WASHINGTON, D.C. (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Washington state’s latest labor report shows more recent openings with lower hiring rates.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released a report on job openings and labor turnover in the state for February.

The month-to-month changes show a steady increase in job openings from December 2023 to February 2024. In that two-month span, openings increased by 18,000 when adjusted for the season.

Total job separations increased – with quitting rate to blame at 11,000 more quits per month in February than in December.

And hiring rates showed a minor drop from January to February 2024 after a spike in the preceding two months.

Overall, when comparing February 2023 to February 2024, we saw a lower turnover rate at roughly 0.43% change.