Below, EPI Senior Economist Elise Gould provides her initial insights on the December Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), released today. Read the full Twitter thread here.

Job opening levels and ratios were largely unchanged from November to December. Notably, job openings in accommodation and food services and state and local government education have increased, both industries still facing some of the biggest job shortages since February 2020. pic.twitter.com/llAG8eNfsj

– Elise Gould (@eliselgould) February 1, 2022

Hiring rates were still higher than turnover rates in every major industry, even though Omicron’s gains in December led to a decline in both hiring and departures. This suggests that when workers quit, they are taking other jobs — possibly in the same sector — rather than dropping out of the workforce entirely. pic.twitter.com/BktD2leflN

– Elise Gould (@eliselgould) February 1, 2022