Bureau of Labor Statistics

Current Employment Statistics 

Highlights

December 2007

Bureau of Labor Statistics

January 4, 2008
2

206

300

249

144

103

124

222

186 198

109

196

226

162

90

175

122

188

69

93 93

44

159

115

18

0

40

80

120

160

200

240

280

320

360

Jan-06

Feb-06

Mar-06

Apr-06

May-06

Jun-06

Jul-06

Aug-06

Sep-06

Oct-06

Nov-06

Dec-06

Jan-07

Feb-07

Mar-07

Apr-07

May-07

Jun-07

Jul-07

Aug-07

Sep-07

Oct-07

Nov-07

Dec-07

Employment in total nonfarm

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 4, 2008.

Note: Most recent two months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-month change, 2006-07

Dec-07, 1.0

Dec-06, 1.7

Mar-06, 2.1

0.6

0.9

1.2

1.5

1.8

2.1

2.4

Jan-06

Feb-06

Mar-06

Apr-06

May-06

Jun-06

Jul-06

Aug-06

Sep-06

Oct-06

Nov-06

Dec-06

Jan-07

Feb-07

Mar-07

Apr-07

May-07

Jun-07

Jul-07

Aug-07

Sep-07

Oct-07

Nov-07

Dec-07

Employment in total nonfarm

Seasonally adjusted, percent

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 4, 2008.

Note: Most recent two months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-year percent changes, 2006-07

• Nonfarm payroll employment was essentially unchanged in December following 

gains of 159,000 in October and 115,000 in November. 

• Job growth slowed to 1.0 percent during 2007 from 1.7 percent in 2006. 
3

5

-49

-31

-1

-24

-4

1

-13

-4

43

44

22

-2

31

-60 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60

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, December 2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 4, 2008.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in total nonfarm

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

+18

Total nonfarm:

• Service-providing industries, such as professional and technical services, food 

services, and health care continued to trend up in December. During 2007, 

service-providing industries added 1.7 million jobs to payrolls. 

• Employment in goods-producing industries fell by 75,000 in December. These 

industries shed 374,000 jobs in 2007.
4

33.0

33.5

34.0

34.5

35.0

Jan-96Jan-97

Jan-98Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

33.0

33.5

34.0

34.5

35.0

1996-2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 4, 2008.

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

Average weekly hours, total private

Seasonally adjusted

December 2007

Level: 33.8

Change: 0.0

85

90

95

100

105

110

115

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

85

90

95

100

105

110

115

aggregate weekly hours

1996-2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 4, 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.

December 2007

Level: 108.0

Percent change: 0.0

• Average weekly hours of production and nonsupervisory workers on private 

nonfarm payrolls were unchanged in December at 33.8 hours, seasonally adjusted. 

The workweek has remained essentially unchanged since 2004. 

• The index of total private aggregate weekly hours was also unchanged in 

December. The rate of growth in 2007 was just 1.0 percent – less than half of the 

rate of growth in 2005 and 2006.
5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

Jan-96Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

in average hourly earnings

1996-2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 4, 2008.

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

Over-the-year percent change

Seasonally adjusted, percent

December 2007

Percent Change: +3.7

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

1996-2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 4, 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

December 2007

Level: 127.9

Percent change: +0.5

• Average hourly earnings for production and nonsupervisory workers on private 

nonfarm payrolls rose by 7 cents in December. Over the year, average hourly 

earnings have increased by 3.7 percent. 

• The index of total private aggregate weekly payrolls rose 0.5 percent in 

December. Over the year, the index has grown by 4.9 percent compared to 6.9 

percent in 2006.
6

5,000

5,500

6,000

6,500

7,000

7,500

8,000

8,500

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98Jan-99

Jan-00Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05Jan-06

Jan-07

5,000

5,500

6,000

6,500

7,000

7,500

8,000

8,500

1996-2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 4, 2008.

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

Employment in construction

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

December 2007

Level: 7,489

Change: -49

-11.8

-4.8 -4.1

-16.7

-12.0

-5.1

-0.4 -0.3

-9.4

3.1

-20

-16

-12

-8

-4

0

4

8

12

16

20

Residential building Nonresidential

building

Heavy and civil

engineering

Residential specialty

trades

Nonresidential

specialty trades

December 2007

Prior 12-mo. avg. 

Over-the-month change

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 4, 2008.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in construction

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

• Employment in construction fell by 49,000 in December, spread throughout the 

component industries. 

• Over the year, construction lost 195,000 jobs, with the residential components 

accounting for the decline and reflecting the continuing difficulties in the housing 

market.
7

10

-7

0

15

-12

23

-9 -11 -12

-40

-23

-12

-1

-17

-23

-18

-3

-19

-4

-45

-15

-23

-13

-31

-60

-40

-20

0

20

40

Jan-06

Feb-06

Mar-06

Apr-06

May-06

Jun-06

Jul-06

Aug-06

Sep-06

Oct-06

Nov-06

Dec-06

Jan-07

Feb-07

Mar-07

Apr-07

May-07

Jun-07

Jul-07

Aug-07

Sep-07

Oct-07

Nov-07

Dec-07

Employment in manufacturing

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 4, 2008.

Note: Most recent two months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-month change, 2006-07

3

-15

4

11

-12

5

-16

-4

0

-13

-10

2

-20

2

-3

-6

-10

-8

-1 -1

-3

-16

-2

-6

-25

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

Jan-06

Feb-06

Mar-06

Apr-06

May-06

Jun-06

Jul-06

Aug-06

Sep-06

Oct-06

Nov-06

Dec-06

Jan-07

Feb-07

Mar-07

Apr-07

May-07

Jun-07

Jul-07

Aug-07

Sep-07

Oct-07

Nov-07

Dec-07

Employment in motor vehicles

and parts

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 4, 2008.

Note: Most recent two months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-month change, 2006-07

• Manufacturing employment declined by 31,000 in December, with the majority of 

the losses in durable goods industries. Over the past year, employment in the 

industry has fallen by 212,000. Wood products, furniture, and nonmetallic 

minerals – industries that provide materials for home building – combined to 

account for 3 out of every 10 lost manufacturing jobs in 2007.

• In December, employment in motor vehicles and parts fell by 6,000. This 

industry also shed the most jobs within manufacturing in 2007, losing 74,000.
8

13,000

13,500

14,000

14,500

15,000

15,500

16,000

16,500

Jan-96Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

13,000

13,500

14,000

14,500

15,000

15,500

16,000

16,500

1996-2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 4, 2008.

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

Employment in retail trade

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

December 2007

Level: 15,370.3

Change: -24.3

• Employment in retail trade was down in December following a gain in November. 

Over the year, employment in retail trade was essentially flat.
9

6,500

7,000

7,500

8,000

8,500

9,000

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98Jan-99

Jan-00Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05Jan-06

Jan-07

6,500

7,000

7,500

8,000

8,500

9,000

1996-2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 4, 2008.

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

Employment in financial activities

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

December 2007

Level: 8,417

Change: -4

-75.4

2.1

21.7

36.8

6.4

-95 -85 -75 -65 -55 -45 -35 -25 -15 -5 5 15 25 35 45 55

Credit intermediation*

Commercial banking 

Securities and

commodity

Insurance and related

activities

Real estate 

Over-the-year change, December 2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 4, 2008.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in selected financial activities

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

+27.9

Health care:

* Includes additional component industries not shown separately.

Commercial banking

• Employment in financial activities was essentially flat in 2007. This follows job 

growth of 2.1 percent in 2005 and 2.3 percent in 2006. 

 

• Over the year, payroll employment in credit intermediation fell by 75,000. The 

job losses in this industry, which includes mortgage lending and related activities, 

also reflect the weakness in the housing market and the subprime mortgage issues. 

These job losses were partially offset by gains of 22,000 in securities and 

commodities and 37,000 in insurance and related activities.
10

32.7

6.5

7.5

1.4

12.3

5.4

5.0

-2.5

19.0

-10 0 10 20 30 40

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, December 2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 4, 2008.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in selected professional and

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

business services

services: +43

Professional and business

Professional and technical

Management of companies

Administrative and waste services

• In December, employment in professional and business services increased by 

43,000, somewhat above the average employment change for January through 

November 2007. 

• Professional and technical services continued to trend upward in December, with 

33,000 jobs gained during the month. Gains occurred in management and 

technical consulting services and architectural and engineering services. Over the 

year, professional and technical services added 322,000 jobs to payrolls, 

accounting for nearly all the growth in professional and business services in 2007. 

• Services to buildings saw a gain of 19,000 jobs in December after posting a small 

loss in November. Employment services were essentially unchanged in 

December, and the industry has lost 158,000 jobs in the past year.
11

12.8

3.8

0.6

2.5

9.7

5.4

-5 0 5 10 15

Ambulatory health care

services*

Offices of physicians

Outpatient care centers

Home health care services

Hospitals

Nursing and residential

care facilities

Over-the-month change, December 2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 4, 2008.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in health care

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

+27.9

Health care:

Ambulatory health care

services*

Hospitals

Nursing and residential care

facilities

* Includes additional component industries not shown separately.

• Health care added 28,000 jobs in December, with the gains coming from 

ambulatory health care services and hospitals. Over the year, health care added 

381,000 jobs, accounting for 1 out of every 3 private sector jobs added in 2007.