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BLS Report: Total separations increase to a series high; job openings and hires decrease in March
People come; people go.
This is JOLTS, the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey. It comes out a few days after the monthly payroll employment report.
The number of quits indicates how confident people are of finding another job if they leave the one they have.
Tue Apr 7, 2020: BLS Report: Job openings at 6.9 million, hires, and separations little changed in February
Tue Mar 17, 2020: BLS Report: Job openings rise to 7.0 million in January; hires and separations little changed
Wed Feb 12, 2020: BLS Report: Job openings fall to 6.4 million in December; hires and separations little changed
Tuesday, January 21, 2020 (a late release): BLS Report: Job openings fall to 6.8 million in November; hires and separations little changed
-- -- -- -- --
Total separations increase to a series high; job openings and hires decrease in March
Economic News Release USDL-20-0923
Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary
For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Friday, May 15, 2020
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 – MARCH 2020
The number of total separations increased by 8.9 million to a series high of 14.5 million in March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Within separations, the quits rate fell to 1.8 percent and the layoffs and discharges rate increased to 7.5 percent. Job openings decreased to 6.2 million on the last business day of March. Over the month, hires declined to 5.2 million. The changes in these measures reflect the effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and efforts to contain it. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector, by industry, and by four geographic regions.
Job Openings
On the last business day of March, the number and rate of job openings declined to 6.2 million (-813,000) and 3.9 percent, respectively. Job openings fell in total private (-774,000), with the largest declines in accommodation and food services (-258,000) and durable goods manufacturing (-82,000). The number of job openings decreased in the South, Midwest, and West regions. (See table 1.)
_______________________________________________________________________________
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact on March 2020 JOLTS Data
Data collection for the JOLTS survey was affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. More
information is available at the end of this news release and
[https://www.bls.gov/bls/job-openings-and-labor-turnover-covid19-march-2020.htm].
_______________________________________________________________________________
Hires
In March, the number and rate of hires decreased to 5.2 million (-658,000) and 3.4 percent, respectively. The hires level decreased for total private (-654,000) and was little changed for government. Hires decreased in accommodation and food services (-344,000), health care and social assistance (-87,000), and durable goods manufacturing (-33,000). Hires increased in federal government (+8,000). The number of hires decreased in the Northeast, South, and West 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.
{snip}
____________
The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey estimates for April 2020 are scheduled to be released on Tuesday, June 9, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).
________________________________________________________________________________________
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact on March 2020 Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey Data
Data collection for the JOLTS survey was affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. While 41 percent
of data are usually collected by phone at the JOLTS data collection center, most phone respondents were
asked to report electronically via our data collection website. However, data collection was adversely
impacted due to the inability to reach some respondents that normally respond by phone. The JOLTS response
rate for March was 57 percent, while response rates prior to the pandemic averaged 67 percent.
BLS modified the JOLTS estimates for March to better reflect the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19)
pandemic. The estimation process usually includes an alignment of monthly hires minus separations to the
over-the-month change in the Current Employment Statistics (CES) employment estimates. For March
estimates, however, BLS suspended the alignment process because the differing reference periods for the
CES employment estimates (pay period including the 12th of the month) and the JOLTS hires and separations
estimates (the entire reference month) led to substantially different measurement outcomes. The extremely
large increase in separations during the latter half of March were not included in the CES employment
change for March, but were included in the JOLTS data for the month. For more information about the impact
of the COVID-19 pandemic on the JOLTS survey, including more information about the JOLTS estimation
methodology, please see [www.bls.gov/bls/job-openings-and-labor-turnover-covid19-march-2020.htm].
________________________________________________________________________________________
Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally adjusted
Job Openings and Labor Turnover Technical Note
Table 1. Job openings levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Table 2. Hires levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Table 3. Total separations levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Table 4. Quits levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Table 5. Layoffs and discharges levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Table 6. Other separations levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Table 7. Job openings levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Table 8. Hires levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Table 9. Total separations levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Table 10. Quits levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Table 11. Layoffs and discharges levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Table 12. Other separations levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
HTML version of the entire news release
The PDF version of the news release
News release charts
Supplemental Files Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary
For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Friday, May 15, 2020
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 – MARCH 2020
The number of total separations increased by 8.9 million to a series high of 14.5 million in March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Within separations, the quits rate fell to 1.8 percent and the layoffs and discharges rate increased to 7.5 percent. Job openings decreased to 6.2 million on the last business day of March. Over the month, hires declined to 5.2 million. The changes in these measures reflect the effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and efforts to contain it. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector, by industry, and by four geographic regions.
Job Openings
On the last business day of March, the number and rate of job openings declined to 6.2 million (-813,000) and 3.9 percent, respectively. Job openings fell in total private (-774,000), with the largest declines in accommodation and food services (-258,000) and durable goods manufacturing (-82,000). The number of job openings decreased in the South, Midwest, and West regions. (See table 1.)
_______________________________________________________________________________
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact on March 2020 JOLTS Data
Data collection for the JOLTS survey was affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. More
information is available at the end of this news release and
[https://www.bls.gov/bls/job-openings-and-labor-turnover-covid19-march-2020.htm].
_______________________________________________________________________________
Hires
In March, the number and rate of hires decreased to 5.2 million (-658,000) and 3.4 percent, respectively. The hires level decreased for total private (-654,000) and was little changed for government. Hires decreased in accommodation and food services (-344,000), health care and social assistance (-87,000), and durable goods manufacturing (-33,000). Hires increased in federal government (+8,000). The number of hires decreased in the Northeast, South, and West 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.
{snip}
____________
The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey estimates for April 2020 are scheduled to be released on Tuesday, June 9, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).
________________________________________________________________________________________
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact on March 2020 Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey Data
Data collection for the JOLTS survey was affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. While 41 percent
of data are usually collected by phone at the JOLTS data collection center, most phone respondents were
asked to report electronically via our data collection website. However, data collection was adversely
impacted due to the inability to reach some respondents that normally respond by phone. The JOLTS response
rate for March was 57 percent, while response rates prior to the pandemic averaged 67 percent.
BLS modified the JOLTS estimates for March to better reflect the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19)
pandemic. The estimation process usually includes an alignment of monthly hires minus separations to the
over-the-month change in the Current Employment Statistics (CES) employment estimates. For March
estimates, however, BLS suspended the alignment process because the differing reference periods for the
CES employment estimates (pay period including the 12th of the month) and the JOLTS hires and separations
estimates (the entire reference month) led to substantially different measurement outcomes. The extremely
large increase in separations during the latter half of March were not included in the CES employment
change for March, but were included in the JOLTS data for the month. For more information about the impact
of the COVID-19 pandemic on the JOLTS survey, including more information about the JOLTS estimation
methodology, please see [www.bls.gov/bls/job-openings-and-labor-turnover-covid19-march-2020.htm].
________________________________________________________________________________________
Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally adjusted
Job Openings and Labor Turnover Technical Note
Table 1. Job openings levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Table 2. Hires levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Table 3. Total separations levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Table 4. Quits levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Table 5. Layoffs and discharges levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Table 6. Other separations levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted
Table 7. Job openings levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Table 8. Hires levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Table 9. Total separations levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Table 10. Quits levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Table 11. Layoffs and discharges levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
Table 12. Other separations levels and rates by industry and region, not seasonally adjusted
HTML version of the entire news release
The PDF version of the news release
News release charts
Supplemental Files Table of Contents
Table of Contents
* * * * *
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