Total nonfarm payroll employment changed little in July (+73,000) and has shown little change since April, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today. The unemployment rate, at 4.2%, also changed little in July. Employment continued to trend up in health care and in social assistance. Federal government continued to lose jobs.
Health care added 55,000 jobs in July, above the average monthly gain of 42,000 over the prior 12 months. Over the month, job gains occurred in ambulatory health care services (+34,000) and hospitals (+16,000).
Federal Government employment continued to decline in July (-12,000) as is down 84,000 since reaching a peak in January. (Employees on paid leave or receiving ongoing severance pay are counted as employed in the establishment survey.)
Employment in social assistance continued its upward trend in July (+18,000), reflecting continued job growth in individual and family services (+21,000).
In July, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose by 12 cents, or 0.3%, to $36.44. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased by 3.9%.
In July, the average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls edged up by 0.1 hours to 34.3 hours. In manufacturing, the average workweek held at 40.1 hours, and overtime edged down to 2.8 hours. The average workweek for production and nonsupervisory employees on private nonfarm payrolls edged up by 0.1 hours to 33.7 hours.
Read the BLS release.
