Global| Mar 09 2018U.S. Payroll Increase Strengthens; Wage Growth Eases
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
Summary
The job market continues to improve. Nonfarm payrolls rose 313,000 (1.6% y/y) during February, the strongest monthly increase since July 2016. It followed a 239,000 January gain and a 175,000 December rise. Together these two figures [...]
The job market continues to improve. Nonfarm payrolls rose 313,000 (1.6% y/y) during February, the strongest monthly increase since July 2016. It followed a 239,000 January gain and a 175,000 December rise. Together these two figures were revised up by 54,000. A 202,000 increase in payrolls had been expected in the Action Economics Forecast Survey. Average hourly earnings ticked 0.1% higher (2.6% y/y) following unrevised gains of 0.3% and 0.4% in the prior two months.
The unemployment rate held steady at
an expected 4.1% for a fifth straight month. The overall unemployment rate,
including the marginally-attached and those working part-time for economic
reasons, remained at 8.2%, down from 9.2% one year earlier.
The labor market data are contained in Haver's USECON database. Detailed figures are in the EMPL and LABOR databases. The expectations figures are in the AS1REPNA database.
| Employment: (SA, M/M Change, 000s) | Feb | Jan | Dec | Feb Y/Y | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payroll Employment | 313 | 239 | 175 | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1.8% | 2.1% |
| Previous Estimate | -- | 200 | 160 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Manufacturing | 31 | 25 | 39 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 1.2 |
| Construction | 61 | 40 | 42 | 3.7 | 2.4 | 4.1 | 5.0 |
| Private Service-Producing | 187 | 166 | 92 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 2.4 |
| Government | 26 | 1 | 1 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.9 | 0.7 |
| Average Weekly Hours - Private Sector | 34.5 | 34.4 | 34.5 | 34.4 | 34.4 | 34.4 | 34.5 |
| Private Sector Average Hourly Earnings (%) | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.3 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.9 | 5.3 |
Tom Moeller
AuthorMore in Author Profile »Prior to joining Haver Analytics in 2000, Mr. Moeller worked as the Economist at Chancellor Capital Management from 1985 to 1999. There, he developed comprehensive economic forecasts and interpreted economic data for equity and fixed income portfolio managers. Also at Chancellor, Mr. Moeller worked as an equity analyst and was responsible for researching and rating companies in the economically sensitive automobile and housing industries for investment in Chancellor’s equity portfolio. Prior to joining Chancellor, Mr. Moeller was an Economist at Citibank from 1979 to 1984. He also analyzed pricing behavior in the metals industry for the Council on Wage and Price Stability in Washington, D.C. In 1999, Mr. Moeller received the award for most accurate forecast from the Forecasters' Club of New York. From 1990 to 1992 he was President of the New York Association for Business Economists. Mr. Moeller earned an M.B.A. in Finance from Fordham University, where he graduated in 1987. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from George Washington University.
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