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mahatmakanejeeves

(57,567 posts)
Tue Apr 2, 2024, 03:39 PM Apr 2

BLS Report: February job openings, hires, and total separations change little

I was wondering where this had gone. BRDS has it over in LBN.

Tue Apr 2, 2024: Job openings data shows US labor market remains 'quite healthy'

People come; people go.

This is JOLTS, the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. It used to come out a few days after the monthly payroll employment report, but now it seems to run on its own schedule.

The number of quits indicates how confident people are of finding another job if they leave the one they have.

February job openings, hires, and total separations change little
The number of job openings changed little at 8.8 million on the last business day of February. The number of hires and total separations also changed little, at 5.8 million and 5.6 million, respectively.

Economic News Release USDL-24-0625

Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary
For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Tuesday, April 2, 2024
Technical information: (202) 691-5870 • JoltsInfo@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/jlt
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 • PressOffice@bls.gov

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER – FEBRUARY 2024

The number of job openings changed little at 8.8 million on the last business day of February, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the month, the number of hires and total separations were little changed at 5.8 million and 5.6 million, respectively. Within separations, quits (3.5 million) and layoffs and discharges (1.7 million) changed little. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector, by industry, and by establishment size class.

Job Openings

On the last business day of February, the number of job openings changed little at 8.8 million; this measure is down from a series high of 12.2 million in March 2022. The rate was 5.3 percent for the third month in a row. In February, job openings increased in finance and insurance (+126,000); state and local government, excluding education (+91,000); and arts, entertainment, and recreation (+51,000). Job openings decreased in information (-85,000) and in federal government (-21,000). (See table 1.)

Hires

In February, the number and rate of hires were little changed at 5.8 million and 3.7 percent, respectively. Hires decreased in durable goods manufacturing (-44,000). (See table 2.)

Separations

Total separations include quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. 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 include separations due to retirement, death, disability, and transfers to other locations of the same firm.

The number of total separations in February changed little at 5.6 million. The rate was unchanged at 3.5 percent. Over the month, the number of total separations increased in arts, entertainment, and recreation (+64,000) but decreased in transportation, warehousing, and utilities (-62,000). (See table 3.)

In February, the number of quits was little changed at 3.5 million, and the rate was 2.2 percent for the fourth consecutive month. (See table 4.)

In February, the number and rate of layoffs and discharges changed little at 1.7 million and 1.1 percent, respectively. The number of layoffs and discharges increased in accommodation and food services (+67,000) and in arts, entertainment, and recreation (+57,000). (See table 5.)

The number of other separations was little changed in February at 351,000. (See table 6.)

Establishment Size Class

In February, establishments with 1 to 9 employees and establishments with 5,000 or more employees saw little change in their job openings rate, hires rate, and total separations rate. (See table 7.)

January 2024 Revisions

The number of job openings for January was revised down by 115,000 to 8.7 million, the number of hires was revised up by 11,000 to 5.7 million, and the number of total separations was revised up by 108,000 to 5.4 million. Within separations, the number of quits was revised up by 61,000 to 3.4 million and the number of layoffs and discharges was revised up by 24,000 to 1.6 million. (Monthly revisions result from additional reports received from businesses and government agencies since the last published estimates and from the recalculation of seasonal factors.)
____________
The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey estimates for March 2024 are scheduled to be released on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

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[center]Facilities for Sensory Impaired[/center]

Information from these releases will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200, Federal Relay Services: 1-800-877-8339.

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Some previous reports. I don't post them every month anymore.

Wed Jan 3, 2024: BLS Report: Hires and total separations decrease in November; job openings change little

Tue Oct 4, 2022: BLS Report: August job openings decrease; hires and total separations change little (this one)

Tue Aug 30, 2022: BLS Report: July job openings change little; hires and total separations also change little

Tue Aug 30, 2022: Job vacancies rose in July, dashing Fed hopes for cooling (in LBN)

Tue Aug 2, 2022: U.S. job openings at nine-month low; labor market still tight (in LBN)

Wed Jul 6, 2022: BLS Report: May job openings decrease; hires and total separations change little

Wed Jun 1, 2022: BLS Report: April job openings decrease; layoffs and discharges edge down to series low

Tue May 3, 2022: BLS Report: March job openings and quits reach series highs; total separations edge up

Tue Mar 29, 2022: BLS Report: February job openings and total separations change little; hires edge up

Wed Mar 9, 2022: BLS Report: January job openings, hires, and total separations change little

Tue Feb 9, 2021: BLS Report: Job openings and total separations little changed in December; hires decrease

Tue Jan 4, 2022: Job openings reach 10.6 million in November as tight labor market persists

Wed Dec 8, 2021: BLS Report: October job openings increase, total separations edge down, and hires change little

Fri Nov 12, 2021: BLS Report: September job openings and hires little changed, quits at a series high

Tue Oct 12, 2021: BLS Report: August job openings and hires decrease; total separations little changed

{snip the rest}

Related:

Wed Jan 27, 2021: BLS Report: Gross job losses 20.4 million and gross job gains 5.7 million in the 2nd quarter of 2020
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