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 

Keith Hall 

Commissioner 

Bureau of Labor Statistics 

Friday, March 4, 2011 

In February, nonfarm payroll employment rose by 192,000, 

and private-sector employment increased by 222,000. The 

unemployment rate was little changed at 8.9 percent, following 

large declines in December and January. From its recent low 

point in February 2010, payroll employment has increased by 1.3 

million, or an average of 106,000 per month. Over the same 

period, private-sector employment rose by 1.5 million, or an 

average of 127,000 per month. In February, job growth occurred 

in manufacturing, construction, professional and business 

services, health care, and transportation and warehousing. 

Manufacturing employment continued to rise (+33,000) in 

February. Since its recent low in December 2009, manufacturing 

has added 195,000 jobs. Almost all of the February gain was in 

durable goods, most notably in fabricated metal products 

(+7,000) and machinery (+9,000). Over the month, the factory 

workweek rose by 0.1 hour and overtime by 0.2 hour. 
2

Construction employment rose by 33,000 in February, 

following a job loss of 22,000 in January that may have been 

related to severe winter weather. Over the month, employment 

increased among both residential and nonresidential specialty 

trade contractors. 

In the service-providing sector, professional and business 

services employment expanded by 47,000 over the month and has 

increased by 601,000 since a recent low point in September 2009. 

Much of the February gain was in employment services (+29,000) 

and in management and technical consulting services (+7,000). 

Within employment services, the number of jobs in temporary help 

services edged up over the month. 

Employment in health care rose by 34,000 in February, 

mostly in ambulatory health care services (+17,000) and in 

nursing and residential care facilities (+15,000). 

Employment in transportation and warehousing grew by 22,000 

in February. Over the past 12 months, this industry has added 

103,000 jobs. Half of the increase in February was due to a 

gain in truck transportation. 

Employment in both state and local governments edged down 

over the month. Local government employment has declined by 

377,000 since its peak in September 2008. 

Average hourly earnings of all employees on private nonfarm 

payrolls rose by 1 cent in February to $22.87. Over the past 12 
3

months, average hourly earnings have risen by 1.7 percent. From 

January 2010 to January 2011, the Consumer Price Index for All 

Urban Consumers (CPI-U) increased by 1.7 percent. 

Most measures from the survey of households showed little 

movement in February. At 8.9 percent, the unemployment rate 

changed little over the month but is down from 9.8 percent in 

November. Of the 13.7 million unemployed in February, 43.9 

percent had been jobless for 27 weeks or more, essentially the 

same as in the prior month. In February, the labor force 

participation rate was unchanged at 64.2 percent. 

In summary, nonfarm payroll employment rose by 192,000 over 

the month, and the unemployment rate was little changed at 8.9 

percent.