EMPLOYMENT SITUATION - January 2012

Total nonfarm payroll
Employment rose by 243,000 in January, and the unemployment rate decreased to
8.3 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Job growth was
widespread in the private sector, with large employment gains in professional
and business services, leisure and hospitality, and manufacturing. Government
employment changed little over the month.

Household Survey Data
The unemployment rate declined by 0.2 percentage point in January to 8.3
percent; the rate has fallen by 0.8 point since August. The number of
unemployed persons declined to 12.8 million in January.
Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates for adult men (7.7
percent) and blacks (13.6 percent) declined in January. The unemployment rates
for adult women (7.7 percent), teenagers (23.2 percent), whites (7.4 percent),
and Hispanics (10.5 percent) were little changed. The jobless rate for Asians
was 6.7 percent, not seasonally adjusted.

In January, the number of job losers and persons who completed temporary
jobs fell to 7.3 million. The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for
27 weeks or more) was little changed at 5.5 million and accounted for 42.9
percent of the unemployed. After accounting for the annual
adjustments to the population controls, the employment-population ratio (58.5
percent) rose in January, while the civilian labor force participation rate
held at 63.7 percent.

The number of persons employed part time for economic reasons, at 8.2 million,
changed little in January. These individuals were working part time because
their hours had been cut back or because they were unable to find a full-time job.

In January, 2.8 million persons were marginally attached to the labor force,
essentially unchanged from a year earlier. (The data are not seasonally
adjusted.) These individuals were not in the labor force, wanted and were
available for work, and had looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months.
They were not counted as unemployed because they had not searched for work in
the 4 weeks preceding the survey.

Among the marginally attached, there were 1.1 million discouraged workers in
January, little different from a year earlier. (The data are not seasonally
adjusted.) Discouraged workers are persons not currently looking for work
because they believe no jobs are available for them. The remaining 1.7 million
persons marginally attached to the labor force in January had not searched for
work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey for reasons such as school attendance
or family responsibilities.

Establishment Survey Data
Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 243,000 in January. Private-sector
employment grew by 257,000, with the largest employment gains in professional
and business services, leisure and hospitality, and manufacturing. Government
employment was little changed over the month.

Professional and business services continued to add jobs in January (+70,000).
About half of the increase occurred in employment services (+33,000). Job gains
also occurred in accounting and bookkeeping (+13,000) and in architectural and
engineering services (+7,000).

Over the month, employment in leisure and hospitality increased by 44,000,
primarily in food services and drinking places (+33,000). Since a recent
low in February 2010, food services has added 487,000 jobs.

In January, health care employment continued to grow (+31,000). Within the
industry, hospitals and ambulatory care services each added 13,000 jobs.
Wholesale trade employment increased by 14,000 over the month. Since a recent
employment low in May 2010, wholesale trade has added 144,000 jobs.
Employment in retail trade continued to trend up in January. Job gains in
department stores (+19,000), health and personal care stores (+7,000), and
automobile dealers (+7,000) were partially offset by losses in clothing and
clothing accessory stores (-14,000). Since an employment trough in December
2009, retail trade has added 390,000 jobs.

In January, employment in information declined by 13,000, including a loss of
8,000 jobs in the motion picture and sound recording industry.
In the goods-producing sector, manufacturing added 50,000 jobs.  Nearly all of
the increase occurred in durable goods manufacturing, with job growth in fabricated
metal products (+11,000), machinery (+11,000), and motor vehicles and parts
(+8,000). Durable goods manufacturing has added 418,000 jobs over the past 2
years.

Employment in construction increased by 21,000 in January, following a gain of
31,000 in the previous month. Over the past 2 months, nonresidential specialty
trade contractors added 30,000 jobs.

Mining added 10,000 jobs in January, with most of the gain in support
activities for mining (+8,000). Since a recent low in October 2009, mining employment
has expanded by 172,000.

Government employment changed little in January. Over the past 12 months, the
sector has lost 276,000 jobs, with declines in local government; state
government, excluding education; and the U.S. Postal Service.

The average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls was
unchanged in January. The manufacturing workweek increased by 0.3 hour to 40.9
hours, and factory overtime increased by 0.1 hour to 3.4 hours. The average
workweek for production and nonsupervisory employees on private nonfarm
payrolls edged up by 0.1 hour to 33.8 hours.

In January, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm
payrolls rose by 4 cents, or 0.2 percent, to $23.29. Over the past 12 months,
average hourly earnings have increased by 1.9 percent. In January,
average hourly earnings of private-sector production and nonsupervisory
employees edged up by 2 cents, or 0.1 percent, to $19.62.

The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for November was revised from
+100,000 to +157,000, and the change for December was revised from +200,000 to
+203,000. Monthly revisions result from additional sample reports and the
monthly recalculation of seasonal factors. The annual benchmark process also
contributed to these revisions.
____________
The Employment Situation for February is scheduled to be released on Friday,
March 9, 2012, at 8:30 a.m. (EST).


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