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 Standard Time. 

Statement of 

Erica L. Groshen 

Commissioner 

Bureau of Labor Statistics 

Friday, February 7, 2014

Nonfarm payroll employment increased by 113,000 in January, 

and the unemployment rate, at 6.6 percent, changed little. 

Private-sector employment grew by 142,000. Employment rose in 

construction, manufacturing, wholesale trade, and mining. 

Incorporating the revisions for November and December, 

which increased nonfarm employment by 34,000 on net, monthly job 

gains have averaged 154,000 over the past 3 months. In 2013, 

employment growth averaged 194,000 per month. 

Construction added 48,000 jobs in January, more than 

offsetting a loss in December. In January, employment rose in 

both residential and nonresidential building (+13,000 and 

+8,000, respectively) and in nonresidential specialty trade 

contractors (+13,000). Heavy and civil engineering construction 

added 10,000 jobs. 
2 

Manufacturing employment increased by 21,000 in January. 

Job gains occurred in machinery (+7,000), wood products 

(+5,000), and motor vehicles and parts (+5,000). In 2013, 

employment growth in manufacturing averaged 7,000 per month. 

In January, wholesale trade employment rose by 14,000, 

mostly in nondurable goods. Over the prior 12 months, wholesale 

trade added an average of 8,000 jobs per month. 

Mining employment increased by 7,000 in January. In 2013, 

employment growth in mining averaged 2,000 per month. 

Professional and technical services employment rose by 

20,000 in January. Job growth averaged 17,000 per month in 2013. 

Employment in leisure and hospitality continued to trend up 

in January (+24,000). Over the prior 12 months, leisure and 

hospitality added an average of 38,000 jobs per month. 

In January, health care employment was essentially 

unchanged for the second consecutive month. In 2013, health care 

added an average of 17,000 jobs per month. 

Retail trade employment changed little in January 

(-13,000). A large job loss in sporting goods, hobby, book, and 

music stores (-22,000) offset gains in the prior 3 months. 

Employment rose by 7,000 in motor vehicle and parts dealers over 

the month. 
3 

Federal government employment declined by 12,000 in 

January. Over the past 12 months, federal government employment 

has decreased by 85,000, or 3.0 percent. 

Average hourly earnings of all employees on private nonfarm 

payrolls rose by 5 cents in January to $24.21. Over the past 12 

months, average hourly earnings have risen by 1.9 percent. From 

December 2012 to December 2013, the Consumer Price Index for All 

Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased by 1.5 percent. 

The establishment survey data released today reflect the 

incorporation of annual benchmark revisions. Each year, we 

re-anchor our sample-based survey estimates to full universe 

counts of employment, primarily derived from administrative 

records of the unemployment insurance tax system. The level of 

nonfarm payroll employment in March 2013 was revised up by 

347,000 (not seasonally adjusted) or 0.3 percent. The average 

benchmark revision over the past 10 years was plus or minus 0.3 

percent. (Further information about the benchmark revision and 

its impact is contained in our news release and on our Web site 

at www.bls.gov/web/empsit/cesbmart.htm.) 

In accordance with usual practice, household survey data 

for January reflect updated population estimates from the U.S. 

Census Bureau. This year, the impact of the new controls on the 

unemployment rate and other major household survey measures is 
4 

negligible. (Additional information can be found in our news 

release and on our Web site at www.bls.gov/cps/cps14adj.pdf.) 

Returning to the data for January, both the unemployment 

rate, at 6.6 percent, and the number of unemployed persons, at 

10.2 million, changed little. The unemployment rate has declined 

by 0.6 percentage point since October. In January, the number of 

persons jobless for 27 weeks and over declined by 232,000 to 3.6 

million, or 35.8 percent of total unemployment. 

The labor force participation rate edged up to 63.0 percent 

in January. The employment-population ratio increased to 58.8 

percent. Among the employed, the number of persons working part 

time for economic reasons fell by 514,000 to 7.3 million. These 

individuals would have preferred full-time employment, but had 

their hours cut or were unable to find full-time work. 

In summary, nonfarm payroll employment increased by 113,000 

in January, and the unemployment rate was little changed at 6.6 

percent.