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06.08.2016

Midwest Job Openings & Hiring Activities

Yesterday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released April 2016 figures from its Job Openings & Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), which tracks job openings, hires, and separations (quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations including retirement).

The seasonally adjusted ratio of unemployed persons per job opening – an indication of labor market activity and competitiveness – was unchanged from the previous month at 1.3 candidates per job opening in the Midwest in April. This is down from a ratio of 1.4 a year ago and is the lowest April ratio in more than a decade. The U.S. ratio also remained unchanged from the previous month at 1.4 in April.

JOLTS1 060816

The Midwest reported 1.09 million new hires in April 2016, an 8.3 percent decrease year-over-year. Nationally, hiring activity increased by 0.4 percent in the same time period.JOLTS2 060816

The quit rate, which reflects the share of employees who left voluntarily (except retirements or transfers), is highly correlated with wage growth. Employees tend to quit and switch jobs at a higher rate during periods of economic growth. The Midwest’s quit rate was unchanged from the previous month at 2.1, an increase from 1.8 a year ago, and the highest April rate since 2008.

Note: At the beginning of each calendar year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program revises up to five years of previous data to incorporate new inputs and population data. The data in this brief reflects the LAUS revisions completed on March 17, 2016. Revisions for 2011-2014 data were completed on April 12, 2016. For more information about these annual revisions, please visit the BLS website. For the full JOLTS press release and data, please visit the BLS website.

Chaired by Mayor Rahm Emanuel, World Business Chicago is the public-private partnership leading the Plan for Economic Growth and Jobs in order to drive business development, cultivate talent, and put Chicago at the forefront of the global economy.

WBC’s “Economic Briefs” track indicators from month to month to gauge the strength of several aspects of Chicago’s economy, including unemployment, population, venture capital, job openings and new hires, home sales, tourism, etc. This data provides a clear analytic framework for specific Plan strategies and initiatives. For a summary of these and other economic indicators, refer to WBC’s monthly Chicago By The Numbers.

 

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