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Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey

2023 Changes to State and National JOLTS estimates

Upcoming Changes to the State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey Data

Effective with the release of May 2023 data on July 26, 2023, the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) state estimates will be benchmarked, or revised, to incorporate the annual updates to the Current Employment Statistics state employment estimates, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) updates through fourth quarter 2022, revised JOLTS national data, and revised JOLTS seasonal adjustment factors. This represents a change from 2022 when estimates were published in June for release of April data. This change in release date from 2022 is being made to incorporate QCEW data through the fourth quarter of 2022. Not seasonally adjusted data and seasonally adjusted data from January 2018 forward are subject to revision. Additional historical data may also be revised due to benchmarking.

Also effective with the release of the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) state estimates for May 2023, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) will implement a new winsorization procedure. Winsorization is used to minimize the impact of extreme values or outliers in a data series. The technique involves identifying monthly outliers by state and data element and replacing them with values at the 99th percentile. This new procedure will reduce the volatility in the state estimates. Detailed documentation will follow on July 26 with release of May 2023 state data.

News release table changes

JOLTS will also introduce several changes to the monthly news release tables beginning with the May 2023 news release. Significance tables A through E will be removed from the news release and provided as supplemental tables on the JOLTS website. JOLTS will also introduce over-the-month change columns for levels and rates to tables 1 through 5. Also, two tables will be added to present annual average job openings levels and rates. (Annual estimates of levels and rates are published each year with the annual processing.)

JLTST table of contents
Table number Table title

1

Job openings levels and rates for total nonfarm by state, seasonally adjusted (XLSX)

2

Hires levels and rates for total nonfarm by state, seasonally adjusted (XLSX)

3

Total separations levels and rates for total nonfarm by state, seasonally adjusted (XLSX)

4

Quits levels and rates for total nonfarm by state, seasonally adjusted (XLSX)

5

Layoffs and discharges levels and rates for total nonfarm by state, seasonally adjusted (XLSX)

6

Job openings levels and rates for total nonfarm by state, not seasonally adjusted (XLSX)

7

Hires levels and rates for total nonfarm by state, not seasonally adjusted (XLSX)

8

Total separations levels and rates for total nonfarm by state, not seasonally adjusted (XLSX)

9

Quits levels and rates for total nonfarm by state, not seasonally adjusted (XLSX)

10

Layoffs and discharges levels and rates for total nonfarm by state, not seasonally adjusted (XLSX)

11

Annual average job openings levels for total nonfarm by state, not seasonally adjusted (XLSX)

12

Annual average job openings rates for total nonfarm by state, not seasonally adjusted (XLSX)

13

Annual hires levels for total nonfarm by state, not seasonally adjusted (XLSX)

14

Annual average hires rates for total nonfarm by state, not seasonally adjusted (XLSX)

15

Annual total separations levels for total nonfarm by state, not seasonally adjusted (XLSX)

16

Annual average total separations rates for total nonfarm by state, not seasonally adjusted (XLSX)

17

Annual quits levels for total nonfarm by state, not seasonally adjusted (XLSX)

18

Annual average quits rates for total nonfarm by state, not seasonally adjusted (XLSX)

19

Annual layoffs and discharges levels for total nonfarm by state, not seasonally adjusted (XLSX)

20

Annual average layoffs and discharges rates for total nonfarm by state, not seasonally adjusted (XLSX)

Changes to the National Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey Data

Effective with the release of January 2023 data on March 8, 2023, the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) estimates have been revised to incorporate the annual updates to the Current Employment Statistics (CES) employment data and the JOLTS seasonal adjustment factors. Not seasonally adjusted data and seasonally adjusted data from January 2018 forward are subject to revision. In accordance with annual practice, additional historical data may be revised as a result of the benchmark process. Also effective with this release, JOLTS is adopting the 2022 version of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), which has a minimal impact on the published JOLTS data series. For more information on the 2022 NAICS, visit www.census.gov/naics.

Also effective with the release of January data, JOLTS has begun publishing annual average levels and rates for job openings. In addition, JOLTS modified its method for calculating annual estimates for hires and separations rates. Annual rates will be computed as annual averages, instead of annual totals, to make the estimates more helpful for data users and to be consistent with other Bureau of Labor Statistics programs. The method for calculating annual hires and separations levels will not change.

Calculations will be as follows:

  • The annual average job openings level = (12 monthly job openings levels) ÷ 12

  • The annual average job openings rate = (12 monthly job openings levels) ÷ (12 monthly CES employment levels + 12 monthly job openings levels) × 100

  • The annual average hires and separations rates = (12 monthly data element levels) ÷ (12 monthly CES employment levels) × 100

  • Annual hires and separations levels will continue to equal the sum of the monthly level of the data element for the entire year

News release table changes

JOLTS will introduce several changes to the monthly news release tables beginning with the news release for January data. Two tables displaying JOLTS data by size class will be added to the news release, one for seasonally adjusted estimates (table 7) and the other for not seasonally adjusted estimates (table 14). JOLTS will also introduce over-the-month change columns for levels and rates to tables 1 through 6. To accommodate the new tables, tables starting with table 7 will be renumbered.

In accordance with standard practice, annual estimates are published in the January news release. JOLTS will add two new tables presenting annual average job openings levels and rates (tables 15 and 16). In addition, annual tables for hires and separations rates will reflect the new calculation methods (tables 18, 20, 22, 24, and 26).

The new JOLTS table number and contents are listed below:

JOLTS table of contents
Table number Table title

1

Job openings levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

2

Hires levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

3

Total separations levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

4

Quits levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

5

Layoffs and discharges levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

6

Other separations levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted

7

Job openings, hires, and separations levels and rates by establishment size class, seasonally adjusted

8

Job openings levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

9

Hires levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

10

Total separations levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

11

Quits levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

12

Layoffs and discharges levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

13

Other separations levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

14

Job openings, hires, and separations levels and rates by establishment size class, not seasonally adjusted

15

Annual average job openings levels by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

16

Annual average job openings rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

17

Annual hires levels by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

18

Annual average hires rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

19

Annual total separations levels by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

20

Annual average total separations rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

21

Annual quits levels by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

22

Annual average quits rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

23

Annual layoffs and discharges levels by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

24

Annual average layoffs and discharges rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

25

Annual other separations levels by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

26

Annual average other separations rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted

 

Last Modified Date: April 18, 2023