April 2016

Release Date: May 6, 2016

Prepared by Staff of the National Estimates Branch

Current Employment Statistics Survey

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

202-691-6555

Email CES

Contents

Summary

Mining & Logging

Construction

Manufacturing

Wholesale Trade

Retail Trade

Transportation, Warehousing, & Utilities

Information

Financial Activities

Professional & Business Services

Private Education & Health Services

Leisure & Hospitality

Other Services

Government

Current Employment Statistics Highlights

Detailed Industry Employment Analysis

Current Employment Statistics

Highlights
Current Employment Statistics Survey Summary, April 2016

CES Highlights Release Date: May 6, 2016

+54,000 Education and Health Services

 Employment in health care rose by 44,000 in 

April, with hospitals (+23,000) accounting for 

about half of the increase. Ambulatory health 

care employment grew by 19,000 over the 

month, including 6,000 in outpatient care 

centers. Over the year, health care has added 

502,000 jobs. 

+20,000 Financial Activities

 Financial activities continued to add jobs in 

April. Credit intermediation and related 

activities added 8,000 jobs, with 

nondepository credit intermediation 

 Nonfarm employment increased by 160,000 

in April. Professional and business services, 

health care, and financial activities added jobs, 

while mining lost jobs over the month.

 Average hourly earnings of all employees 

on private-sector payrolls increased by 8 cents 

in April, following a 6-cent increase in March. 

Over the past 12 months, hourly earnings have 

increased by 2.5 percent. In April, average 

weekly hours increased by 0.1 hour to 34.5 

hours. 

 The employment change for February was 

revised down from +245,000 to +233,000. The 

change for March was revised down from 

+215,000 to +208,000. Over the past 3 

months, job growth has averaged 200,000 per

month.

+65,000 Professional and Business Services

 Professional and business services added 

65,000 jobs in April. Over the prior 12 months, 

employment growth had averaged 51,000 per 

month. 

 Management and technical consulting 

services added 21,000 jobs over the month. 

Employment growth in this industry had 

averaged 5,000 per month over the prior 12 

months. Computer systems design and 

related services also added jobs in April 

(+7,000). 190 311 135 192 218 146 140 269 185189 291 45 187 168 272 310 213 306 232 218 286 200 331 292 221 265 84 251 273 228 277 150 149 295 280 271 168 233 208 160

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

Jan-13 Jul-13 Jan-14 Jul-14 Jan-15 Jul-15 Jan-16

Employment in total nonfarm

Over-the-month change, January 2013 - April 2016

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, May 06, 2016.

Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

Summary Mining & 

Logging Construction Manufacturing

Trade: 

Wholesale

Retail

Transp., 

Warehousing

& Utilities

Information Financial

Activities

Professional

& Business

Services

Private

Education

& Health

Services

Leisure & 

Hospitality

Other

Services Government
CES Highlights Release Date: May 6, 2016

accounting for 5,000 of the increase. Over the 

year, financial activities has added 160,000 

jobs.

+9,000 Transportation and Warehousing

 Within transportation and warehousing, job 

growth in warehousing and storage (+7,000) 

and in couriers and messengers (+3,000) was 

partly offset by a job loss in rail transportation 

(-4,000). Since reaching a peak in March 2015, 

employment in rail transportation has 

declined by 32,000, or 12.9 percent. 

-8,000 Mining and Logging

 Mining continued to cut jobs in April 

(-7,000). Since last reaching a peak in 

September 2014, employment in the industry 

has fallen by 191,000, or 22.4 percent. Support 

activities for mining has accounted for 149,000 

of the jobs lost during this period, including 

5,000 in April.

-11

5

22

54

65

20

0

0

9

-3

3

4

1

-8

-40 -20 0 20 40 60 80 100

Government

Other services

Leisure and hospitality

Education and health services*

Professional and business services*

Financial activities*

Information

Utilities

Transportation and warehousing

Retail trade

Wholesale trade

Manufacturing

Construction

Mining and logging*

Employment in total nonfarm

April 2016 Prior 12-month average

Over-the-month change, April 2016

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Total nonfarm:

160*

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, May 06, 2016.

Data are preliminary.

* denotes significance

Current Employment Statistics Survey Summary, April 2016

Summary Mining & 

Logging Construction Manufacturing

Trade: 

Wholesale

Retail

Transp., 

Warehousing

& Utilities

Information Financial

Activities

Professional

& Business

Services

Private

Education

& Health

Services

Leisure & 

Hospitality

Other

Services Government
 Mining and logging employment 

declined by 8,000 in April. Most losses 

were contained within mining (-7,000). 

Since reaching a peak in September 

2014, mining employment has declined 

by 191,000.

8

7

3

1

5

-1

-3

0

-5

-8

7

4

3

6

2

-3

33

-1

4

22

0

-3

6

2

4

6

0

5

6

2

6

-2-2

-3

-7

-15

-16

-15

-20

-4

-8

-9

-13

-4

-15

-10

-12

-17

-12

-8

-30

-25

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

Jan-12 Jul-12 Jan-13 Jul-13 Jan-14 Jul-14 Jan-15 Jul-15 Jan-16

Employment in mining and logging

Over-the-month change, January 2012–April 2016

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, May 06, 2016. 

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Mining and Logging

Summary Mining & 

Logging Construction Manufacturing

Trade: 

Wholesale

Retail

Transp., 

Warehousing

& Utilities

Information Financial

Activities

Professional

& Business

Services

Private

Education

& Health

Services

Leisure & 

Hospitality

Other

Services Government

CES Highlights Release Date: May 6, 2016
 Construction employment was 

essentially unchanged in April following 

a gain of 41,000 in March. The average 

change over these 2 months is similar to 

the average monthly change over the 

preceding 12-month period. 

 15

0

3

-3

-20 16 1114

9 179 46 13 52 21

-3 2023

3 17 26 23 31

-15 60 21 42 41 1213 41 25 25 14 23 4550 27

-7 38 17

0 11

4 10 33 65 48 18 13 41

1

-60

-40

-20

0

20

40

60

80

100

Jan-12 Jul-12 Jan-13 Jul-13 Jan-14 Jul-14 Jan-15 Jul-15 Jan-16

Employment in construction

Over-the-month change, January 2012–April 2016

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, May 06, 2016. 

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Construction

Summary Mining & 

Logging Construction Manufacturing

Trade: 

Wholesale

Retail

Transp., 

Warehousing

& Utilities

Information Financial

Activities

Professional

& Business

Services

Private

Education

& Health

Services

Leisure & 

Hospitality

Other

Services Government

CES Highlights Release Date: May 6, 2016
 After shedding 45,000 jobs during February 

and March, manufacturing employment 

changed little in April (+4,000). The 1-month 

manufacturing diffusion index gained 11 points 

to reach 47.5. A value below 50 indicates that 

more manufacturing industries are losing jobs 

than adding. 

 Durable goods added 6,000 jobs, essentially 

all in transportation equipment. Nondurable 

goods employment changed little over the 

month (-2,000).

 Average weekly hours for all employees in 

manufacturing were unchanged at 40.7 hours. 

The workweek increased 0.2 hour for 

production employees. 34 23 40 16 14 13 25

-6

-9

7

-11 12 2021

2

1

-2

0

-19 31 15 21 26 10

8 21 1014

7 25 18 16 12 2629 22 17

4

3

-2

8

1 11

-18

-9

2

3

6 18

-16

-29

4

-60

-40

-20

0

20

40

60

Jan-12 Jul-12 Jan-13 Jul-13 Jan-14 Jul-14 Jan-15 Jul-15 Jan-16

Employment in manufacturing

Over-the-month change, January 2012–April 2016

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, May 06, 2016. 

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Manufacturing

Summary Mining & 

Logging Construction Manufacturing

Trade: 

Wholesale

Retail

Transp., 

Warehousing

& Utilities

Information Financial

Activities

Professional

& Business

Services

Private

Education

& Health

Services

Leisure & 

Hospitality

Other

Services Government

CES Highlights Release Date: May 6, 2016
 Employment in wholesale trade continued to 

trend up in April (+3,000). The industry has added 

67,000 jobs over the last 12 months.

5,200

5,400

5,600

5,800

6,000

6,200

Jan-06 Jan-08 Jan-10 Jan-12 Jan-14 Jan-16

Employment in wholesale trade

April 2016 Level: 5,929

OTM Change: 3

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, May 06, 2016.

Shaded area represents recession as denoted by the National Bureau of Economic Research. 

Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

January 2006–April 2016

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Wholesale Trade

Summary Mining & 

Logging Construction Manufacturing

Trade:

Wholesale

Retail

Transp., 

Warehousing

& Utilities

Information Financial

Activities

Professional

& Business

Services

Private

Education

& Health

Services

Leisure & 

Hospitality

Other

Services Government

CES Highlights Release Date: May 6, 2016
Retail trade 

 After growing by 158,000 during the first 3 months of 2016, 

employment in retail trade was essentially unchanged in April. The flat 

employment for this industry resulted from little change among the 

component industries. 

 Recently, most indicators for retail trade have been weak, including 

retail sales. 58

-16

7 21

-2

-16

-10 11 27 23 76

-37 42 11

-5 20 33404545 273131 48

-9

-18 21 39

9 36 23

8 30 13 59

-2 33 29 25 13 27 35 31

4

6 21 52

7 67 52 39

-3

-80

-60

-40

-20

0

20

40

60

80

100

Jan-12 Jul-12 Jan-13 Jul-13 Jan-14 Jul-14 Jan-15 Jul-15 Jan-16

Employment in retail trade

Over-the-month change, January 2012–April 2016

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, May 06, 2016. 

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

1

2

-1

-4

-4

1

2

2

-2

1

-1

1

-8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8 10

Nonstore retailers

Miscellaneous store retailers

General merchandise stores

Sporting goods, hobby, book, and music stores

Clothing and clothing accessories stores

Gasoline stations

Health and personal care stores

Food and beverage stores

Building material and garden supply stores

Electronics and appliance stores

Furniture and home furnishings stores

Motor vehicle and parts dealers

Employment in retail trade

April 2016 Prior 6-month average

Over-the-month change, April 2016

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Retail trade:

-3

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, May 06, 2016.

Data are preliminary.

* denotes significance

Retail Trade

CES Highlights Release Date: May 6, 2016

Summary Mining & 

Logging Construction Manufacturing

Trade:

Wholesale

Retail

Transp., 

Warehousing

& Utilities

Information Financial

Activities

Professional

& Business

Services

Private

Education

& Health

Services

Leisure & 

Hospitality

Other

Services Government
 Employment in transportation and 

warehousing changed little in April 

(+9,000). 

 Warehousing and storage (+7,000) 

and couriers and messengers (+3,000) 

both added jobs. Rail transportation was 

the only component industry to shed 

jobs (-4,000).

3,800

4,000

4,200

4,400

4,600

4,800

5,000

5,200

Jan-06 Jan-08 Jan-10 Jan-12 Jan-14 Jan-16

Employment in transportation and warehousing

April 2016 Level: 4,882

OTM Change: 9

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, May 06, 2016.

Shaded area represents recession as denoted by the National Bureau of Economic Research. 

Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

January 2006–April 2016

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Transportation and Warehousing

Summary Mining & 

Logging Construction Manufacturing

Trade: 

Wholesale

Retail

Transp., 

Warehousing

& Utilities

Information Financial

Activities

Professional

& Business

Services

Private

Education

& Health

Services

Leisure & 

Hospitality

Other

Services Government

CES Highlights

Release Date: May 6, 2016
 Employment in utilities was 

unchanged in April.

540

545

550

555

560

565

570

Jan-06 Jan-08 Jan-10 Jan-12 Jan-14 Jan-16

Employment in utilities

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, May 06, 2016.

Shaded area represents recession as denoted by the National Bureau of Economic Research. 

Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

January 2006–April 2016

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Utilities

Summary Mining & 

Logging Construction Manufacturing

Trade: 

Wholesale

Retail

Transp., 

Warehousing

& Utilities

Information Financial

Activities

Professional

& Business

Services

Private

Education

& Health

Services

Leisure & 

Hospitality

Other

Services Government

CES Highlights Release Date: May 6, 2016
 Employment in information was 

unchanged in April. 

-14 14

1

2

5

-10

5

-4

-6

-2

8

-3

-12 36

2

-2 14

-5 16

-29 16 11

9

-5

-3

-5

8

-1

-6

6

5

9

-2

-6

3

11

4

-3 10

2

4

5

-3 13

5

-18 10

0 11

6

0

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

Jan-12 Jul-12 Jan-13 Jul-13 Jan-14 Jul-14 Jan-15 Jul-15 Jan-16

Employment in information

Over-the-month change, January 2012–April 2016

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, May 06, 2016. 

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Information

Summary Mining & 

Logging Construction Manufacturing

Trade: 

Wholesale

Retail

Transp., 

Warehousing

& Utilities

Information Financial

Activities

Professional

& Business

Services

Private

Education

& Health

Services

Leisure & 

Hospitality

Other

Services Government

CES Highlights Release Date: May 6, 2016
 Financial activities added 20,000 jobs 

in April. Employment in the industry is 

up 59,000 so far this year. In April, credit 

intermediation and related activities led 

the other major component industries, 

accounting for 8,000 jobs added, most of 

which were within nondepository credit 

intermediation. Employment in most 

other component industries tracked 

near their prior 6-month averages. 

0.6

5.2

5.5

1

2.8

4.7

0.5

7.9

-5 0 5 10 15

 -- Real estate

Real estate and rental and leasing

Insurance carriers and related activities

Securities, commodity contracts, investments

 -- Activities related to credit intermediation

 -- Nondepository credit intermediation *

- Commercial banking ͦ 

Credit intermediation and related activities *

Apr-16 Prior 6-month average

Employment in selected financial activities

Over-the-month change, April 2016

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, May 06, 2016.

Data are preliminary.

* denotes significance

ͦdenotes component of depository credit intermediation (not shown)

Financial Activities

Summary Mining & 

Logging Construction Manufacturing

Trade: 

Wholesale

Retail

Transp., 

Warehousing

& Utilities

Information Financial

Activities

Professional

& Business

Services

Private

Education

& Health

Services

Leisure & 

Hospitality

Other

Services Government

CES Highlights Release Date: May 6, 2016
 Employment in professional and business 

services increased by 65,000 in April, above its 

prior 12-month average change. The employment 

gain in April was split between professional and 

technical services and administrative and waste 

services.

 Within professional and technical services, 

management and technical consulting services 

added 21,000 jobs. Employment in computer 

systems design and related services continued to 

trend up in April (+7,000). 

 Administrative and support services 

employment continued to trend up in April 

(+29,000). Employment in temporary help 

services changed little.

 

31

3

31

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Administrative and

waste services

Management of companies

and enterprises

Professional and

technical services*

Employment in professional and business services

Over-the-month change and prior averages, April 2016

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Apr-16 Prior-3 Prior-6 Prior-12

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, May 06, 2016.

Data are preliminary.

* denotes significance

Apr-16: 65*

Prior-12: 51

Professional and Business Services

CES Highlights Release Date: May 6, 2016

Summary Mining & 

Logging Construction Manufacturing

Trade: 

Wholesale

Retail

Transp., 

Warehousing

& Utilities

Information Financial

Activities

Professional

& Business

Services

Private

Education

& Health

Services

Leisure & 

Hospitality

Other

Services Government
 Education and health services added 54,000 jobs in April, in line with 

its prior 12-month employment trend. Within the industry, health care 

added 44,000 jobs over the month, while educational services 

employment continued to trend up (+16,000) and social assistance 

employment changed little (-6,000). 

 Within health care, ambulatory care added 19,000 jobs. Outpatient care 

centers accounted for 6,000 of the April gain. Employment in outpatient 

care has increased by 35,000 over the past 12 months.

 Hospital employment increased by 23,000 in April, the largest 

over-the-month gain in the series’ history (since 1990). Over the past 12

months, hospital employment increased by 194,000, accounting for nearly 

40 percent of the job gain in health care within the same period.

43 81 39 17 37

0 27 23 57 20

6 58

7 22 39 49 16

-6 11 67

2 13 43

-2 2328 42 22 55 4141 52 50 27 50 495459 38 77 57 555862 55 78 45 63 26 77 43 54

-40

-20

0

20

40

60

80

100

Jan-12 Jul-12 Jan-13 Jul-13 Jan-14 Jul-14 Jan-15 Jul-15 Jan-16

Employment in education and health services

Over-the-month change, January 2012–April 2016

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, May 06, 2016. 

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

2.0

22.9

3.5

6.4

2.0

19.3

-10 -5 0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Nursing and residential care

Hospitals*

 - Home health care services

 - Outpatient care centers*

 - Offices of physicians

Ambulatory health care services°*

Employment in selected health care industries

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, May 06, 2016.

Data are preliminary.

 ̊Includes additional component industries not shown separately.

* denotes significance

Over-the-month change, April 2016

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Health care 

industries:

44*

Private Education and Health Services

CES Highlights Release Date: May 6, 2016

Summary Mining & 

Logging Construction Manufacturing

Trade:

Wholesale

Retail

Transp., 

Warehousing

& Utilities

Information Financial

Activities

Professional

& Business

Services

Private

Education

& Health

Services

Leisure & 

Hospitality

Other

Services Government
 Employment in leisure and hospitality 

continued to trend up in April (+22,000). 

So far this year, this industry has added 

117,000 jobs.

 Food services and drinking places 

employment continued to trend up in 

April (+18,000), in line with the average 

employment change during the first 

quarter of 2016 (23,000). 39 34 47

6

9

6 24 48 61

8 16 57 37 36 17 36 43 39 50 27 13 24 40

5 26 14 47 28 40 28 15 25 34 27 23 43 24 58

-9 23 19 40 33 24 35 49 28 36 30 25 1518

-40

-20

0

20

40

60

80

Jan-12 Jul-12 Jan-13 Jul-13 Jan-14 Jul-14 Jan-15 Jul-15 Jan-16

Employment in food services and drinking places

Over-the-month change, January 2012–April 2016

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, May 06, 2016. 

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Leisure and Hospitality

Summary Mining & 

Logging Construction Manufacturing

Trade: 

Wholesale

Retail

Transp., 

Warehousing

& Utilities

Information Financial

Activities

Professional

& Business

Services

Private

Education

& Health

Services

Leisure & 

Hospitality

Other

Services Government

CES Highlights Release Date: May 6, 2016
 Employment in other services 

changed little in April (+5,000). The 

industry has added 73,000 jobs over the 

year. 

5,200

5,300

5,400

5,500

5,600

5,700

5,800

Jan-06 Jan-08 Jan-10 Jan-12 Jan-14 Jan-16

Employment in other services

April 2016 Level: 5,687

OTM Change: 5

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, May 06, 2016.

Shaded area represents recession as denoted by the National Bureau of Economic Research. 

Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

January 2006–April 2016

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Other Services

Summary Mining & 

Logging Construction Manufacturing

Trade: 

Wholesale

Retail

Transp., 

Warehousing

& Utilities

Information Financial

Activities

Professional

& Business

Services

Private

Education

& Health

Services

Leisure & 

Hospitality

Other

Services Government

CES Highlights Release Date: May 6, 2016
 Government employment changed little in April (-11,000). Within 

government, the U.S. Postal Service lost 8,000 jobs over the month. 

Government has added 270,000 jobs since an employment trough in 

January 2014, with local government, excluding education accounting 

for half of the employment gain. 

21,400

21,600

21,800

22,000

22,200

22,400

22,600

22,800

23,000

23,200

23,400

Jan-06 Jan-08 Jan-10 Jan-12 Jan-14 Jan-16

Employment in government

April 2016 Level: 22,077

OTM Change: -11

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, May 06, 2016.

Shaded area represents recession as denoted by the National Bureau of Economic Research. Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

January 2006–April 2016

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

2

-4

1

-1

-1

-2

0

-3

-5

5

-11

-2

6

3

-15

9

-8

1

-1

-1

1

-2

-1

2

-4

2

0

1

1

1

-2

2

2

-2

4

2

-7

5

0

1

-1

0

-1

1

0

-1

4

5

-6

3

3

-8

-25

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

Jan-12 Jul-12 Jan-13 Jul-13 Jan-14 Jul-14 Jan-15 Jul-15 Jan-16

Employment in U.S. Postal Service

Over-the-month change, January 2012–April 2016

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, May 06, 2016. 

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Government

CES Highlights Release Date: May 6, 2016

Summary Mining & 

Logging

Construction Manufacturing

Trade:

Wholesale

Retail

Transp.,

Warehousing

& Utilities

Information Financial

Activities

Professional

& Business

Services

Private

Education

& Health

Services

Leisure & 

Hospitality

Other

Services Government
Prepared by Staff of the National Estimates Branch

Current Employment Statistics Survey

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

202-691-6555

Email CES

CES Analysts

Michael Calvillo

Steve Crestol

Tyler Downing

Brittney Forbes

Mike McCall

John Mullins

Michael Osifalujo

Edward Park

Karen Ransom

Jay Stuart

Kara Sullivan

Current Employment Statistics Highlights

Detailed Industry Employment Analysis