Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey News Release — 2017-07-11

The number of job openings decreased to 5.7 million on the last business day of May, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the month, hires increased to 5.5 million and separations increased to 5.3 million. Within separations, the quits rate was little changed at 2.2 percent and the layoffs and discharges rate was unchanged at 1.1 percent. 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. On the last business day of May, the job openings level decreased to 5.7 million (-301,000). The job openings rate was 3.7 percent. The number of job openings decreased for total private (-283,000) and was little changed for government. Job openings increased in retail trade (+72,000) and educational services (+17,000).