openings rate has held relatively steady since March 2009. The hires rate (3.0 percent) and the separations rate (3.2 percent) were essentially unchanged and remained low.
Job Openings
The job openings rate was unchanged in October at 1.9 percent. After falling steeply from mid-2007 through February 2009, the job openings rate has been steady at 1.8 percent or 1.9 percent since March 2009. The number of job openings fell by 2.3 million from the most recent peak in June 2007 to April 2009 but has declined by only 7,000 since. The job openings rate was essentially unchanged in every industry and region in October.
Over the 12 months ending in October, the job openings rate (not seasonally adjusted) decreased for total nonfarm, total private, and government. The job openings rate also decreased in many industries: mining and logging; durable goods manufacturing; nondurable goods manufacturing; retail trade; transportation, warehousing, and utilities; information; educational services; health care and social assistance; arts, entertainment, and recreation; accommodation and food services; and state and local government. The job openings rate decreased in 3 of the 4 regions—Midwest, Northeast, and South.
Hires
The hires rate was essentially unchanged in October at 3.0 percent. The rate has remained between 3.0 percent and 3.2 percent since February 2009. The hires level fell by 1.5 million from the most recent peak in July 2006 to March 2009 but has declined by only 133,000 since. The hires rate was essentially unchanged in every industry and region in October.
Over the 12 months ending in October, the hires rate (not seasonally adjusted) declined for total nonfarm and total private. The hires rate decreased over the 12 months for wholesale trade; retail trade; information; accommodation and food services; and state and local government. The rate increased for federal government. The hires rate fell over the past 12 months in the Midwest and South.
Separations
The total separations, or turnover, rate was little changed in October and remained low at 3.2 percent. The total separations rate (not seasonally adjusted) decreased over the 12 months ending in October for total nonfarm and total private. Total separations includes quits
(voluntary separations), layoffs and discharges (involuntary separations), and other separations (including retirements).
The quits rate can serve as a measure of workers’ willingness or ability to change jobs. The quits rate was essentially unchanged in October at 1.3 percent. The quits level remained at 1.8 million in October. The number of quits has held steady since April 2009 after falling by 2.1 million from the most recent peak in December 2006.
Over the 12 months ending in October, the quits rate (not seasonally adjusted) was lower for total nonfarm, total private, government, and
many industries, including mining and logging; durable goods manufacturing; wholesale trade; retail trade; transportation, warehousing, and utilities; professional and business services; accommodation and food services; and state and local government. The quits rate decreased in 3 of the 4 regions—Midwest, South, and West.
The layoffs and discharges component of total separations is seasonally adjusted at the total nonfarm, total private, and government levels. The layoffs and discharges levels for total nonfarm, total private, and government were little changed in October at 2.1 million, 2.0 million, and 113,000 respectively. The corresponding layoffs and discharges rates were 1.6 percent, 1.8 percent, and 0.5 percent. The number of layoffs and discharges at the total nonfarm level peaked at 2.6 million in January 2009; the most recent trough was 1.6 million in January 2006.
The layoffs and discharges rate (not seasonally adjusted) was little changed over the 12 months ending in October for total nonfarm, total
private, and government. The layoffs and discharges rate rose in mining and logging and in construction; the rate fell in information.
The layoffs and discharges rate was little changed in all four regions.
The other separations series is not seasonally adjusted. In October, there were 327,000 other separations for total nonfarm, 278,000 for total private, and 49,000 for government. Compared to October 2008, the number of other separations was little changed for total nonfarm, total private, and government.
The total separations level is influenced by the relative contribution of its three components—quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. The percentage of total separations at the total nonfarm level attributable to the individual components has varied over time.
The proportion of quits had exceeded the proportion of layoffs and discharges every month from the beginning of the series in December
2000 until November 2008 when layoffs and discharges became the larger contributor to total separations. The proportion of separations due to quits fell to a series low of 38 percent in April 2009 but has since risen slightly, standing at 42 percent in October 2009. The proportion of separations due to layoffs and discharges rose to a series high of 55 percent in July 2009 but has since dropped slightly, standing at 50 percent in October 2009.
Net Change in Employment
Over the 12 months ending in October, hires totaled 49.9 million and separations totaled 54.9 million, yielding a net employment loss of 5.0 million.
