Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor
Dot gov

The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you're on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey

Featured JOLTS Publications

  1. Annual Stories
  2. National Data
  3. State Data
  4. Other Data
  5. Methodology and History

Annual Stories

  • Job openings and hires decline in 2023 as the labor market cools (HTML)
    Victor Huang and En Ping Cheng, September 2024
  • Job openings reach record highs in 2022 as the labor market recovery continues (HTML)
    Rick Penn and Victor Huang, May 2023
  • Job openings and quits reach record highs in 2021, layoffs and discharges fall to record lows (HTML)
    Rick Penn and Eric Nezamis, June 2022
  • As the COVID-19 pandemic affects the nation, hires and turnover reach record highs in 2020 (HTML)
    Larry Akinyooye and Eric Nezamis, June 2021
  • Job openings, hires, and quits set record highs in 2019 (HTML)
    Montgomery McCarthy and Larry Akinyooye, June 2020
  • Job openings, hires, and quits reach historic highs in 2018 (HTML)
    Lawrence S. Essien and Montgomery McCarthy, June 2019
  • Job openings reach a new high in 2017, hires and quits also increase (HTML)
    Katherine Bauer and Paul R. Calhoun Jr., October 2018
  • Job openings, hires, and separations rise, but at a slower pace, in 2016 (HTML)
    Blanka Thibaud, August 2017
  • Job openings, hires, and separations return to prerecession levels in 2015 (HTML)
    Ainslie MacLeod, September 2016
  • Job openings reach a new high, hires and quits also increase (HTML)
    Kevin S. Dubina, June 2015
  • Job openings continue to rise in 2013 (HTML)
    Megan Sweitzer, May 2014
  • Job openings continue to grow in 2012, hires and separations less so (PDF)
    Kendra C. Hathaway, May 2013
  • Job openings and hires continue to show modest changes in 2011 (PDF)
    Guy L. Podgornik, September 2012
  • Job openings and hires show little postrecession improvement (PDF)
    Katherine Bauer Klemmer and Robert Lazaneo, August 2010
  • Job openings, hires, and separations fall during the recession (PDF)
    Mark deWolf and Katherine Klemmer, May 2010
  • Job openings and hires decline in 2008 (PDF)
    Katherine Klemmer, May 2009
  • Job openings, hires, and turnover decrease in 2007 (PDF)
    Zhi Boon, May 2008

National Data

  • What is the unemployed people per job openings ratio? A 21-year case study into unemployment trends (HTML)
    Arthak Adhikari and Tamara Mickle, June 2022
  • Measuring employer and employee confidence in the economy: the quits-to-layoffs-and-discharges ratio (HTML)
    Kimberly Riley, March 2018
  • Which industries are filling job openings and which industries are not? Exploring the JOLTS hires-per-job-opening ratio (HTML)
    Charlotte Oslund, October 2018
  • Which industries need workers? Exploring differences in labor market activity (HTML)
    Charlotte Oslund, January 2016
  • Employment dynamics over the last decade (PDF)
    Caryn N. Bruyere, Guy L. Podgornik, and James R. Spletzer, August 2011
  • Job availability during a recession: an examination of the number of unemployed persons per job opening (PDF)
    Katherine Klemmer, March 2010
  • Studying the labor market using BLS labor dynamics data (PDF)
    Zhi Boon, Charles M. Carson, R. Jason Faberman, and Randy E. Ilg, February 2008
  • The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey: what initial data show ()
    Kelly A. Clark, November 2004
  • Reconciling Labor Turnover and Employment Statistics (HTML)
    John Wohlford, Mary Anne Phillips, Richard Clayton, and George Werking, 2003
  • What an Indicator of Labor Demand Means for U.S. Labor Market Analysis: Initial Results from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (HTML)
    Kelly A. Clark, 2003

State Data

  • Job openings and labor turnover trends for States in 2020 (HTML)
    Skyla Skopovi, Paul Calhoun, and Larry Akinyooye, October 2021
  • Job openings and labor turnover trends for Midwestern states in 2018 (HTML)
    Kim Riley, Eric Nezamis, and Montgomery McCarthy, December 2020
  • Job openings and labor turnover trends for Southern states in 2018 (HTML)
    Lawrence Essien, Jean Ibrahim, and Katherine Bauer, December 2020
  • Job openings and labor turnover trends for Western States in 2018 (HTML)
    Skyla Skopovi and Jonathan Krause, July 2020
  • Job openings and labor turnover trends for Northeastern states in 2018 (HTML)
    Hope Allen and Larry Akinyooye, February 2020
  • Examination of state-level labor turnover survey data (HTML)
    Katherine Bauer, January 2014

Other Data

  • Job openings and labor turnover trends for Metropolitan Statistical Areas in 2019 (HTML)
    Hope Allen and Skyla Skopovi, September 2020
  • An analysis of the new job openings and labor turnover data by size of firm (HTML)
    Charlotte Oslund, May 2019
  • Exploring labor market trends through JOLTS firm-size data (HTML)
    Charlotte Oslund, August 2018
  • Analysis of JOLTS Research Estimates by Size of Firm (PDF)
    Katherine Bauer, 2013

Methodology and History

  • Comparison of U.S. and international labor turnover statistics (HTML)
    Katherine Bauer, July 2015
  • The CES/JOLTS Divergence: How to Apply the Monthly Alignment Method to Help Close the Gap (PDF)
    Edmond Cheng, Nicole Hudson, Jurgen Kropf, and Jeannine Mercurio, October 2010
  • Methodological Changes in the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (PDF)
    John Wohlford, 2009
  • Developing Annual Estimates of Hires and Separations (HTML)
    Brady Stephens and Kim Riley, August 2005
  • A Comparison of Job Openings Surveys: Concepts and Survey Design (HTML)
    Kelly A. Clark and Mary Anne Phillips, 2002
  • The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey: Preparing to Publish Data for a New Survey (HTML)
    Kelly A. Clark, Mary Anne Phillips, and Brady Stephens, 2001
  • New tools for labor market analysis: JOLTS (PDF)
    Kelly A. Clark and Rosemary Hyson, December 2001
  • Sample Design in the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (HTML)
    Mark Crankshaw and George Stamas, 2000
  • Developing a New Business Survey: Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey at the Bureau of Labor Statistics (HTML)
    Charlotte Mueller and John Wohlford, 2000
  • The Genesis of an Establishment Survey: Research and Development for the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey at the BLS (HTML)
    Mary Anne Phillips and Charlotte Mueller, 2000

Last Modified Date: February 7, 2024