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Impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on Job Openings and Labor Turnover data for October 2020

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 October 2020 JOLTS news release.

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

Collection mode

Data collection for the JOLTS survey 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 impacted 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

Phone

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

Web

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

Other

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

Response rates

The preliminary JOLTS response rate for October 2020 was 45 percent. In September, the final response rate was 50 percent. In the year prior to the pandemic, the preliminary response rate averaged 54 percent and the final response rate averaged 58 percent.

In October, JOLTS response rates declined in all size classes and industries with the exception of federal government, which showed no change. The industries most impacted were retail trade, professional and business services, and other services.

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% Not available

Imputation

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

Changes to methods

In anticipation of issues due to the pandemic, the JOLTS program reviewed all estimation and methodological procedures. An adjustment has been made to the JOLTS estimation methodology in order to more accurately reflect the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Adjustments were also made to the seasonal adjustment process.

Estimation

BLS modified the JOLTS estimates starting in March and continuing through October to better reflect the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. 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 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 October were not included in the CES employment change for October, 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. The alignment process was suppressed in order to produce the highest quality JOLTS estimates possible in this unique situation.

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 October, the majority of the JOLTS series will retain the additive designation. In accordance with the survey’s usual practice, the seasonal adjustment models and factors will be reviewed at the end of the calendar year, when 5 years of seasonally adjusted estimates will be subject to revision.

Comparison of current month estimates with past monthly JOLTS estimates

Please see the following tables for a comparison of October 2020 estimates to historical levels.

Table 3a. Job openings by sector and region (numbers in thousands)
Sector and region October 2020 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

6,652 158 2.4 Sep 2020 6,494 Jul 2020 6,697 Sep 2020 142 Jul 2020 696 Sep 2020 2.2 Jul 2020 11.6

Total private

5,950 155 2.7 Sep 2020 5,795 Feb 2020 6,236 Aug 2020 -243 Sep 2020 159 Aug 2020 -4.1 Sep 2020 2.8

Government

702 3 0.4 Sep 2020 699 Aug 2020 716 Sep 2020 -17 Jul 2020 164 Sep 2020 -2.4 Jul 2020 25.1

Region

Northeast

1186 85 7.7 Sep 2020 1101 Jul 2020 1209 Sep 2020 21 Jul 2020 86 Sep 2020 1.9 Jun 2020 18.5

South

2605 21 0.8 Sep 2020 2584 Jan 2020 2631 Apr 2020 -395 Sep 2020 72 Apr 2020 -17.5 Sep 2020 2.9

Midwest

1395 7 0.5 Sep 2020 1388 Jul 2020 1561 Aug 2020 -195 Sep 2020 22 Aug 2020 -12.5 Sep 2020 1.6

West

1,466 45 3.2 Sep 2020 1,421 Feb 2020 1,621 Sep 2020 27 Jul 2020 125 Sep 2020 1.9 Jul 2020 9.4
Table 3b. Hires by sector and region (numbers in thousands)
Sector and region October 2020 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

5,812 -74 -1.3 Apr 2020 4,047 Sep 2020 5,886 Jul 2020 -1,067 Sep 2020 -66 Jul 2020 -15.3 Sep 2020 -1.1

Total private

5,493 -77 -1.4 Aug 2020 5,394 Sep 2020 5,570 Aug 2020 -175 Sep 2020 176 Aug 2020 -3.1 Sep 2020 3.3

Government

318 2 0.6 Sep 2020 316 Aug 2020 558 Sep 2020 -242 Aug 2020 224 Sep 2020 -43.4 Aug 2020 67.1

Region

Northeast

959 -23 -2.3 Apr 2020 534 Sep 2020 982 Sep 2020 -35 Jun 2020 111 Sep 2020 -3.4 Jun 2020 10.1

South

2312 15 0.7 Sep 2020 2297 Jun 2020 2417 Jul 2020 -244 Sep 2020 19 Jul 2020 -10.1 Sep 2020 0.8

Midwest

1205 24 2.0 Sep 2020 1181 Aug 2020 1311 Sep 2020 -130 Jun 2020 54 Sep 2020 -9.9 Jun 2020 3.3

West

1,336 -89 -6.2 Apr 2020 1,015 Sep 2020 1,425 Jul 2020 -285 Sep 2020 79 Jul 2020 -17.2 Sep 2020 5.9
Table 3c. Total separations by sector and region (numbers in thousands)
Sector and region October 2020 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

5,107 263 5.4 Sep 2020 4,844 Apr 2020 9,975 Sep 2020 155 Jun 2020 663 Sep 2020 3.3 Jun 2020 15.7

Total private

4,642 138 3.1 Sep 2020 4,504 Jul 2020 4,729 Sep 2020 91 Jun 2020 721 Sep 2020 2.1 Jun 2020 18.3

Government

465 125 36.8 Sep 2020 340 Jun 2010 552 Sep 2020 64 Jun 2010 241 Sep 2020 23.2 Jun 2010 77.5

Region

Northeast

849 139 19.6 Sep 2020 710 Apr 2020 1851 Sep 2020 8 Mar 2020 1919 Sep 2020 1.1 Mar 2020 216.1

South

2004 92 4.8 Sep 2020 1912 Apr 2020 3429 Sep 2020 17 Jun 2020 187 Sep 2020 0.9 Jun 2020 11.2

Midwest

1163 65 5.9 Sep 2020 1098 Apr 2020 2170 Sep 2020 43 Jun 2020 180 Sep 2020 4.1 Jun 2020 20.0

West

1,092 -33 -2.9 Aug 2020 1,037 Sep 2020 1,125 Aug 2020 -148 Sep 2020 88 Aug 2020 -12.5 Sep 2020 8.5
Table 3d. Layoffs and discharges by sector and region (numbers in thousands)
Sector and region October 2020 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

1,680 243 16.9 Sep 2020 1,437 Jul 2020 1,745 Sep 2020 -96 Mar 2020 9,643 Sep 2020 -6.3 Mar 2020 522.4

Total private

1,459 148 11.3 Sep 2020 1,311 Aug 2020 1,464 Sep 2020 -153 Mar 2020 9,564 Sep 2020 -10.5 Mar 2020 545.9

Government

221 94 74.0 Sep 2020 127 Apr 2020 227 Sep 2020 58 Jun 2010 203 Aug 2020 25.5 Sep 2020 84.1

Region

Northeast

350 118 50.9 Sep 2020 232 Jun 2020 395 Sep 2020 -32 Mar 2020 2000 Sep 2020 -12.1 Mar 2020 574.7

South

552 76 16.0 Sep 2020 476 Jul 2020 639 Sep 2020 -64 Mar 2020 3123 Sep 2020 -11.9 Mar 2020 500.5

Midwest

413 62 17.7 Sep 2020 351 Jun 2020 416 Sep 2020 -4 Mar 2020 2458 Sep 2020 -1.1 Mar 2020 558.6

West

365 -13 -3.4 Jun 2019 364 Sep 2020 378 Aug 2020 -77 Sep 2020 4 Aug 2020 -17.1 Sep 2020 1.1
Table 3e. Quits by sector and region (numbers in thousands)
Sector and region October 2020 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

3,092 18 0.6 Sep 2020 3,074 Feb 2020 3,436 Aug 2020 -93 Sep 2020 235 Aug 2020 -3.2 Sep 2020 8.3

Total private

2,917 -3 -0.1 Aug 2020 2,696 Sep 2020 2,920 Aug 2020 -93 Sep 2020 224 Aug 2020 -3.3 Sep 2020 8.3

Government

175 20 12.9 Sep 2020 155 Feb 2020 191 Sep 2020 13 Jul 2020 30 Sep 2020 9.2 Jul 2020 26.5

Region

Northeast

450 25 5.9 Sep 2020 425 Feb 2020 494 Aug 2020 -21 Sep 2020 36 Aug 2020 -5.1 Sep 2020 9.3

South

1312 9 0.7 Sep 2020 1303 Feb 2020 1347 Apr 2020 -307 Sep 2020 70 Apr 2020 -28.0 Sep 2020 5.7

Midwest

682 2 0.3 Sep 2020 680 Jul 2020 703 Aug 2020 -70 Sep 2020 47 Aug 2020 -10.0 Sep 2020 7.4

West

647 -20 -3.0 Aug 2020 583 Sep 2020 667 Aug 2020 -75 Sep 2020 84 Aug 2020 -11.4 Sep 2020 14.4

Last Modified Date: December 9, 2020