Technical information: USDL 99-31
Household data: (202) 606-6378
Transmission of material in this
release is embargoed until
Establishment data: 606-6555 8:30 A.M. (EST),
Media contact: 606-5902 Friday, February 5, 1999.
THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION: JANUARY 1999
Employment rose in January and the unemployment rate was unchanged at
4.3 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor
reported today. Nonfarm payroll employment rose by 245,000, about in line
with the average for the prior 12 months. Gains occurred in most major
industry divisions. Average hourly earnings increased by 6 cents.
Unemployment (Household Survey Data)
The number of unemployed persons, 6.0 million, was about unchanged in
January, and the unemployment rate held at 4.3 percent, seasonally
adjusted. The jobless rate has remained within a narrow range of 4.3 to
4.5 percent since last April. Among the major worker groups, the
unemployment rate for Hispanics fell to 6.6 percent in January. The
jobless rates for the other major demographic groups--adult men (3.4
percent), adult women (3.7 percent), teenagers (15.5 percent), whites (3.8
percent), and blacks (7.8 percent)--showed little or no change over the month.
(See tables A-1 and A-2.)
Total Employment and the Labor Force (Household Survey Data)
Total employment rose by 814,000 in January after adjustment for the
effect of revisions to population controls. (See the note on page 5.) The
employment-population ratio--the proportion of the population age 16 and
older with jobs--reached a record 64.5 percent, up 0.3 percentage point
from the previous month. (See table A-1.)
The civilian labor force increased by 742,000, again after adjustment
for the effect of population control revisions. The labor force
participation rate rose to 67.4 percent, also a record. (See table A-1.)
Approximately 7.9 million persons (not seasonally adjusted) held more
than one job in January. These multiple jobholders comprised 6.0 percent
of total employment, the same rate as a year earlier. (See table A-10.)
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Table A. Major indicators of labor market activity, seasonally adjusted
(Numbers in thousands)
___________________________________________________________________________
| Quarterly | Monthly data |
| averages | |
|_________________|__________________________| Dec.-
Category | 1998 | 1998 | 1999 | Jan.
|_________________|_________________|________|change1/
| III | IV | Nov. | Dec. | Jan. |
______________________|________|________|________|________|________|_______
HOUSEHOLD DATA | Labor force status
|____________________________________________________
Civilian labor force..| 137,656| 138,285| 138,193| 138,547| 139,347| 742
Employment..........| 131,419| 132,166| 132,113| 132,526| 133,396| 814
Unemployment........| 6,237| 6,120| 6,080| 6,021| 5,950| -73
Not in labor force....| 67,827| 67,813| 67,911| 67,723| 67,372| -600
|________|________|________|________|________|_______
| Unemployment rates
|____________________________________________________
All workers...........| 4.5| 4.4| 4.4| 4.3| 4.3| .0
Adult men...........| 3.8| 3.6| 3.5| 3.6| 3.4| -0.2
Adult women.........| 4.0| 4.0| 4.0| 3.9| 3.7| -.2
Teenagers...........| 14.7| 14.9| 15.0| 14.0| 15.5| 1.5
White...............| 3.9| 3.8| 3.8| 3.8| 3.8| .0
Black...............| 9.2| 8.4| 8.6| 7.9| 7.8| -.1
Hispanic origin.....| 7.3| 7.4| 7.3| 7.6| 6.6| -1.0
|________|________|________|________|________|_______
ESTABLISHMENT DATA | Employment
|____________________________________________________
Nonfarm employment....| 126,141|p126,811| 126,804|p127,102|p127,347| p245
Goods-producing 2/..| 25,210| p25,218| 25,184| p25,262| p25,255| p-7
Construction......| 5,980| p6,071| 6,051| p6,150| p6,165| p15
Manufacturing.....| 18,660| p18,588| 18,573| p18,557| p18,544| p-13
Service-producing 2/| 100,931|p101,593| 101,620|p101,840|p102,092| p252
Retail trade......| 22,561| p22,657| 22,672| p22,711| p22,741| p30
Services..........| 37,691| p38,027| 38,040| p38,137| p38,251 p114
Government........| 19,892| p19,985| 19,986| p20,020| p20,056| p36
|________|________|________|________|________|_______
| Hours of work 3/
|____________________________________________________
Total private.........| 34.5| p34.6| 34.5| p34.6| p34.5| p-0.1
Manufacturing.......| 41.7| p41.7| 41.7| p41.7| p41.5| p-.2
Overtime..........| 4.6| p4.5| 4.5| p4.5| p4.5| p.0
|________|________|________|________|________|_______
| Indexes of aggregate weekly hours (1982=100) 3/
|____________________________________________________
Total private.........| 145.1| p145.9| 145.7| p146.2| p146.2| p.0
|________|________|________|________|________|_______
| Earnings 3/
|____________________________________________________
Avg. hourly earnings, | | | | | |
total private.......| $12.84| p$12.94| $12.94| p$12.98| p$13.04| p$0.06
Avg. weekly earnings, | | | | | |
total private.......| 443.29| p447.29| 446.43| p449.11| p449.88| p.77
______________________|________|________|________|________|________|_______
1/ Changes for household data levels reflect an adjustment to remove
the effect of revisions to population controls. See the note on page 5.
2/ Includes other industries, not shown separately.
3/ Data relate to private production or nonsupervisory workers.
p=preliminary.
-3-
Persons Not in the Labor Force (Household Survey Data)
About 1.4 million persons (not seasonally adjusted) were marginally
attached to the labor force in January. These were people who wanted and
were available for work and had looked for a job sometime in the prior 12
months but were not counted as unemployed because they had not searched for
work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey.
The number of discouraged workers--a subset of the marginally attached
who were not currently looking for work specifically because they believed
no jobs were available for them--was 339,000 in January, about the same as
a year earlier. (See table A-10.)
Industry Payroll Employment (Establishment Data)
Nonfarm payroll employment, at 127.3 million, seasonally adjusted,
increased by 245,000 in January, about equal to the average gain over the
prior 12 months. Employment growth was widespread in the service-producing
sector, and the construction industry added jobs despite unusually adverse
winter weather in some parts of the country. Job losses continued in
manufacturing and mining. (See table B-1.)
The services industry added 114,000 jobs in January, in line with its
average for the prior 12 months. Employment in business services rose by
48,000 in January. Strong growth continued in computer and data processing
services, which added 17,000 jobs. In contrast, employment growth in help
supply services remained sluggish. Engineering and management services
registered a relatively large over-the-month employment increase (27,000) in
January and continued on its strong growth trend. Social services continued
its steady growth, adding 10,000 jobs. Health services experienced its third
consecutive month of slower growth, adding only 6,000 jobs. A decline in
home health care employment largely offset a gain in offices and clinics of
doctors. A January job gain of 13,000 in amusements and recreation
reversed a decline of similar magnitude in December.
Retail trade employment increased by 30,000 in January. January is the
month when retail stores lay off most of the workers who were hired for the
holiday shopping season. Department stores had stronger-than-usual
employment build-up for the holidays, so there were more people to let go
in January. As a result, employment declined by 31,000, after seasonal
adjustment. In contrast, apparel stores and miscellaneous general
merchandise stores, such as bookstores, jewelry stores, and gift shops, had
below-normal holiday hiring. This led to fewer-than-usual layoffs in
January and large employment increases, after seasonal adjustment. These
gains largely offset the decline in department stores. A second month of
strong employment gains in building supply stores reflected the strength in
construction activity.
- 4 -
Wholesale trade employment rose by 28,000 in January, following a small
increase in December. A large gain in the nondurable goods component
(20,000) was led by grocery wholesaling. In durable goods distribution,
professional and commercial equipment accounted for the increase.
Employment in transportation and public utilities rose by 22,000 in
January, after seasonal adjustment. Within transportation, trucking added
12,000 jobs; this was the second consecutive month of above-average growth
in the industry. Telephone companies continued to lead the growth in
communications, which added 11,000 jobs in January.
Finance, insurance, and real estate added 22,000 jobs in January.
Within finance, the over-the-month gain of 11,000 was spread among the
various types of banks, brokerages, and other investment offices. In real
estate, employment also increased by 11,000 in January, more than twice the
average monthly gain for the prior 12 months. This industry has benefited
from low mortgage rates. In contrast, for the first time in two years,
insurance did not add jobs.
Local government employment increased by 35,000 in January, with both
the educational and noneducational components adding jobs. State and
federal government employment levels were essentially unchanged.
In the goods-producing sector, construction employment continued to
rise, after seasonal adjustment. January's gain of 15,000 jobs was
substantially smaller than December's large increase. Exceptionally severe
weather in the upper Midwest and Northeast during the January survey
reference period curtailed construction activity in those parts of the
country. Outdoor construction activity--roofing and masonry within special
trades and the highway portion of heavy construction--was most affected by
the bad weather. In contrast, employment growth among general building
contractors was strong for the second month in a row.
Manufacturing employment continued to decline in January, although the
loss of 13,000 jobs was the smallest since September. Industrial machinery
has experienced steep declines, losing 15,000 jobs in January and 69,000
since March. Electronic equipment employment also continued to decline,
dropping by 6,000 jobs in January; this was slightly less than the average
loss for the prior six months. Employment in the apparel industry also
continued downward in January, falling by 8,000. Since its most recent
peak in November 1991, employment in apparel manufacturing has dropped by
294,000, or 29 percent. In January, lumber had a particularly large job
increase (8,000), reflecting construction's strength. Fabricated metals
showed its first employment increase since August, and motor vehicles had
its first job gain since October. Food products and rubber and
miscellaneous plastics also had employment increases in January; gains in
these industries over the past three months offset losses sustained in mid-
1998. Mining continued its long-term downward trend in January, losing
9,000 jobs. In recent months, employment declines have accelerated in oil
and gas extraction.
Weekly Hours (Establishment Survey Data)
The average workweek for production or nonsupervisory workers on private
nonfarm payrolls edged down by 0.1 hour in January to 34.5 hours,
seasonally adjusted. The manufacturing workweek decreased by 0.2 hour to
41.5 hours, while factory overtime was 4.5 hours for the fifth consecutive
month. (See table B-2.)
The index of aggregate weekly hours of production or nonsupervisory
workers on private nonfarm payrolls was unchanged at 146.2 (1982=100),
seasonally adjusted. The manufacturing index decreased by 0.6 percent in
January to 106.8, reflecting the decrease in the factory workweek. (See
table B-5.)
Hourly and Weekly Earnings (Establishment Survey Data)
Average hourly earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on
private nonfarm payrolls rose by 6 cents in January to $13.04, seasonally
adjusted. Average weekly earnings increased by 0.2 percent to $449.88.
Over the year, average hourly and weekly earnings have risen by 4.0 percent
and 3.1 percent, respectively. (See table B-3.)
___________________________
The Employment Situation for February 1999 is scheduled to be released
on Friday, March 5, at 8:30 A.M. (EST).
- 5 -
Revisions to Population Estimates for the Household Survey
Effective with the release of data for January 1999, revised population
controls, primarily reflecting updated information on immigration, have
been introduced into the household survey. The revised controls resulted
in an increase of 307,000 in the estimated size of the civilian
noninstitutional population 16 years of age and over for December 1998.
The impact on the population varied by demographic group. (See table
below.)
The revised controls increased the estimated size of the civilian labor
force and of employment by about 60,000 each, with more substantial, but
offsetting, changes among population subgroups. The population revisions
had a negligible impact on unemployment rates and other percentage
estimates. An article describing these revisions and their effect on
national labor force estimates will appear in the February 1999 issue of
Employment and Earnings.
Differences in population and labor force estimates by sex, race, and Hispanic
origin, using old and revised 1990 census-based population controls,
December 1998, not seasonally adjusted
(Numbers in thousands)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Category | Total | Men |Women | White | Black | Hispanic
| | | | | | origin
----------------------------------|------|------|-------|-------|-----------
| | | | | |
Civilian noninstitutional | | | | | |
population...............| 307 | -183 | 491 | 99 | 73 | -164
Civilian labor force....| 58 | -221 | 279 | -74 | 46 | -226
Employed..............| 56 | -204 | 260 | -68 | 42 | -214
Unemployed............| 2 | -17 | 19 | -7 | 4 | -13
Unemployment rate...| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- 5 -
Explanatory Note
This news release presents statistics from two major surveys, the Current
Population Survey (household survey) and the Current Employment Statistics
survey (establishment survey). The household survey provides the
information on the labor force, employment, and unemployment that appears
in the A tables, marked HOUSEHOLD DATA. It is a sample survey of about
50,000 households conducted by the Bureau of the Census for the Bureau of
Labor Statistics (BLS).
The establishment survey provides the information on the employment,
hours, and earnings of workers on nonfarm payrolls that appears in the B
tables, marked ESTABLISHMENT DATA. This information is collected from
payroll records by BLS in cooperation with State agencies. In June 1998,
the sample included about 390,000 establishments employing about 48 million
people.
For both surveys, the data for a given month relate to a particular week
or pay period. In the household survey, the reference week is generally
the calendar week that contains the 12th day of the month. In the
establishment survey, the reference period is the pay period including the
12th, which may or may not correspond directly to the calendar week.
Coverage, definitions, and differences between surveys
Household survey. The sample is selected to reflect the entire
civilian noninstitutional population. Based on responses to a series of
questions on work and job search activities, each person 16 years and over
in a sample household is classified as employed, unemployed, or not in the
labor force.
People are classified as employed if they did any work at all as paid
employees during the reference week; worked in their own business,
profession, or on their own farm; or worked without pay at least 15 hours
in a family business or farm. People are also counted as employed if they
were temporarily absent from their jobs because of illness, bad weather,
vacation, labor-management disputes, or personal reasons.
People are classified as unemployed if they meet all of the following
criteria: They had no employment during the reference week; they were
available for work at that time; and they made specific efforts to find
employment sometime during the 4-week period ending with the reference
week. Persons laid off from a job and expecting recall need not be
looking for work to be counted as unemployed. The unemployment data
derived from the household survey in no way depend upon the eligibility for
or receipt of unemployment insurance benefits.
The civilian labor force is the sum of employed and unemployed
persons. Those not classified as employed or unemployed are not in the
labor force. The unemployment rate is the number unemployed as a percent
of the labor force. The labor force participation rate is the labor force
as a percent of the population, and the employment-population ratio is the
employed as a percent of the population.
Establishment survey. The sample establishments are drawn from private
nonfarm businesses such as factories, offices, and stores, as well as
Federal, State, and local government entities. Employees on nonfarm
payrolls are those who received pay for any part of the reference pay
period, including persons on paid leave. Persons are counted in each job
they hold. Hours and earnings data are for private businesses and relate
only to production workers in the goods-producing sector and nonsupervisory
workers in the service-producing sector.
- 6 -
Differences in employment estimates. The numerous conceptual and
methodological differences between the household and establishment surveys
result in important distinctions in the employment estimates derived from
the surveys. Among these are:
--The household survey includes agricultural workers, the self-employed,
unpaid family workers, and private household workers among the employed.
These groups are excluded from the establishment survey.
--The household survey includes people on unpaid leave among the
employed. The establishment survey does not.
--The household survey is limited to workers 16 years of age and older.
The establishment survey is not limited by age.
--The household survey has no duplication of individuals, because
individuals are counted only once, even if they hold more than one job. In
the establishment survey, employees working at more than one job and thus
appearing on more than one payroll would be counted separately for each
appearance.
Other differences between the two surveys are described in "Comparing
Employment Estimates from Household and Payroll Surveys," which may be
obtained from BLS upon request.
Seasonal adjustment
Over the course of a year, the size of the nation's labor force and the
levels of employment and unemployment undergo sharp fluctuations due to
such seasonal events as changes in weather, reduced or expanded production,
harvests, major holidays, and the opening and closing of schools. The
effect of such seasonal variation can be very large; seasonal
fluctuations may account for as much as 95 percent of the month-to-month
changes in unemployment.
Because these seasonal events follow a more or less regular pattern each
year, their influence on statistical trends can be eliminated by adjusting
the statistics from month to month. These adjustments make nonseasonal
developments, such as declines in economic activity or increases in the
participation of women in the labor force, easier to spot. For example,
the large number of youth entering the labor force each June is likely to
obscure any other changes that have taken place relative to May, making it
difficult to determine if the level of economic activity has risen or
declined. However, because the effect of students finishing school in
previous years is known, the statistics for the current year can be
adjusted to allow for a comparable change. Insofar as the seasonal
adjustment is made correctly, the adjusted figure provides a more useful
tool with which to analyze changes in economic activity.
In both the household and establishment surveys, most seasonally adjusted
series are independently adjusted. However, the adjusted series for many
major estimates, such as total payroll employment, employment in most major
industry divisions, total employment, and unemployment are computed by
aggregating independently adjusted component series. For example, total
unemployment is derived by summing the adjusted series for four major age-
sex components; this differs from the unemployment estimate that would be
obtained by directly adjusting the total or by combining the duration,
reasons, or more detailed age categories.
The numerical factors used to make the seasonal adjustments are
recalculated twice a year. For the household survey, the factors are
calculated for the January-June period and again for the July-December
- 7 -
period. For the establishment survey, updated factors for seasonal
adjustment are calculated for the May-October period and introduced along
with new benchmarks, and again for the November-April period. In both
surveys, revisions to historical data are made once a year.
Reliability of the estimates
Statistics based on the household and establishment surveys are subject
to both sampling and nonsampling error. When a sample rather than the
entire population is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample estimates
may differ from the "true" population values they represent. The exact
difference, or sampling error, varies depending on the particular sample
selected, and this variability is measured by the standard error of the
estimate. There is about a 90-percent chance, or level of confidence, that
an estimate based on a sample will differ by no more than 1.6 standard
errors from the "true" population value because of sampling error. BLS
analyses are generally conducted at the 90-percent level of confidence.
For example, the confidence interval for the monthly change in total
employment from the household survey is on the order of plus or minus
376,000. Suppose the estimate of total employment increases by 100,000
from one month to the next. The 90-percent confidence interval on the
monthly change would range from -276,000 to 476,000 (100,000 +/- 376,000).
These figures do not mean that the sample results are off by these
magnitudes, but rather that there is about a 90-percent chance that the
"true" over-the-month change lies within this interval. Since this range
includes values of less than zero, we could not say with confidence that
employment had, in fact, increased. If, however, the reported employment
rise was half a million, then all of the values within the 90-percent
confidence interval would be greater than zero. In this case, it is likely
(at least a 90-percent chance) that an employment rise had, in fact,
occurred. The 90-percent confidence interval for the monthly change in
unemployment is +/- 258,000, and for the monthly change in the unemployment
rate it is +/- .21 percentage point.
In general, estimates involving many individuals or establishments have
lower standard errors (relative to the size of the estimate) than estimates
which are based on a small number of observations. The precision of
estimates is also improved when the data are cumulated over time such as
for quarterly and annual averages. The seasonal adjustment process can
also improve the stability of the monthly estimates.
The household and establishment surveys are also affected by nonsampling
error. Nonsampling errors can occur for many reasons, including the
failure to sample a segment of the population, inability to obtain
information for all respondents in the sample, inability or unwillingness
of respondents to provide correct information on a timely basis, mistakes
made by respondents, and errors made in the collection or processing of the
data.
For example, in the establishment survey, estimates for the most recent 2
months are based on substantially incomplete returns; for this reason,
these estimates are labeled preliminary in the tables. It is only after
two successive revisions to a monthly estimate, when nearly all sample
reports have been received, that the estimate is considered final.
Another major source of nonsampling error in the establishment survey is
the inability to capture, on a timely basis, employment generated by new
firms. To correct for this systematic underestimation of employment growth
(and other sources of error), a process known as bias adjustment is
included in the survey's estimating procedures, whereby a specified number
of jobs is added to the monthly sample-based change. The size of the
- 8 -
monthly bias adjustment is based largely on past relationships between the
sample-based estimates of employment and the total counts of employment
described below.
The sample-based estimates from the establishment survey are adjusted
once a year (on a lagged basis) to universe counts of payroll employment
obtained from administrative records of the unemployment insurance program.
The difference between the March sample-based employment estimates and the
March universe counts is known as a benchmark revision, and serves as a
rough proxy for total survey error. The new benchmarks also incorporate
changes in the classification of industries. Over the past decade, the
benchmark revision for total nonfarm employment has averaged 0.2 percent,
ranging from zero to 0.6 percent.
Additional statistics and other information
More comprehensive statistics are contained in Employment and Earnings,
published each month by BLS. It is available for $17.00 per issue or
$35.00 per year from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC
20402. All orders must be prepaid by sending a check or money order
payable to the Superintendent of Documents, or by charging to Mastercard or
Visa.
Employment and Earnings also provides measures of sampling error for the
household survey data published in this release. For unemployment and
other labor force categories, these measures appear in tables 1-B through
1-H of its "Explanatory Notes." Measures of the reliability of the data
drawn from the establishment survey and the actual amounts of revision due
to benchmark adjustments are provided in tables 2-B through 2-G of that
publication.
Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired
individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-606-STAT; TDD phone:
202-606-5897; TDD message referral phone: 1-800-326-2577.
HOUSEHOLD DATA HOUSEHOLD DATA
Table A-1. Employment status of the civilian population by sex and age
(Numbers in thousands)
Not seasonally adjusted Seasonally adjusted(1)
Employment status, sex, and age
Jan. Dec. Jan. Jan. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan.
1998 1998 1999 1998 1998 1998 1998 1998 1999
TOTAL
Civilian noninstitutional population.............. 204,238 206,270 206,719 204,238 205,699 205,919 206,104 206,270 206,719
Civilian labor force............................ 135,951 138,297 137,943 137,288 138,081 138,116 138,193 138,547 139,347
Participation rate........................ 66.6 67.0 66.7 67.2 67.1 67.1 67.1 67.2 67.4
Employed...................................... 128,882 132,732 131,339 130,943 131,818 131,858 132,113 132,526 133,396
Employment-population ratio............... 63.1 64.3 63.5 64.1 64.1 64.0 64.1 64.2 64.5
Agriculture................................. 2,938 2,953 2,911 3,337 3,470 3,558 3,348 3,222 3,299
Nonagricultural industries.................. 125,944 129,779 128,428 127,606 128,348 128,300 128,765 129,304 130,097
Unemployed.................................... 7,069 5,565 6,604 6,345 6,263 6,258 6,080 6,021 5,950
Unemployment rate......................... 5.2 4.0 4.8 4.6 4.5 4.5 4.4 4.3 4.3
Not in labor force.............................. 68,287 67,973 68,776 66,950 67,618 67,803 67,911 67,723 67,372
Men, 16 years and over
Civilian noninstitutional population.............. 98,241 99,309 99,198 98,241 99,006 99,121 99,217 99,309 99,198
Civilian labor force............................ 72,815 74,055 73,636 73,719 74,202 74,189 74,345 74,437 74,599
Participation rate........................ 74.1 74.6 74.2 75.0 74.9 74.8 74.9 75.0 75.2
Employed...................................... 68,932 70,930 69,992 70,387 70,841 70,925 71,182 71,204 71,459
Employment-population ratio............... 70.2 71.4 70.6 71.6 71.6 71.6 71.7 71.7 72.0
Unemployed.................................... 3,882 3,125 3,644 3,332 3,361 3,264 3,163 3,233 3,140
Unemployment rate......................... 5.3 4.2 4.9 4.5 4.5 4.4 4.3 4.3 4.2
Men, 20 years and over
Civilian noninstitutional population.............. 90,391 91,220 91,124 90,391 91,003 91,101 91,192 91,220 91,124
Civilian labor force............................ 69,013 69,949 69,687 69,547 69,869 69,913 70,023 70,069 70,295
Participation rate........................ 76.3 76.7 76.5 76.9 76.8 76.7 76.8 76.8 77.1
Employed...................................... 65,811 67,439 66,780 66,892 67,262 67,362 67,573 67,553 67,884
Employment-population ratio............... 72.8 73.9 73.3 74.0 73.9 73.9 74.1 74.1 74.5
Agriculture................................. 2,056 2,076 2,060 2,303 2,402 2,449 2,374 2,237 2,312
Nonagricultural industries.................. 63,756 65,363 64,720 64,589 64,860 64,913 65,199 65,316 65,572
Unemployed.................................... 3,202 2,510 2,908 2,655 2,607 2,551 2,450 2,516 2,411
Unemployment rate......................... 4.6 3.6 4.2 3.8 3.7 3.6 3.5 3.6 3.4
Women, 16 years and over
Civilian noninstitutional population.............. 105,997 106,960 107,521 105,997 106,693 106,798 106,887 106,960 107,521
Civilian labor force............................ 63,136 64,242 64,307 63,569 63,879 63,927 63,848 64,110 64,748
Participation rate........................ 59.6 60.1 59.8 60.0 59.9 59.9 59.7 59.9 60.2
Employed...................................... 59,949 61,801 61,347 60,556 60,977 60,933 60,931 61,322 61,937
Employment-population ratio............... 56.6 57.8 57.1 57.1 57.2 57.1 57.0 57.3 57.6
Unemployed.................................... 3,186 2,440 2,960 3,013 2,902 2,994 2,917 2,788 2,810
Unemployment rate......................... 5.0 3.8 4.6 4.7 4.5 4.7 4.6 4.3 4.3
Women, 20 years and over
Civilian noninstitutional population.............. 98,420 99,181 99,686 98,420 98,994 99,037 99,135 99,181 99,686
Civilian labor force............................ 59,425 60,337 60,547 59,583 59,804 59,826 59,896 60,078 60,718
Participation rate........................ 60.4 60.8 60.7 60.5 60.4 60.4 60.4 60.6 60.9
Employed...................................... 56,674 58,273 58,100 57,051 57,426 57,437 57,503 57,745 58,466
Employment-population ratio............... 57.6 58.8 58.3 58.0 58.0 58.0 58.0 58.2 58.7
Agriculture................................. 726 717 729 805 767 771 734 753 808
Nonagricultural industries.................. 55,948 57,556 57,370 56,246 56,659 56,666 56,769 56,992 57,659
Unemployed.................................... 2,750 2,065 2,447 2,532 2,378 2,389 2,393 2,333 2,251
Unemployment rate......................... 4.6 3.4 4.0 4.2 4.0 4.0 4.0 3.9 3.7
Both sexes, 16 to 19 years
Civilian noninstitutional population............. 15,427 15,868 15,909 15,427 15,702 15,781 15,777 15,868 15,909
Civilian labor force............................ 7,513 8,011 7,709 8,158 8,408 8,377 8,274 8,400 8,334
Participation rate........................ 48.7 50.5 48.5 52.9 53.5 53.1 52.4 52.9 52.4
Employed...................................... 6,396 7,020 6,460 7,000 7,130 7,059 7,037 7,228 7,046
Employment-population ratio............... 41.5 44.2 40.6 45.4 45.4 44.7 44.6 45.5 44.3
Agriculture................................. 156 161 122 229 301 338 240 232 179
Nonagricultural industries.................. 6,241 6,860 6,338 6,771 6,829 6,721 6,797 6,996 6,867
Unemployed.................................... 1,117 990 1,249 1,158 1,278 1,318 1,237 1,172 1,288
Unemployment rate......................... 14.9 12.4 16.2 14.2 15.2 15.7 15.0 14.0 15.5
1 The population figures are not adjusted for seasonal variation; therefore, identical numbers appear in the unadjusted
and seasonally adjusted columns.
NOTE: Beginning in January 1999, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.
HOUSEHOLD DATA HOUSEHOLD DATA
Table A-2. Employment status of the civilian population by race, sex, age, and Hispanic origin
(Numbers in thousands)
Not seasonally adjusted Seasonally adjusted(1)
Employment status, race, sex, age, and
Hispanic origin
Jan. Dec. Jan. Jan. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan.
1998 1998 1999 1998 1998 1998 1998 1998 1999
WHITE
Civilian noninstitutional population.............. 170,810 172,197 172,394 170,810 171,804 171,956 172,084 172,197 172,394
Civilian labor force............................ 114,193 115,796 115,425 115,226 115,751 115,714 115,687 115,996 116,529
Participation rate.......................... 66.9 67.2 67.0 67.5 67.4 67.3 67.2 67.4 67.6
Employed...................................... 108,967 111,647 110,414 110,659 111,221 111,162 111,304 111,560 112,135
Employment-population ratio................. 63.8 64.8 64.0 64.8 64.7 64.6 64.7 64.8 65.0
Unemployed.................................... 5,226 4,149 5,011 4,567 4,530 4,552 4,383 4,436 4,394
Unemployment rate........................... 4.6 3.6 4.3 4.0 3.9 3.9 3.8 3.8 3.8
Men, 20 years and over
Civilian labor force............................ 58,885 59,662 59,306 59,277 59,587 59,579 59,634 59,712 59,751
Participation rate.......................... 76.8 77.2 76.9 77.3 77.3 77.2 77.2 77.2 77.5
Employed...................................... 56,476 57,725 57,051 57,320 57,615 57,646 57,806 57,813 57,920
Employment-population ratio................. 73.7 74.7 74.0 74.8 74.7 74.7 74.8 74.8 75.1
Unemployed.................................... 2,410 1,937 2,254 1,957 1,972 1,933 1,828 1,899 1,831
Unemployment rate........................... 4.1 3.2 3.8 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.1 3.2 3.1
Women, 20 years and over
Civilian labor force............................ 48,897 49,429 49,594 49,046 49,108 49,062 49,065 49,230 49,759
Participation rate.......................... 59.7 60.0 60.0 59.9 59.8 59.7 59.6 59.8 60.2
Employed...................................... 46,919 47,960 47,773 47,252 47,456 47,401 47,415 47,585 48,110
Employment-population ratio................. 57.3 58.3 57.8 57.7 57.7 57.6 57.6 57.8 58.2
Unemployed.................................... 1,979 1,469 1,821 1,794 1,652 1,661 1,650 1,645 1,650
Unemployment rate........................... 4.0 3.0 3.7 3.7 3.4 3.4 3.4 3.3 3.3
Both sexes, 16 to 19 years
Civilian labor force............................ 6,410 6,705 6,526 6,903 7,056 7,073 6,988 7,054 7,019
Participation rate.......................... 52.2 53.4 51.7 56.2 56.4 56.4 55.7 56.1 55.6
Employed...................................... 5,573 5,962 5,590 6,087 6,150 6,115 6,083 6,162 6,105
Employment-population ratio................. 45.4 47.4 44.3 49.6 49.1 48.8 48.5 49.0 48.4
Unemployed.................................... 838 743 935 816 906 958 905 892 913
Unemployment rate........................... 13.1 11.1 14.3 11.8 12.8 13.5 13.0 12.6 13.0
Men....................................... 16.2 13.2 16.2 14.1 14.7 14.1 14.1 14.5 14.1
Women..................................... 9.7 8.8 12.4 9.4 10.8 13.0 11.6 10.6 11.9
BLACK
Civilian noninstitutional population.............. 24,196 24,561 24,665 24,196 24,458 24,496 24,529 24,561 24,665
Civilian labor force............................ 15,535 16,136 16,101 15,770 16,027 16,163 16,201 16,157 16,356
Participation rate.......................... 64.2 65.7 65.3 65.2 65.5 66.0 66.0 65.8 66.3
Employed...................................... 14,045 14,993 14,835 14,288 14,584 14,776 14,804 14,884 15,085
Employment-population ratio................. 58.0 61.0 60.1 59.1 59.6 60.3 60.4 60.6 61.2
Unemployed.................................... 1,490 1,143 1,267 1,482 1,443 1,387 1,397 1,273 1,271
Unemployment rate........................... 9.6 7.1 7.9 9.4 9.0 8.6 8.6 7.9 7.8
Men, 20 years and over
Civilian labor force............................ 6,910 7,047 7,098 6,998 6,999 7,144 7,086 7,063 7,210
Participation rate.......................... 71.6 71.9 72.1 72.5 71.7 73.1 72.4 72.0 73.3
Employed...................................... 6,288 6,592 6,619 6,442 6,499 6,653 6,590 6,588 6,782
Employment-population ratio................. 65.1 67.2 67.3 66.7 66.6 68.0 67.3 67.2 68.9
Unemployed.................................... 622 455 479 556 500 491 496 475 428
Unemployment rate........................... 9.0 6.5 6.8 7.9 7.1 6.9 7.0 6.7 5.9
Women, 20 years and over
Civilian labor force............................ 7,776 8,089 8,087 7,802 7,948 7,992 8,051 8,035 8,114
Participation rate.......................... 64.1 65.8 65.4 64.3 64.9 65.2 65.6 65.4 65.7
Employed...................................... 7,149 7,600 7,556 7,169 7,320 7,391 7,443 7,474 7,579
Employment-population ratio................. 59.0 61.8 61.2 59.1 59.8 60.3 60.6 60.8 61.3
Unemployed.................................... 628 490 530 633 628 601 608 561 535
Unemployment rate........................... 8.1 6.1 6.6 8.1 7.9 7.5 7.6 7.0 6.6
Both sexes, 16 to 19 years
Civilian labor force............................ 849 999 917 970 1,080 1,027 1,064 1,059 1,032
Participation rate.......................... 35.2 40.6 37.1 40.2 44.0 41.8 43.3 43.0 41.8
Employed...................................... 609 801 660 677 765 732 771 822 725
Employment-population ratio................. 25.2 32.6 26.7 28.0 31.1 29.8 31.4 33.4 29.3
Unemployed.................................... 240 198 257 293 315 295 293 237 307
Unemployment rate........................... 28.3 19.8 28.1 30.2 29.2 28.7 27.5 22.4 29.8
Men....................................... 32.4 25.7 35.6 31.7 32.7 34.7 33.0 27.3 34.2
Women..................................... 24.8 14.4 20.6 28.8 25.7 23.5 22.1 17.6 25.0
HISPANIC ORIGIN
Civilian noninstitutional population.............. 20,741 21,405 21,296 20,741 21,224 21,286 21,349 21,405 21,296
Civilian labor force............................ 13,880 14,485 14,358 14,020 14,457 14,437 14,389 14,488 14,511
Participation rate.......................... 66.9 67.7 67.4 67.6 68.1 67.8 67.4 67.7 68.1
Employed...................................... 12,793 13,398 13,293 13,038 13,394 13,382 13,345 13,383 13,550
Employment-population ratio................. 61.7 62.6 62.4 62.9 63.1 62.9 62.5 62.5 63.6
Unemployed.................................... 1,087 1,087 1,065 982 1,063 1,055 1,044 1,105 960
Unemployment rate........................... 7.8 7.5 7.4 7.0 7.4 7.3 7.3 7.6 6.6
1 The population figures are not adjusted for seasonal variation; therefore, identical numbers appear in the unadjusted
and seasonally adjusted columns.
NOTE: Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the "other races"
group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups. Beginning in January
1999, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.
HOUSEHOLD DATA HOUSEHOLD DATA
Table A-3. Employment status of the civilian population 25 years and over by educational attainment, seasonally adjusted
(Numbers in thousands)
Not seasonally adjusted Seasonally adjusted(1)
Educational attainment
Jan. Dec. Jan. Jan. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan.
1998 1998 1999 1998 1998 1998 1998 1998 1999
Less than a high school diploma
Civilian noninstitutional population...... 29,981 29,094 28,901 29,981 29,290 28,713 29,084 29,094 28,901
Civilian labor force.................... 12,695 12,509 12,463 12,629 12,563 12,408 12,463 12,500 12,379
Percent of population............... 42.3 43.0 43.1 42.1 42.9 43.2 42.9 43.0 42.8
Employed.............................. 11,630 11,609 11,391 11,715 11,692 11,556 11,574 11,626 11,459
Employment-population ratio......... 38.8 39.9 39.4 39.1 39.9 40.2 39.8 40.0 39.7
Unemployed............................ 1,065 900 1,073 914 871 852 889 874 920
Unemployment rate................... 8.4 7.2 8.6 7.2 6.9 6.9 7.1 7.0 7.4
High school graduates, no college(2)
Civilian noninstitutional population...... 57,606 57,115 57,477 57,606 57,589 57,666 57,273 57,115 57,477
Civilian labor force.................... 37,649 37,442 37,472 37,745 37,289 37,540 37,408 37,296 37,590
Percent of population............... 65.4 65.6 65.2 65.5 64.8 65.1 65.3 65.3 65.4
Employed.............................. 35,867 36,066 35,928 36,249 35,783 36,056 35,947 35,873 36,291
Employment-population ratio......... 62.3 63.1 62.5 62.9 62.1 62.5 62.8 62.8 63.1
Unemployed............................ 1,782 1,376 1,545 1,496 1,506 1,484 1,461 1,423 1,299
Unemployment rate................... 4.7 3.7 4.1 4.0 4.0 4.0 3.9 3.8 3.5
Less than a bachelor's degree(3)
Civilian noninstitutional population...... 41,718 43,022 43,154 41,718 41,769 42,573 42,863 43,022 43,154
Civilian labor force.................... 31,012 31,933 31,990 31,385 31,271 31,349 31,727 31,800 32,399
Percent of population............... 74.3 74.2 74.1 75.2 74.9 73.6 74.0 73.9 75.1
Employed.............................. 29,911 31,080 30,966 30,383 30,343 30,423 30,825 30,911 31,470
Employment-population ratio......... 71.7 72.2 71.8 72.8 72.6 71.5 71.9 71.8 72.9
Unemployed............................ 1,101 853 1,023 1,002 928 926 902 889 929
Unemployment rate................... 3.5 2.7 3.2 3.2 3.0 3.0 2.8 2.8 2.9
College graduates
Civilian noninstitutional population...... 41,974 43,484 43,516 41,974 43,669 43,520 43,408 43,484 43,516
Civilian labor force.................... 33,671 34,889 34,914 33,698 34,914 34,779 34,554 34,838 34,950
Percent of population............... 80.2 80.2 80.2 80.3 80.0 79.9 79.6 80.1 80.3
Employed.............................. 33,007 34,323 34,257 33,067 34,335 34,108 33,922 34,205 34,325
Employment-population ratio......... 78.6 78.9 78.7 78.8 78.6 78.4 78.1 78.7 78.9
Unemployed............................ 664 566 657 631 579 671 632 633 624
Unemployment rate................... 2.0 1.6 1.9 1.9 1.7 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.8
1 The population figures are not adjusted for seasonal variation, therefore, identical numbers appear in the unadjusted
and seasonally adjusted columns.
2 Includes high school diploma or equivalent.
3 Includes the categories, some college, no degree; and associate degree.
NOTE: Beginning in January 1999, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.
HOUSEHOLD DATA HOUSEHOLD DATA
Table A-4. Selected employment indicators
(In thousands)
Not seasonally adjusted Seasonally adjusted
Category
Jan. Dec. Jan. Jan. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan.
1998 1998 1999 1998 1998 1998 1998 1998 1999
CHARACTERISTIC
Total employed, 16 years and over................. 128,882 132,732 131,339 130,943 131,818 131,858 132,113 132,526 133,396
Married men, spouse present..................... 42,461 43,426 43,107 42,894 43,170 43,090 43,209 43,227 43,542
Married women, spouse present................... 32,596 33,502 33,416 32,837 32,891 33,037 32,953 33,093 33,652
Women who maintain families..................... 7,675 8,011 7,947 7,797 7,984 7,940 7,969 8,087 8,076
OCCUPATION
Managerial and professional specialty........... 38,036 40,007 39,754 38,124 39,553 39,679 39,459 39,729 39,836
Technical, sales, and administrative support.... 38,037 38,517 38,419 38,462 38,478 38,431 38,430 38,307 38,846
Service occupations............................. 17,708 17,873 17,690 18,089 17,926 17,692 18,024 17,976 18,070
Precision production, craft, and repair......... 14,027 14,586 14,471 14,298 14,045 14,192 14,552 14,685 14,751
Operators, fabricators, and laborers............ 18,179 18,702 18,109 18,556 18,118 18,168 18,067 18,480 18,476
Farming, forestry, and fishing.................. 2,895 3,046 2,895 3,418 3,585 3,604 3,538 3,396 3,422
CLASS OF WORKER
Agriculture:
Wage and salary workers....................... 1,651 1,683 1,703 1,929 2,145 2,247 2,005 1,912 1,987
Self-employed workers......................... 1,247 1,241 1,181 1,367 1,290 1,282 1,304 1,304 1,298
Unpaid family workers......................... 40 29 27 44 40 33 40 34 30
Nonagricultural industries:
Wage and salary workers....................... 117,028 120,917 119,627 118,491 119,148 119,275 119,718 120,380 121,115
Government.................................. 18,495 18,902 19,121 18,307 18,448 18,547 18,607 18,686 18,913
Private industries.......................... 98,533 102,015 100,505 100,184 100,700 100,728 101,111 101,694 102,202
Private households........................ 945 962 850 981 918 946 969 943 881
Other industries.......................... 97,588 101,053 99,655 99,203 99,782 99,782 100,142 100,751 101,321
Self-employed workers......................... 8,803 8,745 8,680 8,958 9,096 9,030 8,929 8,814 8,830
Unpaid family workers......................... 114 117 121 115 88 95 112 122 121
PERSONS AT WORK PART TIME
All industries:
Part time for economic reasons................ 4,299 3,455 3,815 4,015 3,419 3,404 3,340 3,417 3,562
Slack work or business conditions........... 2,611 2,005 2,428 2,254 1,913 2,031 1,910 1,927 2,093
Could only find part-time work.............. 1,315 1,088 1,056 1,388 1,168 1,136 1,157 1,148 1,115
Part time for noneconomic reasons............. 18,756 19,770 18,836 18,429 18,687 18,667 18,634 18,674 18,485
Nonagricultural industries:
Part time for economic reasons................ 4,090 3,242 3,645 3,829 3,191 3,253 3,191 3,257 3,413
Slack work or business conditions........... 2,476 1,901 2,305 2,138 1,800 1,927 1,824 1,841 1,989
Could only find part-time work.............. 1,295 1,057 1,040 1,361 1,132 1,110 1,130 1,116 1,094
Part time for noneconomic reasons............. 18,202 19,270 18,352 17,793 18,161 18,107 18,110 18,155 17,921
NOTE: Persons at work excludes employed persons who were absent from their jobs during the entire reference week for
reasons such as vacation, illness, or industrial dispute. Part time for noneconomic reasons excludes persons who usually
work full time but worked only 1 to 34 hours during the reference week for reasons such as holidays, illness, and bad
weather. Beginning in January 1999, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.
HOUSEHOLD DATA HOUSEHOLD DATA
Table A-5. Selected unemployment indicators, seasonally adjusted
Number of
unemployed persons Unemployment rates(1)
(in thousands)
Category
Jan. Dec. Jan. Jan. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan.
1998 1998 1999 1998 1998 1998 1998 1998 1999
CHARACTERISTIC
Total, 16 years and over......................... 6,345 6,021 5,950 4.6 4.5 4.5 4.4 4.3 4.3
Men, 20 years and over......................... 2,655 2,516 2,411 3.8 3.7 3.6 3.5 3.6 3.4
Women, 20 years and over....................... 2,532 2,333 2,251 4.2 4.0 4.0 4.0 3.9 3.7
Both sexes, 16 to 19 years..................... 1,158 1,172 1,288 14.2 15.2 15.7 15.0 14.0 15.5
Married men, spouse present.................... 1,118 1,015 1,011 2.5 2.3 2.3 2.2 2.3 2.3
Married women, spouse present.................. 1,016 942 987 3.0 2.7 2.8 2.9 2.8 2.8
Women who maintain families.................... 640 547 527 7.6 7.6 6.9 6.9 6.3 6.1
Full-time workers.............................. 5,048 4,781 4,708 4.5 4.3 4.3 4.2 4.2 4.1
Part-time workers.............................. 1,325 1,263 1,272 5.4 5.3 5.5 5.4 5.2 5.2
OCCUPATION(2)
Managerial and professional specialty.......... 758 728 750 1.9 1.8 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.8
Technical, sales, and administrative support... 1,649 1,473 1,520 4.1 3.9 3.9 3.7 3.7 3.8
Precision production, craft, and repair........ 688 491 537 4.6 4.3 4.0 3.8 3.2 3.5
Operators, fabricators, and laborers........... 1,204 1,318 1,149 6.1 7.0 6.8 6.7 6.7 5.9
Farming, forestry, and fishing................. 247 276 284 6.7 7.0 5.4 6.3 7.5 7.7
INDUSTRY
Nonagricultural private wage and salary workers 4,953 4,727 4,586 4.7 4.8 4.6 4.5 4.4 4.3
Goods-producing industries................... 1,403 1,322 1,318 4.8 5.1 4.6 4.6 4.6 4.6
Mining..................................... 24 24 44 3.7 3.0 2.4 2.2 4.3 7.4
Construction............................... 564 469 540 8.1 8.6 6.7 7.0 6.4 7.3
Manufacturing.............................. 815 829 734 3.8 4.0 3.9 3.8 4.0 3.5
Durable goods............................ 423 423 429 3.3 3.7 3.2 3.2 3.4 3.4
Nondurable goods......................... 392 406 305 4.6 4.6 5.1 4.8 4.9 3.8
Service-producing industries................. 3,550 3,405 3,268 4.7 4.6 4.7 4.5 4.4 4.2
Transportation and public utilities........ 291 246 193 3.8 3.5 3.5 3.2 3.2 2.5
Wholesale and retail trade................. 1,554 1,519 1,445 5.8 5.7 5.6 5.2 5.5 5.2
Finance, insurance, and real estate........ 202 232 196 2.6 2.4 2.5 2.8 2.8 2.4
Services................................... 1,503 1,408 1,434 4.4 4.5 4.7 4.6 4.1 4.1
Government workers............................. 448 389 425 2.4 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.0 2.2
Agricultural wage and salary workers........... 222 172 210 10.3 7.9 6.7 7.6 8.3 9.6
1 Unemployment as a percent of the civilian labor force.
2 Seasonally adjusted unemployment data for service occupations are not available because the seasonal component, which
is small relative to the trend-cycle and irregular components, cannot be separated with sufficient precision.
NOTE: Beginning in January 1999, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.
HOUSEHOLD DATA HOUSEHOLD DATA
Table A-6. Duration of unemployment
(Numbers in thousands)
Not seasonally adjusted Seasonally adjusted
Duration
Jan. Dec. Jan. Jan. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan.
1998 1998 1999 1998 1998 1998 1998 1998 1999
NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYED
Less than 5 weeks................................ 3,132 2,299 2,930 2,520 2,638 2,754 2,546 2,614 2,353
5 to 14 weeks.................................... 2,038 1,817 2,133 1,976 1,968 1,896 1,983 1,839 2,071
15 weeks and over................................ 1,898 1,449 1,541 1,811 1,636 1,598 1,611 1,578 1,469
15 to 26 weeks................................ 825 680 775 802 732 732 752 754 753
27 weeks and over............................. 1,074 769 766 1,009 904 866 859 824 716
Average (mean) duration, in weeks................ 14.9 14.1 12.9 15.5 14.3 14.1 14.4 14.1 13.4
Median duration, in weeks........................ 6.9 6.7 6.5 7.3 6.6 5.9 6.7 6.7 6.9
PERCENT DISTRIBUTION
Total unemployed................................. 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Less than 5 weeks.............................. 44.3 41.3 44.4 40.0 42.3 44.1 41.5 43.3 39.9
5 to 14 weeks.................................. 28.8 32.7 32.3 31.3 31.5 30.3 32.3 30.5 35.1
15 weeks and over.............................. 26.9 26.0 23.3 28.7 26.2 25.6 26.2 26.2 24.9
15 to 26 weeks............................... 11.7 12.2 11.7 12.7 11.7 11.7 12.2 12.5 12.8
27 weeks and over............................ 15.2 13.8 11.6 16.0 14.5 13.9 14.0 13.7 12.1
NOTE: Beginning in January 1999, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.
HOUSEHOLD DATA HOUSEHOLD DATA
Table A-7. Reason for unemployment
(Numbers in thousands)
Not seasonally adjusted Seasonally adjusted
Reason
Jan. Dec. Jan. Jan. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan.
1998 1998 1999 1998 1998 1998 1998 1998 1999
NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYED
Job losers and persons who completed temporary
jobs........................................... 3,556 2,849 3,394 2,826 2,865 2,813 2,758 2,754 2,696
On temporary layoff............................. 1,362 934 1,364 862 909 857 850 841 864
Not on temporary layoff......................... 2,195 1,915 2,030 1,964 1,956 1,956 1,908 1,913 1,832
Permanent job losers.......................... 1,485 1,382 1,376 (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1)
Persons who completed temporary jobs.......... 709 533 655 (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1)
Job leavers....................................... 811 628 721 792 727 730 677 709 699
Reentrants........................................ 2,253 1,706 2,027 2,215 2,161 2,142 2,130 2,031 1,993
New entrants...................................... 449 381 462 524 501 577 534 504 537
PERCENT DISTRIBUTION
Total unemployed.................................. 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Job losers and persons who completed temporary
jobs........................................... 50.3 51.2 51.4 44.5 45.8 44.9 45.2 45.9 45.5
On temporary layoff............................ 19.3 16.8 20.7 13.6 14.5 13.7 13.9 14.0 14.6
Not on temporary layoff........................ 31.0 34.4 30.7 30.9 31.3 31.2 31.3 31.9 30.9
Job leavers...................................... 11.5 11.3 10.9 12.5 11.6 11.7 11.1 11.8 11.8
Reentrants....................................... 31.9 30.6 30.7 34.8 34.6 34.2 34.9 33.9 33.6
New entrants..................................... 6.3 6.9 7.0 8.2 8.0 9.2 8.8 8.4 9.1
UNEMPLOYED AS A PERCENT OF THE
CIVILIAN LABOR FORCE
Job losers and persons who completed temporary
jobs........................................... 2.6 2.1 2.5 2.1 2.1 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.9
Job leavers...................................... .6 .5 .5 .6 .5 .5 .5 .5 .5
Reentrants....................................... 1.7 1.2 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.5 1.4
New entrants..................................... .3 .3 .3 .4 .4 .4 .4 .4 .4
1 Not available.
NOTE: Beginning in January 1999, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.
HOUSEHOLD DATA HOUSEHOLD DATA
Table A-8. Range of alternative measures of labor underutilization
(Percent)
Not seasonally Seasonally adjusted
adjusted
Measure
Jan. Dec. Jan. Jan. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan.
1998 1998 1999 1998 1998 1998 1998 1998 1999
U-1 Persons unemployed 15 weeks or longer, as a percent of
the civilian
labor force.............................................. 1.4 1.0 1.1 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.1
U-2 Job losers and persons who completed temporary jobs, as
a percent of the
civilian labor force..................................... 2.6 2.1 2.5 2.1 2.1 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.9
U-3 Total unemployed, as a percent of the civilian labor
force
(official unemployment rate)............................. 5.2 4.0 4.8 4.6 4.5 4.5 4.4 4.3 4.3
U-4 Total unemployed plus discouraged workers, as a percent
of the civilian
labor force plus discouraged workers.................... 5.5 4.3 5.0 (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1)
U-5 Total unemployed, plus discouraged workers, plus all
other marginally
attached workers, as a percent of the civilian labor
force plus all marginally
attached workers........................................ 6.2 4.8 5.7 (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1)
U-6 Total unemployed, plus all marginally attached workers,
plus total employed
part time for economic reasons, as a percent of the
civilian labor force plus
all marginally attached workers......................... 9.3 7.3 8.5 (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1)
1 Not available.
NOTE: This range of alternative measures of labor underutilization replaces the U1-U7 range published in table A-7 of
this release prior to 1994. Marginally attached workers are persons who currently are neither working nor looking for work
but indicate that they want and are available for a job and have looked for work sometime in the recent past. Discouraged
workers, a subset of the marginally attached, have given a job-market related reason for not currently looking for a job.
Persons employed part time for economic reasons are those who want and are available for full-time work but have had to
settle for a part-time schedule. For further information, see "BLS introduces new range of alternative unemployment
measures," in the October 1995 issue of the Monthly Labor Review. Beginning in January 1999, data reflect revised
population controls used in the household survey.
HOUSEHOLD DATA HOUSEHOLD DATA
Table A-9. Unemployed persons by sex and age, seasonally adjusted
Number of
unemployed persons Unemployment rates(1)
(in thousands)
Age and sex
Jan. Dec. Jan. Jan. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan.
1998 1998 1999 1998 1998 1998 1998 1998 1999
Total, 16 years and over.......................... 6,345 6,021 5,950 4.6 4.5 4.5 4.4 4.3 4.3
16 to 24 years.................................. 2,375 2,153 2,240 10.8 10.9 10.5 9.9 9.8 10.1
16 to 19 years................................ 1,158 1,172 1,288 14.2 15.2 15.7 15.0 14.0 15.5
16 to 17 years.............................. 584 573 619 17.2 17.6 18.2 18.0 16.9 18.4
18 to 19 years.............................. 559 611 653 11.8 13.5 14.0 13.0 12.1 13.1
20 to 24 years................................ 1,217 981 952 8.8 8.2 7.3 6.9 7.2 6.9
25 years and over............................... 4,011 3,864 3,743 3.5 3.4 3.4 3.3 3.3 3.2
25 to 54 years................................ 3,576 3,340 3,257 3.6 3.5 3.5 3.4 3.4 3.3
55 years and over............................. 457 517 509 2.7 2.7 2.7 3.0 3.0 2.9
Men, 16 years and over.......................... 3,332 3,233 3,140 4.5 4.5 4.4 4.3 4.3 4.2
16 to 24 years................................ 1,285 1,247 1,241 11.2 11.9 10.9 10.3 10.8 10.7
16 to 19 years.............................. 677 717 729 16.2 17.4 16.7 16.5 16.4 16.9
16 to 17 years............................ 322 349 349 18.2 20.2 20.9 20.0 19.9 19.7
18 to 19 years............................ 350 364 375 14.5 15.1 13.7 14.4 14.0 14.7
20 to 24 years.............................. 608 530 512 8.4 8.6 7.5 6.6 7.3 7.1
25 years and over............................. 2,049 1,987 1,900 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.1 3.2 3.0
25 to 54 years.............................. 1,789 1,688 1,646 3.4 3.2 3.3 3.1 3.2 3.1
55 years and over........................... 279 300 273 3.0 3.0 2.9 3.1 3.1 2.8
Women, 16 years and over........................ 3,013 2,788 2,810 4.7 4.5 4.7 4.6 4.3 4.3
16 to 24 years................................ 1,090 906 999 10.4 9.8 10.1 9.5 8.7 9.5
16 to 19 years.............................. 481 455 559 12.1 12.9 14.8 13.3 11.3 13.9
16 to 17 years............................ 262 224 270 16.2 14.9 15.4 15.9 13.8 16.9
18 to 19 years............................ 209 247 278 8.9 11.9 14.3 11.4 10.2 11.5
20 to 24 years.............................. 609 451 440 9.4 7.8 7.1 7.1 7.1 6.7
25 years and over............................. 1,962 1,877 1,842 3.7 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.5 3.4
25 to 54 years.............................. 1,787 1,652 1,611 3.9 3.7 3.8 3.8 3.6 3.5
55 years and over........................... 178 217 236 2.4 2.3 2.5 2.9 2.8 3.1
1 Unemployment as a percent of the civilian labor force.
NOTE: Beginning in January 1999, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.
HOUSEHOLD DATA HOUSEHOLD DATA
Table A-10. Persons not in the labor force and multiple jobholders by sex, not seasonally adjusted
(Numbers in thousands)
Total Men Women
Category
Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan.
1998 1999 1998 1999 1998 1999
NOT IN THE LABOR FORCE
Total not in the labor force...................................... 68,287 68,776 25,426 25,562 42,861 43,214
Persons who currently want a job................................ 5,026 4,800 2,190 1,910 2,836 2,890
Searched for work and vailable to work now(1)................ 1,479 1,358 734 635 745 723
Reason not currently looking:
Discouragement over job prospects(2).................... 374 339 232 206 142 133
Reasons other than discouragement(3)................. 1,105 1,019 502 428 603 590
MULTIPLE JOBHOLDERS
Total multiple jobholders(4)...................................... 7,702 7,897 3,995 4,143 3,707 3,754
Percent of total employed..................................... 6.0 6.0 5.8 5.9 6.2 6.1
Primary job full time, secondary job part time................ 4,236 4,342 2,446 2,518 1,790 1,824
Primary and secondary jobs both part time..................... 1,644 1,597 469 496 1,175 1,101
Primary and secondary jobs both full time..................... 269 326 200 186 69 140
Hours vary on primary or secondary job........................ 1,514 1,614 861 928 653 686
1 Data refer to persons who have searched for work during the prior 12 months and were available to take a job during the
reference week.
2 Includes thinks no work available, could not find work, lacks schooling or training, employer thinks too young or old, and
other types of discrimination.
3 Includes those who did not actively look for work in the prior 4 weeks for such reasons as child-care and transportation
problems, as well as a small number for which reason for nonparticipation was not determined.
4 Includes persons who work part time on their primary job and full time on their secondary job(s), not shown separately.
NOTE: Beginning in January 1999, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.
ESTABLISHMENT DATA ESTABLISHMENT DATA
Table B-1. Employees on nonfarm payrolls by industry
(In thousands)
Not seasonally adjusted Seasonally adjusted
Industry
Jan. Nov. Dec. Jan. Jan. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan.
1998 1998 1998p 1999p 1998 1998 1998 1998 1998p 1999p
Total......................... 122,577 127,840 127,916 125,187 124,640 126,363 126,527 126,804 127,102 127,347
Total private.................... 102,963 107,384 107,529 105,219 104,954 106,435 106,579 106,818 107,082 107,291
Goods-producing......................... 24,692 25,367 25,173 24,635 25,297 25,241 25,209 25,184 25,262 25,255
Mining................................ 580 562 555 535 592 568 564 560 555 546
Metal mining........................ 51.1 49.9 49.9 49.6 52 50 50 50 50 50
Coal mining......................... 93.4 89.8 88.7 87.7 94 89 89 90 89 88
Oil and gas extraction.............. 336.2 313.4 309.3 297.8 338 321 317 312 307 299
Nonmetallic minerals, except fuels.. 98.8 109.3 106.6 100.1 108 108 108 108 109 109
Construction.......................... 5,407 6,183 6,039 5,672 5,881 5,981 6,012 6,051 6,150 6,165
General building contractors........ 1,300.3 1,438.4 1,424.0 1,372.5 1,365 1,410 1,419 1,414 1,433 1,444
Heavy construction, except building. 677.6 868.2 810.6 713.3 817 820 825 834 861 859
Special trade contractors........... 3,429.5 3,876.1 3,804.8 3,586.2 3,699 3,751 3,768 3,803 3,856 3,862
Manufacturing......................... 18,705 18,622 18,579 18,428 18,824 18,692 18,633 18,573 18,557 18,544
Production workers................ 12,918 12,813 12,783 12,665 13,023 12,865 12,821 12,765 12,761 12,757
Durable goods........................ 11,104 11,036 11,020 10,936 11,154 11,090 11,059 11,011 10,995 10,985
Production workers................ 7,623 7,548 7,543 7,475 7,669 7,584 7,566 7,522 7,519 7,512
Lumber and wood products............ 784.6 812.7 812.0 806.3 800 805 806 809 813 821
Furniture and fixtures.............. 517.7 526.6 530.3 528.3 517 524 524 524 528 528
Stone, clay, and glass products..... 541.1 570.9 565.0 546.8 562 564 564 568 570 567
Primary metal industries............ 720.2 701.1 701.5 697.6 719 712 706 699 698 697
Blast furnaces and basic steel
products....................... 236.0 226.9 227.7 226.1 (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1)
Fabricated metal products........... 1,493.5 1,486.0 1,484.8 1,481.7 1,496 1,487 1,486 1,481 1,479 1,484
Industrial machinery and equipment.. 2,201.1 2,157.3 2,152.8 2,137.0 2,200 2,185 2,175 2,162 2,151 2,136
Computer and office equipment..... 380.0 368.8 366.5 361.9 381 374 371 370 367 363
Electronic and other electrical
equipment........................ 1,719.5 1,672.9 1,670.4 1,659.2 1,719 1,688 1,680 1,668 1,665 1,659
Electronic components and
accessories.................... 680.0 649.0 647.0 645.9 680 659 654 649 646 646
Transportation equipment............ 1,874.2 1,881.3 1,883.3 1,868.2 1,882 1,883 1,887 1,877 1,871 1,875
Motor vehicles and equipment...... 995.0 998.6 999.7 989.0 1,002 995 1,000 998 989 995
Aircraft and parts................ 521.2 521.9 520.9 517.9 521 524 523 519 519 518
Instruments and related products.... 868.7 845.0 842.2 837.5 870 855 850 845 842 839
Miscellaneous manufacturing......... 383.2 382.3 377.4 373.5 389 387 381 378 378 379
Nondurable goods..................... 7,601 7,586 7,559 7,492 7,670 7,602 7,574 7,562 7,562 7,559
Production workers................ 5,295 5,265 5,240 5,190 5,354 5,281 5,255 5,243 5,242 5,245
Food and kindred products........... 1,664.6 1,719.2 1,704.7 1,688.3 1,702 1,704 1,702 1,710 1,717 1,725
Tobacco products.................... 42.5 41.8 42.0 42.0 40 39 40 40 39 40
Textile mill products............... 605.5 584.4 581.3 575.6 608 593 589 584 581 578
Apparel and other textile products.. 793.9 740.1 732.1 716.3 805 761 746 736 733 725
Paper and allied products........... 685.6 674.2 673.7 668.4 688 679 677 674 673 670
Printing and publishing............. 1,560.8 1,570.6 1,572.2 1,562.0 1,564 1,568 1,569 1,566 1,563 1,566
Chemicals and allied products....... 1,029.7 1,033.6 1,033.0 1,026.9 1,035 1,036 1,034 1,035 1,035 1,032
Petroleum and coal products......... 131.6 135.6 133.5 128.8 136 135 134 134 136 133
Rubber and misc. plastics products.. 1,001.3 1,006.8 1,009.2 1,007.9 1,006 1,007 1,004 1,005 1,008 1,013
Leather and leather products........ 85.5 79.2 77.6 76.1 86 80 79 78 77 77
Service-producing....................... 97,885 102,473 102,743 100,552 99,343 101,122 101,318 101,620 101,840 102,092
Transportation and public utilities... 6,413 6,647 6,678 6,586 6,473 6,579 6,595 6,604 6,629 6,651
Transportation...................... 4,101 4,293 4,319 4,224 4,148 4,237 4,247 4,249 4,264 4,277
Railroad transportation........... 227.9 232.3 232.1 231.5 231 234 234 231 233 235
Local and interurban passenger
transit........................ 465.3 483.5 483.5 476.9 456 466 467 468 468 467
Trucking and warehousing.......... 1,645.7 1,735.4 1,730.3 1,699.6 1,684 1,716 1,721 1,721 1,729 1,741
Water transportation.............. 168.6 189.5 185.6 182.9 177 191 191 193 191 192
Transportation by air............. 1,138.9 1,183.5 1,218.3 1,166.1 1,142 1,166 1,167 1,167 1,172 1,170
Pipelines, except natural gas..... 14.2 14.1 14.1 14.0 14 14 14 14 14 14
Transportation services........... 439.9 454.7 455.5 453.3 444 450 453 455 457 458
Communications and public utilities. 2,312 2,354 2,359 2,362 2,325 2,342 2,348 2,355 2,365 2,374
Communications.................... 1,456.5 1,504.3 1,509.1 1,514.3 1,466 1,490 1,498 1,502 1,512 1,523
Electric, gas, and sanitary
services....................... 855.6 850.1 850.2 847.2 859 852 850 853 853 851
Wholesale trade....................... 6,702 6,889 6,884 6,855 6,759 6,862 6,864 6,877 6,884 6,912
Durable goods....................... 3,994 4,100 4,103 4,090 4,017 4,094 4,096 4,102 4,105 4,113
Nondurable goods.................... 2,708 2,789 2,781 2,765 2,742 2,768 2,768 2,775 2,779 2,799
Retail trade.......................... 21,885 23,023 23,383 22,337 22,280 22,592 22,589 22,672 22,711 22,741
Building materials and garden
supplies......................... 902.6 983.0 983.1 954.8 954 984 987 991 999 1,012
General merchandise stores.......... 2,766.0 3,044.1 3,139.1 2,797.6 2,771 2,800 2,812 2,842 2,828 2,798
Department stores................. 2,430.6 2,693.0 2,764.4 2,460.8 2,439 2,466 2,481 2,504 2,495 2,464
Food stores......................... 3,513.5 3,594.6 3,625.7 3,543.4 3,528 3,557 3,554 3,558 3,562 3,557
Automotive dealers and service
stations......................... 2,300.9 2,368.4 2,367.2 2,356.4 2,331 2,361 2,367 2,370 2,378 2,387
New and used car dealers.......... 1,049.6 1,069.3 1,069.2 1,066.9 1,056 1,065 1,067 1,069 1,073 1,073
Apparel and accessory stores........ 1,112.8 1,155.1 1,201.4 1,114.7 1,108 1,109 1,101 1,105 1,099 1,109
Furniture and home furnishings
stores........................... 1,046.3 1,107.7 1,132.4 1,100.7 1,039 1,071 1,076 1,082 1,082 1,092
Eating and drinking places.......... 7,362.6 7,738.9 7,809.7 7,528.7 7,685 7,790 7,778 7,807 7,854 7,860
Miscellaneous retail establishments. 2,880.2 3,031.5 3,124.8 2,941.0 2,864 2,920 2,914 2,917 2,909 2,926
Finance, insurance, and real estate... 7,157 7,418 7,436 7,421 7,213 7,393 7,417 7,441 7,459 7,481
Finance............................. 3,478 3,597 3,613 3,617 3,485 3,578 3,598 3,605 3,614 3,625
Depository institutions........... 2,034.5 2,038.3 2,045.2 2,044.5 2,037 2,038 2,043 2,043 2,045 2,047
Commercial banks................ 1,461.7 1,452.7 1,457.3 1,455.4 1,463 1,456 1,456 1,455 1,456 1,457
Savings institutions............ 262.2 263.2 263.8 265.1 262 264 265 265 264 266
Nondepository institutions........ 587.9 645.7 652.4 654.7 589 630 640 649 652 656
Mortgage bankers and brokers.... 262.6 307.4 311.9 312.6 264 298 305 310 313 314
Security and commodity brokers.... 622.8 662.7 664.7 665.4 625 662 666 663 666 668
Holding and other investment
offices........................ 233.0 250.2 250.8 252.8 234 248 249 250 251 254
Insurance........................... 2,287 2,356 2,360 2,356 2,293 2,346 2,350 2,357 2,362 2,362
Insurance carriers................ 1,553.4 1,605.8 1,609.6 1,608.1 1,558 1,599 1,601 1,606 1,612 1,613
Insurance agents, brokers, and
service........................ 733.2 750.0 750.5 747.9 735 747 749 751 750 749
Real estate......................... 1,392 1,465 1,463 1,448 1,435 1,469 1,469 1,479 1,483 1,494
Services2............................. 36,114 38,040 37,975 37,385 36,932 37,768 37,905 38,040 38,137 38,251
Agricultural services............... 585.3 736.5 687.4 629.0 696 719 722 737 750 749
Hotels and other lodging places..... 1,656.8 1,707.7 1,699.0 1,673.0 1,762 1,781 1,783 1,777 1,776 1,779
Personal services................... 1,216.8 1,151.3 1,160.8 1,217.8 1,176 1,179 1,178 1,180 1,181 1,179
Business services................... 8,135.1 8,834.8 8,821.3 8,576.7 8,351 8,605 8,677 8,715 8,757 8,805
Services to buildings............. 943.8 990.6 987.6 982.9 960 986 987 989 993 1,000
Personnel supply services......... 2,954.5 3,286.1 3,251.9 3,022.0 3,139 3,152 3,161 3,177 3,199 3,211
Help supply services............ 2,627.6 2,939.3 2,902.2 2,687.0 2,804 2,818 2,829 2,840 2,854 2,862
Computer and data processing
services....................... 1,509.0 1,679.8 1,692.7 1,706.5 1,507 1,643 1,661 1,680 1,690 1,707
Auto repair, services, and parking.. 1,133.4 1,172.1 1,172.8 1,168.1 1,147 1,168 1,169 1,175 1,178 1,182
Miscellaneous repair services....... 375.6 391.2 392.8 390.1 381 388 389 391 393 396
Motion pictures..................... 561.4 557.5 570.0 563.0 563 568 567 563 566 565
Amusement and recreation services... 1,394.9 1,563.9 1,555.0 1,493.2 1,633 1,717 1,718 1,744 1,733 1,746
Health services..................... 9,812.3 9,963.6 9,977.0 9,938.8 9,837 9,937 9,947 9,955 9,957 9,963
Offices and clinics of medical
doctors........................ 1,780.0 1,847.4 1,851.7 1,850.3 1,784 1,835 1,843 1,849 1,845 1,854
Nursing and personal care
facilities..................... 1,753.2 1,756.2 1,754.6 1,745.4 1,759 1,758 1,755 1,753 1,750 1,752
Hospitals......................... 3,910.3 3,979.8 3,984.4 3,975.9 3,916 3,971 3,977 3,978 3,982 3,981
Home health care services......... 702.5 666.0 664.8 651.5 706 667 662 661 662 655
Legal services...................... 959.6 993.2 995.7 992.7 964 991 995 994 996 998
Educational services................ 2,122.2 2,423.4 2,371.5 2,202.3 2,169 2,218 2,238 2,245 2,253 2,250
Social services..................... 2,551.8 2,682.4 2,688.8 2,673.8 2,570 2,652 2,659 2,672 2,684 2,694
Child day care services........... 580.7 600.8 599.3 597.0 575 583 583 586 588 591
Residential care.................. 731.5 762.5 765.3 763.3 736 758 762 764 766 768
Museums and botanical and zoological
gardens........................... 82.7 91.1 91.2 86.0 91 92 92 94 94 94
Membership organizations............ 2,222.4 2,265.1 2,270.5 2,248.5 2,260 2,276 2,281 2,279 2,283 2,286
Engineering and management services. 3,109.0 3,307.7 3,322.8 3,333.3 3,137 3,280 3,293 3,321 3,338 3,365
Engineering and architectural
services....................... 887.6 930.8 931.3 930.2 897 926 927 932 934 940
Management and public relations... 990.2 1,090.8 1,095.8 1,093.2 1,004 1,066 1,075 1,092 1,097 1,109
Services, nec....................... 50.6 54.7 54.5 55.0 (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1)
Government............................ 19,614 20,456 20,387 19,968 19,686 19,928 19,948 19,986 20,020 20,056
Federal............................. 2,654 2,717 2,740 2,682 2,670 2,687 2,713 2,725 2,707 2,707
Federal, except Postal Service.... 1,799.7 1,828.9 1,802.8 1,793.2 1,822 1,813 1,834 1,845 1,819 1,816
State............................... 4,547 4,811 4,768 4,619 4,613 4,680 4,671 4,674 4,686 4,687
Education......................... 1,881.9 2,105.4 2,064.9 1,909.1 1,924 1,960 1,949 1,945 1,955 1,953
Other State government............ 2,664.8 2,705.8 2,703.3 2,709.6 2,689 2,720 2,722 2,729 2,731 2,734
Local............................... 12,413 12,928 12,879 12,667 12,403 12,561 12,564 12,587 12,627 12,662
Education......................... 7,122.4 7,488.8 7,480.0 7,302.0 6,980 7,088 7,083 7,114 7,136 7,161
Other local government............ 5,290.3 5,439.1 5,398.5 5,365.3 5,423 5,473 5,481 5,473 5,491 5,501
1 These series are not published seasonally adjusted because the seasonal component, which is small relative to the
trend-cycle and irregular components, cannot be separated with sufficient precision.
2 Includes other industries, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.
ESTABLISHMENT DATA ESTABLISHMENT DATA
Table B-2. Average weekly hours of production or nonsupervisory workers1 on private nonfarm payrolls by industry
Not seasonally adjusted Seasonally adjusted
Industry
Jan. Nov. Dec. Jan. Jan. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan.
1998 1998 1998p 1999p 1998 1998 1998 1998 1998p 1999p
Total private.................... 34.2 34.7 34.7 34.0 34.8 34.4 34.6 34.5 34.6 34.5
Goods-producing......................... 40.9 41.2 41.7 40.4 41.6 40.8 41.1 41.0 41.2 41.0
Mining................................ 45.0 43.9 43.6 42.5 45.4 43.2 43.8 43.5 43.3 42.8
Construction.......................... 37.4 38.5 39.0 37.7 39.8 38.4 39.1 38.8 39.5 39.6
Manufacturing......................... 41.9 42.1 42.6 41.3 42.1 41.6 41.7 41.7 41.7 41.5
Overtime hours.................... 4.7 4.8 4.9 4.3 4.9 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5
Durable goods........................ 42.6 42.7 43.3 41.8 42.8 42.2 42.3 42.3 42.3 42.1
Overtime hours.................... 5.0 4.9 5.1 4.4 5.2 4.7 4.6 4.6 4.5 4.6
Lumber and wood products............ 40.2 41.5 41.7 40.5 41.2 40.6 41.1 41.2 41.6 41.6
Furniture and fixtures.............. 40.6 40.8 41.6 40.2 41.0 40.1 40.4 40.1 40.3 40.6
Stone, clay, and glass products..... 42.3 43.7 43.7 42.4 43.7 43.3 43.4 43.5 43.8 44.0
Primary metal industries............ 45.4 44.2 44.7 43.8 45.2 43.7 43.7 43.9 43.8 43.7
Blast furnaces and basic steel
products....................... 46.2 43.7 44.2 44.1 46.0 44.2 43.9 43.7 43.7 44.0
Fabricated metal products........... 42.6 42.8 43.4 41.8 42.7 42.3 42.3 42.1 42.2 41.9
Industrial machinery and equipment.. 43.6 42.7 43.2 42.0 43.6 42.7 42.7 42.4 42.1 41.9
Electronic and other electrical
equipment........................ 41.8 42.1 42.2 40.9 41.8 41.5 41.5 41.4 41.0 41.0
Transportation equipment............ 43.8 44.6 45.8 43.7 43.9 43.7 43.7 44.1 44.7 43.7
Motor vehicles and equipment...... 43.7 45.2 47.0 44.7 43.9 44.3 43.8 44.7 45.4 44.8
Instruments and related products.... 41.9 41.5 42.0 41.0 41.9 41.0 41.1 41.0 41.0 41.0
Miscellaneous manufacturing......... 39.9 40.0 40.2 38.6 40.4 39.6 39.7 39.3 39.4 39.1
Nondurable goods..................... 40.9 41.3 41.6 40.5 41.1 40.8 40.9 40.8 40.9 40.7
Overtime hours.................... 4.2 4.6 4.6 4.2 4.4 4.3 4.3 4.4 4.3 4.4
Food and kindred products........... 41.4 42.4 42.8 41.5 41.8 41.7 41.5 41.7 42.0 41.9
Tobacco products.................... 37.8 38.8 37.4 34.7 38.3 37.7 38.5 38.3 36.3 35.4
Textile mill products............... 41.6 41.2 41.5 40.7 41.8 40.4 41.1 40.7 41.0 40.9
Apparel and other textile products.. 37.3 37.6 37.9 36.5 37.4 37.3 37.3 37.3 37.3 36.7
Paper and allied products........... 43.7 43.9 44.2 43.7 43.6 43.6 43.5 43.5 43.3 43.6
Printing and publishing............. 38.0 38.7 38.7 37.7 38.5 38.1 38.2 38.2 38.1 38.3
Chemicals and allied products....... 43.5 43.3 43.5 42.7 43.5 43.2 43.3 43.0 42.6 42.7
Petroleum and coal products......... 44.5 43.9 44.7 43.4 (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Rubber and misc. plastics products.. 41.9 42.1 42.7 41.3 42.0 41.7 41.8 41.6 41.7 41.3
Leather and leather products........ 37.8 38.0 38.1 36.8 38.3 37.4 37.4 37.6 37.5 37.2
Service-producing....................... 32.5 33.0 32.9 32.3 33.0 32.8 32.9 32.9 32.8 32.8
Transportation and public utilities... 39.3 39.7 39.1 38.8 40.0 39.3 39.3 39.3 39.1 39.5
Wholesale trade....................... 38.1 38.7 38.4 38.0 38.5 38.2 38.3 38.5 38.4 38.4
Retail trade.......................... 28.1 28.9 29.2 28.0 29.0 29.0 29.1 29.0 28.9 28.9
Finance, insurance, and real estate... 36.1 36.9 36.1 36.0 (2) (2) (2) (2) (2) (2)
Services.............................. 32.4 32.8 32.6 32.3 32.8 32.5 32.7 32.6 32.7 32.6
1 Data relate to production workers in mining and manufacturing; construction workers in construction; and
nonsupervisory workers in transportation and public utilities; wholesale and retail trade; finance, insurance, and real
estate; and services. These groups account for approximately four-fifths of the total employees on private nonfarm
payrolls.
2 These series are not published seasonally adjusted because the seasonal component, which is small relative to the
trend-cycle and irregular components, cannot be separated with sufficient precision.
p = preliminary.
ESTABLISHMENT DATA ESTABLISHMENT DATA
Table B-3. Average hourly and weekly earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers1 on private nonfarm payrolls by
industry
Average hourly earnings Average weekly earnings
Industry
Jan. Nov. Dec. Jan. Jan. Nov. Dec. Jan.
1998 1998 1998p 1999p 1998 1998 1998p 1999p
Total private.................... $12.60 $12.99 $12.99 $13.10 $430.92 $450.75 $450.75 $445.40
Seasonally adjusted............. 12.54 12.94 12.98 13.04 436.39 446.43 449.11 449.88
Goods-producing......................... 14.10 14.49 14.55 14.46 576.69 596.99 606.74 584.18
Mining................................ 16.65 17.34 17.39 17.35 749.25 761.23 758.20 737.38
Construction.......................... 16.25 16.79 16.85 16.73 607.75 646.42 657.15 630.72
Manufacturing......................... 13.40 13.60 13.68 13.67 561.46 572.56 582.77 564.57
Durable goods........................ 13.96 14.08 14.16 14.12 594.70 601.22 613.13 590.22
Lumber and wood products............ 10.90 11.25 11.35 11.31 438.18 466.88 473.30 458.06
Furniture and fixtures.............. 10.75 10.98 11.09 11.07 436.45 447.98 461.34 445.01
Stone, clay, and glass products..... 13.39 13.66 13.72 13.68 566.40 596.94 599.56 580.03
Primary metal industries............ 15.47 15.35 15.36 15.38 702.34 678.47 686.59 673.64
Blast furnaces and basic steel
products....................... 18.33 18.31 18.11 18.37 846.85 800.15 800.46 810.12
Fabricated metal products........... 12.99 13.23 13.36 13.31 553.37 566.24 579.82 556.36
Industrial machinery and equipment.. 14.34 14.62 14.68 14.64 625.22 624.27 634.18 614.88
Electronic and other electrical
equipment........................ 13.00 13.19 13.28 13.33 543.40 555.30 560.42 545.20
Transportation equipment............ 17.75 17.55 17.57 17.45 777.45 782.73 804.71 762.57
Motor vehicles and equipment...... 18.24 17.75 17.74 17.59 797.09 802.30 833.78 786.27
Instruments and related products.... 13.64 13.87 13.98 13.96 571.52 575.61 587.16 572.36
Miscellaneous manufacturing......... 10.79 11.01 11.13 11.12 430.52 440.40 447.43 429.23
Nondurable goods..................... 12.56 12.89 12.97 12.99 513.70 532.36 539.55 526.10
Food and kindred products........... 11.67 11.96 12.01 11.98 483.14 507.10 514.03 497.17
Tobacco products.................... 18.49 17.45 17.13 16.44 698.92 677.06 640.66 570.47
Textile mill products............... 10.26 10.51 10.55 10.63 426.82 433.01 437.83 432.64
Apparel and other textile products.. 8.41 8.63 8.67 8.67 313.69 324.49 328.59 316.46
Paper and allied products........... 15.18 15.63 15.76 15.66 663.37 686.16 696.59 684.34
Printing and publishing............. 13.27 13.55 13.66 13.66 504.26 524.39 528.64 514.98
Chemicals and allied products....... 16.89 17.28 17.31 17.29 734.72 748.22 752.99 738.28
Petroleum and coal products......... 20.63 20.95 21.17 21.07 918.04 919.71 946.30 914.44
Rubber and misc. plastics products.. 11.74 11.97 12.09 12.22 491.91 503.94 516.24 504.69
Leather and leather products........ 9.32 9.45 9.44 9.63 352.30 359.10 359.66 354.38
Service-producing....................... 12.10 12.51 12.49 12.67 393.25 412.83 410.92 409.24
Transportation and public utilities... $15.27 $15.53 $15.53 $15.59 $600.11 $616.54 $607.22 $604.89
Wholesale trade....................... 13.77 14.28 14.27 14.36 524.64 552.64 547.97 545.68
Retail trade.......................... 8.63 8.87 8.90 9.03 242.50 256.34 259.88 252.84
Finance, insurance, and real estate... 13.70 14.42 14.40 14.46 494.57 532.10 519.84 520.56
Services.............................. 12.66 13.15 13.18 13.30 410.18 431.32 429.67 429.59
1 See footnote 1, table B-2.
p = preliminary.
ESTABLISHMENT DATA ESTABLISHMENT DATA
Table B-4. Average hourly earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers1 on private nonfarm
payrolls by industry, seasonally adjusted
Percent
Jan. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. change
Industry 1998 1998 1998 1998 1998p 1999p from:
Dec. 1998-
Jan. 1999
Total private:
Current dollars.............. $12.54 $12.87 $12.90 $12.94 $12.98 $13.04 0.5
Constant (1982) dollars2..... 7.66 7.79 7.79 7.80 7.81 N.A. (3)
Goods-producing............... 14.16 14.39 14.43 14.46 14.49 14.52 .2
Mining...................... 16.47 17.15 17.20 17.37 17.30 17.16 -.8
Construction................ 16.27 16.57 16.69 16.75 16.83 16.75 -.5
Manufacturing............... 13.38 13.57 13.57 13.58 13.57 13.64 .5
Excluding overtime4....... 12.66 12.90 12.88 12.89 12.89 12.93 .3
Service-producing............. 12.00 12.38 12.41 12.45 12.49 12.57 .6
Transportation and public
utilities................ 15.21 15.42 15.42 15.45 15.52 15.53 .1
Wholesale trade............. 13.75 14.14 14.19 14.23 14.26 14.35 .6
Retail trade................ 8.56 8.86 8.85 8.85 8.91 8.97 .7
Finance, insurance, and real
estate................... 13.72 14.17 14.24 14.35 14.43 14.48 .3
Services.................... 12.54 12.99 13.03 13.06 13.09 13.18 .7
1 See footnote 1, table B-2.
2 The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) is used to
deflate this series.
3 Change was .1 percent from November 1998 to December 1998, the latest month available.
4 Derived by assuming that overtime hours are paid at the rate of time and one-half.
N.A. = not available.
p = preliminary.
ESTABLISHMENT DATA ESTABLISHMENT DATA
Table B-5. Indexes of aggregate weekly hours of production or nonsupervisory workers1 on private nonfarm payrolls by
industry
(1982=100)
Not seasonally adjusted Seasonally adjusted
Industry
Jan. Nov. Dec. Jan. Jan. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan.
1998 1998 1998p 1999p 1998 1998 1998 1998 1998p 1999p
Total private.................... 139.0 147.4 147.4 140.8 144.6 144.9 145.8 145.7 146.2 146.2
Goods-producing......................... 111.5 116.0 116.2 109.5 117.1 114.1 114.6 114.1 115.3 114.7
Mining................................ 56.2 53.5 52.2 48.5 58.3 53.1 53.5 52.6 52.1 50.1
Construction.......................... 139.6 168.0 165.3 147.0 165.0 160.9 164.8 164.4 171.0 170.6
Manufacturing......................... 109.2 108.9 109.8 105.5 110.6 108.0 107.8 107.3 107.4 106.8
Durable goods........................ 113.4 112.6 113.8 109.1 114.6 111.7 111.6 110.9 111.0 110.3
Lumber and wood products............ 137.2 146.6 147.1 141.6 143.8 141.9 143.9 144.6 146.9 148.5
Furniture and fixtures.............. 131.7 134.5 138.3 133.2 132.8 131.4 132.4 131.4 133.3 134.3
Stone, clay, and glass products..... 107.6 118.2 116.8 109.1 116.5 115.4 115.7 116.8 118.1 118.1
Primary metal industries............ 97.4 91.9 92.9 90.5 96.6 92.3 91.6 90.9 90.7 89.9
Blast furnaces and basic steel
products....................... 75.6 68.7 69.8 69.0 75.6 71.0 70.1 68.6 69.0 69.1
Fabricated metal products........... 119.3 119.0 120.7 115.9 119.8 117.7 117.5 116.6 116.7 116.3
Industrial machinery and equipment.. 112.0 107.3 108.6 104.6 111.7 108.7 108.4 106.9 105.7 104.2
Electronic and other electrical
equipment........................ 113.0 109.0 109.1 105.3 112.8 108.9 108.0 106.6 105.3 105.3
Transportation equipment............ 128.8 128.8 132.5 124.8 130.0 126.5 127.1 126.9 128.3 125.4
Motor vehicles and equipment...... 164.5 165.7 172.9 161.2 166.8 161.9 161.1 162.2 164.6 162.4
Instruments and related products.... 77.1 75.2 76.2 74.4 77.4 75.2 75.0 74.5 74.3 74.3
Miscellaneous manufacturing......... 100.5 100.3 99.1 93.5 103.8 100.3 98.6 96.9 97.5 96.4
Nondurable goods..................... 103.4 103.9 104.2 100.5 105.2 103.0 102.6 102.3 102.4 102.1
Food and kindred products........... 114.8 122.4 122.1 117.0 119.2 118.9 118.2 119.5 120.8 121.1
Tobacco products.................... 64.2 63.5 61.1 56.9 60.7 57.9 59.1 58.8 53.9 54.3
Textile mill products............... 88.7 84.4 84.5 82.2 89.6 84.3 85.2 83.4 83.5 83.1
Apparel and other textile products.. 70.4 65.3 65.1 61.1 71.6 67.0 65.2 64.3 64.2 62.2
Paper and allied products........... 111.5 109.7 110.4 108.2 111.6 109.9 109.2 108.6 107.9 108.4
Printing and publishing............. 124.2 125.9 126.3 121.7 126.3 124.1 124.5 123.9 123.1 124.2
Chemicals and allied products....... 102.5 102.6 103.2 101.3 103.1 102.7 102.8 102.1 101.3 101.7
Petroleum and coal products......... 71.7 75.0 74.9 70.2 75.0 73.9 73.6 74.1 77.3 71.6
Rubber and misc. plastics products.. 147.4 148.8 151.3 146.4 148.4 147.3 147.1 146.8 147.5 147.0
Leather and leather products........ 37.6 34.5 33.8 31.9 38.3 33.9 33.9 34.1 33.4 32.6
Service-producing....................... 151.3 161.5 161.5 154.8 156.9 158.7 159.7 159.9 160.1 160.3
Transportation and public utilities... 127.9 134.2 132.8 130.0 131.5 131.2 131.6 131.8 131.6 133.6
Wholesale trade....................... 125.3 130.9 129.8 127.6 128.0 128.7 129.1 130.0 129.8 130.2
Retail trade.......................... 132.8 144.0 148.0 134.5 139.8 141.5 142.0 141.9 141.6 141.7
Finance, insurance, and real estate... 130.4 138.6 135.9 135.2 132.5 135.6 136.6 137.4 136.9 137.2
Services.............................. 185.2 197.7 196.0 190.5 192.1 194.6 196.4 196.3 197.3 196.9
1 See footnote 1, table B-2.
p = preliminary.
ESTABLISHMENT DATA ESTABLISHMENT DATA
Table B-6. Diffusion indexes of employment change, seasonally adjusted
(Percent)
Time span Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.
Private nonfarm payrolls, 356 industries1
Over 1-month span:
1995.............. 62.5 60.0 54.9 55.6 47.8 55.6 54.8 59.0 58.0 55.8 54.5 58.8
1996.............. 50.8 64.6 59.6 56.6 62.8 61.0 57.3 61.5 56.0 62.5 62.2 60.7
1997.............. 58.0 61.4 59.8 63.6 60.1 54.6 61.1 59.1 60.0 64.3 62.4 64.9
1998.............. 63.8 58.7 59.6 56.9 56.6 59.0 55.1 53.9 53.5 52.4 54.8 p56.7
1999.............. p56.9
Over 3-month span:
1995.............. 63.6 61.4 59.4 53.1 55.2 53.2 59.7 60.1 59.1 58.0 56.6 54.6
1996.............. 61.9 62.8 64.0 63.8 63.5 64.9 64.2 61.5 63.9 64.2 67.0 66.6
1997.............. 64.9 63.3 65.6 66.2 63.9 61.2 60.1 65.9 67.4 68.1 70.8 71.9
1998.............. 68.4 67.3 64.2 61.7 60.4 58.4 57.2 56.7 56.0 53.7 p57.4 p59.6
1999..............
Over 6-month span:
1995.............. 66.4 60.1 59.1 57.3 59.0 60.1 57.6 60.4 59.7 59.3 61.1 63.2
1996.............. 62.8 65.4 64.7 65.7 66.2 65.0 66.4 66.0 66.2 67.6 66.9 66.3
1997.............. 67.6 67.0 65.3 64.9 65.6 67.3 68.0 67.3 70.6 72.3 73.3 72.6
1998.............. 72.1 70.9 69.4 63.5 64.5 61.8 59.0 58.1 p59.1 p60.3
1999..............
Over 12-month span:
1995.............. 63.6 62.4 62.6 63.3 61.7 61.9 58.7 62.2 62.2 61.5 63.5 65.4
1996.............. 64.5 66.7 64.5 65.6 68.5 67.3 67.7 66.4 68.0 69.9 69.1 68.3
1997.............. 69.8 67.6 69.2 70.1 69.8 69.8 71.2 71.2 71.1 73.0 72.9 72.3
1998.............. 71.2 69.5 69.5 66.6 65.2 p64.2 p63.3
1999..............
Manufacturing payrolls, 139 industries1
Over 1-month span:
1995.............. 54.7 54.3 46.4 53.2 42.4 44.2 46.4 49.6 48.6 52.2 45.3 48.2
1996.............. 42.8 54.7 48.2 42.1 55.4 50.7 47.1 55.4 47.8 52.9 54.3 55.4
1997.............. 49.3 54.3 50.0 56.8 51.4 52.2 50.4 48.9 56.5 57.2 56.1 60.8
1998.............. 55.8 51.8 52.5 48.6 45.0 47.8 39.6 47.5 43.2 38.8 37.1 p46.0
1999.............. p43.5
Over 3-month span:
1995.............. 56.8 50.0 47.8 42.1 43.2 38.8 40.6 43.5 48.2 47.1 45.3 39.9
1996.............. 43.9 46.8 46.0 47.5 46.4 49.3 51.4 50.0 53.6 51.1 57.6 54.7
1997.............. 54.3 49.3 54.3 54.0 55.4 50.4 47.5 52.2 57.9 62.6 64.7 65.5
1998.............. 60.1 59.0 50.7 46.4 43.2 38.8 36.7 34.2 41.4 30.9 p35.6 p38.1
1999..............
Over 6-month span:
1995.............. 55.4 46.4 42.8 40.3 41.4 42.4 41.0 41.0 43.9 43.2 43.2 45.3
1996.............. 42.1 45.3 46.4 47.1 48.2 48.6 51.1 50.4 52.9 52.9 53.2 52.2
1997.............. 54.3 54.3 51.4 52.9 51.4 55.0 56.8 57.6 60.4 64.4 67.6 65.8
1998.............. 61.5 56.8 52.2 39.2 40.6 34.5 30.9 28.1 p32.0 p39.2
1999..............
Over 12-month span:
1995.............. 46.0 44.2 46.0 47.8 41.0 41.7 38.5 38.8 36.3 38.5 39.9 44.6
1996.............. 43.5 47.5 45.3 45.3 50.4 49.6 50.4 48.6 51.1 55.0 54.0 51.8
1997.............. 57.2 52.5 54.7 56.5 57.9 57.6 58.6 58.6 60.4 60.4 59.4 58.3
1998.............. 50.7 51.1 50.4 41.7 38.5 p36.7 p32.7
1999..............
1 Based on seasonally adjusted data for 1-, 3-, and 6-month spans and unadjusted data for the 12-month span. Data are
centered within the span.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: Figures are the percent of industries with employment increasing plus one-half of the industries with
unchanged employment, where 50 percent indicates an equal balance between industries with increasing and decreasing
employment.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Contact: (cpsinfo@bls.gov) Division of Labor Force Statistics-BLS
Last revised: April 02, 1999
URL: http://www.bls.census.gov/cps/pub/empsit_0199.htm
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