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News Release Information

21-2062-ATL
Thursday, December 02, 2021

Contacts Technical information: Media contact:
  • (404) 893-4220

Atlanta Area Employment — October 2021

Total nonfarm employment for the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA, metropolitan area increased by 134,800 over the year in October, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Regional Commissioner Janet S. Rankin noted that the local rate of job gain, 5.0 percent, compared to the 3.9-percent national increase. (See chart 1 and table 1.) (All data in this release are not seasonally adjusted; accordingly, over-the-year analysis is used throughout.)


Industry employment

In Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA, professional and business services had the largest gain (+43,900) among local private-industry supersectors. (See chart 2.) Within this supersector, the administrative and support and waste management and remediation services sector added 26,700 jobs, while the professional, scientific, and technical services sector added 15,300 jobs. The 8.3-percent increase in the metropolitan area’s professional and business services supersector compared to the 5.2-percent gain on a national level.


Trade, transportation, and utilities gained 22,200 jobs over the year in the metropolitan area. Within this supersector, the transportation and warehousing sector accounted for 13,200 of the jobs gained. The metropolitan area had a 3.8-percent gain in the trade, transportation, and utilities supersector, compared to the 3.2-percent increase for the nation.

Leisure and hospitality gained 21,600 jobs over the year. Within this supersector, the accommodation and food services sector accounted for 16,400 of the jobs gained.

Education and health services added 19,400 jobs. The majority of employment gained in this supersector was concentrated in the health care and social assistance sector (+14,900).

Information added 8,600 jobs over the year, and manufacturing gained 7,600 jobs.

Twelve largest metropolitan areas

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA, was 1 of the nation’s 12 largest metropolitan statistical areas in October 2021. All 12 areas gained jobs over the year. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, had the largest increase (+326,400), followed by New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA (+302,600). Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD, had the smallest gain (+88,800) among the largest areas. (See table 2 and chart 3.)

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, had a 5.8-percent rate of job gain, followed by Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH, and Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ (+5.6 percent each). The rates of job gains in the remaining nine areas ranged from 5.0 percent in both Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA, and Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL, to 3.1 percent in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI.

The Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment release for November 2021 is scheduled to be released on Thursday, December 30, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic Impact on October 2021 Establishment Survey Data

BLS has continued to review all estimation and methodological procedures for the establishment survey, which included the review of data, estimation processes, the application of the birth-death model, and seasonal adjustment. Business births and deaths cannot be adequately captured by the establishment survey as they occur. Therefore, the Current Employment Statistics (CES) program uses a model to account for the relatively stable net employment change generated by business births and deaths. Due to the impact of COVID-19, the relationship between business births and deaths is no longer stable. Typically, reports with zero employment are not included in estimation. For the September final and October preliminary estimates, CES included a portion of these reports in the estimates and made modifications to the birth-death model. In addition for both months, the establishment survey included a portion of the reports that returned to reporting positive employment from reporting zero employment. For more information, see www.bls.gov/web/empsit/cesbd.htm.

In the establishment survey, workers who are paid by their employer for all or any part of the pay period including the 12th of the month are counted as employed, even if they were not actually at their jobs. Workers who are temporarily or permanently absent from their jobs and are not being paid are not counted as employed, even if they are continuing to receive benefits. The length of the reference period does vary across the respondents in the establishment survey; one-third of businesses have a weekly pay period, slightly over 40 percent a bi-weekly, about 20 percent semi-monthly, and a small amount monthly.


Technical Note

Special technical note: This technical note describes the procedures regularly used on a monthly basis to develop estimates from the Current Employment Statistics (CES) program. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some of the procedures described in this technical note have been modified. The modifications are briefly described in the box note of this news release. More information on the changes to the CES business birth-death model is available at www.bls.gov/web/empsit/cesbd.htm.

This release presents nonfarm payroll employment estimates from the CES program. The CES survey is a Federal-State cooperative endeavor between State employment security agencies and the U.S. 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 2017 version of the North American Industry Classification System.

Method of estimation. CES State and Area employment data are produced using several estimation procedures. Where possible these data are produced using a "weighted link relative" estimation technique in which a ratio of current-month weighted employment to that of the previous-month weighted employment is computed from a sample of establishments reporting for both months. The estimates of employment for the current month are then obtained by multiplying these ratios by the previous month's employment estimates. The weighted link relative technique is utilized for data series where the sample size meets certain statistical criteria.

For some employment series, the sample of establishments is very small or highly variable. In these cases, a model-based approach is used in estimation. These models use the direct sample estimates (described above), combined with forecasts of historical (benchmarked) data to decrease volatility in estimation. Two different models (Fay-Herriot Model and Small Domain Model) are used depending on the industry level being estimated. For more detailed information about each model, refer to the BLS Handbook of Methods at www.bls.gov/opub/hom/pdf/ces-20110307.pdf.

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 surveys, administrative data, and modeling 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 also are 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 specific estimation processes used. The sums of individual items may not always equal the totals shown in the same tables because of rounding.

Employment estimates. Changes in metropolitan area nonfarm payroll employment are cited in the analysis of this release only if they have been determined to be statistically significant at the 90-percent confidence level. Measures of sampling error for the total nonfarm employment series are available for metropolitan areas and metropolitan divisions at www.bls.gov/web/laus/790stderr.htm. Measures of sampling error for more detailed series at the area and division level are available upon request.

Measures of sampling error for states at the supersector level and for the private service-providing, goods-producing, total private and total nonfarm levels are available on the BLS website at https://www.bls.gov/web/laus/790stderr.htm. Information on recent benchmark revisions is available online at www.bls.gov/web/laus/bmrk_article.htm.

Area definitions. The substate area data published in this news release reflect the delineations issued by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget on April 10, 2018. The 12 metropolitan areas discussed in this release are the metropolitan areas with the largest population according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area includes Barrow, Bartow, Butts, Carroll, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Haralson, Heard, Henry, Jasper, Lamar, Meriwether, Morgan, Newton, Paulding, Pickens, Pike, Rockdale, Spalding, and Walton Counties.

Additional information

Employment data from the CES program are available on the BLS website at www.bls.gov/sae/.

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

Table 1. Employees on nonfarm payrolls by industry supersector, United States and the Atlanta metropolitan area, not seasonally adjusted (numbers in thousands)
Area and IndustryOct
2020
Aug
2021
Sept
2021
Oct
2021(p)
Oct
2020 to Oct 2021(p)
Net changePercent change

United States

Total nonfarm

143,568147,012147,659149,2175,6493.9

Mining and logging

597646649656599.9

Construction

7,5067,6447,6277,6691632.2

Manufacturing

12,15812,49212,47012,5363783.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities

26,88927,32927,41927,7618723.2

Information

2,6542,7842,7722,7871335.0

Financial activities

8,7518,9018,8578,8981471.7

Professional and business services

20,50521,18221,20521,5661,0615.2

Education and health services

23,42723,35623,58323,9295022.1

Leisure and hospitality

13,60715,82615,40515,4331,82613.4

Other services

5,4875,7835,7225,7662795.1

Government

21,98721,06921,95022,2162291.0

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area

Total nonfarm

2,705.12,793.02,799.22,839.9134.85.0

Mining and logging

1.61.61.61.70.16.3

Construction

126.6129.6129.7131.04.43.5

Manufacturing

163.4166.8168.8171.07.64.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities

583.7591.5598.1605.922.23.8

Information

98.3101.7103.6106.98.68.7

Financial activities

180.3183.3181.5182.11.81.0

Professional and business services

528.5562.8561.5572.443.98.3

Education and health services

358.4369.5367.0377.819.45.4

Leisure and hospitality

239.9263.7260.5261.521.69.0

Other services

93.596.195.095.62.12.2

Government

330.9326.4331.9334.03.10.9

Footnotes
(p) Preliminary


Table 2. Employees on nonfarm payrolls by industry supersector, United States and 12 largest metropolitan areas, not seasonally adjusted (numbers in thousands)
AreaOct
2020
Aug
2021
Sep
2021
Oct
2021(p)
Oct 2020 to
Oct 2021(p)
Net
change
Percent
change

United States(1)

Total nonfarm

143,568147,012147,659149,2175,6493.9

Mining and logging

597646649656599.9

Construction

7,5067,6447,6277,6691632.2

Manufacturing

12,15812,49212,47012,5363783.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities

26,88927,32927,41927,7618723.2

Information

2,6542,7842,7722,7871335.0

Financial activities

8,7518,9018,8578,8981471.7

Professional and business services

20,50521,18221,20521,5661,0615.2

Education and health services

23,42723,35623,58323,9295022.1

Leisure and hospitality

13,60715,82615,40515,4331,82613.4

Other services

5,4875,7835,7225,7662795.1

Government

21,98721,06921,95022,2162291.0

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA

Total nonfarm

2,705.12,793.02,799.22,839.9134.85.0

Mining and logging

1.61.61.61.70.16.3

Construction

126.6129.6129.7131.04.43.5

Manufacturing

163.4166.8168.8171.07.64.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities

583.7591.5598.1605.922.23.8

Information

98.3101.7103.6106.98.68.7

Financial activities

180.3183.3181.5182.11.81.0

Professional and business services

528.5562.8561.5572.443.98.3

Education and health services

358.4369.5367.0377.819.45.4

Leisure and hospitality

239.9263.7260.5261.521.69.0

Other services

93.596.195.095.62.12.2

Government

330.9326.4331.9334.03.10.9

Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH (NECTA)

Total nonfarm

2,576.72,681.22,679.92,720.1143.45.6

Mining, logging, and construction

121.0130.5129.0129.68.67.1

Manufacturing

175.7184.0183.2185.49.75.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities

392.9403.3400.4406.413.53.4

Information

77.182.482.383.05.97.7

Financial activities

179.5182.3181.9181.11.60.9

Professional and business services

500.8531.8525.1536.135.37.0

Education and health services

551.8555.1559.1570.919.13.5

Leisure and hospitality

191.3247.5229.2232.741.421.6

Other services

85.093.189.289.44.45.2

Government

301.6271.2300.5305.53.91.3

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI

Total nonfarm

4,423.14,496.34,501.94,560.0136.93.1

Mining and logging

1.71.81.81.80.15.9

Construction

178.0180.6179.3179.91.91.1

Manufacturing

394.8399.7398.0397.52.70.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities

915.1927.7930.1947.532.43.5

Information

71.470.370.571.1-0.3-0.4

Financial activities

316.3317.2313.7318.42.10.7

Professional and business services

787.7806.9803.3825.037.34.7

Education and health services

699.9692.2700.7709.89.91.4

Leisure and hospitality

357.6409.5395.7398.641.011.5

Other services

176.1182.3181.3184.38.24.7

Government

524.5508.1527.5526.11.60.3

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

Total nonfarm

3,700.03,810.63,831.83,876.3176.34.8

Mining, logging, and construction

221.7219.6221.5218.3-3.4-1.5

Manufacturing

279.8285.6286.1285.86.02.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities

813.1829.1831.5852.739.64.9

Information

78.079.079.178.70.70.9

Financial activities

328.0331.4330.6332.54.51.4

Professional and business services

630.0683.2687.2702.872.811.6

Education and health services

449.9453.0452.1459.79.82.2

Leisure and hospitality

331.5369.9367.8364.633.110.0

Other services

112.2122.3121.3124.011.810.5

Government

455.8437.5454.6457.21.40.3

Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX

Total nonfarm

2,964.23,049.13,066.73,099.8135.64.6

Mining and logging

64.569.671.071.77.211.2

Construction

207.1204.3203.7206.8-0.3-0.1

Manufacturing

209.6210.9211.0211.51.90.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities

615.8631.1630.5638.122.33.6

Information

28.229.028.928.90.72.5

Financial activities

165.2164.2165.5164.8-0.4-0.2

Professional and business services

483.4504.4511.7515.231.86.6

Education and health services

394.5407.9407.5419.324.86.3

Leisure and hospitality

279.7322.9312.6310.530.811.0

Other services

104.1115.9117.6118.914.814.2

Government

412.1388.9406.7414.12.00.5

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

Total nonfarm

5,605.75,834.65,870.95,932.1326.45.8

Mining and logging

1.91.91.91.90.00.0

Construction

252.2249.3251.0253.00.80.3

Manufacturing

454.7456.9459.7461.36.61.5

Trade, transportation, and utilities

1,033.31,061.21,061.21,073.440.13.9

Information

201.3212.8213.3215.414.17.0

Financial activities

323.3323.5321.5322.4-0.9-0.3

Professional and business services

895.6931.5931.4944.849.25.5

Education and health services

1,049.11,064.61,071.01,081.832.73.1

Leisure and hospitality

524.4662.4667.1669.8145.427.7

Other services

161.9179.7177.6180.919.011.7

Government

708.0690.8715.2727.419.42.7

Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL

Total nonfarm

2,528.82,610.12,613.32,656.1127.35.0

Mining and logging

0.80.80.80.80.00.0

Construction

139.1139.5142.3143.94.83.5

Manufacturing

87.186.988.388.81.72.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities

575.6587.6588.9599.023.44.1

Information

46.247.147.047.41.22.6

Financial activities

187.8192.9191.5193.75.93.1

Professional and business services

439.7456.8457.7468.028.36.4

Education and health services

396.6400.6399.9406.710.12.5

Leisure and hospitality

245.6285.3283.8290.845.218.4

Other services

104.1111.7111.4112.98.88.5

Government

306.2300.9301.7304.1-2.1-0.7

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

Total nonfarm

8,991.59,157.09,162.09,294.1302.63.4

Mining, logging, and construction

393.0377.1376.6379.7-13.3-3.4

Manufacturing

327.9336.5337.7337.89.93.0

Trade, transportation, and utilities

1,556.11,558.01,571.11,593.036.92.4

Information

288.1302.4301.3304.916.85.8

Financial activities

759.3755.8747.5749.7-9.6-1.3

Professional and business services

1,466.91,515.91,515.31,550.283.35.7

Education and health services

1,941.11,933.71,961.02,005.464.33.3

Leisure and hospitality

606.7749.9721.0717.9111.218.3

Other services

346.8360.1352.7357.811.03.2

Government

1,305.61,267.61,277.81,297.7-7.9-0.6

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

Total nonfarm

2,793.72,829.02,852.22,882.588.83.2

Mining, logging, and construction

117.8122.0122.7123.96.15.2

Manufacturing

174.1175.6176.0176.82.71.6

Trade, transportation, and utilities

508.0515.5518.8528.320.34.0

Information

50.352.853.052.42.14.2

Financial activities

214.6218.6216.7216.62.00.9

Professional and business services

452.5466.0461.1467.414.93.3

Education and health services

640.9632.3646.1655.114.22.2

Leisure and hospitality

200.9233.2224.6224.023.111.5

Other services

103.2106.9105.6107.03.83.7

Government

331.4306.1327.6331.0-0.4-0.1

Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ

Total nonfarm

2,138.72,215.22,236.92,259.3120.65.6

Mining and logging

2.82.82.82.80.00.0

Construction

135.7135.5138.5138.73.02.2

Manufacturing

131.9137.1136.2136.84.93.7

Trade, transportation, and utilities

421.9440.6443.5450.628.76.8

Information

37.035.835.836.8-0.2-0.5

Financial activities

206.2207.2207.3208.11.90.9

Professional and business services

360.0379.8379.1385.925.97.2

Education and health services

342.6356.2360.1360.417.85.2

Leisure and hospitality

189.8214.1218.7223.333.517.7

Other services

66.269.469.969.73.55.3

Government

244.6236.7245.0246.21.60.7

San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA

Total nonfarm

2,237.72,306.72,315.92,343.4105.74.7

Mining and logging

0.30.30.30.30.00.0

Construction

123.2124.6125.3125.82.62.1

Manufacturing

140.2141.4140.9140.1-0.1-0.1

Trade, transportation, and utilities

334.1333.8332.5337.83.71.1

Information

133.5139.7139.1139.96.44.8

Financial activities

139.7140.8139.9140.81.10.8

Professional and business services

478.5506.0509.7518.640.18.4

Education and health services

349.5354.8356.3360.911.43.3

Leisure and hospitality

164.5207.1209.1209.845.327.5

Other services

68.174.071.772.34.26.2

Government

306.1284.2291.1297.1-9.0-2.9

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

Total nonfarm

3,158.13,221.23,238.33,282.7124.63.9

Mining, logging, and construction

162.9162.4162.3163.91.00.6

Manufacturing

54.256.055.656.32.13.9

Trade, transportation, and utilities

385.7391.0390.9396.811.12.9

Information

74.272.772.573.1-1.1-1.5

Financial activities

154.6154.6154.5153.7-0.9-0.6

Professional and business services

771.6788.1787.1804.432.84.3

Education and health services

420.8429.9435.5440.119.34.6

Leisure and hospitality

235.7278.3274.5281.746.019.5

Other services

190.1195.7193.8193.43.31.7

Government

708.3692.5711.6719.311.01.6

Footnotes
(1) U.S. data are preliminary for two months after they are first published.
(p) Preliminary

 

Last Modified Date: Thursday, December 02, 2021