Total nonfarm employment for the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Va.-Md.-W.Va. Metropolitan Statistical Area stood at 3,279,700 in July 2016, up 94,800, or 3.0 percent, over the year, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. During the same period, the national job count increased 1.7 percent. Sheila Watkins, the Bureau’s regional commissioner, noted that the Washington area’s July increase was its 28^th consecutive over-the-year employment gain. (See chart 1 and table 1; Technical Note at end of release contains metropolitan area definitions. All data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year analysis is used throughout.)

The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Va.-Md.-W.Va. Metropolitan Statistical Area is made up of two metropolitan divisions—separately identifiable employment centers within the greater metropolitan area. The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Va.-Md.-W.Va. Metropolitan Division, with 82 percent of the area’s employment, gained 76,800 jobs over the year. The Silver Spring-Frederick-Rockville, Md. Metropolitan Division, which represented the remaining 18 percent of area employment, added 18,000 jobs since July 2015.

Industry employment

In the greater Washington metropolitan area, government recorded the largest employment gain from July 2015 to July 2016, adding 26,600 jobs.The Washington area’s 3.9-percent growth in government employment exceeded the nationwide increase of 0.8 percent. Local job gains in this industry were centered in the Washington division. (See chart 2.)

Two other supersectors added at least 16,000 jobs over the year: professional and business services (19,100) and education and health services (16,300). Education and health services’ local rate of employment growth (4.0 percent) was faster than the national average of 2.8 percent. Professional and business services’ rate of employment growth in the Washington area matched the national rate of 2.6 percent.

In the local area, information was the only supersector that lost more than 1,000 jobs from April 2015 to April 2016. This industry gained jobs nationwide.

Twelve largest metropolitan areas

The information supersector in the Washington area lost 1,400 jobs from July 2015 to July 2016. This industry gained jobs nationwide over the year. (See chart 3 and table 2.)

New York-Newark-Jersey City area added the largest number of jobs over the year, 199,700, followed by Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (116,800) and Dallas (109,900). Houston had the smallest employment gain over the year, adding 13,300 jobs, followed by Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, which added 54,000 jobs.

Over the year, education and health services added the most jobs in Boston, Los Angeles, New York and Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale. Professional and business services’ employment gained the most jobs in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, and San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward.

Manufacturing lost the most jobs over-the-year in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, and Pheonix. New York was the only area to have no annual job loss in any supersector.

Metropolitan area employment data for August 2016 are scheduled to be released on Tuesday, September 20, 2016, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

Technical Note

This release presents nonfarm payroll employment estimates from the Current Employment Statistics (CES) program. The CES survey is a Federal-State cooperative endeavor between State employment security agencies and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Definitions. Employment data refer to persons on establishment payrolls who receive pay for any part of the pay period which includes the 12th of the month. Persons are counted at their place of work rather than at their place of residence; those appearing on more than one payroll are counted on each payroll. Industries are classified on the basis of their principal activity in accordance with the 2007 version of the North American Industry Classification System.

Method of estimation. The employment data are estimated using a “link relative” technique in which a ratio (link relative) of current-month employment to that of the previous month is computed from a sample of establishments reporting for both months. The estimates of employment for the current month are obtained by multiplying the estimates for the previous month by these ratios. Small-domain models are used as the official estimators for approximately 39 percent of CES published series which have insufficient sample for direct sample-based estimates.

Annual revisions. Employment estimates are adjusted annually to a complete count of jobs, called benchmarks, derived principally from tax reports which are submitted by employers who are covered under state unemployment insurance (UI) laws. The benchmark information is used to adjust the monthly estimates between the new benchmark and the preceding one and also to establish the level of employment for the new benchmark month. Thus, the benchmarking process establishes the level of employment, and the sample is used to measure the month-to-month changes in the level for the subsequent months.

Reliability of the estimates. The estimates presented in this release are based on sample surveys, administrative data, and modeling and, thus, are subject to sampling and other types of errors. Sampling error is a measure of sampling variability—that is, variation that occurs by chance because a sample rather than the entire population is surveyed. Survey data are also subject to nonsampling errors, such as those which can be introduced into the data collection and processing operations. Estimates not directly derived from sample surveys are subject to additional errors resulting from the special estimation processes used. The sums of individual items may not always equal the totals shown in the same tables because of rounding.

Employment estimates. Measures of sampling error for state CES data at the supersector level are available on the BLS Web site at www.bls.gov/sae/additional-resources/reliability-of-state-and-area-estimates.htm. Information on recent benchmark revisions for states is available at www.bls.gov/sae/.

Area definitions. The substate area data published in this release reflect the standards and definitions established by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, dated February 28, 2013. A detailed list of the geographic definitions is available at www.bls.gov/lau/lausmsa.htm.

The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Va.-Md.-W.Va. Metropolitan Statistical Area includes the District of Columbia; Arlington, Clarke, Culpeper, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William, Rappahannock, Spotsylvania, Stafford, and Warren Counties, and Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, Manassas, and Manassas Park Cities in Virginia; Calvert, Charles, Frederick, Montgomery, and Prince George’s Counties in Maryland; and Jefferson County in West Virginia.

• The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Va.-Md.-W.Va. Metropolitan Division includes the District of Columbia; Arlington, Clarke, Culpeper, Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, Prince William, Rappahannock, Spotsylvania, Stafford, and Warren Counties, and Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Fredericksburg, Manassas, and Manassas Park Cities in Virginia; Calvert, Charles, and Prince George’s Counties in Maryland; and Jefferson County in West Virginia.
• The Silver Spring-Frederick-Rockville, Md. Metropolitan Division includes Frederick and Montgomery Counties in Maryland.

Additional information

More complete information on the technical procedures used to develop these estimates and additional data appear in Employment and Earnings, which is available online at www.bls.gov/opub/ee/home.htm. Industry employment data for states and metropolitan areas from the Current Employment Statistics program are also available in the above mentioned news releases and from the Internet at www.bls.gov/sae/.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (202) 691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Table 1. Employees on nonfarm payrolls by industry supersector, Washington metropolitan area and its components, not seasonally adjusted (numbers in thousands)

Area	Back data	Jul 2015	May 2016	Jun 2016	Jul 2016(P)	Jul 2015 to Jul 2016(P)
						Net change	Percent change
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Va.-Md.-W.Va. Metropolitan Statistical Area
Total nonfarm		3,184.9	3,245.8	3,274.9	3,279.7	94.8	3.0
Mining, logging, and construction		154.7	158.4	161.9	161.6	6.9	4.5
Manufacturing		53.0	53.2	53.7	54.3	1.3	2.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities		404.6	413.4	417.5	415.6	11.0	2.7
Information		77.5	73.0	75.5	76.1	-1.4	-1.8
Financial activities		155.5	153.7	154.4	155.8	0.3	0.2
Professional and business services		729.2	739.7	745.6	748.3	19.1	2.6
Education and health services		404.8	420.4	420.5	421.1	16.3	4.0
Leisure and hospitality		325.6	326.6	338.2	337.1	11.5	3.5
Other services		200.2	200.0	201.6	203.4	3.2	1.6
Government		679.8	707.4	706.0	706.4	26.6	3.9
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Va.-Md.-W.Va. Metropolitan Division
Total nonfarm		2,597.8	2,650.5	2,672.3	2,674.6	76.8	3.0
Mining, logging, and construction		120.4	122.5	125.8	125.0	4.6	3.8
Manufacturing		36.1	35.9	36.3	36.9	0.8	2.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities		326.1	334.5	337.2	336.7	10.6	3.3
Information		63.2	60.4	61.4	61.9	-1.3	-2.1
Financial activities		116.3	114.7	115.1	116.4	0.1	0.1
Professional and business services		602.1	614.7	619.5	620.8	18.7	3.1
Education and health services		318.8	332.6	332.6	331.2	12.4	3.9
Leisure and hospitality		268.4	270.1	278.7	277.1	8.7	3.2
Other services		167.7	167.8	169.2	170.9	3.2	1.9
Government		578.7	597.3	596.5	597.7	19.0	3.3
Silver Spring-Frederick-Rockville, Md. Metropolitan Division
Total nonfarm		587.1	595.3	602.6	605.1	18.0	3.1
Mining, logging, and construction		34.3	35.9	36.1	36.6	2.3	6.7
Manufacturing		16.9	17.3	17.4	17.4	0.5	3.0
Trade, transportation, and utilities		78.5	78.9	80.3	78.9	0.4	0.5
Information		14.3	12.6	14.1	14.2	-0.1	-0.7
Financial activities		39.2	39.0	39.3	39.4	0.2	0.5
Professional and business services		127.1	125.0	126.1	127.5	0.4	0.3
Education and health services		86.0	87.8	87.9	89.9	3.9	4.5
Leisure and hospitality		57.2	56.5	59.5	60.0	2.8	4.9
Other services		32.5	32.2	32.4	32.5	0.0	0.0
Government		101.1	110.1	109.5	108.7	7.6	7.5
Footnotes (P) Preliminary
SOURCE: Current Employment Statistics - National - State and Metropolitan Area Return to Mid-Atlantic Information Office Homepage menu

Table 2. Employees on nonfarm payrolls by industry supersector, United States and 12 large metropolitan areas, not seasonally adjusted (numbers in thousands)

Area	Back data	Jul 2015	May 2016	Jun 2016(P)	Jul 2016(P)	Jul 2015 to Jul 2016(P)
						Net change	Percent change
United States
Total nonfarm		141,774	144,555	145,215	144,185	2,411	1.7
Mining and logging		825	689	689	691	-134	-16.2
Construction		6,703	6,698	6,846	6,912	209	3.1
Manufacturing		12,407	12,253	12,374	12,379	-28	-0.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities		26,969	27,216	27,369	27,355	386	1.4
Information		2,767	2,740	2,797	2,798	31	1.1
Financial activities		8,210	8,250	8,338	8,377	167	2.0
Professional and business services		19,837	20,138	20,341	20,357	520	2.6
Education and health services		21,750	22,696	22,487	22,367	617	2.8
Leisure and hospitality		15,844	15,716	16,176	16,269	425	2.7
Other services		5,702	5,703	5,760	5,757	55	1.0
Government		20,760	22,456	22,038	20,923	163	0.8
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Ga.
Total nonfarm		2,581.4	2,664.1	2,656.7	2,656.2	74.8	2.9
Mining and logging		1.4	1.5	1.4	1.4	0.0	0.0
Construction		109.0	115.1	116.1	116.8	7.8	7.2
Manufacturing		157.7	160.8	162.4	163.3	5.6	3.6
Trade, transportation, and utilities		577.8	595.1	593.7	595.5	17.7	3.1
Information		94.5	87.9	88.3	88.8	-5.7	-6.0
Financial activities		163.0	164.6	165.0	166.3	3.3	2.0
Professional and business services		480.3	496.1	495.5	497.5	17.2	3.6
Education and health services		314.8	328.0	321.9	325.0	10.2	3.2
Leisure and hospitality		276.0	290.7	292.6	291.5	15.5	5.6
Other services		98.2	97.2	97.1	97.0	-1.2	-1.2
Government		308.7	327.1	322.7	313.1	4.4	1.4
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, Mass.-N.H. (NECTA)
Total nonfarm		2,667.9	2,699.1	2,732.5	2,721.9	54.0	2.0
Mining, logging, and construction		109.3	112.7	117.5	119.9	10.6	9.7
Manufacturing		193.2	188.7	190.9	190.8	-2.4	-1.2
Trade, transportation, and utilities		418.1	421.8	426.3	424.4	6.3	1.5
Information		78.9	74.8	78.8	79.6	0.7	0.9
Financial activities		185.5	185.7	188.9	191.3	5.8	3.1
Professional and business services		465.6	462.5	471.9	474.0	8.4	1.8
Education and health services		549.5	569.9	565.6	565.0	15.5	2.8
Leisure and hospitality		272.1	263.3	274.5	281.4	9.3	3.4
Other services		105.6	104.0	106.1	106.7	1.1	1.0
Government		290.1	315.7	312.0	288.8	-1.3	-0.4
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, Ill.-Ind.-Wis.
Total nonfarm		4,620.8	4,675.7	4,701.8	4,681.8	61.0	1.3
Mining and logging		1.5	1.5	1.6	1.6	0.1	6.7
Construction		174.6	173.4	181.6	185.1	10.5	6.0
Manufacturing		417.4	412.3	415.1	414.4	-3.0	-0.7
Trade, transportation, and utilities		932.4	938.1	942.5	943.2	10.8	1.2
Information		82.6	81.2	81.6	81.9	-0.7	-0.8
Financial activities		297.2	292.3	295.4	295.3	-1.9	-0.6
Professional and business services		821.8	822.1	831.5	831.0	9.2	1.1
Education and health services		688.1	712.9	702.1	695.6	7.5	1.1
Leisure and hospitality		471.1	480.9	492.0	488.6	17.5	3.7
Other services		196.3	195.9	198.4	200.9	4.6	2.3
Government		537.8	565.1	560.0	544.2	6.4	1.2
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas
Total nonfarm		3,401.6	3,515.7	3,526.8	3,511.5	109.9	3.2
Mining, logging, and construction		202.0	199.8	202.0	203.0	1.0	0.5
Manufacturing		264.6	262.2	263.7	262.2	-2.4	-0.9
Trade, transportation, and utilities		724.1	752.4	756.8	757.9	33.8	4.7
Information		81.1	80.6	80.7	80.3	-0.8	-1.0
Financial activities		277.3	288.9	290.6	291.7	14.4	5.2
Professional and business services		563.8	579.4	578.9	583.1	19.3	3.4
Education and health services		416.2	431.5	430.0	430.0	13.8	3.3
Leisure and hospitality		357.9	374.3	381.4	378.5	20.6	5.8
Other services		121.5	120.1	121.1	120.5	-1.0	-0.8
Government		393.1	426.5	421.6	404.3	11.2	2.8
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, Texas
Total nonfarm		2,980.0	2,993.2	3,001.9	2,993.3	13.3	0.4
Mining and logging		99.9	86.7	86.8	86.5	-13.4	-13.4
Construction		217.5	219.0	215.8	217.9	0.4	0.2
Manufacturing		245.3	230.4	231.5	231.3	-14.0	-5.7
Trade, transportation, and utilities		611.9	612.7	615.3	616.8	4.9	0.8
Information		32.9	31.3	31.2	30.5	-2.4	-7.3
Financial activities		152.1	153.2	154.5	155.1	3.0	2.0
Professional and business services		473.7	456.2	458.6	463.7	-10.0	-2.1
Education and health services		366.8	383.7	383.4	381.6	14.8	4.0
Leisure and hospitality		305.8	318.9	327.8	328.2	22.4	7.3
Other services		108.6	107.0	109.2	108.3	-0.3	-0.3
Government		365.5	394.1	387.8	373.4	7.9	2.2
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, Calif.
Total nonfarm		5,780.7	5,956.7	5,963.8	5,897.5	116.8	2.0
Mining and logging		4.7	4.1	4.1	4.1	-0.6	-12.8
Construction		220.5	233.2	233.3	232.0	11.5	5.2
Manufacturing		520.2	510.8	513.2	514.8	-5.4	-1.0
Trade, transportation, and utilities		1,074.3	1,085.6	1,087.7	1,089.9	15.6	1.5
Information		223.9	237.1	235.4	228.6	4.7	2.1
Financial activities		334.0	335.7	338.4	337.4	3.4	1.0
Professional and business services		886.0	901.3	911.3	910.8	24.8	2.8
Education and health services		926.3	982.4	974.8	964.8	38.5	4.2
Leisure and hospitality		705.4	716.1	728.3	729.2	23.8	3.4
Other services		202.2	203.7	203.3	202.4	0.2	0.1
Government		683.2	746.7	734.0	683.5	0.3	0.0
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, Fla.
Total nonfarm		2,465.1	2,569.4	2,541.5	2,539.8	74.7	3.0
Mining and logging		0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.0	0.0
Construction		112.5	119.8	119.6	122.6	10.1	9.0
Manufacturing		84.4	84.9	84.4	83.8	-0.6	-0.7
Trade, transportation, and utilities		579.6	593.4	594.4	592.9	13.3	2.3
Information		48.2	48.0	48.2	48.1	-0.1	-0.2
Financial activities		175.3	181.3	182.9	183.7	8.4	4.8
Professional and business services		403.3	415.0	415.7	421.0	17.7	4.4
Education and health services		361.8	375.0	373.3	371.3	9.5	2.6
Leisure and hospitality		299.8	319.2	316.7	313.4	13.6	4.5
Other services		120.3	123.9	122.5	121.2	0.9	0.7
Government		279.3	308.3	283.2	281.2	1.9	0.7
New York-Newark-Jersey City, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa.
Total nonfarm		9,373.9	9,527.4	9,607.7	9,573.6	199.7	2.1
Mining, logging, and construction		384.1	391.2	396.2	400.6	16.5	4.3
Manufacturing		368.9	369.3	373.0	371.8	2.9	0.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities		1,709.4	1,721.5	1,741.4	1,728.7	19.3	1.1
Information		287.4	277.1	291.7	293.7	6.3	2.2
Financial activities		776.4	765.9	773.4	781.8	5.4	0.7
Professional and business services		1,500.7	1,508.8	1,521.6	1,522.2	21.5	1.4
Education and health services		1,733.5	1,842.6	1,809.2	1,786.5	53.0	3.1
Leisure and hospitality		920.7	907.9	957.8	972.2	51.5	5.6
Other services		415.0	421.8	427.8	430.0	15.0	3.6
Government		1,277.8	1,321.3	1,315.6	1,286.1	8.3	0.6
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pa.-N.J.-Del.-Md.
Total nonfarm		2,804.5	2,897.5	2,912.3	2,870.2	65.7	2.3
Mining, logging, and construction		114.7	115.0	117.2	117.3	2.6	2.3
Manufacturing		182.0	183.3	184.9	185.0	3.0	1.6
Trade, transportation, and utilities		516.0	527.4	529.6	524.3	8.3	1.6
Information		46.7	44.4	46.9	46.6	-0.1	-0.2
Financial activities		210.9	210.1	211.7	212.3	1.4	0.7
Professional and business services		449.4	471.0	475.1	472.5	23.1	5.1
Education and health services		590.7	616.1	608.6	604.4	13.7	2.3
Leisure and hospitality		265.2	267.0	277.9	275.5	10.3	3.9
Other services		119.3	119.8	120.3	119.4	0.1	0.1
Government		309.6	343.4	340.1	312.9	3.3	1.1
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz.
Total nonfarm		1,866.6	1,960.3	1,934.2	1,925.2	58.6	3.1
Mining and logging		3.5	3.3	3.3	3.2	-0.3	-8.6
Construction		99.6	105.7	108.2	110.3	10.7	10.7
Manufacturing		120.6	119.9	120.9	120.1	-0.5	-0.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities		373.8	383.9	383.4	383.8	10.0	2.7
Information		36.8	38.8	39.2	38.4	1.6	4.3
Financial activities		167.0	174.7	175.2	175.2	8.2	4.9
Professional and business services		320.4	328.1	329.8	331.3	10.9	3.4
Education and health services		276.6	291.9	290.4	288.2	11.6	4.2
Leisure and hospitality		201.7	214.4	209.4	207.0	5.3	2.6
Other services		65.0	65.7	65.6	65.3	0.3	0.5
Government		201.6	233.9	208.8	202.4	0.8	0.4
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, Calif.
Total nonfarm		2,266.4	2,314.0	2,325.7	2,327.0	60.6	2.7
Mining and logging		1.0	0.9	0.9	0.9	-0.1	-10.0
Construction		113.3	117.3	118.8	122.2	8.9	7.9
Manufacturing		127.6	127.0	128.3	129.2	1.6	1.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities		366.1	368.9	371.5	373.8	7.7	2.1
Information		86.5	85.7	87.0	87.5	1.0	1.2
Financial activities		131.7	129.5	130.2	131.3	-0.4	-0.3
Professional and business services		467.9	473.3	477.0	483.3	15.4	3.3
Education and health services		326.0	343.0	339.7	338.8	12.8	3.9
Leisure and hospitality		262.1	266.5	271.6	271.0	8.9	3.4
Other services		84.6	84.6	85.6	85.2	0.6	0.7
Government		299.6	317.3	315.1	303.8	4.2	1.4
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Va.-Md.-W.Va.
Total nonfarm		3,184.9	3,245.8	3,274.9	3,279.7	94.8	3.0
Mining, logging, and construction		154.7	158.4	161.9	161.6	6.9	4.5
Manufacturing		53.0	53.2	53.7	54.3	1.3	2.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities		404.6	413.4	417.5	415.6	11.0	2.7
Information		77.5	73.0	75.5	76.1	-1.4	-1.8
Financial activities		155.5	153.7	154.4	155.8	0.3	0.2
Professional and business services		729.2	739.7	745.6	748.3	19.1	2.6
Education and health services		404.8	420.4	420.5	421.1	16.3	4.0
Leisure and hospitality		325.6	326.6	338.2	337.1	11.5	3.5
Other services		200.2	200.0	201.6	203.4	3.2	1.6
Government		679.8	707.4	706.0	706.4	26.6	3.9
Footnotes (P) Preliminary
SOURCE: Current Employment Statistics - National - State and Metropolitan Area Return to Mid-Atlantic Information Office Homepage