Quits Drive an Increase in Overall Separations in February

Michigan’s job openings rate increased in February, according to the latest release of the state Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). The separations rate and quits rate also increased, while the hires rate, labor turnover rate, and unemployed persons to job openings ratio all declined during this time.

Job Openings Rate Increased

Job openings in Michigan increased by approximately 7,000 between January (201,000) and February (208,000). This resulted in a 0.1 percentage point increase in the job openings rate, a measure of job openings as a percentage of employment, to 4.4 percent. Michigan remained below the national openings rate (4.5 percent) and was 39th among other states.

Michigan’s job opening rate remained below the national rate in February.

Source: Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

The unemployed persons to job openings ratio decreased to 1.32 in February. This marked the 10th consecutive month that Michigan’s ratio was above one, indicating that there have been more individuals available to work than job opportunities. Michigan was substantially higher than the national ratio (0.93) and was second only to California (1.54).

Labor Turnover Continued to Trend Down

Michigan’s labor turnover rate, a combination of the separations rate and hires rate, declined marginally in February to 7.1 percent (-0.1 percentage points). As a result, Michigan fell to 25th among other states. Despite this decline, Michigan’s labor turnover rate remained above the national rate in February (6.7 percent).

Hires Saw Marginal Decline

Michigan employers hired approximately 7,000 fewer individuals in February (160,000) than the month prior (167,000). This in turn moved the hires rate, a measure of hires as a percentage of employment, down to 3.5 percent (-0.2 percentage points). Michigan was above the national hires rate (3.4 percent) and 22nd among states.

Separations Inched Upward

Approximately 162,000 individuals separated from their jobs in February (+6,000). As a result, the separations rate, a measure of separations as a percentage of employment, rose to 3.6 percent (+0.1 percentage points). Compared to its Midwest counterparts, Michigan was second only to Indiana (3.9 percent). Michigan was above the national separations rate (3.3 percent) and was 26th among all other states.

An increase in quits, a measure of voluntary separations, was the main driver in the growth in separations. Roughly 96,000 individuals voluntarily separated from their jobs in February, an increase of 8,000 from the month prior. As a result, the quits rate, a measure of quits as a percentage of employment, grew to 2.1 percent (+0.2 percentage points). Conversely, the layoffs/discharges rate, a measure of involuntary separations, fell to 1.3 percent (-0.1 percentage points). This was because of roughly 4,000 fewer individuals being let go from their employment in February (58,000) than in January (62,000).

Michigan recorded the second highest separations rate among other midwestern states.

Source: Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics