Bureau of Labor Statistics

Current Employment Statistics 

Highlights

July 2008

Bureau of Labor Statistics

August 1, 2008
2

126

25

177

46

162

107

57

74 81

140

60

41

-76 -83 -88

-67

-47 -51 -51

-120

-80

-40

0

40

80

120

160

200

240

Jan-07

Feb-07

Mar-07

Apr-07

May-07

Jun-07

Jul-07

Aug-07

Sep-07

Oct-07

Nov-07

Dec-07

Jan-08

Feb-08

Mar-08

Apr-08

May-08

Jun-08

Jul-08

Employment in total nonfarm

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, August 1, 2008.

Note: Most recent two months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-month change, 2007-08

Jul-08, 0.0

Mar-06, 2.1

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

Jan-06

Apr-06

Jul-06

Oct-06

Jan-07

Apr-07

Jul-07

Oct-07

Jan-08

Apr-08

Jul-08

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

Employment in total nonfarm

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, August 1, 2008.

Note: Most recent two months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-year percent changes, 2006-08

• Nonfarm payroll employment continued to trend down in July, losing 51,000 

jobs. Thus far in 2008, payroll employment has fallen by 463,000—an 

average of 66,000 per month.

• In July, the 12-month percent change in payroll employment was essentially 

flat: the job growth of the last 5 months of 2007 has been canceled out by job 

losses in the first 7 months of 2008.
3

11

-22

-35

-17

-17

-6

0

-13

0

-24

39

1

6

25

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

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, July 2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, August 1, 2008.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in total nonfarm

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

-51

Total nonfarm:

• In July, job losses continued in construction, manufacturing, and employment 

services. Health care and mining continued to add jobs.
4

33.0

33.5

34.0

34.5

35.0

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05Jan-06

Jan-07

Jan-08

33.0

33.5

34.0

34.5

35.0

1997-2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, August 1, 2008.

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

Average weekly hours, total private

Seasonally adjusted

July 2008

Level: 33.6

Change: -0.1

85

90

95

100

105

110

115

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

Jan-08

85

90

95

100

105

110

115

aggregate weekly hours

1997-2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, August 1, 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.

July 2008

Level: 106.6

Percent change: -0.4

• In July, the average workweek for production and nonsupervisory workers fell 

by 0.1 hour to 33.6 hours, seasonally adjusted. Average weekly hours are at 

their lowest level since November 2004. 

• As a result of the decline in average weekly hours and the employment loss, 

the index of aggregate weekly hours of production and nonsupervisory 

workers on nonfarm payrolls fell by 0.4 percent in July. The index has fallen 

1.1 percent since reaching a peak in December 2007.
5

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

Jan-08

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

hourly earnings and CPI-W (1982-84=100)

1997-2008

 Over-the-year percent changes in average

Seasonally adjusted, percent

Over-the-year percent changes

July 2008 AHE: +3.4

June 2008 CPI-W: +5.4

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, August 1, 2008.

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

Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Indexes program and

CPI-W

AHE

• In July, average hourly earnings for production and nonsupervisory workers in 

the private sector rose by 6 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $18.06, seasonally 

adjusted. 

• Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings rose by 3.4 percent. From 

June 2007 to June 2008, the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners 

and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) rose 5.4 percent.
6

0.9

4.8 4.2

3.1

2.1

1.2

6.7

0.9

0.2 0.4

7.2

2.9

5.3

0.8

5.7

1.2

9.7

9.0

10.3

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Jan-07

Feb-07

Mar-07

Apr-07

May-07

Jun-07

Jul-07

Aug-07

Sep-07

Oct-07

Nov-07

Dec-07

Jan-08

Feb-08

Mar-08

Apr-08

May-08

Jun-08

Jul-08

Employment in mining

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, August 1, 2008.

Note: Most recent two months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-month change, 2007-08

• In July, employment continued to grow in mining, adding 10,000 jobs. 

Mining employment has expanded by 45 percent (222,000 jobs) since its most 

recent low in April 2003. 

• Oil and gas extraction and support activities for mining accounted for most of 

the July employment increase.
7

5,000

5,500

6,000

6,500

7,000

7,500

8,000

8,500

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

Jan-08

5,000

5,500

6,000

6,500

7,000

7,500

8,000

8,500

1997-2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, August 1, 2008.

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

Employment in construction

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

July 2008

Level: 7,175

Change: -22

-5.2

4.1

-1.3

-8.9

-10.8 -9.4

-3.4 -4.0

-19.5

-1.9

-24

-20

-16

-12

-8

-4

0

4

8

12

Residential building Nonresidential

building

Heavy and civil

engineering

Residential specialty

trades

Nonresidential

specialty trades

July 2008 Prior 12-mo. avg. 

Over-the-month change

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, August 1, 2008.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in construction

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

• Employment in construction was down by 22,000 in July. Most of the July 

employment decrease came among specialty trade contractors (-20,000), with 

both the residential and nonresidential components experiencing job losses.

• Construction has shed 557,000 jobs since a September 2006 employment 

peak, with nearly three-quarters of the decline occurring since October 2007. 

• Employment in the nonresidential portion of construction has been contracting 

over the past 9 months, as credit issues have forced the delay and cancellation 

of many projects. Although the residential components have continued to 

decline, job losses in the industry have decelerated over the course of 2008.
8

-18

-27

-35

-31

-12

-20

-6

-40

-22

-25

-3

-22

-35

-47 -46

-52

-21

-35 -35

-60

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

Jan-07

Feb-07

Mar-07

Apr-07

May-07

Jun-07

Jul-07

Aug-07

Sep-07

Oct-07

Nov-07

Dec-07

Jan-08

Feb-08

Mar-08

Apr-08

May-08

Jun-08

Jul-08

Employment in manufacturing

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, August 1, 2008.

Note: Most recent two months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-month change, 2007-08

• Manufacturing employment fell by 35,000 in July, bringing losses over the 

past 12 months to 383,000. Over-the-month job losses occurred in both 

durable and nondurable goods industries, with notable declines in 

transportation equipment (-8,000), wood products (-4,000), and textile mills 

(-3,000). Machinery added 6,000 jobs over the month. 

• Since July 2007, job losses in construction-related manufacturing industries 

have accelerated. In contrast, of the manufacturing industries showing overthe-year job gains, many are heavily tied to exports or are positioned to take 

advantage of high commodities prices.

• Both the manufacturing workweek and factory overtime were unchanged over 

the month at 41.0 and 3.8 hours, respectively.
9

-2

13

3

16

12

18

11

6

9

14

5

-2

-6

-10

-3

-10

-6

-3

-17

-25

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

20

25

Jan-07

Feb-07

Mar-07

Apr-07

May-07

Jun-07

Jul-07

Aug-07

Sep-07

Oct-07

Nov-07

Dec-07

Jan-08

Feb-08

Mar-08

Apr-08

May-08

Jun-08

Jul-08

B-14. Employment in wholesale trade

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, August 1, 2008.

Note: Most recent two months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-month change, 2007-08

35

13

60

-33

13

-16

5

13

-15 -18

44

-25

-16

-43

-27

-46

-24

-6

-17

-60

-40

-20

0

20

40

60

80

Jan-07

Feb-07

Mar-07

Apr-07

May-07

Jun-07

Jul-07

Aug-07

Sep-07

Oct-07

Nov-07

Dec-07

Jan-08

Feb-08

Mar-08

Apr-08

May-08

Jun-08

Jul-08

Employment in retail trade

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, August 1, 2008.

Note: Most recent two months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-month change, 2007-08

• Wholesale trade employment decreased by 17,000 over the month, with 

declines in both the durable and nondurable components. Since its most 

recent peak in November 2007, wholesale trade has lost 57,000 jobs.

• In July, retail trade continued to trend down. Since its most recent peak in 

March 2007, retail trade has lost 211,000 jobs. Employment in motor vehicle 

and parts dealers fell by 11,000 in July, bringing declines in that industry to 

35,000 over the past 6 months.
10

24 25

2

28 35

-3

23 21 21

70

9

52

-30 -28

-59

17

-49

-39

-24

-80

-60

-40

-20

0

20

40

60

80

100

Jan-07

Feb-07

Mar-07

Apr-07

May-07

Jun-07

Jul-07

Aug-07

Sep-07

Oct-07

Nov-07

Dec-07

Jan-08

Feb-08

Mar-08

Apr-08

May-08

Jun-08

Jul-08

Employment in professional and

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, August 1, 2008.

Note: Most recent two months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-month change, 2007-08

business services

2,250

2,500

2,750

3,000

3,250

3,500

3,750

4,000

4,250

Jan-97

Jan-98Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

Jan-08

2,250

2,500

2,750

3,000

3,250

3,500

3,750

4,000

4,250

1997-2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, August 1, 2008.

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

Employment in employment services

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

July 2008

Level: 3,332.0

Change: -34.2

• In July, employment in professional and business services decreased by 

24,000. 

• Within professional and business services, employment services lost 34,000, 

mostly in its temporary help services component (-29,000). Since January, 

temporary help has lost 185,000 jobs. Computer systems design and related 

services added 7,000 jobs in July. 
11

21.2

6.5

3.8

5.0

10.4

1.3

17.1

6.5

1

3.6

10.6

3

0 5 10 15 20 25

Ambulatory health care

services*

Offices of physicians

Outpatient care centers

Home health care services

Hospitals

Nursing and residential

care facilities

July 2008:+32.9

Prior 12-mo. avg.: +30.7

Over-the-month change, July 2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, August 1, 2008.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in health care

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

Health care:

Ambulatory health care

services*

Hospitals

Nursing and residential care

facilities

* Includes additional component industries not shown separately.

• Employment in health care continued to increase with a gain of 33,000 in 

July. This industry has added 368,000 jobs over the past 12 months.

• In July, there were job gains of 21,000 in ambulatory health care services and 

10,000 in hospitals, an industry that has shown countercyclical employment 

growth in the past.