Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey News Release — 2021-02-09

The number of job openings was little changed at 6.6 million on the last business day of December, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Hires decreased to 5.5 million while total separations were little changed at 5.5 million. Within separations, the quits rate and layoffs and discharges rate were little changed at 2.3 percent and 1.3 percent, respectively. 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. On the last business day of December, the number and rate of job openings were little changed at 6.6 million and 4.5 percent, respectively. Job openings increased in professional and business services (+296,000). Job openings decreased in state and local government, excluding education (-65,000); arts, entertainment, and recreation (-50,000); and nondurable goods manufacturing (-30,000). The number of job openings was little changed in all four regions.