Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary
For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Tuesday, November 5, 2019 USDL-19-1907
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JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER – SEPTEMBER 2019
The number of job openings edged down to 7.0 million (-277,000) on the last business day of
September, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the month, hires and separations
were little changed at 5.9 million and 5.8 million, respectively. Within separations, the quits rate and the
layoffs and discharges rate were little changed at 2.3 percent and 1.3 percent, respectively. 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 September, the job openings level edged down to 7.0 million (-277,000).
The job openings rate was 4.4 percent. The number of job openings edged down for total private
(-262,000) and was little changed for government. The job openings level decreased in health care and
social assistance (-124,000), retail trade (-102,000), and federal government (-19,000). Job openings
increased in information (+25,000). The number of job openings decreased in the Northeast region. (See
table 1.)
Hires
The number of hires was little changed at 5.9 million in September and the hires rate was unchanged at
3.9 percent. The number of hires was little changed for total private and for government. The hires level
decreased in federal government (-30,000). 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.
The number of total separations was little changed at 5.8 million in September and the rate was
unchanged at 3.8 percent. The number of total separations was little changed for total private and for
government. The total separations level was little changed in all industries and in all four regions. (See
table 3.)
The number of quits was little changed in September at 3.5 million as was the rate at 2.3 percent. The
quits level was little changed for total private and for government. Quits decreased in accommodation
and food services (-74,000) and in real estate and rental and leasing (-19,000). The number of quits
decreased in the Northeast and South regions. (See table 4.)
The number of layoffs and discharges edged up in September to 2.0 million (+152,000). The layoffs
and discharges rate was 1.3 percent. The layoffs and discharges level edged up for total private
(+151,000) and was little changed for government. The number of layoffs and discharges increased in
accommodation and food services (+72,000) and in health care and social assistance (+42,000). The
layoffs and discharges level was little changed in all four regions. (See table 5.)
The number of other separations was little changed in September. The other separations level was also
little changed for total private and for government. Other separations increased in accommodation and
food services (+15,000) and in nondurable goods manufacturing (+5,000). The number of other
separations 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 September, hires totaled 69.9
million and separations totaled 67.4 million, yielding a net employment gain of 2.5 million. These totals
include workers who may have been hired and separated more than once during the year.