JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER – SEPTEMBER 2015
The number of job openings was little changed at 5.5
million on the last business day of September, the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics reported today. Hires and separations were little changed at 5.0
million and 4.8 million, respectively. Within separations, the quits rate was
1.9 percent for the sixth consecutive month, and the layoffs and discharges
rate remained unchanged at 1.2 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
Job openings were little changed at 5.5 million in
September. The job openings rate for September was 3.7 percent. The number of
job openings was little changed in September for total private and government.
Job openings increased in professional and business services (+126,000) and
retail trade (+64,000). The number of openings was little changed in all four
regions. (See table 1.)
The number of job openings (not seasonally adjusted)
increased over the 12 months ending in
September for total nonfarm and total private and was
little changed for government. Job openings rose over the year for several
industries with the largest increases occurring in professional and business services
(+311,000), health care and social assistance (+191,000), and retail trade
(+184,000). Job openings decreased over the year in mining and logging
(-16,000). The number of job openings increased over the year in all four
regions: South (+283,000), West (+259,000), Midwest (+208,000), and Northeast
(+102,000). (See table 7.)
Hires
The number of hires was 5.0 million in September, little
changed from August. The hires rate was 3.5 percent. The number of hires was
little changed for total private and government in September. There was little
change in the number of hires in all industries and regions over the month.
(See table 2.)
Over the 12 months ending in September, the number of
hires (not seasonally adjusted) was little
changed for total nonfarm, total private, and government.
At the industry level, hires decreased in educational services (-74,000),
finance and insurance (-43,000), and mining and logging (-13,000). There was
little change in the number of hires in all four regions over the year. (See
table 8.)
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, and
disability, as well as transfers to other locations of the same firm.
There were 4.8 million total separations in September,
little changed from August. The total
separations rate was 3.4 percent. The number of total
separations was little changed for total private and government. In September,
total separations were little changed in all industries and regions. (See table
3.)
There were 2.7 million quits in September, little changed
from August. The number of quits has held between 2.7 million and 2.8 million
for the past 13 months after increasing steadily since the end of the recession.
The quits rate remained unchanged in September, measuring 1.9 percent for the
sixth consecutive month. The number of quits was little changed for total
private and government over the month. Quits were little changed in all
industries and regions over the month. (See table 4.)
The number of quits (not seasonally adjusted) was little
changed over the 12 months ending in
September for total nonfarm and total private but
decreased for government (-31,000). Quits increased over the year in
accommodation and food services (+66,000) and durable goods manufacturing (+22,000).
Quits decreased over the year in state and local government (-31,000) and
finance and insurance (-24,000). Quits were little changed in all four regions.
(See table 10.)
There were 1.7 million layoffs and discharges in
September, little changed from August. The layoffs and discharges rate remained
unchanged at 1.2 percent. The number of layoffs and discharges was little changed
over the month for total private and government. Layoffs and discharges were
little changed in all four regions. (See table 5.) Seasonally adjusted
estimates of layoffs and discharges are not available for individual
industries.
The number of layoffs and discharges (not seasonally
adjusted) was little changed over the 12 months ending in September for total
nonfarm, total private, and government. The number of layoffs and discharges
rose over the year in other services (+54,000). Layoffs and discharges
decreased over the year in educational services (-17,000) and federal
government (-7,000). Layoffs and discharges were little changed in all four
regions over the year. (See table 11.)
In September, there were 387,000 other separations for
total nonfarm, little changed from August. Over the month, the number of other
separations was little changed for total private at 315,000 and increased for
government to 72,000. (See table 6.) Seasonally adjusted estimates of other
separations are not available for individual industries or regions.
Over the 12 months ending in September, the number of
other separations (not seasonally adjusted) was little changed for total
nonfarm, total private, and government. Other separations increased over the year
in federal government (+4,000). The number of other separations decreased in
finance and insurance (-15,000) and in information (-5,000). Other separations
were little changed in all four regions over the year. (See table 12.)
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 2015, hires totaled 60.9 million and separations totaled
58.2 million, yielding a net employment gain of 2.7 million. These totals
include workers who may have been hired and separated more than once during the
year.
Source: BLS
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