
4,444,000
3,684,000
4,359,000
Sep 2012
4,233,000
3,521,000
4,058,000
Oct 2012
4,296,000
3,708,000
4,193,000
Nov 2012
4,401,000
3,542,000
4,170,000
Dec 2012
4,350,000
3,570,000
4,037,000
Jan 2013
4,419,000
3,805,000
4,297,000
Feb 2013
4,481,000
3,970,000
4,174,000
Mar 2013
4,310,000
3,922,000
4,114,000
Apr 2013
4,495,000
3,935,000
4,370,000
May 2013
4,575,000
3,885,000
4,357,000
Jun 2013
4,382,000
3,903,000
4,298,000
Jul 2013
4,519,000
3,872,000
4,391,000
Aug 2013
4,710,000
3,914,000
4,530,000
Sep 2013
4,683,000
3,937,000
4,513,000
Oct 2013
4,433,000
4,108,000
4,296,000
Nov 2013
4,585,000
3,845,000
4,270,000
Dec 2013
4,537,000
3,782,000
4,297,000
Jan 2014
4,612,000
3,989,000
4,456,000
Feb 2014
4,652,000
4,145,000
4,427,000
Mar 2014
4,741,000
4,204,000
4,465,000
Apr 2014
4,793,000
4,538,000
4,517,000
May 2014
4,781,000
4,609,000
4,548,000
Jun 2014
4,798,000
4,676,000
4,559,000
Jul 2014
4,987,000
4,622,000
4,789,000
Aug 2014
4,804,000
4,945,000
4,640,000
Sep 2014
5,084,000
4,588,000
4,861,000
Oct 2014
5,121,000
4,941,000
4,937,000
Nov 2014
5,038,000
4,698,000
4,610,000
Dec 2014
5,157,000
4,819,000
4,774,000
Jan 2015
5,028,000
5,111,000
4,844,000
Feb 2015
5,020,000
5,162,000
4,710,000
Mar 2015
5,071,000
5,182,000
4,997,000
Apr 2015
5,113,000
5,599,000
4,894,000
May 2015
5,117,000
5,424,000
4,784,000
Jun 2015
5,125,000
5,165,000
5,011,000
Jul 2015
5,111,000
5,863,000
4,862,000
Aug 2015
5,083,000
5,365,000
5,003,000
Sep 2015
5,147,000
5,367,000
5,053,000
Oct 2015
5,310,000
5,536,000
4,988,000
Nov 2015
5,324,000
5,225,000
4,978,000
Dec 2015
5,485,000
5,396,000
5,172,000
Jan 2016
5,122,000
5,726,000
5,045,000
Feb 2016
5,466,000
5,601,000
5,181,000
Mar 2016
5,287,000
5,944,000
5,036,000
Apr 2016
5,232,000
5,892,000
5,117,000
May 2016
5,207,000
5,695,000
5,128,000
Jun 2016
5,228,000
5,650,000
5,032,000
Jul 2016
5,324,000
5,982,000
5,052,000
Aug 2016
5,294,000
5,515,000
5,190,000
Sep 2016
5,255,000
5,650,000
4,989,000
Oct 2016
5,208,000
5,485,000
5,072,000
Nov 2016
5,279,000
5,631,000
5,041,000
Dec 2016
5,315,000
5,490,000
5,021,000
Jan 2017
5,452,000
5,442,000
5,222,000
Feb 2017
5,255,000
5,616,000
5,030,000
Mar 2017
5,289,000
5,607,000
5,171,000
Apr 2017
5,219,000
6,101,000
5,110,000
May 2017
5,478,000
5,689,000
5,265,000
Jun 2017
5,460,000
6,125,000
5,294,000
Jul 2017
5,498,000
6,202,000
5,406,000
Aug 2017
5,507,000
6,044,000
5,345,000
Sep 2017
5,375,000
6,229,000
5,346,000
Oct 2017
5,600,000
6,059,000
5,272,000
Nov 2017
5,505,000
5,931,000
5,253,000
Dec 2017
5,516,000
5,669,000
5,314,000
Jan 2018
5,568,000
6,230,000
5,319,000
Feb 2018
5,503,000
6,074,000
5,172,000
Mar 2018
5,476,000
6,638,000
5,321,000
Apr 2018
5,581,000
6,840,000
5,424,000
May 2018
5,747,000
6,659,000
5,419,000
Jun 2018
5,677,000
6,822,000
5,514,000
Jul 2018
5,713,000
7,077,000
5,596,000
Aug 2018
5,906,000
7,293,000
5,779,000
Sep 2018
5,696,000
6,960,000
5,641,000
Oct 2018
5,928,000
7,131,000
5,621,000
Nov 2018
5,710,000
6,888,000
5,507,000
November job openings level fell to 6.9 million (-243,000). The number of job openings decreased for total private (-237,000) and was little changed for government. Job openings increased in transportation, warehousing, and utilities (+40,000). The job openings level decreased in a number of industries, with the largest decreases in other services (-66,000) and construction (-45,000).
The number of hires edged down to 5.7 million (-218,000) in November. The hires level fell for total private (-236,000) and was little changed for government. Hires increased in federal government (+8,000) but decreased in professional and business services (-167,000).
The number of total separations was little changed at 5.5 million in November. The number of total separations was little changed for total private and for government. Total separations decreased in professional and business services (-122,000) and in accommodation and food services (-88,000).
These data are from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. The data are seasonally adjusted. To learn more, see “Job Openings and Labor Turnover — November 2018.” We also have more charts on hires, separations, and job openings. Total separations include quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Quits usually are voluntary separations started by the employee. Layoffs and discharges are involuntary separations started by the employer. Other separations may result from retirement, death, disability, and transfers to other locations of the same firm.
United States Department of Labor
