Current Employment Statistics 

Highlights

February 2007

Bureau of Labor Statistics

March 9, 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-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-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, March 9, 2007.

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

February 2007

Level: 137,410

Change: +97

206

300

249

144

103

124

222

186 198

109

196

226

146

97

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

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

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, March 9, 2007.

Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

Employment in total nonfarm

Over-the-month change, 2006-07

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

• Nonfarm payroll employment continued to trend up in February. 

• The increase, however, was lower than the prior 12-month average. 
3

Employment in total nonfarm and supersectors

Over-the-month change, February 2007 

5

-62

-14

6

7

0

1

13

8

29

31

31

4

39

-80 -60 -40 -20 0 20 40 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, March 9, 2007.

Note: Data are preliminary. 

Total nonfarm: 

+97

• Employment grew in several service-providing industries. 

• The large decline in construction contrasted with its prior 12-month average growth of 

8,000. 

• Manufacturing employment continued to trend downward. 
4

Average weekly hours, total private

1992-2007

33.0

33.5

34.0

34.5

35.0

Jan-92

Jan-93Jan-94

Jan-95

Jan-96

Jan-97Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04Jan-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, March 9, 2007.

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

February 2007

Level: 33.7

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, March 9, 2007.

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

February 2007

Level: 106.4

Percent Change: -0.3

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

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

payrolls was at the lowest level since August 2005. 

• Little change in production and nonsupervisory worker employment and a slight decline 

in average weekly hours resulted in a small decrease in aggregate hours. 
5

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, March 9, 2007.

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

February 2007

Level: 122.0

Percent Change: 0.0

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

• The 0.4 percent over-the-month increase in average hourly earnings of production and 

nonsupervisory workers slightly exceeded the prior 12-month average rate of increase. 

• Flat production and nonsupervisory worker employment, a slight drop in hours, and an 

increase in average hourly earnings resulted in approximately no change in aggregate 

weekly payroll dollars. 
6

Employment in construction

1996-2007

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Survey, March 9, 2007.

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

February 2007

Level: 7,650

Change: -62

Employment in construction

Over-the-month change

-2.8 -3.2

-10.1

-20.7

-25.1

0.2 1.0 1.8

-7.1

12.2

-30

-25

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

20

Residential building Nonresidential

building

Heavy and civil

engineering

Residential

specialty trades

Nonresidential

specialty trades

February 2007

Prior 12-mo. avg.

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, March 9, 2007.

Note: Data are preliminary.

• Poor weather conditions in many parts of the country likely contributed to the February 

decline in construction.

• Construction has lost 75,000 jobs since its most recent peak of September 2006.

• Job losses occurred across the industry but were concentrated among specialty trade 

contractors (-46,000) and in heavy construction (-10,000). 
7

10

-7

0

15

-12

23

-9 -11 -12

-40

-23

-12

-2

-14

-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

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, March 9, 2007.

Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

Employment in manufacturing

Over-the-month change, 2006-07

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

• Over the month, manufacturing employment declined by 14,000. Declines occurred in 

wood products (-4,000), semiconductors and electronic components (-3,000), and textile 

mills (-3,000). 
8

Employment in selected professional and business services

Over-the-month change, February 2007

21.1

6.5

3.7

5.8

4.9

1.0

6.7

-11.1

11.3

-15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20 25

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, March 9, 2007.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Professional and Business 

services: +29

Professional and 

technical services

Management of 

companies

Administrative and 

waste services

• Professional and business services continued to trend up in February. 

• Small gains occurred in most components. 
9

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, March 9, 2007.

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

February 2007

Level: 2,632.2

Change: -12.2

• Employment in temporary help services was little changed over the month and, on net, 

over the year.