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	Oct. 2012	Nov. 2012	Dec. 2012	Jan. 2013
Employment (in thousands)
Employment, all employees (seasonally adjusted)		18,062	18,117	(P) 18,119	(P) 18,144
Employment, production and nonsupervisory employees (seasonally adjusted)		14,968	14,972	(P) 14,974	(P) 14,974
Unemployment
Unemployment rate		8.1%	7.9%	8.7%	10.4%
Job openings, hires, and separations (in thousands)
Job openings		706	585	(P) 502
Hires		932	845	(P) 597
Separations		799	845	(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	2009	2010	2011	2012
Union membership and representation
Members of unions (percent of wage and salary workers)		2.3%	2.7%	2.1%	2.4%
Represented by unions (percent of wage and salary workers)		2.8%	3.3%	2.6%	3.0%

(Source: Current Population Survey)

Dynamic Changes in Employment

Data series	Back data	3rd quarter 2011	4th quarter 2011	1st quarter 2012	2nd quarter 2012
Dynamic changes in employment (in thousands)
Gross job gains		1,380	1,354	1,301	1,349
Gross job losses		1,167	1,255	1,174	1,221

(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, 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 All Employees

Data series	Back data	Oct. 2012	Nov. 2012	Dec. 2012	Jan. 2013
Average hourly earnings		$28.10	$28.22	(P) $28.31	(P) $28.40
Average weekly hours		35.8	35.9	(P) 36.0	(P) 36.0
Footnotes (P) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics)

Earnings and Hours of Production and Nonsupervisory Employees

Data series	Back data	Oct. 2012	Nov. 2012	Dec. 2012	Jan. 2013
Average hourly earnings		$23.28	$23.40	(P) $23.45	(P) $23.51
Average weekly hours		35.0	35.2	(P) 35.3	(P) 35.3
Footnotes (P) Preliminary

(Source: Current Employment Statistics)

Union Membership and Representation

Data series	Back data	Median weekly earnings
		2009	2010	2011	2012
Union membership and representation
Full-time workers		$864	$855	$880	$910
Members of unions		$761	$751	$872	$826
Represented by unions		$748	$754	$883	$843
Nonunion		$868	$859	$880	$912

(Source: Current Population Survey)

Employer Compensation Costs

Data series	Back data	1st quarter 2012	2nd quarter 2012	3rd quarter 2012	4th quarter 2012
12-month percent change
Total compensation		2.1%	1.6%	1.7%	1.9%
Wages and salaries		1.7%	1.5%	1.5%	2.0%

(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	2008	2009	2010	2011
Fatalities
Number of fatalities	424	434	382	(P) 444
Rate of injury and illness cases per 100 full-time workers
Total recordable cases	1.9	1.8	1.7	1.7
Cases involving days away from work, job restriction, or transfer	1.0	0.9	0.9	0.8
Cases involving days away from work	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.5
Cases involving days of job transfer or restriction	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3
Footnotes (P) Preliminary
Blank cells indicate no data reported or data that do not meet publication criteria.

(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	3rd quarter 2011	4th quarter 2011	1st quarter 2012	2nd quarter 2012
Number of establishments
Private industry		1,568,858	1,578,645	(P) 1,574,819	(P) 1,589,912
Local government		4,115	4,118	(P) 4,172	(P) 4,178
State government		887	885	(P) 892	(P) 891
Federal government		1,593	1,587	(P) 1,570	(P) 1,557
Establishments with changes in employment (in thousands)
With job gains (seasonally adjusted)		331	324	327	320
With job losses (seasonally adjusted)		306	318	310	314
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: February 21, 2013