October 2018

Release Date: November 2, 2018

Prepared by Analysts 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 Summary, October 2018

EMBARGOED until November 2, 2018 at 8:30 AM

CES Highlights

 

Release Date: November 2, 2018

+32,000 Manufacturing

 In October, employment rose by 21,000 in 

durable goods manufacturing, including gains 

in transportation equipment (+10,000) and 

machinery (+5,000). Over the year, durable 

goods industries have accounted for more 

than 80 percent of the 296,000 jobs added in 

manufacturing.

+30,000 Construction

 Construction employment rose by 30,000 in 

October, largely in specialty trade contractors 

(+21,000). Over the year, construction has 

added 330,000 jobs with 205,000 attributable 

to specialty trades.

 Nonfarm employment increased by 

250,000 in October, following an increase of 

118,000 in September. Health care, 

manufacturing, construction, and 

transportation and warehousing added jobs.

Hurricane Michael, which made landfall on 

October 10, appeared to have no discernable

impact at the National level. 

 The employment change for September

decreased from +134,000 to +118,000, and the 

change for August increased from +270,000 to 

+286,000. These revisions offset each other, 

and monthly job gains have averaged 218,000 

over the past 3 months.

 Average hourly earnings rose by 5 cents or 

0.2 percent in October. Hourly earnings are up 

3.1 percent over the year. Average weekly 

hours, at 34.5 hours, increased by 0.1 hour 

over the month. 

+44,000 Education and Health Services

 Health care added 36,000 jobs in October. 

Hospitals added 13,000 jobs, while nursing and 

residential care facilities added 8,000. Over 

the past 12 months, health care employment 

has increased by 323,000. 

211

267

78

282

326

191

256

164

88

351

264

234

103

257

235

174

34

285

325

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264

140

172

180

259

200

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175

155

239

190

221

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271

216

175176

324

155

175

268

208

165

286

118

250

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

Jan-15 Jul-15 Jan-16 Jul-16 Jan-17 Jul-17 Jan-18 Jul-18

Over-the-month change Annual average

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics, November 02, 2018.

Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-month change, January 2015–October 2018

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Employment in total nonfarm

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
EMBARGOED until November 2, 2018 at 8:30 AM

CES Highlights

 

Release Date: November 2, 2018

+25,000 Transportation and Warehousing

 Transportation and warehousing added 

25,000 jobs in October. Warehousing and 

storage added 8,000 jobs, as did couriers and 

messengers. Over the year, these two 

industries together have accounted for 62 

percent of the 184,000 jobs added in 

transportation and warehousing.

+5,000 Mining and Logging

 Employment continued to trend up in 

support activities for mining in October 

(+3,000). This industry has added 109,000 jobs 

since an employment low in October 2016.

+35,000 Professional and Business Services

 Employment continued to trend upward in 

professional and business services in October. 

The industry has accounted for 1 in every 5 

nonfarm jobs added over the past 12 months.

+2,000 Retail Trade

 Employment changed little in retail trade in 

October, following a decline of 32,000 in 

September. Over the past year, employment 

in retail trade has shown little net change.

+42,000 Leisure and Hospitality

 Over the month, employment edged up in 

leisure and hospitality (+42,000), after 

showing no change in September. The 

industry had added an average 21,000 jobs per 

month in the 12-month period prior to 

September. Recovery from Hurricane Florence 

and associated flooding may have contributed 

to the employment change in leisure and 

hospitality in October.

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35

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1

25

2

9

32

30

5

-20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60

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

October 2018 Prior 12-month average

Over-the-month change, October 2018

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Total nonfarm:

250*

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 02, 2018.

Data are preliminary.

* denotes significance

Current Employment Statistics Survey Summary, October 2018

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 mining continued to 

trend up in October (+5,000) due to an 

uptick in support activities for mining 

(+3,000). So far in 2018, mining has 

added 60,000 jobs, with 76 percent 

coming from support activities for 

mining.

 Similar to the job gain in mining, oil 

prices rose 1.5 percent in October. 

-9

-13

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-22

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5

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9

8

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9

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5

-30

-25

-20

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-5

0

5

10

15

20

Jan-15 Jul-15 Jan-16 Jul-16 Jan-17 Jul-17 Jan-18 Jul-18

Employment in mining

Over-the-month change, January 2015–October 2018

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 02, 2018. 

Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

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: November 2, 2018
 Construction employment increased 

by 30,000 in October. Employment in 

heavy and civil engineering construction 

continued to trend up (+7,000); this 

industry has added 52,000 jobs over the 

year. Specialty trade contractors added 

21,000 jobs in October, mostly in the 

residential trades (+14,000). 

 37 24

-16 50 38 16 22 19 13 42 52 40

4 13 41

9

-6

5 30

3 32 2424 11 51 463

-5

7 16

-6 28

9 17 4242 28 67

-3 16 30

8 19 31 20 30

-40

-20

0

20

40

60

80

100

Jan-15 Jul-15 Jan-16 Jul-16 Jan-17 Jul-17 Jan-18 Jul-18

Employment in construction

Over-the-month change, January 2015–October 2018

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 02, 2018. 

Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

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: November 2, 2018
 Manufacturing added 32,000 jobs in October. Job gains once again were 

led by durable goods (+21,000), while employment in nondurable goods 

edged up (+11,000). 

 Within durable goods, transportation equipment added 10,000 jobs in 

October. Motor vehicles and parts accounted for 7,000 of the gains in 

transportation equipment.

Manufacturing

CES Highlights Release Date: November 2, 2018

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 wholesale trade continued to trend up in 

October (+9,000), bringing the industry’s 12-month 

employment gain to 94,000. Approximately two-thirds of the 

over-the-year job growth occurred in durable goods (+64,000). 

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-10

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-25

-20

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-10

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0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Jan-15 Jul-15 Jan-16 Jul-16 Jan-17 Jul-17 Jan-18 Jul-18

Employment in wholesale trade

Over-the-month change, January 2015–October 2018

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 02, 2018. 

Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

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: November 2, 2018
 Employment in retail trade changed little in 

October (+2,000), in line with its prior 12-month 

average (+3,000).

 Recent retail-related economic indicators are 

mostly positive. Retail sales rose by 0.4 percent

in October and were 4.4 percent higher than 

they were a year ago (Census Bureau). The 

Consumer Confidence Index increased by 1.9 

percent in October and by 9.3 percent over the 

year (The Conference Board). 

Retail 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: November 2, 2018
 Employment in transportation and 

warehousing grew by 25,000 in October. 

This gain comes on the heels of growth 

in both August (+23,000) and September 

(+21,000). So far this year, the industry 

has added 163,000 jobs compared to 

135,000 in all of 2017.

 Within the component industries,

employment grew in couriers and 

messengers (+8,000) and warehousing 

and storage (+8,000). Employment in 

support activities for transportation also 

edged up in October (+5,000).

8

8

5

2

2

0

-1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Warehousing and storage *

Couriers and messengers *

Support activities for transportation

Transit and ground passenger transportation

Truck transportation

Air transportation

Employment in select transportation and warehousing industries

Over-the-month change, October 2018

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

October 2018 Prior 12-month average

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 02, 2018.

Data are preliminary.

* denotes significance

Transportation 

industries:

25*

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: November 2, 2018
 Employment in utilities was little 

changed in October and essentially 

unchanged over the year (-2,000).

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Jan-15 Jul-15 Jan-16 Jul-16 Jan-17 Jul-17 Jan-18 Jul-18

Employment in utilities

Over-the-month change, January 2015–October 2018

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 02, 2018. 

Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

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: November 2, 2018
 Employment in information was little 

changed in October (+7,000) and has 

been flat so far in 2018. Since the most 

recent peak in October 2016, 

employment in the industry has trended 

downward by 50,000 jobs.

 

2,500

2,600

2,700

2,800

2,900

3,000

3,100

3,200

Jan-08 Jan-10 Jan-12 Jan-14 Jan-16 Jan-18

Employment in information

October 2018 Level: 2,769

OTM Change: 7

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 02, 2018.

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

Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

* denotes significance

January 2008–October 2018

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: November 2, 2018
 Employment in financial activities 

changed little in October (+7,000).

Employment in real estate and rental 

and leasing edged up (+9,000), while

other component industries experienced 

little change. 

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: November 2, 2018

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Real estate and rental and leasing

Insurance carriers and related activities

Securities and commodities*

 - Commercial banking

Credit intermediation1

Employment in selected financial activities

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 02, 2018.

Data are preliminary.

1 Includes additional component industries not shown separately.

* denotes significance

Over-the-month change, October 2018

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Financial 

activities:

7
 Employment in professional and business services continued to trend up in 

October (+35,000), slightly slower than its 2018 year-to-date average change 

(+47,000). The weakness in October can be attributed to administrative and 

waste services (+12,000). Within administrative and waste services, 

employment in services to buildings and dwellings trended up over the month 

(+9,000), while employment services (-1,000) came in below the industry’s 

prior-12 month average change (+10,000).

 Employment in professional and technical services (+20,000) and in 

management of companies and enterprises (+2,000) remained in-line with their 

respective prior-12 month average changes.

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3132

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36

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57

40

53

42

27

60

16

31

38

61

41

59

4947

39

54

46

35

-20

0

20

40

60

80

100

Jan-15 Jul-15 Jan-16 Jul-16 Jan-17 Jul-17 Jan-18 Jul-18

Employment in Professional and business services

Over-the-month change Annual average

Over-the-month change, January 2015–October 2018

Seasaonally adjusted, in thousands

Oct-18: 35

Prior-12: 45

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 02, 2018 Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

* denotes significance

2

-1

-1

0

0

0

1

3

9

-2 0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Waste management and

remediation

Business support

Employment services

Travel arrangement and

reservation

Office administrative

Other support services

Facilities support

Investigation and security

Services to buildings and

dwellings

Employment in administrative and waste services

Over-the-month change, October 2018

Seasaonally adjusted, in thousands

Oct-18 Prior-12

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 02, 2018.

Data are preliminary.

Oct-18: 12

Prior-12: 22

CES Highlights Release Date: November 2, 2018

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

Professional and Business Services
 Health care continued its run of job growth, adding 36,000 jobs in 

October and 323,000 over the last 12 months. 

 Within health care, hospitals added 13,000 jobs, while employment in 

ambulatory health care services continued to trend upward (+14,000). 

Employment in nursing and residential care facilities also ticked up in 

October (+8,000). 

 

 Employment growth in hospitals has been strong thus far in 2018, 

averaging roughly 9,000 a month, compared to about 6,000 a month in 

2017. 

 

 37 26 22 4040 27 3335 27 45 21 27 30 34 25 37 35 3335 20 2929 25 40 11 26 14 26 19 3638 1821 23 20 32 21 31 25 23 28 22 19 39 27 36

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30

40

50

60

Jan-15 Jul-15 Jan-16 Jul-16 Jan-17 Jul-17 Jan-18 Jul-18

Employment in health care 

Over-the-month change, January 2015–October 2018

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 02, 2018. Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary. 13 13 1011 14

2 18 14 13 12 10

6 18

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2 19

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8 10

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10

15

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25

Jan-15 Jul-15 Jan-16 Jul-16 Jan-17 Jul-17 Jan-18 Jul-18

Employment in hospitals

Over-the-month change, January 2015–October 2018

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 02, 2018. Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

Private Education and Health Services

CES Highlights Release Date: November 2, 2018

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
 Leisure and hospitality employment edged 

up in October (+42,000). 

 The employment change in food services 

and drinking places (+34,000) was well above 

the September change (-10,000). The uptick 

may reflect establishments reopening 

following Hurricane Florence and a strong 

Consumer Confidence Index, which reached 

an 18-year high in October. Hurricane 

Michael showed no discernible impact on 

October employment.

34

-1

9

-10 -5 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45

Food services and drinking places

Accommodation

Arts, entertainment, and recreation

Employment in leisure and hospitality

October 2018 Prior 12-month average

Over-the-month change, October 2018

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Leisure and 

hospitality:

42

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 02, 2018.

Data are preliminary.

* denotes significance

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: November 2, 2018
 Employment in other services

changed little in October (+7,000). Over 

the most recent 12 months, the industry 

has added 78,000 jobs, representing a 

change of 1.3 percent. Personal and 

laundry services accounted for 40,000 of 

the gains during this period.

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5

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3

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4

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-10

-5

0

5

10

15

20

Jan-15 Jul-15 Jan-16 Jul-16 Jan-17 Jul-17 Jan-18 Jul-18

Over-the-month change Annual average

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics, November 02, 2018.

Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-month change, January 2015–October 2018

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Employment in other services

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: November 2, 2018
 Employment in government was flat 

in October (+4,000). Federal agencies 

added 1,000 jobs, while state and local 

employment changed little. 

 

21,400

21,600

21,800

22,000

22,200

22,400

22,600

22,800

23,000

23,200

23,400

Jan-08 Jan-10 Jan-12 Jan-14 Jan-16 Jan-18

Employment in government

October 2018 Level: 22,397

OTM Change: 4

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 02, 2018.

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

Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

* denotes significance

January 2008–October 2018

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Government

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: November 2, 2018
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

Osman Alhassan

Michael Calvillo

Wander Cedeño

Steve Crestol

Tyler Downing

Katelynn Harris

Mike McCall

John Mullins

Michael Osifalujo

Edward Park

Carson Wilson

Current Employment Statistics Highlights

Detailed Industry Employment Analysis