Internet address: http://stats.bls.gov:80/newsrels.htm Technical information: (202) 606-6378 USDL 97-25 For release: 10:00 A.M. EST Media contact: 606-5902 Thursday, January 30, 1997 EMPLOYEE TENURE IN THE MID-1990s Among men, median tenure with their current employer fell between 1983 and 1996 in nearly every age group. The overall median for men remained flat at 4.0 years, however, as the age distribution of employed men shifted to older age groups, where workers have longer tenure. Median tenure for women had changed little from 1983 to 1991, but was up slightly in 1996 to 3.5 years, according to data released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor. Information on tenure has been obtained periodically since the early 1950s from supplemental questions in the Current Population Survey (CPS), the monthly survey of about 50,000 households that provides information on employment, unemployment, earnings, demographics, and other characteristics of the civilian noninstitutional population age 16 and over. The questions on tenure that were asked prior to 1983 differ from those asked in more recent surveys. As a result, this release focuses only on comparable data from 1983 to 1996. (See the Explanatory Note.) Demographic characteristics Among men, median tenure (the point at which half the workers had more tenure and half had less) was 4.0 years in February 1996, virtually identical to the figures obtained in January of 1983, 1987, and 1991. (See table 1.) Yet, since 1983, nearly every age group of men experienced a decline in median tenure, with particularly sharp drops occurring among men ages 45 to 54 and 55 to 64. During this period, the age of the workforce generally shifted upward to older workers, who have longer tenure with their current employers. For example, median tenure for 25- to 34-year-old men was 3.0 years in February 1996, compared with 6.1 years for 35- to 44- year-olds and 10.5 years for 55- to 64-year-olds. The shift in the age distribution would, by itself, have raised median tenure; this age shift, however, was counterbalanced by the decline in median tenure for men in most age groups, leaving the overall median tenure for men essentially unchanged. Among women, overall median tenure rose between 1983 and 1996, with nearly all of the gain taking place from 1991 to 1996. This increase was partly due to substantial increases in median tenure among 35- to 44-year- olds and 45- to 54-year-olds. In addition, as with men, the proportion of employed women in the older, longer-tenured age groups rose. In addition to trends in median tenure, it is useful also to examine trends in the proportion of workers with relatively long tenure of 10 years or more. The proportion of men who had worked for their current employer - 2 - 10 years or longer fell during the 1983-96 period, while the proportion of women with such long tenure rose, as table 2 shows. (Workers ages 16 to 24 are excluded from table 2 because it is nearly impossible for these young workers to have been with their current employer 10 years or longer.) The decline in the proportion of men with such long tenure occurred in every age group, except among men age 65 and over, for whom the proportion remained stable during the 1983-96 period. Among women, the trend toward rising proportions with long tenure occurred mainly among 40- to 54-year- olds. Table 3 provides more detailed information on the length of time workers had been with their current employers in February 1996. Overall, about a quarter of wage and salary workers had worked for their current employer 12 months or less. These include workers who had recently entered the workforce, as well as workers who had changed employers in the previous year. More than three-quarters of 16- to 19-year-olds had such short tenure, as did over half of workers ages 20 to 24. By comparison, among 55- to 64-year-olds, 11 percent had 12 months or less of tenure, while 29 percent had worked for their current employer 20 years or more. Among women and men in nearly every age group, workers who do not have a high school diploma have lower median tenure than those with more education. (See table 4.) There appears to be little relationship between tenure and educational attainment for workers who have a high school diploma or higher level of education. Industry In February 1996, workers in mining had the highest median tenure, 6.1 years, of any major private-sector industry. (See table 5.) The median for mining rose from 3.4 years in January 1983. Employment levels in mining today are only half of their peak of the early 1980s. Little hiring has occurred in the industry in recent years, and many lower-tenured workers have lost their jobs, resulting in a large increase in median tenure. In manufacturing, median tenure was 5.4 years in February 1996, the same as in January 1983. Within manufacturing, however, some industries experienced sizable movements in median tenure. For example, workers in motor vehicles and equipment had far less tenure with their employers in 1996 than in 1983; median tenure fell from 13.0 years in January 1983 to 7.8 years in February 1996. In aircraft and parts manufacturing, the median rose from 6.4 years in 1983 to 9.8 years in 1996. The median length of time that workers in finance, insurance, and real estate had been with their current employer rose from 3.2 years in 1983 to 4.1 years in 1996. The services industry also experienced an increase in - 3 - median tenure, from 2.5 years in 1983 to 3.0 years in 1996. Within services, private education, social services, hospitals, other health services, business services, and automobile and repair services all showed substantial increases. In transportation and public utilities, median tenure was 5.2 years in February 1996, about half a year lower than the medians in 1983-91. Wholesale and retail trade workers showed little change in their median tenure, with retail trade continuing to have the lowest median, 1.9 years, among the major private-sector industry groups. The median length of time government employees had worked for their current employer rose from 5.8 years in 1983 to 6.9 years in 1996. Data on tenure often have been used as a gauge of employment security, with some observers regarding increases in tenure as a sign of improving security and falling tenure as a sign of deteriorating security. There are limitations to using the data in this way, however. For example, during recessions or other periods of declining job security, median tenure and the proportion of workers with long tenure could rise because less-senior workers are more likely to lose their jobs than are workers with longer tenure. During periods of economic growth, median tenure and the proportion of workers with long tenure could fall because more job opportunities are available for new entrants to the workforce and experienced workers have more opportunities to change employers and take better jobs. Tenure also could rise under improving economic conditions, however, as fewer layoffs occur and good job matches develop between workers and employers. ------------------------------------------------------------------ | Revisions to 1983-91 Data on Median Tenure | | Estimates of median tenure shown in this release for January of | |1983, 1987, and 1991 have been revised from estimates previously | |published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The method used to | |compute median tenure was improved for the February 1996 data. | |To facilitate historical comparisons, previously published medians| |for 1983-91 were recalculated using the new method. As a result, | |most estimates of median tenure for 1983-91 shown in this release | |are approximately a half year lower than those previously | |published. For additional information on these revisions and the | |method used to calculate median tenure, see the Explanatory Note. | ------------------------------------------------------------------ Explanatory Note The data presented in this report were collected through a supplement to the February 1996 Current Population Survey (CPS), the monthly survey of about 50,000 households that provides information on employment, unemployment, earnings, demographics, and other characteristics of the nation’s civilian noninstitutional population age 16 and over. The February 1996 CPS supplement obtained information on worker displacement and on tenure. The data on worker displacement appear in the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) news release USDL 96-446, "Worker Displacement During the Mid-1990s (Based on Revised Estimates)," issued on October 25, 1996. In the February 1996 supplement, questions on tenure were asked of all employed persons. The first question was: "How long have/has ... been working continuously for (fill in name of present employer)?" _____ Days _____ Weeks _____ Months _____ Years For responses of "1 year" or "2 years," a follow-up question asked: "Could you please give the exact number of months?" The purpose of the follow-up question was to obtain more precise information on workers who had been with their current employer a relatively short time. The CPS supplements that obtained information on tenure in January of 1983, 1987, and 1991 included the first question but not the follow-up question. In those surveys, responses of 1 year or more could be coded only as the nearest full year, and responses of less than a year were coded as the nearest full month. Prior to January 1983, CPS supplements on tenure asked wage and salary workers, "When did ... start working at your/his/her present job?" Self- employed workers were asked, "When did ... start working at your/his/her present business?" For wage and salary workers, the meaning of the term "job" is ambiguous. For example, a worker who had been employed at a particular company for 10 years and had been promoted to a managerial position 1 year prior to the survey may have been counted as having 10 years or 1 year of tenure, depending on whether the respondent interpreted the question to mean tenure with the current employer or tenure in the managerial position. To rectify this ambiguity, the wording of the question was changed in January 1983 to specify the length of time a worker had been with his or her current employer. This change resulted in a break in historical comparability. Estimates of median tenure shown in this release for January of 1983, 1987, and 1991 have been revised from estimates previously published by BLS. The questionnaire for the February 1996 CPS permitted more precise coding of responses on the length of time workers had been with their current employer than did previous surveys. For example, a response of "4 years and 10 months" in the February 1996 survey could be coded as 58 months. By comparison, in the January 1983, 1987, and 1991 surveys, such a response would have required the CPS interviewer to round to the nearest full year, 5 years in this example, when coding the response. The algorithm previously used by BLS to calculate median tenure in the 1983, 1987, and 1991 surveys essentially ignored the effects of rounding and treated the whole-year responses as if they were the minimum level of a 1-year tenure interval. For example, a response of 5 years was assumed to mean any value that was at least 5 years and less than 6 years. In the calculation of medians for the February 1996 survey, whole-year responses were treated as the center, rather than the minimum, of a 1-year tenure interval. Thus, a response of 5 years was assumed to mean at least 4.5 years and less than 5.5 years. This method takes advantage of the more precise coding that was possible in the February 1996 survey. To - 2 - facilitate historical comparisons, it was necessary to recalculate previously published estimates of median tenure for 1983, 1987, and 1991 using the same algorithm that was used for the February 1996 data. The effect of the revised method is that estimates of median tenure for 1983, 1987, and 1991 are now approximately a half year lower than previously published estimates. In the data from the February 1996 CPS, there was a small number of cases in which responses to the questions on tenure were impossible or very unlikely, with respect to the reported ages for those workers. In tabulating the February 1996 data on tenure with current employer, BLS has treated as a nonresponse any case in which age minus tenure is less than 14 years. BLS used the same editing procedure when tabulating tenure estimates shown in this release for January of 1983 and 1987; this also resulted in small revisions to some previously published estimates for those years. This editing procedure was not used for the January 1991 survey because there were no cases in which a worker’s age minus tenure was less than 15 years. Information in this release will be made available to sensory-impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: 202-606-STAT; TDD phone: 202-606-5897; TDD message referral phone: 1-800-326-2577. Table 1. Median years of tenure with current employer for employed wage and salary workers by age and sex, selected years, 1983-96 Age and sex January January January February 1983 1987 1991 1996 TOTAL Total 16 years and over.................... 3.5 3.4 3.6 3.8 16 to 17 years........................... .7 .6 .7 .7 18 to 19 years........................... .8 .7 .8 .7 20 to 24 years........................... 1.5 1.3 1.3 1.2 25 years and over........................ 5.0 5.0 4.8 5.0 25 to 34 years......................... 3.0 2.9 2.9 2.8 35 to 44 years......................... 5.2 5.5 5.4 5.3 45 to 54 years......................... 9.5 8.8 8.9 8.3 55 to 64 years......................... 12.2 11.6 11.1 10.2 65 years and over...................... 9.6 9.5 8.1 8.4 Men Total 16 years and over.................... 4.1 4.0 4.1 4.0 16 to 17 years........................... .7 .6 .7 .6 18 to 19 years........................... .8 .7 .8 .7 20 to 24 years........................... 1.5 1.3 1.4 1.2 25 years and over........................ 5.9 5.7 5.4 5.3 25 to 34 years......................... 3.2 3.1 3.1 3.0 35 to 44 years......................... 7.3 7.0 6.5 6.1 45 to 54 years......................... 12.8 11.8 11.2 10.1 55 to 64 years......................... 15.3 14.5 13.4 10.5 65 years and over...................... 8.3 8.3 7.0 8.3 Women Total 16 years and over.................... 3.1 3.0 3.2 3.5 16 to 17 years........................... .7 .6 .7 .7 18 to 19 years........................... .8 .7 .8 .7 20 to 24 years........................... 1.5 1.3 1.3 1.2 25 years and over........................ 4.2 4.3 4.3 4.7 25 to 34 years......................... 2.8 2.6 2.7 2.7 35 to 44 years......................... 4.1 4.4 4.5 4.8 45 to 54 years......................... 6.3 6.8 6.7 7.0 55 to 64 years......................... 9.8 9.7 9.9 10.0 65 years and over...................... 10.1 9.9 9.5 8.4 NOTE: Data for 1996 are not strictly comparable with data for 1991 and earlier years because the 1996 data incorporate population controls from the 1990 census, adjusted for the estimated undercount. Figures for the 1983-91 period are based on population controls from the 1980 census. Also, the 1996 figures incorporate the effects of the redesign of the Current Population Survey introduced in January 1994. Data exclude the incorporated and unincorporated self-employed. Table 2. Percent of employed wage and salary workers 25 years and over who had 10 years or more of tenure with their current employer by age and sex, selected years, 1983-96 Age and sex January January January February 1983 1987 1991 1996 TOTAL Total, 25 years and over................... 31.9 30.7 32.2 30.5 25 to 29 years........................... 3.3 4.1 5.1 2.8 30 to 34 years........................... 16.9 16.9 19.3 14.7 35 to 39 years........................... 29.9 29.6 31.1 26.9 40 to 44 years........................... 38.1 38.7 39.3 36.1 45 to 49 years........................... 46.5 45.2 46.5 44.5 50 to 54 years........................... 53.5 51.8 51.4 50.4 55 to 59 years........................... 59.3 57.6 56.7 54.0 60 to 64 years........................... 59.8 55.9 55.4 51.5 65 years and over........................ 50.9 50.1 46.3 47.4 Men Total, 25 years and over................... 37.7 35.0 35.9 33.1 25 to 29 years........................... 4.0 4.5 5.7 3.3 30 to 34 years........................... 18.7 18.7 21.1 15.6 35 to 39 years........................... 36.9 34.8 35.6 30.5 40 to 44 years........................... 51.1 48.5 46.3 41.7 45 to 49 years........................... 57.8 53.0 53.5 50.8 50 to 54 years........................... 62.3 59.4 58.5 54.9 55 to 59 years........................... 66.2 63.2 61.0 55.7 60 to 64 years........................... 65.6 58.7 57.5 50.4 65 years and over........................ 47.6 47.4 42.6 47.6 Women Total, 25 years and over................... 24.9 25.7 28.2 27.6 25 to 29 years........................... 2.5 3.6 4.4 2.2 30 to 34 years........................... 14.8 14.7 17.3 13.6 35 to 39 years........................... 21.6 23.8 26.1 22.9 40 to 44 years........................... 23.4 27.9 32.0 30.4 45 to 49 years........................... 33.0 36.4 39.3 38.1 50 to 54 years........................... 42.5 43.0 43.4 45.8 55 to 59 years........................... 51.0 50.8 51.4 52.1 60 to 64 years........................... 52.6 52.4 53.1 52.7 65 years and over........................ 54.5 53.1 49.9 47.2 NOTE: Data for 1996 are not strictly comparable with data for 1991 and earlier years because the 1996 data incorporate population controls from the 1990 census, adjusted for the estimated undercount. Figures for the 1983-91 period are based on population controls from the 1980 census. Also, the 1996 figures incorporate the effects of the redesign of the Current Population Survey introduced in January 1994. Data exclude the incorporated and unincorporated self-employed. Table 3. Distribution of employed wage and salary workers by tenure with current employer, age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin, February 1996 Percent distribution by tenure with current employer Number Age, sex, race, and employed Hispanic origin (in thousands) 12 13 to 3 to 4 5 to 9 10 to 15 to 20 Total months 23 2 years years years 14 19 years or less months years years or more TOTAL Total, 16 years and over................ 110,281 100.0 26.0 8.5 4.8 15.2 19.8 10.0 6.8 9.0 16 to 19 years....... 5,749 100.0 77.6 11.8 5.5 5.0 .2 - - - 20 years and over.... 104,531 100.0 23.1 8.3 4.8 15.8 20.8 10.5 7.1 9.5 20 to 24 years..... 11,468 100.0 52.2 14.1 8.9 18.3 6.3 .1 - - 25 to 34 years..... 29,474 100.0 29.5 10.8 5.7 20.3 24.7 7.8 1.2 (1) 35 to 44 years..... 30,316 100.0 17.9 7.4 4.3 14.9 24.2 14.3 11.3 5.8 45 to 54 years..... 21,330 100.0 13.0 5.1 3.0 12.1 20.0 13.5 11.1 22.3 55 to 64 years..... 9,398 100.0 10.6 4.6 2.7 11.0 18.0 12.2 12.0 28.9 65 years and over.. 2,545 100.0 13.0 5.1 3.4 11.8 19.3 13.1 7.4 26.9 Men Total, 16 years and over................ 57,291 100.0 25.1 8.0 4.7 15.1 19.1 10.0 6.9 11.0 16 to 19 years....... 2,932 100.0 77.3 9.9 6.8 5.8 .2 - - - 20 years and over.... 54,359 100.0 22.3 7.9 4.6 15.6 20.2 10.6 7.3 11.6 20 to 24 years..... 5,979 100.0 52.7 13.2 8.2 19.1 6.6 .2 - - 25 to 34 years..... 15,779 100.0 28.2 10.0 5.8 20.8 25.3 8.3 1.5 (1) 35 to 44 years..... 15,756 100.0 16.3 7.0 3.8 14.0 23.1 15.7 13.0 7.1 45 to 54 years..... 10,712 100.0 11.9 4.6 2.6 10.7 17.7 12.3 11.0 29.3 55 to 64 years..... 4,846 100.0 10.3 5.3 3.0 10.6 17.0 10.0 9.4 34.4 65 years and over.. 1,287 100.0 12.2 5.8 3.1 14.6 16.7 12.4 5.7 29.5 Women Total, 16 years and over................ 52,989 100.0 27.0 9.0 4.9 15.4 20.5 9.9 6.6 6.8 16 to 19 years....... 2,817 100.0 77.9 13.7 4.0 4.2 .2 - - - 20 years and over.... 50,172 100.0 24.1 8.7 5.0 16.0 21.6 10.4 7.0 7.2 20 to 24 years..... 5,489 100.0 51.7 15.0 9.8 17.4 6.0 .1 - - 25 to 34 years..... 13,695 100.0 30.9 11.6 5.7 19.7 24.0 7.2 .9 - 35 to 44 years..... 14,561 100.0 19.6 7.8 4.7 15.9 25.5 12.7 9.5 4.4 45 to 54 years..... 10,617 100.0 14.1 5.5 3.3 13.5 22.3 14.8 11.3 15.2 55 to 64 years..... 4,551 100.0 11.0 3.9 2.4 11.4 19.1 14.5 14.8 23.1 65 years and over.. 1,258 100.0 13.9 4.3 3.8 8.9 22.0 13.8 9.2 24.2 White 16 years and over...... 93,294 100.0 25.7 8.8 4.7 15.0 19.7 10.1 7.0 9.1 Men.................. 49,158 100.0 24.7 8.3 4.5 14.7 19.1 10.2 7.1 11.3 Women................ 44,136 100.0 26.9 9.2 4.9 15.3 20.4 9.9 6.8 6.6 Black 16 years and over...... 12,460 100.0 26.7 6.2 4.9 15.8 20.2 10.3 6.1 9.7 Men.................. 5,785 100.0 27.4 5.3 5.2 16.5 19.4 9.6 6.3 10.3 Women................ 6,675 100.0 26.2 6.9 4.6 15.2 21.0 11.0 5.9 9.2 Hispanic origin 16 years and over...... 10,504 100.0 29.7 9.1 5.5 19.0 20.4 8.0 4.2 4.1 Men.................. 6,304 100.0 30.2 9.2 4.6 19.6 19.9 7.1 4.5 4.8 Women................ 4,200 100.0 29.0 9.1 6.9 18.1 21.0 9.2 3.6 3.1 1 Less than 0.05 percent. NOTE: Detail for the above race and Hispanic-origin groups will not sum to totals because data for the "other races" groups are not presented and Hispanics are included in both the white and black population groups. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding. Data exclude the incorporated and unincorporated self-employed. Table 4. Median years of tenure with current employer for employed wage and salary workers 25 years and over by age, sex, and educational attainment, February 1996 College graduates Less than High Some Age and sex Total a high school college, Associate school graduates, no degree degree Bachelor's Master's Doctoral or diploma no college Total degree degree professional degree TOTAL Total, 25 years and over................ 5.0 4.3 5.3 4.7 4.9 5.0 4.6 6.1 5.2 25 to 34 years....... 2.8 2.2 3.1 2.6 3.3 2.7 2.8 2.7 2.0 35 to 44 years....... 5.3 3.9 5.5 5.1 5.6 5.7 5.7 5.8 5.7 45 to 54 years....... 8.3 7.0 8.4 8.1 7.2 9.4 8.6 10.1 9.2 55 to 64 years....... 10.2 8.7 10.5 9.5 9.0 12.2 12.1 12.9 11.2 65 years and over.... 8.4 7.9 8.3 7.2 7.3 11.0 11.1 8.5 20.0 Men Total, 25 years and over................ 5.3 4.5 5.8 5.0 5.5 5.3 5.0 6.1 5.8 25 to 34 years....... 3.0 2.5 3.3 2.8 3.4 2.8 2.9 2.8 2.1 35 to 44 years....... 6.1 4.2 6.8 6.0 6.5 6.2 6.3 5.9 6.0 45 to 54 years....... 10.1 8.5 11.0 9.3 11.0 10.0 10.0 10.4 8.7 55 to 64 years....... 10.5 8.5 12.2 9.2 8.6 12.1 12.3 10.4 15.0 65 years and over.... 8.3 6.9 7.6 6.9 11.8 11.3 10.4 9.9 20.9 Women Total, 25 years and over................ 4.7 4.0 5.0 4.4 4.6 4.7 4.3 6.0 4.2 25 to 34 years....... 2.7 1.7 2.8 2.4 3.2 2.6 2.7 2.7 1.9 35 to 44 years....... 4.8 3.4 4.7 4.5 5.1 5.3 5.2 5.7 5.1 45 to 54 years....... 7.0 5.3 6.9 7.4 5.3 8.2 7.2 9.8 9.9 55 to 64 years....... 10.0 8.9 9.7 9.6 9.5 12.2 11.8 14.9 7.1 65 years and over.... 8.4 9.5 9.2 7.4 6.0 10.1 13.1 7.9 10.4 NOTE: Data exclude the incorporated and unincorporated self-employed. Table 5. Median years of tenure with current employer for employed wage and salary workers by industry, selected years, 1983-96 Industry January January January February 1983 1987 1991 1996 Total, 16 years and over.............................. 3.5 3.4 3.6 3.8 Agriculture.............................................. 2.2 2.4 2.6 3.4 Nonagricultural industries............................... 3.6 3.4 3.6 3.8 Government............................................. 5.8 6.5 6.5 6.9 Private industries..................................... 3.2 3.0 3.2 3.3 Mining............................................... 3.4 6.1 5.8 6.1 Construction......................................... 2.0 2.0 2.6 2.9 Manufacturing........................................ 5.4 5.5 5.2 5.4 Durable goods(1)................................... 5.6 6.0 5.8 5.3 Lumber and wood products......................... 4.0 3.2 3.6 3.3 Furniture and fixtures........................... 4.2 3.2 4.0 4.2 Stone, clay, and glass products.................. 7.0 6.8 6.3 5.1 Primary metal industries......................... 10.0 10.2 9.7 8.1 Fabricated metal products........................ 5.7 5.5 5.5 5.1 Machinery and computing equipment................ 5.8 6.7 5.9 5.2 Electrical machinery, equipment, and supplies.... 4.7 4.8 5.5 4.9 Transportation equipment(1)...................... 8.8 8.0 7.6 8.3 Motor vehicles and equipment................... 13.0 11.2 11.7 7.8 Aircraft and parts............................. 6.4 6.8 6.3 9.8 Professional and photographic equipment and watches............................................... 4.7 5.9 5.1 5.1 Toys, amusements, and sporting goods............. 3.6 5.8 3.2 2.7 Nondurable goods(1)................................ 5.1 4.9 4.7 5.4 Food and kindred products........................ 5.2 4.4 4.2 5.1 Textile mill products............................ 7.0 7.0 5.6 5.4 Apparel and other finished textile products...... 3.8 3.2 3.8 3.8 Paper and allied products........................ 7.6 8.6 7.6 8.4 Printing and publishing.......................... 3.2 3.2 3.5 4.3 Chemicals and allied products.................... 7.0 7.2 5.7 6.9 Petroleum and coal products...................... 6.0 11.7 8.4 10.3 Rubber and miscellaneous plastics products....... 5.4 4.4 4.7 4.7 Transportation and public utilities.................. 5.8 5.7 5.8 5.2 Transportation..................................... 4.6 3.9 4.2 4.1 Communications and other public utilities.......... 8.3 8.4 9.9 8.2 Wholesale trade...................................... 3.8 3.7 3.4 3.9 Retail trade......................................... 1.9 1.8 1.9 1.9 Finance, insurance, and real estate.................. 3.2 3.0 3.4 4.1 Banking and other finance.......................... 3.3 3.1 3.6 3.9 Insurance and real estate.......................... 3.0 2.9 3.2 4.2 Services(1).......................................... 2.5 2.5 2.7 3.0 Private households................................. 1.8 1.7 1.9 2.3 Services, except private households................ 2.5 2.5 2.7 3.0 Business services................................ 1.5 1.6 1.8 2.0 Automobile and repair services................... 2.3 2.0 2.2 2.9 Personal services, except private households..... 2.0 2.0 2.1 2.3 Entertainment and recreation services............ 1.8 1.8 2.3 1.9 Hospitals........................................ 3.5 4.6 4.2 5.2 Health services, except hospitals................ 2.5 2.4 2.7 2.9 Educational services............................. 2.7 3.1 3.5 3.8 Social services.................................. 2.2 2.3 2.3 2.8 Other professional services...................... 2.9 2.8 3.3 3.5 1 Includes other industries, not shown separately. NOTE: Data for 1996 are not strictly comparable with data for 1991 and earlier years because the 1996 data incorporate population controls from the 1990 census, adjusted for the estimated undercount. Figures for the 1983-91 period are based on population controls from the 1980 census. Also, the 1996 figures incorporate the effects of the redesign of the Current Population Survey introduced in January 1994. Data exclude the incorporated and unincorporated self-employed.