{"id":96737,"date":"2020-03-06T07:28:35","date_gmt":"2020-03-06T15:28:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/69.46.6.243\/?p=96737"},"modified":"2020-03-06T07:36:42","modified_gmt":"2020-03-06T15:36:42","slug":"jobs-numbers-roar-ahead-in-february-with-273000-jobs-added","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=96737","title":{"rendered":"Jobs Numbers Roar Ahead in February with 273,000 Jobs Added"},"content":{"rendered":"

Washington, DC…Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 273,000 in February, and the unemployment rate was little changed at 3.5 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Notable job gains occurred in health care and social assistance, food services and drinking places, government, construction, professional and technical services, and financial activities. This news release presents statistics from two monthly surveys. The household survey measures labor force status, including unemployment, by demographic characteristics. The establishment survey measures nonfarm employment, hours, and earnings by industry. For more information about the concepts and statistical methodology used in these two surveys, see the Technical Note.<\/p>\n

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Household Survey Data<\/p>\n

Both the unemployment rate, at 3.5 percent, and the number of unemployed persons,
\nat 5.8 million, changed little in February. The unemployment rate has been either
\n3.5 percent or 3.6 percent for the past 6 months. (See table A-1.)<\/p>\n

Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rate for Asians declined to 2.5
\npercent in February. The rates for adult men (3.3 percent), adult women (3.1 percent),
\nteenagers (11.0 percent), Whites (3.1 percent), Blacks (5.8 percent), and Hispanics
\n(4.4 percent) showed little or no change over the month. (See tables A-1, A-2, and
\nA-3.)<\/p>\n

The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more), at 1.1
\nmillion, changed little in February and accounted for 19.2 percent of the unemployed.
\n(See table A-12.)<\/p>\n

The labor force participation rate remained at 63.4 percent in February. The
\nemployment-population ratio, at 61.1 percent, changed little over the month but was
\nup by 0.4 percentage point over the year. (See table A-1.)<\/p>\n

The number of persons employed part time for economic reasons, at 4.3 million,
\nchanged little in February. These individuals, who would have preferred full-time
\nemployment, were working part time because their hours had been reduced or they
\nwere unable to find full-time jobs. (See table A-8.)<\/p>\n

In February, 1.4 million persons were marginally attached to the labor force,
\nlittle changed from the previous month. These individuals were not in the labor
\nforce, wanted and were available for work, and had looked for a job sometime in the
\nprior 12 months but had not looked for work in the 4 weeks prior to the survey.
\nDiscouraged workers, a subset of the marginally attached who believed that no
\njobs were available for them, numbered 405,000 in February, little different
\nfrom the previous month. (See Summary table A.)<\/p>\n

Establishment Survey Data<\/p>\n

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 273,000 in February, after an increase of
\nthe same magnitude in January. In 2019, job growth averaged 178,000 per month. In
\nFebruary, notable job gains occurred in health care and social assistance, food
\nservices and drinking places, government, construction, professional and technical
\nservices, and financial activities. (See table B-1.)<\/p>\n

Employment in health care and social assistance increased by 57,000 in February.
\nHealth care added 32,000 jobs, with gains in offices of physicians (+10,000), home
\nhealth care services (+10,000), and hospitals (+8,000). Employment in social assistance
\nincreased by 25,000, with a majority of the gain in individual and family services
\n(+18,000). Over the past 12 months, employment increased by 368,000 in health care and
\nby 191,000 in social assistance.<\/p>\n

Food services and drinking places added 53,000 jobs in February. Employment in the
\nindustry has increased by 252,000 over the past 7 months, following a lull in job growth
\nearlier in 2019.<\/p>\n

In February, government employment increased by 45,000, led by a gain in state government
\neducation (+16,000). Federal employment increased by 8,000, reflecting the hiring of
\n7,000 temporary workers for the 2020 Census.<\/p>\n

Construction added 42,000 jobs in February, following a similar gain in January (+49,000).
\nIn 2019, job gains averaged 13,000 per month. In February, employment gains occurred
\nin specialty trade contractors (+26,000) and residential building (+10,000).<\/p>\n

In February, employment in professional and technical services increased by 32,000. Job
\ngrowth occurred in architectural and engineering services (+10,000) and in scientific
\nresearch and development services (+5,000). Employment continued to trend up in computer
\nsystems design and related services (+8,000). Over the past 12 months, professional and
\ntechnical services has added 285,000 jobs.<\/p>\n

Employment in financial activities increased by 26,000 in February, with gains in real
\nestate (+8,000) and in credit intermediation and related activities (+6,000). Over the
\npast 12 months, financial activities has added 160,000 jobs.<\/p>\n

Employment in other major industries, including mining, manufacturing, wholesale trade,
\nretail trade, transportation and warehousing, and information, changed little over the
\nmonth.<\/p>\n

In February, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls
\nincreased by 9 cents to $28.52. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have
\nincreased by 3.0 percent. Average hourly earnings of private-sector production and
\nnonsupervisory employees increased by 8 cents to $23.96 in February. (See tables B-3
\nand B-8.)<\/p>\n

The average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose by 0.1 hour to
\n34.4 hours in February. In manufacturing, the workweek increased by 0.2 hour to 40.7
\nhours, and overtime edged up by 0.1 hour to 3.2 hours. The average workweek for production
\nand nonsupervisory employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased by 0.1 hour to 33.7
\nhours. (See tables B-2 and B-7.)<\/p>\n

The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for December was revised up by 37,000 from
\n+147,000 to +184,000, and the change for January was revised up by 48,000 from +225,000
\nto +273,000. With these revisions, employment gains in December and January combined were
\n85,000 higher than previously reported. (Monthly revisions result from additional reports
\nreceived from businesses and government agencies since the last published estimates and
\nfrom the recalculation of seasonal factors.) After revisions, job gains have averaged
\n243,000 per month over the last 3 months.<\/p>\n

_____________
\nThe Employment Situation for March is scheduled to be released on
\nFriday, April 3, 2020, at 8:30 a.m. (EDT).<\/p>\n