For release 10:00 a.m. (EDT) Wednesday, September 7, 2016	USDL-16-1807

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                         JOB OPENINGS AND LABOR TURNOVER – JULY 2016

The number of job openings increased to 5.9 million on the last business day of July, the U.S. Bureau of 
Labor Statistics reported today. Hires and separations were little changed at 5.2 million and 4.9 million, 
respectively. Within separations, the quits rate was 2.1 percent and the layoffs and discharges rate was 
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.

Job Openings

On the last business day of July, there were 5.9 million job openings, an increase of 228,000 from June. 
The job openings rate was 3.9 percent in July. The number of job openings increased over the month for 
total private (+243,000) and was little changed for government. Job openings increased in professional 
and business services (+166,000) and durable goods manufacturing (+27,000) but decreased in health 
care and social assistance (-63,000). The number of job openings was little changed in all four regions. 
(See table 1.)

Hires

The number of hires was 5.2 million in July, little changed from June. The hires rate was 3.6 percent in 
July. The number of hires was little changed for total private and for government. Hires increased in 
professional and business services (+137,000) but decreased in other services (-77,000). The number of 
hires increased in the South region. (See table 2.)

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

There were 4.9 million total separations in July, little changed from June. The total separations rate in 
July was 3.4 percent. The number of total separations was essentially unchanged for total private and 
edged down for government (-25,000) over the month. Total separations decreased in state and local 
government education (-29,000). The number of total separations was little changed in all four regions. 
(See table 3.)

The number of quits was essentially unchanged in July at 3.0 million. The quits rate was 2.1 percent. 
Over the month, the number of quits was little changed for total private and decreased for government  
(-21,000). Quits decreased in state and local government education (-25,000). The number of quits was 
little changed in all four regions. (See table 4.)

There were 1.6 million layoffs and discharges in July, little changed from June. The layoffs and 
discharges rate was 1.1 percent. The number of layoffs and discharges was essentially unchanged over 
the month for total private and for government. The layoffs and discharges level was also essentially 
unchanged in all industries and in all four regions. (See table 5.)

The number of other separations was little changed for total nonfarm, total private, and government in 
July. Other separations decreased in other services (-12,000), educational services (-6,000), and state and 
local government education (-5,000). The number of other separations was little changed over the month 
in all four regions. (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 July, hires totaled 62.5 million and 
separations totaled 60.0 million, yielding a net employment gain of 2.5 million. These totals 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 August 2016 are scheduled to be 
released on Wednesday, October 12, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).