Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey News Release — 2008-07-09

On the last business day of May, there were 3.6 million job openings in the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.6 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. The job openings rate and total separations rate were unchanged in May while the hires rate fell. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector by industry and geographic region. Although the month-to-month changes in job openings, hires, and turnover data are often small, the trends over time are notable. The job openings rate remained essentially flat from August 2006 through September 2007 then began trending downward, driven by decreases in manufacturing; transportation, warehousing, and utilities; and information. As the declines in these industries leveled off, the job openings rate has remained at 2.6 percent in March, April and May.