Bureau of Labor Statistics

Current Employment Statistics 

Highlights

September 2009

Bureau of Labor Statistics

October 2, 2009
1

120,000

122,500

125,000

127,500

130,000

132,500

135,000

137,500

140,000

120,000

122,500

125,000

127,500

130,000

132,500

135,000

137,500

140,000

1999-2009

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 2, 2009.

Notes: Shaded areas represent recessions as determined by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). NBER has 

not yet determined an endpoint for the recession that began in Dec. 2007. Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

Employment in total nonfarm

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

September 2009

Level: 130,947

Change: -263

-72

-144 -122 -160 -137 -161 -128

-175

-321

-380

-597

-681

-741

-681 -652

-519

-303

-463

-304

-201

-263

-900

-750

-600

-450

-300

-150

0

Employment in total nonfarm

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 2, 2009.

Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-month change, 2008-09

• Total nonfarm employment declined by 263,000 in September. 

• Payroll employment has fallen for 21 consecutive months, with losses totaling 7.2 

million. 

• From May to September, job losses averaged 307,000 per month, compared with 

losses averaging 645,000 per month from November to April. 
2

March 2006

Percent change: 2.2

September 2009

Percent change: -4.2

-4.5

-3.0

-1.5

0.0

1.5

3.0

-4.5

-3.0

-1.5

0.0

1.5

3.0

Employment in total nonfarm

Seasonally adjusted, percent

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 2, 2009.

Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-year percent changes, 2006-09

• In September, total nonfarm employment decreased by 4.2 percent over the year. 
3

 

-1

-64

-51

-5

-39

-15

-1

0

-10

-8

3

-9

-10

-53

-80 -60 -40 -20 0 20

Mining and logging

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, September 2009

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 2, 2009.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in total nonfarm

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

-263

Total nonfarm:

• In September, job losses occurred in most industries, with notable job losses 

occurring in construction, manufacturing, retail trade, and government. 

• Although job losses remain broadly distributed across most industries, they have 

also moderated considerably since April. 
4

32.5

33.0

33.5

34.0

34.5

35.0

32.5

33.0

33.5

34.0

34.5

35.0

1999-2009

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 2, 2009.

Notes: Shaded areas represent recessions as determined by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). NBER has 

not yet determined an endpoint for the recession that began in Dec. 2007. Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

Average weekly hours, total private

Seasonally adjusted

September 2009

Level: 33.0

Change: -0.1

90

95

100

105

110

115

90

95

100

105

110

115

aggregate weekly hours

1999-2009

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 2, 2009.

Notes: Shaded areas represent recessions as determined by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). NBER has not yet 

determined an endpoint for the recession that began in Dec. 2007. Most recent 2 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.

September 2009

Level: 98.5

Percent change: -0.5

• In September, the average workweek of production and nonsupervisory 

employees edged down by 0.1 hour to 33.0 hours, the series low. 

• Average weekly hours have been either 33.0 or 33.1 each month since March. 

• The index of total private aggregate weekly hours fell 0.5 percent in September. 

Since reaching a peak in December 2007, the index has fallen by 8.6 percent. 

 
5

-4.0

-2.0

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

-4.0

-2.0

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

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

1999-2009

Over-the-year percent changes in average

Seasonally adjusted, percent

Over-the-year percent changes

September 2009 AHE: 2.5

August 2009 CPI-W: -1.9

Notes: Shaded areas represent recessions as determined by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). NBER has not yet 

determined an endpoint for the recession that began in Dec. 2007. Most recent 2 months of CES data are preliminary.

Sources: BLS, Consumer Price Indexes program and Current Employment Statistics survey, October 2, 2009.

CPI-W

AHE

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

1999-2009

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 2, 2009.

Notes: Shaded areas represent recessions as determined by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). NBER has not yet 

determined an endpoint for the recession that began in Dec. 2007. Most recent 2 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 2009

Level: 122.8

Percent change: -0.5

• In September, average hourly earnings of production and nonsupervisory 

employees edged up 1 cent to $18.67. Over the past year, average hourly 

earnings have risen by 2.5 percent. The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage 

Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) fell by 1.9 percent over the year ending in 

August. 

• The index of total private aggregate weekly payrolls fell by 0.5 percent in 

September. Since reaching a peak in August 2008, the index has fallen by 5.0 

percent. 
6

-34

-44 -44

-64

-44

-61

-31

-24

-46

-65

-127

-98

-135

-113

-123

-103

-57

-79

-69

-60 -64

-150

-120

-90

-60

-30

0

Employment in construction

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 2, 2009.

Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-month change, 2008-09

• Employment in construction declined by 64,000, in line with the average monthly 

job loss since May. This compares with average monthly job losses of 117,000 

per month from November to April. 

• The September job cuts in construction were concentrated in the industry’s 

nonresidential component industries (-39,000) and in heavy construction (-

12,000). 
7

-33

-52 -49 -57

-30

-51 -51

-67 -65

-119 -121

-180

-262

-172 -172

-150 -146

-123

-41

-66

-51

-300

-250

-200

-150

-100

-50

0

Employment in manufacturing

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 2, 2009.

Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-month change, 2008-09

• Employment in manufacturing fell by 51,000 in September. Over the past 3 

months, job losses have averaged 53,000, compared with an average monthly loss 

of 161,000 from October to June. 

• Employment in the manufacturing industry has contracted by 2.1 million since the 

December 2007 onset of the recession as declared by the National Bureau of 

Economic Research. Approximately 75 percent of these job losses have been in 

durable goods. 
8

-2

-2

-3

-10

-9

-7

1

-4

-5

-3

-15 -10 -5 0 5

Wood products

Nonmetallic mineral products

Primary metals

Fabricated metal products

Machinery

Computer and electronic products

Electrical equipment and appliances

Transportation equipment

Furniture and related products

Miscellaneous manufacturing

Over-the-month change, September 2009

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 2, 2009.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in durable goods manufacturing

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

-43

Durable goods:

-2

0

-1

0

-1

0

0

-2

0

-2

-1

-3 -2 -1 0 1

Food manufacturing

Beverage and tobacco

Textile mills

Textile product mills

Apparel

Leather products

Paper products

Printing 

Petroleum and coal products

Chemicals

Plastics and rubber

Over-the-month change, September 2009

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 2, 2009.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in nondurable goods manufacturing

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

-8

Nondurable goods:

• Employment in durable goods manufacturing fell by 43,000 in September and job 

losses were widespread throughout the industry. 

• Since December 2007, employment in durable goods has fallen by 1.6 million, 

though average monthly losses have moderated by more than half since April. 

• Nondurable goods manufacturing employment edged down by 8,000 in 

September. Job losses averaged 17,000 per month since May, compared with 

losses averaging 41,000 per month from November to April. 
9

3.8

-45.6

-20.1

-48.4

-37.7

-15.5

-24.2

-45.7

-56.3-61.4

-90.8-88.1

-46.4

-57.2-61.9

-32.7-28.1

-20.1

-44.5

-8.8

-38.5

-105

-90

-75

-60

-45

-30

-15

0

15

Employment in retail trade

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 2, 2009.

Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-month change, 2008-09

• Employment in retail trade fell by 39,000 in September. Since April, retail 

employment has fallen by an average of 29,000 per month, compared with an 

average monthly loss of 68,000 for the prior 6 months. 

• Since the beginning of the recession, retail trade has lost 868,000 jobs. 
10

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

1990-2009

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 2, 2009.

Notes: Shaded areas represent recessions as determined by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). NBER has 

not yet determined an endpoint for the recession that began in Dec. 2007. Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

Employment in temporary help services

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

September 2009

Level: 1,736.6

Change: -1.7

• Employment in temporary help was essentially unchanged in September. From 

May to September, temporary help employment has fallen by an average of 9,000 

per month, compared with an average monthly loss of 73,000 for the prior 6-

month period. 

• Since the beginning of the recession, employment in temporary help services has 

decreased by 1.1 million jobs. 
11

15.3

5.3

0.3

4.4

3.6

0.3

14.4

5.3

0.5

4.8

5.2

5.2

0 3 6 9 12 15 18

Ambulatory health care 

services*

Offices of physicians

Outpatient care centers

Home health care services

Hospitals

Nursing and residential care 

facilities

September 2009:+19.2

Prior 12-mo. avg.: +24.8

Over-the-month change, September 2009

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, October 2, 2009.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in selected health care industries

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 services continued to increase in September (19,000). 

Health care has added 559,000 jobs since the beginning of the recession. 

• The average monthly job gain in health care thus far in 2009 (22,000) is down 

from the average monthly gain in 2008 (30,000). 

• Job growth in September was led by ambulatory health care services (15,000).