Manufacturing Job Openings Notably Increased in May
The number of job openings in May was 3.6 million, little changed from April. Job openings increased for manufacturing, government, and state and local government. The number of openings also increased for the Midwest region. The level of total nonfarm job openings in May was up from 2.4 million at the end of the recession in June 2009.
The latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that manufacturing job openings rose significantly, up from 259,000 in April to 310,000 in May.
Current hiring levels were essentially flat, down from 260,000 to 258,000 for the month. This is 2.2% of the total manufacturing workforce, a rate that has been the same since February.
Meanwhile, manufacturing separations—which include layoffs, retirements, and quits— were up slightly from 239,000 to 241,000, or 2% of the manufacturing workforce. This suggests net hiring of 17,000 for May, down from 21,000 in April.
