December employment by category

The charts below show employment by category. The blue line is total employment in the category, the orange bar is monthly change and the red line is the linear regression in the last two years.

Total payroll increased 292k in December, after a 252k growth in November (which was revised up from 211k). The trend for the last 6 months slowed from 280k/month by the end of last year to 229k in the 6 months to December.

Private payroll increased 275k in December, after 240k growth in November (revised up from 197k). The trend for the last 6 months slowed from 270k/month by the end of last year to 219k in the 6 months to December.

Most of the slowdown in the pace of job creation was concentrated in the goods producing sector (mining and manufacturing); construction jobs are doing ok and the the services sector has, so far, not being affected by manufacturing slowdown. Overall, the 6-month pace of job creation in the goods sector slowed from 50k (at the end of last year) to close to 17k, while in the services sector it slowed from 220k to 202k in the same comparison.

Employment categories

  • Total nonfarm
    • Total private
      • Goods-producing
        • Mining and logging
        • Construction
        • Manufacturing
      • Private service-providing
        • Trade, transportation, and utilities
          • Wholesale trade
          • Retail trade
          • Transportation and warehousing
          • Utilities
        • Information
        • Financial activities
        • Professional and business services
          • Temporary help services
        • Education and health services
          • Educational services
          • Health care and social assistance
        • Leisure and hospitality
        • Other services
    • Government

Charts

Total nonfarm (trend from 242.1 to 241.7 to 243.3/m)

Total private (trend from 235.0 to 234.5 to 235.5/m)

Goods-producing (trend from 32.4 to 30.4 to 28.9/m)

Mining and logging (trend from -1.5 to -2.0 to -2.3/m)

Construction (trend from 21.8 to 21.7 to 21.8/m)

Manufacturing (trend from 13.0 to 12.0 to 11.2/m)

Private service-providing (trend from 202.6 to 204.1 to 206.7/m)

Wholesale trade (trend from 7.8 to 7.5 to 7.3/m)

Retail trade (trend from 23.9 to 24.2 to 23.9/m)

Transportation and warehousing (trend from 12.1 to 11.4 to 11.5/m)

Utilities (trend from 0.7 to 0.8 to 0.8/m)

Information (trend from 3.8 to 3.9 to 4.2/m)

Financial activities (trend from 11.8 to 12.2 to 12.4/m)

Professional and business services (trend from 54.2 to 54.4 to 54.9/m)

Temporary help services (trend from 11.7 to 11.2 to 11.1/m)

Educational services (trend from 4.1 to 4.4 to 4.6/m)

Health care and social assistance (trend from 40.9 to 42.3 to 43.8/m)

Leisure and hospitality (trend from 37.1 to 37.3 to 37.5/m)

Other services (trend from 6.1 to 5.8 to 5.8/m)

Government (trend from 7.1 to 7.2 to 7.7/m)

Dr. Paulo Gustavo Grahl, CFA (2016-01-11)