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Job openings rate up in 16 states, down in 2 states in October 2021

December 30, 2021

On the last business day of October 2021, the job openings rate increased in 16 states, decreased in 2 states, and was little changed in 32 states and the District of Columbia. The largest percentage increases occurred in Hawaii (+3.5 percentage points), Minnesota (+1.9 percentage points), and Kentucky (+1.2 percentage points). The job openings rate decreased in Maine (−1.0 percentage point), and Virginia (−0.7 percentage point).

States with a statistically significant change from September 2021 to October 2021 in selected job openings and labor turnover measures

Rate of job openings, hires, total separations, quits, and layoffs and discharges, by state
State Job openings Hires
September 2021 October 2021 Over-the-month change Level September 2021 October 2021 Over-the-month change Level

United States

6.7% 6.9% 0.2 percentage point(s) 11,033,000 4.4% 4.4% 0.0 percentage point(s) 6,464,000

Alabama

6.5 7.2 0.7 159,000 5.2 5.1 -0.1 106,000

Alaska

8.9 8.3 -0.6 28,000 6.9 6.1 -0.8 19,000

Arizona

6.7 6.9 0.2 221,000 4.7 4.1 -0.6 121,000

Arkansas

7.0 6.9 -0.1 95,000 5.2 4.8 -0.4 61,000

California

6.5 6.4 -0.1 1,153,000 3.9 4.1 0.2 691,000

Colorado

6.5 7.0 0.5 207,000 5.1 4.9 -0.2 134,000

Connecticut

5.8 6.0 0.2 103,000 4.0 3.7 -0.3 60,000

Delaware

6.4 6.8 0.4 33,000 5.1 4.6 -0.5 21,000

District of Columbia

4.9 5.1 0.2 41,000 2.7 2.8 0.1 21,000

Florida

6.9 7.6 0.7 730,000 4.7 4.9 0.2 432,000

Georgia

8.3 8.6 0.3 432,000 5.8 5.7 -0.1 261,000

Hawaii

4.5 8.0 3.5 50,000 3.8 6.4 2.6 37,000

Idaho

6.4 6.9 0.5 58,000 5.1 4.7 -0.4 37,000

Illinois

7.0 6.7 -0.3 422,000 4.5 4.3 -0.2 250,000

Indiana

7.0 7.3 0.3 243,000 4.9 4.7 -0.2 145,000

Iowa

6.8 6.8 0.0 113,000 4.2 4.1 -0.1 63,000

Kansas

5.8 6.3 0.5 94,000 3.5 4.0 0.5 55,000

Kentucky

7.2 8.4 1.2 173,000 5.3 5.1 -0.2 97,000

Louisiana

7.0 7.8 0.8 156,000 5.2 5.5 0.3 102,000

Maine

7.5 6.5 -1.0 43,000 5.2 4.7 -0.5 29,000

Maryland

7.3 7.6 0.3 220,000 3.9 3.7 -0.2 100,000

Massachusetts

7.4 7.5 0.1 289,000 4.1 4.0 -0.1 142,000

Michigan

8.0 8.4 0.4 388,000 4.7 4.8 0.1 202,000

Minnesota

6.3 8.2 1.9 258,000 3.1 3.5 0.4 100,000

Mississippi

6.9 7.5 0.6 93,000 5.8 5.1 -0.7 58,000

Missouri

6.7 7.6 0.9 235,000 4.2 4.1 -0.1 116,000

Montana

7.3 8.0 0.7 42,000 5.8 5.2 -0.6 25,000

Nebraska

6.5 6.6 0.1 72,000 3.9 3.7 -0.2 38,000

Nevada

7.5 7.4 -0.1 109,000 6.3 5.8 -0.5 79,000

New Hampshire

7.5 7.0 -0.5 50,000 4.8 5.1 0.3 34,000

New Jersey

6.8 7.2 0.4 310,000 4.4 4.1 -0.3 167,000

New Mexico

7.5 7.5 0.0 66,000 5.0 4.5 -0.5 37,000

New York

5.8 5.6 -0.2 539,000 3.6 3.6 0.0 323,000

North Carolina

6.8 7.3 0.5 357,000 5.2 4.9 -0.3 221,000

North Dakota

7.1 7.1 0.0 32,000 4.8 4.8 0.0 20,000

Ohio

6.6 6.6 0.0 381,000 4.3 4.2 -0.1 227,000

Oklahoma

6.9 7.1 0.2 127,000 4.7 5.1 0.4 84,000

Oregon

7.0 7.0 0.0 141,000 4.7 4.5 -0.2 84,000

Pennsylvania

6.7 6.4 -0.3 392,000 3.9 4.0 0.1 231,000

Rhode Island

7.3 7.5 0.2 39,000 5.0 5.4 0.4 26,000

South Carolina

7.8 7.9 0.1 186,000 5.2 5.4 0.2 116,000

South Dakota

7.2 7.6 0.4 36,000 4.6 4.1 -0.5 18,000

Tennessee

6.8 7.4 0.6 248,000 4.9 5.1 0.2 158,000

Texas

6.1 6.6 0.5 907,000 4.7 4.4 -0.3 568,000

Utah

6.4 6.7 0.3 117,000 4.4 4.4 0.0 71,000

Vermont

7.8 7.2 -0.6 23,000 5.1 5.1 0.0 15,000

Virginia

7.9 7.2 -0.7 308,000 4.6 3.9 -0.7 153,000

Washington

6.1 6.1 0.0 224,000 4.0 4.0 0.0 139,000

West Virginia

8.0 8.0 0.0 60,000 5.1 5.5 0.4 38,000

Wisconsin

7.1 6.8 -0.3 210,000 4.2 4.2 0.0 120,000

Wyoming

6.8 7.1 0.3 21,000 5.5 5.1 -0.4 14,000
Rate of job openings, hires, total separations, quits, and layoffs and discharges, by state (continued)
State Total separations Quits
September 2021 October 2021 Over-the-month change Level September 2021 October 2021 Over-the-month change Level

United States

4.2% 4.0% -0.2 percentage point(s) 5,892,000 3.0% 2.8% -0.2 percentage point(s) 4,157,000

Alabama

5.0 4.5 -0.5 92,000 3.4 3.1 -0.3 63,000

Alaska

5.9 4.5 -1.4 14,000 3.6 3.2 -0.4 10,000

Arizona

4.1 3.8 -0.3 114,000 3.1 2.8 -0.3 85,000

Arkansas

5.0 4.7 -0.3 60,000 3.5 3.1 -0.4 40,000

California

3.4 3.4 0.0 569,000 2.4 2.4 0.0 396,000

Colorado

5.2 5.6 0.4 153,000 3.9 3.8 -0.1 104,000

Connecticut

3.9 3.6 -0.3 58,000 2.7 2.2 -0.5 36,000

Delaware

4.4 4.4 0.0 20,000 3.1 2.9 -0.2 13,000

District of Columbia

2.9 3.2 0.3 24,000 2.0 2.0 0.0 15,000

Florida

4.3 4.0 -0.3 353,000 3.1 2.9 -0.2 260,000

Georgia

5.8 4.9 -0.9 224,000 4.0 3.3 -0.7 154,000

Hawaii

9.4 4.0 -5.4 23,000 6.6 2.8 -3.8 16,000

Idaho

5.0 4.8 -0.2 38,000 3.8 3.4 -0.4 27,000

Illinois

4.6 3.5 -1.1 206,000 3.3 2.6 -0.7 155,000

Indiana

4.3 4.2 -0.1 130,000 3.3 3.3 0.0 101,000

Iowa

4.0 3.7 -0.3 57,000 2.5 2.5 0.0 38,000

Kansas

3.7 4.0 0.3 56,000 2.5 3.0 0.5 41,000

Kentucky

4.9 4.6 -0.3 86,000 3.3 3.0 -0.3 57,000

Louisiana

5.3 4.6 -0.7 86,000 3.9 3.3 -0.6 62,000

Maine

4.2 4.2 0.0 26,000 3.3 2.9 -0.4 18,000

Maryland

3.8 3.6 -0.2 97,000 2.4 2.4 0.0 65,000

Massachusetts

4.3 3.6 -0.7 126,000 2.6 2.3 -0.3 82,000

Michigan

4.8 4.7 -0.1 197,000 3.1 3.1 0.0 129,000

Minnesota

3.7 3.4 -0.3 97,000 2.3 2.4 0.1 70,000

Mississippi

5.2 4.9 -0.3 56,000 3.8 3.5 -0.3 40,000

Missouri

4.2 4.0 -0.2 114,000 3.2 3.1 -0.1 87,000

Montana

5.8 5.2 -0.6 25,000 4.4 3.5 -0.9 17,000

Nebraska

4.2 4.1 -0.1 42,000 2.9 2.9 0.0 30,000

Nevada

5.9 4.9 -1.0 67,000 4.2 3.5 -0.7 48,000

New Hampshire

5.3 4.4 -0.9 29,000 3.8 2.7 -1.1 18,000

New Jersey

3.8 3.6 -0.2 144,000 2.3 2.4 0.1 96,000

New Mexico

4.1 4.2 0.1 34,000 2.8 2.7 -0.1 22,000

New York

3.0 3.0 0.0 274,000 2.0 1.9 -0.1 173,000

North Carolina

4.9 5.0 0.1 229,000 3.4 3.4 0.0 157,000

North Dakota

5.0 5.7 0.7 24,000 3.1 3.1 0.0 13,000

Ohio

4.6 3.9 -0.7 212,000 2.9 2.8 -0.1 153,000

Oklahoma

4.4 4.3 -0.1 71,000 3.3 3.1 -0.2 51,000

Oregon

4.6 4.2 -0.4 80,000 3.6 3.0 -0.6 56,000

Pennsylvania

3.3 4.0 0.7 230,000 2.4 2.5 0.1 142,000

Rhode Island

4.8 4.4 -0.4 21,000 3.3 2.9 -0.4 14,000

South Carolina

4.6 5.0 0.4 107,000 3.2 3.5 0.3 76,000

South Dakota

4.1 4.1 0.0 18,000 2.7 3.0 0.3 13,000

Tennessee

4.5 4.3 -0.2 132,000 3.2 3.0 -0.2 93,000

Texas

4.3 4.4 0.1 572,000 3.4 3.5 0.1 455,000

Utah

4.6 4.1 -0.5 67,000 3.5 2.9 -0.6 47,000

Vermont

5.1 5.1 0.0 15,000 3.1 3.4 0.3 10,000

Virginia

3.7 3.7 0.0 146,000 2.9 2.7 -0.2 108,000

Washington

3.3 3.5 0.2 122,000 2.4 2.5 0.1 87,000

West Virginia

5.2 4.6 -0.6 32,000 3.8 3.2 -0.6 22,000

Wisconsin

4.0 3.9 -0.1 111,000 3.1 2.9 -0.2 82,000

Wyoming

4.7 4.7 0.0 13,000 3.3 3.3 0.0 9,000
Rate of job openings, hires, total separations, quits, and layoffs and discharges, by state (continued)
State Layoffs and discharges
September 2021 October 2021 Over-the-month change Level

United States

0.9% 0.9% 0.0 percentage point(s) 1,361,000

Alabama

1.3 1.1 -0.2 22,000

Alaska

1.6 1.0 -0.6 3,000

Arizona

0.7 0.8 0.1 24,000

Arkansas

1.2 1.1 -0.1 14,000

California

0.7 0.8 0.1 131,000

Colorado

0.9 1.3 0.4 37,000

Connecticut

0.9 1.2 0.3 19,000

Delaware

0.9 1.1 0.2 5,000

District of Columbia

0.7 0.9 0.2 7,000

Florida

1.0 0.9 -0.1 79,000

Georgia

1.3 1.2 -0.1 57,000

Hawaii

2.1 1.0 -1.1 6,000

Idaho

0.9 1.1 0.2 9,000

Illinois

1.0 0.8 -0.2 44,000

Indiana

0.8 0.7 -0.1 23,000

Iowa

1.2 1.0 -0.2 15,000

Kansas

0.9 0.8 -0.1 11,000

Kentucky

1.3 1.2 -0.1 23,000

Louisiana

1.2 1.0 -0.2 18,000

Maine

0.7 1.0 0.3 6,000

Maryland

1.2 0.9 -0.3 24,000

Massachusetts

1.4 1.0 -0.4 34,000

Michigan

1.5 1.3 -0.2 53,000

Minnesota

0.9 0.8 -0.1 22,000

Mississippi

1.1 1.0 -0.1 12,000

Missouri

0.8 0.7 -0.1 21,000

Montana

1.2 1.2 0.0 6,000

Nebraska

1.0 0.9 -0.1 9,000

Nevada

1.4 1.2 -0.2 16,000

New Hampshire

1.2 1.2 0.0 8,000

New Jersey

1.3 1.0 -0.3 39,000

New Mexico

1.0 1.0 0.0 8,000

New York

0.7 0.9 0.2 83,000

North Carolina

1.2 1.1 -0.1 49,000

North Dakota

1.4 2.2 0.8 9,000

Ohio

1.5 0.9 -0.6 47,000

Oklahoma

0.9 0.8 -0.1 14,000

Oregon

0.6 1.0 0.4 19,000

Pennsylvania

0.7 1.3 0.6 76,000

Rhode Island

1.2 1.3 0.1 6,000

South Carolina

1.1 1.1 0.0 24,000

South Dakota

0.9 0.9 0.0 4,000

Tennessee

1.0 1.0 0.0 30,000

Texas

0.7 0.7 0.0 88,000

Utah

0.8 1.0 0.2 16,000

Vermont

1.7 1.4 -0.3 4,000

Virginia

0.7 0.7 0.0 28,000

Washington

0.7 0.7 0.0 25,000

West Virginia

1.0 1.2 0.2 8,000

Wisconsin

0.7 0.7 0.0 21,000

Wyoming

1.1 1.1 0.0 3,000

The hires rate increased in 1 state (Hawaii, at +2.6 percentage points), and decreased in 4 states in October 2021.

The total separations rate increased in 2 states (North Dakota and Pennsylvania), and decreased in 10 states in October 2021. The largest percentage decrease occurred in Hawaii (−5.4 percentage points), followed by Alaska (−1.4 percentage points), and Illinois (−1.1 percentage points).

In October 2021, the quits rate increased in 1 state (Kansas, at +0.5 percentage point), and decreased in 12 states. The layoffs and discharges rate increased in 5 states and decreased in 5 states.

These data are from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey and are seasonally adjusted. Data for the most recent month are preliminary. To learn more, see "State Job Openings and Labor Turnover — October 2021." We also have more charts featuring data on state job openings, hires, and separations. Total separations include quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Quits are generally voluntary separations initiated by the employee. Layoffs and discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the employer. 

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Job openings rate up in 16 states, down in 2 states in October 2021 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2021/job-openings-rate-up-in-16-states-down-in-2-states-in-october-2021.htm (visited March 28, 2024).

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