Bureau of Labor Statistics

Current Employment Statistics 

Highlights

February 2008

Bureau of Labor Statistics

March 7, 2008
2

110,000

115,000

120,000

125,000

130,000

135,000

140,000

145,000

150,000

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

Jan-08

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, March 7, 2008.

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

Employment in total nonfarm

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

February 2008

Level: 137,993

Change: -63

126

25

177

46

162

107

57

74 81

140

60

41

-22

-63

-120

-80

-40

0

40

80

120

160

200

240

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

Employment in total nonfarm

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, March 7, 2008.

Note: Most recent two months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-month change, 2007-08

• Nonfarm payroll employment edged down in February (-63,000) following little 

change in December and January. 

• Job growth slowed to 0.6 percent during the past 12 months from 1.3 percent 

during the preceding 12 months. Since February 2007, employment grew by 

72,000 jobs per month, about half the pace of the preceding 12 months (during 

which there was an average gain of 145,000 jobs per month). 
3

2

-39

-52

-7

-34

2

0

1

-12

-20

30

21

7

38

-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, February 2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, March 7, 2008.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in total nonfarm

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

-63

Total nonfarm:

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

continued to decline in February.

• 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-07

Jan-08

33.0

33.5

34.0

34.5

35.0

1997-2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, March 7, 2008.

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

Average weekly hours, total private

Seasonally adjusted

February 2008

Level: 33.7

Change: 0.0

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, March 7, 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.

February 2008

Level: 107.3

Percent change: -0.1

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

on private nonfarm payrolls was unchanged at 33.7 hours. The workweek has 

remained essentially unchanged since 2004. 

• The index of total private aggregate weekly hours edged down in February but is 

still 3.3 percent higher than the most recent peak in 2000. 
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-07Jan-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

February 2008 AHE:+3.7

January 2008 CPI-W: +4.8

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, March 7,2008

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, March 7, 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

February 2008

Level: 127.6

Percent change: +0.2

• Average hourly earnings for production and nonsupervisory workers on private 

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

hourly earnings have increased by 3.7 percent. 

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

The index has grown by 4.7 percent over the past 12 months compared to 5.6 

percent during the preceding 12 months. 
6

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-05

Jan-06

Jan-07Jan-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, March 7, 2008.

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

Employment in construction

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

February 2008

Level: 7,401

Change: -39

-14.4

-3.7 -4.8

-11.2

-5.1

-7.7

-1.5 -1.6

-13.1

0.1

-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

February 2008

Prior 12-mo. avg. 

Over-the-month change

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, March 7, 2008.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in construction

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

• Employment in construction decreased by 39,000 in February and has fallen by 

331,000 since peaking in September 2006. Job losses were widespread 

throughout the sector in February. 

• Since September 2006, job losses have been concentrated in residential building 

and in residential specialty trades; employment in the nonresidential components 

of construction has changed little on net. 
7

13,000

14,000

15,000

16,000

17,000

18,000

19,000

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07

Jan-08

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, March 7, 2008.

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

Employment in manufacturing

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

February 2008

Level: 13,689

Change: -52

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, March 7, 2008.

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

Average weekly hours, manufacturing

Seasonally adjusted

February 2008

Level: 41.1

Change: 0.0

• Manufacturing employment continued to decline in February (-52,000), bringing 

losses since the last peak in 2004 to 655,000. From November through February, 

employment decreased by an average 35,000 jobs per month, compared with an 

average loss of 22,000 jobs for the 12-month period ending October. 

• Factory hours and overtime were unchanged.
8

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

2003-08

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, March 7, 2008.

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

Employment in financial activities

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

February 2008

Level: 8,232

Change: -12

-108.0

-0.8

22.7

12.8

-28.1

-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, February 2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, March 7, 2008.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in selected financial activities

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

+36.0

Health care:

* Includes additional component industries not shown separately.

Commercial banking

• Employment in financial activities edged down by 12,000 in February. In the last 

year, financial activities has continued to lose jobs as employers eliminated 

115,000 jobs from payrolls.

• Credit intermediation and real estate employment continued to trend down in 

February with losses totaling 136,000 jobs over the past 12 months. 
9

7.0

-0.1

3.5

-0.2

1.5

-2.3

-24.2

-22.6

2.7

-40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 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, February 2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, March 7, 2008.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in selected professional and

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

business services

services: -20

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-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

Jan-07Jan-08

2,250

2,500

2,750

3,000

3,250

3,500

3,750

4,000

4,250

1997-2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, March 7, 2008.

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

Employment in employment services

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

February 2008

Level: 3,540.3

Change: -22.6

• In February, employment in professional and business services was little changed 

for the second consecutive month, a departure from the prior 12-month average 

gain of 26,000 jobs. 

• The decline in administrative and waste services was concentrated in employment 

services, which lost 23,000 jobs in February and 162,000 jobs since the recent 

peak in August 2006. This month’s employment loss in administrative and waste 

services more than offset a small gain in professional and technical services. 
10

14.8

9.2

1.2

1.0

16.5

4.7

-3 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

Over-the-month change, February 2008

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, March 7, 2008.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Employment in health care

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

+36.0

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 February, rising by 36,000 employees. The 

largest increase came from hospitals, gaining 17,000 jobs over the month, for a 

total of 121,000 jobs over the past 12 months.
11

20 18 17

34

41

32

21

26

31

33

13

10

6

20

0

10

20

30

40

50

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

Employment in food services and

drinking places

Seasonally adjusted in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, March 7, 2008.

Note: Most recent two months of data are preliminary.

Over-the-month change, 2007-08

• In February, food services and drinking places continued to trend upward. From 

October through February, the industry increased by an average 12,000 jobs per 

month, compared with an average gain of 31,000 jobs for the 6-month period 

ending October.