Professional and Business Services

About the Professional and Business Services supersector

The professional and business services supersector is part of the service-providing industries supersector group.

The professional and business services supersector consists of these sectors:

• Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services: NAICS 54
• Management of Companies and Enterprises: NAICS 55
• Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services: NAICS 56

Workforce Statistics

This section provides information relating to employment and unemployment in professional and business services. While most data are obtained from employer or establishment surveys, information on industry unemployment comes from a national survey of households. The following tables present an overview of the industry including the number of jobs, the unemployment rate of those previously employed in the industry, job openings and labor turnover, union membership and representation, gross job gains and losses, and projections of occupational employment change.

Employment, Unemployment, and Openings, Hires, and Separations

Data series	Back data	May 2008	Jun. 2008	Jul. 2008	Aug. 2008
Employment (in thousands)
Employment, all employees (seasonally adjusted)		17,982	17,927	(P) 17,910	(P) 17,857
Employment, nonsupervisory workers (seasonally adjusted)		14,827	14,786	(P) 14,754	(P) 14,680
Unemployment
Unemployment rate		5.9%	6.2%	6.1%	6.9%
Job openings, hires, and separations (in thousands)
Job openings		656	703	(P) 584
Hires		834	1,022	(P) 816
Separations		654	811	(P) 798
Footnotes (P) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics, Current Population Survey, Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey)

Union Membership and Representation

Data series	Back data	2004	2005	2006	2007
Union membership and representation
Members of unions (percent of wage and salary workers)		2.3%	2.7%	2.4%	2.4%
Represented by unions (percent of wage and salary workers)		2.8%	3.1%	2.9%	3.0%

(Source: Current Population Survey)

Dynamic Changes in Employment

Data series	Back data	1st quarter 2007	2nd quarter 2007	3rd quarter 2007	4th quarter 2007
Dynamic changes in employment (in thousands)
Gross job gains		1,276	1,389	1,301	1,438
Gross job losses		1,242	1,322	1,315	1,327

(Source: Business Employment Dynamics)

Projections

For projected (future) employment estimates in professional and business services, see the Employment and projected employment by major industry sector table.

(Source: Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections)

Earnings and Hours

This section presents data on employee earnings and weekly hours. The latest industry averages of hourly earnings and weekly hours for production or nonsupervisory employees, as well as weekly earnings by union membership status, are shown. This section also contains information on recent rates of change in wages and total compensation.

Earnings and Hours of Production Workers

Data series	Back data	May 2008	Jun. 2008	Jul. 2008	Aug. 2008
Average hourly earnings		$20.90	$21.01	(P) $21.12	(P) $21.27
Average weekly hours		34.8	34.8	(P) 34.8	(P) 35.0
Footnotes (P) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics)

Union Membership and Representation

Data series	Back data	Median weekly earnings
		2004	2005	2006	2007
Union membership and representation
Full-time workers		$709	$739	$749	$783
Members of unions		$679	$663	$744	$800
Represented by unions		$694	$673	$752	$822
Nonunion		$710	$743	$749	$782

(Source: Current Population Survey)

Employer Compensation Costs

Data series	Back data	3rd quarter 2007	4th quarter 2007	1st quarter 2008	2nd quarter 2008
12-month percent change
Total compensation		3.9%	3.9%	4.1%	3.8%
Wages and salaries		3.6%	3.9%	4.1%	3.9%

(Source: Compensation Cost Trends)

Work-related Fatalities, Injuries, and Illnesses

This section presents data for the industry on the number of workplace fatalities and the rates of workplace injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time workers in professional and business services. An injury or illness is considered to be work-related if an event or exposure in the work environment either caused or contributed to the resulting condition or significantly aggravated a pre-existing condition.

Data series	2004	2005	2006	2007
Fatalities
Number of fatalities	472	503	482	(P) 482
Rate of injury and illness cases per 100 full-time workers
Total recordable cases	2.4	2.4	2.1
Cases involving days away from work, job restriction, or transfer	1.3	1.2	1.1
Cases involving days away from work	0.8	0.7	0.7
Cases involving days of job transfer or restriction	0.5	0.5	0.4
Footnotes (P) Preliminary

(Source: Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities)

Workplace Trends

This section presents data on the number of establishments and the number of establishments experiencing job gains or job losses in professional and business services.

Establishments

Data series	Back data	1st quarter 2007	2nd quarter 2007	3rd quarter 2007	4th quarter 2007
Number of establishments
Private industry		(P) 1,456,939	(P) 1,474,254	(P) 1,490,283	(P) 1,497,094
Local government		(P) 3,884	(P) 3,881	(P) 3,887	(P) 3,892
State government		(P) 917	(P) 921	(P) 913	(P) 903
Federal government		(P) 1,552	(P) 1,561	(P) 1,561	(P) 1,565
Establishments with changes in employment (in thousands)
With job gains (seasonally adjusted)		313	315	317	329
With job losses (seasonally adjusted)		310	313	316	312
Footnotes (P) Preliminary

(Source: Business Employment Dynamics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages)

Other BLS Resources

The Editor's Desk

See industry studies in the subject matter index of The Editor's Desk (Current Edition).

Career Guide to Industries

To learn about careers from an industry perspective, see the Career Guide to Industries.

 

Data extracted on: September 16, 2008