Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey News Release — 2018-05-08

The number of job openings increased to 6.6 million on the last business day of March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the month, hires and separations were little changed at 5.4 million and 5.3 million, respectively. Within separations, the quits rate was little changed at 2.3 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 March, the job openings level increased to a series high of 6.6 million. The series began in December 2000. The job openings rate was 4.2 percent in March. The number of job openings increased for total private and edged up for government.