November 08, 2004 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

October 2004 payroll employment

Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 337,000 in October 2004, seasonally adjusted.

[Chart data—TXT]

October’s employment increase followed job gains of 139,000 in September and 198,000 in August. Since August 2003, payroll employment has risen by 2.2 million.

From September to October, there was a large job gain in construction as well as notable increases in several service-providing industries. 

Boosted by cleanup and reconstruction efforts in hurricane-affected areas of the Southeast, employment in construction increased by 71,000 in October. The construction industry has added 355,000 jobs since its most recent low in March 2003.

Professional and business services employment rose by 97,000 in October, with temporary help services accounting for about half of the increase (48,000). Since April 2003, temporary help services has added 397,000 jobs.

Payroll employment data are from the BLS Current Employment Statistics program. The above data are seasonally adjusted. Data for September and October 2004 are preliminary and subject to revision. To learn more, see "The Employment Situation: October 2004" (PDF) (TXT), news release USDL 04-2260.