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
                                
                         Philip L. Rones
                       Acting Commissioner
                   Bureau of Labor Statistics
                                
                    Friday, November 2, 2007
                                

     Nonfarm payroll employment rose by 166,000 in October, and
the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.7 percent.  Job gains
continued in professional and business services, food services,
and health care.  Manufacturing employment continued to decline,
while construction employment was little changed over the month.

     Before examining October's developments in detail, it should
be noted that the wildfires and associated evacuations in
Southern California had no discernable effect on the data in this
report.  The household survey reference period preceded the
wildfires and evacuations, as did the reference period for most
employers in the establishment survey.  Household survey
interviews were largely completed before the wildfires began, and
response rates for the establishment survey were within the
normal range for the affected areas.

     In October, employment rose by 65,000 in professional and
business services; the industry has added 368,000 jobs over the
year.  The October employment gains were widespread, with notable
increases in architectural and engineering services and in
management and technical consulting.  Employment services added
34,000 jobs over the month, offsetting a decline of similar
magnitude in September.  Thus far this year, the industry has
lost 156,000 jobs.

     Food services and drinking places added 37,000 jobs in
October.  Employment in the industry has risen by 365,000 over
the year.  Health care employment also continued to grow,
increasing by 34,000 in October and by 400,000 over the year.
The over-the-month gains occurred in ambulatory health care
services, which includes offices of physicians and home health
care services, and in hospitals.  Employment also continued to
trend up in wholesale trade.

     Construction employment was little changed in October.  Over
the month, a job gain in nonresidential specialty trade
contracting was offset by losses in the residential components of
construction.  Construction employment has fallen by 124,000
since its peak in September 2006, driven by losses in residential
construction.

     Among other housing-related industries, employment continued
its downward trend in October in credit intermediation--the
component of the financial activities sector that includes
mortgage lending and related activities.  Employment in credit
intermediation has fallen by 56,000 since its peak in February.
Within retail trade, building supply stores lost 7,000 jobs in
October; employment in the industry declined by 47,000 over the
year.

     Manufacturing employment continued to fall in October
(-21,000), reflecting widespread declines.  Factory job losses
totaled 203,000 over the year.  Average weekly hours in the
manufacturing sector edged down over the month to 41.2 hours, and
factory overtime was unchanged at 4.1 hours per week.

     Average hourly earnings for private production and
nonsupervisory workers were up 3 cents to $17.58 in October.
Over the year, average hourly earnings increased by 3.8 percent.

     Most labor market measures from the household survey showed
little or no change over the month.  The number of unemployed
persons, at 7.2 million, was essentially unchanged, and the
unemployment rate remained at 4.7 percent.  The employment-
population ratio was 62.7 percent in October, down from its
recent peak of 63.4 percent last December.  Over the period, most
of the decline occurred among adult men and teenagers.

     In summary, nonfarm payroll employment increased by 166,000
in October, and the unemployment rate held at 4.7 percent.