Bureau of Labor Statistics

Current Employment Statistics 

Highlights

November 2004

Bureau of Labor Statistics

December 3, 2004
2

All employees on nonfarm payrolls

1990-2004

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-04

100,000

110,000

120,000

130,000

140,000

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Survey, December 3, 2004.

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

November 2004

Level: 132,075

Change: +112

• Total nonfarm employment increased by 112,000 in November. This followed an 

increase of 303,000 in October. Since its most recent low point in August 2003, payroll 

employment has increased by 2.3 million, or about 152,000 per month.

• Job gains in November were mainly concentrated among service-providing industries, 

particularly in healthcare and social assistance and professional and technical services.
3

Nonfarm payroll employment, 12 months prior to and 44 

months after the onset of recession

96

97

98

99

100

101

102

103

104

105

106

-12-10

-8-6-4-2

02468

101214161820222426283032343638404244

96

97

98

99

100

101

102

103

104

105

106

All earlier recessions

2001-current

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Survey, December 3, 2004.

Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

• The recovery that followed the 2001 recession is not only less robust when compared to 

all other recessions, but employment still has not fully recovered. Employment currently 

stands 432,000 jobs below its peak in March 2001.

• Note: In the chart, nonfarm payroll employment for the most recent period (“2001-

current”) is indexed to equal 100 at the start of the 2001 recession. The other line on the 

chart (“All earlier recessions”) represents an average of similarly indexed data for earlier 

56-month periods surrounding recessions. Zero represents the month when the business 

cycle peaked.
4

Employment in total nonfarm and supersectors

Over-the-month change, November 2004

2

11

-5

5

-16

3

-1

0

12

28

31

34

0

8

-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

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Survey, December 3, 2004.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Total nonfarm: 

+112

• Employment by supersector was mostly little changed. Only education and health 

services and leisure and hospitality had statistically significant job gains in November. 

Part of the gain in leisure and hospitality was due to the return of workers who had been 

on strike.
5

Average weekly hours, total private

1990-2004

33.0

33.5

34.0

34.5

35.0

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

33.0

33.5

34.0

34.5

35.0

Seasonally adjusted

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Survey, December 3, 2004.

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

November 2004

Level: 33.7

Change: -0.1

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

payrolls decreased by 0.1 hour in November to 33.7 hours.

• Total private average weekly hours of production or nonsupervisory workers have stayed 

in about the same range (33.6 to 33.8 hours) since late 2002.
6

Average hourly earnings, total private, over-the-year 

percentage change

1990-2004

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

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

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

Seasonally adjusted

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Survey, December 3, 2004.

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

November 2004

Percent: 2.4

Change: -0.1

• Over the year, average hourly earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers grew by 

2.4 percent. This growth rate is nearly 1 percentage point higher than earnings growth 

seen in the early part of 2004, but still much weaker than the earnings growth seen in the 

late 1990s.

• Average hourly earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on private nonfarm 

payrolls increased by 1 cent in November to $15.83, seasonally adjusted, following a 4-

cent gain in October.

• The average monthly gain in average hourly earnings of production workers or 

nonsupervisory workers has been 3 cents so far in 2004. 
7

 

Employment in construction

1990-2004

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-04

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Survey, December 3, 2004.

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

November 2004

Level: 7,034

Change: +11

• Employment in construction edged up in November following an unusually large gain in 

October that partly reflected rebuilding and cleanup activity that began following the four 

hurricanes that struck the U.S. in August and September. 

• Construction employment has expanded by 373,000 since its most recent low point in 

March 2003.
8

-180

-140

-100

-60

-20

20

60

100

Jan-00

Mar-00

May-00

Jul-00

Sep-00Nov-00

Jan-01

Mar-01

May-01

Jul-01

Sep-01Nov-01

Jan-02

Mar-02

May-02

Jul-02

Sep-02Nov-02

Jan-03

Mar-03

May-03

Jul-03

Sep-03Nov-03

Jan-04

Mar-04

May-04

Jul-04

Sep-04Nov-04

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Survey, December 3, 2004. 

Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

Employment in manufacturing

Over-the-month change, 2000-04

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

• Manufacturing employment was about unchanged in November and has shown little 

change since May. Manufacturing added 82,000 jobs from February to May. 

• The strength seen earlier in the year from some of the construction-related manufacturing 

industries—wood products, nonmetallic mineral products, and fabricated metal 

products—has dissipated in the past few months.

• Machinery employment, an indicator of the health of the manufacturing sector, edged up 

again in November. Since hitting a trough in October 2003, this industry has added about 

27,000 jobs.
9

Average weekly hours, manufacturing

1990-2004

39.0

39.5

40.0

40.5

41.0

41.5

42.0

42.5

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

39.0

39.5

40.0

40.5

41.0

41.5

42.0

42.5

Seasonally adjusted

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Survey, December 3, 2004. 

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

November 2004

Level: 40.5

Change: -0.1

• Manufacturing average weekly hours of production workers dipped for the third month in 

a row, leaving the workweek at 40.5 hours in November. Currently, the workweek stands 

at only 0.4 hour above the low point in July 2003 and 0.6 hour below a recent high in 

May 2004.

• Average overtime hours of production workers held steady in November at 4.5 hours

• Manufacturing average weekly hours of production workers serves as an input into the 

Federal Reserve’s Index of Industrial Production and the Index of Leading Economic 

Indicators. The declining manufacturing workweek will have a negative impact on both 

of these series.
10

Employment in financial activities

1990-2004

6,250

6,750

7,250

7,750

8,250

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

6,250

6,750

7,250

7,750

8,250

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Survey, December 3, 2004.

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

November 2004

Level: 8,107

Change: +12

• In the financial activities sector, employment in credit intermediation and related 

activities increased by 14,000 over the month, with commercial banks accounting for 

5,000 of the job gain.

• Other strength within the financial activities sector occurred among mortgage-related 

activities within other components of credit intermediation as well as in real estate.
11

Employment in selected professional and business services 

November 2004 over-the-month change

2.3

8.3

9.9

2.5

8.9

2.3

0 5 10 15 20 25

Accounting and bookkeeping services

Architectural and engineering services

Computer systems design and related services

Management of companies and enterprises

Temporary help services

Business support services

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Survey, December 3, 2004.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Professional and business services

November 2004 change: +28

• Professional and business services added 28,000 jobs in November. These gains were 

fairly evenly split among a few of the component industries.

• Architectural and engineering services gained about 8,000 jobs. This industry has now 

fully recovered, exceeding its July 2001 peak. Much of the business to architectural and 

engineering services could be related to some of the rebuilding efforts after the August 

and September hurricanes. Average monthly job growth in this industry has more than 

doubled in 2004 when compared to the last 6 months of 2003.

• Computer systems and related design showed strength in November, adding about 10,000 

jobs. So far this year, this industry has added nearly 50,000 jobs. Despite the vast 

improvement in employment, this industry still remains nearly 200,000 below its peak in 

March 2001.

• Temporary help services about 9,000 jobs in November.
12

Employment in temporary help services

1990-2004

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-04

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Survey, December 3, 2004.

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

November 2004

Level: 2,561.1

Change: +8.9

• Employment in temporary help services edged up in November, following an unusually 

strong gain in October. Since its most recent low point in April 2003, temporary help 

services has added 402,000 jobs.
13

Employment in health-related services 

Over-the-month change, November 2004 and average monthly 

change for the prior 12 months

8.3

6.4

1.1

3.5

7.9

7.2

12.3

4.8

1.2

5.7

2.3

2.3

0 5 10 15

 Offices of physicians

 Outpatient care centers

Home health care

November 2004

Prior 12-month average

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Survey, December 3, 2004.

Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

Ambulatory health care

Hospitals

Nursing & residential care

• Employment in health-related services continued to expand in November, with an 

increase of 23,400. Over the year, health-related services added 252,800 jobs with gains 

throughout the component industries.

• Nearly all of the health-related services employment gains exceeded their prior 12-month 

averages in November. Over the year, health related-services have contributed about 3 

out of every 25 jobs gained in total nonfarm employment.