Bureau of Labor Statistics
Current Employment Statistics
Highlights
December 2009
Bureau of Labor Statistics
January 8, 2010
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
December 2009
125,000
125,000
Level: 130,910
Change: -85
122,500
122,500
120,000
120,000
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 8, 2010.
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
100
4
0
-100
-200
-72
-122
-128
-137
-144
-160
-161
-175
-127
-154-139
-300
-400
-303
-321
-380
-500
-600
-85
-304
-463
-519
-597
-652
-681
-681
-741
-700
-800
-900
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 8, 2010.
Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.
•
Nonfarm payroll employment edged down (-85,000) in December.
•
Monthly job losses averaged 691,000 in the first quarter of the year and then slowed in
each successive quarter with the 4th quarter averaging 69,000 per month.
•
In 2009, employment in nonfarm payrolls fell by 4.2 million, the largest annual decrease
in the history of the series. Since the recession began in December 2007, payroll
employment has decreased by 7.2 million.
2 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
-0.3 -0.4
-0.7
-1.1
-1.6
-2.0
-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
-3.1
-5.0
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 8, 2010.
Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.
•
The 12-month rate of job loss has slowed from 4.2 percent in August to 3.1 percent in
December. The over-the-year rate of change is now at a pace last seen in February.
3 Employment in total nonfarm
Over-the-month change, December 2009
Seasonally adjusted in thousands
Mining and logging
-1
Construction
-53
Manufacturing
-27
Wholesale trade
-18
Retail trade
-10
Transportation and warehousing
-8
Total nonfarm:
-85
Utilities
-1
Information
-6
Financial activities
4
Professional and business services
50
Education and health services
35
Leisure and hospitality
-25
Other services
-4
Government
-21
-90
-60
-30
0
30
60
90
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 8, 2010.
Note: Data are preliminary.
•
In December, job losses, led by construction and manufacturing, were widespread
throughout most industry sectors.
•
During 2009, job losses have moderated in most industry sectors.
•
Only professional and business services and education and health services
experienced job gains.
4 Average weekly hours, total private
1999-2009
34.5
Seasonally adjusted
34.5
34.0
34.0
33.5
33.5
December 2009
Level: 33.2
33.0
33.0
Change: 0.0
32.5
32.5
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 8, 2010.
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
December 2009
Level: 99.1
110
Percent change: 0.0
110
105
105
100
100
95
95
90
90
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 8, 2010.
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 December, average weekly hours of production and nonsupervisory employees
remained unchanged at 33.2 hours.
•
In December, the index of total private aggregate weekly hours remained unchanged.
Since reaching a peak in December 2007, the index has fallen by 8.1 percent.
5 Over-the-year percent changes in average
hourly earnings and CPI-W (1982-84=100)
1999-2009
8.0
Seasonally adjusted, percent
8.0
Over-the-year percent changes
AHE
December 2009 AHE: 2.2
6.0
6.0
November 2009 CPI-W: 2.3
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, January 8, 2010.
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
December 2009
120
Percent change: +0.2
Level: 124.5
110
130
120
110
100
100
90
90
80
80
70
70
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 8, 2010.
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 December, average hourly earnings of production and nonsupervisory employees rose
3 cents to $18.80. Over the past year, average hourly earnings have risen by 2.2 percent,
similar to the November over-the-year change in the Consumer Price Index for Urban
Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W).
•
The index of total private aggregate weekly payrolls rose by 0.2 percent in December
after a 0.8 percent increase in November. However, the index is still 3.6 percent below its
peak in August 2008.
6 Employment in mining and logging
1999-2009
850
Seasonally adjusted in thousands
850
December 2009
800
Level: 703
Change: -1
750
800
750
700
700
650
650
600
600
550
550
500
500
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 8, 2010.
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 mining and logging was flat in December.
•
Since reaching a peak in October 2008, employment in the industry has decreased by
91,000 or 11.5 percent.
7 Employment in construction
1999-2009
8,500
Seasonally adjusted in thousands
8,500
December 2009
Level: 5,907
8,000
8,000
Change: -53
7,500
7,500
7,000
7,000
6,500
6,500
6,000
6,000
5,500
5,500
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 8, 2010.
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 construction
Over-the-month change, December 2009
Seasonally adjusted in thousands
10
0
-3.8
-10
-8.9
-7.7
-8.4
-8.8
-9.5
-14.8
-20
-18.4
-20.3
-30
-34.5
-40
December 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, January 8, 2010.
Note: Data are preliminary.
•
Construction employment fell by 53,000 in December, similar to its prior 6-month
average. In 2009, the industry shed 934,000 jobs.
•
In December, losses were concentrated in nonresidential and heavy construction
(-35,000). Over the current 6 months, 75 percent of the decline in construction has
occurred in these components.
8 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
-48
-35
-27
-100
-119-121
-150
-123
-150-146
-180
-200
-172-172
-250
-262
-300
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 8, 2010.
Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.
Average weekly hours, manufacturing
1999-2009
42.0
Seasonally adjusted
December 2009
Level: 40.4
41.5
Change: 0.0
42.0
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, January 8, 2010.
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 December, manufacturing shed 27,000 jobs. Average monthly job losses in the second
half of 2009 were about one-fourth as large as those in the first half of the year.
•
In December, the factory workweek was unchanged at 40.4 and overtime held at 3.4
hours. Since May, the manufacturing workweek has increased by 1.0 hour.
9 Employment in wholesale trade
1999-2009
6,500
Seasonally adjusted in thousands
6,500
December 2009
Level: 5,618.5
6,250
Change: -18.2
6,250
6,000
6,000
5,750
5,750
5,500
5,500
5,250
5,250
5,000
5,000
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 8, 2010.
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 retail trade
1999-2009
Seasonally adjusted in thousands
16,000
December 2009
Level: 14,623.0
15,750
16,000
15,750
Change: -10.2
15,500
15,500
15,250
15,250
15,000
15,000
14,750
14,750
14,500
14,500
14,250
14,250
14,000
14,000
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 8, 2010.
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.
•
Wholesale trade employment declined by 18,000 in December, bringing the total job loss
to 232,000 in 2009. Nearly all of the jobs lost, over the month and over the year, were in
durable goods.
•
Retail trade employment edged down in December, as employment in general
merchandise stores fell by 15,000.
•
The retail industry shed 415,000 jobs in 2009 and 945,000 jobs since the beginning of the
recession.
10 Employment in transportation
and warehousing
1999-2009
4,750
Seasonally adjusted in thousands
4,750
December 2009
Level: 4,153.7
Change: -8.0
4,500
4,500
4,250
4,250
4,000
4,000
3,750
3,750
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 8, 2010.
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 information
Over-the-month change, 2008-09
10
Seasonally adjusted in thousands
3
0
-3
-1
-2
-6
-10
-4
-5
-7
-4
-4
-11
-13
-13
-6
-11
-16
-17
-20
-2
-5
-6
-14
-21
-25
-26
-30
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 8, 2010.
Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.
•
Transportation and warehousing employment edged down in December. The industry
shed 236,000 jobs in 2009, the largest annual job loss in the history of the series.
Trucking shed 94,000 jobs in 2009.
•
Employment in information was little change in December. The industry shed 134,000
jobs in 2009, the largest annual job loss since 2003. Publishing accounted for the
majority of the industry job loss in 2009.
11 Employment in financial activities
1999-2009
8,500
Seasonally adjusted in thousands
8,500
December 2009
Level: 7,695
Change: +4
8,250
8,250
8,000
8,000
7,750
7,750
7,500
7,500
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 8, 2010.
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 financial activities was little changed in December. Over the year, the
industry shed 315,000 jobs, the largest annual job loss in the history of the series.
Finance and insurance (-200,000) accounted for the majority of the industry job loss in
2009.
12 Employment in professional and
business services
Over-the-month change, 2008-09
140
Seasonally adjusted in thousands
89
100
60
24
20
-20
-60
-4
-40
-51
-6
-27
-36
-61
-63 -63
-64
50
33
-52
-31
-63
-100
-140
-180
-101
-119
-127
-124
-132
-151
-176
-220
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 8, 2010.
Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.
Employment in temporary help
services
Over-the-month change, 2008-09
80
Seasonally adjusted in thousands
55
60
44
47
40
17
20
3
0
-1
-20
-40
-23
-25
-38
-60
-34
-37
-43
-34
-37
-48
-45
-57 -54
-80
-73
-90
-100
-6
-30
-73
-90
-120
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 8, 2010.
Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.
•
Employment in professional and business services rose by 50,000 in December.
Temporary help services accounted for nearly all of this increase. Since reaching a recent
employment low in July, temporary help services has added 166,000 jobs.
•
In 2009, professional and business services cut 542,000 jobs.
13 Employment in selected health care industries
Over-the-month change, December 2009
Seasonally adjusted in thousands
Ambulatory health care
Ambulatory healthservices*
care services*
22.8
14.3
8.9
o f physicians
OfficesOffices
of physicians
4.2
Outpatiant care centers
Prior 12-mo. avg.: +23.3
0.9
8.0
Ho me health care s ervices
Home health care services
5.9
1.4
Hospitals
Ho spitals
Nursing
and residential
Nurs ing and residential care facilities
care facilities
Health care:
December 2009:+21.5
2.5
Outpatient care centers
4.0
-2.7
5
-6
-3
0
3
6
9
12
15
18
21
24
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 8, 2010.
Note: Data are preliminary.
* Includes additional component industries not shown separately.
27
30
•
Health care employment continued to rise in December (22,000). The industry’s payroll
employment has increased by 631,000 since the start of the recession.
•
In December, notable gains occurred in the offices of physicians (9,000) and home health
care services (8,000).
•
Ambulatory and health care services added 179,000 jobs during 2009, led by home health
care services.
14 Employment in leisure
and hospitality
Over-the-month change, 2008-09
40
Seasonally adjusted in thousands
27
20
13
1
0
-5
-20
-1
-5
-16 -17
-17
-17 -19
-13
-14
-19
-25
-26
-33
-40
-40
-36
-32 -34 -34
-42
-51
-60
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 8, 2010.
Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.
Employment in government
Over-the-month change, 2008-09
90
Seasonally adjusted in thousands
73
75
60
45
30
15
22
37 34
30
20
10
36
15
19
4
8
4
12
7
4
0
-15
-30
-11
-4
-11
-21
-21
-45
-39
-60
-58
-75
-72
-90
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics survey, January 8, 2010.
Note: Most recent 2 months of data are preliminary.
•
Employment in leisure and hospitality edged down in December. Since the beginning of
the recession, the industry shed 455,000 jobs, with three-quarters of the job loss in
accommodations and food services.
•
Employment in government edged down in December as most of this loss was divided
between federal and local government.
•
In 2009, government employment fell by 65,000; all of the job loss occurred in the
second half of the year. Local government employment declined by 98,000 jobs over the
year.
15