Bureau of Labor Statistics

Current Employment Statistics 

Highlights

March 2008

Bureau of Labor Statistics

April 4, 2008
2

110,000

115,000

120,000

125,000

130,000

135,000

140,000

145,000

150,000

Jan-97Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00Jan-01

Jan-02Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06Jan-07

Jan-08

110,000

115,000

120,000

125,000

130,000

135,000

140,000

145,000

150,000

1997-2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, April 4, 2008.

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

Employment in total nonfarm

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

March 2008

Level: 137,846

Change: -80

126

25

177

46

162

107

57

74 81

140

60

41

-76 -76 -80

-120

-80

-40

0

40

80

120

160

200

240

Jan-07Feb-07

Mar-07

Apr-07

May-07

Jun-07

Jul-07

Aug-07

Sep-07

Oct-07

Nov-07

Dec-07

Jan-08Feb-08

Mar-08

Employment in total nonfarm

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, April 4, 2008.

Note: Most recent two months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-month change, 2007-08

• Nonfarm payroll employment edged down in March (-80,000). Over the past 

three months, nonfarm payroll employment has declined by 232,000. 

• In the first quarter of 2008, employment has decreased by a monthly average of 

77,000. This is down from monthly job growth of 75,000 in the last half of 2007 

and of 107,000 during the first half of 2007. 
3

 

6

-51

-48

-5

-12

-4

1

-6

-5

-35

42

18

1

18

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

Over-the-month change, March 2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, April 4, 2008.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in total nonfarm

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

-80

Total nonfarm:

• In the goods-producing sector, both construction and manufacturing employment 

continued to decline, while job growth in natural resources and mining trended 

upward.

• In the service-providing sector, retail, financial activities, and professional and 

business services experienced job losses; education and health services, leisure 

and hospitality, and government employment continued to expand.
4

 

33.0

33.5

34.0

34.5

35.0

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07Jan-08

33.0

33.5

34.0

34.5

35.0

1997-2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, April 4, 2008.

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

Average weekly hours, total private

Seasonally adjusted

March 2008

Level: 33.8

Change: +0.1

85

90

95

100

105

110

115

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

Jan-08

85

90

95

100

105

110

115

aggregate weekly hours

1997-2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, April 4, 2008.

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.

March 2008

Level: 107.5

Percent change: +0.2

• In March, the average weekly hours of production and nonsupervisory workers on 

private nonfarm payrolls rose by 0.1 hour. The workweek has fluctuated no more 

than 0.1 hour from 33.8 hours, seasonally adjusted, since November 2004. 

• The index of total private aggregate weekly hours increased by 0.2 percent in 

March. In the past 6 months, the index has remained essentially unchanged.
5

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

Jan-08

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

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

1997-2008

Over-the-year percent changes in average

Seasonally adjusted, percent

Over-the-year percent changes

March 2008 AHE: +3.6

February 2008 CPI-W: +4.5

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, April 4,2008

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

Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Indexes program and

CPI-W

AHE

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

Jan-08

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

1997-2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, April 4, 2008.

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

March 2008

Level: 128.3

Percent change: +0.5

• Average hourly earnings for production and nonsupervisory workers on private 

nonfarm payrolls rose by 5 cents in March. For the past 12 months, average 

hourly earnings have increased by 3.6 percent. 

• The index of total private aggregate weekly payrolls rose 0.5 percent in March. 

The index has grown by 4.1 percent over the past 12 months compared to 6.1 

percent during the preceding 12 months. 
6

0.9

4.8

4.2

3.1

2.1

1.2

6.7

0.9

0.2 0.4

7.2

2.9

5.3

2.1

6.1

0

2

4

6

8

10

Jan-07

Feb-07

Mar-07

Apr-07

May-07

Jun-07

Jul-07

Aug-07

Sep-07

Oct-07

Nov-07

Dec-07

Jan-08

Feb-08

Mar-08

Employment in mining

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, April 4, 2008.

Note: Most recent two months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-month change, 2007-08

• Employment in natural resources and mining rose by 6,000 in March; the results 

are in line with the steady growth the industry has recorded over the past year.

• Since reaching a trough in April 2003, employment in the industry has grown by a 

third. 
7

5,000

5,500

6,000

6,500

7,000

7,500

8,000

8,500

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05Jan-06

Jan-07

Jan-08

5,000

5,500

6,000

6,500

7,000

7,500

8,000

8,500

1997-2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, April 4, 2008.

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

Employment in construction

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

March 2008

Level: 7,338

Change: -51

-3.7

-0.6

-5.1

-27.3

-14.8

-8.1

-1.6 -1.1

-12.1

3.5

-32

-28

-24

-20

-16

-12

-8

-4

0

4

8

12

Residential building Nonresidential

building

Heavy and civil

engineering

Residential specialty

trades

Nonresidential

specialty trades

March 2008

Prior 12-mo. avg. 

Over-the-month change

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, April 4, 2008.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in construction

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

• Employment in construction declined by 51,000 in March with losses 

concentrated in specialty trade contractors (-42,000). 

• Since peaking in September 2006, employment in the industry has fallen by 

394,000. 
8

13,000

14,000

15,000

16,000

17,000

18,000

19,000

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

Jan-08

13,000

14,000

15,000

16,000

17,000

18,000

19,000

1997-2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, April 4, 2008.

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

Employment in manufacturing

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

March 2008

Level: 13,643

Change: -48

-20

1

-2

-7

-11

-4

-6

-1 -2

-16

-1

-10

-6 -7

-24

-30

-25

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

Jan-07

Feb-07

Mar-07

Apr-07

May-07

Jun-07

Jul-07

Aug-07

Sep-07

Oct-07

Nov-07

Dec-07

Jan-08

Feb-08

Mar-08

Employment in motor vehicles

and parts

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, April 4, 2008.

Note: Most recent two months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-month change, 2007-08

• Manufacturing employment decreased by 48,000 in March and by 310,000 over 

the past 12 months. Job losses in manufacturing were heaviest among motor 

vehicle and parts and construction-related industries.

• Employment in motor vehicle and parts was down 24,000 in March, largely 

reflecting the impact of a strike in auto parts manufacturing. The strike resulted in 

a parts shortage that led to plant shutdowns elsewhere in the auto industry. 
9

7,800

7,900

8,000

8,100

8,200

8,300

8,400

8,500

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

Jan-08

2003-08

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, April 4, 2008.

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

Employment in financial activities

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

March 2008

Level: 8,228

Change: -5

-101.2

-2.5

24.2

18.2

-36.3

-125 -100 -75 -50 -25 0 25 50

Credit intermediation*

Commercial banking 

Securities and

commodity

Insurance and related

activities

Real estate 

Over-the-year change, March 2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, April 4, 2008.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in selected financial activities

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

+22.8

Health care:

* Includes additional component industries not shown separately.

Commercial banking

• Employment in financial activities changed little in March. Since its peak in 

December 2006, the industry has lost 128,000 jobs.

 

• Credit intermediation edged down in March. Over the past 12 months, credit 

intermediation employment has declined by 101,000. 
10

24 25

2

28

35

-3

23 21 21

70

9

52

-30 -30 -35

-60

-40

-20

0

20

40

60

80

100

Jan-07

Feb-07

Mar-07

Apr-07

May-07

Jun-07

Jul-07

Aug-07

Sep-07

Oct-07

Nov-07

Dec-07

Jan-08

Feb-08

Mar-08

Employment in professional and

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, April 4, 2008.

Note: Most recent two months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-month change, 2007-08

business services

4.1

-1.1

-1.5

-0.6

4.6

-3.7

-35.9

-41.8

-3.0

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

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, March 2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, April 4, 2008.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in selected professional and

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

business services

services: -35

Professional and business

Professional and technical

Management of companies

Administrative and waste services

• In March, employment in professional and business services shed 35,000 

positions. In the first quarter of 2008, the industry lost 95,000 jobs after gaining 

131,000 in the last quarter of 2007. 

• Professional and technical services employment showed little change for the third 

consecutive month, compared to average monthly gains of 27,000 jobs in 2007. 

• Employment services declined by 42,000 in March. On average, the monthly 

employment losses in first quarter of 2008 were larger than the average over-themonth loss in 2007. Since peaking in August 2006, employment services has lost 

210,000 jobs.
11

7.4

3.4

-2.4

0.8

13.7

1.7

16.1

5.7

0.4

3.4

10.0

3.9

-5 0 5 10 15 20

Ambulatory health care

services*

Offices of physicians

Outpatient care centers

Home health care services

Hospitals

Nursing and residential

care facilities

March 2008:+22.8

Prior 12-mo. avg.: +30.0

Over-the-month change, March 2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, April 4, 2008.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in health care

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

Health care:

Ambulatory health care

services*

Hospitals

Nursing and residential care

facilities

* Includes additional component industries not shown separately.

• Health care continued to expand in March, rising by 23,000 employees. Hospitals 

accounted for the majority of the job gains, growing by 14,000. Over the past 12 

months, health care has added 363,000 jobs.