Bureau of Labor Statistics
Current Employment Statistics
Highlights
November 2009
Bureau of Labor Statistics
December 4, 2009
Employment in total nonfarm
1999-2009
Seasonally adjusted in thousands
140,000
140,000
137,500
137,500
135,000
135,000
132,500
132,500
130,000
130,000
127,500
127,500
November 2009
125,000
125,000
Level: 130,996
Change: -11
122,500
122,500
120,000
120,000
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 4, 2009.
Notes: Shaded areas represent recessions as determined by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). NBER has
not yet determined an endpoint for the recession that began in Dec. 2007. Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.
Employment in total nonfarm
Over-the-month change, 2008-09
Seasonally adjusted in thousands
0
-11
-150
-72
-144
-122
-160
-137
-161
-128
-154-139
-175
-300
-303
-321
-450
-111
-304
-380
-463
-600
-519
-597
-681
-750
-681
-652
-741
-900
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 4, 2009.
Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.
•
Nonfarm payroll employment was essentially unchanged in November.
•
Since the start of this year, the magnitude of monthly job losses has decreased steadily.
In the 3 months prior to November, total nonfarm saw an average job loss of 135,000,
compared with job losses averaging 357,000 during the 3 months from May to July. From
November 2008 to April 2009, payroll employment experienced the greatest monthly
declines since the recession started, with monthly losses averaging 645,000.
•
Since the recession began in December 2007, payroll employment has declined by 7.2
million.
1 Employment in total nonfarm
Over-the-year percent changes, 2008-09
3.0
Seasonally adjusted, percent
2.0
1.0
0.7
0.5
0.3 0.2
0.0
-0.1 -0.2
-1.0
-2.0
-0.3 -0.4
-0.7
-1.1
-1.6
-2.2
-3.0
-2.7
-4.0
-3.1
-3.5
-3.8 -3.9
-4.1 -4.2 -4.2 -4.1
-3.9
-3.5
-5.0
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 4, 2009.
Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.
•
In November, total nonfarm employment decreased by 3.5 percent over the year, an
improvement over the decreases of 4.2 percent in the years ending in July and August.
2 Average weekly hours, total private
1999-2009
34.5
Seasonally adjusted
34.5
34.0
34.0
33.5
33.5
November 2009
Level: 33.2
33.0
33.0
Change: +0.2
32.5
32.5
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 4, 2009.
Notes: Shaded areas represent recessions as determined by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). NBER has
not yet determined an endpoint for the recession that began in Dec. 2007. Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.
Index of total private
aggregate weekly hours
1999-2009
115
Seasonally adjusted, 2002=100
115
November 2009
110
Level: 99.1
Percent change: +0.6
110
105
105
100
100
95
95
90
90
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 4, 2009.
Notes: Shaded areas represent recessions as determined by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). NBER has not yet
determined an endpoint for the recession that began in Dec. 2007. Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.
Aggregate weekly hours are the product of average weekly hours and production and nonsupervisory workers.
•
In November, average weekly hours of production and nonsupervisory employees rose by
0.2 hour to 33.2 hours.
•
Despite recent increases in the average workweek, it remains 0.6 hour lower than when
the recession began in December 2007.
•
The index of total private aggregate weekly hours rose by 0.6 percent in November.
Despite the increase, aggregate weekly hours have fallen by 8.1 percent since reaching a
peak in December 2007.
3 Over-the-year percent changes in average
hourly earnings and CPI-W (1982-84=100)
1999-2009
8.0
Seasonally adjusted, percent
Over-the-year percent changes
November 2009 AHE: 2.2
6.0
8.0
AHE
October 2009 CPI-W: -0.4
6.0
4.0
4.0
2.0
2.0
0.0
0.0
CPI-W
-2.0
-2.0
-4.0
-4.0
Sources: BLS, Consumer Price Indexes program and Current Employment Statistics survey, December 4, 2009.
Notes: Shaded areas represent recessions as determined by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). NBER has not yet
determined an endpoint for the recession that began in Dec. 2007. Most recent 2 months of CES data are preliminary.
Index of total private
aggregate weekly payrolls
1999-2009
140
Seasonally adjusted, 2002=100
140
130
November 2009
120
Percent change: +0.7
Level: 124.1
130
120
110
110
100
100
90
90
80
80
70
70
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 4, 2009.
Notes: Shaded areas represent recessions as determined by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). NBER has not yet
determined an endpoint for the recession that began in Dec. 2007. Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.
Aggregate weekly payrolls are the product of average hourly earnings, average weekly hours, and production and nonsupervisory
workers.
•
In November, average hourly earnings of production and nonsupervisory employees rose
1 cent to $18.74. Over the past year, average hourly earnings have risen by 2.2 percent.
The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) fell
by 0.4 percent over the year ending in October.
•
The index of total private aggregate weekly payrolls rose by 0.7 percent in November.
Since June, aggregate weekly payrolls have increased by 1.1 percent after falling 5.0
percent following a peak in August 2008.
4 Employment in total nonfarm
Over-the-month change, November 2009
Seasonally adjusted in thousands
Mining and logging
-1
Construction
-27
Manufacturing
-41
Wholesale trade
-12
Retail trade
-15
Transportation and warehousing
Utilities
-5
Total nonfarm:
-11
-2
Information
-17
Financial activities
-10
Professional and business services
86
Education and health services
40
Leisure and hospitality
-11
Other services
-3
Government
7
-210 -180 -150 -120 -90
-60
-30
0
30
60
90
120
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 4, 2009.
Note: Data are preliminary.
•
In November, payroll employment losses in construction, manufacturing, and information
were offset by job gains in professional and business services and health care.
•
Although, some industries are still experiencing employment declines, the losses are
much smaller in recent months.
5 Employment in construction
Over-the-month change, 2008-09
0
Seasonally adjusted in thousands
-30
-31
-34
-44 -44
-24
-44
-60
-64
-27
-46
-53 -56
-57
-61
-65
-69 -66
-79
-90
-98
-103
-113
-120
-123
-127
-135
-150
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 4, 2009.
Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.
Employment in construction
Over-the-month change, November 2009
Seasonally adjusted in thousands
10
5.2
0
-0.5
-10
-0.6
-2.7
-9.0
-10.0
-10.4
-20
-24.2
-30
-40
-28.5
-36.5
November 2009
Prior 12-mo. avg.
-50
Residential building
Nonresidential
building
Heavy and civil
engineering
Residential specialty
trades
Nonresidential
specialty trades
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 4, 2009.
Note: Data are preliminary.
•
Construction employment experienced a decline of 27,000 in November, smaller than the
average monthly decline of 63,000 during the prior 6 months.
•
Over the month, construction job losses were concentrated in nonresidential specialty
trade contractors (-29,000).
•
From a recent employment peak in January 2007 through December 2008, construction
jobs losses were concentrated in the residential components. However, so far in 2009,
nonresidential construction job losses have exceeded those seen in residential
construction.
6 Employment in manufacturing
Over-the-month change, 2008-09
0
-50
Seasonally adjusted in thousands
-30
-33
-52 -49 -57
-51 -51
-41
-67 -65
-55
-41
-51
-41
-100
-119-121
-150
-123
-150-146
-172-172
-180
-200
-250
-262
-300
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 4, 2009.
Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.
Average weekly hours, manufacturing
1999-2009
42.0
Seasonally adjusted
42.0
November 2009
41.5
Level: 40.4
Change: +0.3
41.5
41.0
41.0
40.5
40.5
40.0
40.0
39.5
39.5
39.0
39.0
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 4, 2009.
Notes: Shaded areas represent recessions as determined by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). NBER has
not yet determined an endpoint for the recession that began in Dec. 2007. Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.
•
In November, manufacturing shed 41,000 jobs, about in line with the trend over the prior
4 months, when manufacturing saw an average monthly employment decline of 47,000.
Manufacturing lost jobs at a faster rate over the 9 months from October 2008 through
June 2009, during which time 1.4 million jobs were cut. Factory jobs losses averaged
161,000 per month during that period.
•
In November, there were notable job cuts in machinery, computer and electronic
products, and printing.
•
The factory workweek rose by 0.3 hour in November and has increased by 1.0 hour since
May.
7 Employment in information
Over-the-month change, 2008-09
10
Seasonally adjusted in thousands
3
0
-3
-1
-2
-6
-10
-4
-5
-7
-4
-4
-6
-11
-20
-13
-13
-11
-16
-17
-1
-5
-17
-21
-25
-26
-30
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 4, 2009.
Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.
•
Employment in information declined by 17,000 in November, larger than the average
monthly decline of 6,000 during the prior 5 months. In November, telecommunications
accounted for about half the decrease, and losses continued in publishing.
8 Employment in temporary help
services
Over-the-month change, 2008-09
80
Seasonally adjusted in thousands
60
44
52
40
17
20
3
0
-1
-20
-40
-60
-23
-25
-38
-34
-37
-43
-34
-37
-48
-30
-45
-57 -54
-80
-100
-6
-73
-90
-73
-90
-120
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 4, 2009.
Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.
•
Employment in temporary help services rose by 52,000 in November. Since reaching a
recent employment low in July, the industry has added 117,000 jobs.
•
Since 1990, peaks and troughs in temporary help services employment have preceded
those of total nonfarm employment on 3 occasions—temporary help services reached a
high point in 2000, 10 months before total nonfarm; hit a low point in 2003, 4 months
before total nonfarm; and reached another high point in 2006, 12 months prior to total
nonfarm.
9 Employment in selected health care industries
Over-the-month change, November 2009
Seasonally adjusted in thousands
Ambulatory health care
Ambulatory healthservices*
care services*
12.6
14.7
3.8
of physicians
OfficesOffices
of physicians
Outpatient care centers
Outpatiant
care centers
4.7
Prior 12-mo. avg.: +25.3
0.9
7.3
Home health care s ervices
Home health care services
5.7
6.8
Hospitals
Hos pitals
Nursing
and residential
Nurs ing and residential care facilities
care facilities
Health care:
November 2009:+21.0
-3.3
4.7
1.6
5.9
-6
-3
0
3
6
9
12
15
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, December 4, 2009.
Note: Data are preliminary.
* Includes additional component industries not shown separately.
21
•
Health care employment continued to rise in November (+21,000).
•
Home health care services and hospitals added 7,000 jobs each, accounting for the
majority of November’s job gain.
•
Although health care continues to add jobs, the rate of job growth has slowed. So far in
2009, employment has grown at an annualized rate of 2.0 percent. In the 3 years from
2006 through 2008, health care had averaged an annual growth rate of 2.7 percent.
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