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BLS report: March job openings decrease; layoffs and discharges increase
The number of job openings decreased to 9.6 million on the last business day of March. The number of hires was little changed at 6.1 million. Total separations and quits changed little at 5.9 million and 3.9 million, respectively; layoffs and discharges increased to 1.8 million.
Related:
Wed Jan 27, 2021: BLS Report: Gross job losses 20.4 million and gross job gains 5.7 million in the 2nd quarter of 2020
People come; people go.
This is the state-level fine tuning of JOLTS, the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, which comes out a few days after the monthly payroll employment report.
The number of quits indicates how confident people are of finding another job if they leave the one they have.
Previous JOLTS reports:
March 2023: ?
Wed Feb 1, 2023: BLS Report: Number of job openings increase in December; hires and total separations change little
Wed Jan 4, 2023: Number of job openings, hires, and total separations change little in November
December 2022: ?
November 2022: ?
Tue Oct 4, 2022: BLS Report: August job openings decrease; hires and total separations change little (this one)
Tue Aug 30, 2022: BLS Report: July job openings change little; hires and total separations also change little
Tue Aug 30, 2022: Job vacancies rose in July, dashing Fed hopes for cooling (in LBN)
Tue Aug 2, 2022: U.S. job openings at nine-month low; labor market still tight (in LBN)
Wed Jul 6, 2022: BLS Report: May job openings decrease; hires and total separations change little
Wed Jun 1, 2022: BLS Report: April job openings decrease; layoffs and discharges edge down to series low
Tue May 3, 2022: BLS Report: March job openings and quits reach series highs; total separations edge up
Tue Mar 29, 2022: BLS Report: February job openings and total separations change little; hires edge up
Wed Mar 9, 2022: BLS Report: January job openings, hires, and total separations change little
Tue Feb 9, 2021: BLS Report: Job openings and total separations little changed in December; hires decrease
Tue Jan 4, 2022: Job openings reach 10.6 million in November as tight labor market persists
{snip the rest}
-- -- -- -- --
March job openings decrease; layoffs and discharges increase
Economic News Release USDL-23-0868
Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary
For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Tuesday, May 2, 2023
Technical information: (202) 691-5870 • JoltsInfo@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/jlt
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 • PressOffice@bls.gov
JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER – MARCH 2023
The number of job openings decreased to 9.6 million on the last business day of March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the month, the number of hires and total separations were little changed at 6.1 million and 5.9 million, respectively. Within separations, quits (3.9 million) changed little, while layoffs and discharges (1.8 million) increased. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector, by industry, and by establishment size class.
Job Openings
On the last business day of March, the number of job openings decreased to 9.6 million (-384,000) and was 1.6 million lower than in December. The job openings rate was 5.8 percent in March and was down by 1.0 percentage point since December. In March, job openings decreased in transportation, warehousing, and utilities (-144,000) but increased in educational services (+28,000). (See table 1.)
Hires
In March, the number of hires was little changed at 6.1 million, and the rate held at 4.0 percent. Hires decreased in real estate and rental and leasing (-29,000). (See table 2.)
Separations
Total separations include quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. 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, disability, and transfers to other locations of the same firm.
The number of total separations changed little at 5.9 million in March, and the rate was 3.8 percent for the fourth month in a row. Over the month, the number of total separations decreased in accommodation and food services (-107,000) but increased in construction (+104,000). (See table 3.)
In March, the number and rate of quits changed little at 3.9 million and 2.5 percent, respectively. The number of quits decreased in accommodation and food services (-178,000). (See table 4.)
In March, the number and rate of layoffs and discharges increased to 1.8 million (+248,000) and 1.2 percent, respectively. Layoffs and discharges increased in construction (+112,000), accommodation and food services (+63,000), and health care and social assistance (+42,000). (See table 5.)
The number of other separations was little changed in March at 276,000. Other separations decreased in finance and insurance (-31,000) and in real estate and rental and leasing (-7,000). (See table 6.)
Establishment Size Class
In March, establishments with 1 to 9 employees saw a decrease in their job openings rate and an increase in their layoffs and discharges rate. Establishments with more than 5,000 employees saw little change in their job openings, hires, and total separations rates. (See table 7.)
____________
The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey estimates for April 2023 are scheduled to be released on Wednesday, May 31, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).
Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary
For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Tuesday, May 2, 2023
Technical information: (202) 691-5870 • JoltsInfo@bls.gov • www.bls.gov/jlt
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 • PressOffice@bls.gov
JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER – MARCH 2023
The number of job openings decreased to 9.6 million on the last business day of March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the month, the number of hires and total separations were little changed at 6.1 million and 5.9 million, respectively. Within separations, quits (3.9 million) changed little, while layoffs and discharges (1.8 million) increased. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector, by industry, and by establishment size class.
Job Openings
On the last business day of March, the number of job openings decreased to 9.6 million (-384,000) and was 1.6 million lower than in December. The job openings rate was 5.8 percent in March and was down by 1.0 percentage point since December. In March, job openings decreased in transportation, warehousing, and utilities (-144,000) but increased in educational services (+28,000). (See table 1.)
Hires
In March, the number of hires was little changed at 6.1 million, and the rate held at 4.0 percent. Hires decreased in real estate and rental and leasing (-29,000). (See table 2.)
Separations
Total separations include quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. 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, disability, and transfers to other locations of the same firm.
The number of total separations changed little at 5.9 million in March, and the rate was 3.8 percent for the fourth month in a row. Over the month, the number of total separations decreased in accommodation and food services (-107,000) but increased in construction (+104,000). (See table 3.)
In March, the number and rate of quits changed little at 3.9 million and 2.5 percent, respectively. The number of quits decreased in accommodation and food services (-178,000). (See table 4.)
In March, the number and rate of layoffs and discharges increased to 1.8 million (+248,000) and 1.2 percent, respectively. Layoffs and discharges increased in construction (+112,000), accommodation and food services (+63,000), and health care and social assistance (+42,000). (See table 5.)
The number of other separations was little changed in March at 276,000. Other separations decreased in finance and insurance (-31,000) and in real estate and rental and leasing (-7,000). (See table 6.)
Establishment Size Class
In March, establishments with 1 to 9 employees saw a decrease in their job openings rate and an increase in their layoffs and discharges rate. Establishments with more than 5,000 employees saw little change in their job openings, hires, and total separations rates. (See table 7.)
____________
The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey estimates for April 2023 are scheduled to be released on Wednesday, May 31, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).
