[Economic Indicators May, 1997]
[Page Number 11]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



 
EMPLOYMENT, UNEMPLOYMENT, AND WAGES

STATUS OF THE LABOR FORCE

In April, employment rose by 209,000 and unemployment fell by 430,000.
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                                    [Thousands of persons 16 years of age and over, except as noted; monthly data seasonally adjusted except as noted by NSA]                                   
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                                                                                                   Civilian employment                 Unemployment                         Percent \2\         
                                                                                    ------------------------------------------------------------------            ------------------------------
                                                               Civilian                                          Nonagricultural                                                                
                                                             noninstitu-   Civilian                          -----------------------             15      Not in                   Employ-  Unem-
                           Period                               tional      labor                                        Part time             weeks      labor     Labor force    ment/   ploy-
                                                              population    force      Total    Agricultural                for       Total     and       force    participation    pop-    ment
                                                                 NSA                                            Total     economic              over                    rate      ulation   rate
                                                                                                                        reasons \1\                                                ratio        
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1987.......................................................     182,753     119,865    112,440       3,208     109,232       5,122     7,425    1,983     62,888         65.6        61.5    6.2
1988.......................................................     184,613     121,669    114,968       3,169     111,800       4,965     6,701    1,610     62,944         65.9        62.3    5.5
1989.......................................................     186,393     123,869    117,342       3,199     114,142       4,657     6,528    1,375     62,523         66.5        63.0    5.3
1990 \3\...................................................     189,164     125,840    118,793       3,223     115,570       4,950     7,047    1,525     63,324         66.5        62.8    5.6
1991.......................................................     190,925     126,346    117,718       3,269     114,449       5,874     8,628    2,357     64,578         66.2        61.7    6.8
1992.......................................................     192,805     128,105    118,492       3,247     115,245       6,240     9,613    3,408     64,700         66.4        61.5    7.5
1993.......................................................     194,838     129,200    120,259       3,115     117,144       6,230     8,940    3,094     65,638         66.3        61.7    6.9
1994 \4\...................................................     196,814     131,056    123,060       3,409     119,651       4,414     7,996    2,860     65,758         66.6        62.5    6.1
1995.......................................................     198,584     132,304    124,900       3,440     121,460       4,279     7,404    2,363     66,280         66.6        62.9    5.6
1996.......................................................     200,591     133,943    126,708       3,443     123,264       4,123     7,236    2,316     66,647         66.8        63.2    5.4
                                                                                                                                                                                                
1996:Apr...................................................     200,101     133,427    126,125       3,412     122,713       4,251     7,302    2,387     66,674         66.7        63.0    5.5
      May..................................................     200,278     133,759    126,428       3,474     122,954       4,109     7,331    2,354     66,519         66.8        63.1    5.5
      June.................................................     200,459     133,709    126,590       3,408     123,182       4,161     7,119    2,353     66,750         66.7        63.2    5.3
      July.................................................     200,641     134,165    126,889       3,470     123,419       4,150     7,276    2,326     66,476         66.9        63.2    5.4
      Aug..................................................     200,847     133,898    126,988       3,418     123,570       4,182     6,910    2,273     66,949         66.7        63.2    5.2
      Sept.................................................     201,060     134,291    127,248       3,480     123,768       4,130     7,043    2,277     66,770         66.8        63.3    5.2
      Oct..................................................     201,273     134,636    127,617       3,450     124,167       4,118     7,019    2,294     66,637         66.9        63.4    5.2
      Nov..................................................     201,463     134,831    127,644       3,354     124,290       3,815     7,187    2,184     66,632         66.9        63.4    5.3
      Dec..................................................     201,636     135,022    127,855       3,426     124,429       4,162     7,167    2,179     66,614         67.0        63.4    5.3
                                                                                                                                                                                                
1997:Jan \3\...............................................     202,285     135,848    128,580       3,468     125,112       4,163     7,268    2,155     66,437         67.2        63.6    5.4
      Feb..................................................     202,388     135,634    128,430       3,292     125,138       4,098     7,205    2,163     66,754         67.0        63.5    5.3
      Mar..................................................     202,513     136,319    129,175       3,386     125,789       3,937     7,144    2,064     66,194         67.3        63.8    5.2
      Apr..................................................     202,674     136,098    129,384       3,497     125,887       4,235     6,714    2,092     66,577         67.2        63.8    4.9
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    \1\ Persons at work. Economic 
reasons include slack work, material 
shortages, inability to find 
fulltime work, etc.
    \2\ Civilian labor force (or 
employment) as percent of civilian 
noninstitutional population; and 
unemployment as percent of civilian 
labor force.
    \3\ Not strictly comparable with 
earlier data.
    \4\ Data beginning January 1994 
are not directly comparable with 
data for earlier periods because of 
a major redesign of the household 
survey questionnaire.

    Note.--Data beginning January 
1997 reflect revised population 
controls. See Employment and 
Earnings, February 1997, for 
details.
    Source: Department of Labor, 
Bureau of Labor Statistics.