FOR DELIVERY: 9:30 A.M., E.S.T.
                         FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2003

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
                         before the
                  Joint Economic Committee
                   UNITED STATES CONGRESS
                              
                  Friday, November 7, 2003
                              

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee:


     I appreciate this opportunity to comment on the labor
market data we released this morning.
     
     Nonfarm payroll employment rose by 126,000 in October,
following increases in August and September that totaled
160,000, after revision.  I would note that the payroll
survey estimates for the prior 2 months are always subject
to revision as we receive reports from additional survey
respondents.  The increase in payroll employment over the
last 3 months contrasts with declines in the February-July
period that averaged 85,000 per month.  Several service
industries added jobs in October.  Manufacturing employment
continued to decline, although at slower pace than earlier
in the year.  The unemployment rate, at 6.0 percent, was
essentially unchanged over the month.
     
     Professional and business services added 43,000 jobs in
October, with gains in many of its component industries.
Employment in temporary help services continued to rise and
is up by 150,000 since April.
     
     Employment in private educational services grew by
23,000 in October.  Job gains over the last 3 months have
more than offset declines that occurred in June and July.
Over the year, employment in private education expanded by
56,000.  Health care and social assistance added 34,000
jobs, with noteworthy gains in doctors' offices and in child
day care services.

     In the leisure and hospitality sector, employment in
food services and drinking places rose by 23,000.  Job
growth in food services has picked up in recent months;
since July, employment has increased by 57,000.  Within
retail trade, food stores added 13,000 jobs in October.
Employment in food stores was boosted by the hiring of
additional workers in anticipation of strikes.
     
     Employment in construction was little changed over the
month, but the industry has added 147,000 jobs since its
most recent trough in February.  In October, employment in
credit intermediation decreased by 10,000, reflecting the
decline in mortgage refinancing activity.
     
     Manufacturing job losses continued in October (-24,000).   
Declines in the sector have moderated in recent months,
particularly in durable goods manufacturing.  In October, 
both the factory workweek and overtime were unchanged.

     After posting a small increase in September, employment
in air transportation fell in October.  Since reaching its
most recent peak in March 2001, the industry has lost more
than 20 percent of its jobs.
     
     Average hourly earnings for production or
nonsupervisory workers, at $15.46, were essentially
unchanged in October.  Over the year, average hourly
earnings rose by 2.4 percent.
     
     Looking at some of the measures from our survey of
households, the October unemployment rate of 6.0 percent was
about the same as in September.  The jobless rates for all
the major worker groups showed little change over the month.
About 8.8 million persons were unemployed, of whom 2.0
million had been without a job for 27 weeks or longer.
Employment as measured by our household survey rose over the
month.
     
     In summary, nonfarm payroll employment rose by 126,000
in October.  Since July, employment is up by 286,000.  The
unemployment rate, at 6.0 percent in October, was about
unchanged.
     
     My colleagues and I would be glad to answer any
questions you might have.