U.S. Job Openings at 3.9 Million in September – Hires and Separations Rates Little Changed

November 25, 2013

There were 3.9 million job openings on the last business day of September, little changed from August. The hires rate (3.4 percent) and the separations rate (3.2 percent) were little changed in September.

JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER – SEPTEMBER 2013

There were 3.9 million job openings on the last business day of September, little changed from August, 
the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. The hires rate (3.4 percent) and separations rate (3.2 
percent) were little changed in September. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job 
openings, hires, and separations for the nonfarm sector by industry and by geographic region.

Job Openings

There were 3.9 million job openings in September, little changed from August. (See table 1.) The number 
of job openings decreased in arts, entertainment, and recreation and was little changed in all remaining 
industries and in all four regions. 

The number of job openings (not seasonally adjusted) increased over the year for total nonfarm and total 
private, and was little changed in government. Over the year, the number of job openings increased in 
several industries but decreased in nondurable goods manufacturing and federal government. The 
Midwest region experienced an increase in job openings over the 12 months ending in September. (See 
table 7.)

Hires

The number of hires in September was 4.6 million, essentially unchanged from August. The number of 
hires was little changed for total private and government, as well as for all industries and all four regions. 
(See table 2.)

Over the 12 months ending in September, the number of hires (not seasonally adjusted) increased for 
total nonfarm and total private, and changed little for government. The number of hires increased over 
the year in professional and business services and state and local government but declined in federal 
government. The hires level rose over the year in the Midwest and West regions. (See table 8.)

Separations

Total separations includes quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Total separations is 
referred to as turnover. Quits are generally voluntary separations initiated by the employee. Therefore, 
the quits rate can serve as a measure of workers’ willingness or ability to leave jobs. Layoffs and 
discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the employer. Other separations include separations 
due to retirement, death, and disability, as well as transfers to other locations of the same firm.

There were 4.4 million total separations in September, little changed from August. The number of total 
separations for total private and government were little changed. (See table 3.)

In September, the quits rate was little changed at 1.7 percent for total nonfarm, 2.0 percent for total 
private, and 0.5 percent for government. The quits rate was little changed over the month for all 
industries and all four regions. (See table 4.)

The number of quits (not seasonally adjusted) increased over the 12 months ending in September for 
total nonfarm and total private, and was little changed for government. The number of quits rose in 
several industries. Over the year, quits increased in the Midwest, South, and West regions. (See table 
10.)

The layoffs and discharges rate was essentially unchanged in September at 1.3 percent. The rates were 
little changed over the month for total private (1.4 percent) and government (0.5 percent). The layoffs 
and discharges rate increased in September in the South region. Seasonally adjusted estimates of layoffs 
and discharges are not available for individual industries. (See table 5.) 

The layoffs and discharges level (not seasonally adjusted) was little changed over the 12 months ending 
in September for total nonfarm, total private, and government. The number of layoffs and discharges 
increased over the year ending in September for finance and insurance and for educational services; the 
number decreased in construction and federal government. The level was essentially unchanged in all 
four regions. (See table 11.)

In September, there were 357,000 other separations for total nonfarm, little changed from August. The 
number of other separations was also little changed over the month for total private and government. 
Seasonally adjusted estimates of other separations are not available for individual industries or regions. 
(See table 6.) Over the 12 months ending in September, the number of other separations was little 
changed for total nonfarm, total private, and government. (See table 12.)

Net Change in Employment

Large numbers of hires and separations occur every month throughout the business cycle. Net 
employment change results from the relationship between hires and separations. When the number of 
hires exceeds the number of separations, employment rises, even if the hires level is steady or declining. 
Conversely, when the number of hires is less than the number of separations, employment declines, even 
if the hires level is steady or rising. Over the 12 months ending in September 2013, hires totaled 52.7 
million and separations totaled 50.8 million, yielding a net employment gain of 1.9 million. These figures 
include workers who may have been hired and separated more than once during the year.
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The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey results for October 2013 are scheduled to be 
released on Tuesday, December 10, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. (EST).

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