Bureau of Labor Statistics

Current Employment Statistics 

Highlights

November 2008

Bureau of Labor Statistics

December 5, 2008
2

126

25

177

46

162

107

57 74 81

140

60 41

-76 -83 -88 -67 -47

-100 -67

-127

-403

-320

-533 -600

-500

-400

-300

-200

-100

0

100

200

300

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

Apr-08

May-08

Jun-08

Jul-08

Aug-08

Sep-08

Oct-08

Nov-08

Employment in total nonfarm

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 5, 2008.

Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-month change, 2007-08

• Nonfarm payroll employment declined by 533,000 in November. Over the 

most recent 3 months, job losses have averaged 419,000 per month, sharply 

higher than the average loss of 82,000 per month from January through 

August of this year.
3

Percent change in total nonfarm employment, from 

beginning of recession* 

-2.5

-2.0

-1.5

-1.0

-0.5

0.0

0.5

-6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Month

-2.5

-2.0

-1.5

-1.0

-0.5

0.0

0.5

July 1990

March 2001

December 2007

*Note: Business cycle peak as determined by the National Bureau of Economic Research

Seasonally adjusted

• Total nonfarm employment peaked in December 2007, coinciding with the 

start of the recession as declared by the National Bureau of Economic 

Research (NBER). With the recent acceleration of job losses, nonfarm 

employment has fallen by 1.4 percent in the first 11 months after the recession 

began, reflecting the same rate of decline that occurred after the 1990 

recession.
4

4

-82

-85

-25

-91

-32

1

-19

-32

-136

52

-76

-19

7

-160 -120 -80 -40 0 40 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, November 2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 5, 2008.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in total nonfarm

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

-533

Total nonfarm:

• Job losses in November were widespread. Goods-producing industries shed 

163,000 jobs in November while service-providing industries lost 370,000.

• In contrast to most industries, education and health services added 52,000 jobs 

in November. Over the year, education and health services has added 551,000 

positions. 
5

33.0

33.5

34.0

34.5

35.0

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05Jan-06

Jan-07

Jan-08

33.0

33.5

34.0

34.5

35.0

1997-2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 5, 2008.

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

November 2008

Level: 33.5

Change: -0.1

85

90

95

100

105

110

115

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03Jan-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, December 5, 2008.

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.

November 2008

Level: 104.7

Percent change: -0.9

• In November, the average workweek for production and nonsupervisory 

workers on private nonfarm payrolls fell by 0.1 hour to 33.5 hours, seasonally 

adjusted. This is the shortest workweek in the history of the series, which 

began in 1964.

• The index of aggregate weekly hours of production and nonsupervisory 

workers on nonfarm payrolls fell by 0.9 percent in November. This index 

peaked in December 2007 and has declined by 2.9 percent since that time.
6

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

Jan-97

Jan-98Jan-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, December 5, 2008.

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

November 2008

Level: 128.1

Percent change: -0.5

• The index of aggregate weekly payrolls for production and nonsupervisory 

workers on private nonfarm payrolls fell by 0.5 percent in November. The 

decline was spurred by a 0.6 percent loss in the number of production and 

nonsupervisory workers and a 0.1-hour decrease in the average workweek. A 

7-cent increase in average hourly earnings partly offset these declines.
7

29

-103

71

-34

-17

13

-24 -27

-16 -12

-57 -55

-39 -44 -39

-59

-38

-50

-23 -20

-55 -64

-82

-130

-110

-90

-70

-50

-30

-10

10

30

50

70

90

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

Apr-08

May-08

Jun-08

Jul-08

Aug-08

Sep-08

Oct-08

Nov-08

Employment in construction

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 5, 2008.

Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-month change, 2007-08

-6.4

-12.9 -12.0

-29.3

-20.9

-9.5

-3.8 -5.4

-20.1

-6.5

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

Residential building Nonresidential

building

Heavy and civil

engineering

Residential specialty

trades

Nonresidential

specialty trades

November 2008

Prior 12-mo. avg. 

Over-the-month change

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 5, 2008.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in construction

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

• Construction employment continued to decline in November, as the industry 

lost 82,000 positions. Construction has lost 780,000 jobs since employment 

peaked in September 2006, with 66 percent of the decline occurring in the first 

11 months of 2008.

• Job losses were widespread throughout construction, with all of the major 

components shedding jobs. In particular, specialty trade contractors lost 

50,000 jobs in November, the largest 1-month decline for this industry since 

February 2007.
8

-18

-27

-35 -31

-12

-20

-6

-40

-22 -25

-3

-22

-35

-47 -46

-52

-21

-44 -40

-61

-69

-104

-85

-120

-100

-80

-60

-40

-20

0

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

Apr-08

May-08

Jun-08

Jul-08

Aug-08

Sep-08

Oct-08

Nov-08

Employment in manufacturing

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 5, 2008.

Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-month change, 2007-08

39.0

39.5

40.0

40.5

41.0

41.5

42.0

42.5

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

Jan-08

39.0

39.5

40.0

40.5

41.0

41.5

42.0

42.5

1997-2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 5, 2008.

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, manufacturing

Seasonally adjusted

November 2008

Level: 40.3

Change: -0.2

• Employment in manufacturing fell by 85,000 in November. Losses were 

partially offset by 27,000 aerospace workers returning from strike. In the past 

3 months, manufacturing has lost 258,000 jobs. This is the largest 3-month 

decline in employment since February through April 2003.

• In November, the average workweek for production and nonsupervisory 

workers in manufacturing fell by 0.2 hour to 40.3 hours, seasonally adjusted. 

Since reaching a peak in September 2007, the manufacturing workweek has 

fallen by 1.1 hours.
9

-9

-8

-7

-15

-11

-7

-3

9

-7

-4

-30 -20 -10 0 10 20

Wood products

Nonmettalic 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, November 2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 5, 2008.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in durable goods manufacturing

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

-62

Durable goods:

4

1

-5

-1

-2

0

-2

-5

1

-1

-12

-16 -12 -8 -4 0 4 8

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, November 2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 5, 2008.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in nondurable goods manufacturing

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

-23

Nondurable goods:

• The job declines in November were widespread across both durable and 

nondurable goods manufacturing. Durable goods shed 62,000 jobs, while 

nondurable goods lost 23,000.

• Within nondurable goods, plastics and rubber products (-12,000) accounted 

for over half the job loss.
10

-20

1

-2

-7

-11

-4 -6

-1 -2

-16

-1

-10

-6 -6

-23

-19

0

-6

-1

-36

-16

-9

-13

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

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

Apr-08

May-08

Jun-08

Jul-08

Aug-08

Sep-08

Oct-08

Nov-08

Employment in motor vehicles

and parts

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 5, 2008.

Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-month change, 2007-08

• Motor vehicles and parts manufacturers shed 13,000 jobs over the month; 

employment in this industry has fallen by 135,000 since December. 
11

Percent change in retail trade employment, from beginning 

of recession* 

-3.5

-3.0

-2.5

-2.0

-1.5

-1.0

-0.5

0.0

0.5

1.0

-6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Month

-3.5

-3.0

-2.5

-2.0

-1.5

-1.0

-0.5

0.0

0.5

1.0

July 1990

March 2001

December 2007

*Note: Business cycle peak as determined by the National Bureau of Economic Research

Seasonally adjusted

• Retail trade employment dropped by 91,000 in November. In the last 3 

months, this industry has averaged a loss of 76,000 jobs per month, compared 

to an average loss of 27,000 jobs per month in the first 8 months of 2008. In 

percentage terms, job losses since the start of the current NBER-defined 

recession are similar to those seen in the 1990 recession.

• Among component industries, the largest declines came in motor vehicle and 

parts dealers (-27,000) and clothing and clothing accessories stores (-18,000). 

Since December 2007, motor vehicle and parts dealers have shed 125,000 

jobs.
12

3,500

3,750

4,000

4,250

4,500

4,750

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

Jan-08

3,500

3,750

4,000

4,250

4,500

4,750

and warehousing

1997-2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 5, 2008.

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 transportation

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

November 2008

Level: 4,417.3

Change: -31.5

1,150

1,200

1,250

1,300

1,350

1,400

1,450

1,500

1,550

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

Jan-08

1,150

1,200

1,250

1,300

1,350

1,400

1,450

1,500

1,550

1997-2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 5, 2008.

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 truck transportation

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

November 2008

Level: 1,369.3

Change: -11.7

• Employment in transportation and warehousing fell by 32,000 in November. 

In the last 3 months, the industry has averaged losses of 29,000 jobs, 

compared to an average monthly loss of 4,000 in the first 8 months of 2008.

• This recent acceleration is largely due to increased job losses in truck 

transportation. Employment in trucking fell by 12,000 in November, and the 

average job loss over the last 3 months is 10,000. Truck transportation had 

been averaging a loss of 3,000 jobs per month during the first 8 months of 

2008.
13

6,500

7,000

7,500

8,000

8,500

9,000

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

Jan-08

6,500

7,000

7,500

8,000

8,500

9,000

1997-2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 5, 2008.

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 financial activities

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

November 2008

Level: 8,110

Change: -32

• Financial activities employment continued to decline in November, falling by 

32,000. This is the largest 1-month decline in employment in the history of 

the series, which began in 1939. Since December 2007, job losses in this 

industry have totaled 142,000.

• Losses in credit intermediation continued to drive the financial services sector 

in November, as industry employment was drawn down by 16,000. Since 

reaching a peak in October 2006, the industry has shed 181,000 jobs, or 6 

percent of the workforce.
14

-17.4

-1.7

-10.0

2.7

1.4

-6.1

-111.8

-100.7

-6.6

-140 -120 -100 -80 -60 -40 -20 0 20

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, November 2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 5, 2008.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in selected professional and

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

business services

services: -136

Professional and technical Professional and business

Management of companies

Administrative and waste services

1,500

1,750

2,000

2,250

2,500

2,750

3,000

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

Jan-08

1,500

1,750

2,000

2,250

2,500

2,750

3,000

1997-2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 5, 2008.

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

November 2008

Level: 2,185.2

Change: -78.2

• Professional and business services continued to contract in November, cutting 

136,000 jobs—3 times the average job loss observed in the first 10 months of 

2008. As was the case with financial activities, the November decline in 

professional and business services was the largest 1-month drop in the history 

of the series.

• Temporary help services accounted for most of the November decline, as the 

industry shed 78,000 jobs.