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News Release Information

15-507-BOS
Monday, April 06, 2015

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (617) 565-4141

Boston Area Employment - January 2015

Total nonfarm employment in the Boston-Cambridge-Nashua metropolitan area stood at 2,568,300 in January 2015, up 48,900 from one year ago, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Deborah A. Brown noted that nonfarm employment rose 1.9 percent locally from January a year ago compared to 2.3 percent nationwide. (See chart 1 and table 1; Technical note at end of release contains metropolitan area definitions. All data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year analysis is used throughout.)

 Chart 1. Total nonfarm employment, over-the-year percent change in the United States and the Boston metropolitan area, January 2010–January 2015

 

The Boston-Cambridge-Nashua area includes 10 metropolitan divisions – separately identifiable employment centers within the larger metropolitan area. The Boston-Cambridge-Newton Metropolitan Division, which made up 67 percent of the workforce, gained 31,100 jobs from January 2014 to January 2015, accounting for 64 percent of the area’s growth. The other nine divisions for which data are published also added jobs over the year.

Industry employment

Two supersectors in the Boston area – education and health services and professional and business services–accounted for almost half of the employment gain from January 2014 to January 2015. Locally, education and health services, the largest industry in the Boston area, gained 13,400 jobs. The 2.6-percent growth rate locally in this industry was higher than the national increase of 2.4 percent. Professional and business services added 9,800 jobs, a 2.3-percent gain which was lower than the national increase of 3.7 percent.

Trade, transportation, and utilities and government had the next highest annual employment gains in the Boston area from January 2014, adding 7,900 and 5,600 jobs, respectively. The 1.9-percent rate of job growth in Boston’s trade, transportation, and utilities supersector compared to the 2.1-percent gain nationwide, while the 1.8-percent rate of local job growth in the government supersector outpaced the 0.4-percent gain nationwide.

 Chart 2. Total nonfarm and selected industry supersector employment, over-the-year percent change, United States and the Boston metropolitan area, January 2015

 

Employment in other services rose by 3,600 in the local area from January a year ago. The 3.7-percent increase in jobs locally over the 12-month period  outpaced the 1.5-percent national rate. Local employment in Boston’s financial activities supersector rose by 2,500. The 1.5-percent gain was below the 2.0-percent national increase.

Employment in the 12 Largest Metropolitan Areas

Boston was 1 of the nation’s 12 largest metropolitan statistical areas in January 2015. All 12 areas experienced over-the-year job growth during the period, with 7 exceeding the national average of 2.3 percent. The fastest rate of job growth was registered in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, up 4.4 percent, followed by Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, up 4.3 percent. The slowest rates of job growth were in Washington-Arlington-Alexandria (1.5 percent) and Chicago-Naperville-Elgin (1.6 percent). (See chart 3 and table 2.)

The New York-Newark-Jersey City area added the largest number of jobs, 179,600. Employment in both Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim and Dallas increased by over 140,000. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington experienced the smallest employment gain over the year, adding 45,900 jobs, followed by Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, up 46,300 jobs.

Education and health services registered the largest employment gains in 6 of the 12 metropolitan areas from January a year ago—Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, and Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale. Professional and business services added the most jobs in four areas—Dallas, Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, and Washington. 

Government had the largest over-the-year loss of jobs in Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, Philadelphia, and Phoenix. Manufacturing lost the most jobs in two areas–Chicago and New York.  Dallas was the only area to experience no annual job losses in any supersector.

 Chart 3. Total nonfarm employment, over-the-year percent change, United States and 12 largest metropolitan areas, January 2015

 

Changes to Current Employment Statistics Data

Effective with the release of January 2015 data, nonfarm payroll employment estimates for states, metropolitan areas, and metropolitan divisions were revised to reflect 2014 benchmark levels. For more information on benchmark procedures, see https://www.bls.gov/web/empsit/cesbmart.htm.

Revised metropolitan area and metropolitan division delineations were also implemented with the release of January 2015 data. The revised delineations were issued by the Office of Management and Budget for solely statistical purposes through Bulletin No. 13-01 on February 28, 2013, based on the application of updated statistical standards to U.S. Census Bureau population and journey-to-work data.

Note that Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale, Ariz., replaces Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, Mich., in the 12 largest metropolitan statistical areas discussion based on annual estimates of population change by the U.S. Census Bureau. For further information, see https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/data-sets.2013.html.

 


Technical Note

This release presents nonfarm payroll employment estimates from the Current Employment Statistics (CES) program. The CES survey is a Federal-State cooperative endeavor between State employment security agencies and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Definitions. Employment data refer to persons on establishment payrolls who receive pay for any part of the pay period which includes the 12th of the month. Persons are counted at their place of work rather than at their place of residence; those appearing on more than one payroll are counted on each payroll. Industries are classified on the basis of their principal activity in accordance with the 2012 version of the North American Industry Classification System.

Method of estimation. The employment data are estimated using a "link relative" technique in which a ratio (link relative) of current-month employment to that of the previous month is computed from a sample of establishments reporting for both months. The estimates of employment for the current month are obtained by multiplying the estimates for the previous month by these ratios. Small-domain models are used as the official estimators for approximately 39 percent of CES published series which have insufficient sample for direct sample-based estimates.

Annual revisions. Employment estimates are adjusted annually to a complete count of jobs, called benchmarks, derived principally from tax reports which are submitted by employers who are covered under state unemployment insurance (UI) laws. The benchmark information is used to adjust the monthly estimates between the new benchmark and the preceding one and also to establish the level of employment for the new benchmark month. Thus, the benchmarking process establishes the level of employment, and the sample is used to measure the month-to-month changes in the level for the subsequent months.

Reliability of the estimates. The estimates presented in this release are based on sample survey and administrative data and thus are subject to sampling and other types of errors. Sampling error is a measure of sampling variability—that is, variation that occurs by chance because a sample rather than the entire population is surveyed. Survey data are also subject to nonsampling errors, such as those which can be introduced into the data collection and processing operations. Estimates not directly derived from sample surveys are subject to additional errors resulting from the special estimation processes used. The sums of individual items may not always equal the totals shown in the same tables because of rounding.

Employment estimates. Measures of sampling error for state CES data at the supersector level are available on the BLS Web site at www.bls.gov/sae/additional-resources/reliability-of-state-and-area-estimates.htm. Information on recent benchmark revisions for states is available at www.bls.gov/sae/.

Additional information

More complete information on the technical procedures used to develop these estimates and additional data appear in Employment and Earnings, which is available online at www.bls.gov/opub/ee/home.htm. Industry employment data for states and metropolitan areas from the Current Employment Statistics program are also available in the above mentioned news releases and from the Internet at www.bls.gov/sae/.

 

Area definitions. The substate area data published in this release reflect the standards and definitions established by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget on February 28, 2013. A detailed list of geographic definitions is available at www.bls.gov/lau/lausmsa.htm.

Areas in the six New England states are defined as Metropolitan New England City and Town Areas (NECTAs), while areas in other states are county-based and identified as metropolitan areas and metropolitan divisions.  However, for comparative purposes, the Boston NECTA and its divisions have been referred to as a metropolitan area and metropolitan divisions. 

 

The Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, Mass.-N.H. Metropolitan New England City and Town Area (NECTA) includes 10 NECTA divisions--subdivisions of the larger NECTA which function as distinct social, economic, and cultural areas within the larger region. The NECTA divisions that compose the Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH NECTA include:  Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA, Brockton-Bridgewater-Easton, MA, Framingham, MA, Haverhill- Newburyport-Amesbury town, MA-NH, Lawrence-Methuen town-Salem, MA-NH, Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, MA-NH, Lynn-Saugus-Marblehead, MA, Nashua, NH-MA, Peabody-Salem-Beverly, MA, Taunton- Middleborough-Norton, MA, and select cities and towns within.  

 

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request: voice phone: (202)-691-5200; Federal Relay Service: (800)-877-8339.

Table 1. Employees on nonfarm payrolls by industry supersector, U.S. and Boston metropolitan area, not seasonally adjusted (numbers in thousands)
Area and Industry Jan Nov Dec Jan Change from Jan
2014 2014 2014 2015(p) 2014 to Jan 2015
Number Percent

U.S.

 

  Total nonfarm

135,516 141,478 141,484 138,663 3147 2.3

    Mining and logging

860 916 912 893 33 3.8

    Construction

5,609 6,339 6,175 5,926 317 5.7

    Manufacturing

11,987 12,290 12,302 12,214 227 1.9

    Trade, transportation, and utilities

25,990 27,106 27,402 26,540 550 2.1

    Information

2,689 2,778 2,775 2,737 48 1.8

    Financial activities

7,863 8,041 8,059 8,018 155 2

    Professional and business services

18,438 19,507 19,519 19,112 674 3.7

    Educational and health services

21,120 21,912 21,893 21,634 514 2.4

    Leisure and hospitality

13,815 14,616 14,597 14,274 459 3.3

    Other services

5,466 5,592 5,589 5,550 84 1.5

    Government

21,679 22,381 22,261 21,765 86 0.4

Boston-Cambridge-Nashua MA-NH

 

  Total nonfarm

2,519.4 2,628.1 2,629.8 2,568.3 48.9 1.9

    Mining, logging, and construction

85.4 99.0 95.4 88.7 3.3 3.9

    Manufacturing

191.7 191.7 192.5 191.3 -0.4 -0.2

    Trade, transportation, and utilities

409.1 421.1 429.3 417.0 7.9 1.9

    Information

73.9 75.8 76.1 75.2 1.3 1.8

    Financial activities

170.8 173.3 173.7 173.3 2.5 1.5

    Professional and business services

428.0 449.2 446.4 437.8 9.8 2.3

    Educational and health services

524.8 550.4 551.0 538.2 13.4 2.6

    Leisure and hospitality

232.0 246.6 245.1 233.9 1.9 0.8

    Other services

96.7 101.2 100.9 100.3 3.6 3.7

    Government

307.0 319.8 319.4 312.6 5.6 1.8

Boston-Cambridge-Newton MA division

 

  Total nonfarm

1,683.3 1,755.2 1,755.6 1,714.4 31.1 1.8

    Mining, logging, and construction

52.0 60.0 57.4 54.0 2.0 3.8

    Manufacturing

81.8 81.9 82.5 81.6 -0.2 -0.2

    Trade, transportation, and utilities

239.0 245.9 249.8 243.7 4.7 2.0

    Information

54.3 55.8 56.2 55.7 1.4 2.6

    Financial activities

139.9 142.2 142.6 142.2 2.3 1.6

    Professional and business services

320.3 334.7 333.4 326.6 6.3 2.0

    Educational and health services

378.7 396.6 397.3 385.7 7.0 1.8

    Leisure and hospitality

158.7 169.3 168.6 160.0 1.3 0.8

    Other services

64.2 67.4 67.0 66.6 2.4 3.7

    Government

194.4 201.4 200.8 198.3 3.9 2.0

(P) Preliminary

 
Table 2. Employees on nonfarm payrolls by industry supersector, 12 largest metropolitan areas, not seasonally adjusted (numbers in thousands)
Area and Industry Jan Nov Dec Jan Change from Jan
2014 2014 2014 2015 (P) 2014 to Jan 2015
Number Percent

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA

 

  Total nonfarm

2,427.2 2,559.5 2,566.7 2,531.6 104.4 4.3

    Mining and logging

1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 0.0 0.0

    Construction

94.5 104.6 102.3 100.1 5.6 5.9

    Manufacturing

149.9 153.6 153.5 154.0 4.1 2.7

    Trade, transportation, and utilities

543.0 576.8 582.2 569.1 26.1 4.8

    Information

87.6 87.6 89.6 87.4 -0.2 -0.2

    Financial activities

156.3 162.6 163.0 163.8 7.5 4.8

    Professional and business services

441.4 472.2 472.5 462.8 21.4 4.8

    Education and health services

300.2 313.6 313.9 313.1 12.9 4.3

    Leisure and hospitality

241.7 263.0 264.1 258.4 16.7 6.9

    Other services

92.0 96.7 96.3 95.9 3.9 4.2

    Government

319.3 327.5 328.0 325.7 6.4 2.0

Boston-Cambridge-Nashua MA-NH

 

  Total nonfarm

2,519.4 2,628.1 2,629.8 2,568.3 48.9 1.9

    Mining, logging, and construction

85.4 99.0 95.4 88.7 3.3 3.9

    Manufacturing

191.7 191.7 192.5 191.3 -0.4 -0.2

    Trade, transportation, and utilities

409.1 421.1 429.3 417.0 7.9 1.9

    Information

73.9 75.8 76.1 75.2 1.3 1.8

    Financial activities

170.8 173.3 173.7 173.3 2.5 1.5

    Professional and business services

428.0 449.2 446.4 437.8 9.8 2.3

    Education and health services

524.8 550.4 551.0 538.2 13.4 2.6

    Leisure and hospitality

232.0 246.6 245.1 233.9 1.9 0.8

    Other services

96.7 101.2 100.9 100.3 3.6 3.7

    Government

307.0 319.8 319.4 312.6 5.6 1.8

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin IL-IN-WI

 

  Total nonfarm

4,372.8 4,566.8 4,563.5 4,440.6 67.8 1.6

    Mining and logging

1.2 1.6 1.4 1.2 0.0 0.0

    Construction

130.6 163.5 153.0 136.0 5.4 4.1

    Manufacturing

406.9 409.9 411.4 405.8 -1.1 -0.3

    Trade, transportation, and utilities

893.3 929.1 944.1 907.2 13.9 1.6

    Information

78.7 80.5 81.0 80.3 1.6 2.0

    Financial activities

286.8 289.7 288.4 286.8 0.0 0.0

    Professional and business services

763.6 809.4 803.5 776.2 12.6 1.7

    Education and health services

677.1 700.0 699.7 693.8 16.7 2.5

    Leisure and hospitality

409.8 431.2 431.1 418.4 8.6 2.1

    Other services

190.0 192.0 192.8 191.7 1.7 0.9

    Government

534.8 559.9 557.1 543.2 8.4 1.6

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington TX

 

  Total nonfarm

3,175.4 3,341.9 3,359.3 3,316.2 140.8 4.4

    Mining, logging, and construction

183.6 196.7 199.2 198.7 15.1 8.2

    Manufacturing

256.7 263.3 263.0 263.2 6.5 2.5

    Trade, transportation, and utilities

667.3 704.8 714.5 697.8 30.5 4.6

    Information

82.1 81.8 81.5 82.1 0.0 0.0

    Financial activities

260.6 271.7 272.2 269.3 8.7 3.3

    Professional and business services

512.8 552.9 554.2 545.8 33.0 6.4

    Education and health services

390.8 411.2 413.6 410.0 19.2 4.9

    Leisure and hospitality

313.0 333.3 334.3 330.3 17.3 5.5

    Other services

113.6 116.0 115.4 113.8 0.2 0.2

    Government

394.9 410.2 411.4 405.2 10.3 2.6

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land TX

 

  Total nonfarm

2,839.9 2,982.7 2,992.6 2,946.5 106.6 3.8

    Mining and logging

106.7 113.4 115.5 114.1 7.4 6.9

    Construction

191.5 209.1 208.8 205.6 14.1 7.4

    Manufacturing

250.5 257.4 258.7 255.4 4.9 2.0

    Trade, transportation, and utilities

586.7 612.4 620.1 602.3 15.6 2.7

    Information

33.1 32.7 32.6 32.7 -0.4 -1.2

    Financial activities

145.1 148.8 149.3 147.4 2.3 1.6

    Professional and business services

446.2 471.3 470.4 465.8 19.6 4.4

    Education and health services

342.1 359.8 359.2 358.3 16.2 4.7

    Leisure and hospitality

269.1 289.0 290.0 286.4 17.3 6.4

    Other services

100.7 104.9 104.3 103.3 2.6 2.6

    Government

368.2 383.9 383.7 375.2 7.0 1.9

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim CA

 

  Total nonfarm

5,621.1 5,844.8 5,853.1 5,769.8 148.7 2.6

    Mining and logging

5.3 5.4 5.3 5.2 -0.1 -1.9

    Construction

193.4 209.7 204.9 202.6 9.2 4.8

    Manufacturing

521.2 525.7 524.7 523.0 1.8 0.3

    Trade, transportation, and utilities

1,046.6 1,093.1 1,102.3 1,074.1 27.5 2.6

    Information

222.6 225.3 224.3 218.3 -4.3 -1.9

    Financial activities

320.5 326.5 328.0 326.8 6.3 2.0

    Professional and business services

867.8 900.1 900.9 886.1 18.3 2.1

    Education and health services

918.7 963.8 967.1 954.6 35.9 3.9

    Leisure and hospitality

630.4 666.3 666.4 660.0 29.6 4.7

    Other services

192.3 202.8 202.4 201.4 9.1 4.7

    Government

702.3 726.1 726.8 717.7 15.4 2.2

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach FL

 

  Total nonfarm

2,383.5 2,488.0 2,500.3 2,474.9 91.4 3.8

    Mining and logging

0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.0 0.0

    Construction

94.7 107.6 106.4 104.0 9.3 9.8

    Manufacturing

79.5 82.1 82.0 80.8 1.3 1.6

    Trade, transportation, and utilities

558.4 581.1 588.6 580.3 21.9 3.9

    Information

47.3 48.5 48.6 48.0 0.7 1.5

    Financial activities

165.5 173.7 173.9 172.4 6.9 4.2

    Professional and business services

377.1 401.4 402.8 396.6 19.5 5.2

    Education and health services

349.0 365.0 367.5 364.8 15.8 4.5

    Leisure and hospitality

292.8 302.4 305.7 303.4 10.6 3.6

    Other services

114.6 119.3 120.3 121.2 6.6 5.8

    Government

304.0 306.3 303.9 302.8 -1.2 -0.4

New York-Newark-Jersey City NY-NJ-PA

 

  Total nonfarm

8,872.4 9,293.0 9,312.8 9,052.0 179.6 2.0

    Mining, logging, and construction

315.2 358.3 352.4 329.2 14.0 4.4

    Manufacturing

369.1 368.4 367.8 363.8 -5.3 -1.4

    Trade, transportation, and utilities

1,671.6 1,745.7 1,769.0 1,702.9 31.3 1.9

    Information

279.3 284.9 283.6 279.7 0.4 0.1

    Financial activities

743.5 752.7 752.7 746.8 3.3 0.4

    Professional and business services

1,380.4 1,456.6 1,457.9 1,411.1 30.7 2.2

    Education and health services

1,683.6 1,767.8 1,776.9 1,747.7 64.1 3.8

    Leisure and hospitality

775.2 838.7 833.2 792.2 17.0 2.2

    Other services

391.0 408.7 408.9 406.0 15.0 3.8

    Government

1,263.5 1,311.2 1,310.4 1,272.6 9.1 0.7

Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington PA-NJ-DE-MD

 

  Total nonfarm

2,721.5 2,829.1 2,831.2 2,767.4 45.9 1.7

    Mining, logging, and construction

95.3 108.6 107.1 103.2 7.9 8.3

    Manufacturing

178.9 179.7 181.0 180.4 1.5 0.8

    Trade, transportation, and utilities

508.4 523.8 533.5 517.3 8.9 1.8

    Information

46.5 46.2 46.4 45.9 -0.6 -1.3

    Financial activities

201.6 204.6 205.0 206.1 4.5 2.2

    Professional and business services

431.9 457.3 452.7 439.2 7.3 1.7

    Education and health services

576.8 603.8 602.0 590.6 13.8 2.4

    Leisure and hospitality

231.2 243.2 242.0 233.3 2.1 0.9

    Other services

115.9 119.3 119.1 117.4 1.5 1.3

    Government

335.0 342.6 342.4 334.0 -1.0 -0.3

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale AZ

 

  Total nonfarm

1,827.6 1,906.4 1,912.5 1,881.4 53.8 2.9

    Mining and logging

3.4 3.4 3.3 3.3 -0.1 -2.9

    Construction

93.8 96.9 96.7 97.3 3.5 3.7

    Manufacturing

117.3 117.7 117.4 116.2 -1.1 -0.9

    Trade, transportation, and utilities

361.2 378.2 383.7 370.8 9.6 2.7

    Information

33.8 34.9 34.9 34.2 0.4 1.2

    Financial activities

160.6 165.2 165.9 164.8 4.2 2.6

    Professional and business services

301.3 319.4 320.9 314.9 13.6 4.5

    Education and health services

263.4 276.4 278.3 277.2 13.8 5.2

    Leisure and hospitality

194.2 203.2 202.7 201.5 7.3 3.8

    Other services

63.0 66.4 66.3 68.1 5.1 8.1

    Government

235.6 244.7 242.4 233.1 -2.5 -1.1

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward CA

 

  Total nonfarm

2,124.4 2,237.0 2,244.2 2,205.1 80.7 3.8

    Mining and logging

0.9 0.9 0.9 0.8 -0.1 -11.1

    Construction

94.4 104.7 100.7 100.8 6.4 6.8

    Manufacturing

118.6 122.9 122.6 122.3 3.7 3.1

    Trade, transportation, and utilities

351.2 367.2 372.8 358.8 7.6 2.2

    Information

75.0 79.6 80.0 79.7 4.7 6.3

    Financial activities

125.7 128.0 128.7 128.1 2.4 1.9

    Professional and business services

427.4 458.8 461.9 455.1 27.7 6.5

    Education and health services

315.9 329.2 328.8 325.1 9.2 2.9

    Leisure and hospitality

236.4 254.6 256.8 247.6 11.2 4.7

    Other services

80.0 83.8 83.9 82.9 2.9 3.6

    Government

298.9 307.3 307.1 303.9 5.0 1.7

Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA-MD-WV

 

  Total nonfarm

3,050.7 3,158.7 3,156.3 3,097.0 46.3 1.5

    Mining, logging, and construction

142.0 151.2 147.9 146.4 4.4 3.1

    Manufacturing

49.6 50.0 49.8 49.1 -0.5 -1.0

    Trade, transportation, and utilities

391.8 409.1 416.2 399.3 7.5 1.9

    Information

78.0 76.1 76.6 76.4 -1.6 -2.1

    Financial activities

150.8 151.4 150.8 148.8 -2.0 -1.3

    Professional and business services

691.8 710.4 707.5 702.2 10.4 1.5

    Education and health services

399.8 416.3 416.0 408.4 8.6 2.2

    Leisure and hospitality

280.1 300.3 299.2 289.4 9.3 3.3

    Other services

190.2 194.6 194.0 192.0 1.8 0.9

    Government

676.6 699.3 698.3 685.0 8.4 1.2

(P) Preliminary

 

 

Last Modified Date: Monday, April 06, 2015