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                        Statement of
                              
                     Kathleen P. Utgoff
                        Commissioner
                 Bureau of Labor Statistics
                              
                  Friday, November 5, 2004
     

     Nonfarm payroll employment rose by 337,000 in October,
and the unemployment rate was essentially unchanged at 5.5
percent.  The large increase in payroll employment followed
gains of 139,000 in September and 198,000 in August (as
revised).  In October, there was a substantial job gain in
construction as well as increases in several service-
providing industries.  Since the most recent low in August
2003, payroll employment has risen by 2.2 million.
     
     Employment in construction rose by 71,000 in October.
Some of this unusually large gain reflected rebuilding and
cleanup activity in the Southeast following the four hur-
ricanes that struck the U.S. in August and September.  In
the 12 months prior to October, construction employment
increased by 16,000 per month on average.  About three-
fourths of October's gain occurred among specialty trade
contractors (54,000).  Building construction also added
jobs over the month.

     Elsewhere in the goods-producing sector, manufacturing
employment was little changed in October.  Factory employment
has held fairly steady over the past 5 months, following some
improvement earlier this year.  The factory workweek and over-
time hours each edged down by 0.1 hour over the month.
     
     Within the service-providing sector, employment in
professional and business services increased by 97,000 in
October.  About half of the gain was in temporary help
services (48,000).  Since its recent low point in April
2003, temporary help services has added 397,000 jobs.
Employment in architectural and engineering services also
increased over the month and has risen by 62,000 since June
2003.

     Health care and social assistance added 41,000 jobs in
October, following a relatively small increase in September
(10,000).  Over the month, there were employment gains in
doctors' offices, hospitals, and in social assistance.  Over
the year, health care and social assistance added nearly
300,000 jobs, with gains in nearly all of its component
industries.

     Financial services added 17,000 jobs in October,
with the gain essentially split between securities and
commodities brokerages and the credit intermediation
industry (which includes mortgage brokers and commercial
banks).  Employment in private education and in the
education component of local government increased in
October.
     
     Average hourly earnings for private production or
nonsupervisory workers rose by 5 cents over the month,
following a 2-cent increase in September.  Over the year,
average hourly earnings grew by 2.6 percent.

     Turning to our measures from the household survey, the
unemployment rate was essentially unchanged in October at
5.5 percent.  The jobless rate has been at or near its
current level thus far in 2004.  The civilian labor force
increased to 147.9 million in October; the labor force
participation rate remained at 65.9 percent.

     Employment as measured by the household survey edged up
over the month.  The employment-to-population ratio held in
October at 62.3 percent.  This ratio has stayed within a
range of 62.1 to 62.5 since late 2002.
     
     In summary, nonfarm payroll employment increased by
337,000 in October and has risen by 2.2 million since August
2003.  The unemployment rate was essentially unchanged over
the month, at 5.5 percent.