Current Employment Statistics 

Highlights

April 2007

Bureau of Labor Statistics

May 4, 2007

Bureau of Labor Statistics
2

All employees on nonfarm payrolls

1996-2007

110,000

120,000

130,000

140,000

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

110,000

120,000

130,000

140,000

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, May 4, 2007.

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

April 2007

Level: 137,684

Change: +88

• Nonfarm employment edged up in April with the addition of 88,000 jobs. 

• So far in 2007, payroll job gains have averaged 129,000 per month, compared 

with an average gain of 189,000 in 2006. 

• Employment has risen by 7.9 million since reaching a low point in August 2003. 
3

2.0 2.0

2.1

2.0 1.9 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.8 1.8 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.4

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

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

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, May 4, 2007.

Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

Employment in total nonfarm

Over-the-year percent change, 2006-07

Seasonally adjusted, percent

• Total nonfarm employment has expanded every month in the past year. Despite 

the continued growth, there has been a consistent deceleration in employment 

growth over this time period. 
4

Employment in total nonfarm and supersectors

Over-the-month change, April 2007

2

-11

-19

12.5

-26.1

0

0.9

3

-11

24

53

22

13

25

-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

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, May 4, 2007.

Note: Data are preliminary. 

Total nonfarm: 

+88

• Employment growth in April was concentrated in education and health services. 

Professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, and government also 

reported continued gains. Weakness in retail trade and manufacturing restrained 

growth in April. 

• Education and health services added 53,000 jobs; this supersector accounted for 

about 60 percent of the gain in nonfarm employment. Growth was centered 

within health care and social assistance, with widespread increases throughout its 

components. 
5

Average weekly hours, total private

1992-2007

33.0

33.5

34.0

34.5

35.0

Jan-92

Jan-93

Jan-94

Jan-95

Jan-96Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99Jan-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 Seasonally adjusted

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, May 4, 2007.

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

April 2007

Level: 33.8

Change: -0.1

Index of total private aggregate weekly hours

1996-2007

85

90

95

100

105

110

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

Seasonally adjusted, 2002 = 100

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, May 4, 2007.

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

April 2007

Level: 106.9

Percent Change: -0.4

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

• Average weekly hours of production and nonsupervisory workers on nonfarm 

payrolls decreased 0.1 hour in April. The workweek has held steady recently, 

remaining within a 0.2-hour range since June 2004. 

• The index of total private aggregate weekly hours decreased by 0.4 percent in 

April, following a rise of 0.9 in March. Since reaching a trough in August 2003, 

the index has increased by 8.9 percent. 
6

Over-the-year percent change in average hourly earnings, 

1990-2007

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

Jan-90

Jan-91

Jan-92

Jan-93

Jan-94Jan-95

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0 Seasonally adjusted, percent

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Survey, May 4, 2007.

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

April 2007

Percent Change: +3.7

Index of total private aggregate weekly payrolls

1996-2007

65

75

85

95

105

115

125

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

65

75

85

95

105

115

125 Seasonally adjusted, 2002 = 100

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, May 4, 2007.

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

April 2007

Level: 123.3

Percent Change: 0.0

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

workers.

• Average hourly earnings for production and nonsupervisory workers on nonfarm 

payrolls rose by 4 cents in April, compared with a prior 12-month average gain of 

6 cents. Over the year, average hourly earnings have risen by 3.7 percent. 

• The index of total private aggregate weekly payrolls was flat in April. Over-themonth increases in average hourly earnings and production workers were offset 

by a decline in average weekly hours.
7

Employment in construction

Over-the-month change

-2.7 -3.2

-1.0 -1.4

-3.1

-1.5

0.5

1.6

-9.8

9.1

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

Residential building Nonresidential

building

Heavy and civil

engineering

Residential

specialty trades

Nonresidential

specialty trades

April Prior 12-mo. avg.

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, May 4, 2007.

Note: Data are preliminary.

• Construction employment was little changed in April following large offsetting 

movements in the prior 2 months. Companies reported a smaller than normal spring 

buildup, resulting in little change in employment in the sector after seasonal adjustment.

• In contrast with recent months, April’s employment change in nonresidential 

construction fell short of trend relative to employment in residential construction. 

 
8

10

-7

0

15

-12

23

-9 -11 -12

-40

-23

-12

-1

-17 -18 -19

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

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

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, May 4, 2007.

Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

Employment in manufacturing

Over-the-month change, 2006-07

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

• Manufacturing continued its long-term decline, cutting 19,000 jobs in April. 

Losses were widespread, both in durable and nondurable goods industries. Job 

loses were partially offset by 6,500 shipbuilding workers returning from a strike.

• The average manufacturing workweek for production workers edged down 0.1 

hour to 41.1 hours, seasonally adjusted. The factory workweek is 0.4 hour below 

its most recent peak reached in July 2006. 

• Average weekly overtime hours of production workers fell by 0.1 hour to 4.2 

hours in April, seasonally adjusted.
9

Employment in selected professional and business services

Over-the-month change, April 2007

32.8

2.1

4.0

11.3

11.8

4.2

-13.1

-27.0

7.0

-40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40

Accounting and

bookkeeping services

Architectural and

engineering services

Computer systems design

and related services

Management and technical

consulting services

Employment services

Services to buildings and

dwellings

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, May 4, 2007.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Professional and Business 

services: +24

Professional and 

technical services

Management of 

companies

Administrative and 

waste services

Employment in temporary help services

1992-2007

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

Jan-92

Jan-93

Jan-94

Jan-95

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, May 4, 2007.

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

April 2007

Level: 2,622.2

Change: -6.2

• Employment in professional and business services rose by 24,000 in April, 

compared to its prior 12 month average gain of 35,000. Growth was concentrated 

entirely within the professional and technical services industry (33,000), with 

solid gains in computer systems design and related services, and management and 

technical consulting services. 

• Temporary help services reported continued weakness in April, with employment 

relatively flat. Over the past year, employment in the industry has also been little 

changed. 
10

Employment in health care 

Over-the-month change, April 2007

18.1

7.1

0.3

3.4

6.6

12.3

0 5 10 15 20

Offices of physicians

Outpatient care centers

Home health care

services

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, May 4, 2007.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Health care:

+37.0

Ambulatory health 

care services

Hospitals

Nursing and residential 

care facilities

• Employment in health care rose by 37,000 in April, compared to a prior 12-month 

average change of 29,000. Growth was widespread with all the major 

components of this industry adding jobs in April.