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Bureau of Labor Statistics > Geographic Information > Mid-Atlantic > News Release
News Release Information

23-2493-PHI
Tuesday, November 21, 2023

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:

Virginia Job Openings and Labor Turnover — September 2023

Virginia had 263,000 job openings in September 2023, compared to 264,000 openings in August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table 1.) Regional Commissioner Alexandra Hall Bovee noted that the job openings rate in Virginia was 5.9 percent in September and 6.0 percent in the previous month. (See chart 1 and table 2.) The job openings rate nationally was 5.7 percent in September, unchanged from August. (See table 3.) All data in this release are seasonally adjusted.

The ratio of unemployed persons per job opening in Virginia was 0.4 in September. The ratio has been less than 1.0 in Virginia since January 2021.  Nationwide, 40 states and the District of Columbia had ratios in September that were lower than the national ratio of 0.7 unemployed persons per job opening; 7 states had ratios that were higher than the national ratio, and 3 states had ratios equal to the national measure. (See map 1.)

Map 1. Number of unemployed persons per job opening by state, September 2023, seasonally adjusted

(U.S. ratio = 0.7)

In September, Virginia had 163,000 hires and 145,000 separations, compared to 154,000 hires and 158,000 separations in August. (See chart 2.) Over the 12 months ending in September, hires have averaged 172,000 per month and separations have averaged 163,000 per month. These averages include workers who may have been hired and separated more than once during the year.

Among the September separations in Virginia, 100,000 were quits and 40,000 were layoffs and discharges, compared to 108,000 quits and 40,000 layoffs and discharges in August. (See chart 3.) Over the last 12 months, quits averaged 111,000 per month, ranging from 95,000 to 134,000. Layoffs and discharges have averaged 44,000 per month, ranging from 33,000 to 59,000.

The State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey estimates for October 2023 are scheduled to be released on Friday, December 15, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).


Technical Note

This news release presents statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). The JOLTS program provides information on labor demand and turnover. The state estimates produced by JOLTS are model-based incorporating JOLTS sample, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), and Current Employment Statistics (CES) estimates. For more information see the JOLTS State Estimates Methodology.

Job Openings. Job openings include all positions that are open on the last business day of the reference month. A job is open only if it meets all three of these conditions:

  • A specific position exists and there is work available for that position.
  • The job could start within 30 days.
  • The employer is actively recruiting workers from outside the establishment to fill the position.

The number of unemployed persons per job opening is a ratio of the level of unemployed persons and the level of job openings. The number of unemployed persons at the national level is an estimate from the Current Population Survey (CPS), while state-level unemployment estimates are modeled by the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program. A ratio of 1.0 means there is a job available for every unemployed person. Lower ratios signal tighter labor markets, where firms have more job openings than there are unemployed persons available to work. Higher ratios indicate there are more unemployed persons competing for each job opening.

Hires. Hires include all additions to the payroll during the entire reference month.

Separations. Separations include all separations from the payroll during the entire reference month and is reported by type of separation: quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations.

  • Quits include employees who left voluntarily, except for retirements or transfers to other locations.
  • Layoffs and discharges include involuntary separations initiated by the employer.
  • Other separations include retirements, transfers to other locations, separations due to employee disability, and deaths.

Levels and rates of other separations represent a small portion of total separations and are not published with the release of state estimates.

Complete definitions, including exclusions, and additional information about the State JOLTS data presented in this release are available in the State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Technical Note.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

Table 1. Job openings and labor turnover for Virginia, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
Estimate September 2022 June 2023 July 2023 August 2023 September 2023(p) Change from August 2023 to September 2023(p)

Openings

 338 290 243 264 263 -1

Hires

 168 177 179 154 163 9

Total separations

 158 164 175 158 145 -13

Quits

 114 111 109 108 100 -8

Layoffs & discharges

 33 46 57 40 40 0

Footnotes:
(p) Preliminary.
Table 2. Job openings and labor turnover rates for Virginia, seasonally adjusted
Estimate September 2022 June 2023 July 2023 August 2023 September 2023(p) Change from August 2023 to September 2023(p)

Openings(1)

 7.6 6.5 5.5 6.0 5.9 -0.1

Hires(2)

 4.1 4.3 4.3 3.7 3.9 0.2

Total separations(3)

 3.8 4.0 4.2 3.8 3.5 -0.3

Quits(3)

 2.8 2.7 2.6 2.6 2.4 -0.2

Layoffs & discharges(3)

 0.8 1.1 1.4 1.0 1.0 0.0

Footnotes:
(p) Preliminary.
(1) The job openings rate is computed by dividing the number of job openings by the sum of employment and job openings and multiplying that quotient by 100.
(2) The hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100.
(3) The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of separations by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100. The quits and layoffs and discharges rates are computed similarly.
Table 3. Job openings and labor turnover rates for the United States, seasonally adjusted
Estimate September 2022 June 2023 July 2023 August 2023 September 2023(p) Change from August 2023 to September 2023(p)

Openings(1)

 6.6 5.5 5.4 5.7 5.7 0.0

Hires(2)

 4.1 3.8 3.7 3.7 3.7 0.0

Total separations(3)

 3.8 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.5 -0.1

Quits(3)

 2.6 2.4 2.3 2.3 2.3 0.0

Layoffs & discharges(3)

 0.9 1.0 1.1 1.1 1.0 -0.1

Footnotes:
(p) Preliminary.
(1) The job openings rate is computed by dividing the number of job openings by the sum of employment and job openings and multiplying that quotient by 100.
(2) The hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100.
(3) The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of separations by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100. The quits and layoffs and discharges rates are computed similarly.

 

Last Modified Date: Tuesday, November 21, 2023