Job openings (5.7 million), hires, and separations little changed in February

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JOLTS - the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey

Job openings (5.7 million), hires, and separations little changed in February

Economic News Release USDL-17-0416

Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary

For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Tuesday, April 11, 2017

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JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER – FEBRUARY 2017

The number of job openings was little changed at 5.7 million on the last business day of February, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the month, hires and separations were also little changed at 5.3 million and 5.1 million, respectively. Within separations, the quits rate was little changed at 2.1 percent, and the layoffs and discharges rate was unchanged at 1.1 percent. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the nonfarm sector by industry and by four geographic regions.

Job Openings

On the last business day of February, there were 5.7 million job openings, little changed from January. The job openings rate was 3.8 percent in February. The number of job openings was little changed for total private and for government. Job openings increased in a number of industries, with the largest changes occurring in health care and social assistance (+73,000), accommodation and food services (+66,000), and finance and insurance (+47,000). Job openings decreased in real estate and rental and leasing (-63,000) and mining and logging (-7,000). Job openings increased in the Northeast region. (See table 1.)

Hires

The number of hires was essentially unchanged at 5.3 million in February. The hires rate was 3.6 percent. The number of hires was little changed for total private and for government. Hires increased in retail trade (+74,000) and mining and logging (+9,000), but decreased in federal government (-13,000). 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. 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 includes separations due to retirement, death, disability, and transfers to other locations of the same firm.

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The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey results for March 2017 are scheduled to be released on Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).

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