| Spring is the season when the outdoor world comes alive. And as plants begin to grow, so does the workforce in many planting-related industries. In fact, employment in one such industry梟ursery, garden, and farm supply stores梪sually begins to bloom well before the first daffodil.
As the chart shows, the first sprouts of job growth appear in February and increase over the next 3 months. Nursery, garden, and farm supply stores sell trees, plants, seeds, and other horticultural supplies, and seasonal job gains coincide with the planting season in much of the Nation. Over the past 4 years, these stores have added an average of about 41,000 workers to their payrolls from February to June. This gain has been offset by an equivalent job loss occurring over the remainder of the year.
Other industries that cater to the public抯 fondness for plants and planting, such as landscaping services and retail home centers, have similar seasonal employment patterns. Warm-weather businesses that add workers in the summer and trim payrolls in the fall include amusement parks, construction companies, and hotels and other traveler accommodations. And industries such as ski resorts experience seasonal employment buildups in the fall and winter.
For more information about employment in these and other industries, visit the Current Employment Statistics survey Web site at www.bls.gov/ces.
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