September Employment Blog

By Stephen Singer, September 12, 2013

August Employment Report 2013

This month’s review of the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Reports again has moderately positive results.  Nonfarm payroll employment increased by 169,000 in August,and the unemployment rate was constant at 7.3 percent. Over the prior 12 months, job gains averaged 184,000 per month.

In August, employment rose in retail trade and health care, while information lost jobs. Retail trade added 44,000 jobs in August.  Over the past 12 months, retail trade employment has increased by 393,000. Health care employment rose by 33,000 in August. Employment in professional and business services continued to trend up in August (+23,000). Over the past 12 months, this industry has added 614,000 jobs.

Employment in temporary help services changed little in August. Within leisure and hospitality, employment in food services and drinking places continued to trend up (+21,000).Employment also continued to rise in wholesale trade in August (+8,000). This industry has added 83,000 jobs over the past 12 months.

Within manufacturing, employment in motor vehicles and parts was up by 19,000 over the month after decreasing by 10,000 in July. In August, employment declined in information due to a loss of 22,000 in the motion picture and sound recording industry, where employment can be volatile from month to month.

Employment in other major industries showed little or no change over the month.

The number of involuntary part-time workers fell by 334,000 to 7.9 million in August. These individuals would have preferred full-time employment but had their hours cut or were unable to find full-time work. On net, involuntary part-time employment has changed little over the past 12 months.

Unemployment rates continue to vary widely between states as seen in table A. In addition reduction in unemployment rates vary between states as can be seen in Table B.