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THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION SEPTEMBER 1997
The unemployment rate was unchanged in September, and returning strikers
bolstered an otherwise modest rise in nonfarm payroll employment, the Bureau
of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. At
4.9 percent, the jobless rate has remained within a very narrow range since
April. The number of payroll jobs rose by 215,000, including a gain of
166,000 in the air transportation industry, where workers returned from
strike. (Workers on strike are not counted as employed in the establishment
survey.)
Unemployment (Household Survey Data)
The number of unemployed persons, at 6.8 million in September, was little
changed over the month, and the unemployment rate held at 4.9 percent.
Over the past 6 months, the unemployment rate has remained within a tenth
of a percentage point of 4.9 percent. Jobless rates for the major worker
groups<197>adult men (4.1 percent), adult women (4.4 percent), teenagers
(16.7 percent), whites (4.3 percent), blacks (9.6 percent), and Hispanics
(7.6 percent)<197>showed little or no change in September.
Total Employment And The Labor Force (Household Survey
Data)
Total employment was essentially unchanged at a seasonally adjusted
level of 129.7 million in September. The proportion of the population that
was employed (the employment-population ratio) was 63.7 percent and has
been at or near this level since March. About 7.8 million persons (not
seasonally adjusted) held more than one job in September. They accounted
for 6.0 percent of all employed persons. Both the number of multiple jobholders
and their percentage of the total employed were about the same as a year
earlier. Both the civilian labor force, 136.5 million, and the labor force
participation rate, 67.0 percent, were about unchanged in September.
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 September<197>that is, they wanted
and were available for work and had looked for jobs sometime in the prior
12 months.
Industry Payroll Employment (Establishment Survey Data)
Nonfarm payroll employment rose by 215,000 in September, after seasonal
adjustment. The bulk of the increase was due to the return of workers who
were on strike in August. Employment in transportation was up by 170,000
in September, as strikers in the air transportation industry returned to
payrolls. Employment in that industry was down by 6,000 since July, the
month before the strike. In contrast, trucking and warehousing added 18,000
workers over the same 2 months, reflecting, in part, increased business
in the wake of the strike-generated disruption of package delivery services.
Following an exceptionally small gain in August, employment in the services
industry rose by 98,000 in September, in line with the average monthly
growth during the first 8 months of the year. An increase of 46,000 in
business services in September included continued growth in computer and
data processing services (12,000) and a gain in the help supply industry
(10,000). Despite the September increase, employment in help supply services
has fallen by 50,000 since March. Employment in health services continued
its steady growth by adding 19,000 jobs in September, with half of the
increase occurring in hospitals. Employment in home health services was
flat over the month and has not shown any net gain since April. Engineering
and management services continued its strong growth, adding 14,000 employees
in September. In contrast, there were small declines in amusement and recreation
services (<196>9,000) and child day care services (<196>14,000),
following strong summer employment growth. Job gains in wholesale and retail
trade were slightly below their monthly averages for the first 8 months
of the year. Growth continued in the finance industry in September, reflecting
employment increases in mortgage brokerages, security brokerages, and holding
companies and other investment offices. Government employment fell by 78,000
in September, due primarily to a decline of 47,000 in local government
education (after seasonal adjustment), following large gains in the prior
3 months. Changing seasonal patterns due to the earlier start of the school
year and the trend toward year-round schools have made seasonal adjustment
of these data difficult. Employment in local government, except education,
fell by 18,000 in September, following strong summer hiring. Federal employment
fell by 9,000, reflecting, in part, the layoff of postal workers hired
to handle increased demand for parcel delivery during the strike in the
air transportation industry. Within the goods-producing sector, construction
employment was virtually unchanged in September and has shown little growth
since May. Manufacturing employment fell by 16,000 in September, after
a large increase in the prior month. Losses in the motor vehicles industry
totaled 14,000, as several plants were shut down for inventory control.
Apparel employment continued a downward trend, declining by 7,000 workers.
Of the manufacturing industries that had been growing, only electronic
components showed a notable increase (4,000).
Weekly Hours (Establishment Survey Data)
The average workweek for production or nonsupervisory workers on private
nonfarm payrolls decreased by 0.1 hour in September to 34.5 hours, seasonally
adjusted. The manufacturing workweek and factory overtime remained at 41.9
and 4.7 hours, respectively. The index of aggregate weekly hours of private
production or nonsupervisory workers on nonfarm payrolls edged down by
0.1 percent to 140.5 (1982=100), seasonally adjusted. The manufacturing
index was unchanged in September, at 108.2.
Hourly And Weekly Earnings (Establishment Survey Data)
Average hourly earnings of private production or nonsupervisory workers
on nonfarm payrolls were up 4 cents in September to $12.34, seasonally
adjusted. Average weekly earnings were little changed at $425.73. Over
the past year, average hourly earnings have risen by 3.6 percent and average
weekly earnings by 3.0 percent. October 3, 1997U.S. Department of Labor
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