Advance copies of this statement are made available to the press 

under lock-up conditions with the explicit understanding that 

the data are embargoed until 8:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. 

Statement of 

John M. Galvin 

Acting Commissioner 

Bureau of Labor Statistics 

Friday, September 7, 2012

Nonfarm payroll employment increased by 96,000 in August, 

and the unemployment rate edged down to 8.1 percent. Since the 

beginning of the year, job growth has averaged 139,000 per 

month, compared with an average monthly gain of 153,000 in 2011. 

In August, food services and drinking places, professional and 

technical services, and health care added jobs. 

Employment in food services and drinking places rose by 

28,000 over the month. Over the past 12 months, this industry 

has added 298,000 jobs. 

Within professional and technical services, employment 

increased in August in computer systems design (+11,000) and 

management and technical consulting services (+9,000). Over the 

past 12 months, these industries have added 79,000 and 69,000 

jobs, respectively. 
2 

Health care employment grew by 17,000 in August, with gains 

in ambulatory health care services and in hospitals. From June 

through August, job growth in health care averaged 15,000 per 

month, compared with an average monthly gain of 28,000 in the 

previous 12 months. 

Employment in utilities was up by 9,000 in August as 

employees returned to work after a labor-management dispute. 

Manufacturing employment edged down (-15,000) in August. 

Employment in motor vehicle and parts manufacturing was down by 

8,000 over the month after increasing by 14,000 in July. Firms 

in this industry laid off fewer workers than usual for factory 

retooling in July and recalled fewer workers than usual in 

August. This contributed to the seasonally adjusted increase in 

July and decrease in August. 

Finance and insurance added 11,000 jobs in August. 

Employment continued to trend up in wholesale trade. Employment 

in temporary help services changed little over the month and has 

shown little movement, on net, since February. In August, 

employment in other major industries changed little. 

Average hourly earnings of all employees on private nonfarm 

payrolls edged down by 1 cent in August to $23.52. Over the 

past 12 months, average hourly earnings have risen by 1.7 

percent. From July 2011 to July 2012, the Consumer Price Index 

for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased by 1.4 percent. 
3 

Turning now to data from the survey of households, the 

unemployment rate edged down to 8.1 percent in August. The 

jobless rate has remained in a narrow range of 8.1 to 8.3 

percent since January. 

In August, the number of unemployed persons was little 

changed at 12.5 million, and the proportion who had been jobless 

for 27 weeks or more also was little changed at 40.0 percent. 

Both the civilian labor force (154.6 million) and the labor 

force participation rate (63.5 percent) declined over the month.

The employment-population ratio was essentially unchanged at 

58.3 percent. 

In summary, nonfarm payroll employment increased in August 

(+96,000), and the unemployment rate edged down to 8.1 percent.