March 27, 2002 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Steepest job losses in manufacturing-related fields in 2001

Employment declined across a wide range of occupational groups in 2001; the steepest declines reflected job losses in manufacturing-related fields.

[Chart data—TXT]

There was a marked employment decline among operators, fabricators, and laborers in 2001, as well as a smaller decline in the precision production, craft, and repair field. These workers are highly concentrated in the manufacturing industry, and job losses in these fields reflect the large losses among factory workers during the year.

Sales occupations and service occupations showed employment losses as well, mirroring the weakness in the services and retail trade industries. There was also a decline in employment in administrative support (including clerical) occupations. 

These data are a product of the Current Population Survey. The above figures are not seasonally adjusted. Find out more about employment in 2001 in "U.S. labor market in 2001: economy enters a recession," by David S. Langdon, Terence M. McMenamin, and Thomas J. Krolik, Monthly Labor Review, February 2002.