Bureau of Labor Statistics

March 4, 2005

Bureau of Labor Statistics

Current Employment Statistics

Highlights

February 2005
2

All employees on nonfarm payrolls

1990-2005

100,000

110,000

120,000

130,000

140,000

Jan-90Jan-91Jan-92Jan-93Jan-94Jan-95Jan-96Jan-97Jan-98Jan-99Jan-00Jan-01Jan-02Jan-03Jan-04Jan-05

100,000

110,000

120,000

130,000

140,000

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Survey, March 4, 2005.

Notes: Shaded areas denote recessions. Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

February 2005

Level: 132,843

Change: +262

• Total nonfarm employment increased by 262,000 in February, following a gain of 

132,000 in January. Job gains in February occurred across a broad range of 

industries.

• Since its most recent low point in May 2003, payroll employment has increased 

by 3 million and is now just above the previous peak reached in February 2001. 

• Seasonally adjusted average weekly hours and average hourly earnings of 

production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonfarm payrolls were 

unchanged in February, remaining at 33.7 hours and $15.90, respectively.
3

Employment in total nonfarm and supersectors

Over-the-month change, February 2005

5

30

20

3

30

5

1

-2

12

81

18

23

3

33

-10 10 30 50 70 90

Natural resources and mining

Construction

Manufacturing

Wholesale trade

Retail trade

Transportation and warehousing

Utilities

Information

Financial activities

Professional and business services

Education and health services

Leisure and hospitality

Other services

Government

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Survey, March 4, 2005.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Total nonfarm: 

+262

• Job growth in February was widespread, with gains in both goods-producing and 

service-providing industries.

• The largest employment increases in February were in professional and business 

services, which added 81,000 jobs.

• Several other industries, such as construction, retail trade, and government each 

added 30,000 jobs or more.
4

Index of total private aggregate weekly hours

1990-2005

80

85

90

95

100

105

110

Jan-90Jan-91Jan-92Jan-93Jan-94Jan-95Jan-96Jan-97Jan-98Jan-99Jan-00Jan-01Jan-02Jan-03Jan-04Jan-05

80

85

90

95

100

105

110

Seasonally adjusted, 2002 = 100

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Survey, March 4, 2005.

Notes: Shaded areas denote recessions. Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

February 2005

Level: 101.6

Change: +0.2

Aggregate weekly hours are the product of average weekly hours and production or nonsupervisory workers.

• Although total nonfarm employment has recovered from its most recent 

downturn, the index of total private aggregate weekly hours has not. This index 

fell 5.7 points between October 2000 and May 2003 and has to date recovered by 

3.4 points.
5

Employment in construction

1990-2005

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

Jan-90Jan-91Jan-92Jan-93Jan-94Jan-95Jan-96Jan-97Jan-98Jan-99Jan-00Jan-01Jan-02Jan-03Jan-04Jan-05

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Survey, March 4, 2005.

Notes: Shaded areas denote recessions. Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

February 2005

Level: 7,166

Change: +30

• Construction employment grew by 30,000 in February. This gain reflects 

ongoing strength in the construction industry, spurred by sustained low mortgage 

rates. However, part of February’s employment increase may be explained as 

offsetting weakness in January, when weather conditions suppressed hiring in the 

West and Midwest.

• Since reaching an employment trough in March 2003, construction employment 

has increased by nearly one-half million. Most of this growth has been driven by 

a robust residential housing market. However, recent strength has also occurred 

in nonresidential construction.
6

-57

-74

-54

-111

-60 -61

-84

-37

-25 -20 -13 -18 -14

-2

10

32

24

-3 -3

25

-14 -8 -7 -3

-20

20

-180

-140

-100

-60

-20

20

60

100

Jan-03Feb-03

Mar-03

Apr-03

May-03

Jun-03

Jul-03

Aug-03

Sep-03

Oct-03

Nov-03

Dec-03Jan-04Feb-04

Mar-04

Apr-04

May-04

Jun-04

Jul-04

Aug-04

Sep-04

Oct-04

Nov-04

Dec-04Jan-05Feb-05

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Survey, March 4, 2005. 

Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

Employment in manufacturing

Over-the-month change, 2003-05

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

• Manufacturing employment grew by 20,000 in February. About half the job gain 

occurred in motor vehicle and parts manufacturing, and reflects a return of auto 

workers following larger-than-usual temporary layoffs. 

• Since hitting an employment low in February 2004, manufacturing employment

has edged up. While this is an improvement for the manufacturing sector, it 

represents a recovery of less than 2 percent of the net 3 million jobs lost between 

July 2000 and February 2004.

• The factory workweek declined by 0.2 hour in February, offsetting a similar 

increase in January. Much of the past year has seen monthly declines in the 

manufacturing workweek, and it is currently one-half hour below its February 

2004 level. Manufacturing weekly overtime hours edged up by 0.1 hour in 

February. Over the past year, overtime has changed little, fluctuating between 4.5 

and 4.6 hours.
7

Employment in selected professional and business services 

Over-the-month change, February 2005

3.4

7.1

0.4

3.4

30.3

2.6

14.0

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Accounting and

bookkeeping services

Architectural and

engineering services

Computer systems design

and related services

Management and technical

consulting services

Temporary help services

Business support services

Services to buildings and

dwellings

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Survey, March 4, 2005.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Professional and business services:

+81

• Employment in professional and business services grew by 81,000 in February. 

Employment in the sector has risen by 910,000 since reaching a trough in 

December 2002; however, the sector’s employment is still shy of the prior peak 

level of November 2000. The largest February job gain occurred in temporary 

help services, which added 30,000 workers.

• Services to buildings and dwellings employment increased by 14,000 over the 

month, and architectural and engineering services employment grew by 7,000, 

rebounding from weakness in January.
8

Employment in temporary help services

1990-2005

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

Jan-90Jan-91Jan-92Jan-93Jan-94Jan-95Jan-96Jan-97Jan-98Jan-99Jan-00Jan-01Jan-02Jan-03Jan-04Jan-05

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Survey, March 4, 2005.

Notes: Shaded areas denote recessions. Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

February 2005

Level: 2,514.2

Change: +30.3

• Temporary help services added 30,000 jobs in February, following several months 

in which employment was little changed. Since its April 2003 employment 

trough, this industry has added 374,000 jobs. This represents a recovery of about 

70 percent of jobs lost following the prior employment peak in April 2000.
9

Employment in health care 

Over-the-month change, February 2005

11.7

5.1

0.5

2.6

6.4

5.1

0 5 10 15

Offices of physicians

Outpatient care centers

Home health care

services

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Survey, March 4, 2005.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Health care:

+23.2

Ambulatory health 

care services

Hospitals

Nursing and residential 

care facilities

• Employment in health care continued to expand in February, with an increase of 

23,000. This industry has exhibited impressive growth over the years, seeing only 

one monthly job loss since 1990. Since February 2004, this industry added 

262,000 jobs, accounting for 12 percent of private payroll growth.

• Over the month, ambulatory health care services added about 12,000 jobs, and 

hospitals added 6,000 jobs to payrolls.