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US Economy Added 372,000 Jobs in June, Unemployment 3.6%

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The US economy continued to add jobs in June at a rapid pace, while the unemployment rate held steady at 3.6 percent and wages rose, according to government data released Friday. online news

There were 372,000 new positions added in the month, far more than economists expected, the Labor Department reported.

Average hourly earnings rose by 10 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $32.08, and are up 5.1 percent over the past 12 months, the report said.

Meanwhile, the share of adults in the labor force was little changed at 62.2 percent.

The data will provide little comfort to the Federal Reserve, which has declared war on inflation at its highest level in more than 40 years. The central bank has implemented aggressive interest rate hikes to try to cool demand.

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The economy gained 2.74 million jobs in the first half of the year, which is more than most full years dating back to 2000.

Total nonfarm employment remains just slightly below the pre-pandemic level in February 2020, but the private sector has recovered and is 140,000 higher, according to the report.

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Notes from APS Radio News

Below is the actual report issued by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics:

Emploment Situation Summary

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 372,000 in June, and the unemployment rate
remained at 3.6 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Notable
job gains occurred in professional and business services, leisure and hospitality,
and health care.

This news release presents statistics from two monthly surveys. The household survey
measures labor force status, including unemployment, by demographic characteristics.
The establishment survey measures nonfarm employment, hours, and earnings by industry.
For more information about the concepts and statistical methodology used in these
two surveys, see the Technical Note.

Household Survey Data

The unemployment rate was 3.6 percent for the fourth month in a row, and the number
of unemployed persons was essentially unchanged at 5.9 million in June. These measures
are little different from their values in February 2020 (3.5 percent and 5.7 million,
respectively), prior to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. (See table A-1.)

Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rate for Asians increased to 3.0 percent
in June. The jobless rates for adult men (3.3 percent), adult women (3.3 percent),
teenagers (11.0 percent), Whites (3.3 percent), Blacks (5.8 percent), and Hispanics
(4.3 percent) showed little or no change over the month. (See tables A-1, A-2, and A-3.)

Among the unemployed, both the number of permanent job losers, at 1.3 million in June,
and the number of persons on temporary layoff, at 827,000, changed little over the
month. These measures are little different from their values in February 2020. (See
table A-11.)

In June, the number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) was
essentially unchanged at 1.3 million. This measure is 215,000 higher than in February 2020. The long-term unemployed accounted for 22.6 percent of all unemployed persons in
June. (See table A-12.)

The labor force participation rate, at 62.2 percent, and the employment-population ratio,
at 59.9 percent, were little changed over the month. Both measures remain below their
February 2020 values (63.4 percent and 61.2 percent, respectively). (See table A-1.)

The number of persons employed part time for economic reasons declined by 707,000 to
3.6 million in June and is below its February 2020 level of 4.4 million. These individuals,
who would have preferred full-time employment, were working part time because their hours
had been reduced or they were unable to find full-time jobs. (See table A-8.)

The number of persons not in the labor force who currently want a job was essentially
unchanged at 5.7 million in June. This measure is above its February 2020 level of 5.0
million. These individuals were not counted as unemployed because they were not actively
looking for work during the 4 weeks preceding the survey or were unavailable to take a job.
(See table A-1.)

Among those not in the labor force who wanted a job, the number of persons marginally
attached to the labor force, at 1.5 million, was essentially unchanged in June. These
individuals wanted and were available for work and had looked for a job sometime in the
prior 12 months but had not looked for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey. Discouraged
workers, a subset of the marginally attached who believed that no jobs were available
for them, numbered 364,000 in June, little changed from the prior month. (See Summary
table A.)

Household Survey Supplemental Data

In June, 7.1 percent of employed persons teleworked because of the coronavirus pandemic,
down from 7.4 percent in the prior month. These data refer to employed persons who
teleworked or worked at home for pay at some point in the 4 weeks preceding the survey
specifically because of the pandemic.

In June, 2.1 million persons reported that they had been unable to work because their
employer closed or lost business due to the pandemic–that is, they did not work at
all or worked fewer hours at some point in the 4 weeks preceding the survey due to
the pandemic. This measure is up from 1.8 million in the previous month. Among those
who reported in June that they were unable to work because of pandemic-related closures
or lost business, 24.8 percent received at least some pay from their employer for the
hours not worked, little different from the previous month.

Among those not in the labor force in June, 610,000 persons were prevented from looking
for work due to the pandemic, up from 455,000 in the prior month. (To be counted as
unemployed, by definition, individuals must be either actively looking for work or on
temporary layoff.)

These supplemental data come from questions added to the household survey beginning in
May 2020 to help gauge the effects of the pandemic on the labor market. The data are
not seasonally adjusted. Tables with estimates from the supplemental questions for all
months are available online at www.bls.gov/cps/effects-of-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic.htm.

Establishment Survey Data

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 372,000 in June, in line with the average monthly
gain over the prior 3 months (+383,000). In June, notable job growth occurred in professional
and business services, leisure and hospitality, and health care. (See table B-1.)

Total nonfarm employment is down by 524,000, or 0.3 percent, from its pre-pandemic level
in February 2020. Private-sector employment has recovered the net job losses due to the
pandemic and is 140,000 higher than in February 2020, while government employment is 664,000
lower.

Employment in professional and business services continued to grow, with an increase of
74,000 in June. Within the industry, job growth occurred in management of companies and
enterprises (+12,000), computer systems design and related services (+10,000), office
administrative services (+8,000), and scientific research and development services (+6,000).
Employment in professional and business services is 880,000 higher than in February 2020.

In June, leisure and hospitality added 67,000 jobs, as growth continued in food services
and drinking places (+41,000). However, employment in leisure and hospitality is down by
1.3 million, or 7.8 percent, since February 2020.

Employment in health care rose by 57,000 in June, including gains in ambulatory health care
services (+28,000), hospitals (+21,000), and nursing and residential care facilities (+8,000).
Employment in health care overall is below its February 2020 level by 176,000, or 1.1 percent.

In June, transportation and warehousing added 36,000 jobs. Employment rose in warehousing
and storage (+18,000) and air transportation (+8,000). Employment in transportation and
warehousing is 759,000 above its February 2020 level.

Employment in manufacturing increased by 29,000 in June and has returned to its February
2020 level.

Information added 25,000 jobs in June, including a gain of 9,000 jobs in publishing industries,
except Internet. Employment in information is 105,000 higher than in February 2020.

In June, employment in social assistance rose by 21,000. Employment continued to trend up
in child day care services (+11,000) and in individual and family services (+10,000).
Employment in social assistance is down by 87,000, or 2.0 percent, since February 2020.

Wholesale trade added 16,000 jobs in June, including 8,000 in nondurable goods. Employment
in wholesale trade is down by 18,000, or 0.3 percent, since February 2020.

Mining employment rose by 5,000 in June, with a gain in oil and gas extraction (+2,000).
Mining employment is 86,000 above a recent low in February 2021.

Employment showed little change over the month in other major industries, including construction,
retail trade, financial activities, other services, and government.

In June, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose by 10
cents, or 0.3 percent, to $32.08. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have
increased by 5.1 percent. In June, average hourly earnings of private-sector production and
nonsupervisory employees rose by 13 cents, or 0.5 percent, to $27.45. (See tables B-3 and B-8.)

The average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls held at 34.5 hours in June.
In manufacturing, the average workweek for all employees was little changed at 40.3 hours,
and overtime fell by 0.1 hour to 3.2 hours. The average workweek for production and nonsupervisory
employees on private nonfarm payrolls remained at 34.0 hours. (See tables B-2 and B-7.)

The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for April was revised down by 68,000, from +436,000
to +368,000, and the change for May was revised down by 6,000, from +390,000 to +384,000. With
these revisions, employment in April and May combined is 74,000 lower than previously reported.
(Monthly revisions result from additional reports received from businesses and government agencies
since the last published estimates and from the recalculation of seasonal factors.)

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