Current Employment Statistics

Highlights

October 2006

Bureau of Labor Statistics

November 3, 2006

Bureau of Labor Statistics
2

All employees on nonfarm payrolls

1990-2006

100,000

110,000

120,000

130,000

140,000

Jan-90

Jan-91

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

100,000

110,000

120,000

130,000

140,000

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 3, 2006.

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

October 2006

Level: 135,844

Change: +92

• Nonfarm payroll employment increased by 92,000 in October following gains of 

148,000 in September and 230,000 in August, as revised. 

• So far this year, growth has averaged 147,000 jobs per month. Six million jobs 

have been added since the most recent employment trough in August 2003. 
3

Employment in total nonfarm and supersectors

Over-the-month change, October 2006 

5

-26

-39

-3

-4

7

-1

2

1

43

28

35

10

34

-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

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 3, 2006.

Note: Data are preliminary. 

Total nonfarm: 

+92

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

education and health services experienced the largest employment increases in 

October. 

• In the goods producing sector, manufacturing and construction reduced 

employment. 
4

Average weekly hours, total private

1992-2006

33.0

33.5

34.0

34.5

35.0

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

33.0

33.5

34.0

34.5

35.0 Seasonally adjusted

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 3, 2006.

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

October 2006

Level: 33.9

Change: 0.1

Index of total private aggregate weekly hours

1992-2006

80

85

90

95

100

105

110

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

80

85

90

95

100

105

110

Seasonally adjusted, 2002 = 100

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 3, 2006.

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

October 2006

Level: 105.5

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 ticked up 0.1 hour to 33.9 hours, seasonally adjusted. 

• The index of aggregate weekly hours of production and nonsupervisory workers 

on private nonfarm payrolls rose 0.3 percent in October to 105.5, seasonally 

adjusted. Over the year, the index has increased 2.3 percent. During the same 

time span, private payroll employment increased by 1.6 percent.
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Index of total private aggregate weekly payrolls

1992-2006

55

68

81

94

107

120

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

55

68

81

94

107

120

Seasonally adjusted, 2002 = 100

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 3, 2006.

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

October 2006

Level: 119.3

Percent Change: +0.6

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

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

1990-2006

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-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

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, November 3, 2006.

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

October 2006

Percent Change: +3.9

• The index of aggregate weekly payrolls of production and nonsupervisory 

workers on private nonfarm payrolls rose 0.6 percent in October to 119.3, 

seasonally adjusted. Over the year, the index has increased 6.2 percent.

• Average hourly earnings of production and nonsupervisory workers rose 6 cents 

to $16.91 in October, seasonally adjusted, following an increase of 4 cents in 

September. Over the year average hourly earnings have risen by 63 cents, an 

increase of 3.9 percent. 
6

Employment in construction

1992-2006

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

Jan-92

Jan-93

Jan-94

Jan-95Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Survey, November 3, 2006.

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

October 2006

Level: 7,491

Change: -26

-35

-25

-15

-5

5

15

25

35

Jan-05

Feb-05

Mar-05

Apr-05

May-05

Jun-05

Jul-05

Aug-05

Sep-05

Oct-05

Nov-05

Dec-05

Jan-06

Feb-06

Mar-06

Apr-06

May-06

Jun-06

Jul-06

Aug-06

Sep-06

Oct-06

Residential Nonresidential

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 3, 2006.

Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

Employment in residential and nonresidential specialty 

trade contractors, over-the-month change, 2005-06

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

October 2006

Residential: -31 

Nonresidential: +9

• Construction employment contracted by 26,000 in October -- the largest monthly 

decline since February of 2003. 

• October’s decrease offset all of the employment growth experienced in the 

preceding 7 months. 

• Employment in construction of buildings fell by 6,000 in October. Both 

residential and nonresidential building construction experienced job losses. 

• Much of the loss in October occurred within residential specialty trade contractors 

(-31,000). 

• Since reaching a high point in February 2006, residential specialty trade 

contractors have shed 99,000 jobs. Over the same time period, nonresidential 

specialty trade contractors have added 88,000. 
7

-26

8

-8

-12

-5

-18

-9 -11

-26

9

18

8

5

-1 -1

19

-10

25

-23

-4

-12

-39

-45

-35

-25

-15

-5

5

15

25

35

Jan-05

Feb-05

Mar-05

Apr-05

May-05

Jun-05

Jul-05

Aug-05

Sep-05

Oct-05

Nov-05

Dec-05

Jan-06

Feb-06

Mar-06

Apr-06

May-06

Jun-06

Jul-06

Aug-06

Sep-06

Oct-06

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 3, 2006.

Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

Employment in manufacturing

Over-the-month change, 2005-06

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

• Manufacturing continued to see job losses in October, with an employment 

decline of 39,000. Strikes in the rubber products and aerospace industries account 

for about one third of this loss. 

• Job losses were about evenly split between durable goods and nondurable goods 

industries. 

• Establishments in motor vehicle and parts reduced payrolls by 15,000 jobs over 

the month. Several assembly plants were shut down, and employment in parts 

making continued its long-run declining trend. 

• Following 2 months of decline, the factory workweek grew by 0.1 hour to 41.2 

hours, seasonally adjusted. Manufacturing overtime was unchanged. 

• Average hourly earnings grew by 6 cents, the largest earnings gain in a year. 
8

Employment in selected professional and business services

Over-the-month change, October 2006

17.3

0.8

0.5

1.1

11.7

1.3

24.3

6.5

4.2

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

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, November 3, 2006.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Professional and Business 

services: +43

Professional and 

technical services

Management of 

companies

Administrative and 

waste services

Employment in temporary help services

1992-2006

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

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 3, 2006.

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

October 2006

Level: 2,603.6

Change: +15.0

• In October, employment growth in professional and business services amounted 

to 43,000, above the trend of 35,000 per month for the prior 12-month period. 

The increase was split between professional and technical services and 

administrative and waste services. 

• Over the year, professional and business services has added by 468,000 jobs, 

making up over one-fifth of total nonfarm job growth. 

• Employment in temporary help services was little changed in October. Since 

January employment growth in this industry has been relatively flat. 
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Employment in health care 

Over-the-month change, October 2006

7.6

1.2

1.0

3.4

6.3

8.6

0 2 4 6 8 10

Offices of physicians

Outpatient care centers

Home health care

services

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, November 3, 2006.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Health care:

+22.5

Ambulatory health 

care services

Hospitals

Nursing and residential 

care facilities

• Health care employment rose by 23,000 jobs, with large increases in nursing and 

residential care facilities, ambulatory health care services, and hospitals. 

October’s employment change is in line with the average monthly gain this year. 

• Over the past 12 months, health care has added 302,000 jobs. 
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