Job Openings and Labor Turnover: January 2025

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 was little changed at 7.7 million in January, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Hires held at 5.4 million, and total separations changed little at 5.3 million. Within separations, quits (3.3 million) and layoffs and discharges (1.6 million) changed little.

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. This release also includes 2024 annual estimates for job openings, hires, and separations. Job openings include all positions that are open on the last business day of the month. Hires and separations include all changes to the payroll during the entire month.

Job Openings

The number of job openings was little changed at 7.7 million in January but was down by 728,000 over the year. The job openings rate, at 4.6 percent, changed little over the month. The number of job openings increased in real estate and rental and leasing (+46,000). (See table 1.)

Hires

In January, the number and rate of hires were unchanged at 5.4 million and 3.4 percent, respectively. Hires decreased in mining and logging (-6,000). (See table 2.)

Separations

Total separations include 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 include separations due to retirement, death, disability, and transfers to other locations of the same firm.

The number and rate of total separations in January were little changed at 5.3 million and 3.3 percent, respectively. (See table 3.)

In January, the number and rate of quits were little changed at 3.3 million and 2.1 percent, respectively. Quits increased in construction (+53,000) and in mining and logging (+6,000). (See table 4.)

In January, the number and rate of layoffs and discharges changed little at 1.6 million and 1.0 percent, respectively. Layoffs and discharges decreased in mining and logging (-8,000). (See table 5.)

The number of other separations changed little at 350,000 in January. (See table 6.)

Establishment Size Class

In January, the quits rate increased for establishments with 1 to 9 employees, while the job openings, hires, layoffs and discharges, and total separations rates showed little change. For establishments with 5,000 or more employees, all rates showed little or no change. (See table 7.)

December 2024 Revisions

The number of job openings for December was revised down by 92,000 to 7.5 million, the number of hires was revised down by 88,000 to 5.4 million, and the number of total separations was revised down by 187,000 to 5.1 million. Within separations, the number of quits was revised down by 102,000 to 3.1 million, and the number of layoffs and discharges was revised down by 102,000 to 1.7 million. (Monthly revisions result from additional reports received from businesses and government agencies since the last published estimates and from the recalculation of seasonal factors.)

Annual Levels and Rates

Consistent with BLS practice, annual estimates are published for not seasonally adjusted data each year with the January news release. For details about how these estimates are calculated, see the technical note.

In 2024, the annual average job openings level was 7.8 million, a decrease of 1.5 million from 2023. The annual average job openings rate was 4.7 percent in 2024, compared to 5.6 percent in 2023. (See tables 15 and 16.)

In 2024, the annual hires level was 65.3 million, a decrease of 5.1 million from 2023. Annual total separations decreased by 4.6 million in 2024 to 63.2 million. Annual quits decreased by 5.0 million in 2024 to 39.2 million and accounted for 62.0 percent of total separations. Annual layoffs and discharges increased by 402,000 in 2024 to 20.2 million and accounted for 31.9 percent of total separations. Annual other separations decreased by 5,000 in 2024 to 3.8 million and accounted for 6.1 percent of total separations. (See tables 17 through 26.)

The annual average hires rate for 2024 was 3.4 percent, down from 3.8 percent in 2023. The annual average total separations rate for 2024 was 3.3 percent, compared to 3.6 percent in 2023. The 2024 annual average rates for the components of total separations were 2.1 percent for quits, 1.1 percent for layoffs and discharges, and 0.2 percent for other separations. (See tables 17 through 26.)

Annual Revisions to Job Openings and Labor Turnover Data

The JOLTS data are revised annually to reflect updates to the Current Employment Statistics (CES) employment estimates. The JOLTS employment levels (not published) are ratio-adjusted to the CES employment levels, and the resulting ratios are applied to all JOLTS data elements. This annual benchmarking process results in revisions to both the seasonally adjusted and not seasonally adjusted JOLTS data series. The seasonally adjusted data are recalculated for the most recent 5 years to reflect updated seasonal adjustment factors. Further, the alignment methodology creates a dependency of the not seasonally adjusted estimates on the seasonal adjustment process. Therefore, the data series that are not seasonally adjusted are also recalculated for the most recent 5 years to reflect the effect of the updated seasonal adjustment factors on the alignment process.

Tables B through G below present revised total nonfarm data for January through December 2024. The December 2024 revisions also reflect the routine incorporation of additional sample receipts into the final December estimates. Tables presenting revisions to total nonfarm data for January 2020 through December 2024 will be available on the JOLTS website later in the day following the release. The website also contains all revised seasonally adjusted and not seasonally adjusted data. The revision tables and data can be accessed through the JOLTS homepage at www.bls.gov/jlt/.

(p) Preliminary NOTE: Data are revised with the release of January data to incorporate the annual updates to the Current Employment Statistics employment estimates and the JOLTS seasonal adjustment factors.