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Nonfarm payroll employment increased by 559,000 in May 2021

June 08, 2021

Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 559,000 in May 2021, following increases of 278,000 in April and 785,000 in March. In May, nonfarm payroll employment was down by 7.6 million, or 5.0 percent, from its pre-pandemic level in February 2020. Notable job gains occurred in leisure and hospitality, in public and private education, and in health care and social assistance in May.

Employment levels by industry, seasonally adjusted
Month Total nonfarm Total private Mining and logging Construction Manufacturing Wholesale trade Retail trade Transportation and warehousing

May 2019

150,545,000 127,989,000 738,000 7,478,000 12,817,000 5,889,700 15,608,400 5,628,200

Jun 2019

150,720,000 128,158,000 734,000 7,499,000 12,822,000 5,886,800 15,598,400 5,662,600

Jul 2019

150,913,000 128,306,000 727,000 7,503,000 12,820,000 5,890,000 15,595,400 5,676,100

Aug 2019

151,108,000 128,445,000 719,000 7,506,000 12,820,000 5,887,300 15,576,100 5,683,500

Sep 2019

151,329,000 128,639,000 718,000 7,524,000 12,814,000 5,889,600 15,584,500 5,705,400

Oct 2019

151,524,000 128,832,000 719,000 7,544,000 12,769,000 5,895,300 15,608,400 5,724,700

Nov 2019

151,758,000 129,042,000 707,000 7,546,000 12,818,000 5,893,400 15,576,000 5,747,700

Dec 2019

151,919,000 129,190,000 694,000 7,557,000 12,809,000 5,899,100 15,619,100 5,761,000

Jan 2020

152,234,000 129,445,000 689,000 7,615,000 12,792,000 5,901,100 15,605,200 5,798,100

Feb 2020

152,523,000 129,688,000 690,000 7,648,000 12,799,000 5,895,200 15,609,800 5,823,100

Mar 2020

150,840,000 128,066,000 674,000 7,557,000 12,718,000 5,876,600 15,483,600 5,822,100

Apr 2020

130,161,000 108,335,000 622,000 6,535,000 11,414,000 5,486,000 13,235,300 5,248,500

May 2020

132,994,000 111,680,000 601,000 7,004,000 11,657,000 5,508,600 13,644,100 5,239,000

Jun 2020

137,840,000 116,487,000 597,000 7,171,000 11,999,000 5,556,900 14,502,800 5,335,700

Jul 2020

139,566,000 118,010,000 593,000 7,197,000 12,037,000 5,537,400 14,742,900 5,385,200

Aug 2020

141,149,000 119,076,000 589,000 7,223,000 12,068,000 5,544,500 14,995,800 5,472,400

Sep 2020

141,865,000 120,008,000 592,000 7,256,000 12,123,000 5,578,400 15,025,300 5,516,400

Oct 2020

142,545,000 120,962,000 594,000 7,329,000 12,155,000 5,587,600 15,131,800 5,587,700

Nov 2020

142,809,000 121,321,000 597,000 7,353,000 12,196,000 5,602,400 15,129,700 5,711,300

Dec 2020

142,503,000 121,047,000 597,000 7,400,000 12,231,000 5,617,200 15,159,800 5,668,100

Jan 2021

142,736,000 121,169,000 596,000 7,412,000 12,213,000 5,631,400 15,178,300 5,674,000

Feb 2021

143,272,000 121,791,000 598,000 7,355,000 12,248,000 5,639,100 15,192,700 5,710,400

Mar 2021

144,057,000 122,515,000 613,000 7,448,000 12,299,000 5,658,000 15,234,600 5,753,100

Apr 2021

144,335,000 122,734,000 614,000 7,443,000 12,267,000 5,664,200 15,204,400 5,700,400

May 2021

144,894,000 123,226,000 614,000 7,423,000 12,290,000 5,684,100 15,198,600 5,723,300
Employment levels by industry, seasonally adjusted
Month Utilities Information Financial activities Professional and business services Education and health services Leisure and hospitality Other services Government

May 2019

549,300 2,854,000 8,730,000 21,230,000 24,074,000 16,514,000 5,878,000 22,556,000

Jun 2019

550,700 2,868,000 8,738,000 21,261,000 24,119,000 16,524,000 5,894,000 22,562,000

Jul 2019

550,100 2,868,000 8,762,000 21,291,000 24,184,000 16,535,000 5,904,000 22,607,000

Aug 2019

549,500 2,870,000 8,779,000 21,320,000 24,246,000 16,580,000 5,909,000 22,663,000

Sep 2019

548,400 2,874,000 8,784,000 21,340,000 24,305,000 16,648,000 5,904,000 22,690,000

Oct 2019

546,800 2,876,000 8,805,000 21,374,000 24,340,000 16,727,000 5,903,000 22,692,000

Nov 2019

547,900 2,886,000 8,824,000 21,405,000 24,406,000 16,769,000 5,916,000 22,716,000

Dec 2019

548,600 2,897,000 8,832,000 21,410,000 24,433,000 16,811,000 5,919,000 22,729,000

Jan 2020

547,600 2,910,000 8,849,000 21,437,000 24,513,000 16,858,000 5,930,000 22,789,000

Feb 2020

547,400 2,914,000 8,875,000 21,469,000 24,565,000 16,915,000 5,937,000 22,835,000

Mar 2020

547,000 2,898,000 8,850,000 21,318,000 24,347,000 16,133,000 5,842,000 22,774,000

Apr 2020

543,500 2,633,000 8,596,000 19,082,000 21,722,000 8,691,000 4,527,000 21,826,000

May 2020

542,000 2,594,000 8,613,000 19,247,000 22,107,000 10,146,000 4,777,000 21,314,000

Jun 2020

539,000 2,602,000 8,634,000 19,568,000 22,671,000 12,158,000 5,153,000 21,353,000

Jul 2020

539,500 2,592,000 8,646,000 19,715,000 22,885,000 12,824,000 5,316,000 21,556,000

Aug 2020

539,900 2,617,000 8,674,000 19,915,000 23,084,000 12,963,000 5,390,000 22,073,000

Sep 2020

541,600 2,659,000 8,712,000 20,055,000 23,152,000 13,357,000 5,440,000 21,857,000

Oct 2020

540,100 2,650,000 8,746,000 20,296,000 23,235,000 13,622,000 5,488,000 21,583,000

Nov 2020

539,500 2,650,000 8,756,000 20,391,000 23,278,000 13,632,000 5,485,000 21,488,000

Dec 2020

538,500 2,659,000 8,774,000 20,550,000 23,249,000 13,134,000 5,469,000 21,456,000

Jan 2021

539,400 2,672,000 8,781,000 20,640,000 23,235,000 13,117,000 5,480,000 21,567,000

Feb 2021

539,200 2,678,000 8,774,000 20,733,000 23,292,000 13,530,000 5,502,000 21,481,000

Mar 2021

539,800 2,683,000 8,787,000 20,807,000 23,396,000 13,757,000 5,539,000 21,542,000

Apr 2021

540,400 2,692,000 8,803,000 20,726,000 23,421,000 14,085,000 5,574,000 21,601,000

May 2021

540,200 2,721,000 8,802,000 20,761,000 23,508,000 14,377,000 5,584,000 21,668,000
Employment levels by industry, seasonally adjusted
Month Federal government State government Local government

May 2019

2,825,000 5,174,000 14,557,000

Jun 2019

2,827,000 5,180,000 14,555,000

Jul 2019

2,828,000 5,199,000 14,580,000

Aug 2019

2,854,000 5,225,000 14,584,000

Sep 2019

2,853,000 5,231,000 14,606,000

Oct 2019

2,839,000 5,243,000 14,610,000

Nov 2019

2,844,000 5,251,000 14,621,000

Dec 2019

2,842,000 5,257,000 14,630,000

Jan 2020

2,852,000 5,284,000 14,653,000

Feb 2020

2,863,000 5,303,000 14,669,000

Mar 2020

2,879,000 5,242,000 14,653,000

Apr 2020

2,883,000 5,074,000 13,869,000

May 2020

2,877,000 5,031,000 13,406,000

Jun 2020

2,876,000 5,043,000 13,434,000

Jul 2020

2,897,000 5,039,000 13,620,000

Aug 2020

3,153,000 5,060,000 13,860,000

Sep 2020

3,117,000 5,010,000 13,730,000

Oct 2020

2,975,000 4,945,000 13,663,000

Nov 2020

2,888,000 4,931,000 13,669,000

Dec 2020

2,892,000 4,930,000 13,634,000

Jan 2021

2,876,000 5,008,000 13,683,000

Feb 2021

2,882,000 4,955,000 13,644,000

Mar 2021

2,888,000 4,967,000 13,687,000

Apr 2021

2,898,000 4,978,000 13,725,000

May 2021

2,887,000 5,023,000 13,758,000

In May, employment in leisure and hospitality increased by 292,000, as pandemic-related restrictions continued to ease in some parts of the country. Nearly two-thirds of the increase was in food services and drinking places (+186,000). Employment also rose in amusements, gambling, and recreation (+58,000) and in accommodation (+35,000). Employment in leisure and hospitality is down by 2.5 million, or 15.0 percent, from its level in February 2020.

In May, employment increased in public and private education, reflecting the continued resumption of in-person learning and other school-related activities in some parts of the country. Employment rose by 53,000 in local government education, by 50,000 in state government education, and by 41,000 in private education. However, employment is down from February 2020 levels in local government education (−556,000), state government education (−244,000), and private education (−293,000).

Health care and social assistance added 46,000 jobs in May. Employment in health care continued to trend up (+23,000), reflecting a gain in ambulatory health care services (+22,000). Social assistance added 23,000 jobs over the month, largely in child day care services (+18,000). Compared with February 2020, employment is down by 508,000 in health care and by 257,000 in social assistance.

These data are from the Current Employment Statistics program and are seasonally adjusted. Data for the most recent 2 months are preliminary. To learn more, see "The Employment Situation — May 2021." Also see more charts of national employment, hours, and earnings data.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Nonfarm payroll employment increased by 559,000 in May 2021 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2021/nonfarm-payroll-employment-increased-by-559-000-in-may-2021.htm (visited December 10, 2024).

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