The number of unemployed persons (7.2 million) and the unemployment rate (4.7 percent) were essentially unchanged in September. A year earlier, the number of unemployed persons was 6.9 million and the jobless rate was 4.6 percent.
Over the month, the unemployment rates for adult men (4.2 percent), adult women (4.0 percent), teenagers (16.0 percent), whites (4.2 percent), blacks (8.1 percent), and Hispanics (5.7 percent) showed little or no change. The unemployment rate for Asians was 3.2 percent, not seasonally adjusted.
Total Employment and the Labor Force (Household Survey Data)
Both total employment (146.3 million) and the civilian labor force (153.5 million) rose in September. Nearly half of the over-the-month increase in the labor force occurred among teenagers; this offset a labor force decline among that group in August. The employment-population ratio (62.9 percent) and the labor force participation rate (66.0 percent) were little changed over the month.
Persons Not in the Labor Force (Household Survey Data)
Nearly 1.3 million persons (not seasonally adjusted) were marginally attached to the labor force in September, about the same as a year earlier. These individuals wanted and were available to work and had looked for a job sometime during the prior 12 months. They were not counted as unemployed because they had not searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey. Among the marginally attached, there were 276,000 discouraged workers in September, little different from a year earlier. Discouraged workers were not currently looking for work specifically because they believed no jobs were available for them. The nearly 1.0 million remaining persons marginally attached to the labor force in September had not searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey for reasons such as school attendance and family responsibilities.
Industry Payroll Employment (Establishment Survey Data)
In September, total payroll employment rose by 110,000 to 138.3 million, seasonally adjusted. From June to September, employment growth averaged 90,000 per month; during the first 5 months of 2007, average growth was 147,000 per month. In September, several service-providing industries gained jobs, while manufacturing and construction employment continued to decline.
Health care employment continued to expand in September (33,000), with job gains in ambulatory services and in hospitals. Over the year, health care added 396,000 jobs. Employment in social assistance increased by 12,000 in September and by 98,000 over the year.
Employment in food services and drinking places increased by 25,000 in September. This industry has added 355,000 jobs over the year.
Within professional and technical services, job gains occurred in September in accounting and bookkeeping services (10,000) and in management and technical consulting services (10,000). Job losses continued in employment services (-35,000); this industry has lost 203,000 jobs since its recent peak in December 2006.
In retail trade, building material and garden supply stores lost 17,000 jobs over the month. Financial activities employment edged down in September. Despite a gain of 6,000 jobs in commercial banks, credit intermediation lost 12,000 jobs over the month. Since February, employment in credit intermediation has fallen by 46,000.
Manufacturing employment decreased by 18,000 in September. Over the year, manufacturing lost 223,000 jobs. In construction, residential specialty trade contractors shed 15,000 jobs over the month and 160,000 since February 2006.
Weekly Hours (Establishment Survey Data)
In September, the average workweek for production and nonsupervisory workers on private nonfarm payrolls was unchanged at 33.8 hours, seasonally adjusted. Both the manufacturing workweek and factory overtime also were unchanged over the month at 41.4 and 4.1 hours, respectively.
The index of aggregate weekly hours of production and nonsupervisory workers on private nonfarm payrolls rose by 0.1 percent in September to 107.8 (2002=100). The manufacturing index was unchanged at 95.6.
Hourly and Weekly Earnings (Establishment Survey Data)
Average hourly earnings of production and nonsupervisory workers on private nonfarm payrolls increased by 7 cents, or 0.4 percent, in September to $17.57, seasonally adjusted. Average weekly earnings also grew by 0.4 percent over the month, to $593.87. Over the year, both average hourly and weekly earnings rose by 4.1 percent.
