Job Openings and Labor Turnover: February 2014

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.

There were 4.2 million job openings on the last business day of February, up from January, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The hires rate (3.3 percent) and separations rate (3.2 percent) were unchanged in February. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the nonfarm sector by industry and by geographic region.

Job Openings

There were 4.2 million job openings in February, up from 3.9 million in January. The number of openings rose for total private and was little changed for government. The number of job openings increased in retail trade and in professional and business services, while the number of job openings decreased in arts, entertainment, and recreation. The South region experienced a rise in job openings in February. (See table 1.)

The number of job openings (not seasonally adjusted) increased over the year for total nonfarm and total private and was little changed for government. Over the year, the number of job openings increased in three industries and decreased in three industries. The Midwest and West regions experienced an increase in the number of job openings over the 12 months ending in February. (See table 7.)

Hires

There were 4.6 million hires in February, little changed from January. The number of hires was essentially unchanged for total private and government. The number of hires rose in February in retail trade and was little changed in all four regions. (See table 2.)

Over the 12 months ending in February, the number of hires (not seasonally adjusted) changed little for total nonfarm, total private, and government. Hires levels increased over the year in educational services and decreased in construction and federal government. The number of hires rose in the Midwest region. (See table 8.)

Separations

Total separations includes quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Total separations is referred to as turnover. Quits are generally voluntary separations initiated by the employee. Therefore, the quits rate can serve as a measure of workers’ willingness or ability to leave jobs. Layoffs and discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the employer. Other separations include separations due to retirement, death, and disability, as well as transfers to other locations of the same firm.

There were 4.4 million total separations in February, little changed from January. The number of total separations was essentially unchanged for total private and government. (See table 3.)

In February, the quits rate was unchanged at 1.7 percent for total nonfarm. The rate also was unchanged for total private (1.9 percent) and government (0.6 percent). The quits rate was essentially unchanged over the month in all industries and in all four regions. (See table 4.)

The number of quits (not seasonally adjusted) was little changed over the 12 months ending in February for total nonfarm, total private, and government. The number of quits was essentially unchanged in all industries and in all four regions over the year. (See table 10.)

The layoffs and discharges rate was unchanged in February at 1.2 percent. The rate was little changed over the month for total private (1.3 percent) and government (0.4 percent). The layoffs and discharges rate was little changed in all four regions. Seasonally adjusted estimates of layoffs and discharges are not available for individual industries. (See table 5.)

The layoffs and discharges level (not seasonally adjusted) was little changed over the 12 months ending in February for total nonfarm, total private, and government. The number of layoffs and discharges fell over the year in federal government. The number of layoffs and discharges was little changed in all four regions. (See table 11.)

In February, there were 383,000 other separations for total nonfarm, little changed from January. The number of other separations also was little changed over the month for total private and government. (See table 6.) Seasonally adjusted estimates of other separations are not available for individual industries or regions. Over the 12 months ending in February, the number of other separations (not seasonally adjusted) increased for total nonfarm and total private and was little changed for government. (See table 12.)

Net Change in Employment