Bureau of Labor Statistics

Current Employment Statistics 

Highlights

October 2007

Bureau of Labor Statistics

November 2, 2007
Page 2 

206

300

249

144

103

124

222

186 198

109

196

226

162

90

175

122

188

69

93 93 96

166

0

40

80

120

160

200

240

280

320

360

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

May-07

Jun-07

Jul-07

Aug-07

Sep-07

Oct-07

Employment in total nonfarm

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 2, 2007.

Note: Most recent two months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-month change, 2006-07

206

300

249

144

103

124

222

186 198

109

196

226

162

90

175

122

188

69

93 93 96

166

0

40

80

120

160

200

240

280

320

360

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

May-07

Jun-07

Jul-07

Aug-07

Sep-07

Oct-07

Employment in total nonfarm

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 2, 2007.

Note: Most recent two months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-month change, 2006-07

• Total nonfarm employment rose by 166,000 in October. 

• October’s employment increase was roughly in line with the prior 12 month 

average gain of 135,000 jobs. 
Page 3 

2

-5

-21

10

-22

0

2

-3

2

65

43

56

1

36

-40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

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, October 2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 2, 2007.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in total nonfarm and supersectors

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

+166

Total nonfarm:

• Employment in goods-producing industries (natural resources and mining, 

construction, and manufacturing) fell by 24,000 in October. 

• Several service-providing industries gained jobs. Professional and business 

services, education and health services, and leisure and hospitality accounted for 

the majority of job growth, adding a combined 164,000 jobs. 
Page 4 

33.0

33.5

34.0

34.5

35.0

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01Jan-02Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

33.0

33.5

34.0

34.5

35.0

1996-2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 2, 2007.

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

Average weekly hours, total private

Seasonally adjusted

October 2007

Level: 33.8

Change: 0.0

85

90

95

100

105

110

115

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

115

aggregate weekly hours

1996-2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 2, 2007.

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.

October 2007

Level: 107.9

Percent change: +0.1

• Average weekly hours of production and nonsupervisory workers on private 

nonfarm payrolls was unchanged in October at 33.8 hours. The workweek has 

remained within a 0.2-hour range since reaching a low point in July 2004. 

• The index of total private aggregate weekly hours edged up slightly in October. 

Since reaching a trough in August 2003, the index has gradually risen. However, 

growth has been slowing recently. From October 2006 to October 2007, the 

index rose 1.5 percent compared to 2.6 percent from October 2005 to October 

2006. 
Page 5 

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

in average hourly earnings

1996-2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 5, 2007.

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

Over-the-year percent change

Seasonally adjusted, percent

September 2007

Percent Change: +4.1

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

1996-2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 5, 2007.

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

Index of total private

Seasonally adjusted, 2002=100

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

nonsupervisory workers.

aggregate weekly payrolls

September 2007

Level: 126.6

Percent change: +0.6

• Average hourly earnings for production and nonsupervisory workers on private 

nonfarm payrolls rose by 3 cents in October. Over the year, average hourly 

earnings have increased by 3.8 percent. 

• The index of total private aggregate weekly payrolls rose 0.3 percent in October. 

From October 2006 to October 2007, the index rose 5.3 percent compared to 6.7 

percent from October 2005 to October 2006. 
Page 6 

-8.5

-1.0

0.6

-13.0

16.0

-4.1

0.0 0.5

-9.5

3.2

-20

-16

-12

-8

-4

0

4

8

12

16

20

Residential building Nonresidential

building

Heavy and civil

engineering

Residential specialty

trades

Nonresidential

specialty trades

October 2007

Prior 12-mo. avg. 

Over-the-month change

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 2, 2007.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in construction

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

• Employment in construction was little changed in October. Construction 

employment has declined by 124,000, since its most recent peak in September 

2006. 

• Employment declines were concentrated within the residential components 

 (-22,000). Residential construction has been shedding jobs as homebuilders 

 struggle with excess inventories and declining sales. Consumer access to credit 

 has tightened, further compounding problems in the industry. 

• Continued growth in nonresidential construction helped to limit overall losses in 

the industry in October.
Page 7 

13,000

14,000

15,000

16,000

17,000

18,000

19,000

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

13,000

14,000

15,000

16,000

17,000

18,000

19,000

1996-2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 2, 2007.

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

Employment in manufacturing

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

October 2007

Level: 13,963

Change: -21

• Manufacturing employment declined by 21,000 in October, with losses about 

evenly split between durable goods and nondurable goods industries. Over the 

past year, employment in the industry has fallen by 203,000.

• The 1-month manufacturing diffusion index of employment changes measures the 

breadth of job gain or loss across component industries. A value above 50 

indicates a predominance of job gains, and a value below 50 indicates a 

predominance of job losses. In October the index stood at 43.5, and it has not 

risen above 50 since January.
Page 8 

11

10

4

1

3

-2

3

-4

2 2

-8 -7

4

5

-10

0 1 0

-11

2

-17

-7

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

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

May-07

Jun-07

Jul-07

Aug-07

Sep-07

Oct-07

Employment in building material

and garden supply stores

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 2, 2007.

Note: Most recent two months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-month change, 2006-07

• Employment in building material and garden supply stores dropped by 7,000 in 

October. As the nation’s housing market has declined over the past year, 

employment in this industry has fallen by 47,000.
Page 9 

6,500

7,000

7,500

8,000

8,500

9,000

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05Jan-06

Jan-07

6,500

7,000

7,500

8,000

8,500

9,000

1996-2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 2, 2007.

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

Employment in financial activities

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

October 2007

Level: 8,452

Change: +2

-48.9

7.9

22.4

43.1

25.0

-60 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50

Credit intermediation*

Commercial banking 

Securities and

commodity

Insurance and related

activities

Real estate 

Over-the-year change, October 2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 2, 2007.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in selected financial activities

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

+34.4

Health care:

* Includes additional component industries not shown separately.

Commercial banking

• Employment in financial activities was unchanged in October. After averaging a 

gain of 16,000 jobs a month in 2006, employment is essentially unchanged thus 

far in 2007.

 

• Credit intermediation continued to trend down in October. This industry, which 

includes mortgage lending and related activities, has accounted for all of the jobs 

lost in financial activities during the past year, shedding 49,000 jobs. 
Page 10 

23.5

5.2

7.4

2.1

8.4

6.3

35.4

33.5

-0.3

-10 0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Professional and technical

Accounting and bookkeeping

Architectural and engineering

Computer systems design

Management and technical consulting

Management of companies

Administrative and waste services

Employment services

Services to buildings

Over-the-month change, October 2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 2, 2007.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in selected professional and

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

business services

services: +65

Professional and business

Professional and technical

Management of companies

Administrative and waste services

2,250

2,500

2,750

3,000

3,250

3,500

3,750

4,000

4,250

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

2,250

2,500

2,750

3,000

3,250

3,500

3,750

4,000

4,250

1996-2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 2, 2007.

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

Employment in employment services

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

October 2007

Level: 3,518.0

Change: +33.5

• In October, employment in professional and business services increased by 

65,000, above the average over-the-month change for 2006 and well above the 

average change for January through September of this year. 

• Professional and technical services grew by 24,000 jobs in October; the increase 

was widespread throughout the component industries. 

• Employment services added 34,000 positions in the month, following a job loss of 

similar magnitude in September. Despite October’s growth, employment services 

is still down 156,000 year-to-date. 
Page 11 

25

5

2.8

6.7

9.4

0

-5 0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Ambulatory health care

services*

Offices of physicians

Outpatient care centers

Home health care services

Hospitals

Nursing and residential

care facilities

Over-the-month change, October 2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 2, 2007.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in health care

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

+34.4

Health care:

Ambulatory health care

services*

Hospitals

Nursing and residential care 

facilities

* Includes additional component industries not shown separately.

32

27

37

23 21 21

40

27

18

34

51

30

25 23 25

41

38

24

15

26

29

37

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

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

May-07

Jun-07

Jul-07

Aug-07

Sep-07

Oct-07

Employment in food services and

drinking places

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 2, 2007.

Note: Most recent two months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-month change, 2006-07

• Health care employment continued to grow, rising by 34,000 in October. 

Ambulatory health care services and hospitals both posted significant gains. 

• So far in 2007, health care employment is expanding at a 3.1 percent annualized 

growth rate. This is larger than any annual rate of gain since 2001. The rate of 

job growth in health care is countercyclical to growth in other industries. Total 

private sector employment growth, outside of health care, has weakened in 2007.

• Food services and drinking places also continued to add jobs, with a gain of 

37,000 over the month and 365,000 over the year.