January 08, 2001 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Private-sector employment up modestly in December

Private-sector payroll employment grew by just 49,000 in December (seasonally adjusted), with overall growth held down by declines in manufacturing, construction, and help supply services.

[Chart data—TXT]

In the goods-producing sector, manufacturing employment fell by 62,000 in December, bringing its loss for the year to 178,000. Construction employment fell by 13,000 in December, affected for the second month in a row by adverse weather.

In the service-producing sector, employment in services rose by 81,000 over the month. Help supply services lost 58,000 jobs in December, its third consecutive monthly decline.

Over the last 3 months of 2000, total payroll employment gains averaged 77,000, compared with an average monthly gain of 187,000 during the first 9 months of the year and 229,000 a month for all of 1999.

These data are a product of the BLS Current Employment Statistics Program. Find out more in "The Employment Situation: December 2000," news release USDL 01-02.