Bureau of Labor Statistics

Current Employment Statistics 

Highlights

September 2008

Bureau of Labor Statistics

October 3, 2008
2

126

25

177

46

162

107

57 74 81

140

60

41

-76 -83 -88

-67

-47

-100

-67 -73

-159

-200

-160

-120

-80

-40

0

40

80

120

160

200

240

Jan-07

Feb-07

Mar-07

Apr-07

May-07

Jun-07

Jul-07

Aug-07

Sep-07

Oct-07

Nov-07

Dec-07

Jan-08

Feb-08

Mar-08

Apr-08

May-08

Jun-08

Jul-08

Aug-08

Sep-08

Employment in total nonfarm

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 3, 2008.

Note: Most recent two months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-month change, 2007-08

Sep-08, -0.4

Mar-06, 2.1

-1.0

-0.5

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

Jan-06

Apr-06

Jul-06

Oct-06

Jan-07

Apr-07

Jul-07

Oct-07

Jan-08

Apr-08

Jul-08

-1.0

-0.5

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

Employment in total nonfarm

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 3, 2008.

Note: Most recent two months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-year percent changes, 2006-08

 Nonfarm payroll employment continued to trend down in September; 159,000 

jobs were lost. Since peaking in December, nonfarm payroll employment has 

declined by 760,000, for an average monthly job loss of 84,000.

 In September, the 12-month percent change in payroll employment fell to -0.4 

percent. This is in contrast to the over-the-year increase of 1.0 percent a year 

earlier.
3

9

-35

-51

-4

-40

-16

3

-3

-17

-27

25

-17

6

9

-60 -40 -20 0 20 40

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

Over-the-month change, September 2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 3, 2008.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in total nonfarm

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

-159

Total nonfarm:

 In September, job losses continued in manufacturing, construction, and retail 

trade. With the exception of health care, employment in the major serviceproviding industries was flat or down. Mining employment continued to trend 

up.
4

33.0

33.5

34.0

34.5

35.0

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

Jan-08

33.0

33.5

34.0

34.5

35.0

1997-2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 3, 2008.

Notes: Shaded area denotes recession. Most recent two months of data are preliminary.

Average weekly hours, total private

Seasonally adjusted

September 2008

Level: 33.6

Change: -0.1

85

90

95

100

105

110

115

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

Jan-08

85

90

95

100

105

110

115

aggregate weekly hours

1997-2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 3, 2008.

Notes: Shaded area denotes recession. Most recent two months of data are preliminary.

Index of total private

Seasonally adjusted, 2002=100

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

September 2008

Level: 106.3

Percent change: -0.5

 In September, the average workweek for production and nonsupervisory 

workers on private nonfarm payrolls fell by 0.1 hour to 33.6 hours, seasonally 

adjusted. The last time the workweek was at its current level was in 

November 2004. 

 The index of aggregate weekly hours of production and nonsupervisory 

workers on nonfarm payrolls fell by 0.5 percent in September to 106.3 

(2002=100). 
5

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

Jan-08

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

1997-2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 3, 2008.

Notes: Shaded area denotes recession. Most recent two months of data are preliminary.

Index of total private

Seasonally adjusted, 2002=100

Aggregate weekly payrolls are the product of average hourly earnings, average weekly hours, and production and 

nonsupervisory workers.

aggregate weekly payrolls

September 2008

Level: 129.1

Percent change: -0.3

 The index of aggregate weekly payrolls for production and nonsupervisory 

workers on private nonfarm payrolls fell by 0.3 percent in September to 129.1 

(2002=100). The decline resulted from a 0.2 percent loss in the number of 

production and nonsupervisory workers in combination with a small decrease 

in weekly earnings.
6

500

550

600

650

700

750

800

850

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

Jan-08

500

550

600

650

700

750

800

850

and mining

1997-2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 3, 2008.

Notes: Shaded area denotes recession. Most recent two months of data are preliminary.

Employment in natural resources

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

September 2008

Level: 798

Change: +9

 Employment in natural resources and mining continued to expand in 

September, rising by 9,000 with widespread gains throughout the component 

industries.

 After growing at a steady pace over much of the past year, employment 

growth has accelerated in the last 5 months, with 46,000 positions added in 

that time. With the industry’s recent acceleration in growth, natural resource 

and mining employment is growing at an annualized rate of 10.8 percent in 

2008, its fastest rate since 1981. 
7

5,000

5,500

6,000

6,500

7,000

7,500

8,000

8,500

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

Jan-08

5,000

5,500

6,000

6,500

7,000

7,500

8,000

8,500

1997-2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 3, 2008.

Notes: Shaded area denotes recession. Most recent two months of data are preliminary.

Employment in construction

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

September 2008

Level: 7,125

Change: -35

-10.7

-7.4

-5.5

-2.2

-9.4 -9.3

-2.0

-4.1

-19.5

-2.1

-25

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

Residential building Nonresidential

building

Heavy and civil

engineering

Residential specialty

trades

Nonresidential

specialty trades

September 2008

Prior 12-mo. avg. 

Over-the-month change

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 3, 2008.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in construction

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

 Construction employment continued to decline in September, as the industry 

lost 35,000 positions. The results were in line with the industry’s prior 12-

month average (-37,000). Job losses were widespread throughout 

construction; however, nonresidential construction accounted for most of the 

September loss. 

 Construction has lost 607,000 jobs since employment peaked in September 

2006, with 56 percent of the decline occurring in 2008. 

 Residential construction employment fell by 13,000 jobs; this was the 

industry’s smallest decline since July 2007. 
8

 

-18

-27

-35

-31

-12

-20

-6

-40

-22

-25

-3

-22

-35

-47 -46

-52

-21

-44

-40

-56

-51

-70

-60

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

Jan-07

Feb-07

Mar-07

Apr-07

May-07

Jun-07

Jul-07

Aug-07

Sep-07

Oct-07

Nov-07

Dec-07

Jan-08

Feb-08

Mar-08

Apr-08

May-08

Jun-08

Jul-08

Aug-08

Sep-08

Employment in manufacturing

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 3, 2008.

Note: Most recent two months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-month change, 2007-08

-5

-3

1

-7

-4

0

-2

-13

-5

0

-15 -10 -5 0 5

Wood products

Nonmettalic mineral products

Primary metals

Fabricated metal products

Machinery

Computer and electronic products

Electrical equipment and appliances

Transportation equipment

Furniture and related products

Miscellaneous manufacturing

Over-the-month change, September 2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 3, 2008.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in durable goods manufacturing

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

-37

Durable goods:

 Manufacturing employment fell by 51,000 jobs in September, the 27th

consecutive month of job loss in this industry. Factories shed a cumulative 

392,000 jobs in the first 9 months of 2008. 

 Over-the-month job losses occurred in durable goods industries, with notable 

declines in transportation equipment (-13,000) and fabricated metals (-7,000), 

as well as 2 industries related to home building--wood products (-5,000) and 

furniture and related products (-5,000). 

 The manufacturing workweek and factory overtime decreased over the month 

by 0.2 and 0.1 hour, respectively. Average weekly overtime is at its lowest 

level since 1991. 
9

13,000

13,500

14,000

14,500

15,000

15,500

16,000

16,500

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

Jan-08

13,000

13,500

14,000

14,500

15,000

15,500

16,000

16,500

1997-2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 3, 2008.

Notes: Shaded area denotes recession. Most recent two months of data are preliminary.

Employment in retail trade

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

September 2008

Level: 15,236.9

Change: -40.1

 Retail trade employment dropped by 40,000 in September, doubling the 

average monthly job loss over the prior 3 months. Since its peak in March 

2007, retail trade employment has declined by 283,000.

 Department stores lost 11,000 jobs in September and 68,000 jobs so far this 

year. Employment in motor vehicle and parts dealers declined by 10,000 in 

September and the industry has lost 48,000 jobs in the past 4 months. 
10

6,500

7,000

7,500

8,000

8,500

9,000

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

Jan-08

6,500

7,000

7,500

8,000

8,500

9,000

1997-2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 3, 2008.

Notes: Shaded area denotes recession. Most recent two months of data are preliminary.

Employment in financial activities

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

September 2008

Level: 8,184

Change: -17

 Employment in financial activities contracted by 17,000 in September, with 

nearly half of the decline occurring in security brokerages. Since reaching a 

peak in December 2006, employment in financial activities has fallen by 

172,000. 

 Employment in the industry has fallen over each of the last 7 quarters, the 

longest stretch of job declines in the history of the employment series. 
11

12,000

13,000

14,000

15,000

16,000

17,000

18,000

19,000

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

Jan-08

12,000

13,000

14,000

15,000

16,000

17,000

18,000

19,000

business services

1997-2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 3, 2008.

Notes: Shaded area denotes recession. Most recent two months of data are preliminary.

Employment in professional and

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

September 2008

Level: 17,834

Change: -27

12.1

-1.3

-3.3

8.5

8.8

-4.5

-34.6

-28.9

-2.7

-45 -30 -15 0 15 30

Professional and technical

Accounting and bookkeeping

Architectural and engineering

Computer systems design

Management and technical consulting

Management of companies

Administrative and waste services

Employment services

Services to buildings

Over-the-month change, September 2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 3, 2008.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in selected professional and

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

business services

services: -27

Professional and technical Professional and business

Management of companies

Administrative and waste services

 Professional and business services continued to cut jobs in September, with 

27,000 jobs lost. The industry has lost 297,000 jobs so far in 2008.

 Employment in temporary help services declined by 24,000 in September and 

the industry has cut 325,000 jobs since an employment peak in December 

2006.

 Employment in professional and technical services added 12,000 jobs in 

September. Growth in the industry has decelerated substantially, with average 

monthly gains of 6,000 in 2008 compared to 27,000 per month in 2007.
12

14.9

4.7

-3

2.1

3.5

-1.8

16.8

5.9

1.3

3.5

11.2

2.4

-5 0 5 10 15 20

Ambulatory health care

services*

Offices of physicians

Outpatient care centers

Home health care services

Hospitals

Nursing and residential

care facilities

September 2008:+16.6

Prior 12-mo. avg.: +30.4

Over-the-month change, September 2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 3, 2008.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in health care

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

Health care:

Ambulatory health care

services*

Hospitals

Nursing and residential care

facilities

* Includes additional component industries not shown separately.

 Employment in health care continued to grow, up 17,000 in September. The 

industry has added 351,000 jobs over the past 12 months.

 The majority of September’s employment gain came in ambulatory health 

care services, which continued to show strength by adding 15,000 jobs during 

the month and 198,000 over the past 12 months.