Bob Marshall’s December 2017 BLS Analysis for Recruiters; 1/5/18
December BLS Preface
TBMG Coaching Updates and News
Bob Marshall – Coaching & Speaking Updates:
“CyberWeek Event Offer, December 2017”
Thanks to those of you who took advantage of the CyberWeek offer of “The Classics” Audio Teleconference Series—the complete 43 session series for $500. And to those of you who purchased the whole 5 product special package, those have all shipped.
If you missed this offer, it’s not too late to let us know.
“Goal Setting for 2018—A Six Part Series”; October-November 2017
We have now completed this series. If you missed any of the parts, please let us know.
FYI, here were the six topics and the release dates:
Tuesday, October 17 – Part One – The Goal Setting Overview
Tuesday, October 24 – Part Two – The Yearly Planning Worksheet
Tuesday, October 31 – Part Three – The Quarterly Goal Sheets
Tuesday, November 7 – Part Four – The 100 Point Sheet
Tuesday, November 14 – Part Five – Advice from the UK
Tuesday, November 21 – Part Six – Be a Role Model
The next Illuminati presentation with the famous UK recruitment coach and trainer—Terry Edwards
We are still working to coordinate our schedules. More details to follow once the date is set.
Top Echelon, Tuesday Recruiter Coaching Series, Webinar, February 13th, 2018
My next Top Echelon webinar will be on Tuesday afternoon, February 13th, 2018, at 1pm, Eastern Time. This Recruiter Coaching Series is for TE members.
The exact title and description of this presentation, which will focus on how to establish Marketing Value, will be announced in the next couple of weeks.
“Look for excellence, not perfection. Everyone has flaws; the key is how they deal with them.”
WHY A COACH?
“Teachers open the door; but you must enter by yourself”—Chinese Proverb
In the opinion of ex-Dallas Cowboys football coach Tom Landry who coached from 1960-1988,
“A coach is someone who tells you what you don’t want to hear,
who has you see what you don’t want to see,
so you can be who you have always known you could be.”
Is now the time to pick a Coach?
I realize that taking that first step to engage a Coach to help you reach a higher level of production is not as easy as it sounds. After all, your training investment – and your time – are important and deserve every consideration. I share your feelings. I believe that how you approach your recruitment career matters…that you should get what you pay for, and then some…that you should enjoy your time with your Coach as you are benefiting from it…and that you should never settle for the ordinary.
So for those of you who have been toying with the idea of working with a recruitment coach, now may be the time. Only you can come to that decision point.
When considering ‘individual change management’, consider this theosophical proverb, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear!”
“Bob Marshall is a speaker’s speaker and a trainer’s trainer. He has a gift for taking the cornerstones of the business and compelling people and teams to not only hone their skills but to execute. We’ve had Bob engage our teams a number of times over the last few years and our groups always come away more focused on the core and more energized to perform. Come ready to learn because this man knows the business and will make you better!”
—David Alexander, President, Adecco & Soliant, January, 2017
If you are ready to take the first step, you can read descriptions of my coaching plans, and all of my products, on my website @ www.themarshallplan.org. Then, call me directly at 770-898-5550 or email me @ bob@themarshallplan.org.
Preface
Many of you continue to correspond with me about these monthly BLS analyses and have asked if it is OK to use them in your presentations. The answer is, of course, yes! That is why I spend the time to assemble this information. I would encourage any of you who have that desire to weave any of the information I have printed below into your presentations. I write these analyses for the benefit of our recruitment industry in general and for the members of my distribution list in particular. So use this info as you deem appropriate.
I also write these monthly BLS analyses to not only counterbalance the negative/incorrect press reporting of our general economic state but, more than that, to remind all of my recruitment readers that, at the level we work, there is no unemployment and so we must recruit to find the candidates our client companies so desperately need!
So, to my recruiter colleagues, get out there and do what your name implies…RECRUIT! When your client companies have unique and difficult positions to fill, they need you. When they are being picky, they need you. When they are longing for more production from fewer employees, they need you. Go fill those needs. These should be the halcyon days in the recruitment arena!
Finally, always remember that we are not in an HR business, but in a ‘circumventing the time factor in the hiring sequence’ business—and adding value to our client companies.
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TBMG UPDATE – January 5th, 2018
The Dow Jones Industrial Average crossed the 25,000 barrier at the open of stock market trading yesterday. The index has advanced a staggering 285% from the lows reached at the nadir of the financial crisis in March 2009. The venerable index has risen approximately 7,000 points — an amazing 36% — since President Trump’s election victory in November 2016.
Currently, at 11:33am on Friday, January 5th, the DJIA is at 25,169.34.
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The State of our Recruitment Economy is Strong
Bob Marshall, December 29, 2017
Today, as I sit in my office watching the final days of 2017 slip away, I think of what an incredible year it has been…
Costly Weather Damage in the US
According to The Farmer’s Almanac, 2017 has been by far the costliest ever in the US in terms of weather events—wildfires, hurricanes, drought, and natural disasters. The total cost of weather-related damages is likely to exceed $350 billion, at least $100 billion more than the previous high mark.
This is the first year that the US has been hit by 3 category four or higher hurricanes and it was one of the two highest-cost hurricane seasons, with only 2005 comparable. Estimates of the total damage and other costs of this year’s hurricanes range from $188 to $250 billion (current US dollars), compared with $211 billion in 2005.
In terms of wildfires, they burned 150% of the average acreage and the Forest Service has spent more than $1.75 billion fighting fires so far this fiscal year and the Interior Department has spent more than $391 million according to the Los Angeles Times.
Drought conditions still exist in the US with parts of Montana and South Dakota experiencing “Exceptional Drought.”
And, with the US continuing to experience average temperatures that have been above historical normal, the areas inhabited by mosquitoes and ticks continue to expand northward, increasing the incidence of the Zika virus and Lyme disease. For example, the average annual number of cases of Lyme disease has approximately doubled over the past 20 years.
Bottom-line, led by what was likely the most expensive hurricane season ever recorded, the cost of weather damage in the US set a record in 2017!
Our Record-Setting Economy
You would think that our economy would be in the tank by now, but that has not been the case. Consider some of these statistics and the resilience of the US economy…
The Dow 30
The Dow 30, also call the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), is comprised of 30 extremely large stocks. It represents the overall stock market performance and is the most cited and most widely recognized of the stock market indices.
On November 22, 2016, the DJIA closed for the first time in its 120-year history above 19,000.
Then, on January 25, 2017 it closed above 20,000 for the first time.
On March 1, 2017 it closed above 21,000 for the first time.
On August 2, 2017 it closed above 22,000 for the first time.
On October 17, 2017 it closed above 23,000 for the first time.
And, finally, on November 30, 2017, it closed above 24,000 for the first time.
Today as I type this email, the DJIA stands at 24,805.99.
So far, FIVE TIMES in 2017, the DJIA has broken even-thousand barriers for the first time—an increase of over 30% in one year!
GDP
The GDP for the 2nd quarter of 2017 was 3.1%
The GDP for the 3rd quarter of 2017 was 3.2%
Unemployment Rate
The unemployment rate in November 2017 was 4.1%*
The unemployment rate in October 2017 was 4.1%*
(*Special Note: the unemployment rate of 4.1% is the lowest rate since December 2000—17 years ago!)
New Job Growth from Small and Mid-sized companies
The new job growth from small and mid-sized companies in November 2017 was 78%
The new job growth from small and mid-sized companies in October 2017 was 62%
Total New Job Growth
The total new job growth in November was 228,000
The total new job growth in October was a ‘revised’ 244,000
New Tax Reform Plan
The congress passed, and the President signed, the new Tax Cut & Jobs Act on December 22, 2017. The sprawling plan will cut the corporate tax rate dramatically and provide new breaks for other businesses. It will lower income tax bills in 2018 for the vast majority of households. Overall, the act represents the largest one-time reduction in the corporate tax rate in US history, from 35% to 21%.
Personal Observations
*Our client companies want to hire and will hire if they are presented with the talent they seek;
*Our client companies admit that the caliber of ‘applicants’ they are getting from the internet is not good;
*Money to be invested in personnel is on the sidelines just waiting to be spent;
*In 2017 many Big Billers had their best years ever;
*In my 38 years in the recruitment industry, I don’t believe I have ever seen an economy like this one. The numbers don’t lie!
Time to take advantage of 2018!
And so, as I sit here on Friday, December 29, 2017 contemplating that the US temperature on New Year’s Day (with wind chill) may be the coldest that it’s been in 55 years, I am warmed by the anticipation of unprecedented economic growth that will face us all in 2018.
Good Luck to all of you! God Bless You and Happy New Year, 2018!! Bob
Glassdoor’s Chief Economist lists 5 Job Trends for 2918
Daily News, December 20, 2017
Changes brought by artificial intelligence and modernization of mobile job apps are among 5 jobs trends forecast for 2018 by Andrew Chamberlain, chief economist at Glassdoor.
“The US economy experienced a landmark year, despite 2 major hurricanes and political challenges in Washington, D.C. — 1,900,000 new jobs were added in 11 months and stock markets reached all-time record highs. The nation’s unemployment rate plummeted to a 17-year low, fueling a talent war in tech, healthcare, e-commerce and professional services,” Chamberlain said. “Although the nation’s labor market is strong heading into 2018, average wages for many remain stubbornly flat and a stark divide remains in who benefits from continued job growth, with tech skills earning a premium and many other jobs facing significant changes with the rise of AI and automation.”
Chamberlain’s 5 jobs trends to watch for in 2018 include:
- AI is changing the future of work: AI and automation are poised to affect nearly every facet of the workforce in some way, but human resources and finance are two industries that are ripe for big changes in 2018.
- Modernization of mobile job applications: Most of existing applicant tracking systems were built in a bygone era, making applying for a job from a mobile device cumbersome. Mobile apply is ripe for overhaul in 2018, but has a long way to go.
- Job growth in healthcare, tech, labor-intensive roles: Job creation in 2018 is being driven not only by innovations in tech, which will continue to expand within traditionally non-tech industries, but by significant demographic shifts such as an aging population. Many traditional jobs such as restaurant waiters and truck drivers that cannot be automated easily in the near term will continue to grow and be a core source for jobs.
- Increased transparency in the application and interview process: While workplaces have increased their transparency in recent years, the online application process remains opaque. In 2018, job seekers can expect more visibility into both the application process and the status of job applications in real time.
- Encouraging employee passions through role experimentation: More companies are creating ways to support employee aspirations outside the common vertical trajectory within a company through role experimentation.
More than half of IT Leaders expect overall staff salaries to increase next year, TEKsystems finds
Daily News, December 13, 2017
More than half of IT leaders expect overall IT staff salaries to increase next year despite declining budget expectations for 2018, according to TEKsystems’ annual IT Forecast research.
The survey found 58% of IT leaders expect their overall IT staff’s salaries to increase in 2018, that compares to 36% in the year-ago survey. 40% expect salaries to stay the same, compared to 63% in the 2017 survey; 2% expect salaries to decrease compared to 1% in the year-ago survey.
Many of those increases are likely to be marginal cost-of-living allowances, however, it is also possible that IT managers considering new initiatives in the coming year are anticipating the need to pay increased salaries to individuals possessing high-demand skill sets related to specific initiatives, according to the report.
“It is undeniable that the IT talent shortage is heavily impacting IT teams, and the vast majority of IT leaders plan to keep hiring the same or increase headcount for full-time (92%) and contingent (89%) in 2018,” TEKsystems Research Manager Jason Hayman said in a statement to Staffing Industry Analysts. “39% of these hires will be for purposes of replacement/backfilling, 23% will be adding headcount and 38% will be doing a combination of replacement/backfill and adding new headcount. This is a stark reminder that IT professionals are on the winning side of the supply-demand issue.”
45% of IT leaders expect software engineers, developers and DevOps talent to be the most difficult-to-find skills next year, the report found. Data analytics and security skills followed, each cited by 29% of IT leaders surveyed. While it is logical that programmers/developers and project managers would be ranked highly, the report noted an apparent shift in the importance of business analysts and help desk/technical support roles now being considered critical.
The survey also found 2018 IT budget expectations are close to the lowest levels seen in the previous 5 years. 40% expect their organization’s IT budget to increase, down from 49% in the 2017 forecast; 16% expect a decrease, up from 12% last year. IT leaders expecting budgets to stay the same rose to 44% from 39% last year.
“It appears as though the traditional, centralized IT department is becoming a thing of the past,” Hayman said. “IT leaders and their departments are being asked to do more with less, as we’re seeing a decrease in IT budgets with tech spend moving outside of centralized IT. That being said, the responsibilities for ‘keeping the lights on,’ including data integration, information security and a host of other duties, remain. This could also be why we see less confidence and movement in launching new initiatives within the department.”
TEKsystems, part of the Allegis Group, is the largest IT staffing firm in the US. The online survey was conducted in October 2017 and included more than 1,000 North American IT leaders — CIOs as well as IT VPs, directors and hiring managers.
IT hiring to rise in 1st Half of 2018, Robert Half CIO Survey finds
Daily News, December 13, 2017
Chief information officers in the US plan more hiring in the 1st half of 2018 than a year ago, according to the Robert Half Technology IT Hiring Forecast and Local Trend Report released today.
The survey found 21% of CIOs in the US plan to add full-time technology professionals to their teams in the first 6 months of the year, a 5 point increase from one year ago at this time.
63% of the CIOs surveyed said they plan to maintain staff levels by hiring only to fill vacant IT roles. It continues to be a competitive market for technology talent: 61% of hiring leaders said it’s somewhat or very challenging to find skilled technology professionals today.
“Technology leaders hope to get ahead on critical initiatives such as cybersecurity projects or digital upgrades in the New Year by bringing on more professionals with specialized skills,” said John Reed, senior executive director for Robert Half Technology. “Database, desktop support, development and security skills are in high demand. To secure the best talent, tech leaders should act quickly when they find a great candidate and offer him or her a competitive compensation package.”
According to IT executives, the skills in greatest demand within their department include:
* Database management: 48%
* Desktop support: 44%
* Telecommunications support: 44%
* Wireless network management: 44%
* Business intelligence/reporting services: 44%
When asked to name their top priority for the next 6 months, 24% of CIOs said they will be focused on maintaining security of IT systems and safeguarding company information.
The top 5 cities where CIOs are expanding their technology teams in the 1st half of 2018 are:
- San Diego
- Atlanta
- New York
- Austin, Texas
- Charlotte, NC
The hiring forecast is based on interviews with more than 2,600 CIOs from 26 major US markets who were asked to provide a 6 month hiring outlook.
Strongest Q1 Hiring Outlook for US in 10 Years; Global Employers Positive: ManpowerGroup Report
Daily News, December 12, 2017
US employers reported the strongest 1st quarter hiring outlook in 10 years, according to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey. The US ranked among the strongest outlooks for hiring among 43 countries surveyed in the report. Other countries with strong hiring outlooks included Japan, Taiwan and India.
They survey included nearly 59,000 employers around the world.
“Employers across the globe and especially in the US, Asia Pacific and parts of Europe are positive across a number of sectors, and people with in-demand skills will find themselves in high demand,” said Jonas Prising, ManpowerGroup chairman and CEO. “Employers will need to work hard to attract and develop people with the skills they need to remain competitive.”
The survey data showed that 41 out of 43 countries forecast an increase in staffing levels. Outlooks among employers in Eastern Europe and Greece outpace those in Western Europe. Brexit concerns in the UK may be impacting employer confidence there as the overall forecast dipped to its weakest level since 2012.
In the US, ManpowerGroup’s survey found 21% of the more than 11,500 US employers surveyed plan to increase staff in the first quarter, but only 5% plan to decrease for a net employment outlook of 16%. When that is seasonally adjusted, the net employment outlook is 19%, the strongest outlook in the past decade.
1st quarter job prospects in the US transportation and utilities sector nationwide are the strongest reported since the survey started in the first quarter of 1982, while US employers in construction and the durable goods manufacturing sectors forecast the strongest outlooks in more than a decade.
“We’re seeing a renaissance in industries like construction and manufacturing in the US,” said Becky Frankiewicz, president of ManpowerGroup North America. “These are not the jobs of the past — many are highly skilled roles that will build America’s future. Strong hiring intentions tell us employers have positions to fill, yet we know they’re struggling to find people with the right skills to fill them.”
All regions in the US reported positive 1st quarter hiring plans. In the Midwest, the outlook is the strongest reported since the beginning of 2001; hiring prospects remain stable in the other 3 regions.
Employers in Georgia, Florida, Hawaii and Utah report the strongest net employment outlooks.
ManpowerGroup’s employment outlook survey includes responses from more than 11,500 US employers.
Meanwhile, Canadian employers expect a “hopeful” hiring climate in the 1st quarter, with employers in the transportation and public utilities sector reporting the strongest job prospects, according to ManpowerGroup’s data for Canada. The Canada survey found 16% of employers expect to increase staffing levels, 8% anticipate cutbacks. This results in a net employment outlook of 11% on a seasonally adjusted basis, an increase of 1 percentage point from the outlooks for both the previous quarter and the outlook reported for the same quarter of the prior year.
“While the Canadian economy is expected to do well overall in 2018, many employers are adopting a cautious approach,” said Darlene Minatel, VP and general manager, Manpower Canada Operations. “Many companies are waiting to see the impact of higher interest rates and proposed minimum wage increases in some provinces. Bright spots remain however, especially in Quebec, Ontario and Alberta.”
ManpowerGroup’s employment outlook survey data include responses from more than 1,900 Canadian employers.
Nearly 3 in 4 Employers affected by a Bad Hire, according to a recent CareerBuilder Survey
PRNewswire, December 7, 2017
– The average cost of one bad hire is nearly $15,000; average cost of losing a good hire is nearly $30,000
– 2 in 3 workers say they have accepted a job and later realized it was a bad fit, half of these workers have quit within 6 months
– 75% of workers say they’re loyal to their current employer, much less (54%) say they feel their company is loyal to them
When it comes to costly workplace mistakes, few carry as hefty of a price tag as making a wrong hire. According to a new CareerBuilder survey, companies lost an average of $14,900 on every bad hire in the last year, and it’s a common mistake — nearly 3 in 4 employers (74%) say they’ve hired the wrong person for a position.
The survey was conducted online by Harris Poll from August 16 to September 15, 2017 and included a representative sample of 2,257 full-time hiring managers and human resource professionals and 3,697 full-time workers across industries and company sizes in the U.S. private sector.
“It’s important to note that there’s a ripple affect with bad hires. Disengagement is contagious — poor performers lower the bar for other workers on their teams, and their bad habits spread throughout the organization,” said Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer at CareerBuilder. “The best thing hiring managers can do is put in the time and effort on the front end to make sure they have the best available pool of applicants for every job opening. And, just as importantly, have good procedures in place for evaluating candidates.”
When asked how a bad hire affected their business in the last year, employers cited less productivity (37%), lost time to recruit and train another worker (32%) and compromised quality of work (31%).
What Makes a Bad Hire
How do you know if you’ve hired the wrong person? When asked what made them think they had made the wrong decision, employers who have made a bad hire said:
- While the candidate didn’t have all the needed skills, thought they could learn quickly: 35%
- Candidate lied about his/her qualifications: 33%
- Took a chance on a nice person: 32%
- Pressured to fill the role quickly: 30%
- Had a hard time finding qualified candidates: 29%
- Focused on skills and not attitude: 29%
- Ignored some of the warning signs: 25%
- Lacked adequate tools to find the right person: 10%
- Didn’t do a complete background check: 10%
- Didn’t work close enough with HR: 7%
Overall, this is how employers categorize someone as a bad hire:
- The worker didn’t produce the proper quality of work: 54%
- The worker had a negative attitude: 53%
- The worker didn’t work well with other workers: 50%
- The worker had immediate attendance problems: 46%
- The worker’s skills did not match what they claimed to be able to do when hired: 45%
Workers Have Regrets, Too
Employers aren’t the only ones making regretful decisions. 2 in 3 workers (66%) say they have accepted a job and later realized it was a bad fit, and while half of these workers (50%) have quit within 6 months, more than a third (37%) have stuck it out. Workers who said they had taken a job only to realize it’s a bad fit said they noticed their mistake based on toxic work culture (46%), boss’ management style (40%), job didn’t match what was described in the job listing and interviews (37%), and a lack of clear expectations around the role (33%).
Don’t Let the Good Ones Go
While the cost of hiring the wrong person can be high, the cost of letting a good worker go is even higher. According to employers, the average cost of losing a good hire was $29,600 this year. And while 75% of workers say they’re loyal to their current employer, much less (54%) say they feel their company is loyal to them, and nearly a third (315) say they are likely to change jobs in the next year.
The new ADP/Moody’s National Employment Report: Over 78% of all new job growth in December 2017 came from Small and Medium-size Companies—the same as last month!
January 4, 2018
Private sector employment increased by 250,000 jobs from November to December (a 65,000 job increase from November’s ‘revised’ 185,000*), according to the December ADP National Employment Report®. *The November total of jobs added was revised down from 190,000 to 185,000.
This report is produced by ADP® in collaboration with Moody’s Analytics. The matched sample used to develop the ADP National Employment Report® was derived from ADP payroll data, which represents 411,000 U.S. clients employing nearly 24,000,000 workers in the U.S.
By Company Size
Small businesses: 94,000
1-19 employees 43,000
20-49 employees 51,000
Medium businesses: 100,000
50-499 employees 100,000
Large businesses: 56,000
500-999 employees 25,000
1,000+ employees 31,000
By Sector
- Goods-producing: 28,000
- Natural resources/mining 3,000
- Construction 16,000
- Manufacturing 9,000
- Service-providing: 222,000
- Trade/transportation/utilities 45,000
- Information <-4,000>
- Financial activities 19,000
- Professional/business services 72,000
- Professional/technical services 39,000
- Management of companies/enterprises 5,000
- Administrative/support services 28,000
- Education/health services 50,000
- Health care/social assistance 34,000
- Education 16,000
- Leisure/hospitality 28,000
- Other services 12,000
Franchise Employment
Franchise Jobs 27,300
“We’ve seen yet another month where the labor market has shown no signs of slowing,” said Ahu Yildirmaz, vice president and co-head of the ADP Research Institute. “Throughout the year there was significant growth in services except for an overall loss of jobs in the shrinking information sector. Looking at company size, small businesses finished out 2017 on a high note adding more than double their monthly average for the past six months.”
Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Analytics, said, “The job market ended the year strongly. Robust Christmas sales prompted retailers and delivery services to add to their payrolls. The tight labor market will get even tighter, raising the specter that it will overheat.”
(The January 2018 ADP National Employment Report will be released at 8:15 a.m. ET on January 31, 2018.)
Due to the important contribution that small businesses make to economic growth, employment data that is specific to businesses with 49 or fewer employees is reported each month in the ADP Small Business Report®, a subset of the ADP National Employment Report.
December 2017 Small Business Report Highlights
Total Small Business Employment: 94,000 (an 44,000 increase)
| ●By Size | |
| ►1-19 employees | 43,000 |
| ►20-49 employees | 51,000 |
| ●By Sector for 1-49 Employees | |
| ►Goods Producing | 3,000 |
| ►Service Producing | 91,000 |
| ●By Sector for 1-19 Employees | |
| ►Goods Producing | <-3,000> |
| ►Service Producing | 46,000 |
| ●By Sector for 20-49 Employees | |
| ►Goods Producing | 6,000 |
| ►Service Producing | 45,000 |
Bottom-line: To my audience of recruiters, always remember this: Our ‘bread and butter’, especially on the contingency side of the house, has historically been, and continues to be, small and medium-sized client companies. Along with the large companies, these companies need to be in included in your niche!
Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary – October 2017
December 11, 2017
On December 11th, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the number of job openings was little changed at 6,000,000 on the last business day of October. Over the month, hires increased to 5,600,000 and separations were little changed at 5,200,000. Within separations, the quits rate and the layoffs and discharges rate were little changed at 2.2% and 1.1%, respectively. This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the nonfarm sector by industry and by four geographic regions.
Job Openings
On the last business day of October, there were 6,000,000 job openings, little changed from September. Job openings have been at or near record high levels since June. The job openings rate was 3.9% in October. The number of job openings edged down for total private and was little changed for government. Job openings increased in accommodation and food services (+94,000), construction (+48,000), and real estate and rental and leasing (+40,000). Job openings decreased in wholesale trade (-90,000), finance and insurance (-47,000), information (-32,000), and nondurable goods manufacturing (-26,000). The number of job openings was little changed in all 4 regions.
Hires
The number of hires increased to 5,600,000 in October (+232,000), and the hires rate was 3.8%. The number of hires increased to 5,200,000 for total private (+247,000) and was little changed for government. At the industry level, the number of hires increased in other services (+55,000) and health care and social assistance (+45,000). Hires decreased for state and local government, excluding education (-32,000). The number of hires increased in the Northeast region.
Separations
Total separations include quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Total separations are referred to as turnover. Quits are generally voluntary separations initiated by the employee. Therefore, the quits rate can serve as a measure of workers’ willingness or ability to leave jobs. Layoffs and discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the employer. Other separations include separations due to retirement, death, disability, and transfers to other locations of the same firm.
The number of total separations was little changed at 5,200,000 in October. The total separations rate was 3.5%. The number of total separations was little changed for total private and for government. Total separations increased in finance and insurance (+40,000) and in mining and logging (+11,000). Total separations decreased in accommodation and food services (-78,000), information (-32,000), and state and local government, excluding education (-21,000). The number of total separations decreased in the Northeast region.
The number of quits was unchanged at 3,200,000 in October. The quits rate was 2.2%. The number of quits was little changed for total private, for government, and in all industries. In the regions, the number of quits increased in the South and decreased in the Midwest.
There were 1,600,000 layoffs and discharges in October, little changed from September. The layoffs and discharges rate was 1.1% in October. The number of layoffs and discharges was little changed for total private and for government. The layoffs and discharges level increased in finance and insurance (+37,000) and in mining and logging (+7,000). Layoffs and discharges decreased in construction (-69,000) and in state and local government, excluding education (-15,000). The number of layoffs and discharges decreased in the Northeast region.
The number of other separations edged up in October to 367,000. Other separations edged up for total private and was little changed for government. Other separations increased in professional and business services (+53,000), construction (+20,000), and educational services (+5,000). Other separations decreased in information (-9,000). The number of other separations increased in the South region.
Net Change in Employment
Large numbers of hires and separations occur every month throughout the business cycle. Net employment change results from the relationship between hires and separations. When the number of hires exceeds the number of separations, employment rises, even if the hires level is steady or declining. Conversely, when the number of hires is less than the number of separations, employment declines, even if the hires level is steady or rising. Over the 12 months ending in October, hires totaled 64,300,000 and separations totaled 62,200,000, yielding a net employment gain of 2,100,000. These totals include workers who may have been hired and separated more than once during the year.
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The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey results for November 2017 are scheduled to be released on Tuesday, January 9, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. (EST).
As we recruiters know, that 6,000,000 number only represents 20% of the jobs currently available in the marketplace. The other 80% of job openings are unpublished and are filled through networking or word of mouth or by using a RECRUITER. So, those 6,000,000 published job openings now become a total of 30,000,000 published AND hidden job orders.
In December there were 6,576,000 unemployed workers. What was the main reason why those workers were unemployed? Two Words: Structural Unemployment. If we can’t figure out how to educate and/or reeducate those 6,576,000 unemployed, then they will keep reappearing each month as a BLS unemployment statistic—as they have. In the meantime, our recruitment marketplace flourishes!
Online Job Ads Increased 229,700 in December
January 3, 2018
*Gains widespread across all regions and most States and MSAs
*Most occupations showed gains over the month
Online advertised vacancies increased 229,700 to 4,930,700 in December, according to The Conference Board Help Wanted OnLine® (HWOL) Data Series, released today. The November Supply/Demand rate stands at 1.41 unemployed for each advertised vacancy, with a total of 1,900,000 more unemployed workers than the number of advertised vacancies. The number of unemployed was approximately 6,600,000 in November.
The Professional occupational category saw gains in Education, Training, and Library (56.0), Art, Design, Entertainment (13.3) and Management (12.5). The Services/Production occupational category saw gains in Transportation (49.2), Office and Admin (21.6), and Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance (14.0).
NOTE: Recently, the HWOL Data Series has experienced a declining trend in the number of online job ads that may not reflect broader trends in the U.S. labor market. Based on changes in how job postings appear online, The Conference Board is reviewing its HWOL methodology to ensure accuracy and alignment with market trends.
OCCUPATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
*In December, 8 of the largest 10 online occupational categories posted increases and 2 declined
Education, training, and library ads increased 56,000 to 231,100. The supply/demand rate lies at 1.42, i.e. over 1 unemployed job-seeker for every advertised available opening
Management ads increased 12,500 to 401,700. The supply/demand rate lies at 0.82, i.e. 1 advertised opening per unemployed job-seeker.
Art, design, entertainment, sports, and media ads increased 13,300 to 116,400. The supply/demand rate lies at 1.17, i.e. 1 unemployed job-seeker for every advertised available opening.
Transportation ads increased 49,200 to 393,800. The supply/demand rate lies at 1.81, i.e. over 1 unemployed job-seekers for every advertised available opening.
Office and administration support ads increased 21,600 to 506,100. The supply/demand rate lies at 1.45, i.e. over 1 unemployed job-seekers for every advertised available opening.
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance ads increased 14,000 to 123,100. The supply/demand rate lies at 2.88, i.e. over 2 unemployed job-seekers for every advertised available opening.
(The January 2018 Conference Board Help Wanted OnLine® (HWOL) Data Series will be released at 10:00 AM ET on Wednesday, January 31, 2018)
U-6 Update
In December 2017 the regular unemployment number remained at 4.1%, while the broader U-6 measure rose one-tenth to 8.1%.
The above 8.1% is referred to as the U-6 unemployment rate (found in the monthly BLS Employment Situation Summary, Table A-15; Table A-12 in 2008 and before). It counts not only people without work seeking full-time employment (the more familiar U-3 rate), but also counts “marginally attached workers and those working part-time for economic reasons.” Note that some of these part-time workers counted as employed by U-3 could be working as little as an hour a week. And the “marginally attached workers” include those who have gotten discouraged and stopped looking, but still want to work. The age considered for this calculation is 16 years and over.
Here is a look at the December U-6 numbers for the past 15 years:
December 2016 9.2%
December 2015 9.9%
December 2014 11.2%
December 2013 13.1%
November 2012 14.4%
December 2011 15.2%
December 2010 16.6%
December 2009 17.2%
December 2008 13.7%
December 2007 8.7%
December 2006 7.9%
December 2005 8.6%
December 2004 9.3%
December 2003 9.9%
December 2002 9.9%
The December 2017 BLS Analysis
According to the December 2017 Employment Situation Summary, published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a division of the US Department of Labor, the total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 148,000 in December – a decrease of 104,000 from last month’s ‘revised’ 252,000—up from the originally reported, 228,000.
The unemployment rate is also published by the BLS. That rate is found by dividing the number of unemployed by the total civilian labor force. On January 5th, 2017, the BLS published the most recent unemployment rate for December 2017 of 4.1% (actually it is 4.095%, down by .023% from 4.118% in November 2017. This is very close to last month’s number—the lowest unemployment rate in about 17 years!
The unemployment rate was determined by dividing the unemployed of 6,576,000 (–down from the month before by 40,000—since December 2016 this number has decreased by 926,000) by the total civilian labor force of 160,597,000 (up by 64,000 from November 2017). Since December 2016, our total civilian labor force has increased by 861,000 workers.
(The continuing ‘Strange BLS Math’ saga—after a detour in December 2016 when the BLS {for the first time in years} DECREASED the total Civilian Noninstitutional Population—this month the BLS again increased this total to 256,109,000. This is an increase of 160,000 from last month’s increase of 183,000. In one year’s time, this population has increased by 1,367,000. The Civilian Noninstitutional Population has increased each month—except in December 2016—by…)
| Up from November 2017 | by | 160,000 |
| Up from October 2017 | by | 183,000 |
| Up from September 2017 | by | 204,000 |
| Up from August 2017 | by | 205,000 |
| Up from July 2017 | by | 206,000 |
| Up from June 2017 | by | 194,000 |
| Up from May 2017 | by | 173,000 |
| Up from April 2017 | by | 179,000 |
| Up from March 2017 | by | 174,000 |
| Up from February 2017 | by | 168,000 |
| Up from January 2017 | by | 164,000 |
| Down from December 2016 | by | 660,000 |
| Up from November 2016 | by | 202,000 |
| Up from October 2016 | by | 219,000 |
| Up from September 2016 | by | 230,000 |
| Up from August 2016 | by | 237,000 |
| Up from July 2016 | by | 234,000 |
| Up from June 2016 | by | 223,000 |
| Up from May 2016 | by | 223,000 |
| Up from April 2016 | by | 205,000 |
| Up from March 2016 | by | 201,000 |
| Up from February 2016 | by | 191,000 |
| Up from January 2016 | by | 180,000 |
| Up from December 2015 | by | 461,000 |
| Up from November 2015 | by | 189,000 |
| Up from October 2015 | by | 206,000 |
| Up from September 2015 | by | 216,000 |
| Up from August 2015 | by | 229,000 |
| Up from July 2015 | by | 220,000 |
| Up from June 2015 | by | 213,000 |
| Up from May 2015 | by | 208,000 |
| Up from April 2015 | by | 189,000 |
| Up from March 2015 | by | 186,000 |
| Up from February 2015 | by | 191,000 |
| Up from January 2015 | by | 176,000 |
| Up from December 2014 | by | 696,000 |
| Up from November 2014 | by | 143,000 |
| Up from October 2014 | by | 187,000 |
| Up from September 2014 | by | 211,000 |
| Up from August 2014 | by | 217,000 |
| Up from July 2014 | by | 206,000 |
| Up from June 2014 | by | 209,000 |
| Up from May 2014 | by | 192,000 |
| Up from April 2014 | by | 183,000 |
| Up from March 2014 | by | 181,000 |
| Up from February 2014 | by | 173,000 |
| Up from January 2014 | by | 170,000 |
| Up from December 2013 | by | 170,000 |
| Up from November 2013 | by | 178,000 |
| Up from October 2013 | by | 186,000 |
| Up from September 2013 | by | 213,000 |
| Up from August 2013 | by | 209,000 |
| Up from July 2013 | by | 203,000 |
| Up from June 2013 | by | 204,000 |
| Up from May 2013 | by | 189,000 |
| Up from April 2013 | by | 188,000 |
| Up from March 2013 | by | 180,000 |
| Up from February 2013 | by | 167,000 |
| Up from January 2013 | by | 165,000 |
| Up from December 2012 | by | 313,000 |
| Up from November 2012 | by | 176,000 |
| Up from October 2012 | by | 191,000 |
| Up from September 2012 | by | 211,000 |
| Up from August 2012 | by | 206,000 |
| Up from July 2012 | by | 212,000 |
| Up from June 2012 | by | 199,000 |
| Up from May 2012 | by | 189,000 |
| Up from April 2012 | by | 182,000 |
| Up from March 2012 | by | 180,000 |
| Up from February 2012 | by | 169,000 |
| Up from January 2012 | by | 335,000 |
| Up from December 2011 | by | 2,020,000 |
This month the BLS has increased the Civilian Labor Force to 160,597,000 (up from November by 64,000).
Subtract the second number (‘civilian labor force’) from the first number (‘civilian noninstitutional population’) and you get 95,512,000 ‘Not in Labor Force’—up by 96,000 from last month’s 95,420,000. In one year’s time, this NILF population has increased by 506,000. The government tells us that most of these NILFs got discouraged and just gave up looking for a job. My monthly recurring question is: “If that is the case, how do they survive when they don’t earn any money because they don’t have a job? Are they ALL relying on the government to support them??”
This month, for the third month in a row, our Employment Participation Rate—the population 16 years and older working or seeking work— remained at 62.7%. This is .3% above the historically low rate of 62.4% recorded in September 2015—and, before that, the rate recorded in October 1977—9 months into Jimmy Carter’s presidency—almost 40 years ago!
Final take on these numbers: Fewer people looking for work will always bring down the unemployment rate.
Anyway, back to the point I am trying to make. On the surface, these new unemployment rates are scary, but let’s look a little deeper and consider some other numbers.
The unemployment rate includes all types of workers—construction workers, government workers, etc. We recruiters, on the other hand, mainly place management, professional and related types of workers. That unemployment rate in December was 2.0% (this rate was the same as last month’s 2.0%). Or, you can look at it another way. We usually place people who have college degrees. That unemployment rate in December was 2.1% (this rate was the same as last month’s 2.1%).
Now stay with me a little longer. This gets better. It’s important to understand (and none of the pundits mention this) that the unemployment rate, for many reasons, will never be 0%, no matter how good the economy is. Without boring you any more than I have already, let me add here that Milton Friedman (the renowned Nobel Prize-winning economist), is famous for the theory of the “natural rate of unemployment” (or the term he preferred, NAIRU, which is the acronym for Non-Accelerating Inflation Rate of Unemployment). Basically, this theory states that full employment presupposes an ‘unavoidable and acceptable’ unemployment rate of somewhere between 4-6% with it. Economists often settle on 5%, although the “New Normal Unemployment Rate” has been suggested to fall at 6.7%.
Nevertheless (if you will allow me to apply a ‘macro’ concept to a ‘micro’ issue), if this rate is applied to our main category of Management, Professional and Related types of potential recruits, and/or our other main category of College-Degreed potential recruits, we are well below the 4-6% threshold for full employment…we find no unemployment! None! Zilch! A Big Goose Egg!
THE IMPORTANCE OF GDP
“The economic goal of any nation, as of any individual, is to get the greatest results with the least effort. The whole economic progress of mankind has consisted in getting more production with the same labor…Translated into national terms, this first principle means that our real objective is to maximize production. In doing this, full employment—that is, the absence of involuntary idleness—becomes a necessary by-product. But production is the end, employment merely the means. We cannot continuously have the fullest production without full employment. But we can very easily have full employment without full production.”
—Economics in One Lesson, by Henry Hazlitt, Chapter X, “The Fetish of Full Employment”
On December 21st, the US Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) announced the real gross domestic product (GDP) — the value of the goods and services produced by the nation’s economy less the value of the goods and services used up in production, adjusted for price changes — increased at an annual rate of 3.2% in the third quarter of 2017, according to the “third” estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the second quarter of 2017, real GDP increased 3.1%. The GDP “third estimate” is based on more complete source data than were available for the “second” estimate issued last month. In the second estimate, the increase in real GDP was 3.3%. With this third estimate for the third quarter, personal consumption expenditures increased less than previously estimated, but the general picture of economic growth remains the same. The increase in real GDP in the third quarter reflected positive contributions from personal consumption expenditures (PCE), private inventory investment, nonresidential fixed investment, exports, federal government spending, and state and local government spending that were partly offset by a negative contribution from residential fixed investment. Imports, which are a subtraction in the calculation of GDP, decreased. The slight acceleration in real GDP in the third quarter primarily reflected an acceleration in private inventory investment and an upturn in state and local government spending that were partly offset by decelerations in PCE, nonresidential fixed investment, and exports. Updates to GDP The downward revision to the percent change in real GDP primarily reflected a downward revision to PCE that was partly offset by an upward revision to state and local government spending. Three Update Releases to GDP BEA releases 3 vintages of the current quarterly estimate for GDP: “advance” estimates are released near the end of the first month following the end of the quarter and are based on source data that are incomplete or subject to further revision by the source agency; “second” and “third” estimates are released near the end of the second and third months, respectively, and are based on more detailed and more comprehensive data as they become available. Annual and comprehensive updates are typically released in late July. Annual updates generally cover at least the 3 most recent calendar years (and their associated quarters) and incorporate newly available major annual source data as well as some changes in methods and definitions to improve the accounts. Comprehensive (or benchmark) updates are carried out at about 5-year intervals and incorporate major periodic source data, as well as major conceptual improvements.
(Fourth Quarter and Annual 2017 “Advance” Estimate will be released on January 26, 2018)
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR UNEMPLOYMENT EVER TO BE ZERO
‘Unemployment’ is an emotional ‘trigger’ word…a ‘third rail’, if you will. It conjures up negative thoughts. But it is important to realize that, while we want everyone who wants a job to have the opportunity to work, unemployment can never be zero and, in fact, can be disruptive to an economy if it gets too close to zero. Very low unemployment can actually hurt the economy by creating an upward pressure on wages which invariably leads to higher production costs and prices. This can lead to inflation. The lowest the unemployment rate has been in the US was 2.5%. That was in May and June 1953 when the economy overheated due to the Korean War. When this bubble burst, it kicked off the Recession of 1953. A healthy economy will always include some percentage of unemployment.
There are five main sources of unemployment:
- Cyclical (or demand-deficient) unemployment – This type of unemployment fluctuates with the business cycle. It rises during a recession and falls during the subsequent recovery. Workers who are most affected by this type of unemployment are laid off during a recession when production volumes fall and companies use lay-offs as the easiest way to reduce costs. These workers are usually rehired, some months later, when the economy improves.
- Frictional unemployment – This comes from the normal turnover in the labor force. This is where new workers are entering the workforce and older workers are retiring and leaving vacancies to be filled by the new workers or those re-entering the workforce. This category includes workers who are between jobs.
- Structural unemployment – This happens when the skills possessed by the unemployed worker don’t match the requirements of the opening—whether those be in characteristics and skills or in location. This can come from new technology or foreign competition (e.g., foreign outsourcing). This type of unemployment usually lasts longer than frictional unemployment because retraining, and sometimes relocation, is involved. Occasionally jobs in this category can just disappear overseas.
- Seasonal unemployment – This happens when the workforce is affected by the climate or time of year. Construction workers and agricultural workers aren’t needed as much during the winter season because of the inclement weather. On the other hand, retail workers experience an increase in hiring shortly before, and during, the holiday season, but can be laid off shortly thereafter.
- Surplus unemployment – This is caused by minimum wage laws and unions. When wages are set at a higher level, unemployment can often result. Why? To keep within the same payroll budget, the company must let go of some workers to pay the remaining workers a higher salary.
Other factors influencing the unemployment rate:
- Length of unemployment – Some studies indicate that an important factor influencing a workers decision to accept a new job is directly related to the length of the unemployment benefit they are receiving. Currently, in 2017, workers in most states are eligible for up to 26 weeks of benefits from the regular state-funded unemployment compensation program, although eight states provide fewer weeks and one provides more. Studies suggest that additional weeks of benefits reduce the incentive of the unemployed to seek and accept less desirable jobs.
- Changes in GDP – Since hiring workers takes time, the improvement in the unemployment rate usually lags behind the improvement in the GDP.
WHERE RECRUITERS PLACE
Now back to the issue at hand, namely the recruiting, and placing, of professionals and those with college degrees.
If you take a look at the past few years of unemployment in the December “management, professional and related” types of worker category, you will find the following rates:
December 2016 2.2%
December 2015 2.0%
December 2014 2.7%
December 2013 2.9%
December 2012 3.9%
December 2011 4.2%
December 2010 4.6%
December 2009 4.6%
December 2008 3.3%
December 2007 2.0%
December 2006 1.7%
December 2005 2.0%
December 2004 2.5%
December 2003 2.8%
December 2002 2.8%
Here are the rates, during those same time periods, for “college-degreed” workers:
December 2016 2.5%
December 2015 2.5%
December 2014 2.8%
December 2013 3.4%
December 2012 4.0%
December 2011 4.0%
December 2010 4.8%
December 2009 4.9%
December 2008 3.7%
December 2007 2.1%
December 2006 1.9%
December 2005 2.2%
December 2004 2.5%
December 2003 3.0%
December 2002 2.9%
The December 2017 rates for these two categories, 2.0% and 2.1%, respectively, are low again this month and are at, or close to, the halcyon numbers we attained in the 2005-2007 time frames. But regardless, these unemployment numbers usually include a good number of job hoppers, job shoppers and rejects. We, on the other hand, are engaged by our client companies to find those candidates who are happy, well-appreciated, making good money and currently working and we entice them to move for even better opportunities—especially where new technologies are expanding. This will never change. And that is why, no matter the overall unemployment rate, we still need to MARKET to find the best possible job orders to work and we still need to RECRUIT to find the best possible candidates for those Job Orders.
Below are the numbers for the over 25 year olds:
Less than H.S. diploma – Unemployment Rate
| 1/08 | 2/08 | 3/08 | 4/08 | 5/08 | 6/08 | 7/08 | 8/08 | 9/08 | 10/08 | 11/08 | 12/08 |
| 7.7% | 7.4% | 8.2% | 7.9% | 8.4% | 8.9% | 8.6% | 9.7% | 9.8% | 10.4% | 10.6% | 10.9% |
| 1/09 | 2/09 | 3/09 | 4/09 | 5/09 | 6/09 | 7/09 | 8/09 | 9/09 | 10/09 | 11/09 | 12/09 |
| 12.0% | 12.6% | 13.3% | 14.8% | 15.5% | 15.5% | 15.4% | 15.6% | 15.0% | 15.5% | 15.0% | 15.3% |
| 1/10 | 2/10 | 3/10 | 4/10 | 5/10 | 6/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | 9/10 | 10/10 | 11/10 | 12/10 |
| 15.2% | 15.6% | 14.5% | 14.7% | 15.0% | 14.1% | 13.8% | 14.0% | 15.4% | 15.3% | 15.7% | 15.3% |
| 1/11 | 2/11 | 3/11 | 4/11 | 5/11 | 6/11 | 7/11 | 8/11 | 9/11 | 10/11 | 11/11 | 12/11 |
| 14.2% | 13.9% | 13.7% | 14.6% | 14.7% | 14.3% | 15.0% | 14.3% | 14.0% | 13.8% | 13.2% | 13.8% |
| 1/12 | 2/12 | 3/12 | 4/12 | 5/12 | 6/12 | 7/12 | 8/12 | 9/12 | 10/12 | 11/12 | 12/12 |
| 13.1% | 12.9% | 12.6% | 12.5% | 13.0% | 12.6% | 12.7% | 12.0% | 11.3% | 12.2% | 12.2% | 11.7% |
| 1/13 | 2/13 | 3/13 | 4/13 | 5/13 | 6/13 | 7/13 | 8/13 | 9/13 | 10/13 | 11/13 | 12/13 |
| 12.0% | 11.2% | 11.1% | 11.6% | 11.1% | 10.7% | 11.0% | 11.3% | 10.3% | 10.9% | 10.8% | 9.8% |
| 1/14 | 2/14 | 3/14 | 4/14 | 5/14 | 6/14 | 7/14 | 8/14 | 9/14 | 10/14 | 11/14 | 12/14 |
| 9.6% | 9.8% | 9.6% | 8.9% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 9.6% | 9.1% | 8.4% | 7.9% | 8.5% | 8.8% |
| 1/15 | 2/15 | 3/15 | 4/15 | 5/15 | 6/15 | 7/15 | 8/15 | 9/15 | 10/15 | 11/15 | 12/15 |
| 8.5% | 8.4% | 8.6% | 8.6% | 8.6% | 8.2% | 8.3% | 7.7% | 7.7% | 7.3% | 6.8% | 6.7% |
| 1/16 | 2/16 | 3/16 | 4/16 | 5/16 | 6/16 | 7/16 | 8/16 | 9/16 | 10/16 | 11/16 | 12/16 |
| 7.4% | 7.3% | 7.4% | 7.5% | 7.1% | 7.5% | 6.3% | 7.2% | 8.5% | 7.3% | 7.9% | 7.9% |
| 1/17 | 2/17 | 3/17 | 4/17 | 5/17 | 6/17 | 7/17 | 8/17 | 9/17 | 10/17 | 11/17 | 12/17 |
| 7.7% | 7.9% | 6.8% | 6.5% | 6.1% | 6.4% | 6.9% | 6.0% | 6.5% | 5.7% | 5.2% | 6.3% |
H.S. Grad; no college – Unemployment Rate
| 1/08 | 2/08 | 3/08 | 4/08 | 5/08 | 6/08 | 7/08 | 8/08 | 9/08 | 10/08 | 11/08 | 12/08 |
| 4.6% | 4.7% | 5.1% | 5.0% | 5.2% | 5.2% | 5.3% | 5.8% | 6.3% | 6.5% | 6.9% | 7.7% |
| 1/09 | 2/09 | 3/09 | 4/09 | 5/09 | 6/09 | 7/09 | 8/09 | 9/09 | 10/09 | 11/09 | 12/09 |
| 8.1% | 8.3% | 9.0% | 9.3% | 10.0% | 9.8% | 9.4% | 9.7% | 10.8% | 11.2% | 10.4% | 10.5% |
| 1/10 | 2/10 | 3/10 | 4/10 | 5/10 | 6/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | 9/10 | 10/10 | 11/10 | 12/10 |
| 10.1% | 10.5% | 10.8% | 10.6% | 10.9% | 10.8% | 10.1% | 10.3% | 10.0% | 10.1% | 10.0% | 9.8% |
| 1/11 | 2/11 | 3/11 | 4/11 | 5/11 | 6/11 | 7/11 | 8/11 | 9/11 | 10/11 | 11/11 | 12/11 |
| 9.4% | 9.5% | 9.5% | 9.7% | 9.5% | 10.0% | 9.3% | 9.6% | 9.7% | 9.6% | 8.8% | 8.7% |
| 1/12 | 2/12 | 3/12 | 4/12 | 5/12 | 6/12 | 7/12 | 8/12 | 9/12 | 10/12 | 11/12 | 12/12 |
| 8.4% | 8.3% | 8.0% | 7.9% | 8.1% | 8.4% | 8.7% | 8.8% | 8.7% | 8.4% | 8.1% | 8.0% |
| 1/13 | 2/13 | 3/13 | 4/13 | 5/13 | 6/13 | 7/13 | 8/13 | 9/13 | 10/13 | 11/13 | 12/13 |
| 8.1% | 7.9% | 7.6% | 7.4% | 7.4% | 7.6% | 7.6% | 7.6% | 7.6% | 7.3% | 7.3% | 7.1% |
| 1/14 | 2/14 | 3/14 | 4/14 | 5/14 | 6/14 | 7/14 | 8/14 | 9/14 | 10/14 | 11/14 | 12/14 |
| 6.5% | 6.4% | 6.3% | 6.3% | 6.5% | 5.8% | 6.1% | 6.2% | 5.3% | 5.7% | 5.6% | 5.3% |
| 1/15 | 2/15 | 3/15 | 4/15 | 5/15 | 6/15 | 7/15 | 8/15 | 9/15 | 10/15 | 11/15 | 12/15 |
| 5.4% | 5.4% | 5.3% | 5.4% | 5.8% | 5.4% | 5.5% | 5.5% | 5.3% | 5.3% | 5.4% | 5.6% |
| 1/16 | 2/16 | 3/16 | 4/16 | 5/16 | 6/16 | 7/16 | 8/16 | 9/16 | 10/16 | 11/16 | 12/16 |
| 5.3% | 5.3% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 5.1% | 5.0% | 5.0% | 5.1% | 5.2% | 5.5% | 4.9% | 5.1% |
| 1/17 | 2/17 | 3/17 | 4/17 | 5/17 | 6/17 | 7/17 | 8/17 | 9/17 | 10/17 | 11/17 | 12/17 |
| 5.3% | 5.0% | 4.9% | 4.6% | 4.7% | 4.6% | 4.5% | 5.1% | 4.3% | 4.3% | 4.3% | 4.2% |
Some College; or AA/AS – Unemployment Rate
| 1/08 | 2/08 | 3/08 | 4/08 | 5/08 | 6/08 | 7/08 | 8/08 | 9/08 | 10/08 | 11/08 | 12/08 |
| 3.7% | 3.8% | 3.9% | 4.0% | 4.3% | 4.4% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.1% | 5.3% | 5.5% | 5.6% |
| 1/09 | 2/09 | 3/09 | 4/09 | 5/09 | 6/09 | 7/09 | 8/09 | 9/09 | 10/09 | 11/09 | 12/09 |
| 6.2% | 7.0% | 7.2% | 7.4% | 7.7% | 8.0% | 7.9% | 8.2% | 8.5% | 9.0% | 9.0% | 9.0% |
| 1/10 | 2/10 | 3/10 | 4/10 | 5/10 | 6/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | 9/10 | 10/10 | 11/10 | 12/10 |
| 8.5% | 8.0% | 8.2% | 8.3% | 8.3% | 8.2% | 8.3% | 8.7% | 9.1% | 8.5% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 1/11 | 2/11 | 3/11 | 4/11 | 5/11 | 6/11 | 7/11 | 8/11 | 9/11 | 10/11 | 11/11 | 12/11 |
| 8.0% | 7.8% | 7.4% | 7.5% | 8.0% | 8.4% | 8.3% | 8.2% | 8.4% | 8.3% | 7.6% | 7.7% |
| 1/12 | 2/12 | 3/12 | 4/12 | 5/12 | 6/12 | 7/12 | 8/12 | 9/12 | 10/12 | 11/12 | 12/12 |
| 7.2% | 7.3% | 7.5% | 7.6% | 7.9% | 7.5% | 7.1% | 6.6% | 6.5% | 6.9% | 6.6% | 6.9% |
| 1/13 | 2/13 | 3/13 | 4/13 | 5/13 | 6/13 | 7/13 | 8/13 | 9/13 | 10/13 | 11/13 | 12/13 |
| 7.0% | 6.7% | 6.4% | 6.4% | 6.5% | 6.4% | 6.0% | 6.1% | 6.0% | 6.3% | 6.4% | 6.1% |
| 1/14 | 2/14 | 3/14 | 4/14 | 5/14 | 6/14 | 7/14 | 8/14 | 9/14 | 10/14 | 11/14 | 12/14 |
| 6.0% | 6.2% | 6.1% | 5.7% | 5.5% | 5.0% | 5.3% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 4.8% | 4.9% | 5.0% |
| 1/15 | 2/15 | 3/15 | 4/15 | 5/15 | 6/15 | 7/15 | 8/15 | 9/15 | 10/15 | 11/15 | 12/15 |
| 5.2% | 5.1% | 4.8% | 4.7% | 4.4% | 4.2% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 4.3% | 4.3% | 4.4% | 4.1% |
| 1/16 | 2/16 | 3/16 | 4/16 | 5/16 | 6/16 | 7/16 | 8/16 | 9/16 | 10/16 | 11/16 | 12/16 |
| 4.2% | 4.2% | 4.1% | 4.1% | 3.9% | 4.2% | 4.3% | 4.3% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 3.9% | 3.8% |
| 1/17 | 2/17 | 3/17 | 4/17 | 5/17 | 6/17 | 7/17 | 8/17 | 9/17 | 10/17 | 11/17 | 12/17 |
| 3.8% | 4.0% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 4.0% | 3.8% | 3.7% | 3.8% | 3.6% | 3.7% | 3.6% | 3.6% |
BS/BS + – Unemployment Rate
| 1/08 | 2/08 | 3/08 | 4/08 | 5/08 | 6/08 | 7/08 | 8/08 | 9/08 | 10/08 | 11/08 | 12/08 |
| 2.1% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 2.3% | 2.4% | 2.5% | 2.7% | 2.6% | 3.1% | 3.2% | 3.7% |
| 1/09 | 2/09 | 3/09 | 4/09 | 5/09 | 6/09 | 7/09 | 8/09 | 9/09 | 10/09 | 11/09 | 12/09 |
| 3.8% | 4.1% | 4.3% | 4.4% | 4.8% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 4.9% | 4.7% | 4.9% | 5.0% |
| 1/10 | 2/10 | 3/10 | 4/10 | 5/10 | 6/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | 9/10 | 10/10 | 11/10 | 12/10 |
| 4.9% | 5.0% | 4.9% | 4.9% | 4.7% | 4.4% | 4.5% | 4.6% | 4.4% | 4.7% | 5.1% | 4.8% |
| 1/11 | 2/11 | 3/11 | 4/11 | 5/11 | 6/11 | 7/11 | 8/11 | 9/11 | 10/11 | 11/11 | 12/11 |
| 4.2% | 4.3% | 4.4% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 4.4% | 4.3% | 4.3% | 4.2% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 4.1% |
| 1/12 | 2/12 | 3/12 | 4/12 | 5/12 | 6/12 | 7/12 | 8/12 | 9/12 | 10/12 | 11/12 | 12/12 |
| 4.2% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 4.0% | 3.9% | 4.1% | 4.1% | 4.1% | 4.1% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 3.9% |
| 1/13 | 2/13 | 3/13 | 4/13 | 5/13 | 6/13 | 7/13 | 8/13 | 9/13 | 10/13 | 11/13 | 12/13 |
| 3.8% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 3.9% | 3.8% | 3.9% | 3.8% | 3.5% | 3.7% | 3.8% | 3.4% | 3.3% |
| 1/14 | 2/14 | 3/14 | 4/14 | 5/14 | 6/14 | 7/14 | 8/14 | 9/14 | 10/14 | 11/14 | 12/14 |
| 3.2% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 3.3% | 3.2% | 3.3% | 3.1% | 3.2% | 2.9% | 3.1% | 3.2% | 2.8% |
| 1/15 | 2/15 | 3/15 | 4/15 | 5/15 | 6/15 | 7/15 | 8/15 | 9/15 | 10/15 | 11/15 | 12/15 |
| 2.8% | 2.7% | 2.5% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.5% | 2.6% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% |
| 1/16 | 2/16 | 3/16 | 4/16 | 5/16 | 6/16 | 7/16 | 8/16 | 9/16 | 10/16 | 11/16 | 12/16 |
| 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.6% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.7% | 2.5% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 2.5% |
| 1/17 | 2/17 | 3/17 | 4/17 | 5/17 | 6/17 | 7/17 | 8/17 | 9/17 | 10/17 | 11/17 | 12/17 |
| 2.5% | 2.4% | 2.5% | 2.4% | 2.3% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.3% | 2.0% | 2.1% | 2.1% |
Management, Professional & Related – Unemployment Rate
| 1/08 | 2/08 | 3/08 | 4/08 | 5/08 | 6/08 | 7/08 | 8/08 | 9/08 | 10/08 | 11/08 | 12/08 |
| 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.1% | 2.0% | 2.6% | 2.7% | 2.9% | 3.3% | 2.8% | 3.0% | 3.2% | 3.3% |
| 1/09 | 2/09 | 3/09 | 4/09 | 5/09 | 6/09 | 7/09 | 8/09 | 9/09 | 10/09 | 11/09 | 12/09 |
| 4.1% | 3.9% | 4.2% | 4.0% | 4.6% | 5.0% | 5.5% | 5.4% | 5.2% | 4.7% | 4.6% | 4.6% |
| 1/10 | 2/10 | 3/10 | 4/10 | 5/10 | 6/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | 9/10 | 10/10 | 11/10 | 12/10 |
| 5.0% | 4.8% | 4.7% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 4.9% | 5.0% | 5.1% | 4.4% | 4.5% | 4.7% | 4.6% |
| 1/11 | 2/11 | 3/11 | 4/11 | 5/11 | 6/11 | 7/11 | 8/11 | 9/11 | 10/11 | 11/11 | 12/11 |
| 4.7% | 4.4% | 4.3% | 4.0% | 4.4% | 4.7% | 5.0% | 4.9% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 4.2% | 4.2% |
| 1/12 | 2/12 | 3/12 | 4/12 | 5/12 | 6/12 | 7/12 | 8/12 | 9/12 | 10/12 | 11/12 | 12/12 |
| 4.3% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 3.7% | 4.0% | 4.4% | 4.8% | 4.5% | 3.9% | 3.8% | 3.6% | 3.9% |
| 1/13 | 2/13 | 3/13 | 4/13 | 5/13 | 6/13 | 7/13 | 8/13 | 9/13 | 10/13 | 11/13 | 12/13 |
| 3.9% | 3.8% | 3.6% | 3.5% | 3.5% | 4.2% | 4.1% | 3.8% | 3.5% | 3.4% | 3.1% | 2.9% |
| 1/14 | 2/14 | 3/14 | 4/14 | 5/14 | 6/14 | 7/14 | 8/14 | 9/14 | 10/14 | 11/14 | 12/14 |
| 3.1% | 3.2% | 3.3% | 2.9% | 3.1% | 3.5% | 3.5% | 3.4% | 2.8% | 2.7% | 2.8% | 2.7% |
| 1/15 | 2/15 | 3/15 | 4/15 | 5/15 | 6/15 | 7/15 | 8/15 | 9/15 | 10/15 | 11/15 | 12/15 |
| 2.9% | 2.7% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.9% | 3.1% | 2.9% | 2.4% | 2.2% | 2.1% | 2.0% |
| 1/16 | 2/16 | 3/16 | 4/16 | 5/16 | 6/16 | 7/16 | 8/16 | 9/16 | 10/16 | 11/16 | 12/16 |
| 2.3% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 2.8% | 3.0% | 3.1% | 2.7% | 2.5% | 2.3% | 2.2% |
| 1/17 | 2/17 | 3/17 | 4/17 | 5/17 | 6/17 | 7/17 | 8/17 | 9/17 | 10/17 | 11/17 | 12/17 |
| 2.3% | 2.1% | 2.0% | 2.0% | 1.9% | 2.3% | 2.7% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 2.1% | 2.0% | 2.0% |
Or employed…(,000)
| 1/08 | 2/08 | 3/08 | 4/08 | 5/08 | 6/08 | 7/08 | 8/08 | 9/08 | 10/08 | 11/08 | 12/08 |
| 52,165 | 52,498 | 52,681 | 52,819 | 52,544 | 52,735 | 52,655 | 52,626 | 53,104 | 53,485 | 53,274 | 52,548 |
| 1/09 | 2/09 | 3/09 | 4/09 | 5/09 | 6/09 | 7/09 | 8/09 | 9/09 | 10/09 | 11/09 | 12/09 |
| 52,358 | 52,196 | 52,345 | 52,597 | 52,256 | 51,776 | 51,810 | 51,724 | 52,186 | 52,981 | 52,263 | 52,131 |
| 1/10 | 2/10 | 3/10 | 4/10 | 5/10 | 6/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | 9/10 | 10/10 | 11/10 | 12/10 |
| 52,159 | 52,324 | 52,163 | 52,355 | 51,839 | 51,414 | 50,974 | 50,879 | 51,757 | 51,818 | 52,263 | 51,704 |
| 1/11 | 2/11 | 3/11 | 4/11 | 5/11 | 6/11 | 7/11 | 8/11 | 9/11 | 10/11 | 11/11 | 12/11 |
| 51,866 | 52,557 | 53,243 | 53,216 | 52,778 | 52,120 | 51,662 | 51,997 | 52,665 | 52,864 | 52,787 | 52,808 |
| 1/12 | 2/12 | 3/12 | 4/12 | 5/12 | 6/12 | 7/12 | 8/12 | 9/12 | 10/12 | 11/12 | 12/12 |
| 53,152 | 53,208 | 53,771 | 54,055 | 54,156 | 53,846 | 53,165 | 53,696 | 54,655 | 55,223 | 54,951 | 54,635 |
| 1/13 | 2/13 | 3/13 | 4/13 | 5/13 | 6/13 | 7/13 | 8/13 | 9/13 | 10/13 | 11/13 | 12/13 |
| 54,214 | 54,563 | 54,721 | 54,767 | 54,740 | 54,323 | 54,064 | 54,515 | 55,013 | 55,155 | 55,583 | 54,880 |
| 1/14 | 2/14 | 3/14 | 4/14 | 5/14 | 6/14 | 7/14 | 8/14 | 9/14 | 10/14 | 11/14 | 12/14 |
| 55,096 | 55,501 | 56,036 | 55,896 | 56,202 | 55,714 | 55,381 | 55,646 | 56,365 | 56,759 | 57,110 | 56,888 |
| 1/15 | 2/15 | 3/15 | 4/15 | 5/15 | 6/15 | 7/15 | 8/15 | 9/15 | 10/15 | 11/15 | 12/15 |
| 57,367 | 57,596 | 57,805 | 57,953 | 58,155 | 57,710 | 57,392 | 57,288 | 58,105 | 58,456 | 58,667 | 59,030 |
| 1/16 | 2/16 | 3/16 | 4/16 | 5/16 | 6/16 | 7/16 | 8/16 | 9/16 | 10/16 | 11/16 | 12/16 |
| 59,014 | 59,583 | 60,080 | 59,690 | 59,613 | 59,181 | 58,434 | 58,526 | 59,599 | 59,766 | 59,707 | 60,069 |
| 1/17 | 2/17 | 3/17 | 4/17 | 5/17 | 6/17 | 7/17 | 8/17 | 9/17 | 10/17 | 11/17 | 12/17 |
| 59,921 | 61,064 | 61,156 | 61,317 | 61,174 | 60,705 | 59,923 | 59,559 | 60,990 | 61,062 | 61,818 | 62,121 |
And unemployed…(,000)
| 1/08 | 2/08 | 3/08 | 4/08 | 5/08 | 6/08 | 7/08 | 8/08 | 9/08 | 10/08 | 11/08 | 12/08 |
| 1,164 | 1,159 | 1,121 | 1,088 | 1,407 | 1,478 | 1,585 | 1,779 | 1,539 | 1,647 | 1,786 | 1,802 |
| 1/09 | 2/09 | 3/09 | 4/09 | 5/09 | 6/09 | 7/09 | 8/09 | 9/09 | 10/09 | 11/09 | 12/09 |
| 2,238 | 2,137 | 2,292 | 2,164 | 2,373 | 2,720 | 3,034 | 2,925 | 2,859 | 2,593 | 2,530 | 2,509 |
| 1/10 | 2/10 | 3/10 | 4/10 | 5/10 | 6/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | 9/10 | 10/10 | 11/10 | 12/10 |
| 2,762 | 2,637 | 2,600 | 2,464 | 2,450 | 2,644 | 2,687 | 2,762 | 2,381 | 2,417 | 2,525 | 2,468 |
| 1/11 | 2/11 | 3/11 | 4/11 | 5/11 | 6/11 | 7/11 | 8/11 | 9/11 | 10/11 | 11/11 | 12/11 |
| 2,557 | 2,435 | 2,381 | 2,196 | 2,419 | 2,598 | 2,742 | 2,671 | 2,450 | 2,410 | 2,336 | 2,303 |
| 1/12 | 2/12 | 3/12 | 4/12 | 5/12 | 6/12 | 7/12 | 8/12 | 9/12 | 10/12 | 11/12 | 12/12 |
| 2,410 | 2,336 | 2,330 | 2,062 | 2,275 | 2,472 | 2,666 | 2,556 | 2,245 | 2,170 | 2,077 | 2,221 |
| 1/13 | 2/13 | 3/13 | 4/13 | 5/13 | 6/13 | 7/13 | 8/13 | 9/13 | 10/13 | 11/13 | 12/13 |
| 2,211 | 2,164 | 2,020 | 1,980 | 1,990 | 2,358 | 2,286 | 2,130 | 1,978 | 1,930 | 1,749 | 1,637 |
| 1/14 | 2/14 | 3/14 | 4/14 | 5/14 | 6/14 | 7/14 | 8/14 | 9/14 | 10/14 | 11/14 | 12/14 |
| 1,784 | 1,845 | 1,890 | 1,642 | 1,795 | 2,001 | 2,011 | 1,930 | 1,617 | 1,582 | 1,656 | 1,568 |
| 1/15 | 2/15 | 3/15 | 4/15 | 5/15 | 6/15 | 7/15 | 8/15 | 9/15 | 10/15 | 11/15 | 12/15 |
| 1,741 | 1,601 | 1,398 | 1,435 | 1,460 | 1,714 | 1,807 | 1,686 | 1,414 | 1,312 | 1,276 | 1,208 |
| 1/16 | 2/16 | 3/16 | 4/16 | 5/16 | 6/16 | 7/16 | 8/16 | 9/16 | 10/16 | 11/16 | 12/16 |
| 1,404 | 1,456 | 1,477 | 1,251 | 1,305 | 1,712 | 1,782 | 1,869 | 1,652 | 1,506 | 1,382 | 1,361 |
| 1/17 | 2/17 | 3/17 | 4/17 | 5/17 | 6/17 | 7/17 | 8/17 | 9/17 | 10/17 | 11/17 | 12/17 |
| 1,425 | 1,313 | 1,265 | 1,254 | 1,208 | 1,440 | 1,656 | 1,731 | 1,463 | 1,285 | 1,266 | 1,290 |
For a total Management, Professional & Related workforce of…(,000)
| 1/08 | 2/08 | 3/08 | 4/08 | 5/08 | 6/08 | 7/08 | 8/08 | 9/08 | 10/08 | 11/08 | 12/08 |
| 53,329 | 53,657 | 53,802 | 53,907 | 53,951 | 54,213 | 54,240 | 54,405 | 54,643 | 55,132 | 55,060 | 54,350 |
| 1/09 | 2/09 | 3/09 | 4/09 | 5/09 | 6/09 | 7/09 | 8/09 | 9/09 | 10/09 | 11/09 | 12/09 |
| 54,596 | 54,333 | 54,637 | 54,761 | 54,629 | 54,496 | 54,844 | 54,649 | 55,045 | 55,574 | 54,793 | 54,640 |
| 1/10 | 2/10 | 3/10 | 4/10 | 5/10 | 6/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | 9/10 | 10/10 | 11/10 | 12/10 |
| 54,921 | 54,961 | 54,763 | 54,819 | 54,289 | 54,058 | 53,661 | 53,641 | 54,138 | 54,235 | 54,788 | 54,172 |
| 1/11 | 2/11 | 3/11 | 4/11 | 5/11 | 6/11 | 7/11 | 8/11 | 9/11 | 10/11 | 11/11 | 12/11 |
| 54,423 | 54,992 | 55,624 | 55,412 | 55,197 | 54,718 | 54,404 | 54,668 | 55,115 | 55,274 | 55,123 | 55,111 |
| 1/12 | 2/12 | 3/12 | 4/12 | 5/12 | 6/12 | 7/12 | 8/12 | 9/12 | 10/12 | 11/12 | 12/12 |
| 55,562 | 55,544 | 56,101 | 56,117 | 56,431 | 56,318 | 55,831 | 56,252 | 56,900 | 57,393 | 57,028 | 56,856 |
| 1/13 | 2/13 | 3/13 | 4/13 | 5/13 | 6/13 | 7/13 | 8/13 | 9/13 | 10/13 | 11/13 | 12/13 |
| 56,425 | 56,727 | 56,741 | 56,747 | 56,730 | 56,681 | 56,350 | 56,645 | 56,991 | 57,085 | 57,332 | 56,517 |
| 1/14 | 2/14 | 3/14 | 4/14 | 5/14 | 6/14 | 7/14 | 8/14 | 9/14 | 10/14 | 11/14 | 12/14 |
| 56,880 | 57,346 | 57,926 | 57,538 | 57,997 | 57,715 | 57,392 | 57,576 | 57,982 | 58,341 | 58,766 | 58,456 |
| 1/15 | 2/15 | 3/15 | 4/15 | 5/15 | 6/15 | 7/15 | 8/15 | 9/15 | 10/15 | 11/15 | 12/15 |
| 59,108 | 59,197 | 59,203 | 59,388 | 59,615 | 59,424 | 59,199 | 58,974 | 59,519 | 59,768 | 59,943 | 60,238 |
| 1/16 | 2/16 | 3/16 | 4/16 | 5/16 | 6/16 | 7/16 | 8/16 | 9/16 | 10/16 | 11/16 | 12/16 |
| 60,418 | 61,039 | 61,557 | 60,941 | 60,918 | 60,893 | 60,216 | 60,395 | 61,251 | 61,272 | 61,089 | 61,430 |
| 1/17 | 2/17 | 3/17 | 4/17 | 5/17 | 6/17 | 7/17 | 8/17 | 9/17 | 10/17 | 11/17 | 12/17 |
| 61,346 | 62,377 | 62,421 | 62,571 | 62,382 | 62,145 | 61,579 | 61,290 | 62,453 | 62,347 | 63,084 | 63,411 |
Management, Business and Financial Operations – Unemployment Rate
| 1/08 | 2/08 | 3/08 | 4/08 | 5/08 | 6/08 | 7/08 | 8/08 | 9/08 | 10/08 | 11/08 | 12/08 |
| 2.3% | 2.3% | 2.2% | 2.1% | 2.7% | 2.5% | 2.6% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 3.0% | 3.6% | 3.9% |
| 1/09 | 2/09 | 3/09 | 4/09 | 5/09 | 6/09 | 7/09 | 8/09 | 9/09 | 10/09 | 11/09 | 12/09 |
| 4.6% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 4.4% | 4.6% | 4.8% | 4.9% | 5.0% | 5.2% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 5.2% |
| 1/10 | 2/10 | 3/10 | 4/10 | 5/10 | 6/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | 9/10 | 10/10 | 11/10 | 12/10 |
| 5.2% | 5.1% | 5.4% | 5.1% | 4.9% | 4.8% | 4.7% | 4.9% | 4.3% | 5.0% | 5.5% | 5.7% |
| 1/11 | 2/11 | 3/11 | 4/11 | 5/11 | 6/11 | 7/11 | 8/11 | 9/11 | 10/11 | 11/11 | 12/11 |
| 5.3% | 4.9% | 4.8% | 4.6% | 4.9% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 4.7% | 4.6% | 4.4% |
| 1/12 | 2/12 | 3/12 | 4/12 | 5/12 | 6/12 | 7/12 | 8/12 | 9/12 | 10/12 | 11/12 | 12/12 |
| 4.5% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 4.0% | 4.1% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 3.7% | 3.5% | 3.6% | 3.8% | 4.1% |
| 1/13 | 2/13 | 3/13 | 4/13 | 5/13 | 6/13 | 7/13 | 8/13 | 9/13 | 10/13 | 11/13 | 12/13 |
| 4.0% | 3.9% | 3.5% | 3.5% | 3.8% | 3.5% | 3.1% | 3.4% | 3.3% | 3.7% | 3.2% | 3.1% |
| 1/14 | 2/14 | 3/14 | 4/14 | 5/14 | 6/14 | 7/14 | 8/14 | 9/14 | 10/14 | 11/14 | 12/14 |
| 3.4% | 3.6% | 3.5% | 3.2% | 3.3% | 2.8% | 2.7% | 2.6% | 2.4% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.5% |
| 1/15 | 2/15 | 3/15 | 4/15 | 5/15 | 6/15 | 7/15 | 8/15 | 9/15 | 10/15 | 11/15 | 12/15 |
| 3.0% | 2.8% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.9% | 2.4% | 2.3% | 2.2% | 2.4% | 2.2% | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| 1/16 | 2/16 | 3/16 | 4/16 | 5/16 | 6/16 | 7/16 | 8/16 | 9/16 | 10/16 | 11/16 | 12/16 |
| 2.3% | 2.6% | 2.5% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.5% | 2.4% | 2.5% | 2.8% | 2.5% | 2.3% | 2.4% |
| 1/17 | 2/17 | 3/17 | 4/17 | 5/17 | 6/17 | 7/17 | 8/17 | 9/17 | 10/17 | 11/17 | 12/17 |
| 2.5% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 2.4% | 2.5% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 2.0% |
Professional & Related – Unemployment Rate
| 1/08 | 2/08 | 3/08 | 4/08 | 5/08 | 6/08 | 7/08 | 8/08 | 9/08 | 10/08 | 11/08 | 12/08 |
| 2.1% | 2.1% | 2.0% | 2.0% | 2.5% | 2.9% | 3.2% | 3.6% | 2.8% | 3.0% | 3.0% | 2.9% |
| 1/10 | 2/10 | 3/10 | 4/10 | 5/10 | 6/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | 9/10 | 10/10 | 11/10 | 12/10 |
| 4.9% | 4.6% | 4.3% | 4.1% | 4.3% | 5.0% | 5.2% | 5.3% | 4.4% | 4.1% | 4.1% | 3.8% |
| 1/11 | 2/11 | 3/11 | 4/11 | 5/11 | 6/11 | 7/11 | 8/11 | 9/11 | 10/11 | 11/11 | 12/11 |
| 4.3% | 4.1% | 3.9% | 3.5% | 4.0% | 4.9% | 5.3% | 5.1% | 4.4% | 4.1% | 4.0% | 4.0% |
| 1/12 | 2/12 | 3/12 | 4/12 | 5/12 | 6/12 | 7/12 | 8/12 | 9/12 | 10/12 | 11/12 | 12/12 |
| 4.2% | 4.1% | 4.0% | 3.5% | 4.0% | 4.8% | 5.5% | 5.2% | 4.3% | 3.9% | 3.5% | 3.8% |
| 1/13 | 2/13 | 3/13 | 4/13 | 5/13 | 6/13 | 7/13 | 8/13 | 9/13 | 10/13 | 11/13 | 12/13 |
| 3.8% | 3.8% | 3.6% | 3.4% | 3.3% | 4.6% | 4.7% | 4.0% | 3.6% | 3.1% | 2.9% | 2.7% |
| 1/14 | 2/14 | 3/14 | 4/14 | 5/14 | 6/14 | 7/14 | 8/14 | 9/14 | 10/14 | 11/14 | 12/14 |
| 2.9% | 3.0% | 3.1% | 2.6% | 2.9% | 4.0% | 4.1% | 3.9% | 3.1% | 2.7% | 2.9% | 2.8% |
| 1/15 | 2/15 | 3/15 | 4/15 | 5/15 | 6/15 | 7/15 | 8/15 | 9/15 | 10/15 | 11/15 | 12/15 |
| 2.9% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 2.1% | 3.2% | 3.6% | 3.3% | 2.4% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.1% |
| 1/16 | 2/16 | 3/16 | 4/16 | 5/16 | 6/16 | 7/16 | 8/16 | 9/16 | 10/16 | 11/16 | 12/16 |
| 2.4% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 1.8% | 2.0% | 3.1% | 3.4% | 3.5% | 2.6% | 2.4% | 2.2% | 2.1% |
| 1/17 | 2/17 | 3/17 | 4/17 | 5/17 | 6/17 | 7/17 | 8/17 | 9/17 | 10/17 | 11/17 | 12/17 |
| 2.2% | 1.9% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 2.0% | 2.6% | 3.3% | 3.1% | 2.3% | 2.2% | 2.0% | 2.1% |
Sales & Related – Unemployment Rate
| 1/08 | 2/08 | 3/08 | 4/08 | 5/08 | 6/08 | 7/08 | 8/08 | 9/08 | 10/08 | 11/08 | 12/08 |
| 5.2% | 5.2% | 4.8% | 4.3% | 5.1% | 5.6% | 6.2% | 6.3% | 5.7% | 6.1% | 6.5% | 7.0% |
| 1/09 | 2/09 | 3/09 | 4/09 | 5/09 | 6/09 | 7/09 | 8/09 | 9/09 | 10/09 | 11/09 | 12/09 |
| 7.7% | 8.4% | 8.9% | 8.6% | 8.9% | 9.1% | 8.3% | 8.7% | 8.9% | 9.5% | 9.1% | 8.9% |
| 1/10 | 2/10 | 3/10 | 4/10 | 5/10 | 6/10 | 7/10 | 8/10 | 9/10 | 10/10 | 11/10 | 12/10 |
| 10.1% | 10.2% | 9.7% | 9.2% | 9.6% | 9.4% | 10.1% | 9.0% | 9.4% | 9.1% | 8.8% | 8.3% |
| 1/11 | 2/11 | 3/11 | 4/11 | 5/11 | 6/11 | 7/11 | 8/11 | 9/11 | 10/11 | 11/11 | 12/11 |
| 9.3% | 9.0% | 8.5% | 8.5% | 9.4% | 9.7% | 9.4% | 8.6% | 9.4% | 8.2% | 7.8% | 7.7% |
| 1/12 | 2/12 | 3/12 | 4/12 | 5/12 | 6/12 | 7/12 | 8/12 | 9/12 | 10/12 | 11/12 | 12/12 |
| 8.2% | 7.9% | 8.1% | 7.6% | 7.9% | 8.4% | 8.3% | 8.6% | 7.9% | 7.0% | 7.3% | 7.0% |
| 1/13 | 2/13 | 3/13 | 4/13 | 5/13 | 6/13 | 7/13 | 8/13 | 9/13 | 10/13 | 11/13 | 12/13 |
| 8.5% | 8.2% | 7.7% | 6.9% | 7.1% | 6.7% | 6.9% | 7.2% | 7.5% | 7.3% | 7.0% | 6.3% |
| 1/14 | 2/14 | 3/14 | 4/14 | 5/14 | 6/14 | 7/14 | 8/14 | 9/14 | 10/14 | 11/14 | 12/14 |
| 7.1% | 7.7% | 6.8% | 5.8% | 6.8% | 6.1% | 6.2% | 5.6% | 5.4% | 5.2% | 5.3% | 5.0% |
| 1/15 | 2/15 | 3/15 | 4/15 | 5/15 | 6/15 | 7/15 | 8/15 | 9/15 | 10/15 | 11/15 | 12/15 |
| 5.8% | 5.2% | 5.8% | 5.5% | 5.8% | 5.6% | 5.8% | 5.4% | 5.6% | 5.3% | 5.1% | 4.3% |
| 1/16 | 2/16 | 3/16 | 4/16 | 5/16 | 6/16 | 7/16 | 8/16 | 9/16 | 10/16 | 11/16 | 12/16 |
| 5.0% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 5.2% | 5.1% | 4.9% | 4.9% | 4.8% | 5.2% | 4.4% | 4.6% | 4.6% |
| 1/17 | 2/17 | 3/17 | 4/17 | 5/17 | 6/17 | 7/17 | 8/17 | 9/17 | 10/17 | 11/17 | 12/17 |
| 5.2% | 4.3% | 3.9% | 4.2% | 4.5% | 4.8% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 3.7% | 4.0% | 4.1% | 3.8% |