BLS - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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

Arizona Job Openings and Labor Turnover — September 2024

News Release Information

24-2472-SAN
Wednesday, November 27, 2024

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

Arizona Job Openings and Labor Turnover - September 2024

Arizona had 178,000 job openings in September 2024, compared to 179,000 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 Arizona was 5.2 percent in September, unchanged from 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 Arizona, seasonally adjusted
Month Arizona United States

Sep 2020

5.2 4.4

Oct 2020

5.1 4.6

Nov 2020

5.0 4.6

Dec 2020

5.4 4.5

Jan 2021

5.2 4.8

Feb 2021

5.9 5.2

Mar 2021

6.0 5.6

Apr 2021

6.3 6.0

May 2021

7.1 6.4

Jun 2021

6.8 6.6

Jul 2021

6.8 7.0

Aug 2021

7.1 6.9

Sep 2021

6.5 6.9

Oct 2021

6.5 7.1

Nov 2021

6.7 7.0

Dec 2021

7.2 7.1

Jan 2022

7.5 7.0

Feb 2022

7.6 7.2

Mar 2022

7.9 7.4

Apr 2022

7.2 7.2

May 2022

7.2 7.0

Jun 2022

6.9 6.9

Jul 2022

7.3 7.0

Aug 2022

6.7 6.2

Sep 2022

7.0 6.6

Oct 2022

6.9 6.4

Nov 2022

6.8 6.5

Dec 2022

6.6 6.7

Jan 2023

6.4 6.3

Feb 2023

6.1 6.0

Mar 2023

6.4 5.8

Apr 2023

7.4 6.0

May 2023

5.6 5.6

Jun 2023

5.5 5.5

Jul 2023

5.8 5.3

Aug 2023

5.8 5.6

Sep 2023

5.6 5.6

Oct 2023

5.3 5.2

Nov 2023

5.3 5.4

Dec 2023

4.9 5.3

Jan 2024

4.6 5.3

Feb 2024

5.5 5.3

Mar 2024

4.3 5.0

Apr 2024

5.4 4.8

May 2024

4.8 4.9

Jun 2024

5.6 4.8

Jul 2024

5.1 4.6

Aug 2024

5.2 4.7

Sep 2024

5.2 4.5

The ratio of unemployed persons per job opening in Arizona was 0.7 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, Arizona had 128,000 hires and 111,000 separations, compared to 114,000 hires and 113,000 separations in August. (See chart 2.) Over the 12 months ending in September, hires have averaged 124,000 per month and separations have averaged 125,000 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 Arizona, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
Month Hires Total separations

Sep 2020

147 119

Oct 2020

126 98

Nov 2020

113 118

Dec 2020

114 123

Jan 2021

116 101

Feb 2021

118 126

Mar 2021

142 141

Apr 2021

133 133

May 2021

116 128

Jun 2021

126 108

Jul 2021

130 114

Aug 2021

131 118

Sep 2021

139 122

Oct 2021

142 116

Nov 2021

143 141

Dec 2021

151 141

Jan 2022

160 156

Feb 2022

164 125

Mar 2022

162 160

Apr 2022

134 120

May 2022

157 148

Jun 2022

154 156

Jul 2022

160 139

Aug 2022

152 143

Sep 2022

147 138

Oct 2022

146 148

Nov 2022

143 139

Dec 2022

134 126

Jan 2023

145 123

Feb 2023

139 133

Mar 2023

147 139

Apr 2023

146 142

May 2023

141 120

Jun 2023

131 147

Jul 2023

130 129

Aug 2023

132 134

Sep 2023

131 128

Oct 2023

134 145

Nov 2023

112 126

Dec 2023

128 125

Jan 2024

127 122

Feb 2024

121 121

Mar 2024

109 115

Apr 2024

123 142

May 2024

123 124

Jun 2024

126 124

Jul 2024

142 132

Aug 2024

114 113

Sep 2024

128 111

Among the September separations in Arizona, 64,000 were quits and 39,000 were layoffs and discharges, compared to 72,000 quits and 35,000 layoffs and discharges in August. (See chart 3.) Over the last 12 months, quits averaged 76,000 per month, ranging from 64,000 to 98,000. Layoffs and discharges have averaged 41,000 per month, ranging from 35,000 to 50,000.

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

Sep 2020

81 33

Oct 2020

71 21

Nov 2020

80 28

Dec 2020

88 29

Jan 2021

72 23

Feb 2021

94 27

Mar 2021

93 43

Apr 2021

104 23

May 2021

95 29

Jun 2021

85 18

Jul 2021

85 25

Aug 2021

89 22

Sep 2021

94 20

Oct 2021

93 19

Nov 2021

110 26

Dec 2021

105 30

Jan 2022

116 34

Feb 2022

92 28

Mar 2022

135 18

Apr 2022

98 16

May 2022

111 31

Jun 2022

119 30

Jul 2022

108 24

Aug 2022

105 32

Sep 2022

95 35

Oct 2022

102 39

Nov 2022

94 37

Dec 2022

95 23

Jan 2023

88 29

Feb 2023

94 36

Mar 2023

93 38

Apr 2023

99 39

May 2023

91 23

Jun 2023

91 53

Jul 2023

92 32

Aug 2023

86 41

Sep 2023

88 33

Oct 2023

98 40

Nov 2023

77 42

Dec 2023

72 35

Jan 2024

77 39

Feb 2024

79 36

Mar 2024

67 43

Apr 2024

83 49

May 2024

79 39

Jun 2024

71 40

Jul 2024

70 50

Aug 2024

72 35

Sep 2024

64 39

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 Arizona, 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

190 192 177 179 178 -1

Hires

131 126 142 114 128 14

Total separations

128 124 132 113 111 -2

Quits

88 71 70 72 64 -8

Layoffs & discharges

33 40 50 35 39 4

Footnotes:
(p) Preliminary.

Table 2. Job openings and labor turnover rates for Arizona, 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 5.6 5.1 5.2 5.2 0.0

Hires(2)

4.1 3.9 4.4 3.5 3.9 0.4

Total separations(3)

4.0 3.8 4.0 3.5 3.4 -0.1

Quits(3)

2.7 2.2 2.1 2.2 2.0 -0.2

Layoffs & discharges(3)

1.0 1.2 1.5 1.1 1.2 0.1

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.