Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey

For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Tuesday, January 4, 2022	USDL-22-0001
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JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER - NOVEMBER 2021

The number of job openings decreased to 10.6 million on the last business day of November, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Hires were little changed at 6.7 million and total separations increased to 6.3 million. Within separations, the quits rate increased to 3.0 percent, matching a series high last seen in September. The layoffs and discharges rate was unchanged at 0.9 percent. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector, by industry, by four geographic regions, and by establishment size class.

Chart 1. Job openings rate, seasonally adjusted, November 2018 - November 2021

Chart 2. Hires and total separations rates, seasonally adjusted, November 2018 - November 2021

Percent							Percent
7.4							11.0
7.0							10.0		Hires
								Separations
6.6							9.0
6.2
5.8							8.0
5.4							7.0
5.0							6.0
4.6							5.0
4.2
						4.0
3.8
3.4							3.0
3.0							2.0
Nov‐18	May‐19	Nov‐19	May‐20	Nov‐20	May‐21	Nov‐21	Nov‐18	May‐19	Nov‐19	May‐20	Nov‐20	May‐21	Nov‐21

Job Openings

On the last business day of November, the number and rate of job openings decreased to 10.6 million (-529,000) and 6.6 percent, respectively. Job openings decreased in several industries with the largest decreases in accommodation and food services (-261,000); construction (-110,000); and nondurable goods manufacturing (-66,000). Job openings increased in finance and insurance (+83,000) and in federal government (+25,000). The number of job openings decreased in the South and Midwest regions. (See table 1.)

Hires

In November, the number and rate of hires were little changed at 6.7 million and 4.5 percent, respectively. Hires were little changed in all industries and in all four regions. (See table 2.)

Separations

Total separations includes 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 includes separations due to retirement, death, disability, and transfers to other locations of the same firm.

In November, the number of total separations increased to 6.3 million (+382,000). The total separations rate was little changed at 4.2 percent. Total separations increased in accommodation and food services (+130,000) but decreased in federal government (-9,000). Total separations were little changed in all four regions. (See table 3.)

The number of quits increased in November to a series high 4.5 million (+370,000). The quits rate increased to 3.0 percent, matching the series high in September. Quits increased in several industries with the largest increases in accommodation and food services (+159,000); health care and social assistance (+52,000); and transportation, warehousing, and utilities (+33,000). The number of quits increased in the Northeast, South, and Midwest regions. (See table 4.)

In November, the number of layoffs and discharges was little changed at 1.4 million. The layoffs and discharges rate was unchanged at 0.9 percent. Layoffs and discharges decreased in federal government (-4,000). The number of layoffs and discharges was little changed in all four regions. (See table 5.)

The number of other separations was little changed in November at 377,000. The number of other separations decreased in real estate and rental and leasing (-5,000) and in federal government (-3,000). Other separations increased in the Northeast region. (See table 6.)

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 November 2021, hires totaled 74.5 million and separations totaled 68.7 million, yielding a net employment gain of 5.9 million. These totals include workers who may have been hired and separated more than once during the year.

Establishment Size Class

In November, the job openings rate decreased in small establishments with 10-49 employees. The hires rate increased in large establishments with 5,000 or more employees. The quits rate increased in small establishments with 1-9 employees and in large establishments with 1,000 to 4,999 employees. Both the layoffs and discharges rate and the total separations rate increased in large establishments with 1,000 to 4,999 employees. For a more in-depth description of the JOLTS establishment size class estimates, please visit www.bls.gov/jlt/sizeclassmethodology.htm.

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____________

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey estimates for December 2021 are scheduled to be released on Tuesday, February 1, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact

Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey Data

More information about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the JOLTS survey, including information about the JOLTS estimation methodology, is available at www.bls.gov/covid19/effects-of-covid-19-pandemic-on-job-openings-and-labor-turnover-data.htm

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Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally adjusted

		Job openings			Hires		Total separations
Category	Nov.		Oct.		Nov.	Nov.	Oct.	Nov.	Nov.	Oct.	Nov.
	2020		2021		2021p	2020	2021	2021p	2020	2021	2021p
LEVELS BY INDUSTRY
(in thousands)
Total.................................................. .	6,766		11,091		10,562	6,019	6,506	6,697	5,744	5,891	6,273
Total private...................................... .	6,078		10,173		9,601	5,649	6,140	6,305	5,305	5,538	5,926
Mining and logging............................ .	16		36		36	25	23	22	20	22	21
Construction................................... .	261		455		345	389	375	423	362	340	403
Manufacturing................................. .	514		955		858	405	482	472	367	420	420
Durable goods.............................. .	250		552		522	230	270	270	206	232	244
Nondurable goods.......................... .	263		402		336	176	212	202	161	188	176
Trade, transportation, and utilities. . . . . . . . . . .	1,204		1,972		1,955	1,285	1,384	1,423	1,123	1,257	1,320
Wholesale trade............................ .	175		339		322	150	171	180	143	158	172
Retail trade.................................. .	720		1,057		1,044	713	875	891	735	866	882
Transportation, warehousing, and	310		576		589	421	338	352	245	233	266
utilities..................................... .
Information..................................... .	98		173		163	81	126	106	79	101	95
Financial activities............................. .	287		450		538	217	207	237	199	187	224
Finance and insurance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	216		324		407	143	129	159	133	117	150
Real estate and rental and leasing. . . . . . .	70		126		131	73	78	78	66	70	74
Professional and business services. . . . . . . . .	1,261		1,871		1,801	1,220	1,237	1,282	1,123	1,120	1,168
Education and health services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	1,335		2,043		1,970	725	801	815	690	783	836
Educational services....................... .	101		174		168	90	104	97	89	88	90
Health care and social assistance. . . . . . . .	1,234		1,869		1,802	635	697	718	600	694	746
Leisure and hospitality. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. .	859		1,750		1,482	1,097	1,241	1,260	1,134	1,067	1,206
Arts, entertainment, and recreation. . . . . . .	110		178		172	138	166	181	102	149	158
Accommodation and food services. . . . . . .	749		1,571		1,310	959	1,075	1,079	1,032	918	1,048
Other services................................. .	243		469		451	206	264	264	209	241	233
Government...................................... .	688		918		962	370	366	392	439	353	347
Federal......................................... .	103		137		162	68	44	50	134	48	39
State and local................................ .	584		781		800	302	321	342	305	305	308
State and local education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	207		303		320	140	164	182	150	145	144
State and local, excluding education. . . . .	377		477		480	163	157	160	155	160	164
RATES BY INDUSTRY
(percent)
Total.................................................. .	4.5		7.0		6.6	4.2	4.4	4.5	4.0	4.0	4.2
Total private...................................... .	4.8		7.4		7.0	4.7	4.9	5.0	4.4	4.4	4.7
Mining and logging............................ .	2.7		5.2		5.3	4.2	3.6	3.3	3.3	3.4	3.3
Construction................................... .	3.4		5.7		4.4	5.3	5.0	5.6	4.9	4.5	5.4
Manufacturing................................. .	4.0		7.1		6.4	3.3	3.9	3.8	3.0	3.4	3.3
Durable goods.............................. .	3.2		6.6		6.3	3.0	3.5	3.5	2.7	3.0	3.1
Nondurable goods.......................... .	5.4		7.8		6.6	3.8	4.5	4.3	3.5	4.0	3.7
Trade, transportation, and utilities. . . . . . . . . . .	4.3		6.6		6.6	4.8	5.0	5.1	4.2	4.5	4.8
Wholesale trade............................ .	3.0		5.6		5.3	2.7	3.0	3.1	2.5	2.7	3.0
Retail trade.................................. .	4.5		6.4		6.3	4.7	5.7	5.8	4.9	5.6	5.7
Transportation, warehousing, and	4.7		8.1		8.2	6.7	5.2	5.4	3.9	3.6	4.1
utilities..................................... .
Information..................................... .	3.6		5.8		5.5	3.1	4.5	3.8	3.0	3.6	3.4
Financial activities............................. .	3.2		4.8		5.7	2.5	2.3	2.7	2.3	2.1	2.5
Finance and insurance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	3.2		4.7		5.8	2.2	2.0	2.4	2.0	1.8	2.3
Real estate and rental and leasing. . . . . . .	3.1		5.1		5.3	3.3	3.4	3.3	3.0	3.0	3.2
Professional and business services. . . . . . . . .	5.8		8.1		7.8	6.0	5.8	6.0	5.5	5.3	5.5
Education and health services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	5.4		7.9		7.7	3.1	3.4	3.4	3.0	3.3	3.5
Educational services....................... .	2.9		4.6		4.4	2.7	2.9	2.7	2.6	2.4	2.5
Health care and social assistance. . . . . . . .	5.8		8.5		8.2	3.2	3.5	3.6	3.0	3.4	3.7
Leisure and hospitality. . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .. . .. .	5.9		10.1		8.7	8.1	8.0	8.1	8.3	6.9	7.7
Arts, entertainment, and recreation. . . . . . .	5.7		7.4		7.2	7.6	7.5	8.1	5.6	6.7	7.1
Accommodation and food services. . . . . . .	6.0		10.5		8.9	8.1	8.1	8.1	8.7	6.9	7.8
Other services................................. .	4.2		7.5		7.2	3.8	4.6	4.6	3.8	4.2	4.0

See footnotes at end of table.

Table A. Job openings, hires, and total separations by industry, seasonally adjusted - Continued

		Job openings			Hires			Total separations
Category	Nov.		Oct.		Nov.	Nov.	Oct.	Nov.	Nov.		Oct.	Nov.
	2020		2021		2021p	2020	2021	2021p	2020		2021	2021p
Government...................................... .	3.1		4.0		4.2	1.7	1.7	1.8	2.0		1.6	1.6
Federal......................................... .	3.5		4.6		5.3	2.4	1.5	1.7	4.6		1.7	1.4
State and local................................ .	3.0		3.9		4.0	1.6	1.7	1.8	1.6		1.6	1.6
State and local education. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .	2.1		2.9		3.1	1.5	1.6	1.8	1.6		1.4	1.4
State and local, excluding education. . . . .	4.0		5.0		5.1	1.8	1.7	1.8	1.7		1.8	1.8

p Preliminary