Full text of The Employment Situation : March 2000

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Friday, April 7, 2000.

THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION:

MARCH 2000

Payroll employment rose in March and the unemployment rate was unchanged
at 4.1 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of
Labor reported today. Nonfarm payroll employment grew by 416,000 over the
month. This included the addition of an estimated 117,000 temporary census
workers. Also, it is likely that some of the March gain in payroll employment
resulted from the fact that there were 5 weeks between the February and March
survey reference periods instead of the usual 4 weeks. Average hourly
earnings increased by 5 cents over the month and 3.7 percent over the year.
Unemployment (Household Survey Data)
The number of unemployed persons, 5.7 million, was essentially unchanged
in March, and the unemployment rate held at 4.1 percent. The jobless rate
has been below 4.2 percent for 6 consecutive months. Jobless rates for the
major worker groups--adult men (3.3 percent), adult women (3.6 percent),
teenagers (13.3 percent), whites (3.6 percent), blacks (7.3 percent), and
Hispanics (6.3 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)
The number of persons in the civilian labor force was little changed at
140.9 million in March. The labor force participation rate was 67.4 percent.
Total employment also was about unchanged in March, at 135.2 million
(seasonally adjusted). The employment-population ratio--the proportion of
the population age 16 and older with jobs--remained high at 64.7 percent.
(See table A-1.)
About 7.7 million persons (not seasonally adjusted) held more than one
job in March. These multiple jobholders represented 5.7 percent of the
total employed, down from 6.1 percent a year earlier. (See table A-10.)
Persons Not in the Labor Force

(Household Survey Data)

The number of persons who were marginally attached to the labor force in
March totaled 1.2 million (not seasonally adjusted). These people wanted
and were available to work and had looked for a job sometime in the prior
12 months. They are not counted as unemployed because they had not actively
searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey. The number of discouraged workers was 257,000 in March, about the same as a year earlier.
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
|
|
|_________________|__________________________| Feb.Category
| 1999 | 2000 1/|
2000
| Mar.
|_________________|_________________ ________|change
|
IV
|
I
| Jan. | Feb. | Mar. |
______________________|________|________|________|________|________|_______
HOUSEHOLD DATA
|
Labor force status
|____________________________________________________
Civilian labor force..| 139,880| 140,981| 140,910| 141,165| 140,867|
-298
Employment..........| 134,153| 135,247| 135,221| 135,362| 135,159|
-203
Unemployment........|
5,727|
5,733|
5,689|
5,804|
5,708|
-96
Not in labor force....| 68,780| 67,933| 67,872| 67,742| 68,187|
445
|________|________|________|________|________|_______
|
Unemployment rates
|____________________________________________________
All workers...........|
4.1|
4.1|
4.0|
4.1|
4.1|
.0
Adult men...........|
3.4|
3.3|
3.3|
3.4|
3.3|
-0.1
Adult women.........|
3.6|
3.6|
3.7|
3.5|
3.6|
.1
Teenagers...........|
13.8|
13.4|
12.6|
14.1|
13.3|
-.8
White...............|
3.5|
3.5|
3.4|
3.6|
3.6|
.0
Black...............|
8.1|
7.8|
8.2|
7.8|
7.3|
-.5
Hispanic origin.....|
6.1|
5.9|
5.6|
5.7|
6.3|
.6
|________|________|________|________|________|_______
ESTABLISHMENT DATA
|
Employment
|____________________________________________________
Nonfarm employment....| 129,606|p130,435| 130,292|p130,299|p130,715|
p416
Goods-producing 2/..| 25,246| p25,421| 25,410| p25,383| p25,471|
p88
Construction......|
6,359| p6,522|
6,504| p6,487| p6,576|
p89
Manufacturing.....| 18,359| p18,366| 18,376| p18,364| p18,359|
p-5
Service-producing 2/| 104,360|p105,014| 104,882|p104,916|p105,244|
p328
Retail trade......| 22,922| p23,004| 23,018| p22,996| p22,999|
p3
Services..........| 39,548| p39,869| 39,804| p39,826| p39,976|
p150
Government........| 20,274| p20,427| 20,365| p20,387| p20,529|
p142
|________|________|________|________|________|_______
|
Hours of work 3/
|____________________________________________________
Total private.........|
34.5|
p34.5|
34.6|
p34.5|
p34.5|
p.0
Manufacturing.......|
41.7|
p41.7|
41.7|
p41.8|
p41.6| p-0.2
Overtime..........|
4.6|
p4.7|
4.7|
p4.8|
p4.6|
p-.2
|________|________|________|________|________|_______
|
Indexes of aggregate weekly hours (1982=100) 3/
|____________________________________________________
Total private.........|
149.1| p150.3|
150.3| p150.0| p150.5|
p0.5
|________|________|________|________|________|_______
|
Earnings 3/
|____________________________________________________
Avg. hourly earnings, |
|
|
|
|
|
total private.......| $13.41| p$13.55| $13.49| p$13.55| p$13.60| p$0.05
Avg. weekly earnings, |
|
|
|
|
|
total private.......| 462.65| p467.81| 466.75| p467.48| p469.20| p1.72
______________________|________|________|________|________|________|_______
1/ Beginning in January 2000, household data reflect revised population controls used in the Current Population Survey.
2/ Includes other industries, not shown separately.
3/ Data relate to private production or nonsupervisory workers.
p=preliminary.

- 3 Industry Payroll Employment (Establishment Survey Data)
Nonfarm payroll employment rose by 416,000 in March to 130.7 million,
seasonally adjusted. This increase included the addition of 117,000 temporary
census workers. Also, it is likely that some of the March payroll employment
gain resulted from a calendar anomaly. This year, there were 5 weeks instead
of the usual 4 between the February and March survey reference periods. The
last time this occurred was in 1972. Because this occurrence is so rare, the
payroll employment estimates for March cannot be adjusted for the differences
in the number of weeks between the survey reference periods, as is done for
other months. Thus, the estimates of employment change this month reflect
an additional week's growth. This effect is most pronounced in seasonal
industries that tend to add jobs at this time of year.
In the goods-producing sector, construction employment grew by 89,000
in March, with job gains widespread across the component industries. The
additional week between the February and March survey reference periods
likely contributed to the large employment increase. In mining, employment
in the oil and gas extraction industry continued to rise. Since last summer,
oil and gas extraction has added 16,000 jobs; slightly more than half of that
gain occurred in February and March. (See table B-1.)
Manufacturing employment was down by 5,000 over the month. This decrease
would have been larger had it not been for the return of 15,000 striking
workers in the aircraft industry. (February employment estimates have been
revised down by 15,000, as recent information indicates that the strikers were
off payrolls for the entire reference pay period that month. These workers
were back on payrolls in March.) Industrial machinery lost 6,000 jobs in
March, and there were smaller declines in many other manufacturing industries.
Employment in the fabricated metals industry continued on a growth trend that
began in September 1999.

- 4 In the service-producing sector, the services industry added 150,000
jobs in March, following an unusually small gain in February (22,000, as
revised). Employment growth in services during the first quarter of the
year averaged 106,000 per month, slightly below the monthly average for
1999. In March, job gains were widespread among the services industries.
The largest employment increase was in business services (48,000), where
personnel supply services added 19,000 jobs. Employment in educational
services rose by 21,000 jobs in March. Two highly seasonal industries,
agricultural services and hotels, posted substantial job gains of 18,000
and 15,000, respectively.
Transportation and public utilities added 27,000 jobs in March. Nearly
all of the gain occurred in transportation, with trucking and air transportation adding 11,000 and 10,000 jobs, respectively. Both industries had lost
jobs in February. Employment continued to grow in the communications industry
in March, mainly in telephone communications. In contrast, public utilities
continued to lose jobs.
Employment in wholesale trade rose by 17,000 in March, in line with its
average monthly gain over the prior 12 months. Retail trade employment was
little changed in March. Job gains in furniture stores, building materials
stores, and automotive dealers and service stations were offset by losses
in general merchandise stores and in eating and drinking places. General
merchandise employment fell by 36,000 in the first quarter, and eating and
drinking places employment declined by 28,000.
Finance, insurance, and real estate lost 11,000 jobs in March, offsetting
its February gain. Employment in mortgage banking declined by 12,000 over
the month and has fallen by 35,000 since last May. In contrast, security and
commodity brokerages continued to add jobs in March.
Federal government employment grew by 106,000 in March. The Census Bureau
added 117,000 temporary workers for Census 2000, but employment declines
continued in other federal agencies. Local governments added 34,000 jobs in
March, following a decline in February.
Weekly Hours (Establishment Survey Data)
The average workweek for production or nonsupervisory workers on private
nonfarm payrolls was unchanged in March at 34.5 hours, seasonally adjusted.
In manufacturing, both the average workweek and overtime hours fell by
0.2 hour to 41.6 hours and 4.6 hours, respectively. (See table B-2.)
The index of aggregate weekly hours of production or nonsupervisory
workers on private nonfarm payrolls increased by 0.3 percent to 150.5
(1982=100), seasonally adjusted. The manufacturing index decreased
0.4 percent to 105.9. (See table B-5.)
Hourly and Weekly Earnings (Establishment Survey Data)
Average hourly earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers on
private nonfarm payrolls rose by 5 cents in March to $13.60, seasonally
adjusted. Over the month, average weekly earnings rose 0.4 percent to
$469.20, seasonally adjusted. Over the year, both average hourly earnings
and average weekly earnings rose by 3.7 percent. (See table B-3.)
______________________________
The Employment Situation for April 2000 is scheduled to be released on
Friday, May 5, at 8:30 A.M. (EDT).

------------------------------------------------------------------Planned Changes Affecting Establishment Survey Data
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Concurrent with the release of March 1999 benchmark revisions |
on June 2, BLS will begin implementation of a new probability|
based sample design for the payroll survey. Estimates for the
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wholesale trade major industry division only will incorporate the |
new sample design with this release. Further information is
|
available on the Internet (http://stats.bls.gov/ceshome.htm) or
|
by calling (202) 691-6555.
|
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- 5 Explanatory Note

This news release presents statistics from two major surveys, the Current
Population Survey (household survey) and the Current Employment Statistics
survey (establishment survey). The household survey provides the
information on the labor force, employment, and unemployment that appears
in the A tables, marked HOUSEHOLD DATA. It is a sample survey of about
50,000 households conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau for the Bureau of
Labor Statistics (BLS).
The establishment survey provides the information on the employment,
hours, and earnings of workers on nonfarm payrolls that appears in the B
tables, marked ESTABLISHMENT DATA. This information is collected from
payroll records by BLS in cooperation with State agencies. In June 1999,
the sample included about 390,000 establishments employing about 48 million
people.
For both surveys, the data for a given month relate to a particular week
or pay period. In the household survey, the reference week is generally
the calendar week that contains the 12th day of the month. In the
establishment survey, the reference period is the pay period including the
12th, which may or may not correspond directly to the calendar week.
Coverage, definitions, and differences between surveys
Household survey. The sample is selected to reflect the entire
civilian noninstitutional population. Based on responses to a series of
questions on work and job search activities, each person 16 years and over
in a sample household is classified as employed, unemployed, or not in the
labor force.
People are classified as employed if they did any work at all as paid
employees during the reference week; worked in their own business,
profession, or on their own farm; or worked without pay at least 15 hours
in a family business or farm. People are also counted as employed if they
were temporarily absent from their jobs because of illness, bad weather,
vacation, labor-management disputes, or personal reasons.
People are classified as unemployed if they meet all of the following
criteria: They had no employment during the reference week; they were
available for work at that time; and they made specific efforts to find
employment sometime during the 4-week period ending with the reference
week. Persons laid off from a job and expecting recall
need not be
looking for work to be counted as unemployed. The unemployment data
derived from the household survey in no way depend upon the eligibility for
or receipt of unemployment insurance benefits.
The civilian labor force is the sum of employed and unemployed
persons. Those not classified as employed or unemployed are not in the
labor force. The unemployment rate is the number unemployed as a percent
of the labor force. The labor force participation rate is the labor force
as a percent of the population, and the employment-population ratio is the
employed as a percent of the population.
Establishment survey. The sample establishments are drawn from private
nonfarm businesses such as factories, offices, and stores, as well as
Federal, State, and local government entities. Employees on nonfarm
payrolls are those who received pay for any part of the reference pay
period, including persons on paid leave. Persons are counted in each job
they hold. Hours and earnings data are for private businesses and relate
only to production workers in the goods-producing sector and nonsupervisory
workers in the service-producing sector.

- 6 Differences in employment estimates. The numerous conceptual and
methodological differences between the household and establishment surveys
result in important distinctions in the employment estimates derived from
the surveys. Among these are:
--The household survey includes agricultural workers, the self-employed,
unpaid family workers, and private household workers among the employed.
These groups are excluded from the establishment survey.
--The household survey includes people on unpaid leave among the
employed. The establishment survey does not.
--The household survey is limited to workers 16 years of age and older.
The establishment survey is not limited by age.
--The household survey has no duplication
individuals are counted only once, even if
the establishment survey, employees working
appearing on more than one payroll would be
appearance.

of individuals, because
they hold more than one job. In
at more than one job and thus
counted separately for each

Other differences between the two surveys are described in
"Comparing
Employment Estimates from Household and Payroll Surveys," which may be
obtained from BLS upon request.
Seasonal adjustment
Over the course of a year, the size of the nation's labor force and the
levels of employment and unemployment undergo sharp fluctuations due to
such seasonal events as changes in weather, reduced or expanded production,
harvests, major holidays, and the opening and closing of schools. The
effect of such seasonal variation can be very large; seasonal
fluctuations may account for as much as 95 percent of the month-to-month
changes in unemployment.
Because these seasonal events follow a more or less regular pattern each
year, their influence on statistical trends can be eliminated by adjusting
the statistics from month to month. These adjustments make nonseasonal
developments, such as declines in economic activity or increases in the
participation of women in the labor force, easier to spot. For example,
the large number of youth entering the labor force each June is likely to
obscure any other changes that have taken place relative to May, making it
difficult to determine if the level of economic activity has risen or
declined. However, because the effect of students finishing school in
previous years is known, the statistics for the current year can be
adjusted to allow for a comparable change. Insofar as the seasonal
adjustment is made correctly, the adjusted figure provides a more useful
tool with which to analyze changes in economic activity.
In both the household and establishment surveys, most seasonally adjusted
series are independently adjusted. However, the adjusted series for many
major estimates, such as total payroll employment, employment in most major
industry divisions, total employment, and unemployment are computed by
aggregating independently adjusted component series. For example, total
unemployment is derived by summing the adjusted series for four major agesex components; this differs from the unemployment estimate that would be
obtained by directly adjusting the total or by combining the duration,
reasons, or more detailed age categories.
The numerical factors used to make the seasonal adjustments are
recalculated twice a year. For the household survey, the factors are
calculated for the January-June period and again for the July-December

- 7 period. For the establishment survey, updated factors for seasonal
adjustment are calculated for the May-October period and introduced along
with new benchmarks, and again for the November-April period. In both
surveys, revisions to historical data are made once a year.
Reliability of the estimates
Statistics based on the household and establishment surveys are subject
to both sampling and nonsampling error. When a sample rather than the
entire population is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample estimates
may differ from the "true" population values they represent. The exact
difference, or sampling error, varies depending on the particular sample
selected, and this variability is measured by the standard error of the
estimate. There is about a 90-percent chance, or level of confidence, that
an estimate based on a sample will differ by no more than 1.6 standard
errors from the "true" population value because of sampling error. BLS
analyses are generally conducted at the 90-percent level of confidence.
For example, the confidence interval for the monthly change in total
employment from the household survey is on the order of plus or minus
376,000. Suppose the estimate of total employment increases by 100,000
from one month to the next. The 90-percent confidence interval on the
monthly change would range from -276,000 to 476,000 (100,000 376,000).
These figures do not mean that the sample results are off by these
magnitudes, but rather that there is about a 90-percent chance that the
"true" over-the-month change lies within this interval. Since this range
includes values of less than zero, we could not say with confidence that
employment had, in fact, increased. If, however, the reported employment
rise was half a million, then all of the values within the 90-percent
confidence interval would be greater than zero. In this case, it is likely
(at least a 90-percent chance) that an employment rise had, in fact,
occurred. The 90-percent confidence interval for the monthly change in
unemployment is 258,000, and for the monthly change in the unemployment
rate it is .21 percentage point.
In general, estimates involving many individuals or establishments have
lower standard errors (relative to the size of the estimate) than estimates
which are based on a small number of observations. The precision of
estimates is also improved when the data are cumulated over time such as
for quarterly and annual averages. The seasonal adjustment process can
also improve the stability of the monthly estimates.
The household and establishment surveys are also affected by nonsampling
error. Nonsampling errors can occur for many reasons, including the
failure to sample a segment of the population, inability to obtain
information for all respondents in the sample, inability or unwillingness
of respondents to provide correct information on a timely basis, mistakes
made by respondents, and errors made in the collection or processing of the
data.
For example, in the establishment survey, estimates for the most recent 2
months are based on substantially incomplete returns; for this reason,
these estimates are labeled preliminary in the tables. It is only after
two successive revisions to a monthly estimate, when nearly all sample
reports have been received, that the estimate is considered final.
Another major source of nonsampling error in the establishment survey is
the inability to capture, on a timely basis, employment generated by new
firms. To correct for this systematic underestimation of employment growth
(and other sources of error), a process known as bias adjustment is
included in the survey's estimating procedures, whereby a specified number
of jobs is added to the monthly sample-based change. The size of the

- 8 monthly bias adjustment is based largely on past relationships between the
sample-based estimates of employment and the total counts of employment
described below.
The sample-based estimates from the establishment survey are adjusted
once a year (on a lagged basis) to universe counts of payroll employment
obtained from administrative records of the unemployment insurance program.
The difference between the March sample-based employment estimates and the
March universe counts is known as a benchmark revision, and serves as a
rough proxy for total survey error. The new benchmarks also incorporate
changes in the classification of industries. Over the past decade, the
benchmark revision for total nonfarm employment has averaged 0.3 percent,
ranging from zero to 0.7 percent.
Additional statistics and other information
More comprehensive statistics are contained in Employment and Earnings,
published each month by BLS. It is available for $16.00 per issue or
$40.00 per year from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC
20402. All orders must be prepaid by sending a check or money order
payable to the Superintendent of Documents, or by charging to Mastercard or
Visa.
Employment and Earnings also provides measures of sampling error for the
household survey data published in this release. For unemployment and
other labor force categories, these measures appear in tables 1-B through
1-H of its "Explanatory Notes." Measures of the reliability of the data
drawn from the establishment survey and the actual amounts of revision due
to benchmark adjustments are provided in tables 2-B through 2-G of that
publication.
Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired
individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-691-5200; TDD message referral
phone: 1-800-877-8339.

HOUSEHOLD DATA
Table A-1.

HOUSEHOLD DATA
Employment status of the civilian population by sex and age

(Numbers in thousands)

Not seasonally adjusted

Seasonally adjusted(1)

Employment status, sex, and age

Mar.
1999

Feb.
2000

Mar.
2000

Mar.
1999

Nov.
1999

Dec.
1999

Jan.
2000

Feb.
2000

Mar.
2000

TOTAL
Civilian noninstitutional population..............
Civilian labor force............................
Participation rate........................
Employed......................................
Employment-population ratio...............
Agriculture.................................
Nonagricultural industries..................
Unemployed....................................
Unemployment rate.........................
Not in labor force..............................
Persons who currently want a job..............

207,036
138,418
66.9
132,299
63.9
3,022
129,277
6,119
4.4
68,618
4,471

208,907
140,185
67.1
133,954
64.1
2,973
130,981
6,231
4.4
68,723
4,431

209,053
140,501
67.2
134,494
64.3
3,079
131,415
6,007
4.3
68,552
4,461

207,036
138,804
67.0
132,976
64.2
3,290
129,686
5,828
4.2
68,232
4,606

208,666
139,834
67.0
134,098
64.3
3,310
130,788
5,736
4.1
68,832
4,429

208,832
140,108
67.1
134,420
64.4
3,279
131,141
5,688
4.1
68,724
4,467

208,782
140,910
67.5
135,221
64.8
3,371
131,850
5,689
4.0
67,872
4,252

208,907
141,165
67.6
135,362
64.8
3,408
131,954
5,804
4.1
67,742
4,374

209,053
140,867
67.4
135,159
64.7
3,359
131,801
5,708
4.1
68,187
4,594

Men, 16 years and over
Civilian noninstitutional population..............
Civilian labor force............................
Participation rate........................
Employed......................................
Employment-population ratio...............
Unemployed....................................
Unemployment rate.........................

99,362 100,330 100,405
73,785 74,808 74,790
74.3
74.6
74.5
70,544 71,311 71,613
71.0
71.1
71.3
3,242
3,497
3,177
4.4
4.7
4.2

99,362 100,179 100,264 100,266 100,330 100,405
74,218 74,728 74,930 75,304 75,594 75,198
74.7
74.6
74.7
75.1
75.3
74.9
71,269 71,732 71,927 72,358 72,473 72,313
71.7
71.6
71.7
72.2
72.2
72.0
2,949
2,996
3,003
2,946
3,121
2,885
4.0
4.0
4.0
3.9
4.1
3.8

91,215
69,781
76.5
67,185
73.7
2,086
65,099
2,597
3.7

91,215
69,934
76.7
67,628
74.1
2,239
65,389
2,306
3.3

Men, 20 years and over
Civilian noninstitutional population..............
Civilian labor force............................
Participation rate........................
Employed......................................
Employment-population ratio...............
Agriculture.................................
Nonagricultural industries..................
Unemployed....................................
Unemployment rate.........................

92,092
70,704
76.8
67,869
73.7
2,018
65,851
2,835
4.0

92,145
70,689
76.7
68,057
73.9
2,073
65,984
2,632
3.7

91,986
70,388
76.5
68,037
74.0
2,262
65,775
2,351
3.3

92,052
70,529
76.6
68,197
74.1
2,227
65,970
2,332
3.3

92,057
70,917
77.0
68,585
74.5
2,303
66,282
2,332
3.3

92,092
71,120
77.2
68,691
74.6
2,309
66,382
2,429
3.4

92,145
70,822
76.9
68,480
74.3
2,232
66,249
2,342
3.3

Women, 16 years and over
Civilian noninstitutional population.............. 107,674 108,577 108,649 107,674 108,487 108,569 108,516 108,577 108,649
Civilian labor force............................ 64,632 65,377 65,711 64,586 65,106 65,178 65,606 65,572 65,668
Participation rate........................
60.0
60.2
60.5
60.0
60.0
60.0
60.5
60.4
60.4
Employed...................................... 61,755 62,642 62,881 61,707 62,366 62,493 62,863 62,889 62,846
Employment-population ratio...............
57.4
57.7
57.9
57.3
57.5
57.6
57.9
57.9
57.8
Unemployed....................................
2,877
2,734
2,830
2,879
2,740
2,685
2,743
2,683
2,823
Unemployment rate.........................
4.5
4.2
4.3
4.5
4.2
4.1
4.2
4.1
4.3
Women, 20 years and over
Civilian noninstitutional population..............
Civilian labor force............................
Participation rate........................
Employed......................................
Employment-population ratio...............
Agriculture.................................
Nonagricultural industries..................
Unemployed....................................
Unemployment rate.........................

99,833 100,666 100,713
60,780 61,576 61,892
60.9
61.2
61.5
58,400 59,331 59,593
58.5
58.9
59.2
764
804
831
57,635 58,526 58,762
2,381
2,245
2,298
3.9
3.6
3.7

99,833 100,573 100,666 100,579 100,666 100,713
60,554 61,052 61,154 61,576 61,575 61,671
60.7
60.7
60.7
61.2
61.2
61.2
58,216 58,838 58,958 59,280 59,398 59,422
58.3
58.5
58.6
58.9
59.0
59.0
821
768
791
826
871
894
57,395 58,070 58,167 58,454 58,526 58,528
2,338
2,214
2,196
2,297
2,178
2,249
3.9
3.6
3.6
3.7
3.5
3.6

15,988
7,856
49.1
6,715
42.0
172
6,543
1,142
14.5

15,988
8,316
52.0
7,132
44.6
230
6,902
1,184
14.2

Both sexes, 16 to 19 years
Civilian noninstitutional population.............
Civilian labor force............................
Participation rate........................
Employed......................................
Employment-population ratio...............
Agriculture.................................
Nonagricultural industries..................
Unemployed....................................
Unemployment rate.........................

16,149
7,905
48.9
6,754
41.8
151
6,604
1,151
14.6

16,196
7,921
48.9
6,844
42.3
175
6,669
1,077
13.6

16,107
8,394
52.1
7,223
44.8
280
6,943
1,171
14.0

16,114
8,425
52.3
7,265
45.1
261
7,004
1,160
13.8

16,147
8,416
52.1
7,356
45.6
242
7,114
1,060
12.6

16,149
8,470
52.4
7,273
45.0
228
7,046
1,197
14.1

16,196
8,374
51.7
7,257
44.8
233
7,024
1,117
13.3

1 The population figures are not adjusted for seasonal variation; therefore, identical numbers appear in the unadjusted
and seasonally adjusted columns.
NOTE: Beginning in January 2000, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.

HOUSEHOLD DATA
Table A-2.

HOUSEHOLD DATA
Employment status of the civilian population by race, sex, age, and Hispanic origin

(Numbers in thousands)

Not seasonally adjusted

Seasonally adjusted(1)

Employment status, race, sex, age, and
Hispanic origin
Mar.
1999

Feb.
2000

Mar.
2000

Mar.
1999

Nov.
1999

Dec.
1999

Jan.
2000

Feb.
2000

Mar.
2000

WHITE
Civilian noninstitutional population.............. 172,597 173,886 173,983 172,597 173,709 173,821 173,812 173,886 173,983
Civilian labor force............................ 115,866 117,154 117,451 116,237 116,703 117,008 117,716 117,821 117,832
Participation rate..........................
67.1
67.4
67.5
67.3
67.2
67.3
67.7
67.8
67.7
Employed...................................... 111,414 112,576 113,006 112,030 112,611 112,951 113,704 113,634 113,630
Employment-population ratio.................
64.6
64.7
65.0
64.9
64.8
65.0
65.4
65.3
65.3
Unemployed....................................
4,451
4,578
4,446
4,207
4,092
4,057
4,011
4,187
4,202
Unemployment rate...........................
3.8
3.9
3.8
3.6
3.5
3.5
3.4
3.6
3.6
Men, 20 years and over
Civilian labor force............................
Participation rate..........................
Employed......................................
Employment-population ratio.................
Unemployed....................................
Unemployment rate...........................

59,541
77.1
57,546
74.5
1,995
3.4

60,043
77.1
57,927
74.4
2,116
3.5

60,123
77.2
58,131
74.6
1,993
3.3

59,675
77.3
57,935
75.0
1,740
2.9

59,761
76.9
58,067
74.7
1,694
2.8

59,889
77.0
58,221
74.8
1,668
2.8

60,179
77.3
58,487
75.2
1,693
2.8

60,387
77.6
58,631
75.3
1,756
2.9

60,282
77.4
58,541
75.1
1,742
2.9

Women, 20 years and over
Civilian labor force............................
Participation rate..........................
Employed......................................
Employment-population ratio.................
Unemployed....................................
Unemployment rate...........................

49,729
60.1
48,078
58.1
1,650
3.3

50,418
60.5
48,840
58.6
1,578
3.1

50,622
60.7
48,966
58.7
1,656
3.3

49,567
59.9
47,941
57.9
1,626
3.3

49,814
59.9
48,273
58.0
1,541
3.1

50,011
60.1
48,486
58.2
1,525
3.0

50,404
60.5
48,857
58.7
1,547
3.1

50,335
60.4
48,792
58.6
1,544
3.1

50,448
60.5
48,820
58.6
1,628
3.2

Both sexes, 16 to 19 years
Civilian labor force............................
Participation rate..........................
Employed......................................
Employment-population ratio.................
Unemployed....................................
Unemployment rate...........................
Men.......................................
Women.....................................

6,596
52.1
5,790
45.8
806
12.2
13.7
10.7

6,693
52.6
5,808
45.6
885
13.2
15.5
10.7

6,706
52.7
5,909
46.5
797
11.9
12.1
11.7

6,995
55.3
6,154
48.7
841
12.0
12.8
11.2

7,128
56.0
6,271
49.2
857
12.0
12.8
11.2

7,108
55.8
6,244
49.0
864
12.2
13.3
10.9

7,132
56.0
6,360
50.0
772
10.8
12.4
9.1

7,099
55.8
6,211
48.8
888
12.5
14.4
10.4

7,102
55.8
6,270
49.3
832
11.7
11.3
12.1

BLACK
Civilian noninstitutional population..............
Civilian labor force............................
Participation rate..........................
Employed......................................
Employment-population ratio.................
Unemployed....................................
Unemployment rate...........................

24,729
16,125
65.2
14,798
59.8
1,327
8.2

25,076
16,542
66.0
15,164
60.5
1,378
8.3

25,105
16,466
65.6
15,231
60.7
1,236
7.5

24,729
16,231
65.6
14,925
60.4
1,306
8.0

25,019
16,508
66.0
15,187
60.7
1,321
8.0

25,051
16,513
65.9
15,204
60.7
1,309
7.9

25,047
16,622
66.4
15,254
60.9
1,368
8.2

25,076
16,785
66.9
15,471
61.7
1,314
7.8

25,105
16,572
66.0
15,356
61.2
1,216
7.3

Men, 20 years and over
Civilian labor force............................
Participation rate..........................
Employed......................................
Employment-population ratio.................
Unemployed....................................
Unemployment rate...........................

7,031
71.2
6,583
66.7
448
6.4

7,355
73.3
6,771
67.5
584
7.9

7,252
72.2
6,762
67.3
490
6.8

7,073
71.7
6,647
67.4
426
6.0

7,277
72.8
6,767
67.7
510
7.0

7,273
72.6
6,766
67.5
507
7.0

7,386
73.7
6,839
68.2
547
7.4

7,441
74.2
6,910
68.9
532
7.1

7,300
72.6
6,830
68.0
469
6.4

Women, 20 years and over
Civilian labor force............................
Participation rate..........................
Employed......................................
Employment-population ratio.................
Unemployed....................................
Unemployment rate...........................

8,166
65.9
7,575
61.2
590
7.2

8,289
66.0
7,719
61.4
570
6.9

8,333
66.2
7,815
62.1
518
6.2

8,151
65.8
7,573
61.1
578
7.1

8,305
66.3
7,757
61.9
548
6.6

8,260
65.8
7,706
61.4
554
6.7

8,315
66.3
7,715
61.5
600
7.2

8,344
66.4
7,805
62.1
539
6.5

8,314
66.1
7,808
62.1
506
6.1

928
37.6
639
25.9
289
31.1
34.7
27.5

898
36.3
673
27.2
225
25.0
21.9
28.3

881
35.6
653
26.4
228
25.9
22.6
29.3

1,007
40.7
705
28.5
302
30.0
32.4
27.6

926
37.3
663
26.7
263
28.4
31.0
25.9

980
39.5
732
29.5
248
25.3
27.5
23.0

921
37.2
701
28.3
220
23.9
24.0
23.8

999
40.4
756
30.6
243
24.3
22.3
26.6

958
38.7
718
29.0
240
25.1
21.3
28.9

21,414
14,523
67.8
13,595
63.5
929
6.4

22,108
15,187
68.7
14,267
64.5
921
6.1

22,166
15,304
69.0
14,283
64.4
1,021
6.7

21,414
14,542
67.9
13,673
63.8
869
6.0

21,947
14,887
67.8
13,979
63.7
908
6.1

22,008
14,984
68.1
14,095
64.0
889
5.9

22,047
15,251
69.2
14,395
65.3
856
5.6

22,108
15,249
69.0
14,382
65.1
868
5.7

22,166
15,313
69.1
14,355
64.8
958
6.3

Both sexes, 16 to 19 years
Civilian labor force............................
Participation rate..........................
Employed......................................
Employment-population ratio.................
Unemployed....................................
Unemployment rate...........................
Men.......................................
Women.....................................
HISPANIC ORIGIN
Civilian noninstitutional population..............
Civilian labor force............................
Participation rate..........................
Employed......................................
Employment-population ratio.................
Unemployed....................................
Unemployment rate...........................

1 The population figures are not adjusted for seasonal variation; therefore, identical numbers appear in the unadjusted
and seasonally adjusted columns.
NOTE: Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the "other races"
group are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups. Beginning in January
2000, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.

HOUSEHOLD DATA

HOUSEHOLD DATA

Table A-3. Employment status of the civilian population 25 years and over by educational attainment, seasonally adjusted
(Numbers in thousands)

Not seasonally adjusted

Seasonally adjusted(1)

Educational attainment
Mar.
1999

Feb.
2000

Mar.
2000

Mar.
1999

Nov.
1999

Dec.
1999

Jan.
2000

Feb.
2000

Mar.
2000

28,442
12,119
42.6
11,265
39.6
854
7.0

27,376
11,638
42.5
10,829
39.6
809
7.0

27,523
11,801
42.9
10,896
39.6
905
7.7

28,442
12,039
42.3
11,280
39.7
759
6.3

28,228
12,132
43.0
11,347
40.2
785
6.5

28,144
11,956
42.5
11,243
39.9
713
6.0

27,995
11,895
42.5
11,106
39.7
789
6.6

27,376
11,971
43.7
11,257
41.1
714
6.0

27,523
11,726
42.6
10,918
39.7
808
6.9

57,805
37,734
65.3
36,302
62.8
1,432
3.8

57,471
37,403
65.1
35,932
62.5
1,471
3.9

58,033
37,742
65.0
36,364
62.7
1,377
3.6

57,805
37,687
65.2
36,368
62.9
1,319
3.5

57,789
37,671
65.2
36,445
63.1
1,226
3.3

57,590
37,362
64.9
36,071
62.6
1,291
3.5

57,768
37,617
65.1
36,305
62.8
1,311
3.5

57,471
37,603
65.4
36,294
63.2
1,309
3.5

58,033
37,671
64.9
36,401
62.7
1,270
3.4

43,028
31,826
74.0
30,835
71.7
991
3.1

44,486
32,946
74.1
31,911
71.7
1,036
3.1

44,225
32,898
74.4
31,929
72.2
969
2.9

43,028
31,866
74.1
30,966
72.0
900
2.8

44,070
32,312
73.3
31,444
71.3
868
2.7

44,069
32,404
73.5
31,586
71.7
818
2.5

43,689
32,397
74.2
31,564
72.2
833
2.6

44,486
32,544
73.2
31,595
71.0
949
2.9

44,225
32,967
74.5
32,090
72.6
878
2.7

43,859
35,124
80.1
34,483
78.6
641
1.8

45,247
36,242
80.1
35,643
78.8
599
1.7

44,838
36,017
80.3
35,446
79.1
572
1.6

43,859
35,130
80.1
34,479
78.6
651
1.9

44,365
35,264
79.5
34,655
78.1
609
1.7

44,821
35,824
79.9
35,186
78.5
638
1.8

45,058
36,205
80.4
35,540
78.9
665
1.8

45,247
36,265
80.1
35,678
78.9
587
1.6

44,838
36,060
80.4
35,481
79.1
579
1.6

Less than a high school diploma
Civilian noninstitutional population......
Civilian labor force....................
Percent of population...............
Employed..............................
Employment-population ratio.........
Unemployed............................
Unemployment rate...................
High school graduates, no college(2)
Civilian noninstitutional population......
Civilian labor force....................
Percent of population...............
Employed..............................
Employment-population ratio.........
Unemployed............................
Unemployment rate...................
Less than a bachelor's degree(3)
Civilian noninstitutional population......
Civilian labor force....................
Percent of population...............
Employed..............................
Employment-population ratio.........
Unemployed............................
Unemployment rate...................
College graduates
Civilian noninstitutional population......
Civilian labor force....................
Percent of population...............
Employed..............................
Employment-population ratio.........
Unemployed............................
Unemployment rate...................

1 The population figures are not adjusted for seasonal variation, therefore, identical numbers appear in the unadjusted
and seasonally adjusted columns.
2 Includes high school diploma or equivalent.
3 Includes the categories, some college, no degree; and associate degree.
NOTE: Beginning in January 2000, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.

HOUSEHOLD DATA

HOUSEHOLD DATA

Table A-4. Selected employment indicators
(In thousands)

Not seasonally adjusted

Seasonally adjusted

Category

Mar.
1999

Feb.
2000

Mar.
2000

Mar.
1999

Nov.
1999

Dec.
1999

Jan.
2000

Feb.
2000

Mar.
2000

CHARACTERISTIC
Total employed, 16 years and over................. 132,299 133,954 134,494 132,976 134,098 134,420 135,221 135,362 135,159
Married men, spouse present..................... 42,941 43,187 43,081 43,164 43,273 43,283 43,951 43,535 43,297
Married women, spouse present................... 33,300 33,848 33,915 33,176 33,635 33,762 34,166 33,882 33,780
Women who maintain families.....................
8,254
8,228
8,187
8,142
8,526
8,375
8,362
8,220
8,082
OCCUPATION
Managerial and professional specialty...........
Technical, sales, and administrative support....
Service occupations.............................
Precision production, craft, and repair.........
Operators, fabricators, and laborers............
Farming, forestry, and fishing..................

40,138
38,854
17,965
14,543
17,763
3,035

40,745
39,544
18,271
14,505
17,828
3,060

40,717
39,549
18,636
14,491
17,965
3,135

40,005
38,821
18,034
14,591
18,135
3,438

40,363
39,283
17,633
14,903
18,476
3,407

40,800
39,311
17,706
14,940
18,299
3,367

40,924
39,614
18,155
14,610
18,385
3,574

40,806
39,703
18,344
14,681
18,279
3,630

40,595
39,510
18,711
14,520
18,334
3,562

CLASS OF WORKER
Agriculture:
Wage and salary workers.......................
1,721
1,749
1,841
1,905
2,049
2,018
2,024
2,025
2,043
Self-employed workers.........................
1,267
1,190
1,202
1,358
1,216
1,211
1,320
1,344
1,292
Unpaid family workers.........................
34
33
36
39
41
36
38
51
42
Nonagricultural industries:
Wage and salary workers....................... 120,509 122,346 122,709 120,939 121,965 122,426 122,823 123,166 123,169
Government.................................. 18,867 19,666 19,677 18,778 18,902 18,959 19,013 19,394 19,598
Private industries.......................... 101,642 102,680 103,032 102,161 103,063 103,467 103,810 103,772 103,571
Private households........................
929
983
1,002
926
944
948
952
1,016
998
Other industries.......................... 100,713 101,698 102,030 101,235 102,119 102,519 102,858 102,756 102,573
Self-employed workers.........................
8,642
8,555
8,600
8,730
8,686
8,662
8,802
8,793
8,704
Unpaid family workers.........................
126
79
106
127
108
98
92
74
107
PERSONS AT WORK PART TIME
All industries:
Part time for economic reasons................
Slack work or business conditions...........
Could only find part-time work..............
Part time for noneconomic reasons.............

3,703
2,160
1,269
19,398

3,296
1,979
1,027
19,849

3,306
1,955
1,029
19,540

3,509
2,018
1,181
18,622

3,274
1,930
1,032
18,651

3,320
1,951
1,025
18,618

3,219
1,893
1,012
18,889

3,139
1,807
1,023
19,031

3,124
1,820
953
18,770

Nonagricultural industries:
Part time for economic reasons................
Slack work or business conditions...........
Could only find part-time work..............
Part time for noneconomic reasons.............

3,499
2,055
1,225
18,841

3,138
1,874
1,015
19,290

3,169
1,888
1,008
19,002

3,325
1,927
1,128
18,031

3,105
1,815
1,013
18,083

3,157
1,843
1,018
18,061

3,066
1,801
986
18,347

2,985
1,705
1,005
18,406

3,003
1,766
922
18,184

NOTE: Persons at work excludes employed persons who were absent from their jobs during the entire reference week for
reasons such as vacation, illness, or industrial dispute. Part time for noneconomic reasons excludes persons who usually
work full time but worked only 1 to 34 hours during the reference week for reasons such as holidays, illness, and bad
weather. Beginning in January 2000, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.

HOUSEHOLD DATA

HOUSEHOLD DATA

Table A-5. Selected unemployment indicators, seasonally adjusted

Number of
unemployed persons
(in thousands)

Unemployment rates(1)

Category
Mar.
1999

Feb.
2000

Mar.
2000

Mar.
1999

Nov.
1999

Dec.
1999

Jan.
2000

Feb.
2000

Mar.
2000

Total, 16 years and over.........................
Men, 20 years and over.........................
Women, 20 years and over.......................
Both sexes, 16 to 19 years.....................

5,828
2,306
2,338
1,184

5,804
2,429
2,178
1,197

5,708
2,342
2,249
1,117

4.2
3.3
3.9
14.2

4.1
3.3
3.6
14.0

4.1
3.3
3.6
13.8

4.0
3.3
3.7
12.6

4.1
3.4
3.5
14.1

4.1
3.3
3.6
13.3

Married men, spouse present....................
Married women, spouse present..................
Women who maintain families....................

935
929
578

928
897
539

865
955
591

2.1
2.7
6.6

2.1
2.5
6.0

2.2
2.5
6.2

2.0
2.6
6.2

2.1
2.6
6.1

2.0
2.7
6.8

Full-time workers..............................
Part-time workers..............................

4,626
1,209

4,595
1,191

4,489
1,243

4.0
5.0

3.9
4.9

3.9
4.9

3.9
4.6

3.9
4.9

3.8
5.1

768
1,501
559
1,180
255

660
1,526
644
1,185
218

732
1,435
570
1,245
193

1.9
3.7
3.7
6.1
6.9

1.8
3.6
3.7
6.2
6.7

1.7
3.6
4.0
6.1
5.8

1.8
3.4
3.7
6.1
4.7

1.6
3.7
4.2
6.1
5.7

1.8
3.5
3.8
6.4
5.1

4,589
1,267
32
508
727
393
334
3,322
224
1,467
161
1,470
404
197

4,539
1,265
20
562
682
368
315
3,274
249
1,467
230
1,328
426
140

4,695
1,328
13
505
810
381
429
3,366
244
1,485
195
1,443
337
121

4.3
4.4
5.5
7.0
3.5
3.1
4.2
4.2
2.9
5.4
2.0
4.2
2.1
9.4

4.2
4.2
4.6
5.7
3.7
3.7
3.7
4.1
3.3
5.3
2.3
3.9
2.0
8.3

4.1
4.4
4.1
6.6
3.6
3.6
3.5
4.0
3.0
5.2
2.1
3.8
2.1
7.1

4.2
4.1
2.6
6.4
3.2
2.8
3.9
4.3
3.7
5.1
2.5
4.2
2.1
5.0

4.2
4.4
4.0
7.5
3.3
3.0
3.8
4.1
3.2
5.3
2.9
3.7
2.2
6.5

4.3
4.6
2.5
6.9
3.9
3.0
5.2
4.2
3.1
5.4
2.4
4.0
1.7
5.6

CHARACTERISTIC

OCCUPATION(2)
Managerial and professional specialty..........
Technical, sales, and administrative support...
Precision production, craft, and repair........
Operators, fabricators, and laborers...........
Farming, forestry, and fishing.................
INDUSTRY
Nonagricultural private wage and salary workers
Goods-producing industries...................
Mining.....................................
Construction...............................
Manufacturing..............................
Durable goods............................
Nondurable goods.........................
Service-producing industries.................
Transportation and public utilities........
Wholesale and retail trade.................
Finance, insurance, and real estate........
Services...................................
Government workers.............................
Agricultural wage and salary workers...........

1 Unemployment as a percent of the civilian labor force.
2 Seasonally adjusted unemployment data for service occupations are not available because the seasonal component, which
is small relative to the trend-cycle and irregular components, cannot be separated with sufficient precision.
NOTE: Beginning in January 2000, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.

HOUSEHOLD DATA

HOUSEHOLD DATA

Table A-6. Duration of unemployment
(Numbers in thousands)

Not seasonally adjusted

Seasonally adjusted

Duration
Mar.
1999

Feb.
2000

Mar.
2000

Mar.
1999

Nov.
1999

Dec.
1999

Jan.
2000

Feb.
2000

Mar.
2000

Less than 5 weeks................................
5 to 14 weeks....................................
15 weeks and over................................
15 to 26 weeks................................
27 weeks and over.............................

2,253
2,190
1,676
929
747

2,517
2,313
1,401
772
629

2,527
2,003
1,478
815
663

2,521
1,884
1,467
752
715

2,601
1,760
1,401
725
676

2,620
1,694
1,388
693
695

2,447
1,754
1,372
667
705

2,603
1,864
1,277
673
604

2,824
1,719
1,295
657
637

Average (mean) duration, in weeks................
Median duration, in weeks........................

14.1
8.0

12.5
6.6

13.2
7.0

13.6
6.8

13.0
6.2

12.8
5.9

13.2
5.7

12.5
6.1

12.8
6.0

100.0
36.8
35.8
27.4
15.2
12.2

100.0
40.4
37.1
22.5
12.4
10.1

100.0
42.1
33.3
24.6
13.6
11.0

100.0
42.9
32.1
25.0
12.8
12.2

100.0
45.1
30.5
24.3
12.6
11.7

100.0
45.9
29.7
24.3
12.2
12.2

100.0
43.9
31.5
24.6
12.0
12.7

100.0
45.3
32.5
22.2
11.7
10.5

100.0
48.4
29.4
22.2
11.3
10.9

NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYED

PERCENT DISTRIBUTION
Total unemployed.................................
Less than 5 weeks..............................
5 to 14 weeks..................................
15 weeks and over..............................
15 to 26 weeks...............................
27 weeks and over............................
NOTE:

Beginning in January 2000, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.

HOUSEHOLD DATA

HOUSEHOLD DATA

Table A-7. Reason for unemployment
(Numbers in thousands)

Not seasonally adjusted

Seasonally adjusted

Reason
Mar.
1999

Feb.
2000

Mar.
2000

Mar.
1999

Nov.
1999

Dec.
1999

Jan.
2000

Feb.
2000

Mar.
2000

2,888
1,047
1,841
1,295
547
788
2,048
395

3,029
1,134
1,895
1,281
614
777
2,067
357

2,769
983
1,787
1,224
562
837
2,019
382

2,646
833
1,813
(1)
(1)
774
2,007
446

2,493
851
1,642
(1)
(1)
821
1,935
485

2,401
795
1,606
(1)
(1)
825
2,036
453

2,477
739
1,739
(1)
(1)
776
2,043
393

2,616
838
1,778
(1)
(1)
759
1,975
387

2,541
781
1,759
(1)
(1)
824
1,979
434

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

47.2
17.1
30.1
12.9
33.5
6.5

48.6
18.2
30.4
12.5
33.2
5.7

46.1
16.4
29.7
13.9
33.6
6.4

45.1
14.2
30.9
13.2
34.2
7.6

43.5
14.8
28.6
14.3
33.7
8.5

42.0
13.9
28.1
14.4
35.6
7.9

43.5
13.0
30.6
13.6
35.9
6.9

45.6
14.6
31.0
13.2
34.4
6.7

44.0
13.5
30.5
14.3
34.3
7.5

2.1
.6
1.5
.3

2.2
.6
1.5
.3

2.0
.6
1.4
.3

1.9
.6
1.4
.3

1.8
.6
1.4
.3

1.7
.6
1.5
.3

1.8
.6
1.4
.3

1.9
.5
1.4
.3

1.8
.6
1.4
.3

NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYED
Job losers and persons who completed temporary
jobs...........................................
On temporary layoff.............................
Not on temporary layoff.........................
Permanent job losers..........................
Persons who completed temporary jobs..........
Job leavers.......................................
Reentrants........................................
New entrants......................................
PERCENT DISTRIBUTION
Total unemployed..................................
Job losers and persons who completed temporary
jobs...........................................
On temporary layoff............................
Not on temporary layoff........................
Job leavers......................................
Reentrants.......................................
New entrants.....................................
UNEMPLOYED AS A PERCENT OF THE
CIVILIAN LABOR FORCE
Job losers and persons who completed temporary
jobs...........................................
Job leavers......................................
Reentrants.......................................
New entrants.....................................

1 Not available.
NOTE: Beginning in January 2000, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.

HOUSEHOLD DATA

HOUSEHOLD DATA

Table A-8. Range of alternative measures of labor underutilization
(Percent)

Not seasonally
adjusted

Seasonally adjusted

Measure

Mar.
1999

Feb.
2000

Mar.
2000

Mar.
1999

Nov.
1999

Dec.
1999

Jan.
2000

Feb.
2000

Mar.
2000

U-1 Persons unemployed 15 weeks or longer, as a percent of
the civilian labor force................................

1.2

1.0

1.1

1.1

1.0

1.0

1.0

.9

.9

U-2 Job losers and persons who completed temporary jobs, as
a percent of the civilian labor force...................

2.1

2.2

2.0

1.9

1.8

1.7

1.8

1.9

1.8

U-3 Total unemployed, as a percent of the civilian labor
force (official unemployment rate)......................

4.4

4.4

4.3

4.2

4.1

4.1

4.0

4.1

4.1

U-4 Total unemployed plus discouraged workers, as a percent
of the civilian labor force plus discouraged workers....

4.6

4.6

4.5

(1)

(1)

(1)

(1)

(1)

(1)

U-5 Total unemployed, plus discouraged workers, plus all
other marginally attached workers, as a percent of the
civilian labor force plus all marginally
attached workers........................................

5.3

5.3

5.1

(1)

(1)

(1)

(1)

(1)

(1)

U-6 Total unemployed, plus all marginally attached workers,
plus total employed part time for economic reasons,
as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all
marginally attached workers.............................

7.9

7.6

7.4

(1)

(1)

(1)

(1)

(1)

(1)

1 Not available.
NOTE: This range of alternative measures of labor underutilization replaces the U1-U7 range published in table A-7 of
this release prior to 1994. Marginally attached workers are persons who currently are neither working nor looking for work
but indicate that they want and are available for a job and have looked for work sometime in the recent past. Discouraged
workers, a subset of the marginally attached, have given a job-market related reason for not currently looking for a job.
Persons employed part time for economic reasons are those who want and are available for full-time work but have had to
settle for a part-time schedule. For further information, see "BLS introduces new range of alternative unemployment
measures," in the October 1995 issue of the Monthly Labor Review. Beginning in January 2000, data reflect revised
population controls used in the household survey.

HOUSEHOLD DATA

HOUSEHOLD DATA

Table A-9. Unemployed persons by sex and age, seasonally adjusted

Number of
unemployed persons
(in thousands)

Unemployment rates(1)

Age and sex

Mar.
1999

Feb.
2000

Mar.
2000

Mar.
1999

Nov.
1999

Dec.
1999

Jan.
2000

Feb.
2000

Mar.
2000

Total, 16 years and over..........................
16 to 24 years..................................
16 to 19 years................................
16 to 17 years..............................
18 to 19 years..............................
20 to 24 years................................
25 years and over...............................
25 to 54 years................................
55 years and over.............................

5,828
2,218
1,184
553
632
1,034
3,626
3,133
497

5,804
2,267
1,197
529
653
1,071
3,520
2,997
546

5,708
2,199
1,117
510
607
1,082
3,531
3,044
498

4.2
10.0
14.2
16.6
12.7
7.4
3.1
3.2
2.8

4.1
10.0
14.0
16.5
12.3
7.7
3.0
3.1
2.6

4.1
9.8
13.8
16.5
12.1
7.4
3.0
3.0
2.7

4.0
9.3
12.6
14.0
11.4
7.4
3.0
3.1
2.8

4.1
10.0
14.1
15.9
12.8
7.5
3.0
3.0
3.0

4.1
9.7
13.3
15.3
12.1
7.6
3.0
3.0
2.7

Men, 16 years and over..........................
16 to 24 years................................
16 to 19 years..............................
16 to 17 years............................
18 to 19 years............................
20 to 24 years..............................
25 years and over.............................
25 to 54 years..............................
55 years and over...........................

2,949
1,165
643
294
350
522
1,780
1,520
256

3,121
1,236
691
312
367
544
1,861
1,574
281

2,885
1,106
543
269
274
563
1,781
1,500
278

4.0
10.1
15.0
17.3
13.5
7.2
2.8
2.9
2.6

4.0
10.2
14.9
16.9
13.6
7.5
2.8
2.9
2.6

4.0
10.6
15.2
17.7
13.5
7.8
2.8
2.8
2.5

3.9
9.7
14.0
14.3
13.7
7.2
2.8
2.9
2.5

4.1
10.3
15.5
17.3
13.9
7.3
2.9
2.9
2.8

3.8
9.2
12.4
15.1
10.5
7.4
2.8
2.8
2.8

Women, 16 years and over........................
16 to 24 years................................
16 to 19 years..............................
16 to 17 years............................
18 to 19 years............................
20 to 24 years..............................
25 years and over.............................
25 to 54 years..............................
55 years and over...........................

2,879
1,053
541
259
282
512
1,846
1,613
241

2,683
1,032
505
217
286
526
1,659
1,424
266

2,823
1,093
574
241
334
520
1,751
1,544
219

4.5
9.9
13.4
15.9
11.7
7.7
3.4
3.5
3.1

4.2
9.8
13.0
16.1
10.8
7.9
3.1
3.3
2.6

4.1
8.9
12.2
15.1
10.5
7.0
3.2
3.2
2.9

4.2
8.9
11.1
13.7
8.9
7.6
3.2
3.3
3.1

4.1
9.6
12.6
14.3
11.6
7.8
3.0
3.0
3.3

4.3
10.2
14.4
15.4
13.7
7.7
3.2
3.3
2.7

1 Unemployment as a percent of the civilian labor force.
NOTE: Beginning in January 2000, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.

HOUSEHOLD DATA

HOUSEHOLD DATA

Table A-10. Persons not in the labor force and multiple jobholders by sex, not seasonally adjusted
(Numbers in thousands)

Total

Men

Women

Category
Mar.
1999

Mar.
2000

Mar.
1999

Mar.
2000

Mar.
1999

Mar.
2000

68,618
4,471
1,245

68,552
4,461
1,209

25,577
1,913
573

25,614
1,977
663

43,042
2,559
672

42,938
2,484
546

295
949

257
952

166
407

149
514

129
543

108
438

Total multiple jobholders(4)......................................
Percent of total employed.....................................

8,027
6.1

7,707
5.7

4,239
6.0

4,010
5.6

3,788
6.1

3,697
5.9

Primary job full time, secondary job part time................
Primary and secondary jobs both part time.....................
Primary and secondary jobs both full time.....................
Hours vary on primary or secondary job........................

4,458
1,700
309
1,523

4,241
1,733
318
1,390

2,622
532
194
864

2,476
534
194
795

1,836
1,168
114
659

1,765
1,198
123
595

NOT IN THE LABOR FORCE

Total not in the labor force......................................
Persons who currently want a job................................
Searched for work and available to work now(1)...............
Reason not currently looking:
Discouragement over job prospects(2)....................
Reasons other than discouragement(3)....................
MULTIPLE JOBHOLDERS

1 Data refer to persons who have searched for work during the prior 12 months and were available to take a job during the
reference week.
2 Includes thinks no work available, could not find work, lacks schooling or training, employer thinks too young or old, and
other types of discrimination.
3 Includes those who did not actively look for work in the prior 4 weeks for such reasons as child-care and transportation
problems, as well as a small number for which reason for nonparticipation was not determined.
4 Includes persons who work part time on their primary job and full time on their secondary job(s), not shown separately.
NOTE: Beginning in January 2000, data reflect revised population controls used in the household survey.

ESTABLISHMENT DATA

ESTABLISHMENT DATA

Table B-1. Employees on nonfarm payrolls by industry
(In thousands)

Not seasonally adjusted

Seasonally adjusted

Industry
Mar.
1999

Jan.
2000

Feb.
2000p

Mar.
2000p

Mar.
1999

Nov.
1999

Dec.
1999

Jan.
2000

Feb.
2000p

Mar.
2000p

Total1........................ 126,867 128,138 128,757 129,741 127,813 129,589 129,898 130,292 130,299 130,715
Total private.................... 106,385 107,856 108,064 108,808 107,726 109,320 109,583 109,927 109,912 110,186
Goods-producing.........................

24,773

24,813

24,768

24,955

25,285

25,257

25,283

25,410

25,383

25,471

Mining................................
Metal mining........................
Coal mining.........................
Oil and gas extraction..............
Nonmetallic minerals, except fuels..

540
49.1
87.1
300.2
103.4

520
48.1
80.6
291.1
99.9

521
47.6
79.5
293.2
100.4

526
47.1
79.0
296.0
103.4

550
50
87
305
108

527
49
82
288
108

529
48
82
291
108

530
49
81
292
108

532
48
80
296
108

536
48
79
301
108

Construction..........................
5,806
6,019
5,979
6,143
General building contractors........ 1,358.1 1,409.8 1,399.1 1,417.5
Heavy construction, except building.
761.6
760.5
754.6
796.6
Special trade contractors........... 3,686.2 3,848.2 3,824.9 3,929.1

6,232
1,429
864
3,939

6,369
1,450
870
4,049

6,393
1,454
878
4,061

6,504
1,474
900
4,130

6,487
1,478
883
4,126

6,576
1,488
900
4,188

Manufacturing.........................
Production workers................

18,427
12,666

18,274
12,540

18,268
12,547

18,286
12,560

18,503
12,714

18,361
12,613

18,361
12,613

18,376
12,627

18,364
12,614

18,359
12,606

Durable goods........................
Production workers................
Lumber and wood products............
Furniture and fixtures..............
Stone, clay, and glass products.....
Primary metal industries............
Blast furnaces and basic steel
products.......................
Fabricated metal products...........
Industrial machinery and equipment..
Computer and office equipment.....
Electronic and other electrical
equipment........................
Electronic components and
accessories....................
Transportation equipment............
Motor vehicles and equipment......
Aircraft and parts................
Instruments and related products....
Miscellaneous manufacturing.........

10,991
7,522
813.4
535.9
556.4
693.1

10,934
7,472
817.8
543.7
557.4
688.0

10,930
7,481
817.1
544.8
555.8
686.9

10,956
7,499
816.2
546.6
563.1
687.7

11,014
7,527
827
535
569
693

10,954
7,487
829
544
571
686

10,960
7,485
828
543
574
687

10,973
7,505
827
543
577
686

10,973
7,508
831
545
574
687

10,978
7,505
829
546
576
688

222.7
221.6
220.3
221.7
1,488.5 1,492.2 1,493.4 1,496.4
2,144.1 2,115.8 2,117.2 2,114.5
359.1
355.6
353.1
351.4

(2)
1,490
2,139
360

(2)
1,489
2,118
358

(2)
1,489
2,120
359

(2)
1,491
2,115
357

(2)
1,493
2,116
356

(2)
1,496
2,110
354

1,658.4 1,669.6 1,675.6 1,676.4

1,659

1,661

1,664

1,671

1,679

1,677

636.9
646.7
650.8
652.7
1,874.4 1,836.0 1,823.9 1,836.9
994.1 1,005.6 1,009.1 1,009.2
509.7
464.7
447.2
459.4
843.1
828.1
828.8
830.5
383.8
385.7
386.4
387.4

636
1,873
992
511
844
385

643
1,834
1,000
467
833
389

645
1,831
1,001
464
833
391

647
1,841
1,010
463
830
392

652
1,828
1,014
447
830
390

653
1,835
1,010
460
832
389

7,436
5,144
1,654.0
38.1
569.3
700.3
659.7
1,553.7
1,034.6
135.4
1,015.4
75.4

7,489
5,187
1,693
39
571
702
662
1,557
1,037
139
1,014
75

7,407
5,126
1,686
39
553
663
655
1,549
1,033
136
1,022
71

7,401
5,128
1,686
38
551
662
655
1,547
1,030
135
1,026
71

7,403
5,122
1,689
38
549
657
654
1,550
1,034
136
1,025
71

7,391
5,106
1,678
38
550
656
653
1,551
1,035
136
1,024
70

7,381
5,101
1,677
35
550
655
651
1,552
1,033
136
1,022
70

Nondurable goods.....................
Production workers................
Food and kindred products...........
Tobacco products....................
Textile mill products...............
Apparel and other textile products..
Paper and allied products...........
Printing and publishing.............
Chemicals and allied products.......
Petroleum and coal products.........
Rubber and misc. plastics products..
Leather and leather products........

7,340
5,068
1,650.9
39.9
547.2
648.7
652.5
1,547.4
1,029.1
131.5
1,021.7
70.7

7,338
5,066
1,645.0
39.0
547.1
651.0
651.2
1,547.5
1,031.3
131.6
1,024.3
69.9

7,330
5,061
1,641.2
34.3
547.4
651.9
648.7
1,549.1
1,031.5
132.5
1,022.7
70.2

Service-producing1...................... 102,094 103,325 103,989 104,786 102,528 104,332 104,615 104,882 104,916 105,244
Transportation and public utilities...
6,685
6,828
6,830
6,867
Transportation......................
4,336
4,439
4,439
4,471
Railroad transportation...........
232.4
222.3
221.4
222.8
Local and interurban passenger
transit........................
491.4
498.9
501.5
506.1
Trucking and warehousing.......... 1,758.9 1,805.9 1,799.9 1,814.0
Water transportation..............
171.1
172.9
174.4
174.9
Transportation by air............. 1,206.7 1,258.6 1,260.3 1,268.3
Pipelines, except natural gas.....
13.7
12.9
12.8
12.8
Transportation services...........
461.9
467.6
468.4
472.0
Communications and public utilities.
2,349
2,389
2,391
2,396
Communications.................... 1,503.5 1,550.3 1,555.5 1,562.2
Electric, gas, and sanitary
services.......................
845.8
838.2
835.3
834.0

6,732
4,378
235

6,862
4,474
226

6,897
4,501
227

6,902
4,507
226

6,892
4,493
225

6,919
4,517
225

476
1,796
177
1,218
14
462
2,354
1,506

487
1,839
180
1,257
13
472
2,388
1,546

487
1,845
182
1,273
13
474
2,396
1,553

491
1,849
181
1,277
13
470
2,395
1,552

490
1,840
183
1,271
13
471
2,399
1,560

492
1,851
182
1,281
13
473
2,402
1,565

848

842

843

843

839

837

7,095
4,212
2,883
22,557

6,947
4,103
2,844
22,611

7,070
4,194
2,876
22,902

7,088
4,204
2,884
22,973

7,108
4,211
2,897
23,018

7,119
4,218
2,901
22,996

7,136
4,227
2,909
22,999

949.8
960.9
961.2
997.0
2,688.7 2,809.0 2,672.3 2,659.2
2,396.0 2,501.1 2,376.7 2,363.9
3,443.6 3,464.3 3,446.7 3,433.5

982
2,794
2,489
3,490

1,004
2,753
2,450
3,480

1,007
2,793
2,479
3,482

1,012
2,798
2,477
3,481

1,018
2,773
2,467
3,480

1,031
2,757
2,449
3,479

2,370.0 2,412.4 2,408.8 2,430.5
1,066.7 1,092.5 1,097.8 1,104.8
1,129.8 1,187.9 1,152.9 1,150.7

2,392
1,069
1,167

2,424
1,096
1,198

2,432
1,097
1,177

2,445
1,100
1,178

2,439
1,103
1,191

2,452
1,108
1,187

1,060.6 1,111.8 1,102.2 1,102.8
7,663.1 7,658.1 7,713.8 7,827.6
2,868.3 3,022.5 2,988.8 2,955.8

1,070
7,785
2,931

1,095
7,943
3,005

1,102
7,986
2,994

1,102
7,987
3,015

1,106
7,973
3,016

1,112
7,958
3,023

Finance, insurance, and real estate...
7,547
7,623
7,631
7,637
Finance.............................
3,681
3,714
3,715
3,712
Depository institutions........... 2,045.1 2,037.1 2,032.5 2,033.0
Commercial banks................ 1,463.5 1,456.6 1,452.6 1,453.5
Savings institutions............
257.6
250.3
248.8
247.2
Nondepository institutions........
711.9
704.8
703.5
694.6
Mortgage bankers and brokers....
367.8
349.9
347.9
338.4
Security and commodity brokers....
661.0
702.3
707.3
713.0
Holding and other investment
offices........................
262.5
269.6
271.9
271.4
Insurance...........................
2,388
2,404
2,405
2,405
Insurance carriers................ 1,627.5 1,630.6 1,630.0 1,628.6
Insurance agents, brokers, and
service........................
760.0
773.1
774.8
776.0
Real estate.........................
1,478
1,505
1,511
1,520

7,595
3,690
2,051
1,469
258
712
368
664

7,675
3,723
2,044
1,460
254
711
357
697

7,685
3,727
2,040
1,458
252
713
357
702

7,685
3,726
2,040
1,458
251
708
353
705

7,696
3,728
2,039
1,457
250
706
351
711

7,685
3,721
2,037
1,458
247
695
339
718

263
2,392
1,632

271
2,411
1,636

272
2,416
1,639

273
2,406
1,632

272
2,412
1,636

271
2,408
1,632

760
1,513

775
1,541

777
1,542

774
1,553

776
1,556

776
1,556

38,556
747
1,789
1,200
8,963
973
3,343
2,967

39,554
774
1,812
1,214
9,336
1,003
3,501
3,097

39,657
765
1,807
1,225
9,392
1,000
3,513
3,108

39,804
788
1,800
1,231
9,416
999
3,505
3,100

39,826
783
1,805
1,228
9,423
1,005
3,516
3,109

39,976
801
1,820
1,234
9,471
1,013
3,535
3,122

Wholesale trade.......................
Durable goods.......................
Nondurable goods....................
Retail trade..........................
Building materials and garden
supplies.........................
General merchandise stores..........
Department stores.................
Food stores.........................
Automotive dealers and service
stations.........................
New and used car dealers..........
Apparel and accessory stores........
Furniture and home furnishings
stores...........................
Eating and drinking places..........
Miscellaneous retail establishments.

Services3.............................
Agricultural services...............
Hotels and other lodging places.....
Personal services...................
Business services...................
Services to buildings.............
Personnel supply services.........
Help supply services............

6,909
4,091
2,818
22,174

38,297
663.5
1,715.4
1,260.1
8,829.5
966.7
3,235.5
2,864.0

7,049
4,187
2,862
22,627

38,916
666.2
1,699.4
1,275.6
9,184.2
986.3
3,350.3
2,960.2

7,062
4,197
2,865
22,447

39,326
664.3
1,713.3
1,298.0
9,225.9
992.0
3,349.7
2,951.6

39,697
712.3
1,744.0
1,296.0
9,333.7
1,005.8
3,424.9
3,017.5

Computer and data processing
services.......................
Auto repair, services, and parking..
Miscellaneous repair services.......
Motion pictures.....................
Amusement and recreation services...
Health services.....................
Offices and clinics of medical
doctors........................
Nursing and personal care
facilities.....................
Hospitals.........................
Home health care services.........
Legal services......................
Educational services................
Social services.....................
Child day care services...........
Residential care..................
Museums and botanical and zoological
gardens...........................
Membership organizations............
Engineering and management services.
Engineering and architectural
services.......................
Management and public relations...
Services, nec.......................
Government1...........................
Federal1............................
Federal, except Postal Service1...
State...............................
Education.........................
Other State government............
Local...............................
Education.........................
Other local government............

1,738.5
1,173.8
389.6
582.0
1,514.9
9,918.8

1,869.7
1,198.3
404.1
612.6
1,601.0
10057.0

1,734
1,176
393
580
1,660
9,932

1,829
1,197
400
613
1,734
10,026

1,842
1,198
405
609
1,725
10,038

1,852
1,202
403
616
1,759
10,057

1,859
1,205
406
610
1,759
10,060

1,867
1,199
408
612
1,760
10,072

1,845.7 1,891.0 1,893.1 1,903.4

1,850

1,885

1,886

1,895

1,899

1,908

1,750.2
3,957.9
652.0
989.5
2,385.8
2,752.4
642.2
768.5

1,759.7
3,986.9
651.4
1,009.5
2,468.5
2,900.4
678.0
807.8

1,754
3,963
653
995
2,243
2,744
627
769

1,756
3,978
658
1,012
2,298
2,840
646
796

1,759
3,985
659
1,015
2,304
2,850
650
801

1,760
3,992
658
1,017
2,297
2,872
657
803

1,761
3,989
656
1,014
2,300
2,875
655
807

1,763
3,991
652
1,015
2,321
2,890
661
809

88.9
87.8
87.4
91.1
2,378.7 2,382.2 2,396.5 2,405.5
3,361.5 3,499.9 3,539.5 3,567.6

95
2,392
3,354

96
2,411
3,496

95
2,418
3,515

96
2,420
3,532

95
2,419
3,546

97
2,419
3,560

923.3
959.9
963.5
968.2
1,117.7 1,201.7 1,210.5 1,219.1
54.7
59.2
59.5
58.2

933
1,123
(2)

959
1,196
(2)

964
1,213
(2)

973
1,220
(2)

977
1,219
(2)

978
1,226
(2)

20,087
2,710
1,831
4,680
1,948
2,732
12,697
7,200
5,497

20,269
2,648
1,780
4,729
1,967
2,762
12,892
7,318
5,574

20,315
2,645
1,780
4,730
1,969
2,761
12,940
7,351
5,589

20,365
2,665
1,799
4,727
1,967
2,760
12,973
7,365
5,608

20,387
2,703
1,837
4,726
1,963
2,763
12,958
7,349
5,609

20,529
2,809
1,944
4,728
1,966
2,762
12,992
7,362
5,630

20,482
2,697
1,824.5
4,800
2,086.1
2,714.3
12,985
7,592.4
5,392.3

1,849.8
1,188.3
398.1
607.2
1,503.0
10024.8

1,754.3
3,984.4
650.6
1,010.5
2,243.9
2,848.0
660.2
797.7

20,282
2,644
1,780.2
4,643
1,908.7
2,733.9
12,995
7,523.8
5,470.8

1,859.8
1,198.8
400.9
610.9
1,544.7
10031.5

1,755.2
3,982.9
652.3
1,008.1
2,437.3
2,871.7
667.2
803.6

20,693
2,689
1,827.4
4,823
2,079.6
2,742.9
13,181
7,697.6
5,483.0

20,933
2,799
1,938.8
4,854
2,109.7
2,744.7
13,280
7,759.2
5,520.8

1 Current employment levels in these series are affected by the hiring of temporary workers for Census 2000. Estimates
of these workers are 32,000, 72,000, and 189,000 in January, February, and March 2000, respectively. Preliminary
estimates for these series may be subject to larger than normal revisions.
2 These series are not published seasonally adjusted because the seasonal component, which is small relative to the
trend-cycle and irregular components, cannot be separated with sufficient precision.
3 Includes other industries, not shown separately.
p = preliminary.

ESTABLISHMENT DATA

ESTABLISHMENT DATA

Table B-2. Average weekly hours of production or nonsupervisory workers1 on private nonfarm payrolls by industry

Not seasonally adjusted

Seasonally adjusted

Industry
Mar.
1999

Jan.
2000

Feb.
2000p

Mar.
2000p

Mar.
1999

Nov.
1999

Dec.
1999

Jan.
2000

Feb.
2000p

Mar.
2000p

Total private....................

34.2

34.4

34.2

34.2

34.5

34.5

34.5

34.6

34.5

34.5

Goods-producing.........................

40.5

40.8

40.8

40.8

40.8

41.3

40.9

41.1

41.4

41.1

Mining................................

42.2

44.3

44.1

43.7

42.9

44.2

44.2

44.9

44.6

44.5

Construction..........................

37.7

38.3

38.7

38.7

38.5

40.0

38.9

39.4

40.0

39.5

Manufacturing.........................
Overtime hours....................

41.4
4.4

41.6
4.5

41.5
4.4

41.5
4.5

41.5
4.5

41.7
4.6

41.6
4.6

41.7
4.7

41.8
4.8

41.6
4.6

Durable goods........................
Overtime hours....................

42.0
4.5

42.2
4.7

42.1
4.7

42.1
4.7

42.0
4.6

42.2
4.7

42.1
4.8

42.3
4.8

42.4
4.9

42.3
4.8

Lumber and wood products............
Furniture and fixtures..............
Stone, clay, and glass products.....
Primary metal industries............
Blast furnaces and basic steel
products.......................
Fabricated metal products...........
Industrial machinery and equipment..
Electronic and other electrical
equipment........................
Transportation equipment............
Motor vehicles and equipment......
Instruments and related products....
Miscellaneous manufacturing.........

40.8
40.0
42.2
43.9

40.7
40.1
42.4
44.6

40.4
39.8
42.4
44.4

40.4
40.1
42.4
44.1

41.2
40.3
42.9
43.9

41.1
39.9
43.9
44.3

40.9
40.0
43.3
44.4

41.1
40.2
43.6
44.5

41.0
40.4
43.5
44.5

40.8
40.4
43.2
44.2

43.9
41.8
42.1

45.3
42.3
42.5

45.3
42.2
42.4

44.5
42.1
42.5

43.9
42.1
41.9

45.3
42.1
42.2

45.5
41.9
42.2

45.1
42.3
42.5

45.5
42.5
42.4

44.6
42.4
42.4

40.8
43.9
45.1
41.4
40.0

41.6
43.7
44.9
41.4
39.1

41.4
43.9
45.0
41.3
39.4

41.6
43.8
45.0
41.0
39.6

41.0
43.7
44.7
41.2
39.8

41.4
43.5
44.7
41.5
39.6

41.2
43.3
44.4
41.6
39.9

41.4
43.7
45.1
41.2
39.4

41.6
44.0
45.1
41.2
39.6

41.8
43.7
44.7
40.9
39.5

Nondurable goods.....................
Overtime hours....................

40.6
4.2

40.7
4.2

40.6
4.1

40.5
4.1

40.8
4.4

41.0
4.4

40.9
4.5

40.9
4.4

41.0
4.5

40.7
4.3

Food and kindred products...........
Tobacco products....................
Textile mill products...............
Apparel and other textile products..
Paper and allied products...........
Printing and publishing.............
Chemicals and allied products.......
Petroleum and coal products.........
Rubber and misc. plastics products..
Leather and leather products........

41.1
38.1
40.3
37.4
43.4
37.9
42.8
43.7
41.8
37.6

41.3
39.1
40.9
37.2
43.4
37.9
42.9
43.3
41.4
36.9

40.9
39.3
41.3
37.6
43.0
37.9
42.5
43.7
41.4
37.5

40.7
38.7
41.4
37.7
42.9
38.1
42.4
43.8
41.3
37.6

41.7
38.8
40.4
37.4
43.7
37.9
42.8
(2)
41.8
37.7

41.9
42.8
41.2
37.3
43.5
38.3
43.1
(2)
41.5
37.6

41.6
43.5
41.2
37.4
43.2
38.2
43.1
(2)
41.3
36.8

41.6
40.4
40.9
37.6
43.3
38.3
43.0
(2)
41.7
37.5

41.5
40.7
41.8
37.8
43.5
38.2
42.7
(2)
41.6
38.1

41.3
39.6
41.5
37.7
43.2
38.1
42.4
(2)
41.3
37.8

Service-producing.......................

32.6

32.8

32.6

32.6

32.8

32.8

32.9

32.9

32.8

32.9

Transportation and public utilities...

38.8

38.2

38.2

38.0

39.1

38.2

38.5

38.4

38.4

38.3

Wholesale trade.......................

38.2

38.5

38.2

38.2

38.4

38.4

38.5

38.6

38.4

38.5

Retail trade..........................

28.6

28.5

28.5

28.6

29.0

28.9

29.1

29.2

29.0

29.1

Finance, insurance, and real estate...

36.0

36.7

36.0

36.0

(2)

(2)

(2)

(2)

(2)

(2)

Services..............................

32.4

32.7

32.6

32.5

32.6

32.8

32.7

32.7

32.7

32.7

1 Data relate to production workers in mining and manufacturing; construction workers in construction; and
nonsupervisory workers in transportation and public utilities; wholesale and retail trade; finance, insurance, and real
estate; and services. These groups account for approximately four-fifths of the total employees on private nonfarm
payrolls.
2 These series are not published seasonally adjusted because the seasonal component, which is small relative to the
trend-cycle and irregular components, cannot be separated with sufficient precision.
p = preliminary.

ESTABLISHMENT DATA

ESTABLISHMENT DATA

Table B-3. Average hourly and weekly earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers1 on private nonfarm payrolls by
industry

Average hourly earnings

Average weekly earnings

Industry
Mar.
1999

Jan.
2000

Feb.
2000p

Mar.
2000p

Mar.
1999

Total private....................
Seasonally adjusted.............

$13.12
13.11

$13.58
13.49

$13.59
13.55

$13.62
13.60

$448.70
452.30

Goods-producing.........................

14.53

15.04

15.05

15.13

Mining................................

17.01

17.24

17.15

Construction..........................

16.79

17.34

Manufacturing.........................

13.73

14.19

Durable goods........................
Lumber and wood products............
Furniture and fixtures..............
Stone, clay, and glass products.....
Primary metal industries............
Blast furnaces and basic steel
products.......................
Fabricated metal products...........
Industrial machinery and equipment..
Electronic and other electrical
equipment........................
Transportation equipment............
Motor vehicles and equipment......
Instruments and related products....
Miscellaneous manufacturing.........

14.20
11.31
11.10
13.70
15.53

Jan.
2000

Feb.
2000p

Mar.
2000p

$467.15
466.75

$464.78
467.48

$465.80
469.20

588.47

613.63

614.04

617.30

17.22

717.82

763.73

756.32

752.51

17.37

17.47

632.98

664.12

672.22

676.09

14.19

14.24

568.42

590.30

588.89

590.96

14.72
11.66
11.46
13.98
16.22

14.73
11.61
11.50
13.99
16.29

14.78
11.64
11.57
14.05
16.42

596.40
461.45
444.00
578.14
681.77

621.18
474.56
459.55
592.75
723.41

620.13
469.04
457.70
593.18
723.28

622.24
470.26
463.96
595.72
724.12

18.56
13.33
14.81

19.23
13.69
15.39

19.39
13.65
15.39

19.80
13.69
15.38

814.78
557.19
623.50

871.12
579.09
654.08

878.37
576.03
652.54

881.10
576.35
653.65

13.27
17.66
17.98
13.97
11.19

13.74
18.64
19.07
14.38
11.54

13.71
18.65
19.11
14.41
11.56

13.77
18.76
19.21
14.49
11.55

541.42
775.27
810.90
578.36
447.60

571.58
814.57
856.24
595.33
451.21

567.59
818.74
859.95
595.13
455.46

572.83
821.69
864.45
594.09
457.38

Nondurable goods.....................
Food and kindred products...........
Tobacco products....................
Textile mill products...............
Apparel and other textile products..
Paper and allied products...........
Printing and publishing.............
Chemicals and allied products.......
Petroleum and coal products.........
Rubber and misc. plastics products..
Leather and leather products........

13.03
11.93
19.33
10.62
8.78
15.78
13.73
17.18
21.59
12.20
9.55

13.39
12.24
17.16
10.84
9.02
16.05
14.10
17.81
21.68
12.55
9.99

13.38
12.25
17.32
10.84
9.01
16.03
14.13
17.80
22.03
12.53
9.87

13.42
12.33
18.54
10.86
9.05
16.08
14.19
17.78
22.30
12.52
9.96

529.02
490.32
736.47
427.99
328.37
684.85
520.37
735.30
943.48
509.96
359.08

544.97
505.51
670.96
443.36
335.54
696.57
534.39
764.05
938.74
519.57
368.63

543.23
501.03
680.68
447.69
338.78
689.29
535.53
756.50
962.71
518.74
370.13

543.51
501.83
717.50
449.60
341.19
689.83
540.64
753.87
976.74
517.08
374.50

Service-producing.......................

12.67

13.13

13.14

13.15

413.04

430.66

428.36

428.69

Transportation and public utilities...

15.51

15.95

16.06

16.04

601.79

609.29

613.49

609.52

Wholesale trade.......................

14.34

15.06

14.96

14.94

547.79

579.81

571.47

570.71

Retail trade..........................

9.00

9.33

9.34

9.36

257.40

265.91

266.19

267.70

Finance, insurance, and real estate...

14.53

14.97

14.91

14.94

523.08

549.40

536.76

537.84

Services..............................

13.33

13.81

13.81

13.83

431.89

451.59

450.21

449.48

1 See footnote 1, table B-2.
p = preliminary.

ESTABLISHMENT DATA

ESTABLISHMENT DATA

Table B-4. Average hourly earnings of production or nonsupervisory workers1 on private nonfarm
payrolls by industry, seasonally adjusted

Industry

Mar.
1999

Nov.
1999

Dec.
1999

Jan.
2000

Total private:
Current dollars..............
Constant (1982) dollars2.....

$13.11
7.86

$13.40
7.86

$13.44
7.87

Goods-producing...............
Mining......................
Construction................
Manufacturing...............
Excluding overtime4.......

14.61
17.00
16.92
13.71
13.00

14.99
16.93
17.31
14.06
13.32

Service-producing.............
Transportation and public
utilities................
Wholesale trade.............
Retail trade................
Finance, insurance, and real
estate...................
Services....................

12.63

Percent
change
from:
Feb. 2000Mar. 2000

Feb.
2000p

Mar.
2000p

$13.49
7.88

$13.55
7.88

$13.60
N.A.

0.4
(3)

15.03
17.01
17.42
14.09
13.35

15.10
17.01
17.44
14.15
13.42

15.18
17.06
17.55
14.21
13.45

15.23
17.19
17.61
14.24
13.50

.3
.8
.3
.2
.4

12.90

12.95

12.98

13.04

13.09

.4

15.53
14.42
8.98

15.81
14.81
9.20

15.94
14.88
9.26

15.87
14.99
9.26

16.02
14.95
9.31

16.07
15.01
9.34

.3
.4
.3

14.51
13.27

14.73
13.55

14.75
13.60

14.88
13.64

14.84
13.70

14.92
13.75

.5
.4

1 See footnote 1, table B-2.
2 The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) is used to
deflate this series.
3 Change was .0 percent from January 2000 to February 2000, the latest month available.
4 Derived by assuming that overtime hours are paid at the rate of time and one-half.
N.A. = not available.
p = preliminary.

ESTABLISHMENT DATA

ESTABLISHMENT DATA

Table B-5. Indexes of aggregate weekly hours of production or nonsupervisory workers1 on private nonfarm payrolls by
industry
(1982=100)

Not seasonally adjusted

Seasonally adjusted

Industry
Mar.
1999

Jan.
2000

Feb.
2000p

Mar.
2000p

Mar.
1999

Nov.
1999

Dec.
1999

Jan.
2000

Feb.
2000p

Mar.
2000p

Total private....................

143.5

146.2

145.9

147.0

146.8

149.2

149.4

150.3

150.0

150.5

Goods-producing.........................

110.5

111.4

111.3

112.3

114.2

115.5

114.5

116.2

116.2

116.2

Mining................................

48.6

49.6

49.2

49.0

50.5

50.4

50.8

51.4

51.0

51.0

Construction..........................

151.3

159.3

159.3

165.1

169.1

179.0

174.5

181.4

181.6

183.5

Manufacturing.........................

105.8

105.2

105.0

105.0

106.5

106.0

105.7

106.3

106.3

105.9

Durable goods........................
Lumber and wood products............
Furniture and fixtures..............
Stone, clay, and glass products.....
Primary metal industries............
Blast furnaces and basic steel
products.......................
Fabricated metal products...........
Industrial machinery and equipment..
Electronic and other electrical
equipment........................
Transportation equipment............
Motor vehicles and equipment......
Instruments and related products....
Miscellaneous manufacturing.........

110.1
143.9
134.5
110.8
89.9

110.0
143.8
136.0
110.9
91.0

110.0
142.7
135.5
110.4
90.5

110.2
142.3
136.9
111.8
90.1

110.4
147.9
135.2
115.4
90.0

110.2
147.6
136.1
118.1
90.0

109.8
146.6
135.8
117.0
90.4

110.7
147.6
136.2
118.9
90.6

111.0
147.4
137.2
117.5
90.8

110.6
146.3
137.5
117.0
90.3

68.0
116.3
105.6

70.2
117.9
105.0

69.9
117.6
105.2

69.0
117.8
105.1

68.2
117.0
104.4

69.9
116.9
103.7

70.2
116.5
103.8

70.0
117.8
104.6

70.2
118.6
104.9

69.3
118.6
104.4

104.8
126.4
165.1
75.4
100.4

106.5
123.8
167.0
73.8
97.9

106.2
124.6
167.9
73.5
98.8

107.0
124.6
167.8
73.0
99.5

105.1
125.3
162.7
74.7
100.0

105.8
122.7
165.0
75.1
100.3

105.0
122.2
164.1
74.5
101.8

106.0
124.4
169.4
73.5
100.5

106.6
125.1
169.1
73.1
100.3

107.6
123.7
166.1
72.7
99.6

Nondurable goods.....................
Food and kindred products...........
Tobacco products....................
Textile mill products...............
Apparel and other textile products..
Paper and allied products...........
Printing and publishing.............
Chemicals and allied products.......
Petroleum and coal products.........
Rubber and misc. plastics products..
Leather and leather products........

99.9
114.0
54.0
80.7
61.3
105.6
121.7
101.8
74.1
148.9
32.5

98.5
114.2
55.6
78.5
56.2
104.9
120.5
102.9
66.2
149.6
29.2

98.2
112.6
54.3
79.3
57.2
103.7
120.6
102.1
65.4
149.8
29.1

98.0
111.8
45.2
79.5
57.4
103.1
121.5
102.1
65.2
149.2
29.3

101.2
118.8
55.7
81.1
61.5
107.0
121.9
101.8
76.4
148.8
32.4

100.4
119.0
57.3
80.1
57.7
105.4
122.0
103.2
72.4
149.4
30.0

100.1
118.3
58.2
79.8
57.7
105.1
121.4
103.4
72.0
149.5
29.4

100.2
118.3
52.0
78.9
57.7
104.9
121.8
103.7
70.0
150.9
30.0

100.0
116.9
54.4
80.6
57.9
105.4
121.8
102.6
68.6
150.5
29.9

99.3
116.2
47.1
80.0
57.7
104.5
121.8
102.2
67.3
149.1
29.6

Service-producing.......................

158.3

161.8

161.5

162.6

161.5

164.4

165.0

165.6

165.2

165.9

Transportation and public utilities...

131.6

132.1

132.2

132.3

133.8

132.7

134.0

134.5

134.2

134.5

Wholesale trade.......................

129.8

133.0

132.1

132.9

131.3

133.2

134.0

134.7

134.2

135.1

Retail trade..........................

136.8

139.6

138.2

139.3

141.9

143.3

144.7

145.5

144.4

145.0

Finance, insurance, and real estate...

137.4

140.9

138.4

138.2

139.3

139.7

140.6

140.7

139.6

140.2

Services..............................

196.1

201.0

202.2

204.1

198.8

205.0

204.8

205.5

205.7

206.5

1 See footnote 1, table B-2.
p = preliminary.

ESTABLISHMENT DATA

Table B-6.

ESTABLISHMENT DATA

Diffusion indexes of employment change, seasonally adjusted

(Percent)

Time span

Jan.

Feb.

Mar.

Apr.

May

June

July

Aug.

Sept.

Oct.

Nov.

Dec.

Private nonfarm payrolls, 356 industries1

Over 1-month span:
1996..............
1997..............
1998..............
1999..............
2000..............

49.6
56.2
63.8
54.4
57.7

64.9
61.0
57.9
58.3
p52.5

59.4
61.9
58.8
52.1
p57.9

55.1
62.8
60.5
58.8

61.9
58.8
55.9
51.5

60.8
56.3
57.9
57.0

57.0
60.7
58.0
57.6

62.5
61.0
55.8
50.0

57.3
59.4
54.6
55.1

63.5
65.4
52.9
57.2

59.7
63.6
59.1
57.9

61.2
62.1
58.6
57.7

Over 3-month span:
1996..............
1997..............
1998..............
1999..............
2000..............

62.6
63.8
66.7
60.7
p59.7

62.5
63.6
66.2
55.9
p60.7

63.3
67.7
64.5
59.6

63.1
67.3
63.9
54.6

63.1
62.6
61.4
56.3

64.3
61.7
58.7
56.2

64.3
61.4
60.0
56.2

62.2
66.2
58.4
59.0

64.6
67.3
57.6
57.4

64.2
69.9
57.6
59.6

66.2
70.8
59.0
60.8

63.2
71.2
60.4
60.5

Over 6-month span:
1996..............
1997..............
1998..............
1999..............
2000..............

62.6
67.4
70.6
61.1

65.2
68.3
66.9
58.8

64.5
65.6
65.9
57.3

65.2
67.0
62.4
59.0

64.7
65.6
62.6
55.2

64.6
64.9
61.1
57.4

67.0
66.3
58.0
56.9

65.4
68.4
59.8
61.5

65.9
69.7
60.0
61.0

66.7
71.3
60.8
59.7

66.9
71.3
60.8
p61.4

66.7
71.9
58.0
p62.2

Over 12-month span:
1996..............
1997..............
1998..............
1999..............
2000..............

64.5
69.0
70.4
60.1

66.7
67.3
68.3
57.3

64.5
68.3
67.1
57.0

65.6
69.7
64.0
57.6

68.5
69.5
62.1
58.7

67.3
70.1
61.7
59.0

67.7
70.1
61.8
58.8

66.4
70.4
63.8
p57.9

68.0
70.5
59.8
p61.0

69.9
69.7
59.0

68.7
69.8
59.3

66.9
71.3
58.6

Manufacturing payrolls, 139 industries1

Over 1-month span:
1996..............
1997..............
1998..............
1999..............
2000..............

42.4
50.0
58.6
40.3
51.1

55.4
52.9
51.8
42.4
p47.8

46.8
53.6
50.4
39.6
p47.5

41.0
56.1
50.4
44.6

55.8
52.2
40.6
36.3

51.4
53.2
46.8
45.3

47.1
51.1
40.3
57.2

56.5
55.4
45.3
38.5

48.9
53.6
42.1
42.8

55.0
62.2
36.3
48.9

50.7
61.2
39.9
50.7

54.0
55.4
45.0
49.3

Over 3-month span:
1996..............
1997..............
1998..............
1999..............
2000..............

46.8
51.8
59.4
37.4
p48.6

46.0
51.4
57.9
31.7
p49.3

43.5
57.6
51.8
37.1

46.0
56.8
44.2
30.2

48.2
54.3
41.7
33.8

51.1
51.8
34.9
43.9

51.8
53.6
37.4
43.2

49.6
55.4
37.1
44.6

53.2
59.7
38.1
38.5

52.5
68.3
34.2
46.4

55.0
65.8
35.6
50.0

50.7
64.4
35.3
50.4

Over 6-month span:
1996..............
1997..............
1998..............
1999..............
2000..............

41.4
54.7
59.7
33.1

46.0
54.0
49.3
29.1

45.7
51.4
48.2
28.1

47.1
54.3
36.7
36.0

46.0
52.5
36.7
30.9

48.6
52.2
36.7
34.5

52.9
55.4
28.4
36.3

50.4
61.2
31.3
44.6

51.8
61.5
33.5
45.7

51.4
64.7
35.3
41.4

52.5
66.2
32.7
p47.1

51.8
65.1
28.1
p48.2

Over 12-month span:
1996..............
1997..............
1998..............
1999..............
2000..............

43.5
54.7
54.0
32.7

47.5
52.5
49.3
25.9

45.3
54.0
46.0
28.4

45.3
54.0
40.6
29.5

50.4
55.4
35.6
29.9

49.6
56.8
33.8
31.7

50.4
57.2
30.9
34.9

48.6
57.9
32.0
p33.5

51.1
58.3
26.6
p38.8

55.0
56.5
26.6

54.3
55.4
25.5

50.7
57.2
26.3

1 Based on seasonally adjusted data for 1-, 3-, and 6-month spans and unadjusted data for the 12-month span. Data are
centered within the span.
p = preliminary.
NOTE: Figures are the percent of industries with employment increasing plus one-half of the industries with
unchanged employment, where 50 percent indicates an equal balance between industries with increasing and decreasing
employment.