Bureau of Labor Statistics

Current Employment Statistics 

Highlights

December 2006

Bureau of Labor Statistics

January 5, 2007
2

All employees on nonfarm payrolls

1990-2006

100,000

110,000

120,000

130,000

140,000

Jan-90

Jan-91

Jan-92

Jan-93

Jan-94

Jan-95

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

100,000

110,000

120,000

130,000

140,000

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 5, 2007.

Notes: Shaded areas denote recessions. Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

December 2006

Level: 136,214

Change: +167

• Nonfarm payroll employment rose by 167,000 in December, following a gain of 

154,000 in November. 

• Over the year, payroll employment rose by 1.8 million, or an average of 153,000 

per month. This is slightly lower than the 2005 employment increase of 2.0 

million, or an average of 165,000 per month. 
3

Employment in total nonfarm and supersectors

Over-the-month change, December 2006 

4

-3

-12

7

-9

15

1

12

9

50

43

31

2

17

-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

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 5, 2007.

Note: Data are preliminary. 

Total nonfarm: 

+167

• In December, employment growth continued in several service-providing 

industries, with professional and business services, health care, and food services 

providing well over half the growth for the month. These industries also 

accounted for 1 million of the 1.8 million jobs added in 2006. 

• In the goods-producing sector, manufacturing continued to trend downward, 

mining continued to trend upward, and construction was relatively unchanged. 
4

Average weekly hours, total private

1992-2006

33.0

33.5

34.0

34.5

35.0

Jan-92

Jan-93

Jan-94

Jan-95

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

33.0

33.5

34.0

34.5

35.0 Seasonally adjusted

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 5, 2007.

Notes: Shaded areas denote recessions. Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

December 2006

Level: 33.9

Change: 0.0

Index of total private aggregate weekly hours

1992-2006

80

85

90

95

100

105

110

Jan-92

Jan-93

Jan-94

Jan-95

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

80

85

90

95

100

105

110

Seasonally adjusted, 2002 = 100

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 5, 2007.

Notes: Shaded areas denote recessions. Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

December 2006

Level: 105.9

Percent Change: +0.2

Aggregate weekly hours are the product of average weekly hours and production or nonsupervisory workers.

• The average workweek for production and nonsupervisory workers on private 

nonfarm payrolls held steady at 33.9 hours, seasonally adjusted. 

• The index of aggregate weekly hours of production and nonsupervisory workers 

on private nonfarm payrolls rose 0.2 percent in December to 105.9, seasonally 

adjusted. Since the most recent trough in August 2003, the index has increased 

7.8 percent.
5

Over-the-year percent change in average hourly earnings, 

1990-2006

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

Jan-90Jan-91

Jan-92

Jan-93

Jan-94

Jan-95

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03

Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0 Seasonally adjusted, percent

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Survey, January 5, 2007.

Note: Shaded areas denote recessions. Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary. 

December 2006

Percent Change: +4.2

Index of total private aggregate weekly payrolls

1992-2006

55

65

75

85

95

105

115

125

Jan-92

Jan-93

Jan-94Jan-95

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

55

65

75

85

95

105

115

125

Seasonally adjusted, 2002 = 100

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 5, 2007.

Notes: Shaded areas denote recessions. Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

December 2006

Level: 120.7

Percent Change: +0.6

Aggregate weekly payrolls are the product of average hourly earnings, average weekly hours, and production or nonsupervisory workers.

• Average hourly earnings of production and nonsupervisory workers on private 

nonfarm payrolls rose by 8 cents in December to $17.04, seasonally adjusted. 

This follows an increase of 5 cents in November. Over the year, average hourly 

earnings rose by 4.2 percent and average weekly earnings rose by 4.5 percent. 

• The index of aggregate weekly payrolls of production and nonsupervisory 

workers on private nonfarm payrolls rose 0.6 percent in December to 120.7, 

seasonally adjusted. Over the year, the index has increased 6.4 percent.
6

Employment in construction

1992-2006

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

Jan-92Jan-93

Jan-94

Jan-95

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics Survey, January 5, 2007.

Notes: Shaded areas denote recessions. Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

December 2006

Level: 7,455

Change: -3

-35

-25

-15

-5

5

15

25

35

Jan-05

Feb-05

Mar-05

Apr-05

May-05

Jun-05

Jul-05

Aug-05

Sep-05

Oct-05

Nov-05

Dec-05

Jan-06

Feb-06

Mar-06

Apr-06

May-06

Jun-06

Jul-06

Aug-06

Sep-06

Oct-06

Nov-06

Dec-06

Residential Nonresidential

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 5, 2007.

Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

Employment in residential and nonresidential specialty 

trade contractors, over-the-month change, 2005-06

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

December 2006

Residential: -10 

Nonresidential: +3

• Construction employment was little changed in December, following job losses in 

October and November. Over the year, construction employment was little 

changed compared to an increase of 295,000 jobs in 2005.

• Specialty trade contractors continued its recent downward trend in December. 

Since reaching a high point in February 2006, residential specialty trade 

contractors have shed 124,000 jobs. Over the same time period, nonresidential 

specialty trade contractors have added 84,000 jobs, leaving overall employment in 

specialty trade contractors about unchanged in 2006. 
7

-26

8

-8

-12

-5

-18

-9 -11

-26

9

18

8 5

-1 -1

19

-10

25

-23

-4

-9

-41

-20

-12

-50

-40

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

Jan-05

Feb-05

Mar-05

Apr-05

May-05

Jun-05

Jul-05

Aug-05

Sep-05

Oct-05

Nov-05

Dec-05

Jan-06

Feb-06

Mar-06

Apr-06

May-06

Jun-06

Jul-06

Aug-06

Sep-06

Oct-06

Nov-06

Dec-06

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 5, 2007.

Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

Employment in manufacturing

Over-the-month change, 2005-06

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

• Manufacturing saw continued job losses in December, with an employment 

decline of 12,000. Over the year, employment in manufacturing has fallen by 

72,000 jobs, primarily in nondurable goods industries. 

• Job losses in December were concentrated in motor vehicles and parts, primary 

metals, and textile mills. Textiles and related manufacturing industries had a 

combined loss of 44,000 jobs in 2006, which accounts for nearly 67 percent of the 

losses in nondurable goods. 

• The factory workweek held steady at 41.0 hours, seasonally adjusted, while 

overtime increased by 0.1 hour to 4.3 hours. 
8

Employment in selected professional and business services

Over-the-month change, December 2006

23.4

4.7

4.6

5.0

6.9

1.2

25.5

11.3

13.0

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Accounting and

bookkeeping services

Architectural and

engineering services

Computer systems design

and related services

Management and technical

consulting services

Employment services

Services to buildings and

dwellings

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 5, 2007.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Professional and Business 

services: +50

Professional and 

technical services

Management of 

companies

Administrative and 

waste services

Employment in temporary help services

1992-2006

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

Jan-92

Jan-93

Jan-94

Jan-95

Jan-96

Jan-97

Jan-98

Jan-99

Jan-00

Jan-01

Jan-02

Jan-03Jan-04

Jan-05

Jan-06

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 5, 2007.

Notes: Shaded areas denote recessions. Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

December 2006

Level: 2,612.2

Change: +14.6

• In December, employment growth in professional and business services grew by 

50,000, following an increase of 47,000 in November. Services to buildings and 

dwellings and management consulting services both enjoyed significant gains in 

December. 

• In 2006, over one fifth of total nonfarm job growth occurred in professional and 

business services, which grew by 420,000 jobs. Accounting services, 

architectural and engineering services, and computer systems design all 

experienced significant job growth in 2006. Employment in temporary help 

services was little changed over the month and over the year. 
9

Employment in health care 

Over-the-month change, December 2006

13.9

4.8

1.9

-0.1

10.5

6.9

-2 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

Offices of physicians

Outpatient care centers

Home health care

services

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 5, 2007.

Note: Data are preliminary.

Health care:

+31.3

Ambulatory health 

care services

Hospitals

Nursing and residential 

care facilities

• In December, health care continued to add jobs (31,000); health care added 

324,000 jobs in 2006, with those gains widespread throughout the component 

industries. 
10

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Jan-05

Feb-05

Mar-05

Apr-05

May-05

Jun-05

Jul-05

Aug-05

Sep-05

Oct-05

Nov-05

Dec-05

Jan-06

Feb-06

Mar-06

Apr-06

May-06

Jun-06

Jul-06

Aug-06

Sep-06

Oct-06

Nov-06

Dec-06

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 5, 2007.

Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.

Employment in food services and drinking places

Over-the-month change, 2005-06

Seasonally adjusted, in thousands

• Food services and drinking places employment increased by 23,000 in December. 

Over the year, this industry added 304,000 jobs, or an average of about 25,000 

jobs per month, and accounted for most of the growth in leisure and hospitality 

employment.