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

Kathleen P. Utgoff

Commissioner

Bureau of Labor Statistics

Friday, December 3, 2004

Nonfarm payroll employment increased by 112,000 in 

November, following a gain of 303,000 in October. Since 

its most recent low point in August 2003, payroll 

employment has increased by 2.3 million, or 152,000 per 

month. In November, there were job gains in health care 

and social assistance, professional and technical services, 

and other service-providing industries. The unemployment 

rate was essentially unchanged in November at 5.4 percent.

Employment in health care and social assistance 

continued to expand in November, with an increase of 

28,000. Over the year, the industry added 316,000 jobs, 

with gains throughout the component industries. Over the 

month, employment increased in doctors’ offices, hospitals, 

and nursing and residential care facilities.
2

Professional and technical services added 16,000 jobs 

in November. The gain was concentrated in computer systems 

design and in architectural and engineering services. 

Within administrative and support services, employment in 

temporary help continued to trend upward in November. 

Since its most recent low point in April 2003, temporary 

help services has added 402,000 jobs.

Employment in the credit intermediation industry, 

which includes mortgage-related industries and commercial 

banks, increased by 14,000 in November. Job growth in 

credit intermediation has picked up in the last 3 months.

Within the goods-producing sector, employment in 

construction edged up in November (11,000). This followed 

an unusually large job gain in October (65,000) that 

partially reflected rebuilding and cleanup activity 

following the four hurricanes that struck the U.S. in 

August and September. Since its most recent low point in 

March 2003, construction employment has expanded by 

373,000.

There was little movement in manufacturing employment 

in November. Factory employment has held fairly steady 

over the past 6 months, following some growth earlier this 

year. In November, the factory workweek edged down by 0.1 
3

hour to 40.5 hours, and average overtime was unchanged at 

4.5 hours.

Average hourly earnings of private production or 

nonsupervisory workers were up by 1 cent over the month, 

following a 4-cent increase in October. Over the year, 

average hourly earnings grew by 2.4 percent.

Turning now to information from our household survey, 

the unemployment rate was essentially unchanged in November 

at 5.4 percent. The jobless rate has been either 5.4 or 

5.5 percent in each month since July, slightly below the 

rates that prevailed in the first half of the year. In 

November, the civilian labor force increased to 148.3 

million. The labor force participation rate was 66.1 

percent.

Employment as measured by the household survey rose to 

140.3 million in November; the employment-to-population 

ratio edged up to 62.5 percent. The ratio declined by 

about 2 percentage points from spring 2000 to late 2002. 

Since then, the ratio has stayed within a range of 62.1 to 

62.5 percent.

In summary, nonfarm payroll employment increased by 

112,000 in November and has risen by 2.3 million since 

August 2003. The unemployment rate was essentially 

unchanged over the month, at 5.4 percent.