Bureau of Labor Statistics

Current Employment Statistics 

Highlights

July 2007

Bureau of Labor Statistics

August 3, 2007
1

110,000

115,000

120,000

125,000

130,000

135,000

140,000

145,000

150,000

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

110,000

115,000

120,000

125,000

130,000

135,000

140,000

145,000

150,000

1996-2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, August 3, 2007.

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

Employment in total nonfarm

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

July 2007

Level: 138,122

Change: +92

• Nonfarm employment edged up in July. 

• Job growth has slowed in 2007; gains have averaged 136,000 per month, 

compared to 189,000 per month in 2006. 

• Since last reaching a low point in August 2003, nonfarm employment has grown 

by 8.3 million. 
2

2

-12

-2

10

-1

10

0

-5

27

26

39

22

4

-28

-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

Over-the-month change, July 2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, August 3, 2007.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in total nonfarm and supersectors

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

+92

Total nonfarm:

• Job growth in July was spread between several service-producing industries. 

Education and health services saw the largest over-the-month increase, adding 

39,000 jobs. 

• Employment in goods-producing industries was essentially unchanged in July. 
3

33.0

33.5

34.0

34.5

35.0

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

33.0

33.5

34.0

34.5

35.0

1996-2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, August 3, 2007.

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

Average weekly hours, total private

Seasonally adjusted

July 2007

Level: 33.8

Change: -0.1

85

90

95

100

105

110

115

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

85

90

95

100

105

110

115

aggregate weekly hours

1996-2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, August 3, 2007.

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.

July 2007

Level: 107.7

Percent change: -0.1

• Average weekly hours of production and nonsupervisory workers on nonfarm 

payrolls decreased 0.1 hour in July to 33.8 hours. The workweek has remained 

within a 0.2-hour range since July 2004. 

• The index of total private aggregate weekly hours decreased by 0.1 percent in 

July. Since reaching a low point in August 2003, the index has increased by 9.7 

percent. The rate of growth, however, has slowed since April 2006. 
4

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

in average hourly earnings

1996-2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, August 3, 2007.

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

Over-the-year percent change

Seasonally adjusted, percent

July 2007

Percent Change: +3.9

 

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

1996-2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, August 3, 2007.

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

July 2007

Level: 125.6

Percent change: +0.2

• Average hourly earnings for production and nonsupervisory workers on nonfarm 

payrolls rose by 6 cents in July. Over the year, nominal earnings are up 3.9 

percent. 

• The index of total private aggregate weekly payrolls rose 0.2 percent in July. 

Over the year, the index has grown by 5.6 percent. 
5

5,000

5,500

6,000

6,500

7,000

7,500

8,000

8,500

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

5,000

5,500

6,000

6,500

7,000

7,500

8,000

8,500

1996-2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, August 3, 2007.

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

Employment in construction

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

July 2007

Level: 7,650

Change: -12

• Average hourly earnings for production and nonsupervisory workers on nonfarm 

payrolls rose by 6 cents in July. Over the year, nominal earnings are up 3.9 

percent. 

• The index of total private aggregate weekly payrolls rose 0.2 percent in July. 

Over the year, the index has grown by 5.6 percent. 
6

600

700

800

900

1,000

1,100

1,200

1,300

1,400

1,500

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

600

700

800

900

1,000

1,100

1,200

1,300

1,400

1,500

design and related services

1996-2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, August 3, 2007.

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

Employment in computer systems

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

July 2007

Level: 1,358.5

Change: +14.8

2,250

2,500

2,750

3,000

3,250

3,500

3,750

4,000

4,250

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

2,250

2,500

2,750

3,000

3,250

3,500

3,750

4,000

4,250

1996-2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, August 3, 2007.

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

Employment in employment services

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

July 2007

Level: 3,542.3

Change: -20.5

• Employment in computer systems design and related services continued to grow 

in July, adding 15,000 jobs over the month, and surpassing its prior high point set 

in March 2001. 

• Computer systems design and related services has gained 71,000 jobs over the 

year, accounting for over 20 percent of net growth in professional and business 

services. 

• The number of jobs in employment services was little changed in July. 

Employment in this industry had grown steadily from April 2003 to December 

2005 and was little changed in 2006. However, the industry has now lost 132,000 

jobs in 2007. Within employment services, temporary help services edged 

downward in July. 
7

28

8.8

0.3

7.6

8.6

-0.5

-5 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Ambulatory health care

services*

Offices of physicians

Outpatient care centers

Home health care services

Hospitals

Nursing and residential

care facilities

Over-the-month change, July 2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, August 3, 2007.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in health care

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

+36.1

Health care:

Ambulatory health care

services*

Hospitals

Nursing and residential care

facilities

* Includes additional component industries not shown separately.

• The health care industry added 36,000 jobs over the month; over the past year, 

employment in health care grew by 377,000. 

• In July, growth was concentrated in doctors’ offices, home health care, and 

hospitals.
8

32

27

37

23 21 21

40

27

18

34

51

30

25 23 25

41

38

30

22

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

Jan-06

Feb-06

Mar-06

Apr-06

May-06

Jun-06

Jul-06

Aug-06

Sep-06

Oct-06

Nov-06

Dec-06

Jan-07

Feb-07

Mar-07

Apr-07

May-07

Jun-07

Jul-07

Employment in food services and

drinking places

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, August 3, 2007.

Note: Most recent two months of data are preliminary

Over-the-month change, 2006-07

• The food services and drinking places industry added 22,000 jobs in July and 

365,000 jobs over the year.

• This industry has been driving the overall gains in leisure and hospitality, 

accounting for over 80 percent of the jobs added since July 2006.