BLS report: Job openings little changed at 6.0 million in October; hires increase to 5.6 million

[mahatmakanejeeves]

JOLTS -- the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. It comes out a few days after the monthly payroll employment report.

Job openings little changed at 6.0 million in October; hires increase to 5.6 million

Economic News Release USDL-17-1641

Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary

For release 10:00 a.m. (EST) Monday, December 11, 2017

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JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER – OCTOBER 2017

The number of job openings was little changed at 6.0 million on the last business day of October, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the month, hires increased to 5.6 million and separations were little changed at 5.2 million. Within separations, the quits rate and the layoffs and discharges rate were little changed at 2.2 percent and 1.1 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 October, there were 6.0 million job openings, little changed from September. Job openings have been at or near record high levels since June. The job openings rate was 3.9 percent in October. The number of job openings edged down for total private and was little changed for government. Job openings increased in accommodation and food services (+94,000), construction (+48,000), and real estate and rental and leasing (+40,000). Job openings decreased in wholesale trade (-90,000), finance and insurance (-47,000), information (-32,000), and nondurable goods manufacturing (-26,000). The number of job openings was little changed in all four regions. (See table 1.)

Hires

The number of hires increased to 5.6 million in October (+232,000), and the hires rate was 3.8 percent. The number of hires increased to 5.2 million for total private (+247,000) and was little changed for government. At the industry level, the number of hires increased in other services (+55,000) and health care and social assistance (+45,000). Hires decreased for state and local government, excluding education (-32,000). The number of hires increased in the Northeast region. (See table 2.)
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The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey results for November 2017 are scheduled to be released on Tuesday, January 9, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. (EST).

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