Total nonfarm employment for the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Ga. Metropolitan Statistical Area stood at 2,583,200 in May 2015, an increase of 79,600 or 3.2 percent, from a year ago, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Janet S. Rankin noted that the Atlanta area has recorded over-the-year employment gains for nearly five years. Nationally, nonfarm employment increased 2.2 percent from May 2014 to May 2015. (See chart 1 and table 1; the Technical Note at the end of this release contains metropolitan area definitions. All data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year analysis is used throughout.)

Industry employment

In the Atlanta metropolitan area, professional and business services recorded the largest employment gain from May 2014 to May 2015, adding 20,100 jobs. The area’s 4.4-percent growth in professional and business services employment was larger than the nationwide increase of 3.6 percent. (See chart 2.)

Trade, transportation, and utilities had the second largest increase in jobs locally, increasing by 19,400 from the previous May. Employment in this supersector grew 3.5 percent in Atlanta compared to 2.1 percent for the nation.

Leisure and hospitality added 17,500 jobs from May 2014 to May 2015. Over the 12 months, employment in leisure and hospitality grew 6.6 percent locally, more than double the national rate of 3.0 percent.  

Three other supersectors in the Atlanta area gained at least 5,500 jobs since last May — education and health services (9,800); construction (6,100); and financial activities (5,700). Locally, the rate of employment in all three supersectors was greater than their respective national rate.

Information was the only supersector in the Atlanta area that had an employment decline greater than 1,000 from the previous May, down 1,100 or 1.2 percent. Nationally, this supersector added jobs over the 12-month period, increasing 2.3 percent.

Twelve largest metropolitan areas

Atlanta was 1 of the nation’s 12 largest metropolitan statistical areas in May 2015. All 12 areas experienced over-the-year job growth during the period, with 6 exceeding the national average of 2.2 percent. The fastest rate of job growth was registered in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, up 3.4 percent, followed by Atlanta, up 3.2 percent. The slowest growth rate occurred in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington (1.0 percent). (See chart 3 and table 2.)

The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim area added the largest number of jobs, 151,200 since May 2014. Employment increased by over 100,00 in two other areas—New York-Newark-Jersey City (139,800) and Dallas (110,500). Philadelphia experienced the smallest gain, adding 29,300 jobs over the 12-month period.

Professional and business services recorded the most job growth in 5 of the 12 metropolitan areas from May a year ago—Atlanta, Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria. Education and health services added the most jobs in five other areas—Los Angeles, Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, New York, Philadelphia, and Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale. The remaining two metropolitan areas, Dallas and Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, had the most job growth in trade, transportation and utilities.

Manufacturing recorded the largest over-the-year loss of jobs in five areas—Chicago, Dallas, Houston, New York, and Phoenix. Four areas experienced no job losses greater than 1,000 for any supersector since last May—Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, and San Francisco.

Metropolitan area employment data for June 2015 are scheduled to be released on Wednesday, July 29, 2015.

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 2012 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 survey and administrative data 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 delineations issued by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget on February 28, 2013. A detailed list of the geographic definitions is available at www.bls.gov/lau/lausmsa.htm.

The Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Ga. Metropolitan Statistical Area includes the counties of Barrow, Bartow, Butts, Carroll, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Haralson, Heard, Henry, Jasper, Lamar, Meriwether, Morgan, Newton, Paulding, Pickens, Pike, Rockdale, Spalding, and Walton in Georgia.

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, United States and Atlanta metropolitan area, not seasonally adjusted (numbers in thousands)

Area and Industry	May 2014	Mar 2015	Apr 2015	May 2015 (P)	Change from May 2014 to May 2015 (P)
					Number	Percent
United States
Total nonfarm	139,297	140,298	141,450	142,420	3,123	2.2
Mining and logging	884	867	852	838	-46	-5.2
Construction	6,151	6,012	6,255	6,441	290	4.7
Manufacturing	12,140	12,266	12,273	12,314	174	1.4
Trade transportation and utilities	26,228	26,454	26,570	26,791	563	2.1
Information	2,725	2,774	2,786	2,787	62	2.3
Financial activities	7,940	8,046	8,060	8,101	161	2.0
Professional and business services	19,002	19,343	19,602	19,688	686	3.6
Education and health services	21,468	22,007	22,099	22,088	620	2.9
Leisure and hospitality	14,942	14,644	14,983	15,393	451	3.0
Other services	5,600	5,597	5,627	5,661	61	1.1
Government	22,217	22,288	22,343	22,318	101	0.5
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area
Total nonfarm	2,503.6	2,545.3	2,567.2	2,583.2	79.6	3.2
Mining and logging	1.4	1.3	1.3	1.3	-0.1	-7.1
Construction	100.0	102.5	104.5	106.1	6.1	6.1
Manufacturing	152.3	152.7	154.1	153.6	1.3	0.9
Trade transportation and utilities	550.1	566.4	568.0	569.5	19.4	3.5
Information	89.4	87.9	88.3	88.3	-1.1	-1.2
Financial activities	159.0	162.8	164.8	164.7	5.7	3.6
Professional and business services	459.5	468.9	473.1	479.6	20.1	4.4
Education and health services	307.3	315.7	316.7	317.1	9.8	3.2
Leisure and hospitality	263.7	263.3	271.5	281.2	17.5	6.6
Other services	94.8	94.8	94.8	94.2	-0.6	-0.6
Government	326.1	329.0	330.1	327.6	1.5	0.5
(P) Preliminary

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

Area and Industry	May 2014	Mar 2015	Apr 2015	May 2015 (P)	Change from May 2014 to May 2015 (P)
					Number	Percent
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
Total nonfarm	2,503.6	2,545.3	2,567.2	2,583.2	79.6	3.2
Mining and logging	1.4	1.3	1.3	1.3	-0.1	-7.1
Construction	100.0	102.5	104.5	106.1	6.1	6.1
Manufacturing	152.3	152.7	154.1	153.6	1.3	0.9
Trade, transportation, and utilities	550.1	566.4	568.0	569.5	19.4	3.5
Information	89.4	87.9	88.3	88.3	-1.1	-1.2
Financial activities	159.0	162.8	164.8	164.7	5.7	3.6
Professional and business services	459.5	468.9	473.1	479.6	20.1	4.4
Education and health services	307.3	315.7	316.7	317.1	9.8	3.2
Leisure and hospitality	263.7	263.3	271.5	281.2	17.5	6.6
Other services	94.8	94.8	94.8	94.2	-0.6	-0.6
Government	326.1	329.0	330.1	327.6	1.5	0.5
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH
Total nonfarm	2,596.2	2,585.3	2,620.0	2,647.4	51.2	2.0
Mining, logging, and construction	95.5	86.8	94.0	99.2	3.7	3.9
Manufacturing	191.8	191.4	190.2	191.1	-0.7	-0.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities	409.6	406.4	408.7	414.6	5.0	1.2
Information	75.0	75.7	76.1	76.6	1.6	2.1
Financial activities	171.8	172.4	174.1	175.0	3.2	1.9
Professional and business services	441.4	440.5	450.0	455.0	13.6	3.1
Education and health services	540.9	552.3	555.8	552.6	11.7	2.2
Leisure and hospitality	254.2	238.2	245.9	258.0	3.8	1.5
Other services	100.2	100.7	102.2	102.9	2.7	2.7
Government	315.8	320.9	323.0	322.4	6.6	2.1
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
Total nonfarm	4,526.4	4,481.9	4,529.5	4,582.9	56.5	1.2
Mining and logging	1.5	1.2	1.4	1.5	0.0	0.0
Construction	157.4	145.3	155.3	162.9	5.5	3.5
Manufacturing	410.1	407.0	405.9	405.6	-4.5	-1.1
Trade, transportation, and utilities	902.6	904.7	909.4	916.8	14.2	1.6
Information	80.4	80.4	80.0	80.2	-0.2	-0.2
Financial activities	288.6	285.7	284.5	285.4	-3.2	-1.1
Professional and business services	799.5	784.7	806.2	817.8	18.3	2.3
Education and health services	689.3	699.4	701.5	702.0	12.7	1.8
Leisure and hospitality	446.0	426.2	435.4	452.5	6.5	1.5
Other services	195.3	192.0	193.0	194.8	-0.5	-0.3
Government	555.7	555.3	556.9	563.4	7.7	1.4
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX
Total nonfarm	3,265.4	3,340.3	3,369.1	3,375.9	110.5	3.4
Mining, logging, and construction	192.5	198.2	198.3	196.2	3.7	1.9
Manufacturing	261.9	261.8	261.0	260.2	-1.7	-0.6
Trade, transportation, and utilities	673.6	697.2	700.7	702.8	29.2	4.3
Information	82.4	81.9	81.1	81.1	-1.3	-1.6
Financial activities	263.8	273.4	275.4	276.4	12.6	4.8
Professional and business services	532.7	548.3	557.2	557.5	24.8	4.7
Education and health services	398.8	412.0	415.9	415.9	17.1	4.3
Leisure and hospitality	337.0	340.8	349.7	354.6	17.6	5.2
Other services	117.0	114.8	117.8	116.9	-0.1	-0.1
Government	405.7	411.9	412.0	414.3	8.6	2.1
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX
Total nonfarm	2,923.0	2,973.1	2,971.6	2,985.3	62.3	2.1
Mining and logging	108.6	113.9	110.5	108.4	-0.2	-0.2
Construction	203.6	207.0	206.4	205.9	2.3	1.1
Manufacturing	253.0	254.2	252.1	249.5	-3.5	-1.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities	590.4	602.3	602.8	608.2	17.8	3.0
Information	33.1	33.0	34.3	33.7	0.6	1.8
Financial activities	147.5	148.5	146.6	147.3	-0.2	-0.1
Professional and business services	463.2	466.4	464.3	469.6	6.4	1.4
Education and health services	349.1	362.9	362.4	364.3	15.2	4.4
Leisure and hospitality	290.3	295.1	301.2	306.9	16.6	5.7
Other services	104.7	103.6	103.9	104.4	-0.3	-0.3
Government	379.5	386.2	387.1	387.1	7.6	2.0
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
Total nonfarm	5,716.1	5,841.3	5,850.9	5,867.3	151.2	2.6
Mining and logging	5.4	5.2	5.1	5.2	-0.2	-3.7
Construction	200.6	209.6	213.7	215.3	14.7	7.3
Manufacturing	523.4	526.1	525.8	526.6	3.2	0.6
Trade, transportation, and utilities	1,045.6	1,067.9	1,067.8	1,071.9	26.3	2.5
Information	213.0	224.4	225.5	215.0	2.0	0.9
Financial activities	323.4	327.8	327.3	326.6	3.2	1.0
Professional and business services	880.6	894.9	899.1	900.6	20.0	2.3
Education and health services	938.1	976.3	971.4	980.3	42.2	4.5
Leisure and hospitality	662.2	670.7	676.5	682.5	20.3	3.1
Other services	199.4	206.2	204.4	206.7	7.3	3.7
Government	724.4	732.2	734.3	736.6	12.2	1.7
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
Total nonfarm	2,425.2	2,502.4	2,499.8	2,500.7	75.5	3.1
Mining and logging	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.0	0.0
Construction	100.7	106.1	105.7	106.4	5.7	5.7
Manufacturing	80.4	82.4	81.8	81.2	0.8	1.0
Trade, transportation, and utilities	561.1	577.6	576.0	576.3	15.2	2.7
Information	47.5	48.4	48.3	48.5	1.0	2.1
Financial activities	168.1	173.5	174.5	174.9	6.8	4.0
Professional and business services	387.6	401.1	401.8	402.1	14.5	3.7
Education and health services	355.8	369.1	369.2	371.6	15.8	4.4
Leisure and hospitality	299.5	314.3	314.1	311.5	12.0	4.0
Other services	117.3	122.8	121.5	121.2	3.9	3.3
Government	306.6	306.5	306.3	306.4	-0.2	-0.1
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
Total nonfarm	9,177.4	9,151.0	9,226.4	9,317.2	139.8	1.5
Mining, logging, and construction	349.2	329.8	348.1	362.4	13.2	3.8
Manufacturing	371.2	366.7	366.2	367.8	-3.4	-0.9
Trade, transportation, and utilities	1,684.1	1,687.4	1,689.0	1,706.3	22.2	1.3
Information	283.1	284.8	284.0	283.7	0.6	0.2
Financial activities	751.8	750.3	752.1	753.1	1.3	0.2
Professional and business services	1,431.9	1,424.1	1,443.7	1,455.3	23.4	1.6
Education and health services	1,739.7	1,781.5	1,784.7	1,790.6	50.9	2.9
Leisure and hospitality	859.1	813.3	837.5	874.4	15.3	1.8
Other services	405.1	409.9	409.8	415.9	10.8	2.7
Government	1,302.2	1,303.2	1,311.3	1,307.7	5.5	0.4
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
Total nonfarm	2,799.8	2,786.0	2,814.0	2,829.1	29.3	1.0
Mining, logging, and construction	106.7	106.0	110.2	114.6	7.9	7.4
Manufacturing	179.2	179.0	178.3	178.3	-0.9	-0.5
Trade, transportation, and utilities	513.0	512.0	516.8	520.5	7.5	1.5
Information	46.3	45.3	45.5	45.7	-0.6	-1.3
Financial activities	203.3	204.4	205.5	206.2	2.9	1.4
Professional and business services	449.2	438.2	442.2	442.7	-6.5	-1.4
Education and health services	588.0	600.1	603.3	599.2	11.2	1.9
Leisure and hospitality	253.0	240.3	248.9	260.0	7.0	2.8
Other services	118.8	119.6	121.8	122.2	3.4	2.9
Government	342.3	341.1	341.5	339.7	-2.6	-0.8
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ
Total nonfarm	1,844.2	1,905.2	1,904.3	1,899.4	55.2	3.0
Mining and logging	3.4	3.3	3.4	3.4	0.0	0.0
Construction	95.9	99.6	99.6	101.4	5.5	5.7
Manufacturing	118.5	116.8	116.4	116.9	-1.6	-1.4
Trade, transportation, and utilities	360.5	371.5	368.0	367.9	7.4	2.1
Information	35.0	34.9	35.7	35.2	0.2	0.6
Financial activities	161.3	165.9	165.6	166.4	5.1	3.2
Professional and business services	305.9	313.4	316.0	317.7	11.8	3.9
Education and health services	266.9	277.7	277.7	279.9	13.0	4.9
Leisure and hospitality	201.2	209.2	209.0	207.0	5.8	2.9
Other services	64.2	69.3	68.6	68.2	4.0	6.2
Government	231.4	243.6	244.3	235.4	4.0	1.7
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA
Total nonfarm	2,182.2	2,226.3	2,238.7	2,248.5	66.3	3.0
Mining and logging	0.9	0.8	0.8	0.8	-0.1	-11.1
Construction	99.6	104.1	105.0	103.8	4.2	4.2
Manufacturing	120.3	123.1	123.8	124.3	4.0	3.3
Trade, transportation, and utilities	350.8	354.7	353.5	357.8	7.0	2.0
Information	77.1	80.2	81.2	80.8	3.7	4.8
Financial activities	127.4	127.2	126.3	127.5	0.1	0.1
Professional and business services	439.0	460.6	464.8	466.5	27.5	6.3
Education and health services	326.6	330.7	331.2	330.0	3.4	1.0
Leisure and hospitality	250.8	251.1	255.1	260.1	9.3	3.7
Other services	83.3	85.7	86.6	86.0	2.7	3.2
Government	306.4	308.1	310.4	310.9	4.5	1.5
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Total nonfarm	3,124.1	3,127.1	3,163.0	3,181.1	57.0	1.8
Mining, logging, and construction	149.6	146.2	150.5	153.9	4.3	2.9
Manufacturing	50.3	48.8	48.9	48.9	-1.4	-2.8
Trade, transportation, and utilities	394.7	397.9	402.4	404.1	9.4	2.4
Information	78.2	75.3	75.6	76.4	-1.8	-2.3
Financial activities	151.5	149.4	149.9	149.5	-2.0	-1.3
Professional and business services	705.9	708.6	718.6	723.5	17.6	2.5
Education and health services	404.0	418.7	421.2	419.4	15.4	3.8
Leisure and hospitality	305.8	292.1	303.2	310.4	4.6	1.5
Other services	194.1	192.8	194.5	195.4	1.3	0.7
Government	690.0	697.3	698.2	699.6	9.6	1.4
(P) Preliminary