[Economic Indicators May, 1998]
[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 389,000, and unemployment fell by 670,000.
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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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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
1997 \3\...................................................     203,133     136,297    129,558       3,399     126,159       3,879     6,739    2,062     66,837         67.1        63.8    4.9
                                                                                                                                                                                                
1997:Apr...................................................     202,674     136,043    129,275       3,462     125,813       4,204     6,768    2,088     66,631         67.1        63.8    5.0
      May .................................................     202,832     136,060    129,494       3,418     126,076       3,853     6,566    2,076     66,772         67.1        63.8    4.8
      June.................................................     203,000     136,206    129,392       3,389     126,003       3,819     6,814    2,069     66,794         67.1        63.7    5.0
      July.................................................     203,166     136,294    129,661       3,452     126,209       3,858     6,633    2,128     66,872         67.1        63.8    4.9
      Aug .................................................     203,364     136,404    129,747       3,379     126,368       3,832     6,657    2,027     66,960         67.1        63.8    4.9
      Sept ................................................     203,570     136,439    129,761       3,422     126,339       3,739     6,678    2,109     67,131         67.0        63.7    4.9
      Oct .................................................     203,767     136,406    129,910       3,327     126,583       3,732     6,496    1,990     67,361         66.9        63.8    4.8
      Nov .................................................     203,941     136,864    130,575       3,384     127,191       3,689     6,289    1,865     67,077         67.1        64.0    4.6
      Dec..................................................     204,098     137,169    130,777       3,385     127,392       3,654     6,392    1,964     66,929         67.2        64.1    4.7
                                                                                                                                                                                                
1998:Jan \3\...............................................     204,238     137,493    131,083       3,319     127,764       3,865     6,409    1,811     66,745         67.3        64.2    4.7
      Feb..................................................     204,400     137,557    131,163       3,335     127,829       3,743     6,393    1,830     66,844         67.3        64.2    4.6
      Mar..................................................     204,547     137,523    130,994       3,132     127,862       3,726     6,529    1,731     67,024         67.2        64.0    4.7
      Apr..................................................     204,731     137,242    131,383       3,350     128,033       3,608     5,859    1,417     67,489         67.0        64.2    4.3
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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 
1998 reflect new composite 
estimation procedures and revised 
population controls. See Employment 
and Earnings, February 1998, for 
details.
    Source: Department of Labor, 
Bureau of Labor Statistics.