Statement of Bureau of Labor Statistics

[RTFX-Trading]

Statement of

Philip L. Rones
Deputy Commissioner
Bureau of Labor Statistics

Friday, June 1, 2007



Nonfarm payroll employment rose by 157,000 in May to
137.8 million. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.5
percent. Job growth continued in a number of service-
providing industries, while employment declined in manu-
facturing. In the first 5 months of 2007, payroll job
growth averaged 133,000 per month, compared with 189,000
per month in 2006.

Food services and drinking places added 35,000 jobs in
May and 361,000 over the year. Over the month, health care
employment grew by 25,000, with gains in hospitals and
ambulatory health care services. Employment in social
assistance continued to rise; the industry added 32,000
jobs over the last 3 months.

Within professional and technical services, employment
increased in computer systems design and in architectural
and engineering services. Elsewhere in the service-providing
sector, employment continued to trend up in wholesale trade,
information, and private education. Employment in financial
activities was essentially unchanged over the month, reflecting
offsetting movements in its component industries.

Manufacturing employment continued to decline in May
(-19,000), reflecting a large job loss in motor vehicles and
parts (-10,000) and smaller declines in other industries. Over
the year, manufacturing lost 164,000 jobs; nearly half were
in the motor vehicle and parts industry. Average weekly hours
and overtime in factories each fell by 0.1 hour in May to 41.0
and 4.1 hours, respectively.

Construction employment was unchanged in May. Since its
recent peak in September, construction employment has decreased
by 54,000. Elsewhere in the goods-producing sector, mining
employment continued its upward trend in May.

Average hourly earnings for private production and non-
supervisory workers rose by 6 cents (0.3 percent) to $17.30
in May. Over the year, average hourly earnings increased
by 3.8 percent.

Results from the survey of households showed that both
the unemployment rate, at 4.5 percent, and the number of
unemployed, at 6.8 million, were unchanged over the month.
The unemployment rate has ranged from 4.4 to 4.6 percent
since last September. The proportion of the overall popu-
lation that was employed in May--63.0 percent--was unchanged
from April; the rate is down from its recent high of
63.4 percent in December. The number of persons who worked
part time for reasons such as slack work or the inability to
find full-time work was about unchanged over the month but
has risen by 332,000 over the year.

In summary, nonfarm payroll employment rose by 157,000
in May, and the unemployment rate held at 4.5 percent.