Job Openings And Labor Turnover: May 2006 — 2006-07-11

The hires rate increased, while the job openings and total separations rates were essentially unchanged in May, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. This release includes esti- mates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector by industry and geographic region. On the last business day of May 2006, there were 4.0 million job openings in the United States, and the job openings rate was 2.9 percent. The job openings rate was unchanged over the month and has been essen- tially unchanged since November 2005. There were no significant over-the- month changes in the job openings rate in any industry or region. The in- dustries with the highest seasonally adjusted job openings rates in May 2006 were professional and business services, and leisure and hospitality (3.8 per- cent each), and education and health services (3.5 percent).