Kentucky Job Openings and Labor Turnover — May 2024

Kentucky had 136,000 job openings in May 2024, compared to 133,000 openings in April, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table 1.) Regional Commissioner Victoria G. Lee noted that the job openings rate in Kentucky was 6.2 percent in May and 6.1 percent in the previous month. (See chart 1 and table 2.) The job openings rate nationally was 4.9 percent in May and 4.8 percent in April. (See table 3.) All data in this release are seasonally adjusted.

The ratio of unemployed persons per job opening in Kentucky was 0.7 in May. Nationwide, 36 states and the District of Columbia had ratios in May that were lower than the national measure of 0.8 unemployed persons per job opening; 11 states had ratios that were higher than the national ratio, and 3 states had ratios equal to the national measure. (See map 1.)

In May, Kentucky had 83,000 hires and 80,000 separations, compared to 74,000 hires and 76,000 separations in April. (See chart 2.) Over the 12 months ending in May, hires have averaged 85,000 per month and separations have averaged 77,000 per month. These averages include workers who may have been hired and separated more than once during the year.

Among the May separations in Kentucky, 55,000 were quits and 22,000 were layoffs and discharges, compared to 49,000 quits and 21,000 layoffs and discharges in April. (See chart 3.) Over the last 12 months, quits averaged 53,000 per month, ranging from 46,000 to 57,000. Layoffs and discharges have averaged 20,000 per month, ranging from 18,000 to 23,000.

State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey estimates for June 2024 are scheduled to be released on Friday, August 16, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

Technical Note

This news release presents statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). The JOLTS program provides information on labor demand and turnover. The state estimates produced by JOLTS are model-based, incorporating JOLTS sample, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), and Current Employment Statistics (CES) estimates. For more information see the JOLTS State Estimates Methodology.

Job Openings. Job openings include all positions that are open on the last business day of the reference month. A job is open only if it meets all three of these conditions:

• A specific position exists and there is work available for that position.
• The job could start within 30 days.
• The employer is actively recruiting workers from outside the establishment to fill the position.

The number of unemployed persons per job opening is a ratio of the level of unemployed persons and the level of job openings. The number of unemployed persons at the national level is an estimate from the Current Population Survey (CPS), while state-level unemployment estimates are modeled by the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program. A ratio of 1.0 means there is a job available for every unemployed person. Lower ratios signal tighter labor markets, where firms have more job openings than there are unemployed persons available to work. Higher ratios indicate there are more unemployed persons competing for each job opening.

Hires. Hires include all additions to the payroll during the entire reference month.

Separations. Separations include all separations from the payroll during the entire reference month and is reported by type of separation: quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations.

• Quits include employees who left voluntarily, except for retirements or transfers to other locations.
• Layoffs and discharges include involuntary separations initiated by the employer.
• Other separations include retirements, transfers to other locations, separations due to employee disability, and deaths.

Levels and rates of other separations represent a small portion of total separations and are not published with the release of state estimates.

Complete definitions, including exclusions, and additional information about the State JOLTS data presented in this release are available in the State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Technical Note.

Information in this release will be made available to individuals with sensory impairments upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1.

Estimate	May 2023	February 2024	March 2024	April 2024	May 2024	Change from April 2024 to May 2024
Openings	131	116	122	133	136	3
Hires	89	86	79	74	83	9
Total separations	92	78	72	76	80	4
Quits	67	52	48	49	55	6
Layoffs & discharges	20	22	19	21	22	1

Estimate	May 2023	February 2024	March 2024	April 2024	May 2024	Change from April 2024 to May 2024
Openings	6.1	5.4	5.7	6.1	6.2	0.1
Hires	4.4	4.2	3.9	3.6	4.1	0.5
Total separations	4.6	3.8	3.5	3.7	3.9	0.2
Quits	3.3	2.6	2.4	2.4	2.7	0.3
Layoffs & discharges	1.0	1.1	0.9	1.0	1.1	0.1

Estimate	May 2023	February 2024	March 2024	April 2024	May 2024	Change from April 2024 to May 2024
Openings	5.6	5.3	5.0	4.8	4.9	0.1
Hires	4.0	3.7	3.6	3.5	3.6	0.1
Total separations	3.8	3.5	3.4	3.4	3.4	0.0
Quits	2.6	2.2	2.2	2.2	2.2	0.0
Layoffs & discharges	1.0	1.1	1.0	1.0	1.0	0.0

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