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Industries with summer employment peaks

July 15, 2014

Employment in many industries changes throughout the year as hiring decisions are affected by seasonal factors such as the weather and school schedules; these industries usually follow a regular pattern of employment peaks and valleys year after year. In some of these industries maximum employment occurs during the summer and minimum employment in the winter.

 

 

Employment in selected private-sector industries, not seasonally adjusted, January 2004–May 2014
MonthRecreational and vacation camps  Marinas  Historical sites,
zoos, botanical
gardens, nature parks
and
similar institutions
  Museums  Amusement parks and arcadesGolf courses and country clubsFitness and recreational sports centersHotels and motels, except casino hotels

Jan 2004

14,90024,70040,90065,700110,300228,400426,0001,352,500

Feb 2004

15,30024,20040,50065,700112,100228,500432,1001,366,700

Mar 2004

15,80025,80042,70067,000130,400247,200443,2001,386,400

Apr 2004

18,10028,90047,60068,300153,400309,700465,4001,397,500

May 2004

21,70034,20051,40069,800182,500369,000493,3001,430,000

Jun 2004

39,10037,30055,70072,200208,500409,600554,9001,491,500

Jul 2004

56,80038,10057,10074,400213,700419,500571,4001,513,300

Aug 2004

55,70037,30056,50073,800201,700410,700555,6001,507,200

Sep 2004

20,40033,40050,00070,200167,500372,900495,6001,451,900

Oct 2004

17,30030,00049,10071,500146,700334,700462,8001,425,000

Nov 2004

15,40026,80046,60070,100123,800287,000452,6001,396,100

Dec 2004

14,30025,10044,10069,200119,000262,100453,7001,401,300

Jan 2005

13,90023,30040,70067,600111,700233,800441,9001,381,100

Feb 2005

15,10024,00039,50067,400117,800236,500445,6001,391,900

Mar 2005

15,70025,70043,20069,000131,100251,700451,4001,404,300

Apr 2005

18,30029,60049,20070,000163,300334,900467,8001,412,900

May 2005

21,30033,90053,00071,600186,400399,600491,1001,443,400

Jun 2005

42,90036,40057,90074,200209,400451,600563,3001,507,800

Jul 2005

66,70037,90058,50075,100217,800460,200577,8001,526,800

Aug 2005

65,50036,90056,00075,200205,900449,400571,2001,522,900

Sep 2005

22,10032,90051,80072,900170,100397,800501,1001,470,200

Oct 2005

20,30030,80050,00071,800153,300356,700473,7001,438,400

Nov 2005

17,40028,30047,60070,400132,800306,700468,3001,413,900

Dec 2005

14,90026,80045,40069,800125,800269,400469,0001,413,500

Jan 2006

14,60025,40041,70068,600115,400240,400452,2001,393,300

Feb 2006

15,00025,80041,20069,200118,100239,000456,5001,400,800

Mar 2006

16,00026,30043,10069,900129,300260,900465,1001,420,700

Apr 2006

18,10030,80048,80071,900145,100332,700479,9001,421,300

May 2006

21,50035,10054,50073,800166,900391,600511,2001,450,000

Jun 2006

38,60038,10058,00076,200192,800444,300575,3001,509,200

Jul 2006

66,10039,50059,30077,500200,900452,900592,1001,540,400

Aug 2006

64,60038,40058,60076,900190,100442,700577,6001,532,000

Sep 2006

28,60034,50053,80073,000159,300386,300510,1001,488,100

Oct 2006

20,80030,50052,30074,600148,900354,500481,1001,460,300

Nov 2006

18,00028,40048,50073,600126,900303,800475,8001,438,800

Dec 2006

17,00026,20047,20073,300124,400286,600473,4001,448,000

Jan 2007

15,80024,90044,80071,900117,300256,200464,4001,419,700

Feb 2007

16,20024,40044,20072,300119,900254,400466,0001,430,400

Mar 2007

17,00027,00046,20072,300132,700273,000473,1001,452,400

Apr 2007

18,90030,80051,70073,900147,100331,400487,0001,457,500

May 2007

21,60037,30057,20076,800167,100399,000514,9001,489,700

Jun 2007

42,10044,10062,10080,800191,400450,600578,9001,548,500

Jul 2007

63,90044,80064,00082,600198,200457,900590,3001,576,000

Aug 2007

58,20044,30061,30080,400189,100445,600574,5001,567,800

Sep 2007

26,30039,60057,70076,700157,400399,200510,4001,528,800

Oct 2007

21,30035,20056,00077,500147,900367,200484,2001,500,300

Nov 2007

19,70030,90052,10075,500129,800312,400479,1001,480,600

Dec 2007

18,20028,80050,50075,000130,100288,600477,2001,474,600

Jan 2008

16,50026,70047,20074,100122,800261,000468,1001,450,100

Feb 2008

16,30025,50045,30074,300127,900258,700474,9001,460,000

Mar 2008

17,10027,10048,50075,500144,600280,100478,7001,477,800

Apr 2008

18,60030,30054,00076,000152,900340,300489,6001,488,300

May 2008

22,60035,70060,00079,100170,700403,600517,1001,520,800

Jun 2008

42,10039,80063,40080,600187,000451,200580,8001,565,900

Jul 2008

63,50042,80064,50082,400193,800456,600596,9001,584,900

Aug 2008

57,10040,90061,80081,200183,500446,300581,2001,574,900

Sep 2008

25,90033,90056,40075,900157,900394,100514,8001,523,200

Oct 2008

21,30029,20054,00075,800152,000364,700487,5001,489,200

Nov 2008

19,10026,70050,40075,500130,700308,200480,9001,443,700

Dec 2008

17,40025,50049,80073,500130,300282,300476,9001,434,100

Jan 2009

16,00023,90045,90072,800119,700252,200466,0001,392,200

Feb 2009

16,80023,60044,90073,600125,000254,000472,1001,390,700

Mar 2009

17,00024,30047,10073,100137,700267,900475,7001,386,200

Apr 2009

19,00027,50053,10073,900154,800322,700482,9001,385,700

May 2009

23,10032,50058,90077,400169,200384,300506,6001,414,000

Jun 2009

43,60036,40063,50078,300181,900428,300559,2001,460,400

Jul 2009

72,90039,30065,00078,800186,700437,600572,5001,472,600

Aug 2009

66,70038,50063,00077,300178,900429,300560,4001,472,300

Sep 2009

28,00032,90058,00073,800162,900388,200501,6001,433,500

Oct 2009

21,10028,60055,20075,000150,600343,600473,8001,397,500

Nov 2009

18,00026,00050,40073,400129,100296,500465,4001,368,400

Dec 2009

16,60025,10048,20072,600129,500268,400463,6001,366,900

Jan 2010

15,10022,60045,10070,300121,700237,200455,7001,335,100

Feb 2010

15,50022,10044,90070,000127,500237,200457,8001,340,800

Mar 2010

16,40023,50048,50070,800139,100259,200461,7001,356,800

Apr 2010

18,40027,60053,80071,900159,000328,800469,9001,371,600

May 2010

23,20034,20058,40074,500170,300388,400487,4001,399,800

Jun 2010

42,90038,90063,70076,500191,600443,900548,6001,468,200

Jul 2010

66,70041,30065,70078,100196,200449,700559,6001,494,400

Aug 2010

63,10040,00062,20077,000189,000437,700548,3001,498,800

Sep 2010

26,90035,60056,90073,400167,700389,700493,6001,443,100

Oct 2010

20,60030,90053,80073,200155,400353,900458,9001,407,600

Nov 2010

18,30027,90050,40072,400134,700296,800453,2001,374,500

Dec 2010

16,20025,10047,80072,900135,700264,700452,8001,375,500

Jan 2011

15,40023,40045,30071,200123,300232,500449,9001,356,800

Feb 2011

16,30024,00046,60072,100127,500237,700457,6001,364,900

Mar 2011

17,00024,60049,40073,300140,900262,100465,8001,391,000

Apr 2011

18,20029,10055,80075,700155,600328,400476,0001,408,800

May 2011

21,10036,30058,90077,400175,000389,900495,3001,433,100

Jun 2011

55,40042,40063,80081,700195,600446,600557,1001,497,800

Jul 2011

86,60043,70065,60082,500202,300452,600569,5001,523,300

Aug 2011

77,40042,50064,70081,100195,300441,300555,5001,524,200

Sep 2011

31,50035,60057,60077,000170,100391,700501,4001,478,800

Oct 2011

23,50030,30056,50077,600161,600359,500464,8001,452,000

Nov 2011

20,70026,90052,10077,700138,200303,800459,2001,413,400

Dec 2011

18,40025,30051,40077,700139,800274,100464,5001,413,000

Jan 2012

15,90022,60048,80074,900132,000244,700463,1001,390,500

Feb 2012

16,00022,90049,00074,800137,600246,000471,4001,398,000

Mar 2012

17,10025,50052,20076,600155,400280,400478,0001,420,700

Apr 2012

18,40029,10055,40077,400170,500334,500487,0001,435,300

May 2012

23,20034,00058,70080,000192,000388,400506,0001,471,400

Jun 2012

42,80041,70063,50085,500218,100438,000568,9001,533,600

Jul 2012

68,60043,20064,20084,700226,800442,900578,7001,554,000

Aug 2012

63,40041,00063,10084,100217,700431,200571,7001,545,600

Sep 2012

27,90034,00058,10080,700183,800383,200513,4001,500,500

Oct 2012

21,40030,60056,90080,300172,700353,600486,5001,468,600

Nov 2012

19,30026,60053,60079,300150,900302,700481,7001,436,900

Dec 2012

18,30025,40052,60078,800148,600279,000484,5001,437,000

Jan 2013

17,00024,30050,80075,600139,200249,600481,7001,413,300

Feb 2013

17,60024,60050,70077,400143,900247,700484,9001,424,800

Mar 2013

18,50025,70054,20079,100161,800273,000492,9001,451,200

Apr 2013

20,70028,40057,30080,000176,200328,000499,3001,465,600

May 2013

24,60033,50061,60082,300203,400399,200522,7001,499,500

Jun 2013

46,90039,50066,00084,100232,400452,800598,0001,565,400

Jul 2013

70,60041,60066,60084,100236,300458,900606,7001,585,500

Aug 2013

62,60040,70064,40082,700224,100444,600589,8001,586,400

Sep 2013

29,00035,00061,00080,400198,500394,400519,1001,531,400

Oct 2013

22,90030,70059,70080,800189,600365,400496,3001,503,600

Nov 2013

19,70028,00057,00080,200166,500306,600494,4001,464,600

Dec 2013

18,30026,10055,00079,300165,900279,000495,0001,462,100

Jan 2014

17,10024,00052,30077,000156,100247,100495,3001,434,600

Feb 2014

17,60024,80052,50078,300159,900245,900501,1001,446,200

Mar 2014

18,30026,70056,30078,200171,700268,100506,7001,467,500

Apr 2014

20,30030,00059,50080,200188,900328,000514,0001,479,900

May 2014 (p)

25,40036,10066,10082,500211,200405,800540,5001,516,100
Footnotes:

(p) Preliminary.

Employment in recreational and vacation camps (the "summer camps" where many tweens and teens and are hiking, swimming, making arts and crafts, or engaging in other fun activities even as you read this) has been more than 4.2 times higher in the summer than the winter in recent years. Seasonal employment changes in other industries are not as large but are still quite distinct. The summer employment peaks at golf courses and country clubs, marinas, and amusement parks and arcades have been 1.6 to 2.0 times higher than their winter lows. In contrast, the number of people employed at museums and hotels and motels in the summer has been about 1.1 times higher than the number employed in the winter.

While the percentage change in employment is largest at summer camps, the actual number of additional workers hired for the summer is larger in other industries with summer employment peaks. Employment at recreational and vacation camps has had winter minimums in the range of 14,000 to 18,000 in recent years, while its summer maximums have been between 57,000 and 86,000. Thus, the difference between the summer maximum and winter minimum has averaged around 53,000. 

In contrast, employment at golf courses and country clubs has varied between winter lows of 228,000 to 250,000 and summer highs between 443,000 and 459,000. Additional summer employment at golf courses and country clubs has averaged around 206,000. 

Additional summer employment at hotels and motels has averaged about 150,000, as employment has varied between 1.4 million in winter and 1.5 million in summer. 

These data are from the Current Employment Statistics (CES) program and are not seasonally adjusted. Data for these and other industries can be retrieved using the CES Databases tools. Because this chart features both small and large industries, the data are plotted on a logarithmic scale in order to show the employment changes in the smaller industries as clearly as those in the larger industries. A given distance along the vertical axis in the upper portion of the chart depicts a larger difference in employment than the same distance in the lower portion of the chart.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Industries with summer employment peaks at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2014/ted_20140715.htm (visited March 29, 2024).

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