Job Openings and Labor Turnover - June 2019

For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Technical information: (202) 691-5870 ? JoltsInfo@ ? jlt

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USDL-21-0856

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER ? MARCH 2021

The number of job openings reached a series high of 8.1 million on the last business day of March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Hires were little changed at 6.0 million. Total separations were little changed at 5.3 million. Within separations, the quits rate was unchanged at 2.4 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.

Chart 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted, March 2018 - March 2021

Percent

5.4

5.2

5.0

4.8

4.6

4.4

4.2

4.0

3.8

3.6

3.4

3.2

3.0 Mar-18

Sep-18

Mar-19

Sep-19

Mar-20

Sep-20

Chart 2. Hires and total separations rates, seasonally adjusted, March 2018 - March 2021

Percent

11.0

10.0

Hires

Separations 9.0

8.0

7.0

6.0

5.0

4.0

3.0

2.0 Mar-21 Mar-18

Sep-18

Mar-19

Sep-19

Mar-20

Sep-20

Mar-21

Job Openings

On the last business day of March, the job openings level reached a series high of 8.1 million (+597,000). The job openings series began in December 2000. The job openings rate increased to 5.3 percent. Job openings increased in a number of industries with the largest increases in accommodation and food services (+185,000); state and local government education (+155,000); and arts, entertainment, and recreation (+81,000). The number of job openings decreased in health care and social assistance (-218,000). The number of job openings increased in the Northeast and Midwest regions. (See table 1.)

Hires

In March, the number and rate of hires changed little at 6.0 million and 4.2 percent, respectively. Hires increased in state and local government education (+62,000); educational services (+31,000); and mining and logging (+17,000). 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 March, the number and rate of total separations were little changed at 5.3 million and 3.7 percent, respectively. The total separations level decreased in construction (-82,000) and in state and local government education (-25,000). Total separations were little changed in all four regions. (See table 3.)

In March, the quits level and rate were little changed at 3.5 million and 2.4 percent, respectively. The number of quits increased in accommodation and food services (+63,000) and in information (+16,000). Quits decreased in state and local government education (-19,000). The number of quits was little changed in all four regions. (See table 4.)

In March, the number of layoffs and discharges decreased to a series low of 1.5 million. The layoffs and discharges rate decreased to 1.0 percent. The number of layoffs and discharges decreased in construction (-93,000). Layoffs and discharges were little changed in all four regions. (See table 5.)

The number of other separations was little changed in March at 334,000. Other separations increased in professional and business services (+29,000). Other separations decreased in information (-7,000); state and local government education (-6,000); and nondurable goods manufacturing (-5,000). The other separations level was little changed in all four regions. (See table 6.)

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 March, hires totaled 73.2 million and separations totaled 69.9 million, yielding a net employment gain of 3.3 million. These totals include workers who may have been hired and separated more than once during the year.

Establishment Size Class

JOLTS produces estimates for job openings, hires, and separations by establishment size. These estimates can provide additional insight into the internal dynamics of the labor market. There are six employment size classes: 1-9; 10-49; 50-249; 250-999; 1,000-4,999; and 5,000 or more employees. Utilizing these size classes, establishments can also be described as small (1-49 employees), medium (50-249), and large (250+). For a more in-depth description of the JOLTS establishment size class estimates, please visit jlt/sizeclassmethodology.htm.

In March, the job openings rate increased in medium establishments with 50-249 employees and large establishments with 5,000 or more employees. In small establishments with 1-9 employees, the layoffs

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and discharges rate decreased. The layoffs and discharges rate increased in large establishments with 250-999 employees. The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey estimates for April 2021 are scheduled to be released on Tuesday, June 8, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact on March 2021 Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey Data

Data collection for the JOLTS survey was affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. While 42 percent of data are usually collected by phone at the JOLTS data collection center, most phone respondents were asked to report electronically. However, data collection was adversely impacted due to the inability to reach some respondents that normally respond by phone. The JOLTS response rate for March was 45 percent, while response rates prior to the pandemic averaged 54 percent. More information about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the JOLTS survey, including information about the JOLTS estimation methodology, is available at covid19/jobopenings-and-labor-turnover-covid19-March-2021.htm.

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Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally adjusted

Job openings

Hires

Category

Mar. 2020

Feb. 2021

Mar. 2021p

Mar. 2020

Feb. 2021

Mar. 2021p

Total separations

Mar. 2020

Feb. 2021

Mar. 2021p

LEVELS BY INDUSTRY (in thousands)

Total.................................................. . Total private. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mining and logging............................ . Construction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Manufacturing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Durable goods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nondurable goods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Trade, transportation, and utilities. . . . . . . . . . . Wholesale trade. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Retail trade. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Transportation, warehousing, and utilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Financial activities............................. . Finance and insurance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Real estate and rental and leasing. . . . . . . Professional and business services. . . . . . . . . Education and health services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Educational services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Health care and social assistance. . . . . . . . Leisure and hospitality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arts, entertainment, and recreation. . . . . . . Accommodation and food services. . . . . . . Other services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Government. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Federal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . State and local. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . State and local education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . State and local, excluding education. . . . .

5,769 5,061

16 228 302 170 132 1,050 150 571

330 122 352 261

91 1,042 1,143

101 1,041

648 129 519 158 708 123 585 209 377

RATES BY INDUSTRY (percent)

Total.................................................. .

3.7

Total private. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3.8

Mining and logging............................ .

2.4

Construction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2.9

Manufacturing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2.3

Durable goods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2.1

Nondurable goods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities. . . . . . . . . . .

3.6

Wholesale trade. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2.5

Retail trade. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3.6

Transportation, warehousing, and

utilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4.9

Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4.0

Financial activities............................. .

3.8

Finance and insurance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3.9

Real estate and rental and leasing. . . . . . .

3.8

Professional and business services. . . . . . . . .

4.7

Education and health services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4.5

Educational services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2.7

Health care and social assistance. . . . . . . .

4.8

Leisure and hospitality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3.9

Arts, entertainment, and recreation. . . . . . .

5.1

Accommodation and food services. . . . . . .

3.6

Other services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2.6

7,526 6,868

20 272 572 298 273 1,396 216 819

361 109 303 229

74 1,373 1,592

105 1,486

942 134 808 289 658

88 570 175 395

5.0 5.3 3.3 3.6 4.5 3.8 5.6 4.9 3.7 5.1

5.5 3.9 3.3 3.4 3.2 6.2 6.4 3.0 7.0 6.5 7.2 6.4 5.0

8,123 7,290

31 344 706 365 341 1,475 249 878

348 106 354 267

87 1,374 1,425

157 1,268 1,209

215 993 266 833 108 725 330 395

5.3 5.6 4.8 4.4 5.4 4.6 6.8 5.1 4.2 5.5

5.2 3.8 3.9 3.9 3.7 6.2 5.7 4.3 6.0 8.1 10.7 7.7 4.6

5,132 4,751

23 403 313 176 136 1,116 136 734

246 69

230 153

76 1,116

648 93

554 677 119 558 157 381

58 324 167 156

3.4 3.7 3.4 5.3 2.5 2.2 2.9 4.0 2.3 4.7

3.9 2.4 2.6 2.4 3.3 5.2 2.7 2.5 2.7 4.2 4.9 4.1 2.7

5,794 5,490

19 399 393 218 175 1,118 139 734

245 88

199 131

68 1,129

703 86

617 1,194

135 1,059

248 304

37 267 121 146

4.0 4.5 3.2 5.4 3.2 2.9 3.8 4.1 2.5 4.8

3.9 3.3 2.3 2.0 3.0 5.5 3.0 2.5 3.1 8.8 7.8 9.0 4.5

6,009 5,632

36 445 425 247 178 1,151 155 753

243 82

213 133

80 1,127

738 117 621 1,188 147 1,041 227 377

36 340 183 157

16,308 15,763

45 784 891 532 358 2,771 335 1,834

602 246 383 179 203 1,931 2,035 371 1,663 5,713 665 5,048 965 545

42 503 294 208

5,429 5,078

22 426 369 200 169 1,118 139 746

233 79

201 132

69 1,062

670 80

590 904 126 778 225 351

40 311 162 149

4.2

10.8

3.8

4.6

12.3

4.2

5.9

6.7

3.7

6.0

10.4

5.8

3.5

7.0

3.0

3.2

6.7

2.6

3.8

7.5

3.7

4.2

10.0

4.1

2.7

5.7

2.5

4.9

11.8

4.9

3.9

9.5

3.7

3.1

8.5

2.9

2.4

4.3

2.3

2.0

2.8

2.0

3.6

8.7

3.1

5.4

9.1

5.1

3.2

8.4

2.9

3.4

10.0

2.4

3.1

8.1

3.0

8.6

35.4

6.7

8.2

27.7

7.3

8.7

36.8

6.6

4.1

16.5

4.1

5,322 4,998

12 344 387 221 166 1,091 147 728

216 87

207 136

71 1,050

669 78

591 947 120 827 203 324

37 287 137 150

3.7 4.1 2.0 4.6 3.2 2.9 3.6 4.0 2.6 4.8

3.4 3.2 2.4 2.1 3.2 5.1 2.9 2.3 3.0 6.9 6.7 6.9 3.7

See footnotes at end of table.

Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally adjusted -- Continued

Job openings

Hires

Total separations

Category

Mar. 2020

Feb. 2021

Mar. 2021p

Mar. 2020

Feb. 2021

Mar. 2021p

Mar. 2020

Feb. 2021

Mar. 2021p

Government. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.0

3.0

3.7

1.7

1.4

1.7

2.4

1.6

1.5

Federal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.1

3.0

3.6

2.0

1.3

1.3

1.5

1.4

1.3

State and local. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.9

3.0

3.7

1.6

1.4

1.8

2.5

1.7

1.5

State and local education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.9

1.8

3.3

1.6

1.3

1.9

2.8

1.7

1.4

State and local, excluding education. . . . . 3.9

4.2

4.2

1.7

1.6

1.8

2.2

1.7

1.7

p Preliminary

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