BLS - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

11/27/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/27/2024 10:43

California Job Openings and Labor Turnover — September 2024

News Release Information

24-2473-SAN
Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (415) 625-2270

California Job Openings and Labor Turnover - September 2024

California had 554,000 job openings in September 2024, compared to 614,000 openings in August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table 1.) Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that the job openings rate in California was 3.0 percent in September and 3.3 percent in the previous month. (See chart 1 and table 2.) The job openings rate nationally was 4.5 percent in September and 4.7 percent in August. (See table 3.) All data in this release are seasonally adjusted.

View Chart Data
Chart 1. Job openings as a percent of employment for the United States and California, seasonally adjusted
Month California United States

Sep 2020

4.0 4.4

Oct 2020

4.0 4.6

Nov 2020

4.2 4.6

Dec 2020

4.0 4.5

Jan 2021

4.2 4.8

Feb 2021

4.5 5.2

Mar 2021

4.8 5.6

Apr 2021

5.4 6.0

May 2021

5.5 6.4

Jun 2021

5.9 6.6

Jul 2021

6.4 7.0

Aug 2021

6.4 6.9

Sep 2021

6.6 6.9

Oct 2021

6.6 7.1

Nov 2021

6.6 7.0

Dec 2021

6.6 7.1

Jan 2022

6.4 7.0

Feb 2022

6.9 7.2

Mar 2022

6.9 7.4

Apr 2022

6.9 7.2

May 2022

7.2 7.0

Jun 2022

6.5 6.9

Jul 2022

7.2 7.0

Aug 2022

6.1 6.2

Sep 2022

6.2 6.6

Oct 2022

6.2 6.4

Nov 2022

6.3 6.5

Dec 2022

6.4 6.7

Jan 2023

5.2 6.3

Feb 2023

5.0 6.0

Mar 2023

4.9 5.8

Apr 2023

5.5 6.0

May 2023

4.6 5.6

Jun 2023

4.8 5.5

Jul 2023

4.8 5.3

Aug 2023

4.9 5.6

Sep 2023

4.6 5.6

Oct 2023

3.9 5.2

Nov 2023

4.1 5.4

Dec 2023

4.7 5.3

Jan 2024

4.1 5.3

Feb 2024

4.5 5.3

Mar 2024

3.8 5.0

Apr 2024

3.2 4.8

May 2024

3.8 4.9

Jun 2024

3.4 4.8

Jul 2024

3.4 4.6

Aug 2024

3.3 4.7

Sep 2024

3.0 4.5

The ratio of unemployed persons per job opening in California was 1.9 in September. Nationwide, 35 states and the District of Columbia had ratios in September that were lower than the national measure of 0.9 unemployed persons per job opening; 9 states had ratios that were higher than the national ratio, and 6 states had ratios equal to the national measure. (See map 1.)

Map 1. Number of unemployed persons per job opening by state, September 2024, seasonally adjusted

(U.S. ratio = 0.9)

In September, California had 530,000 hires and 423,000 separations, compared to 514,000 hires and 452,000 separations in August. (See chart 2.) Over the 12 months ending in September, hires have averaged 519,000 per month and separations have averaged 496,000 per month. These averages include workers who may have been hired and separated more than once during the year.

View Chart Data
Chart 2. Hires and total separations in California, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
Month Hires Total separations

Sep 2020

706 548

Oct 2020

659 564

Nov 2020

559 583

Dec 2020

579 608

Jan 2021

595 558

Feb 2021

594 504

Mar 2021

656 522

Apr 2021

648 615

May 2021

651 552

Jun 2021

653 583

Jul 2021

671 602

Aug 2021

673 608

Sep 2021

688 648

Oct 2021

704 611

Nov 2021

705 606

Dec 2021

714 617

Jan 2022

698 675

Feb 2022

672 653

Mar 2022

639 669

Apr 2022

682 640

May 2022

652 744

Jun 2022

624 593

Jul 2022

602 569

Aug 2022

691 633

Sep 2022

582 590

Oct 2022

599 526

Nov 2022

591 601

Dec 2022

562 590

Jan 2023

672 608

Feb 2023

590 610

Mar 2023

553 620

Apr 2023

476 523

May 2023

555 536

Jun 2023

617 558

Jul 2023

605 546

Aug 2023

536 512

Sep 2023

553 552

Oct 2023

551 536

Nov 2023

470 534

Dec 2023

539 549

Jan 2024

503 499

Feb 2024

524 496

Mar 2024

598 451

Apr 2024

545 472

May 2024

527 575

Jun 2024

420 487

Jul 2024

511 482

Aug 2024

514 452

Sep 2024

530 423

Among the September separations in California, 256,000 were quits and 141,000 were layoffs and discharges, compared to 285,000 quits and 151,000 layoffs and discharges in August. (See chart 3.) Over the last 12 months, quits averaged 297,000 per month, ranging from 256,000 to 342,000. Layoffs and discharges have averaged 174,000 per month, ranging from 140,000 to 213,000.

View Chart Data
Chart 3. Quits and layoffs and discharges in California, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
Month Quits Layoffs & discharges

Sep 2020

306 199

Oct 2020

313 211

Nov 2020

273 267

Dec 2020

309 261

Jan 2021

286 230

Feb 2021

301 171

Mar 2021

320 164

Apr 2021

423 144

May 2021

368 136

Jun 2021

408 124

Jul 2021

450 110

Aug 2021

439 123

Sep 2021

457 148

Oct 2021

416 147

Nov 2021

427 141

Dec 2021

419 149

Jan 2022

464 164

Feb 2022

448 167

Mar 2022

469 163

Apr 2022

477 130

May 2022

483 209

Jun 2022

391 159

Jul 2022

415 113

Aug 2022

431 159

Sep 2022

381 176

Oct 2022

356 127

Nov 2022

423 134

Dec 2022

396 155

Jan 2023

410 169

Feb 2023

373 196

Mar 2023

342 240

Apr 2023

336 150

May 2023

341 165

Jun 2023

366 162

Jul 2023

317 194

Aug 2023

284 186

Sep 2023

322 177

Oct 2023

325 179

Nov 2023

316 185

Dec 2023

315 199

Jan 2024

306 165

Feb 2024

326 140

Mar 2024

271 150

Apr 2024

258 191

May 2024

342 213

Jun 2024

276 187

Jul 2024

283 181

Aug 2024

285 151

Sep 2024

256 141

The State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey estimates for October 2024 are scheduled to be released on Tuesday, December 17, 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.

Table 1. Job openings and labor turnover for California, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
Estimate September 2023 June 2024 July 2024 August 2024 September 2024(p) Change from August 2024 to September 2024(p)

Openings

855 633 640 614 554 -60

Hires

553 420 511 514 530 16

Total separations

552 487 482 452 423 -29

Quits

322 276 283 285 256 -29

Layoffs & discharges

177 187 181 151 141 -10

Footnotes:
(p) Preliminary.

Table 2. Job openings and labor turnover rates for California, seasonally adjusted
Estimate September 2023 June 2024 July 2024 August 2024 September 2024(p) Change from August 2024 to September 2024(p)

Openings(1)

4.6 3.4 3.4 3.3 3.0 -0.3

Hires(2)

3.1 2.3 2.8 2.8 2.9 0.1

Total separations(3)

3.1 2.7 2.7 2.5 2.3 -0.2

Quits(3)

1.8 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.4 -0.2

Layoffs & discharges(3)

1.0 1.0 1.0 0.8 0.8 0.0

Footnotes:
(p) Preliminary.
(1) The job openings rate is computed by dividing the number of job openings by the sum of employment and job openings and multiplying that quotient by 100.
(2) The hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100.
(3) The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of separations by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100. The quits and layoffs and discharges rates are computed similarly.

Table 3. Job openings and labor turnover rates for the United States, seasonally adjusted
Estimate September 2023 June 2024 July 2024 August 2024 September 2024(p) Change from August 2024 to September 2024(p)

Openings(1)

5.6 4.8 4.6 4.7 4.5 -0.2

Hires(2)

3.7 3.3 3.4 3.4 3.5 0.1

Total separations(3)

3.5 3.2 3.4 3.3 3.3 0.0

Quits(3)

2.3 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.9 -0.1

Layoffs & discharges(3)

1.0 1.0 1.1 1.0 1.2 0.2

Footnotes:
(p) Preliminary.
(1) The job openings rate is computed by dividing the number of job openings by the sum of employment and job openings and multiplying that quotient by 100.
(2) The hires rate is computed by dividing the number of hires by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100.
(3) The separations rate is computed by dividing the number of separations by employment and multiplying that quotient by 100. The quits and layoffs and discharges rates are computed similarly.