The number of job openings reached a series high of 9.3 million on the last business day of April, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Hires were little changed at 6.1 million. Total separations increased to 5.8 million. Within separations, the quits rate reached a series high of 2.7 percent while the layoffs and discharges rate decreased to a series low of 1.0 percent. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector, by industry, by four geographic regions, and by establishment size class.
Job Openings
On the last business day of April, the job openings level and rate increased to series highs of 9.3 million (+998,000) and 6.0 percent, respectively. The job openings series began in December 2000. Job openings increased in a number of industries with the largest increases in accommodation and food services (+349,000), other services (+115,000), and durable goods manufacturing (+78,000). The number of job openings decreased in educational services (-23,000) and in mining and logging (-8,000). The number of job openings increased in all four regions. (See table 1.) Hires In April, the number of hires changed little at 6.1 million. The hires rate was unchanged at 4.2 percent. Hires increased in accommodation and food services (+232,000) and in federal government (+10,000). Hires decreased in construction (-107,000), durable goods manufacturing (-37,000), and educational services (-32,000). The number of hires was little changed in all four regions. (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 April, the number of total separations increased to 5.8 million (+324,000). The total separations rate was little changed at 4.0 percent. The total separations level increased in retail trade (+116,000) and in transportation, warehousing, and utilities (+60,000). Total separations increased in the West region. (See table 3.)
In April, the quits level and rate increased to series highs of 4.0 million and 2.7 percent, respectively. Quits increased in a number of industries with the largest increases in retail trade (+106,000), professional and business services (+94,000), and transportation, warehousing, and utilities (+49,000). The number of quits increased in the South, Midwest, and West regions. (See table 4.) In April, the number and rate of layoffs and discharges were little changed at 1.4 million and 1.0 percent, respectively. Both the number and rate reached new series lows. The number of layoffs and discharges decreased in finance and insurance (-24,000). Layoffs and discharges were little changed in all four regions. (See table 5.) The number of other separations was little changed in April at 364,000. Other separations increased in transportation, warehousing, and utilities (+16,000) and in durable goods manufacturing (+7,000). The other separations level was little changed in all four regions.
Review tables and read more at:
