Bureau of Labor Statistics

Current Employment Statistics 

Highlights

November 2007

Bureau of Labor Statistics

December 7, 2007
2

110,000

115,000

120,000

125,000

130,000

135,000

140,000

145,000

150,000

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98Jan-99Jan-00Jan-01

Jan-02Jan-03Jan-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, December 7, 2007.

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

Employment in total nonfarm

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

November 2007

Level: 138,467

Change: +94

206

300

249

144

103

124

222

186 198

109

196

226

162

90

175

122

188

69

93 93

44

170

94

0

40

80

120

160

200

240

280

320

360

Jan-06Feb-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

Aug-07

Sep-07

Oct-07

Nov-07

Employment in total nonfarm

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 7, 2007.

Note: Most recent two months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-month change, 2006-07

• Total nonfarm employment rose by 94,000 in November. 

• November’s employment increase was in line with the average gain of 110,000 jobs for the prior 6 

months, which represented slower growth than the 162,000 average gain for the previous 6-month 

period. 
3

2

-24

-11

5

24

5

0

-6

-20

30

28

26

5

30

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

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 2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 7, 2007.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in total nonfarm

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

+94

Total nonfarm:

• Employment in goods-producing industries fell by 33,000 in November. 

• Service-providing industries, on the other hand, such as professional and business services and leisure 

and hospitality, continued to trend up. 

• Retail trade employment, which had been flat since April, grew by 24,000. 
4

33.0

33.5

34.0

34.5

35.0

Jan-96Jan-97Jan-98

Jan-99Jan-00Jan-01Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06Jan-07

33.0

33.5

34.0

34.5

35.0

1996-2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 7, 2007.

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

Average weekly hours, total private

Seasonally adjusted

November 2007

Level: 33.8

Change: 0.0

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, December 7, 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.

November 2007

Level: 108.0

Percent change: +0.1

• Average weekly hours of production and nonsupervisory workers on private nonfarm payrolls was 

unchanged in November at 33.8 hours. The workweek has remained essentially unchanged since 2004. 

• The index of total private aggregate weekly hours edged up slightly in November. Since reaching a low 

point in August 2003, the index has increased by 10 percent. However, the rate of growth has slowed 

since the beginning of this year. 
5

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-00

Jan-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, December 7, 2007.

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

Over-the-year percent change

Seasonally adjusted, percent

November 2007

Percent Change: +3.8

70

80

90

100

110

120

130

140

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

140

1996-2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 7, 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

November 2007

Level: 127.2

Percent change: +0.5

• Average hourly earnings for production and nonsupervisory workers on private nonfarm payrolls rose 

by 8 cents in November. Over the year, average hourly earnings have increased by 3.8 percent. 

• The index of total private aggregate weekly payrolls rose 0.5 percent in November. Over the year, the 

index has grown by 5.4 percent, compared to 6.4 percent over the prior 12 months. 
6

-7.2

-0.7

-4.5

-12.8

1.7

-4.9

-0.2 0.0

-8.0

3.0

-20

-16

-12

-8

-4

0

4

8

12

16

20

Residential building Nonresidential

building

Heavy and civil

engineering

Residential specialty

trades

Nonresidential

specialty trades

November 2007

Prior 12-mo. avg. 

Over-the-month change

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 7, 2007.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in construction

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

• Employment in construction fell by 24,000 in November. This decrease, concentrated in the residential 

components, is a reflection of the continuing difficulties in the housing market. 

• Since its most recent peak in September 2006, construction employment has declined by 163,000. 
7

13,000

14,000

15,000

16,000

17,000

18,000

19,000

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

13,000

14,000

15,000

16,000

17,000

18,000

19,000

1996-2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 7, 2007.

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

Employment in manufacturing

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

November 2007

Level: 13,960

Change: -11

• Manufacturing employment declined by 11,000 in November. Over the past year, employment in the 

industry has fallen by 183,000.

• The 1-month manufacturing diffusion index of employment changes measures the breadth of job gain or 

loss across component industries. A value above 50 indicates a predominance of job gains, and a value 

below 50 indicates a predominance of job losses. In November the index stood at 45.2, and it has not 

risen above 50 since January.

• Two industries that provide products for construction—wood products and nonmetallic minerals—

continued to reduce employment, while machinery manufacturers continued to add jobs.
8

11

10

4

1

3

-2

3

-4

2 2

-8 -7

4

5

-10

0 1 0

-11

2

-18

-6

-4

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

5

10

15

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

Aug-07

Sep-07

Oct-07

Nov-07

Employment in building material

and garden supply stores

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 7, 2007.

Note: Most recent two months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-month change, 2006-07

• Employment in building material and garden supply stores dropped by 4,000 in November. Since 

reaching a peak in October of last year, employment in this industry has fallen by 50,000.
9

6,500

7,000

7,500

8,000

8,500

9,000

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05Jan-06

Jan-07

6,500

7,000

7,500

8,000

8,500

9,000

1996-2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 7, 2007.

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

Employment in financial activities

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

November 2007

Level: 8,417

Change: -20

-69.1

5.8

25.2

43.1

1.8

-80 -70 -60 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50

Credit intermediation*

Commercial banking 

Securities and

commodity

Insurance and related

activities

Real estate 

Over-the-year change, November 2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 7, 2007.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in selected financial activities

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

+14.9

Health care:

* Includes additional component industries not shown separately.

Commercial banking

• From January to October 2007, employment in financial activities was essentially unchanged. In 

November, however, this industry shed 20,000 jobs.

 

• Credit intermediation lost 13,000 jobs over the month. The recent job losses in this industry, which 

includes mortgage lending and related activities, reflecting the weakness in the housing market. Real 

estate also lost jobs in November.
10

23.9

6.8

3.5

11.9

6.3

2.9

3.0

3.1

-5.8

-20 -10 0 10 20 30 40

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 2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 7, 2007.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in selected professional and

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

business services

services: +30

Professional and business

Professional and technical

Management of companies

Administrative and waste services

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, December 7, 2007.

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

Employment in employment services

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

November 2007

Level: 3,526.6

Change: +3.1

• In November, employment in professional and business services increased by 30,000, slightly above the 

average employment change for January through October of this year. 

• Gains occurred in components such as computer systems design and management and technical 

consulting. Over the year, these industries experienced the largest gains in professional and business 

services, adding more than 150,000 jobs combined. These industries account for half of the growth in 

professional and business services over the year. 

• Employment services inched up in November. An increase of 11,000 jobs in temporary help services 

component followed an increase of 28,000 in October. The unusual growth in temporary help services 

can be attributed to additional seasonal hiring for the holidays. Despite the gains in October and 

November 2007, temporary help employment is down 41,000 year-to-date. 
11

4.1

7.1

1

-2.8

7.7

3.1

-5 0 5 10 15

Ambulatory health care

services*

Offices of physicians

Outpatient care centers

Home health care services

Hospitals

Nursing and residential

care facilities

Over-the-month change, November 2007

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 7, 2007.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in health care

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

+14.9

Health care:

Ambulatory health care

services*

Hospitals

Nursing and residential care 

facilities

* Includes additional component industries not shown separately.

32

27

37

23 21 21

40

27

18

34

51

30

25 23 25

41

38

24

15

26

17

24

17

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

Aug-07

Sep-07

Oct-07

Nov-07

Employment in food services and

drinking places

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 7, 2007.

Note: Most recent two months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-month change, 2006-07

• Health care employment continued to grow, though more slowly. The increase amounted to 15,000, 

compared to the prior 12-month average gain of 34,000. Most of the growth in November came from 

physicians’ offices and hospitals.

• The food services industry added more jobs in November, and employment is up by 306,000 over the 

year.