Transmission of material in this news release is embargoed until USDL-24-2233
8:30 a.m. (ET) Friday, November 1, 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 -- OCTOBER 2024
Total nonfarm payroll employment was essentially unchanged in October (+12,000), and the
unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.1 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported
today. Employment continued to trend up in health care and government. Temporary help services
lost jobs. Employment declined in manufacturing due to strike activity.
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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| |
| Hurricanes Helene and Milton |
| |
| October data from the household and establishment surveys are the first collected since |
| Hurricanes Helene and Milton struck the United States. These hurricanes caused severe |
| damage in the southeast portion of the country. See the notes at the end of this news |
| release for more information. |
|______________________________________________________________________________________________|
Household Survey Data
The unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.1 percent in October, and the number of unemployed
people was little changed at 7.0 million. These measures are higher than a year earlier, when
the jobless rate was 3.8 percent, and the number of unemployed people was 6.4 million. (See
table A-1.)
Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates for adult men (3.9 percent), adult women
(3.6 percent), teenagers (13.8 percent), Whites (3.8 percent), Blacks (5.7 percent), Asians
(3.9 percent), and Hispanics (5.1 percent) showed little or no change over the month. (See
tables A-1, A-2, and A-3.)
Among the unemployed, the number of permanent job losers edged up to 1.8 million in October.
The number of people on temporary layoff changed little at 846,000. (See table A-11.)
The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) was little changed at
1.6 million in October. This measure is up from 1.3 million a year earlier. In October, the
long-term unemployed accounted for 22.9 percent of all unemployed people. (See table A-12.)
Both the labor force participation rate, at 62.6 percent, and the employment-population ratio,
at 60.0 percent, changed little in October. These measures have shown little change over the
year. (See table A-1.)
The number of people employed part time for economic reasons was little changed at 4.6 million
in October. These individuals would have preferred full-time employment but 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, at 5.7 million, was
essentially unchanged in October. 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 October. 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, changed
little at 379,000 in October. (See Summary table A.)
Establishment Survey Data
Total nonfarm payroll employment was essentially unchanged in October (+12,000), following an
average monthly gain of 194,000 over the prior 12 months. In October, employment continued to
trend up in health care and government. Temporary help services lost jobs. Employment declined
in manufacturing due to strike activity. (See table B-1.)
Health care added 52,000 jobs in October, in line with the average monthly gain of 58,000 over
the prior 12 months. Over the month, employment rose in ambulatory health care services
(+36,000) and nursing and residential care facilities (+9,000).
Employment in government continued its upward trend in October (+40,000), similar to the
average monthly gain of 43,000 over the prior 12 months. Over the month, employment continued
to trend up in state government (+18,000).
Within professional and business services, employment in temporary help services declined by
49,000 in October. Temporary help services employment has decreased by 577,000 since reaching
a peak in March 2022.
Manufacturing employment decreased by 46,000 in October, reflecting a decline of 44,000 in
transportation equipment manufacturing that was largely due to strike activity.
Employment in construction changed little in October (+8,000). The industry had added an
average of 20,000 jobs per month over the prior 12 months. Over the month, nonresidential
specialty trade contractors added 14,000 jobs.
Employment showed little or no change over the month in other major industries, including
mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction; wholesale trade; retail trade; transportation
and warehousing; information; financial activities; leisure and hospitality; and other
services.
In October, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose by 13
cents, or 0.4 percent, to $35.46. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have
increased by 4.0 percent. In October, average hourly earnings of private-sector production and
nonsupervisory employees rose by 12 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $30.48. (See tables B-3 and B-8.)
The average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls remained at 34.3 hours in
October. In manufacturing, the average workweek was little changed at 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 August was revised down by 81,000, from
+159,000 to +78,000, and the change for September was revised down by 31,000, from +254,000 to
+223,000. With these revisions, employment in August and September combined is 112,000 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 November is scheduled to be released on Friday, December 6, 2024,
at 8:30 a.m. (ET).
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| |
| Hurricanes Helene and Milton |
| |
| Hurricane Helene made landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast on September 26, 2024, and then |
| tracked north into several other states. This was before the October reference periods for |
| both the household and establishment surveys. |
| |
| Hurricane Milton struck Florida on October 9, 2024, during the reference periods for both |
| surveys. Prior to the storm’s landfall, there were large-scale evacuations of Florida |
| residents. |
| |
| In October, the household survey was conducted largely according to standard procedures, |
| and response rates were within normal ranges. |
| |
| The initial establishment survey collection rate for October was well below average. |
| However, collection rates were similar in storm-affected areas and unaffected areas. A |
| larger influence on the October collection rate for establishment data was the timing and |
| length of the collection period. This period, which can range from 10 to 16 days, lasted |
| 10 days in October and was completed several days before the end of the month. |
| |
| No changes were made to either the establishment or household survey estimation procedures |
| for the October data. It is likely that payroll employment estimates in some industries |
| were affected by the hurricanes; however, it is not possible to quantify the net effect on |
| the over-the-month change in national employment, hours, or earnings estimates because the |
| establishment survey is not designed to isolate effects from extreme weather events. There |
| was no discernible effect on the national unemployment rate from the household survey. |
| |
| 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 for October on |
| November 19, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. (ET). |
|______________________________________________________________________________________________|
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| |
| Notice Regarding Funding of the Household Survey |
| |
| BLS has paused plans to reduce the household survey (Current Population Survey or CPS) |
| sample at this time. For further information, please see |
| www.bls.gov/cps/notices/2024/cps-funding.htm. |
|______________________________________________________________________________________________|
United States Department of Labor
