The Employment Situation (Establishment Survey) – February 2012

The U.S. Department of Labor Statistics has reported in its most recent establishment employment survey that private-sector employment increased by 233,000 jobs during February 2012, with job openings in the professional and business services, healthcare and social assistance, leisure and hospitality, manufacturing, and mining sectors. Professional and business services, reporting the largest job gain for the month, experienced an increase of 82,000 jobs, most of which were found in temporary help services (45,000 jobs). Since the most recent low point in September 2009, the sector has experienced a growth of 1.4 million jobs.

The healthcare and social assistance sector recorded an increase of 61,000 jobs during February. The largest gains took place in ambulatory care services (28,000 jobs) and hospital employment (15,000 jobs). Healthcare employment grew over the prior 12 month period, reporting the opening of 360,000 jobs during that period.

Leisure and hospitality employment grew by 44,000 jobs, nearly all of which originated in the food services and drinking places subsector (41,000 jobs). Over the prior 24 month period, food services employment experienced a substantial growth of 531,000 jobs.

Manufacturing employment grew by a modest 31,000 jobs during February, all of which occurred in the durable goods manufacturing subsector; fabricated metal products grew by 11,000 jobs, transportation equipment by 8,000 jobs, machinery by 5,000 jobs, and furniture and related products by 3,000 jobs. The subsector added 444,000 jobs over the prior 25 month period. Mining added 7,000 jobs for the month, most of which arose within the support activities for mining subsector (5,000 jobs). Mining employment has increased by 180,000 since its recent low in October 2009.