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Impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on Job Openings and Labor Turnover data for January 2021

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) national estimates of job openings, hires, and separations have been affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This page provides further information on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic for the January 2021 JOLTS news release.

More information on the JOLTS methodology can be found in the JOLTS Handbook of Methods chapter.

Collection mode

Data collection for JOLTS was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, JOLTS collected 42 percent of data by phone at the JOLTS data collection center on average. Most phone respondents were asked to report electronically. However, data collection was adversely affected by the inability to reach some respondents that normally respond by phone.

Table 1. Percent of establishments responding to the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey by collection mode
Collection mode 12-month average through February 2020 March 2020 April 2020 May 2020 June 2020 July 2020 August 2020 September 2020 October 2020 November 2020 December 2020 January 2021

Phone

42% 19% 27% 28% 32% 31% 32% 33% 29% 30% 31% 31%

Web

52% 75% 68% 67% 62% 65% 63% 62% 66% 65% 64% 64%

Other

6% 6% 5% 5% 6% 4% 5% 6% 6% 5% 6% 5%

Response rates

The preliminary JOLTS response rate for January 2021 was 43 percent. In December 2020, the final response rate was 48 percent. In the year prior to the pandemic, the preliminary response rate averaged 54 percent and the final response rate averaged 58 percent.

In January 2021, JOLTS response rates declined in all size classes and industries. The industries most affected were state and local government education and state and local government, excluding education.

Table 2. Response rates for the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey
Time period Preliminary rate Final rate

12-month average through February 2020

54% 58%

March 2020

46% 51%

April 2020

44% 49%

May 2020

45% 51%

June 2020

47% 50%

July 2020

46% 50%

August 2020

47% 50%

September 2020

47% 50%

October 2020

45% 49%

November 2020

43% 47%

December 2020

42% 48%

January 2021

43% Not available

Imputation

JOLTS imputation for January resulted in very few cells with more imputation relative to the previous year. The industries that generally experienced more imputation were retail trade and real estate and rental and leasing.

Changes to methods

At the onset of the pandemic, the JOLTS program reviewed all estimation and methodological procedures. Changes to the JOLTS estimation and seasonal adjustment methods are described below.

Estimation

For the January 2021 preliminary and the December 2020 final JOLTS estimates, there was no suppression of the alignment process. The JOLTS hires minus separations and over-the-month nonfarm employment changes are no longer significantly different. Please see below for further explanation.

BLS modified the JOLTS estimates for the March preliminary through the November preliminary estimates to better reflect the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and produce the highest quality JOLTS estimates possible. The estimation process usually includes an alignment of monthly hires minus separations to the over-the-month change in the Current Employment Statistics (CES) employment estimates. BLS suspended the alignment process during this time frame because the differing reference periods for the CES employment estimates (pay period including the 12th of the month) and the JOLTS hires and separations estimates (the entire reference month) led to different measurement outcomes. For example, hires and separations during the latter half of April were not included in the CES employment change for April, but were included in the JOLTS data for the month.

The alignment portion of the JOLTS estimation process was designed to correct a long-term divergence between the JOLTS implied employment change and the CES employment change. JOLTS hires minus separations and CES employment change generally approximate one another. Alignment was developed to correct small monthly discrepancies between the two series that build up over time; it was not designed to address a substantial short-term divergence between the two series.

Seasonal Adjustment

Seasonal adjustment factors can be either multiplicative or additive. A multiplicative seasonal effect is assumed to be proportional to the level of the series. A sudden large increase in the level of the series will be accompanied by a proportionally large seasonal effect. In contrast, an additive seasonal effect is assumed to be unaffected by the level of the series. In times of relative economic stability, the multiplicative option is generally preferred over the additive option. However, in the presence of a large level shift in a time series, multiplicative seasonal adjustment factors can result in systematic over- or under-adjustment of the series; in such cases, additive seasonal adjustment factors are preferred since they tend to more accurately track seasonal fluctuations in the series and have smaller revisions.

In accordance with the survey’s usual practice, the seasonal adjustment factors were reviewed through the calendar year ending in December 2020, and 5 years of seasonally adjusted estimates were revised. The majority of the JOLTS series will retain the additive designation.

Comparison of current month estimates with past monthly JOLTS estimates

Please see the following tables for a comparison of January 2021 estimates to historical levels.

Table 3a. Job openings by sector and region (numbers in thousands)
Sector and region January 2021 level Monthly change Monthly percent change Last time level was smaller or equal or next closest Last time level was larger or equal or next closest Last time monthly change was smaller or equal or next closest Last time monthly change was larger or equal or next closest Last time monthly percent change was smaller or equal or next closest Last time monthly percent change was larger or equal or next closest

Total nonfarm

6,917 165 2.4 Dec 2020 6,752 Feb 2020 7,012 Dec 2020 -14 Oct 2020 262 Dec 2020 -0.2 Oct 2020 4.0

Total private

6,236 142 2.3 Dec 2020 6,094 Feb 2020 6,241 Dec 2020 16 Oct 2020 270 Dec 2020 0.3 Oct 2020 4.6

Government

681 22 3.3 Dec 2020 659 Nov 2020 688 Dec 2020 -29 Jul 2020 127 Dec 2020 -4.2 Jul 2020 18.8

Region

Northeast

1,150 8 0.7 Dec 2020 1,142 Nov 2020 1,166 Dec 2020 -24 Oct 2020 82 Dec 2020 -2.1 Oct 2020 7.5

South

2,714 69 2.6 Dec 2020 2,645 Oct 2020 2,717 Dec 2020 22 Oct 2020 72 Dec 2020 0.8 Oct 2020 2.7

Midwest

1,525 60 4.1 Dec 2020 1,465 Jul 2020 1,562 Dec 2020 10 Jul 2020 202 Dec 2020 0.7 Jul 2020 14.9

West

1,528 27 1.8 Dec 2020 1,501 Feb 2020 1,656 Dec 2020 -21 Oct 2020 54 Dec 2020 -1.4 Oct 2020 3.7
Table 3b. Hires by sector and region (numbers in thousands)
Sector and region January 2021 level Monthly change Monthly percent change Last time level was smaller or equal or next closest Last time level was larger or equal or next closest Last time monthly change was smaller or equal or next closest Last time monthly change was larger or equal or next closest Last time monthly percent change was smaller or equal or next closest Last time monthly percent change was larger or equal or next closest

Total nonfarm

5,301 -110 -2.0 Apr 2020 3,942 Dec 2020 5,411 Dec 2020 -608 Nov 2020 -16 Dec 2020 -10.1 Nov 2020 -0.3

Total private

4,965 -107 -2.1 Apr 2020 3,718 Dec 2020 5,072 Dec 2020 -577 Nov 2020 -47 Dec 2020 -10.2 Nov 2020 -0.8

Government

337 -2 -0.6 Sep 2020 325 Dec 2020 339 Dec 2020 -31 Nov 2020 31 Dec 2020 -8.4 Nov 2020 9.1

Region

Northeast

859 -8 -0.9 Apr 2020 558 Dec 2020 867 Dec 2020 -70 Oct 2020 23 Dec 2020 -7.5 Oct 2020 2.4

South

1,955 -201 -9.3 Apr 2020 1,487 Dec 2020 2,156 Dec 2020 -302 Nov 2020 45 Dec 2020 -12.3 Nov 2020 1.9

Midwest

1,192 -11 -0.9 Apr 2020 923 Dec 2020 1,203 Dec 2020 -113 Nov 2020 86 Dec 2020 -8.6 Nov 2020 7.0

West

1,295 111 9.4 Dec 2020 1,184 Nov 2020 1,309 Dec 2020 -125 May 2020 1,239 Dec 2020 -9.5 May 2020 127.1
Table 3c. Total separations by sector and region (numbers in thousands)
Sector and region January 2021 level Monthly change Monthly percent change Last time level was smaller or equal or next closest Last time level was larger or equal or next closest Last time monthly change was smaller or equal or next closest Last time monthly change was larger or equal or next closest Last time monthly percent change was smaller or equal or next closest Last time monthly percent change was larger or equal or next closest

Total nonfarm

5,307 -275 -4.9 Sep 2020 5,235 Dec 2020 5,582 Aug 2020 -491 Dec 2020 -162 Aug 2020 -9.1 Dec 2020 -2.8

Total private

4,983 -253 -4.8 Oct 2020 4,878 Dec 2020 5,236 Aug 2020 -445 Dec 2020 -69 Aug 2020 -9.0 Dec 2020 -1.3

Government

325 -21 -6.1 Jun 2017 320 Dec 2020 346 Dec 2020 -93 Oct 2020 119 Dec 2020 -21.2 Oct 2020 27.7

Region

Northeast

813 -45 -5.2 Sep 2020 753 Dec 2020 858 Dec 2020 -46 Nov 2020 12 Aug 2020 -8.9 Dec 2020 -5.1

South

2,086 -100 -4.6 Aug 2020 1,985 Dec 2020 2,186 May 2020 -2,108 Dec 2020 10 May 2020 -54.0 Dec 2020 0.5

Midwest

1,071 -95 -8.1 May 2020 980 Dec 2020 1,166 Dec 2020 -142 Nov 2020 106 Dec 2020 -10.9 Nov 2020 8.8

West

1,338 -34 -2.5 Oct 2020 1,157 Dec 2020 1,372 Oct 2020 -68 Dec 2020 17 Oct 2020 -5.6 Dec 2020 1.3
Table 3d. Layoffs and discharges by sector and region (numbers in thousands)
Sector and region January 2021 level Monthly change Monthly percent change Last time level was smaller or equal or next closest Last time level was larger or equal or next closest Last time monthly change was smaller or equal or next closest Last time monthly change was larger or equal or next closest Last time monthly percent change was smaller or equal or next closest Last time monthly percent change was larger or equal or next closest

Total nonfarm

1,687 -136 -7.5 Sep 2020 1,555 Dec 2020 1,823 Dec 2020 -300 Nov 2020 395 Dec 2020 -14.1 Nov 2020 22.9

Total private

1,592 -142 -8.2 Oct 2020 1,483 Dec 2020 1,734 Dec 2020 -196 Nov 2020 447 Dec 2020 -10.2 Nov 2020 30.1

Government

94 5 5.6 Dec 2020 89 Nov 2020 194 Dec 2020 -105 Oct 2020 96 Dec 2020 -54.1 Oct 2020 64.4

Region

Northeast

317 -39 -11.0 Sep 2020 257 Dec 2020 356 Jul 2020 -92 Dec 2020 -26 Jul 2020 -22.7 Dec 2020 -6.8

South

567 -9 -1.6 Oct 2020 553 Dec 2020 576 Dec 2020 -60 Nov 2020 83 Dec 2020 -9.4 Nov 2020 15.0

Midwest

295 -43 -12.7 Jan 2013 299 Dec 2020 338 Dec 2020 -189 Nov 2020 126 Dec 2020 -35.9 Nov 2020 31.4

West

507 -47 -8.5 Oct 2020 396 Dec 2020 554 Aug 2020 -115 Dec 2020 -24 Aug 2020 -22.9 Dec 2020 -4.2
Table 3e. Quits by sector and region (numbers in thousands)
Sector and region January 2021 level Monthly change Monthly percent change Last time level was smaller or equal or next closest Last time level was larger or equal or next closest Last time monthly change was smaller or equal or next closest Last time monthly change was larger or equal or next closest Last time monthly percent change was smaller or equal or next closest Last time monthly percent change was larger or equal or next closest

Total nonfarm

3,311 -96 -2.8 Nov 2020 3,296 Dec 2020 3,407 Aug 2020 -195 Dec 2020 111 Aug 2020 -6.1 Dec 2020 3.4

Total private

3,142 -82 -2.5 Nov 2020 3,113 Dec 2020 3,224 Aug 2020 -172 Dec 2020 111 Aug 2020 -5.9 Dec 2020 3.6

Government

169 -14 -7.7 Apr 2020 166 Dec 2020 183 Nov 2020 -45 Dec 2020 0 Nov 2020 -19.7 Dec 2020 0.0

Region

Northeast

444 8 1.8 Dec 2020 436 Nov 2020 466 Dec 2020 -30 Oct 2020 19 Dec 2020 -6.4 Oct 2020 4.3

South

1,420 -45 -3.1 Aug 2020 1,308 Dec 2020 1,465 Apr 2020 -277 Dec 2020 20 Apr 2020 -24.0 Dec 2020 1.4

Midwest

720 -41 -5.4 Nov 2020 709 Dec 2020 761 Aug 2020 -130 Dec 2020 52 Aug 2020 -16.5 Dec 2020 7.3

West

727 -19 -2.5 Nov 2020 676 Dec 2020 746 Oct 2020 -38 Dec 2020 70 Oct 2020 -5.3 Dec 2020 10.4

Last Modified Date: March 11, 2021