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Payroll employment up 169,000 in August 2013

September 09, 2013

In August 2013, total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 169,000, about in line with the average monthly gain of 184,000 over the prior 12 months. Job growth occurred in retail trade and health care, while employment in information declined. 

Over-the-month change in nonfarm payroll employment by industry, seasonally adjusted, August 2012–August 2013
Industry Aug 2012 Sep 2012 Oct 2012 Nov 2012 Dec 2012 Jan 2013 Feb 2013 Mar 2013 Apr 2013 May 2013 Jun 2013 Jul 2013 (p) Aug 2013 (p)

Total nonfarm

 165,000 138,000 160,000 247,000 219,000 148,000 332,000 142,000 199,000 176,000 172,000 104,000 169,000

Total private

 131,000 118,000 217,000 256,000 224,000 164,000 319,000 154,000 188,000 187,000 194,000 127,000 152,000

Goods-producing

 -14,000 -17,000 16,000 43,000 58,000 41,000 75,000 14,000 -17,000 -4,000 6,000 -17,000 18,000

Mining and logging

 -3,000 -2,000 -6,000 12,000 7,000 3,000 4,000 2,000 -3,000 2,000 3,000 2,000 4,000

Construction

 3,000 3,000 16,000 24,000 38,000 24,000 48,000 16,000 -7,000 -1,000 10,000 -3,000 0

Manufacturing

 -14,000 -18,000 6,000 7,000 13,000 14,000 23,000 -4,000 -7,000 -5,000 -7,000 -16,000 14,000

Durable goods

 -14,000 -17,000 1,000 17,000 11,000 5,000 12,000 1,000 -1,000 1,000 -2,000 -14,000 22,000

Nondurable goods

 0 -1,000 5,000 -10,000 2,000 9,000 11,000 -5,000 -6,000 -6,000 -5,000 -2,000 -8,000

Private service-providing

 145,000 135,000 201,000 213,000 166,000 123,000 244,000 140,000 205,000 191,000 188,000 144,000 134,000

Trade, transportation, and utilities

 35,000 30,000 73,000 97,000 49,000 14,000 25,000 -4,000 34,000 35,000 55,000 45,000 64,000

Wholesale trade

 6,500 -1,000 7,800 9,800 6,500 13,700 4,700 3,400 3,800 7,300 6,500 11,600 8,400

Retail trade

 11,200 26,100 52,100 69,600 6,200 22,400 25,800 -2,800 22,400 32,600 45,300 48,800 44,000

Transportation and warehousing

 9,300 4,300 13,700 20,200 34,800 -22,200 -5,300 -4,100 6,500 -5,700 2,400 -13,900 12,000

Utilities

 7,700 400 -300 -2,100 600 600 0 -300 1,300 300 1,000 -1,300 -800

Information

 -2,000 -12,000 1,000 14,000 -9,000 4,000 18,000 3,000 -9,000 3,000 -7,000 13,000 -18,000

Financial activities

 7,000 11,000 11,000 5,000 9,000 7,000 15,000 6,000 14,000 7,000 11,000 17,000 -5,000

Professional and business services

 29,000 15,000 53,000 55,000 35,000 46,000 93,000 59,000 69,000 70,000 64,000 32,000 23,000

Education and health services

 32,000 49,000 34,000 14,000 36,000 15,000 31,000 48,000 36,000 20,000 23,000 26,000 43,000

Leisure and hospitality

 45,000 30,000 22,000 21,000 40,000 31,000 63,000 31,000 60,000 43,000 43,000 13,000 27,000

Other services

 -1,000 12,000 7,000 7,000 6,000 6,000 -1,000 -3,000 1,000 13,000 -1,000 -2,000 0

Government

 34,000 20,000 -57,000 -9,000 -5,000 -16,000 13,000 -12,000 11,000 -11,000 -22,000 -23,000 17,000

Footnotes:
(p) = preliminary.
 

Retail trade added 44,000 jobs in August and has added 393,000 jobs over the past 12 months. In August, job growth occurred in clothing stores (+14,000), food and beverage stores (+12,000), general merchandise stores (+9,000), and electronics and appliance stores (+4,000). 

Employment in health care increased by 33,000 in August. Within the industry, most of the job growth occurred in ambulatory care services (+27,000). 

In August, employment in professional and business services continued to trend up (+23,000). Over the past 12 months, this industry has added 614,000 jobs. Employment in temporary help services changed little in August. 

Within leisure and hospitality, employment in food services and drinking places continued to trend up in August (+21,000). Over the year, food services and drinking places has added 354,000 jobs. 

In August, wholesale trade employment continued to trend up (+8,000). This industry has added 83,000 jobs over the past 12 months. Within manufacturing, employment in motor vehicles and parts rose by 19,000 in August, after declining by 10,000 in July. Auto manufacturers laid off more workers for model changeover in July than in recent years. The return of laid-off workers contributed to the increase in August. Over the past 12 months, auto manufacturers have added 34,000 jobs. 

Employment in other major industries, including mining and logging, construction, transportation and warehousing, financial activities, and government, showed little or no change in August.

These data are from the Current Employment Statistics (CES) program and are seasonally adjusted. Data for the most recent two months are preliminary. To learn more, see "The Employment Situation — August 2013," (HTML) (PDF) news release USDL‑13‑1803. More charts featuring CES employment data can be found in Current Employment Statistics Highlights: August 2013.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Payroll employment up 169,000 in August 2013 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2013/ted_20130909.htm (visited February 27, 2026).