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The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) collects and compiles monthly data for the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). This data is collected in a survey of business establishments for total employment, job openings, hires, quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. This program covers all private non-farm establishments such as factories, offices, stores, federal, state, and local government, and is a common resource used by U.S. employers. The BLS defines these terms as:
Employment: the number of persons on the payroll who worked or received pay for the pay period that includes the 12th day of the reference month. This includes full-time, part-time, permanent, short-term, seasonal, salaried, and hourly employees.
Job opening: requires that a position exists and work is available for that position, work could start within 30 days, and the employer is actively recruiting from outside the company.
Hires: the total number of additions to the payroll occurring at any time during the reference month.
Separations: the total number of terminations (quits, layoffs, discharges, and other separations) occurring at any time during the reference month.