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Nonfarm payroll employment increased by 559,000 in May 2021
June 08, 2021
Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 559,000 in May 2021, following increases of 278,000 in April and 785,000 in March. In May, nonfarm payroll employment was down by 7.6 million, or 5.0 percent, from its pre-pandemic level in February 2020. Notable job gains occurred in leisure and hospitality, in public and private education, and in health care and social assistance in May.
Employment levels by industry, seasonally adjusted
Month
Total nonfarm
Total private
Mining and logging
Construction
Manufacturing
Wholesale trade
Retail trade
Transportation and warehousing
May 2019
150,545,000
127,989,000
738,000
7,478,000
12,817,000
5,889,700
15,608,400
5,628,200
Jun 2019
150,720,000
128,158,000
734,000
7,499,000
12,822,000
5,886,800
15,598,400
5,662,600
Jul 2019
150,913,000
128,306,000
727,000
7,503,000
12,820,000
5,890,000
15,595,400
5,676,100
Aug 2019
151,108,000
128,445,000
719,000
7,506,000
12,820,000
5,887,300
15,576,100
5,683,500
Sep 2019
151,329,000
128,639,000
718,000
7,524,000
12,814,000
5,889,600
15,584,500
5,705,400
Oct 2019
151,524,000
128,832,000
719,000
7,544,000
12,769,000
5,895,300
15,608,400
5,724,700
Nov 2019
151,758,000
129,042,000
707,000
7,546,000
12,818,000
5,893,400
15,576,000
5,747,700
Dec 2019
151,919,000
129,190,000
694,000
7,557,000
12,809,000
5,899,100
15,619,100
5,761,000
Jan 2020
152,234,000
129,445,000
689,000
7,615,000
12,792,000
5,901,100
15,605,200
5,798,100
Feb 2020
152,523,000
129,688,000
690,000
7,648,000
12,799,000
5,895,200
15,609,800
5,823,100
Mar 2020
150,840,000
128,066,000
674,000
7,557,000
12,718,000
5,876,600
15,483,600
5,822,100
Apr 2020
130,161,000
108,335,000
622,000
6,535,000
11,414,000
5,486,000
13,235,300
5,248,500
May 2020
132,994,000
111,680,000
601,000
7,004,000
11,657,000
5,508,600
13,644,100
5,239,000
Jun 2020
137,840,000
116,487,000
597,000
7,171,000
11,999,000
5,556,900
14,502,800
5,335,700
Jul 2020
139,566,000
118,010,000
593,000
7,197,000
12,037,000
5,537,400
14,742,900
5,385,200
Aug 2020
141,149,000
119,076,000
589,000
7,223,000
12,068,000
5,544,500
14,995,800
5,472,400
Sep 2020
141,865,000
120,008,000
592,000
7,256,000
12,123,000
5,578,400
15,025,300
5,516,400
Oct 2020
142,545,000
120,962,000
594,000
7,329,000
12,155,000
5,587,600
15,131,800
5,587,700
Nov 2020
142,809,000
121,321,000
597,000
7,353,000
12,196,000
5,602,400
15,129,700
5,711,300
Dec 2020
142,503,000
121,047,000
597,000
7,400,000
12,231,000
5,617,200
15,159,800
5,668,100
Jan 2021
142,736,000
121,169,000
596,000
7,412,000
12,213,000
5,631,400
15,178,300
5,674,000
Feb 2021
143,272,000
121,791,000
598,000
7,355,000
12,248,000
5,639,100
15,192,700
5,710,400
Mar 2021
144,057,000
122,515,000
613,000
7,448,000
12,299,000
5,658,000
15,234,600
5,753,100
Apr 2021
144,335,000
122,734,000
614,000
7,443,000
12,267,000
5,664,200
15,204,400
5,700,400
May 2021
144,894,000
123,226,000
614,000
7,423,000
12,290,000
5,684,100
15,198,600
5,723,300
Employment levels by industry, seasonally adjusted
Month
Utilities
Information
Financial activities
Professional and business services
Education and health services
Leisure and hospitality
Other services
Government
May 2019
549,300
2,854,000
8,730,000
21,230,000
24,074,000
16,514,000
5,878,000
22,556,000
Jun 2019
550,700
2,868,000
8,738,000
21,261,000
24,119,000
16,524,000
5,894,000
22,562,000
Jul 2019
550,100
2,868,000
8,762,000
21,291,000
24,184,000
16,535,000
5,904,000
22,607,000
Aug 2019
549,500
2,870,000
8,779,000
21,320,000
24,246,000
16,580,000
5,909,000
22,663,000
Sep 2019
548,400
2,874,000
8,784,000
21,340,000
24,305,000
16,648,000
5,904,000
22,690,000
Oct 2019
546,800
2,876,000
8,805,000
21,374,000
24,340,000
16,727,000
5,903,000
22,692,000
Nov 2019
547,900
2,886,000
8,824,000
21,405,000
24,406,000
16,769,000
5,916,000
22,716,000
Dec 2019
548,600
2,897,000
8,832,000
21,410,000
24,433,000
16,811,000
5,919,000
22,729,000
Jan 2020
547,600
2,910,000
8,849,000
21,437,000
24,513,000
16,858,000
5,930,000
22,789,000
Feb 2020
547,400
2,914,000
8,875,000
21,469,000
24,565,000
16,915,000
5,937,000
22,835,000
Mar 2020
547,000
2,898,000
8,850,000
21,318,000
24,347,000
16,133,000
5,842,000
22,774,000
Apr 2020
543,500
2,633,000
8,596,000
19,082,000
21,722,000
8,691,000
4,527,000
21,826,000
May 2020
542,000
2,594,000
8,613,000
19,247,000
22,107,000
10,146,000
4,777,000
21,314,000
Jun 2020
539,000
2,602,000
8,634,000
19,568,000
22,671,000
12,158,000
5,153,000
21,353,000
Jul 2020
539,500
2,592,000
8,646,000
19,715,000
22,885,000
12,824,000
5,316,000
21,556,000
Aug 2020
539,900
2,617,000
8,674,000
19,915,000
23,084,000
12,963,000
5,390,000
22,073,000
Sep 2020
541,600
2,659,000
8,712,000
20,055,000
23,152,000
13,357,000
5,440,000
21,857,000
Oct 2020
540,100
2,650,000
8,746,000
20,296,000
23,235,000
13,622,000
5,488,000
21,583,000
Nov 2020
539,500
2,650,000
8,756,000
20,391,000
23,278,000
13,632,000
5,485,000
21,488,000
Dec 2020
538,500
2,659,000
8,774,000
20,550,000
23,249,000
13,134,000
5,469,000
21,456,000
Jan 2021
539,400
2,672,000
8,781,000
20,640,000
23,235,000
13,117,000
5,480,000
21,567,000
Feb 2021
539,200
2,678,000
8,774,000
20,733,000
23,292,000
13,530,000
5,502,000
21,481,000
Mar 2021
539,800
2,683,000
8,787,000
20,807,000
23,396,000
13,757,000
5,539,000
21,542,000
Apr 2021
540,400
2,692,000
8,803,000
20,726,000
23,421,000
14,085,000
5,574,000
21,601,000
May 2021
540,200
2,721,000
8,802,000
20,761,000
23,508,000
14,377,000
5,584,000
21,668,000
Employment levels by industry, seasonally adjusted
Month
Federal government
State government
Local government
May 2019
2,825,000
5,174,000
14,557,000
Jun 2019
2,827,000
5,180,000
14,555,000
Jul 2019
2,828,000
5,199,000
14,580,000
Aug 2019
2,854,000
5,225,000
14,584,000
Sep 2019
2,853,000
5,231,000
14,606,000
Oct 2019
2,839,000
5,243,000
14,610,000
Nov 2019
2,844,000
5,251,000
14,621,000
Dec 2019
2,842,000
5,257,000
14,630,000
Jan 2020
2,852,000
5,284,000
14,653,000
Feb 2020
2,863,000
5,303,000
14,669,000
Mar 2020
2,879,000
5,242,000
14,653,000
Apr 2020
2,883,000
5,074,000
13,869,000
May 2020
2,877,000
5,031,000
13,406,000
Jun 2020
2,876,000
5,043,000
13,434,000
Jul 2020
2,897,000
5,039,000
13,620,000
Aug 2020
3,153,000
5,060,000
13,860,000
Sep 2020
3,117,000
5,010,000
13,730,000
Oct 2020
2,975,000
4,945,000
13,663,000
Nov 2020
2,888,000
4,931,000
13,669,000
Dec 2020
2,892,000
4,930,000
13,634,000
Jan 2021
2,876,000
5,008,000
13,683,000
Feb 2021
2,882,000
4,955,000
13,644,000
Mar 2021
2,888,000
4,967,000
13,687,000
Apr 2021
2,898,000
4,978,000
13,725,000
May 2021
2,887,000
5,023,000
13,758,000
In May, employment in leisure and hospitality increased by 292,000, as pandemic-related restrictions continued to ease in some parts of the country. Nearly two-thirds of the increase was in food services and drinking places (+186,000). Employment also rose in amusements, gambling, and recreation (+58,000) and in accommodation (+35,000). Employment in leisure and hospitality is down by 2.5 million, or 15.0 percent, from its level in February 2020.
In May, employment increased in public and private education, reflecting the continued resumption of in-person learning and other school-related activities in some parts of the country. Employment rose by 53,000 in local government education, by 50,000 in state government education, and by 41,000 in private education. However, employment is down from February 2020 levels in local government education (−556,000), state government education (−244,000), and private education (−293,000).
Health care and social assistance added 46,000 jobs in May. Employment in health care continued to trend up (+23,000), reflecting a gain in ambulatory health care services (+22,000). Social assistance added 23,000 jobs over the month, largely in child day care services (+18,000). Compared with February 2020, employment is down by 508,000 in health care and by 257,000 in social assistance.
United States Department of Labor
