Job Openings and Labor Turnover: May 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, hires, and total separations rates were all essentially unchanged in May, 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 in- dustry and geographic region.

Job Openings

On the last business day of May 2005, there were 3.5 million job openings in the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.5 percent. (See table 1.) The job openings rate was little changed in May, but has generally trended upward since September 2003. In May, the job openings rate decreased in the manufacturing industry and in the Northeast region.

Hires and Separations

The hires rate was little changed at 3.5 percent in May. (See table 2.) Hires are any additions to the payroll during the month. In May, the hires rate did not change significantly in any industry, but increased in the South and Midwest regions.

The total separations, or turnover, rate was little changed at 3.3 per- cent in May. (See table 3.) Separations are terminations of employment that occur at any time during the month. In May, the total separations rate did not change significantly in any industry, but decreased in the Northeast region.

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 May. (See table 4.) The quits rate did not change significantly in any industry in May, but decreased in the Northeast region. The other two components of total separations--layoffs and discharges, and other separations--are not seasonally adjusted. From May 2004 to May 2005, the layoffs and dis- charges rate (1.1 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 sepa- rations 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 Tech- nical 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 June 2005 is scheduled to be issued on Wednesday, August 10, 2005.