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Share of employment in professional and business services at all-time high of 14 percent in 2017
August 30, 2018
In 2017, the share of total nonfarm employment in professional and business services (14.0 percent), education and health services (15.8 percent), and leisure and hospitality (10.9 percent) reached their largest on record. All three industries recorded their lowest share of total nonfarm employment in 1943, the year in which the share of total nonfarm employment in manufacturing was at its highest on record.
Percent distribution of total nonfarm employment by industry, 1939–2017
Year
Mining and logging
Information
Nondurable goods mfg.
Other services
Construction
Durable goods mfg.
Financial activities
Leisure and hospitality
Professional and business services
Government
Education and health services
Trade, transportation, and utilities
1939
2.8%
3.7%
15.6%
1.8%
3.9%
15.2%
4.5%
6.2%
6.4%
13.2%
4.6%
22.0%
1940
2.9
3.7
14.9
1.8
4.2
16.2
4.4
6.2
6.4
13.1
4.5
21.7
1941
2.6
3.7
14.6
1.7
5.1
18.5
4.0
5.8
6.2
12.9
4.3
20.6
1942
2.5
3.7
13.7
1.6
5.6
21.1
3.6
5.3
6.0
13.9
4.1
18.9
1943
2.3
3.8
13.1
1.5
3.8
24.9
3.4
5.0
5.9
14.6
3.9
17.9
1944
2.2
3.9
13.2
1.6
2.7
24.7
3.4
5.1
6.0
14.7
4.0
18.6
1945
2.1
3.9
13.6
1.6
2.9
21.6
3.5
5.4
6.2
15.0
4.2
19.9
1946
2.1
3.8
14.3
1.8
4.1
18.0
3.9
6.0
6.4
13.7
4.5
21.4
1947
2.2
3.8
14.1
1.8
4.7
18.4
3.8
6.0
6.4
12.7
4.6
21.5
1948
2.3
3.7
14.0
1.8
5.0
17.9
3.9
6.1
6.4
12.8
4.6
21.6
1949
2.2
3.6
13.8
1.9
5.1
16.5
4.0
6.2
6.5
13.6
4.8
21.8
1950
2.0
3.6
13.7
1.9
5.3
17.2
4.0
6.1
6.5
13.5
4.7
21.4
1951
2.0
3.6
13.2
1.8
5.6
18.2
3.9
6.0
6.4
13.6
4.6
21.0
1952
1.9
3.5
12.9
1.8
5.5
18.4
4.0
6.0
6.4
13.8
4.7
21.1
1953
1.8
3.5
12.8
1.8
5.4
19.3
4.0
6.0
6.4
13.4
4.6
20.9
1954
1.7
3.4
12.7
1.9
5.5
17.9
4.3
6.2
6.5
14.0
4.9
21.1
1955
1.6
3.4
12.5
1.9
5.7
18.1
4.4
6.2
6.5
13.8
4.9
20.9
1956
1.6
3.4
12.2
1.9
5.9
18.0
4.4
6.2
6.5
14.1
4.9
20.8
1957
1.6
3.4
12.0
2.0
5.7
17.8
4.4
6.2
6.6
14.6
5.1
20.7
1958
1.6
3.3
12.0
2.1
5.6
16.5
4.6
6.3
6.7
15.5
5.2
20.7
1959
1.5
3.2
11.9
2.1
5.7
16.8
4.6
6.3
6.7
15.3
5.3
20.5
1960
1.4
3.2
11.7
2.1
5.5
16.7
4.7
6.4
6.8
15.6
5.4
20.5
1961
1.3
3.1
11.6
2.2
5.4
16.1
4.8
6.4
6.9
16.1
5.6
20.4
1962
1.3
3.1
11.5
2.2
5.4
16.3
4.8
6.4
7.0
16.2
5.7
20.1
1963
1.2
3.1
11.3
2.3
5.4
16.3
4.8
6.4
7.0
16.5
5.8
20.0
1964
1.2
3.0
11.1
2.3
5.4
16.1
4.8
6.5
7.1
16.6
5.9
20.0
1965
1.1
3.0
10.9
2.3
5.4
16.4
4.7
6.5
7.1
16.7
5.9
19.9
1966
1.1
3.0
10.7
2.3
5.3
16.9
4.6
6.4
7.1
17.0
5.9
19.7
1967
1.0
3.0
10.5
2.4
5.0
16.6
4.7
6.5
7.2
17.5
6.0
19.6
1968
1.0
2.9
10.4
2.4
5.0
16.4
4.8
6.5
7.2
17.6
6.2
19.6
1969
1.0
2.9
10.2
2.5
5.2
16.2
4.8
6.6
7.3
17.5
6.3
19.6
1970
1.0
2.9
10.0
2.5
5.1
15.2
5.0
6.7
7.4
17.9
6.4
19.9
1971
0.9
2.8
9.7
2.6
5.3
14.3
5.1
6.9
7.5
18.2
6.6
20.1
1972
0.9
2.8
9.5
2.6
5.4
14.4
5.1
6.9
7.5
18.2
6.6
20.0
1973
0.9
2.8
9.3
2.6
5.4
14.8
5.1
6.9
7.5
18.0
6.6
20.0
1974
1.0
2.8
9.0
2.7
5.2
14.6
5.1
7.0
7.6
18.2
6.8
20.0
1975
1.0
2.7
8.6
2.8
4.7
13.3
5.3
7.2
7.8
19.2
7.1
20.2
1976
1.0
2.7
8.7
2.8
4.6
13.4
5.2
7.3
7.9
18.9
7.2
20.3
1977
1.0
2.6
8.5
2.9
4.8
13.5
5.3
7.3
8.0
18.5
7.3
20.3
1978
1.0
2.6
8.2
2.9
5.0
13.6
5.3
7.4
8.0
18.2
7.4
20.3
1979
1.1
2.6
8.0
2.9
5.1
13.6
5.4
7.4
8.1
17.9
7.5
20.4
1980
1.2
2.6
7.8
3.0
4.9
12.9
5.6
7.4
8.3
18.1
7.8
20.3
1981
1.3
2.6
7.7
3.1
4.7
12.7
5.7
7.5
8.5
17.7
8.1
20.4
1982
1.3
2.6
7.5
3.3
4.5
11.8
5.8
7.7
8.8
17.8
8.4
20.6
1983
1.1
2.5
7.4
3.3
4.5
11.4
5.9
7.8
8.9
17.7
8.6
20.7
1984
1.1
2.5
7.3
3.4
4.8
11.7
5.9
7.9
9.0
17.1
8.7
20.8
1985
1.0
2.5
7.0
3.5
4.9
11.3
6.0
8.1
9.1
17.0
8.9
20.9
1986
0.8
2.5
6.8
3.5
5.0
10.8
6.2
8.2
9.3
16.9
9.1
20.9
1987
0.8
2.5
6.7
3.6
5.0
10.5
6.3
8.3
9.4
16.8
9.3
20.9
1988
0.7
2.5
6.6
3.7
5.0
10.4
6.2
8.3
9.6
16.6
9.6
20.9
1989
0.7
2.4
6.5
3.8
4.9
10.2
6.1
8.4
9.8
16.6
9.9
20.8
1990
0.7
2.5
6.4
3.9
4.8
9.8
6.0
8.5
9.9
16.8
10.1
20.7
1991
0.7
2.5
6.3
3.9
4.4
9.4
6.1
8.5
9.9
17.1
10.7
20.5
1992
0.6
2.4
6.3
3.9
4.2
9.1
6.0
8.7
10.1
17.3
11.0
20.3
1993
0.6
2.4
6.2
3.9
4.3
8.9
6.1
8.8
10.4
17.1
11.1
20.2
1994
0.6
2.4
6.0
3.9
4.5
8.9
6.0
8.8
10.6
16.8
11.3
20.2
1995
0.5
2.4
5.8
3.9
4.5
8.8
5.8
8.9
10.9
16.6
11.4
20.3
1996
0.5
2.5
5.6
3.9
4.6
8.8
5.9
9.0
11.2
16.3
11.5
20.2
1997
0.5
2.5
5.5
3.9
4.7
8.7
5.9
9.0
11.7
16.0
11.5
20.1
1998
0.5
2.6
5.3
3.9
4.9
8.6
6.0
8.9
12.0
15.8
11.5
20.0
1999
0.5
2.6
5.0
3.9
5.1
8.4
6.0
8.9
12.3
15.7
11.6
19.9
2000
0.5
2.7
4.8
3.9
5.1
8.2
5.9
9.0
12.6
15.7
11.6
19.9
2001
0.5
2.7
4.6
4.0
5.2
7.8
6.0
9.1
12.5
16.0
12.0
19.7
2002
0.4
2.6
4.4
4.1
5.1
7.3
6.1
9.2
12.2
16.5
12.6
19.5
2003
0.4
2.4
4.3
4.1
5.2
6.9
6.2
9.3
12.3
16.6
12.9
19.4
2004
0.4
2.4
4.1
4.1
5.3
6.8
6.2
9.5
12.4
16.4
13.1
19.4
2005
0.5
2.3
3.9
4.0
5.5
6.7
6.1
9.6
12.6
16.3
13.2
19.4
2006
0.5
2.2
3.8
4.0
5.6
6.6
6.1
9.6
12.9
16.1
13.3
19.3
2007
0.5
2.2
3.7
4.0
5.5
6.4
6.0
9.7
13.0
16.1
13.5
19.3
2008
0.6
2.2
3.6
4.0
5.2
6.2
6.0
9.8
12.9
16.4
14.0
19.2
2009
0.5
2.1
3.5
4.1
4.6
5.5
6.0
10.0
12.6
17.2
14.9
19.0
2010
0.5
2.1
3.4
4.1
4.2
5.4
5.9
10.0
12.8
17.3
15.3
18.9
2011
0.6
2.0
3.4
4.1
4.2
5.5
5.8
10.1
13.1
16.7
15.4
19.0
2012
0.6
2.0
3.3
4.0
4.2
5.6
5.8
10.3
13.4
16.3
15.5
19.0
2013
0.6
2.0
3.3
4.0
4.3
5.5
5.8
10.5
13.6
16.0
15.5
19.0
2014
0.6
2.0
3.2
4.0
4.4
5.5
5.7
10.6
13.7
15.7
15.4
19.0
2015
0.6
1.9
3.2
4.0
4.6
5.5
5.7
10.7
13.8
15.5
15.5
19.0
2016
0.5
1.9
3.2
3.9
4.7
5.3
5.7
10.8
13.9
15.4
15.7
18.9
2017
0.5
1.9
3.2
3.9
4.7
5.3
5.8
10.9
14.0
15.2
15.8
18.8
As a percentage of total nonfarm employment in 2017, manufacturing and information recorded all-time lows. The share of total nonfarm employment in government was 15.2 percent in 2017, its lowest since 1957. Trade, transportation, and utilities represented 18.8 percent of total nonfarm employment in 2017, its lowest share since 1944.
United States Department of Labor
