Job Openings and Labor Turnover: April 2005

Historical release narrative reproduced from the official public-domain source. Statistical tables, standard technical appendices, administrative material and attendance rosters are omitted; formatting is adapted for reading. Figures retain the release's historical context and may have been revised. Consult the linked source for the complete document.

The job openings rate was essentially unchanged in April at 2.7 percent, while the hires rate decreased to 3.4 percent, and the total separations rate was unchanged at 3.4 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector by industry and geographic region.

Job Openings

On the last business day of April 2005, there were 3.7 million job openings in the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.7 percent. (See table 1.) The job openings rate was little changed in April, but has generally trended upward since September 2003. In April, the job openings rate decreased in the construction sector and increased in professional and business services. The job openings rate did not change significantly in any of the regions.

Hires and Separations

The hires rate (the number of hires during the month divided by employ- ment) fell to 3.4 percent in April. (See table 2.) Hires are any additions to the payroll during the month. In April, the hires rate fell in the pri- vate sector overall, in the leisure and hospitality sector, and in the South region.

The total separations, or turnover, rate (the total number of sep- arations during the month divided by employment) was 3.4 percent in April, the same as in March. Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any time during the month. (See table 3.) In April, the total separations rate changed significantly only in the construction sector, where the rate increased.

Total separations include quits (voluntary separations), layoffs and discharges (involuntary separations), and other separations (including retirements). The quits rate, which can serve as a barometer of workers' ability to change jobs, remained at 1.9 percent in April. (See table 4.) The quits rate did not change significantly for any sector or region in April. The other two components of total separations--layoffs and dis- charges and other separations--are not seasonally adjusted. From April 2004 to April 2005, the layoffs and discharges rate (1.2 percent) and the other separations rate (0.2 percent) were unchanged. (See tables 9 and 10.)

Hires and separations data help show dynamic flows in the labor market. Over the last 12 months, hires have averaged 4.6 million per month and separations have averaged 4.3 million per month. The comparable figures a year earlier were 4.3 million hires and 4.1 million separations. (See the Technical Note for additional information on these measures.)

For additional information, please see the Technical Note or the JOLTS Web site at www.bls.gov/jlt/. Additional information about JOLTS also may be obtained by e-mailing Joltsinfo@bls.gov or by calling (202) 691-5870.

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover release for May 2005 is scheduled to be issued on Tuesday, July 12, 2005.