Job Openings Increase to 3.4 Million in December 2011
2012-02-07
There were 3.4 million job openings on the last business day of December, up from 3.1 million in November. The hires rate (3.1 percent) and the separations rate (3.0 percent) were unchanged in December.
Job Openings and Labor Turnover – December 2011
There were 3.4 million job openings on the last business day of
December, up from 3.1 million in November, the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics reported today. The hires rate (3.1 percent) and
separations rate (3.0 percent) were unchanged over the month. The job
openings rate has trended upward since the end of the recession in
June 2009. (Recession dates are determined by the National Bureau of
Economic Research.) 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
The number of job openings in December was 3.4 million, up from 3.1
million in November. (See table 1.) Although the number of job
openings remained below the 4.4 million openings when the recession
began in December 2007, the number of job openings has increased 39
percent since the end of the recession in June 2009.
The number of job openings in December (not seasonally adjusted)
increased over the year for total nonfarm and total private; the level
was little changed for government. Several industries saw increases in
the number of job openings over the year, while the number of job
openings decreased for federal government. The South region
experienced an increase in the number of job openings over the year.
(See table 5.)
Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally
adjusted
--
| Job openings | Hires | Total separations
|--
Industry | Dec. | Nov. | Dec. | Dec. | Nov. | Dec. | Dec. | Nov. | Dec.
| 2010 | 2011 | 2011p| 2010 | 2011 | 2011p| 2010 | 2011 | 2011p
---|--
| Levels (in thousands)
|--
Total..............|2,921 |3,118 |3,376 |3,905 |4,132 |4,046 |3,836 |3,986 |3,909
| | | | | | | | |
Total private(1)..|2,500 |2,766 |3,009 |3,631 |3,853 |3,765 |3,539 |3,686 |3,593
Construction.....| 44 | 74 | 71 | 356 | 304 | 289 | 393 | 307 | 280
Manufacturing....| 184 | 242 | 264 | 264 | 236 | 261 | 252 | 217 | 226
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and | | | | | | | | |
utilities(2)....| 463 | 541 | 571 | 756 | 800 | 803 | 718 | 730 | 731
Retail trade....| 268 | 305 | 336 | 476 | 559 | 534 | 470 | 496 | 494
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services........| 609 | 503 | 652 | 780 | 845 | 787 | 735 | 811 | 792
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices...........| 510 | 609 | 588 | 465 | 472 | 487 | 450 | 459 | 460
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality.....| 270 | 411 | 402 | 596 | 733 | 715 | 583 | 697 | 694
Arts, enter- | | | | | | | | |
tainment and | | | | | | | | |
recreation.....| 41 | 57 | 44 | 98 | 146 | 137 | 98 | 147 | 145
Accommodation | | | | | | | | |
and food | | | | | | | | |
services.......| 229 | 354 | 358 | 498 | 587 | 578 | 485 | 549 | 549
Government(3).....| 421 | 353 | 367 | 274 | 278 | 282 | 297 | 300 | 315
State and local | | | | | | | | |
government......| 319 | 299 | 302 | 242 | 247 | 250 | 269 | 266 | 282
|--
| Rates (percent)
|--
Total..............| 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.0
| | | | | | | | |
Total private(1)..| 2.3 | 2.5 | 2.7 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.3
Construction.....| 0.8 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 6.5 | 5.5 | 5.2 | 7.2 | 5.6 | 5.0
Manufacturing....| 1.6 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 1.9
Trade, trans- | | | | | | | | |
portation, and | | | | | | | | |
utilities(2)....| 1.8 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 2.9
Retail trade....| 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.4
Professional | | | | | | | | |
and business | | | | | | | | |
services........| 3.5 | 2.8 | 3.6 | 4.6 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 4.6
Education and | | | | | | | | |
health ser- | | | | | | | | |
vices...........| 2.5 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.3
Leisure and | | | | | | | | |
hospitality.....| 2.0 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 4.6 | 5.5 | 5.4 | 4.5 | 5.2 | 5.2
Arts, enter- | | | | | | | | |
tainment and | | | | | | | | |
recreation.....| 2.1 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 5.2 | 7.7 | 7.3 | 5.2 | 7.8 | 7.7
Accommodation | | | | | | | | |
and food | | | | | | | | |
services.......| 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 4.5 | 5.1 | 5.0 | 4.3 | 4.8 | 4.8
Government(3).....| 1.9 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.4
State and local | | | | | | | | |
government......| 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.5
---
1 Includes mining and logging, information, financial activities, and
other services, not shown separately.
2 Includes wholesale trade and transportation, warehousing, and utilities, not
shown separately.
3 Includes federal government, not shown separately.
p = Preliminary
Hires
In December, the hires rate was unchanged at 3.1 percent for total
nonfarm. The hires rate was little changed over the month in all
industries and regions. (See table 2.) The number of hires in December
was 4.0 million, an increase of 12 percent since the end of the
recession in June 2009.
Over the past 12 months, the hires rate (not seasonally adjusted) was
little changed for total nonfarm, total private, and government. The
hires rate was essentially unchanged over the year in all industries
and regions. (See table 6.)
Separations
The total separations figure includes voluntary quits, involuntary
layoffs and discharges, and other separations, including retirements.
Total separations is also referred to as turnover.
The seasonally adjusted total separations rate was unchanged in
December for total nonfarm and government and little changed for total
private. (See table 3.) Over the year, the total separations rate (not
seasonally adjusted) was little changed for total nonfarm, total
private, and government. (See table 7.)
The quits rate can serve as a measure of workers’ willingness or
ability to change jobs. In December, the quits rate was little changed
for total nonfarm, total private, and government. (See table 4.) The
number of quits rose from 1.5 million in January 2010 (the most recent
trough) to 1.9 million in December, although it remained below the 2.8
million recorded when the recession began in December 2007.
The number of quits (not seasonally adjusted) in December 2011 was
little changed from December 2010 for total nonfarm and total private
but increased for government. The number of quits increased for state
and local government. No region experienced a significant change in
the number of quits over the year. (See table 8.)
The layoffs and discharges component of total separations is
seasonally adjusted only at the total nonfarm, total private, and
government levels. The layoffs and discharges rate was essentially
unchanged in December 2011 for total nonfarm, total private, and
government. The number of layoffs and discharges for total nonfarm was
1.6 million in December, down from a peak of 2.5 million in February
2009. For the 17 months ending in December 2011, the number of layoffs
and discharges has been at or below 1.8 million—the level at the start
of the recession in December 2007. (See table B.)
The layoffs and discharges level (not seasonally adjusted) for total
nonfarm, total private, and government was little changed over the
year. Over the year, the number of layoffs and discharges declined for
construction. The number of layoffs and discharges increased for other
services over the year. All four regions experienced little change in
the number of layoffs and discharges. (See table 9.)
Table B. Layoffs and discharges by industry, seasonally adjusted
| Levels (in thousands) | Rates (percent)
|
Industry | Dec. | Nov. | Dec. | Dec. | Nov. | Dec.
| 2010 | 2011 | 2011p| 2010 | 2011 | 2011p
---|
Total..............| 1,677 | 1,718 | 1,644 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.2
Total private.....| 1,549 | 1,604 | 1,528 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.4
Government........| 128 | 114 | 115 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.5
p = Preliminary
The other separations series is not seasonally adjusted. In December
2011, there were 330,000 other separations for total nonfarm, 259,000
for total private, and 72,000 for government. Compared to December
2010, the number of other separations was little changed for total
nonfarm, total private, and government. (See table 10.)
Relative Contributions to Separations
The total separations level is influenced by the relative contribution
of its three components—quits, layoffs and discharges, and other
separations. Other separations is historically a very small portion of
total separations; it has rarely been above 10 percent of total
separations. The percentage of total separations attributable to the
individual components has varied over time at the total nonfarm level,
but for the majority of the months since the series began in December
2000, the proportion of quits has exceeded the proportion of layoffs
and discharges. For most of the months between November 2008 and
November 2010, however, the proportion of layoffs and discharges was
equal to or greater than the proportion of quits. Since November 2010,
the series have returned to their historical pattern. In December
2011, the proportion of quits at the total nonfarm level was 49
percent, and the proportion of layoffs and discharges was 42 percent.
(See table C.)
Table C. Quits and layoffs and discharges as a percentage of total separations, seasonally adjusted
(Levels in thousands)
-
| Quits | Layoffs and discharges
|
| Dec. | Nov. | Dec. | Dec. | Nov. | Dec.
| 2010 | 2011 | 2011p | 2010 | 2011 | 2011p
Industry |
| |Portion | |Portion | |Portion | |Portion | |Portion | |Portion
| Level |of total| Level |of total| Level |of total| Level |of total| Level |of total| Level |of total
-
Total..............| 1,838 | 48% | 1,955 | 49% | 1,926 | 49% | 1,677 | 44% | 1,718 | 43% | 1,644 | 42%
Total private.....| 1,731 | 49% | 1,835 | 50% | 1,790 | 50% | 1,549 | 44% | 1,604 | 44% | 1,528 | 43%
Government........| 107 | 36% | 120 | 40% | 135 | 43% | 128 | 43% | 114 | 38% | 115 | 37%
-
p = Preliminary
Net Change in Employment
Large numbers of hires and separations occur every month throughout
the business cycle. Net employment change results from the
relationship between hires and separations. When the number of hires
exceeds the number of separations, employment rises, even if the hires
level is steady or declining. Conversely, when the number of hires is
less than the number of separations, employment declines, even if the
hires level is steady or rising. Over the 12 months ending in December
2011, hires totaled 48.4 million and separations totaled 47.0 million,
yielding a net employment gain of 1.4 million. These figures include
workers who may have been hired and separated more than once during
the year.
____________
The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey results for January 2012
are scheduled to be released on Tuesday, March 13, 2012 at 10:00 a.m.
(EDT).
__________________________________________________________________________
| Upcoming changes to the JOLTS Data |
| |
| With the release of January data on March 13, BLS will revise the |
| job openings, hires, and separations data to incorporate the |
| annual updates to the Current Employment Statistics employment |
| estimates and the JOLTS seasonal adjustment factors. Unadjusted |
| data and seasonally adjusted data from December 2006 forward are |
| subject to revision. In addition, a revised/birth death model |
| will be implemented resulting in possible revisions to the full |
| data series. Also effective with the release of January data, |
| JOLTS will adopt the 2012 version of the North American |
| Industrial Classification System (NAICS). Changes in the 2012 |
| NAICS structure are minor and will not impact the published JOLTS |
| data series. |
|________________________________________________________________________|
- Job Openings and Labor Turnover Technical Note
- Table 1. Job openings levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
- Table 2. Hires levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
- Table 3. Total separations levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
- Table 4. Quits levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
- Table 5. Job openings levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
- Table 6. Hires levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
- Table 7. Total separations levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
- Table 8. Quits levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
- Table 9. Layoffs and discharges levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
- Table 10. Other separations levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
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