FOR DELIVERY: 9:30 A.M., E.S.T.
                            FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 1999


Advance copies of this statement are made available to the
press under lock-up conditions with the explicit
understanding that the data are embargoed until 8:30 a.m.
Eastern Standard Time.

Statement of

Katharine G. Abraham
Commissioner
Bureau of Labor Statistics

Friday, April 2, 1999



Good morning.  I am pleased to have this opportunity to
discuss the March employment and unemployment estimates that
the Bureau of Labor Statistics released this morning.
The unemployment rate, as measured by our household
survey, fell to 4.2 percent in March.  It was 4.4 percent in
February and had been in the 4.3-to-4.5 percent range since
last April.  Nonfarm employment, as measured by our
establishment survey, was little changed in March, after
rising by 297,000 in February.  Employment declined in
construction, manufacturing, and mining during March, while
most other major industry groups experienced moderate
increases.
Employment in the construction industry fell 47,000 on
a seasonally adjusted basis in March, after increasing by an
average of 54,000 jobs per month over the prior 5 months.
March construction hiring fell short of seasonal
expectations in part because of unseasonably cold weather in
many areas of the country during the survey reference
period.  In addition, because of the underlying strength in
the industry coupled with the unusually mild winter, many
construction workers who typically would have been hired in
March were already on employers’ payrolls.
Manufacturing employment declined by 35,000 in March,
and factory job losses have totaled 381,000 over the past
year.  Within manufacturing, the industrial machinery
industry lost 14,000 jobs over the month; over the past
year, the industry lost 89,000 jobs.  Other industries that
have experienced large over-the-year employment losses
include apparel, which lost 83,000 jobs, and electrical
equipment, which lost 69,000 jobs.
The mining industry lost 7,000 jobs over the month,
continuing a downward trend that has been steeper recently.
Over the past year, employment in mining has dropped by
55,000, mostly in oil and gas extraction.  The March job
losses, however, were spread across all components of
mining.
Retail trade employment was little changed in March,
following a large increase in the previous month.  Within
retail trade, employment in eating and drinking places fell
by 48,000 on a seasonally adjusted basis in March,
reflecting below-normal seasonal hiring.  General
merchandise stores gained 14,000 jobs over the month,
following a small decline in February.  Employment in
furniture stores rose by 9,000 in March, the third straight
month of large increases.
The services industry gained 95,000 jobs in March.
This compares with an average monthly increase of 112,000 in
the previous 12 months.  Robust employment growth continued
in engineering and management services in March.  Job gains
were larger than average in health services, educational
services, and amusement and recreation services.  The long
employment growth trend continued in computer and data
processing, although the March increase was somewhat smaller
than usual.  Employment declined over the month in
agricultural services and personal services.
Employment in the finance industry increased by 11,000
in March, and insurance gained 6,000 jobs.  Real estate
employment declined slightly for the second straight month,
after increasing by 28,000 from October to January.
Wholesale trade and transportation and public utilities
experienced moderate job gains in March.
Government employment rose by 20,000 over the month.
Local government gained 24,000 jobs, with the bulk of the
increase occurring in education.  State government also
experienced a small employment increase, while employment at
the Federal level declined by 11,000.
Average hourly earnings of private production or
nonsupervisory workers rose 3 cents in March to $13.09.
Over the past year, average hourly earnings rose by 3.6
percent.  Average weekly hours in the private sector edged
down 0.1 hour over the month.  The manufacturing workweek
and factory overtime were unchanged.
Turning now to our survey of households, the
unemployment rate declined to 4.2 percent in March.  The
rate for adult men dropped from 3.7 to 3.2 percent, while
the rates for adult women and teenagers were essentially
unchanged.  The unemployment rate for Hispanics fell from
6.7 to 5.8 percent, and the rate for whites edged down 0.2
percentage point to 3.6 percent.  The overall unemployment
rate for blacks was essentially unchanged in March at 8.1
percent, although the rate for adult black men edged down.
Among the major educational attainment categories, the
unemployment rate for adults with less than a high school
diploma fell 1.4 percentage points to 6.1 percent.  The
rates for the other major educational attainment categories
showed little or no change over the month.  The civilian
employment level was essentially unchanged in March.  The
proportion of the population that was employed was 64.3
percent, compared with January’s record high of 64.5
percent.
In summary, the civilian unemployment rate fell and
employment was little changed over the month.

My colleagues and I now would be glad to answer your
questions.

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