Hurricanes Harvey and Irma and August 2017 JOLTS data

Background:

Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas and in Louisiana at the end of August 2017. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) declared 39 counties in Texas eligible for federal disaster assistance to individuals and households.

Hurricane Irma made landfall on September 10, 2017 in Florida. FEMA declared 48 counties within the state of Florida eligible for federal disaster assistance to individuals and households.

Summary:

JOLTS data are published at the national level and at the regional level, not at the state level. BLS analysis suggests that the effect on the JOLTS data cannot be precisely quantified because the JOLTS survey is not designed to isolate effects from catastrophic events on job openings, hires, and separations.

Although the response rate for Florida was lower than normal for August, the preliminary August estimates were within normal range for the nation and for the affected areas. As such, BLS did not modify the JOLTS methodology for August. BLS will continue to monitor response rates for August and for September in the affected areas.

Sample Sizes and Response Rates:

Hurricane Harvey: Texas

Reference Month	Total national sample	Total # sampled in state	Percent of national sample	Total # respondents	Approximate Response Rate
June	15,395	1,242	9.2	653	52.6
July	15,438	1,252	8.1	677	54.1
Aug	15,478	1,250	8.1	669	53.5

Hurricane Irma: Florida

Reference Month	Total national sample	Total # sampled in state	Percent of national sample	Total # respondents	Approximate Response Rate
June	15,395	760	4.9	430	56.6
July	15,438	766	5	456	59.5
Aug	15,478	770	5	430	55.8

Information on how the hurricanes affected other BLS surveys can be found at https://www.bls.gov/bls/hurricanes-harvey-irma-maria.htm.

 

Last Modified Date: October 27, 2017