Payroll employment up by 1.8 million in 2006

From December 2005 to December 2006, total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 1.8 million.

[Chart data—TXT]

Over the year, health care employment increased by 324,000, with gains spread throughout the component industries.

In the past 12 months, food services added 304,000 jobs, accounting for most of the over-the-year increase in leisure and hospitality employment.

Employment in financial activities was up by 153,000 over the year; job gains occurred in insurance (46,000) and in credit intermediation (62,000), which includes commercial banking.

Transportation and warehousing added 106,000 jobs in the past 12 months. Employment in retail trade edged down in 2006.

In the goods-producing sector, the mining industry gained 4,000 jobs per month on average in 2006. Employment in construction was little changed over the year.

Manufacturing employment fell by 72,000 in the past 12 months with declines widespread throughout the component industries.

Payroll employment data are from the BLS Current Employment Statistics program. Data for December 2006 are preliminary and subject to revision. To learn more, see "The Employment Situation: December 2006" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 07-0003.