BLS - U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

10/24/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/24/2024 13:18

Kansas Job Openings and Labor Turnover — August 2024

News Release Information

24-2189-KAN
Thursday, October 24, 2024

ContactsTechnical information: Media contact:
  • (816) 285-7000

Kansas Job Openings and Labor Turnover - August 2024

Kansas had 74,000 job openings in August 2024, compared to 63,000 openings in July, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. (See table 1.) Assistant Commissioner for Regional Operations Michael Hirniak noted that the job openings rate in Kansas was 4.8 percent in August and 4.1 percent in the previous month. (See chart 1 and table 2.) The job openings rate nationally was 4.8 percent in August and 4.6 percent in July. (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 Kansas, seasonally adjusted
Month Kansas United States

Aug 2020

4.4 4.3

Sep 2020

4.2 4.4

Oct 2020

4.8 4.6

Nov 2020

4.7 4.6

Dec 2020

4.8 4.5

Jan 2021

4.5 4.8

Feb 2021

4.5 5.2

Mar 2021

5.9 5.6

Apr 2021

5.5 6.0

May 2021

5.8 6.4

Jun 2021

5.6 6.6

Jul 2021

6.1 7.0

Aug 2021

5.6 6.9

Sep 2021

6.0 6.9

Oct 2021

7.3 7.1

Nov 2021

7.0 7.0

Dec 2021

6.8 7.1

Jan 2022

6.5 7.0

Feb 2022

6.9 7.2

Mar 2022

6.2 7.4

Apr 2022

7.5 7.2

May 2022

6.4 7.0

Jun 2022

6.6 6.9

Jul 2022

7.6 7.0

Aug 2022

6.2 6.2

Sep 2022

6.5 6.6

Oct 2022

6.1 6.4

Nov 2022

6.2 6.5

Dec 2022

6.9 6.7

Jan 2023

5.8 6.3

Feb 2023

5.5 6.0

Mar 2023

5.5 5.8

Apr 2023

6.0 6.0

May 2023

5.4 5.6

Jun 2023

5.3 5.5

Jul 2023

4.9 5.3

Aug 2023

5.3 5.6

Sep 2023

5.1 5.6

Oct 2023

4.9 5.2

Nov 2023

5.7 5.4

Dec 2023

5.2 5.3

Jan 2024

5.2 5.3

Feb 2024

5.3 5.3

Mar 2024

5.3 5.0

Apr 2024

4.7 4.8

May 2024

4.5 4.9

Jun 2024

4.6 4.8

Jul 2024

4.1 4.6

Aug 2024

4.8 4.8

The ratio of unemployed persons per job opening in Kansas was 0.7 in August. Nationwide, 39 states and the District of Columbia had ratios in August 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 2 states had ratios equal to the national measure. (See map 1.)

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

(U.S. ratio = 0.9)

In August, Kansas had 48,000 hires and 53,000 separations, compared to 47,000 hires and 50,000 separations in July. (See chart 2.) Over the 12 months ending in August, hires have averaged 50,000 per month and separations have averaged 51,000 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 Kansas, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
Month Hires Total separations

Aug 2020

50 39

Sep 2020

48 44

Oct 2020

47 48

Nov 2020

48 50

Dec 2020

45 43

Jan 2021

48 47

Feb 2021

48 53

Mar 2021

60 43

Apr 2021

51 48

May 2021

56 57

Jun 2021

68 49

Jul 2021

70 53

Aug 2021

55 56

Sep 2021

55 49

Oct 2021

59 54

Nov 2021

59 59

Dec 2021

56 55

Jan 2022

52 48

Feb 2022

51 50

Mar 2022

50 50

Apr 2022

53 54

May 2022

52 49

Jun 2022

54 53

Jul 2022

78 57

Aug 2022

54 51

Sep 2022

55 52

Oct 2022

57 55

Nov 2022

54 52

Dec 2022

62 58

Jan 2023

58 55

Feb 2023

55 53

Mar 2023

52 55

Apr 2023

54 56

May 2023

57 51

Jun 2023

52 53

Jul 2023

48 51

Aug 2023

51 54

Sep 2023

47 53

Oct 2023

48 40

Nov 2023

51 49

Dec 2023

48 48

Jan 2024

50 57

Feb 2024

50 50

Mar 2024

54 58

Apr 2024

56 58

May 2024

50 52

Jun 2024

46 43

Jul 2024

47 50

Aug 2024

48 53

Among the August separations in Kansas, 32,000 were quits and 18,000 were layoffs and discharges, compared to 29,000 quits and 17,000 layoffs and discharges in July. (See chart 3.) Over the last 12 months, quits averaged 32,000 per month, ranging from 26,000 to 36,000. Layoffs and discharges have averaged 15,000 per month, ranging from 12,000 to 18,000.

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

Aug 2020

26 11

Sep 2020

29 12

Oct 2020

30 15

Nov 2020

30 17

Dec 2020

29 10

Jan 2021

33 11

Feb 2021

35 14

Mar 2021

30 10

Apr 2021

33 12

May 2021

34 19

Jun 2021

36 11

Jul 2021

39 11

Aug 2021

42 10

Sep 2021

35 11

Oct 2021

41 10

Nov 2021

43 11

Dec 2021

41 11

Jan 2022

35 9

Feb 2022

34 13

Mar 2022

36 11

Apr 2022

41 10

May 2022

35 11

Jun 2022

35 15

Jul 2022

45 10

Aug 2022

33 14

Sep 2022

38 12

Oct 2022

38 13

Nov 2022

36 14

Dec 2022

39 16

Jan 2023

36 16

Feb 2023

36 14

Mar 2023

36 17

Apr 2023

33 20

May 2023

35 13

Jun 2023

36 14

Jul 2023

33 14

Aug 2023

36 16

Sep 2023

32 18

Oct 2023

26 12

Nov 2023

33 12

Dec 2023

30 14

Jan 2024

31 14

Feb 2024

32 14

Mar 2024

36 18

Apr 2024

36 15

May 2024

35 13

Jun 2024

27 13

Jul 2024

29 17

Aug 2024

32 18

The State Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey estimates for September 2024 are scheduled to be released on Wednesday, November 20, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. (CT).


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 Kansas, seasonally adjusted (in thousands)
Estimate August 2023 May 2024 June 2024 July 2024 August 2024(p) Change from July 2024 to August 2024(p)

Openings

81 69 70 63 74 11

Hires

51 50 46 47 48 1

Total separations

54 52 43 50 53 3

Quits

36 35 27 29 32 3

Layoffs & discharges

16 13 13 17 18 1

(p) Preliminary.

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

Openings(1)

5.3 4.5 4.6 4.1 4.8 0.7

Hires(2)

3.5 3.4 3.1 3.2 3.3 0.1

Total separations(3)

3.7 3.6 2.9 3.4 3.6 0.2

Quits(3)

2.5 2.4 1.8 2.0 2.2 0.2

Layoffs & discharges(3)

1.1 0.9 0.9 1.2 1.2 0.0

(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 August 2023 May 2024 June 2024 July 2024 August 2024(p) Change from July 2024 to August 2024(p)

Openings(1)

5.6 4.9 4.8 4.6 4.8 0.2

Hires(2)

3.8 3.6 3.3 3.4 3.3 -0.1

Total separations(3)

3.6 3.4 3.2 3.4 3.1 -0.3

Quits(3)

2.3 2.1 2.0 2.0 1.9 -0.1

Layoffs & discharges(3)

1.1 1.1 1.0 1.1 1.0 -0.1

(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.