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Tony Evers, Governor
Amy Pechacek, Secretary-designee

Department of Workforce Development
Secretary's Office
201 E. Washington Avenue
P.O. Box 7946
Madison, WI 53707-7946
Telephone: (608) 266-3131
Fax: (608) 266-1784
Email: sec@dwd.wisconsin.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 22, 2021
CONTACT: DWD Communications
CommunicationsOffice@dwd.wisconsin.gov

BLS Releases State Level Job Opening and Labor Turnover Survey Data

MADISON – The Department of Workforce Development (DWD) today released the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey data for the month of August 2021. The data was made available at the state level for the first time in the history of the series in a non-experimental release.

In brief, the JOLTS data for Wisconsin showed:

Wisconsin quits reached a series high in August 2021 at 97,000. The United States, Illinois, and Iowa also reached series highs this month.
Wisconsin job openings are down slightly from the July 2021 peak to an estimated 214,000 in August 2021. The United States and all of Wisconsin's bordering states experienced a month-over-month decline.
Wisconsin hires are down over the month to 105,000. The United States and all of Wisconsin's bordering states experienced a month-over-month decline.

Today's state JOLTS release follows yesterday's release of state Current Employment Statistics (CES) and Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) which showed that Wisconsin's unemployment rate of 3.9 percent ranked 15 lowest nationally and Wisconsin's labor force participation rate of 66.6 percent ranked 10 best nationally.

The state level JOLTS data can be accessed at https://www.bls.gov/news.release/jltst.nr0.htm.

Other Wisconsin labor data can be viewed on DWD's premier source for labor market information, WisConomy.com. Employers and job seekers can connect with DWD services through JobCenterofWisconsin.com; a directory of regional workforce services can be found at: http://wisconsinjobcenter.org/directory/.

ABOUT DWD

Wisconsin's Department of Workforce Development efficiently delivers effective and inclusive services to meet Wisconsin's diverse workforce needs now and for the future. The department advocates for and invests in the protection and economic advancement of all Wisconsin workers, employers and job seekers through six divisions – Employment and Training, Vocational Rehabilitation, Unemployment Insurance, Equal Rights, Worker's Compensation and Administrative Services. To keep up with DWD announcements and information, sign up for news releases here and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.