May-17-12 PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYMENT GAINS 6,300 JOBS IN APRIL
MARCH EMPLOYMENT ESTIMATES REVISED HIGHER BY NEARLY 5,000 JOBS
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New Jersey’s longer-term employment trend continues to be positive. Over the year, April 2011 – April 2012, total nonfarm employment in New Jersey has increased by 39,600 jobs.
“In just one month, we came within 1,000 jobs of completely reversing the March decline in private-sector employment. The number of New Jersey residents working is at a three-year high with over 71,000 private sector jobs added since February 2010. These numbers are consistent with continuing job growth,” said Charles Steindel, Chief Economist for the New Jersey Department of Treasury.
Steindel continued, “While the rate edged up, it’s due to improvement in the labor market with New Jersey’s labor participation rate climbing to 66 percent. This stands in contrast to the national figure which dipped in April.”
Preliminary estimates indicate that total nonfarm wage and salary employment in New Jersey expanded in April, up by 2,600 jobs, to a seasonally adjusted 3,889,300, as measured by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) through its monthly employer survey. Gains at private employers (+6,300) were somewhat offset by contraction in the public sector which saw employment decrease by 3,700.
Based on more complete reporting from employers, previously released March estimates were revised higher, up by 4,900 jobs, to show an over-the-month (February – March) total nonfarm employment loss of 3,700 jobs. Preliminary estimates indicated an over-the-month loss of 8,600 jobs.
In April, private sector job gains were posted in four of ten industry sectors; four recorded a loss while two were unchanged. Industries that registered larger gains included professional and business services (+5,400), education and health services (+2,600), and financial activities (+1,300). The gain in professional and business services was due to increased hiring at employment services and firms that provide services to building and dwellings. In education and health services the majority of the gain was in the health care and social assistance segment (+2,000). The advance in financial activities occurred in the real estate, rental and leasing component (+1,100). Losses occurred in manufacturing (-1,400), information (-900), construction (-600), and trade, transportation and utilities (-200). The loss in manufacturing was entirely due to contraction in the non-durable goods category (-1,800).
In April, public sector employment was lower by 3,700 due entirely to a decrease at the local government level. Local government employment includes county, municipal and local government education workers.
Over the month, the unadjusted workweek for production workers increased 0.4 hours to 41.6 hours, average hourly earnings were higher by $0.06 to $19.25 and weekly earnings rose by $10.17 to $800.80. Compared to April of last year, the unadjusted workweek increased by 1.5 hours, average hourly earnings increased by $0.11 and weekly earnings were higher by $33.29.
Press Release Tables
Technical Notes: Estimates of industry employment and unemployment levels are arrived at through the use of two different monthly surveys.
Industry employment data are derived through the Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey, a monthly survey of business establishments conducted by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) of the US Department of Labor, which provides estimates of employment, hours, and earnings data broken down by industry for the nation as a whole, all states, and most major metropolitan areas (often referred to as the “establishment” survey).
Resident employment and unemployment data are mainly derived from the New Jersey portion of the national Current Population Survey (CPS), a household survey conducted each month by the US Census Bureau under contract with BLS, which provides input to the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program (often referred to as the “household” survey).
Both industry and household estimates are revised each month based on additional information from updated survey reports compiled by BLS. In addition, these estimates are benchmarked (revised) annually based on actual counts from New Jersey’s Unemployment Compensation Law administrative records and other data.
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