FOR DELIVERY: 9:30 A.M., E.D.T.
                            FRIDAY, AUGUST 4, 2000

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
                    Katharine G. Abraham
                         Commissioner
                  Bureau of Labor Statistics
                   Friday, August 4, 2000


     Good morning.  I am pleased to have this opportunity to
comment on the employment and unemployment estimates that the
Bureau of Labor Statistics released this morning.
     
     The unemployment rate was unchanged in July at 4.0
percent.  Total payroll employment declined by 108,000, as a
large decrease in the number of temporary workers employed by
the federal government for Census 2000 more than offset job
growth in the private sector.  The number of payroll jobs in
private industries increased by 138,000 in July, somewhat
below the average monthly pace of job growth in the first
half of this year (182,000).
     
     In the goods-producing sector of the economy, the number
of construction jobs edged up by 6,000 in July.  So far this
year, employment gains in construction have averaged 17,000
per month, compared with an average of 25,000 per month for
all of 1999.
     
     In July, the number of factory jobs rose by 46,000,
after seasonal adjustment.  In several manufacturing
industries, the seasonal employment declines that typically
occur in July were smaller than usual this year.  These
included industrial machinery, furniture, and rubber and
plastics.  As a result, all these industries posted over-the-
month increases in employment, after seasonal adjustment.
Electronic components also added jobs, continuing its recent
growth trend.  The manufacturing workweek edged up by 0.1
hour to 41.7 hours, and factory overtime, at 4.6 hours, was
unchanged in July.
     
     The number of jobs in the services industry was
essentially unchanged over the month.  So far this year,
employment growth in services has averaged 97,000 per month,
compared to an average monthly increase of 124,000 for all of
1999.  Employment fell in the job training component of
social services and in membership organizations.  Job losses
also occurred in personnel supply services; in the first 7
months of this year, monthly employment growth in this
industry averaged 16,000, roughly half the average monthly
gain for all of 1999.  Offsetting these over-the-month losses
were noteworthy employment gains in health services, computer
and data processing services, amusement and recreation
services, and hotels.
     
     Retail employment rose by 49,000 in July, its second
consecutive month of above-average job growth.  A large
employment increase in eating and drinking places was partly
offset by a job loss in department stores.  Since reaching
its peak in April 1999, employment in department stores has
fallen by 88,000.
     
     In transportation and public utilities, employment rose
by 20,000, largely due to growth in trucking and warehousing
and in passenger transit.  The number of jobs in wholesale
trade rose by 10,000 in July, with nearly all of the increase
concentrated in its durable goods component.
     
     In finance, employment gains continued in security and
commodity brokerages where, over the past year, 58,000 jobs
have been added.  This contrasts sharply with mortgage banks
and brokerages, which lost 43,000 jobs over the past 12
months, although employment in this industry was largely
unchanged in July.  Employment in real estate was little
changed over the month, and the job count in insurance was
unchanged.
     
     Federal government employment fell by 285,000 in July,
as the number of temporary Census workers declined by
290,000.  As of July, temporary Census employment was down by
428,000 from a peak of 618,000 in May.
     
     Average hourly earnings of private production or
nonsupervisory workers rose by 6 cents in July.  Over the
year, average hourly earnings have risen by 3.7 percent.
     
     Turning now to the data from our survey of households,
the unemployment rate was unchanged in July at 4.0 percent,
and has been within the 3.9- to 4.1-percent band since
October 1999. The rate for teenagers increased to 13.4
percent in July, while the rates for adult men (3.2 percent),
adult women (3.7 percent), whites (3.5 percent), blacks (7.7
percent), and Hispanics (5.6 percent) showed little or no
change over the month.
     
     Total civilian employment declined in July, by 430,000,
and the employment-population ratio fell to 64.2 percent, the
same as a year earlier.  It had peaked at 64.9 percent in
April.
     
     In summary, moderate payroll employment growth in the
private sector was more than offset by a large over-the-month
decline in temporary Census employment.  The unemployment
rate was unchanged at 4.0 percent.
          
     
     My colleagues and I now would be glad to answer your
questions.