Employment Situation Summary
Internet address: http://stats.bls.gov/newsrels.htm
Technical information: USDL 00-220
Household data: (202) 691-6378
Transmission of material in this release is
Establishment data: 691-6555 embargoed until 8:30 A.M. (EDT),
Media contact: 691-5902 Friday, August 4, 2000.
THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION: JULY 2000
Total nonfarm payroll employment decreased by 108,000 in July, the
Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today.
Private-sector payroll employment rose by 138,000, but this was more than
offset by a decline in federal government employment, as 290,000 temporary
workers hired for the decennial census completed their work. The
unemployment rate, at 4.0 percent, was unchanged in July. Average hourly
earnings rose by 6 cents over the month and by 3.7 percent over the year.
Unemployment (Household Survey Data)
The unemployment rate held at 4.0 percent in July, and the number of
unemployed persons was essentially unchanged. The jobless rate has been
in the 3.9- to 4.1-percent range since October 1999. The unemployment
rate for teenagers rose in July to 13.4 percent, seasonally adjusted.
Unemployment rates for the other major worker groups--adult men
(3.2 percent), adult women (3.7 percent), whites (3.5 percent), blacks
(7.7 percent), and Hispanics (5.6 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)
Both the civilian labor force (140.4 million) and total employment
(134.7 million) declined in July. The employment-population ratio--the
proportion of the population age 16 and older with jobs--fell to
64.2 percent, the same as a year earlier, but down from its peak of
64.9 percent in April. (See table A-1.)
Approximately 7.6 million persons (not seasonally adjusted) held more
than one job in July. These multiple jobholders represented 5.5 percent
of total employment, compared with 5.7 percent a year earlier.
(See table A-10.)
Persons Not in the Labor Force (Household Survey Data)
About 1.2 million persons (not seasonally adjusted) were marginally
attached to the labor force in July. These people wanted and were
available to work and had looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months.
They were not counted as unemployed, however, because they had not actively
searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey. The number of
discouraged workers was 265,000 in July. Discouraged workers, a subset of
the marginally attached, were not currently looking for work specifically
because they believed no jobs were available for them. (See table A-10.)
- 2 -
Table A. Major indicators of labor market activity, seasonally adjusted
(Numbers in thousands)
___________________________________________________________________________
| Quarterly | Monthly data |
| averages | |
|_________________|__________________________| June-
Category | 2000 | 2000 | July
|_________________|_________________ ________|change
| I | II | May | June | July |
______________________|________|________|________|________|________|______
HOUSEHOLD DATA | Labor force status
|____________________________________________________
Civilian labor force..| 140,981| 140,827| 140,489| 140,762| 140,399| -363
Employment..........| 135,247| 135,200| 134,715| 135,179| 134,749| -430
Unemployment........| 5,733| 5,627| 5,774| 5,583| 5,650| 67
Not in labor force....| 67,933| 68,550| 68,882| 68,781| 69,329| 548
|________|________|________|________|________|_______
| Unemployment rates
|____________________________________________________
All workers...........| 4.1| 4.0| 4.1| 4.0| 4.0| .0
Adult men...........| 3.3| 3.3| 3.4| 3.2| 3.2| .0
Adult women.........| 3.6| 3.7| 3.8| 3.8| 3.7| -0.1
Teenagers...........| 13.4| 12.3| 12.5| 11.6| 13.4| 1.8
White...............| 3.5| 3.4| 3.5| 3.4| 3.5| .1
Black...............| 7.8| 7.7| 8.0| 7.9| 7.7| -.2
Hispanic origin.....| 5.9| 5.6| 5.8| 5.6| 5.6| .0
|________|________|________|________|________|_______
ESTABLISHMENT DATA | Employment
|____________________________________________________
Nonfarm employment....| 130,626|p131,543| 131,590|p131,620|p131,512| p-108
Goods-producing 1/..| 25,680| p25,703| 25,684| p25,699| p25,752| p53
Construction......| 6,665| p6,676| 6,666| p6,668| p6,674| p6
Manufacturing.....| 18,481| p18,488| 18,479| p18,492| p18,538| p46
Service-producing 1/| 104,946|p105,840| 105,906|p105,921|p105,760| p-161
Retail trade......| 22,993| p23,124| 23,064| p23,112| p23,161| p49
Services..........| 39,949| p40,267| 40,220| p40,385| p40,384| p-1
Government........| 20,431| p20,826| 21,012| p20,800| p20,554| p-246
|________|________|________|________|________|_______
| Hours of work 2/
|____________________________________________________
Total private.........| 34.5| p34.5| 34.4| p34.5| p34.4| p-0.1
Manufacturing.......| 41.7| p41.7| 41.4| p41.6| p41.7| p.1
Overtime..........| 4.6| p4.7| 4.5| p4.6| p4.6| p.0
|________|________|________|________|________|_______
| Indexes of aggregate weekly hours (1982=100) 2/
|____________________________________________________
Total private.........| 150.7| p151.1| 150.5| p151.2| p151.3| p0.1
|________|________|________|________|________|_______
| Earnings 2/
|____________________________________________________
Avg. hourly earnings, | | | | | |
total private.......| $13.54| p$13.67| $13.66| p$13.70| p$13.76| p$0.06
Avg. weekly earnings, | | | | | |
total private.......| 467.47| p471.50| 469.90| p472.65| p473.34| p.69
______________________|________|________|________|________|________|_______
1/ Includes other industries, not shown separately.
2/ Data relate to private production or nonsupervisory workers.
p=preliminary.
- 3 -
Industry Payroll Employment (Establishment Survey Data)
Total nonfarm payroll employment declined by 108,000 to 131.5 million in
July, seasonally adjusted. Private-sector employment increased by 138,000,
compared with monthly growth that had averaged 182,000 over the first 6
months of the year. Over the month, the private-sector gain was more than
offset by a loss in federal government employment, as 290,000 temporary
jobs related to the decennial census ended. As of July, temporary Census
employment was down to 190,000 from a peak of 618,000 in May.
(See table B-1.)
Within the goods-producing industries, employment in manufacturing grew
by 46,000 in July, after showing little growth over the first 6 months of
2000. Electronic components added 9,000 jobs over the month, continuing
its recent strength. Instruments added 7,000 jobs, offsetting losses over
the first half of the year. Other manufacturing industries, such as
industrial machinery, furniture, and rubber and plastics, also showed
employment increases over the month; these gains were largely attributable
to lighter-than-normal seasonal layoffs.
Construction employment edged up in July. Thus far this year, the
average monthly employment increase in this industry has been 17,000,
compared with 25,000 a month in 1999. Mining employment was little
changed in July.
Within the service-producing sector, retail trade employment increased
by 49,000 in July, as eating and drinking places experienced strong job
growth for the second consecutive month. Employment in department stores
continued on a declining trend. Thus far this year, retail trade has added
32,000 jobs a month on average, about in line with the average monthly gain
for 1999.
Wholesale trade added 10,000 jobs, with gains concentrated in durable
goods. Monthly growth in wholesale trade employment has averaged 8,000
over the first 7 months of 2000, compared with 13,000 a month for 1999.
Transportation employment rose by 25,000 in July, with gains concentrated
in trucking and local transit. The increase in trucking more than offset
declines in the industry over the prior 2 months. Telephone communications
employment declined in July, following a large gain in the prior month.
- 4 -
Employment in finance, insurance, and real estate grew for the first
time since February, with nearly all of the increase concentrated in
finance. Strong job growth continued in security brokerages in July.
Employment in mortgage brokerages continued on its downward trend, although
the losses have been smaller in recent months.
Employment in services was essentially unchanged over the month, after
seasonal adjustment. Thus far this year, services employment has increased
by 97,000 a month, on average, compared with 124,000 a month in 1999. In
July, job gains occurred in health services, computer services, and
amusements and recreation. Job losses occurred in the job training
component of social services and in membership organizations. Employment
also declined in personnel supply services; job growth in this industry has
averaged 16,000 a month over the first 7 months of the year, roughly half
the monthly average for 1999.
Weekly Hours (Establishment Survey Data)
The average workweek for production or nonsupervisory workers on private
nonfarm payrolls edged down by 0.1 hour in July to 34.4 hours, seasonally
adjusted. The manufacturing workweek was up by 0.1 hour to 41.7 hours.
Manufacturing overtime was unchanged at 4.6 hours. (See table B-2.)
The index of aggregate weekly hours of production or nonsupervisory
workers on private nonfarm payrolls was essentially unchanged at 151.3
(1982=100), seasonally adjusted. The manufacturing index increased by
0.6 percent to 107.0. (See table B-5.)
Hourly and Weekly Earnings (Establishment Survey Data)
Average hourly earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on
private nonfarm payrolls increased by 6 cents in July to $13.76, seasonally
adjusted. Over the month, average weekly earnings edged up by 0.1 percent
to $473.34. Over the year, average hourly earnings rose by 3.7 percent and
average weekly earnings grew by 3.4 percent. (See table B-3.)
______________________________
The Employment Situation for August 2000 is scheduled to be released on
Friday, September 1, at 8:30 A.M. (EDT).
Bureau of Labor Statistics
mailto:cpsinfo@bls.gov
Last modified:
Friday, August 04, 2000
URL: /news.release/empsit.nr0.htm
Table of Contents 
Labor Force Statistics from the Current
Population Survey