Current Employment Statistics

Highlights

May 2005

Bureau of Labor Statistics

June 3, 2005

Bureau of Labor Statistics
2

All employees on nonfarm payrolls

1990-2005

100,000

110,000

120,000

130,000

140,000

Jan-90Jan-91Jan-92Jan-93Jan-94Jan-95Jan-96Jan-97Jan-98Jan-99Jan-00Jan-01Jan-02Jan-03Jan-04Jan-05

100,000

110,000

120,000

130,000

140,000

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Survey, June 3, 2005.

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

May 2005

Level: 133,347

Change: +78

• As of May 2005, nonfarm payroll employment had increased by 3.5 million jobs 

since the trough of May 2003 and exceeded the pre-recession peak (February 

2001) level by 801,000.

• So far this year, employment has increased at the annual rate of 1.6 percent, 

nearly matching the 1.7 percent rate of 2004. 
3

86

-122

-218

-54

-26

27

3 2

94

123

96 83

117

94

320337

250

106

83

188

130

282

132

155

124

300

122

274

78

-300

-200

-100

0

100

200

300

400

Jan-03Feb-03

Mar-03

Apr-03

May-03

Jun-03

Jul-03

Aug-03

Sep-03

Oct-03

Nov-03

Dec-03Jan-04Feb-04

Mar-04

Apr-04

May-04

Jun-04

Jul-04

Aug-04

Sep-04

Oct-04

Nov-04

Dec-04Jan-05Feb-05

Mar-05

Apr-05

May-05

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Survey, June 3, 2005.

Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

Employment in total nonfarm

Over-the-month change, 2003-05

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

• Nonfarm employment edged up by 78,000 in May following an increase of 

274,000 in April. The average of the two increases (176,000) was comparable to 

the average monthly increase for the 12 prior months (184,000).

• Employment declined from the beginning of the last recession through May 2003, 

18 months after the end of the recession. Employment then increased throughout 

the latest 2 years.
4

Employment in total nonfarm and supersectors

Over-the-month change, May 2005

1

20

-7

10

11

10

0

-8

4

-1

40

-6

-1

5

-15 -5 5 15 25 35 45 55

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, June 3, 2005.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Total nonfarm: 

+78

• In May, employment continued to grow in education and health services and in 

construction, but was little changed in the other major industry sectors.

• The upward movements of wholesale trade, retail trade, and transportation and 

warehousing were comparable to their average gains during the prior 12 months.

• Manufacturing, information, and leisure and hospitality, although basically 

unchanged, together partly offset small employment gains in other sectors. 
5

Average weekly hours, total private

1990-2005

33.0

33.5

34.0

34.5

35.0

Jan-90Jan-91Jan-92Jan-93Jan-94Jan-95Jan-96Jan-97Jan-98Jan-99Jan-00Jan-01Jan-02Jan-03Jan-04Jan-05

33.0

33.5

34.0

34.5

35.0

Seasonally adjusted

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Survey, June 3, 2005.

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

May 2005

Level: 33.8

Change: 0.0

• In May, average weekly hours of production or nonsupervisory workers on 

private nonfarm payrolls, seasonally adjusted, were unchanged from April. May 

average hours were also unchanged from a year earlier. In the post-recession 

period, average weekly hours have been at a somewhat lower level than they were 

during the 1990 to 2000 period.
6

Index of total private aggregate weekly hours

1990-2005

80

85

90

95

100

105

110

Jan-90Jan-91Jan-92Jan-93Jan-94Jan-95Jan-96Jan-97Jan-98Jan-99Jan-00Jan-01Jan-02Jan-03Jan-04Jan-05

80

85

90

95

100

105

110

Seasonally adjusted, 2002 = 100

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Survey, June 3, 2005.

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

May 2005

Level: 102.6

Change: +0.1

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

• The index of aggregate weekly hours of production or nonsupervisory workers on 

private nonfarm payrolls increased by 0.1 percent from April. From the peak of 

October 2000 to the trough of May 2003, aggregate hours declined by 5.5 percent. 

Since the trough, the index has increased by 4.5 percent. Aggregate hours in May 

2005 were still 1.3 percent below the peak level.
7

Employment in construction

1990-2005

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

Jan-90Jan-91Jan-92Jan-93Jan-94Jan-95Jan-96Jan-97Jan-98Jan-99Jan-00Jan-01Jan-02Jan-03Jan-04Jan-05

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Survey, June 3, 2005.

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

May 2005

Level: 7,227

Change: +20

• Construction employment edged up by 20,000 in May, following a much larger

increase in April. Strong early seasonal hiring may have borrowed against May 

hiring. The average of the two months’ gains (34,000) exceeds the average 

monthly gain in the 12-month period ending in March (22,000). 

• Residential specialty trade contracting gained 26,000 jobs in May. The latest 4 

monthly gains in residential specialty contracting have somewhat exceeded most 

of those from February 2004 to January 2005. 

• Heavy construction added 6,000 jobs in May and has expanded by a total of 

34,000 jobs since its trough of February 2004. Increases in the latest 4 months 

have exceeded most of those in the preceding 12 months as States have increased 

their construction spending because of greater revenues and anticipation of new 

Federal funds for construction.
8

-57

-74

-54

-111

-60 -61

-84

-37

-25 -20 -13 -18 -14

-2

10

32

24

-3 -3

25

-14 -8 -7 -3

-27

14

-6 -9 -7

-180

-140

-100

-60

-20

20

60

100

Jan-03Feb-03Mar-03Apr-03

May-03

Jun-03

Jul-03

Aug-03

Sep-03Oct-03Nov-03Dec-03Jan-04Feb-04Mar-04Apr-04

May-04

Jun-04

Jul-04

Aug-04

Sep-04Oct-04Nov-04Dec-04Jan-05Feb-05Mar-05Apr-05

May-05

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statisti cs Survey, June 3, 2005.

Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

Employment in manufacturing

Over-the-month change, 2003-05

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Average weekly hours, manufacturing

1990-2005

39.0

39.5

40.0

40.5

41.0

41.5

42.0

42.5

Jan-90Jan-91Jan-92Jan-93Jan-94Jan-95Jan-96Jan-97Jan-98Jan-99Jan-00Jan-01Jan-02Jan-03Jan-04Jan-05

39.0

39.5

40.0

40.5

41.0

41.5

42.0

42.5

Seasonally adjusted

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Survey, June 3, 2005.

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

May 2005

Level: 40.4

Change: -0.1

• Manufacturing employment was little changed in May. After increases from 

March 2004 to August 2004 and a gradual cumulative loss since then, factory 

employment has nearly returned to its recent low point of February 2004.

• In May, the manufacturing workweek edged down by 0.1 hour to 40.4 hours. The 

net change in the factory workweek since early 2001 has been relatively slight. 

The workweek has declined by about 1 hour since the mid to late 1990s. 

• Average weekly factory overtime, at 4.4 hours, was unchanged from April to May 

and was down 0.2 hour from the peak of September 2004.
9

Employment in temporary help services

1990-2005

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

Jan-90Jan-91Jan-92Jan-93Jan-94Jan-95Jan-96Jan-97Jan-98Jan-99Jan-00Jan-01Jan-02Jan-03Jan-04Jan-05

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Survey, June 3, 2005.

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

May 2005

Level: 2,512.4

Change: -4.3

• Temporary help employment was about unchanged in May. Monthly 

employment growth in this industry has averaged only about 4,000 since 

October, contrasting with an average gain of about 19,000 from the trough of 

April 2003 to October 2004. 
10

Employment in health care 

Over-the-month change, May 2005

16.0

10.5

2.4

1.1

5.8

3.8

0 3 6 9 12 15 18

Offices of physicians

Outpatient care centers

Home health care

services

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Survey, June 3, 2005.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Health care:

+25.6

Ambulatory health 

care services

Hospitals

Nursing and residential 

care facilities

• Health care employment continued to grow in May, rising by 26,000. Offices of 

physicians and hospitals accounted for most of the job gain. 

• Health care has added jobs continuously since July 2003, when a rare job loss 

occurred. The annual rate of gain in 2005 has been 1.9 percent, exceeding the 

rate of total nonfarm employment (1.6 percent). 
11

68

-47

-24 -21

-2

37 39

25 22

47

39

31 29

16

45

31 31

12 11 11 14

24 25

18 22

39

12

63

-6

-60

-40

-20

0

20

40

60

80

Jan-03Feb-03

Mar-03

Apr-03

May-03

Jun-03

Jul-03

Aug-03

Sep-03

Oct-03

Nov-03

Dec-03Jan-04Feb-04

Mar-04

Apr-04

May-04

Jun-04

Jul-04

Aug-04

Sep-04

Oct-04

Nov-04

Dec-04Jan-05Feb-05

Mar-05

Apr-05

May-05

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Survey, June 3, 2005.

Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

Employment in leisure and hospitality

Over-the-month change, 2003-05

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

• Following strong, early seasonal hiring in April, leisure and hospitality jobs were 

about unchanged in May. The average of the April and May changes (29,000) 

exceeds the average for the 12 months ending in March (21,000).