Transmission of material in this news release is embargoed until USDL-24-1571
8:30 a.m. (ET) Friday, August 2, 2024
Technical information:
Household data: (202) 691-6378 * cpsinfo@bls.gov * www.bls.gov/cps
Establishment data: (202) 691-6555 * cesinfo@bls.gov * www.bls.gov/ces
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 * PressOffice@bls.gov
THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION -- JULY 2024
The unemployment rate rose to 4.3 percent in July, and nonfarm payroll employment edged up
by 114,000, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment continued to trend
up in health care, in construction, and in transportation and warehousing, while information
lost jobs.
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.
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| |
| Hurricane Beryl |
| |
| Hurricane Beryl made landfall on the central coast of Texas on July 8, 2024, during the |
| reference periods for both the household and establishment surveys. Hurricane Beryl had |
| no discernible effect on the national employment and unemployment data for July, and the |
| response rates for the two surveys were within normal ranges. For information on how |
| unusually severe weather can affect employment and hours estimates, see the Frequently |
| Asked Questions section of this news release. |
| |
| BLS will release the state estimates of employment and unemployment on August 16, 2024, |
| at 10:00 a.m. (ET). |
|____________________________________________________________________________________________|
Household Survey Data
The unemployment rate rose by 0.2 percentage point to 4.3 percent in July, and the number of
unemployed people increased by 352,000 to 7.2 million. These measures are higher than a year
earlier, when the jobless rate was 3.5 percent, and the number of unemployed people was 5.9
million. (See table A-1.)
Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates for adult men (4.0 percent) and Whites
(3.8 percent) increased in July. The jobless rates for adult women (3.8 percent), teenagers
(12.4 percent), Blacks (6.3 percent), Asians (3.7 percent), and Hispanics (5.3 percent) showed
little or no change over the month. (See tables A-1, A-2, and A-3.)
Among the unemployed, the number of people on temporary layoff increased by 249,000 to 1.1
million in July. The number of permanent job losers changed little at 1.7 million. (See table
A-11.)
The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) changed little at 1.5
million in July. This measure is up from 1.2 million a year earlier. The long-term unemployed
accounted for 21.6 percent of all unemployed people in July. (See table A-12.)
The labor force participation rate, at 62.7 percent, changed little in July and was little
changed over the year. The employment-population ratio was little changed at 60.0 percent in
July but is down by 0.4 percentage point over the year. (See table A-1.)
The number of people employed part time for economic reasons rose by 346,000 to 4.6 million
in July. These individuals, who would have preferred full-time employment, were working part
time because their hours had been reduced or they were unable to find full-time jobs. (See
table A-8.)
The number of people not in the labor force who currently want a job increased by 366,000 to
5.6 million in July, largely offsetting a decline in the previous month. These individuals
were not counted as unemployed because they were not actively looking for work during the 4
weeks preceding the survey or were unavailable to take a job. (See table A-1.)
Among those not in the labor force who wanted a job, the number of people marginally attached
to the labor force, at 1.6 million, was little changed in July. These individuals wanted and
were available for work and had looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months but had not
looked for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey. The number of discouraged workers, a
subset of the marginally attached who believed that no jobs were available for them, also
changed little at 405,000 in July. (See Summary table A.)
Establishment Survey Data
Total nonfarm payroll employment edged up by 114,000 in July, below the average monthly gain
of 215,000 over the prior 12 months. In July, employment continued to trend up in health care,
in construction, and in transportation and warehousing, while information lost jobs. (See
table B-1.)
Health care added 55,000 jobs in July, similar to the average monthly gain of 63,000 over
the prior 12 months. In July, employment rose in home health care services (+22,000),
hospitals (+20,000), and nursing and residential care facilities (+9,000).
Employment continued to trend up in construction in July (+25,000), in line with the average
monthly gain over the prior 12 months (+19,000). Employment in specialty trade contractors
continued its upward trend in July (+19,000).
In July, employment continued to trend up in transportation and warehousing (+14,000), with
job gains in couriers and messengers (+11,000) and warehousing and storage (+11,000). These
gains were partially offset by a job loss in transit and ground passenger transportation
(-11,000). Transportation and warehousing has added 119,000 jobs since a recent low in January
of this year.
Employment in social assistance continued its upward trend in July (+9,000), but at a slower
pace than the average monthly gain over the prior 12 months (+23,000).
Information employment declined by 20,000 in July but has changed little over the year.
Government employment was little changed in July (+17,000). Employment growth in government
has slowed in recent months, following larger job gains in 2023 and the first quarter of 2024.
Employment showed little change over the month in other major industries, including mining,
quarrying, and oil and gas extraction; manufacturing; wholesale trade; retail trade; financial
activities; professional and business services; leisure and hospitality; and other services.
In July, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased by 8
cents, or 0.2 percent, to $35.07. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have
increased by 3.6 percent. In July, average hourly earnings of private-sector production and
nonsupervisory employees increased by 9 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $30.14. (See tables B-3 and
B-8.)
The average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls edged down by 0.1 hour to
34.2 hours in July. In manufacturing, the average workweek edged down by 0.2 hour to 39.9
hours, and overtime edged down by 0.1 hour to 2.8 hours. The average workweek for production
and nonsupervisory employees on private nonfarm payrolls edged down by 0.1 hour to 33.7 hours.
(See tables B-2 and B-7.)
The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for May was revised down by 2,000, from
+218,000 to +216,000, and the change for June was revised down by 27,000, from +206,000 to
+179,000. With these revisions, employment in May and June combined is 29,000 lower than
previously reported. (Monthly revisions result from additional reports received from
businesses and government agencies since the last published estimates and from the
recalculation of seasonal factors.)
_____________
The Employment Situation for August is scheduled to be released on Friday, September 6, 2024,
at 8:30 a.m. (ET).
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| |
| 2024 Preliminary Benchmark Revision to Establishment Survey Data |
| to be Released on August 21, 2024 |
| |
| Each year, the establishment survey estimates are benchmarked to comprehensive counts of |
| employment from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) for the month of |
| March. These counts are derived from state unemployment insurance (UI) tax records that |
| nearly all employers are required to file. At 10:00 a.m. (ET) on August 21, 2024, the |
| Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) will release the preliminary estimate of the upcoming |
| annual benchmark revision to the establishment survey data. This is the same day that the |
| first-quarter 2024 data from QCEW will be issued. Preliminary benchmark revisions for all |
| major industry sectors, as well as total nonfarm and total private employment, will be |
| available at www.bls.gov/web/empsit/cesprelbmk.htm. |
| |
| The final benchmark revision will be issued with the publication of the January 2025 |
| Employment Situation news release in February 2025. |
|____________________________________________________________________________________________|
United States Department of Labor
