BLS report: Job openings (5.7 million), hires, and separations little changed in March

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Job openings (5.7 million), hires, and separations little changed in March

Economic News Release USDL-17-0590

Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary

For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Tuesday, May 9, 2017

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JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER – MARCH 2017

The number of job openings was little changed at 5.7 million on the last business day of March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the month, hires and separations were also little changed at 5.3 million and 5.1 million, respectively. Within separations, the quits and the layoffs and discharges rates were unchanged at 2.1 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 March, there were 5.7 million job openings, little changed from February. The job openings rate was 3.8 percent in March. The number of job openings was little changed for total private and edged up for government. Job openings increased in professional and business services (+126,000), other services (+55,000), and state and local government education (+27,000). Job openings decreased in educational services (-43,000) 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 5.3 million in March. The hires rate was 3.6 percent. The number of hires was little changed for total private and for government. Hires increased in health care and social assistance (+49,000), but decreased in mining and logging (-8,000). 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 April 2017 are scheduled to be released on Tuesday, June 6, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).

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