Chart 2. Over-the-year change in total nonfarm employment, seasonally adjusted, 1940–2021 (in thousands)
Date Employment change

Dec 1940

2,632

Dec 1941

3,930

Dec 1942

3,811

Dec 1943

831

Dec 1944

-886

Dec 1945

-2,750

Dec 1946

4,269

Dec 1947

1,202

Dec 1948

451

Dec 1949

-1,510

Dec 1950

3,339

Dec 1951

1,453

Dec 1952

1,852

Dec 1953

-463

Dec 1954

-372

Dec 1955

2,474

Dec 1956

1,124

Dec 1957

-545

Dec 1958

-299

Dec 1959

2,089

Dec 1960

-432

Dec 1961

1,130

Dec 1962

1,156

Dec 1963

1,333

Dec 1964

2,060

Dec 1965

2,901

Dec 1966

2,877

Dec 1967

1,701

Dec 1968

2,348

Dec 1969

1,993

Dec 1970

-449

Dec 1971

1,317

Dec 1972

3,159

Dec 1973

2,763

Dec 1974

-379

Dec 1975

365

Dec 1976

2,431

Dec 1977

3,962

Dec 1978

4,261

Dec 1979

2,001

Dec 1980

271

Dec 1981

-48

Dec 1982

-2,124

Dec 1983

3,459

Dec 1984

3,877

Dec 1985

2,502

Dec 1986

1,900

Dec 1987

3,152

Dec 1988

3,237

Dec 1989

1,938

Dec 1990

330

Dec 1991

-838

Dec 1992

1,167

Dec 1993

2,819

Dec 1994

3,851

Dec 1995

2,155

Dec 1996

2,823

Dec 1997

3,406

Dec 1998

3,047

Dec 1999

3,176

Dec 2000

1,937

Dec 2001

-1,727

Dec 2002

-510

Dec 2003

116

Dec 2004

2,036

Dec 2005

2,525

Dec 2006

2,100

Dec 2007

1,143

Dec 2008

-3,553

Dec 2009

-5,051

Dec 2010

1,034

Dec 2011

2,074

Dec 2012

2,176

Dec 2013

2,301

Dec 2014

3,004

Dec 2015

2,720

Dec 2016

2,318

Dec 2017

2,114

Dec 2018

2,292

Dec 2019

1,968

Dec 2020

-9,292

Dec 2021

6,743

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.