Economic News Release USDL-16-2254
Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary
For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Wednesday, December 7, 2016
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JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER OCTOBER 2016
The number of job openings was little changed at 5.5 million on the last business day of October, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the month, hires and separations were also little changed at 5.1 million and 4.9 million, respectively. Within separations, the quits rate was unchanged at 2.1 percent and the layoffs and discharges rate was also unchanged at 1.0 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 October, there were 5.5 million job openings, little changed from September. The job openings rate was 3.7 percent in October. The number of job openings was little changed for total private and for government. Job openings increased in health care and social assistance (+139,000). Job openings decreased in professional and business services (-187,000), federal government (-13,000), and mining and logging (-8,000). The number of job openings was little changed in all four regions. (See table 1.)
Hires
The number of hires was essentially unchanged at 5.1 million in October. The hires rate was 3.5 percent. The number of hires was little changed for total private and for government. Hires decreased in state and local government education (-26,000) and was little changed in all other industries. 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 November 2016 are scheduled to be released on Tuesday, January 10, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. (EST).