Job Openings And Labor Turnover: February 2004 — 2004-04-15

New monthly data on job openings and labor turnover were announced today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. For the first time, these data are seasonally adjusted, allowing analysis of over-the-month change. There were 2.9 million job openings, 4.1 mil- lion hires, and 4.0 million separations in February 2004, about the same as in January. These series include estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector with breakouts by industry and geographic region. On the last business day of February 2004, there were 2.9 million job openings in the United States, and the job openings rate (the number of job openings on the last business day of the month divided by employment plus job openings) was 2.2 percent. Over the month, the job openings rate showed little or no change overall and for the major industries.