Churn happens. Good times and bad, millions of Americans lose or leave jobs each month and millions get hired.

What makes it a good time or bad is which side of the ledger is larger: In a boom, hiring outpaces job losses. In downturns, it's the other way around.

Either way, there is a lot of movement — like a huge game of musical chairs.

There are constantly millions of people up and scrambling for another seat. People like Dewayne Mcguire, 50, of Decatur, out of work since March.

He had been a courier. But since he had to pick up the tab for the soaring cost of his gasoline, the arrangement stopped making sense.

"I was putting out close to what I was bringing in," he said.

Now, he is looking for a clerical or office job, hoping he can find one in an area near where his wife works so they can share transportation. He doesn't want to go much longer without finding work.

"It's already pretty bad," he said. "It's crucial at this point to find a job."

And there are jobs to be had — although the total number has been dropping since December. The game goes on — although the music seems to be playing a bit more slowly.

Evidence comes from a rarely noted monthly report: the national Job Opening and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS.

This week's release of JOLTS data showed hiring slowing from the previous month. About 4.3 million people were added to payrolls in May, vs. 4.7 million in April.

The number of job openings stayed steady. And about 4.4 million people left jobs — voluntarily or otherwise — slightly fewer than the month before.

Fleshing out the portrait painted by other, more high-profile reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, JOLTS showed hiring down in every sector but leisure and hospitality, health care and education.

Doesn't matter, argued Lee Pearlman.

The candidate is more important than the category, said Pearlman, 39, was hired in late May as client service manager at the MDI Group, a Norcross-based staffing and consulting company.

"There are certain skills that there is always a market for," he said.

For instance: people who are good at forming and nurturing relationships, at building a business and selling.

"There will never be a shortage of jobs for those people," he said.

It is part of the economy's flexibility that people can change jobs and that companies can change employees.

It allows businesses to become more efficient or cut costs. It gives individuals a chance to find a more satisfying job, a larger paycheck. And by choice or otherwise, the labor force in the 21st century seems more mobile than ever.

"I tell my clients, if you land somewhere, don't get comfortable because you may need to move again," said Jodie Charlop, founder of Atlanta-based Potential Matters, which offers executive coaching and career management.

But transition can also be tough. It costs money for companies to shed or add workers. Workers suffer if they go for long without a paycheck.

And — even for many better-paid positions — the market has become sluggish. "My clients are still getting placed, but I do think it is taking a little longer," Charlop said.

It's not just JOLTS that says the worst isn't yet over.

The official unemployment rate has been climbing. The average length of time that a laid-off person spends looking for work has grown. A higher percentage of adults has dropped out of the job search.

In a hopeful sign, the number of Americans filing first-time claims for unemployment benefits fell last week, but the four-week average remains high.

"The number for last week is a seasonal aberration, but the trend is upward," said Rajeev Dhawan, director of the Economic Forecasting Center at Georgia State University.

The total number of people receiving benefits — about 3.2 million — has climbed from 2.5 million a year ago.

In Georgia, 45,553 laid-off workers filed first-time claims in June — up 35.9 percent from the same time a year earlier, the state Department of Labor announced Thursday.

The total number of Georgians receiving unemployment insurance benefits was up 46.7 percent from a year ago.

However, JOLTS is a reminder that even during a downturn there are job openings.

After all, each unemployed person needs to find just one open chair.

Sheriece Combs, 45, of Tucker, lost a job with a large corporation last year. She is looking for a customer service job — and despite the current economy, she is not too worried.

"I have good job skills; I have good recommendations," she said. "I think I will find something."

NEW CLAIMS FOR UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE

— Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Georgia Department of Labor, staff research

U.S. JOBS TURNOVER (IN MILLIONS)*

— Source: Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey
*Adjusted to smooth over season variation.
**Includes layoffs, quits, retirements, deaths and other reasons