Job Openings and Labor Turnover: August 2022

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 number of job openings decreased to 10.1 million on the last business day of August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Hires and total separations were little changed at 6.3 million and 6.0 million, respectively. Within separations, quits (4.2 million) and layoffs and discharges (1.5 million) were little changed. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector, by industry, and by establishment size class.

Job Openings

On the last business day of August, the number and rate of job openings decreased to 10.1 million (-1.1 million) and 6.2 percent, respectively. The largest decreases in job openings were in health care and social assistance (-236,000), other services (-183,000), and retail trade (-143,000). (See table 1.)

Hires

In August, the number of hires was little changed at 6.3 million, and the rate was unchanged at 4.1 percent. Hires decreased in federal government (-8,000). (See table 2.)

Separations

Total separations includes quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. 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 includes separations due to retirement, death, disability, and transfers to other locations of the same firm.

In August, the number and rate of total separations were little changed at 6.0 million and 3.9 percent, respectively. Total separations increased in accommodation and food services (+175,000). (See table 3.)

In August, the number of quits was little changed at 4.2 million, and the rate was unchanged at 2.7 percent. Quits increased in accommodation and food services (+119,000) but decreased in professional and business services (-94,000). (See table 4.)

In August, the number and rate of layoffs and discharges were little changed at 1.5 million and 1.0 percent, respectively. Layoffs and discharges were little changed in all industries. (See table 5.)

The number of other separations was little changed in August at 358,000. Other separations decreased in information (-6,000) and in federal government (-3,000). (See table 6.)

Establishment Size Class

In August, the job openings rate decreased in all establishment size classes except those with 9 or less employees, which changed little. Both the layoffs and discharges rate and the total separations rate decreased in establishments with 250 to 999 employees. The quits rate increased in establishments with 1,000 to 4,999 employees. For a more in-depth description of the JOLTS establishment size class estimates, please visit www.bls.gov/jlt/sizeclassmethodology.htm.