Current Employment Statistics

Highlights

September 2006

Bureau of Labor Statistics

October 6, 2006

Bureau of Labor Statistics
2

All employees on nonfarm payrolls

1990-2006

100,000

110,000

120,000

130,000

140,000

Jan-90

Jan-91

Jan-92

Jan-93

Jan-94

Jan-95

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

100,000

110,000

120,000

130,000

140,000

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 6, 2006.

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

September 2006

Level: 135,613

Change: +51

• Nonfarm payroll employment was little changed (+51,000) in September following 188,000 jobs gained 

in August. 

• Job growth in 2004 averaged 175,000 per month. In 2005, despite hurricane-related job losses at the end 

of the year, employment growth averaged 165,000 per month. 

• So far this year, growth has averaged 137,000 jobs per month. Since the most recent employment 

trough in August 2003, 5.8 million jobs have been added. 
3

Employment in total nonfarm and supersectors

Over-the-month change, September 2006 

0

8

-19

9

-12

13

1

-2

16

12

15

10

8

-8

-25 -20 -15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20

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, October 6, 2006.

Note: Data are preliminary. 

Total nonfarm: 

+51

• Financial activities employment grew by 16,000 in September, while education and health services 

added 15,000 jobs. 

• Elsewhere in the service-providing sector, most of the other industries trended up at a more modest pace. 

• Manufacturing and retail trade reduced employment in September. 
4

Average weekly hours, total private

1992-2006

33.0

33.5

34.0

34.5

35.0

Jan-92

Jan-93

Jan-94

Jan-95

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

33.0

33.5

34.0

34.5

35.0 Seasonally adjusted

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 6, 2006.

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

September 2006

Level: 33.8

Change: 0.0

Index of total private aggregate weekly hours

1992-2006

80

85

90

95

100

105

110

Jan-92

Jan-93

Jan-94

Jan-95

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

80

85

90

95

100

105

110

Seasonally adjusted, 2002 = 100

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 6, 2006.

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

September 2006

Level: 105.0

Percent Change: -0.1

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

• The average workweek for production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonfarm payrolls was 

unchanged at 33.8 hours, seasonally adjusted. 

• The index of aggregate weekly hours of production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonfarm 

payrolls ticked down 0.1 percent in September, seasonally adjusted. This index has increased by 6.9 

percent since its most recent trough in August 2003, but has expanded just 1.1 percent above its most 

recent peak in October 2000. 
5

Index of total private aggregate weekly payrolls

1992-2006

55

68

81

94

107

120

Jan-92

Jan-93

Jan-94

Jan-95

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

55

68

81

94

107

120

Seasonally adjusted, 2002 = 100

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 6, 2006.

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

September 2006

Level: 118.3

Percent Change: +0.2

Aggregate weekly payrolls are the product of average hourly earnings, average weekly hours, and production or nonsupervisory workers.

• The index of aggregate weekly payrolls of production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonfarm 

payrolls increased 0.2 percent in September to 118.3, seasonally adjusted. The index has risen by 6 

percent over-the-year. 

• Aggregate payroll growth has slowed in the third quarter, and is reflected in the payroll index. The 

index increased 0.8 percent in the third quarter compared to an average 1.8 percent in the prior 2 

quarters. 

• Much of the recent rise in this index has been driven by increases in the average hourly earnings of 

production workers. Seasonally adjusted, earnings have increased 4 percent over-the-year. During the 

same time span the numbers of production workers on private nonfarm payrolls have increased by 1.8 

percent and the average weekly hours of production workers have been flat. 
6

Employment in construction

1992-2006

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

Jan-92

Jan-93

Jan-94

Jan-95

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Survey, October 6, 2006.

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

September 2006

Level: 7,535

Change: +8

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

Jan-05

Feb-05

Mar-05

Apr-05

May-05

Jun-05

Jul-05

Aug-05

Sep-05

Oct-05

Nov-05

Dec-05

Jan-06

Feb-06

Mar-06

Apr-06

May-06

Jun-06

Jul-06

Aug-06

Sep-06

Residential Nonresidential

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 6, 2006.

Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

Employment in residential and nonresidential specialty 

trade contractors, over-the-month change, 2005-06

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

September 2006

Residential: -18 

Nonresidential: +17

• Construction employment edged up 8,000 in September. Employment has changed little since February 

(+6,000 per month). 

• Employment had grown by an average of 27,000 per month for the year ending in February 2006.

• Nonresidential specialty trade contractors gained 17,000 jobs in September. This makes 8 consecutive 

months in which nonresidential specialty trade contractors have outpaced the residential component. 

Since reaching a high point in February 2006, residential specialty trade contractors have shed 60,800 

jobs. Over the same time period, nonresidential specialty trade contractors have added 86,700. 

• Construction of buildings has experienced similar weakness within its residential component in recent 

months. Residential building construction has added just 6,700 jobs to payrolls since February 2006 

while employment in nonresidential building construction increased by 8,300. 
7

-26

8

-8

-12

-5

-18

-9 -11

-26

9

18

8

5

-1 -1

19

-10

25

-23

-7

-19

-35

-25

-15

-5

5

15

25

35

Jan-05

Feb-05

Mar-05

Apr-05

May-05

Jun-05

Jul-05

Aug-05

Sep-05

Oct-05

Nov-05

Dec-05

Jan-06

Feb-06

Mar-06

Apr-06

May-06

Jun-06

Jul-06

Aug-06

Sep-06

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 6, 2006.

Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

Employment in manufacturing

Over-the-month change, 2005-06

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

• Manufacturing employment declined by 19,000 in September. Job losses continued in wood products, 

nonmetallic mineral products, and furniture and related products—industries related to home building. 

• Employment also continued to trend down in a number of nondurable components, including textile 

mills, paper and paper products, and plastics and rubber products. 

• The manufacturing workweek fell 0.2 hour to 41.1, while factory overtime was down by 0.1 hour to 4.3 

hours, seasonally adjusted. 
8

Employment in selected professional and business services

Over-the-month change, September 2006

9.0

9.7

3.9

0.3

1.5

6.2

-3.4

-13.5

0.1

-17 -12 -7 -2 3 8 13

Accounting and

bookkeeping services

Architectural and

engineering services

Computer systems design

and related services

Management and technical

consulting services

Employment services

Services to buildings and

dwellings

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 6, 2006.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Professional and Business 

services: +12

Professional and 

technical services

Management of 

companies

Administrative and 

waste services

Employment in temporary help services

1992-2006

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

Jan-92

Jan-93

Jan-94

Jan-95

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 6, 2006.

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

September 2006

Level: 2,592.2

Change: -11.3

• For September, employment growth in professional and business services amounted to 12,000, well 

below the trend of 39,000 for the prior 12-month period. 

• Employment in both computer systems design and temporary help services was little changed over the 

month. Computer systems design had been adding jobs on a regular basis, while temporary help 

employment has been relatively flat thus far this year. 
9

Employment in health care 

Over-the-month change, September 2006

19.8

13.6

1.3

3.1

6.5

-2.2

-5 0 5 10 15 20 25

Offices of physicians

Outpatient care centers

Home health care

services

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 6, 2006.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Health care:

+24.1

Ambulatory health 

care services

Hospitals

Nursing and residential 

care facilities

• Health care employment rose by 24,000 jobs, with ambulatory health care services contributing 20,000 

of the net increase. September’s employment change is in line with the average monthly gain this year.

• Health care employment has expanded by 231,000 since December.