Skip to content Skip to footer

BLS Analysis for Recruiters – June 2026 – 7/2/26

Bob Marshall’s June 2026 BLS Analysis for Recruiters; 7/2/26

June BLS Coaching Preface

*Be sure to visit our New Website @ www.themarshallplan.org

**“HIRE WIRE” – The Podcast for Recruiters**

Continuing with this BLS report—and again thanks to Kevin Franks, our marketing guru—we will provide the monthly podcast for recruiters, “Hire Wire”, the deep dive that explores my report in a short, 15 minute or so, audio format. So, for those of you who have asked for a shorter summary, we now have that available. Just click on the following links and enjoy the audio.

Here is the link:  https://youtu.be/bsXhkP2E6-A

Recruiting Has Changed. The Fundamentals Haven’t.

The recruiting industry is evolving faster than ever.

AI is changing sourcing.
Automation is changing workflows.
Candidates are becoming harder to reach.
And many recruiters are finding themselves busier than ever—but producing less.

The reason?

Too many recruiters are focused on activity when they should be focused on outcomes.

After more than 46 years in this profession, I’ve watched our industry move through recessions, booms, talent shortages, technology revolutions, and dramatic market shifts.

Yet one principle has remained remarkably consistent:

The recruiters who earn the biggest fees are rarely the busiest people in the office.

They are the recruiters who gain access to decision-makers.
They ask better questions.
They qualify opportunities more thoroughly.
And they spend their time where revenue is most likely to be created.

That’s exactly what I teach.

My coaching is designed for recruiters who want to:

• Develop stronger relationships with Hiring Managers

• Consistently secure quality job orders they can actually fill

• Build a predictable business development process

• Eliminate wasted activity and focus on revenue-producing actions

• Create a realistic path toward $500K+ annual production

This isn’t theory.

These are field-tested principles developed over four decades and refined through thousands of placements, hundreds of recruiter coaching engagements, and every type of market imaginable.

No contracts.
No long-term commitments.
Just practical coaching that can be implemented immediately.


A Brief Story

Years ago, a recruiter named David came to me frustrated.

He was talented.
He worked hard.
He was billing respectable numbers.

But he felt stuck.

Every day looked productive.

Phone calls.
Candidate interviews.
Client conversations.
Endless activity.

Yet his production had plateaued.

After reviewing his process, we discovered the issue wasn’t effort.

It was focus.

He was spending too much time reacting and not enough time controlling the recruiting process.

Together, we redesigned how he qualified opportunities, managed Hiring Manager relationships, and prioritized his daily activity.

Within twelve months, David became a million-dollar biller.

The remarkable part wasn’t that he worked harder.

He didn’t.

He simply started doing more of what produced results and less of what didn’t.

Sometimes the biggest breakthrough isn’t adding something new.

It’s eliminating what no longer works.


If you’re serious about improving your recruiting production in 2026, I’d be happy to have a conversation.

Email: bob@themarshallplan.org

Call: 770-898-5550

TBMG, Int’l
Home of the $500K in 12 Months Program

Pointed in Approach. Precise in Delivery.

Bob Marshall began his recruiting career over 46 years ago at MR in Reno, NV.  In 1986 he established The Bob Marshall Group, International, where he has trained recruiters throughout the United States and also in the United Kingdom, Malta and Cyprus.  With a dedication to executive recruiting, he continues to offer his proven training systems to individuals, firms, and private corporations both domestic and in select international territories.  To learn more about his activities and descriptions of his products and services, contact him directly @770-898-5550/470-456-0386(cell); bob@themarshallplan.org; or visit his website @ www.TheMarshallPlan.org.

June Business Articles

Temp jobs soar in June; total employment up but below expectations

SIA, Craig Johnson, Chelsea Emery, July 2, 2026

Temporary jobs jumped by a more-than-expected 9,300 jobs in June from May, according to data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics released on Thursday.

“Given the substantial pull back in volumes since Memorial Day and lack of a post-holiday recovery indicated by the SIA | Bullhorn Staffing Indicator, I expected we’d see a softer result — not an acceleration,” said SIA Economist Michael Schultz.

Total nonfarm payroll climbed by 57,000.  Economists surveyed by Bloomberg had forecast a median gain of 113,000 jobs.

US temporary employment totaled about 2,500,000 jobs, lower than the BLS data’s high point of nearly 3,200,000 jobs in March 2022.

The temporary staffing penetration rate was 1.57% in June, unchanged from a revised 1.57% in May.

Total Employment

Total US nonfarm payroll was little changed at 159,000,000.

However, the unemployment rate slipped to 4.19% from 4.30%. The rate has remained in a narrow range of 4.3% to 4.5% since July 2025, according to the BLS.

Sectors

Sectors adding jobs in May included healthcare and social assistance, which climbed by 46,600. The professional and business services group, excluding temporary help, was up 26,700. Private education services rose 22,200.

The greatest declines in employment came in the leisure and hospitality sector, which slipped 61,000. The information sector, which is primarily media, slipped 9,000 and retail trade dropped 7,500.

More Commentary

“The fireworks show was cancelled for the job market as the June jobs report came in weaker than expected,” Glassdoor Chief Economist Daniel Zhao said in a statement.

April and May gains were also revised downward, Zhao noted. The unemployment rate decline was driven, in part, due to a falling labor force.

“The downward revisions and deceleration in jobs growth reverse some of the optimism in recent months that the job market had been on the verge of accelerating to a new pace, leaving workers waiting still a little longer for a hotter job market to alleviate their frustration,” he said.

Appcast Economist Sam Kuhn’s big picture takeaway was that the labor market is not a source of inflationary pressure for the Fed to worry about. Wage growth has continued to ease, now at 3.4% over the year for nonmanagerial workers.

“The largest surprise in this report is a decline of 61,000 jobs in leisure and hospitality, an industry that has been doing fairly well the past few months during the [run-up to the] World Cup in the US,” Kuhn said in a statement.

“On its face, this is a modest but fine report,” Laura Ullrich, director of economics for the Indeed Hiring Lab, said in a statement. “The trouble is what ‘fine’ has come to mean: June’s gain isn’t evidence of a strong current drawing people in — it’s the small amount of water left standing when both the inflow and the outflow have gone nearly quiet.”

There are few new openings to pursue, Ullrich noted. Hiring levels are nearly where they were 11 years ago, when the labor force was nearly 13,000,000 people fewer than it is today.

But while Friday’s job report may point to a slower pace of hiring, there’s still an ongoing trend of strength in AI, said Ger Doyle, regional president for North America at ManpowerGroup.

“Our data shows demand for AI-related skills has nearly doubled over the past year, and that growth is extending well beyond traditional technology roles,” Doyle said.

ManpowerGroup sees AI’s influence hiring across occupations ranging from data science and engineering to project management and operational roles.

“The challenge isn’t a lack of opportunity,” Doyle said. “It’s that the opportunities driving growth today increasingly require a different mix of skills than they did just a few years ago.”

How to develop star recruiters in the age of AI

SIA, Maruf Ahmed, June 2, 2026

When I think back to my early days in staffing, I don’t only remember the pace of the work. I remember how much I learned from repetition, especially in delivery. My fellow recruiters and I learned by working through résumés, listening to client conversations, watching searches stall and seeing where a candidate who looked strong on paper didn’t meet a hiring manager’s expectations. Much of our work was manual and time-consuming. While rarely efficient, it taught us how the business works.

Delivery is a different job now with AI. Recruiters have access to tools that screen résumés, surface matching experience, summarize candidate profiles and help build shortlists faster than ever. I don’t want to minimize the productivity gains, but speed comes at a price. If leaders are not careful, AI can — and will — remove some of the early repetitions that once built strong recruiting judgment.

In staffing, judgment is critical. Recruiters need to develop a sense of knowing when a candidate is close enough to a job description to submit to a client, or when close isn’t good enough. They also need to sense when a hiring manager’s feedback points to a talent mismatch or when the problem is a poorly defined role. Without the ability to make these decisions effectively, recruiters may have a lot of activity and insufficient business impact.

As we built delivery teams at Dexian, we relied initially on exposure to develop good judgment in our recruiters. Hands-on training included hearing how experienced recruiters framed a role, watching pushback from a client without damaging the relationship and seeing the difference between filling a job quickly and filling it well. The work itself created opportunities to observe, practice and adjust.

AI Is Changing How Recruiters Learn

AI has reengineered the process. I now see a new recruiter inherit a ranked list, candidate profile or summarized risk analysis without seeing all the judgment that went into building the analysis manually. Measuring a recruiter’s growth is more challenging because although the metrics dashboard may show lots of movement, the recruiter isn’t exposed to what’s happening below the surface.

Contrary to many expectations, the main risk of AI isn’t that it makes recruiters less essential. Actually, the risk is that it may make weak judgment harder to spot until it’s already reached the client. The results: misaligned submissions, stalled searches, strained client conversations or assignments that end early.

The New Challenge for Recruiter Development

To avoid this, we’ve found we have to change the way we’re developing our recruiting teams.

A large majority of CHROs — 88% — say AI is helping early-career talent become role-ready faster. But leaders also worry these professionals are not building long-term capabilities such as advanced communication skills, critical thinking and judgment, and collaboration. Leaders can no longer assume recruiters will develop those skills simply through volume.

As AI compresses many early-learning moments, firms must be more intentional about what they teach. This starts by being clear about the recruiting work tools cannot do, like qualify an intake conversation or verbally represent a role with accuracy. Recruiters also need new skills, like understanding when to trust an AI-assisted recommendation and when to reject it, or how to use a shortlist as a component of a larger strategy. Most importantly, they still need to learn how to make tradeoffs because staffing is full of them — such as speed versus quality, candidate fit versus client expectation and short-term fill versus long-term relationship.

Training for Better Decisions, Not Faster Tasks

Technology increasingly shifts the focus of recruiter development away from task completion to careful decision-making. New recruiters should understand what they are expected to observe, what they should practice with support and what they are ready to own independently. Progress should be measured by whether someone can explain the reasoning behind their decisions, not how quickly they move through work. This requires adjustments in how managers coach. Active conversations about why a given candidate was submitted and what risks were recognized are more important than they used to be.

AI has already been a breakthrough for staffing, helping teams move faster, create capacity and operate with greater precision. But the responsibility to develop strong recruiters still belongs to leadership. When leaders treat development as part of the operating model, the results show up where it matters most: in the quality of hires and the durability of client relationships.

The way I learned this business wouldn’t work at the current pace, and I wouldn’t ask it to. But the instincts it built, like hearing what a client isn’t saying or knowing when a strong-looking candidate isn’t right, took years of repetition to develop. AI is going to change how the next generation builds that kind of judgment. I believe it can be built as long as we stay close enough to the development process to make sure learning is really happening.

ADP National Employment Report: Private Sector Employment Increased by 98,000 Jobs in June; Almost 77% of New Job Creation (82,000) came from Small and Mid-sized Establishments; Annual Pay was Up 4.4%

ROSELAND, N.J. – July 1, 2026

Private sector employment increased by 98,000 jobs in June and pay was up 4.4 percent year-over-year according to the June ADP National Employment Report® produced by ADP Research in collaboration with the Stanford Digital Economy Lab (“Stanford Lab”).  

The ADP National Employment Report is an independent measure of the labor market based on the anonymized weekly payroll data of more than 26 million private-sector employees in the United States.

ADP’s Pay Insights captures over 15 million individual pay change observations each month. Together, the jobs report and pay insights use ADP’s fine-grained data to provide a representative and high-frequency picture of the private-sector labor market.

*The May total number of jobs added was unchanged from 122,000.

“The pace of hiring is telling a story of both supply and demand. We know it’s taking people longer to find work, but there also are signs of labor supply constraints in certain industries,” said Dr. Nela Richardson, chief economist, ADP. “For now, the overall effect is a slowdown in job creation.”

JOBS REPORT

Private employers added 98,000 jobs in June

Job creation was uneven in June. Financial activities and information were among the gainers, while leisure and hospitality delivered a sixth month of weak hiring.

Change in U.S. Private Employment:     98,000

Change by Industry

Goods-producing: 2,000

Natural resources/mining <-5,000>

Construction 2,000

Manufacturing 5,000

Service-providing: 96,000

Trade/transportation/utilities 15,000

Information 7,000

Financial activities 14,000

Professional/business services 2,000

Education/health services 48,000

Leisure/hospitality 2,000

Other services 8,000

Change by U.S. Regions

Northeast: 33,000

New England 14,000

Middle Atlantic 19,000

Midwest: 21,000

East North Central 7,000

West North Central 14,000

South: 37,000

South Atlantic 6,000

East South Central 8,000

West South Central 23,000

West: 17,000

Mountain 11,000

Pacific 6,000

Change by Establishment Size

Small establishments: 53,000

1-19 employees 38,000

20-49 employees 15,000

Medium establishments: 29,000

50-249 employees 19,000

250-499 employees 10,000

Large establishments: 25,000

500+ employees 25,000

PAY INSIGHTS

Job-stayer pay gains held steady in June

The median pay gain for job-stayers was little changed at 4.4%, while year-over-year pay growth for job-changers accelerated to 6.6%.

Median Change in Annual Pay

Job-Stayers 4.4%

Job-Changers 6.6%

Median Change in Annual Pay for Job-Stayers by Industry

Goods-producing:

Natural resources/mining 4.3%

Construction 4.5%

Manufacturing 4.8%

Service-providing:

Trade/transportation/utilities 4.4%

Information 4.0%

Financial activities 5.1%

Professional/business services 4.1%

Education/health services 4.1%

Leisure/hospitality 4.5%

Other services 4.1%

Median Change in Annual Pay for Job-Stayers by Firm Size

Small firms:

1-19 employees 2.5%

20-49 employees 4.0%

Medium firms:

50-249 employees 4.7%

250-499 employees 4.8%

Large firms:

500+ employees 4.8%

The July 2026 ADP National Employment Report will be released on August 5, 2026 at 8:15 a.m. ET.

Bottom-line: To my audience of recruiters, always remember this: Our ‘bread and butter’, especially on the contingency side of the house, has historically been, and continues to be, small and medium-sized client companies.  Along with the large companies, these companies need to be included in your niche!

Job Openings and Labor Turnover – May 2026

June 30th, 2026

The number of job openings was unchanged at 7,600,000 in May, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Hires were unchanged at 5.200,000, while total separations changed little at 5,100,000. Within separations, quits (3,100,000) changed little, while layoffs and discharges (1,700,000) were unchanged. 

This release includes estimates of the number and rate of job openings, hires, and separations for the total nonfarm sector, by industry, and by establishment size class. Job openings include all positions that are open on the last business day of the month. Hires and separations include all changes to the payroll during the entire month.

Job Openings

The number and rate of job openings were unchanged at 7.600,000 and 4.6%, respectively, in May. The number of job openings increased in wholesale trade (+71,000).

Hires

The number and rate of hires were unchanged at 5,200,000 and 3.3%, respectively, in May. Hires increased in federal government (+11,000).

Separations

Total separations include quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Quits are generally voluntary separations initiated by the employee. Therefore, the quits rate can serve as a measure of workers’ willingness or ability to leave jobs. Layoffs and discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the employer. Other separations include separations due to retirement, death, disability, and transfers to other locations of the same firm.

In May, the number of total separations changed little at 5,100,000, while the rate was unchanged at 3.2%. Total separations changed little in all industries.

In May, the number of quits changed little at 3,100,000, while the rate was unchanged at 1.9%. Quits increased in federal government (+4,000).

The number of layoffs and discharges was unchanged at 1,700,000, while the rate changed little at 1.1% in May. Layoffs and discharges decreased in arts, entertainment, and recreation (-42,000).

The number of other separations was unchanged at 328,000 in May.

Establishment Size Class

In May, establishments with 1 to 9 employees and establishments with 5,000 or more employees showed little or no change in job openings, hires, and separations rates.

April 2026 Revisions

The number of job openings for April was revised down by 33,000 to 7,600,000, the number of hires was revised up by 99,000 to 5,200,000, and the number of total separations was revised up by 60,000 to 5,000,000. Within separations, the number of quits was revised up by 66,000 to 3,000,000, and the number of layoffs and discharges was revised down by 25,000 to 1,700,000. (Monthly revisions result from additional reports received from businesses and government agencies since the last published

estimates and from the recalculation of seasonal factors.)

____________

The Job Openings and Labor Turnover news release for June 2026 is scheduled to be published on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. (ET).

As we recruiters know, that 7,600,000 number only represents 20% of the jobs currently available in the marketplace.  The other 80% of job openings are unpublished and are filled through networking or word of mouth or by using a RECRUITER.   So, those 7,600,000 published job openings now become a total of 38,000,000 published and hidden job orders.

Online Labor Demand Decreased in May

June 10, 2026

The Conference Board−Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine® (HWOL) Index decreased in May 2026 to 111.6 (July 2018=100), down from an upwardly revised 116.4 in April. The 4.1% decrease between May and April followed a 10.6% increase between April and March. Overall, the Index is down 0.1% from one year ago.

The HWOL Index measures the change in advertised online job vacancies over time, reflecting monthly trends in employment opportunities across the US. The Help Wanted OnLine® Index is produced in collaboration with Lightcast, the global leader in real-time labor market data and analysis. This collaboration enhances the Help Wanted OnLine® program by providing additional insights into important labor market trends.

PROGRAM NOTES

The June 2025 data release reflects an update to our job board coverage as a few job boards made changes to their access policy. To minimize any impact, and improve and supplement our job board coverage, we have broadened and updated our job board coverage.

Prior to 2020, The Conference Board constructed the HWOL Index based solely on online job ads over time. Using a methodology designed to reduce non-economic volatility contributed by online job sources, the HWOL Index served an effective measure of changes in labor demand over time.

Beginning January 2020, the HWOL Index was refined as an estimate of change in job openings (based on BLS JOLTS), using a series of econometric models which incorporate job ads with other macroeconomic indicators such as employment and aggregate hours worked. By adopting a modeled approach which combines other data sources with data on online job ads, the HWOL Index more accurately tracks important movements in the labor market.

HWOL Annual Revision. With the April 2025 press release, the HWOL program has incorporated its annual revision, which helps ensure the accuracy and consistency of the HWOL Data Series. This year’s annual revision includes updates to the Occupational coding and the Geographical coding for the HWOL Data Series from January 2015-forward. The HWOL Index has also been updated from January 2020-forward.

The Conference Board-Lightcast Help Wanted OnLine® (HWOL) Index measures changes over time in advertised online job vacancies, reflecting monthly trends in employment opportunities across the US. The HWOL Data Series aggregates the total number of ads available by month from the HWOL universe of online job ads. Ads in the HWOL universe are collected in real-time from over 50,000 online job domains including traditional job boards, corporate boards, social media sites, and smaller job sites that serve niche markets and smaller geographic areas.

Like The Conference Board’s long-running Help Wanted Advertising Index of print ads (which was published for over 55 years and discontinued in July 2008), Help Wanted OnLine® measures help wanted advertising—i.e. labor demand. The HWOL Data Series began in May 2005 and was revised in December 2018. With the December 2018 revision, The Conference Board released the HWOL Index, improving upon the HWOL Data Series’ ability to assess local labor market trends by reducing volatility and non-economic noise and improving correlation with local labor market conditions.

In 2019, Lightcast (formerly Emsi Burning Glass) joined the Help Wanted OnLine® program as the new sole provider of online job ad data for HWOL. With this partnership, the HWOL Data Series has been revised historically to reflect a new universe and methodology of online job advertisements and therefore cannot be used in conjunction with the pre-revised HWOL Data Series. The HWOL Data Series begins in January 2015 and the HWOL Index begins in December 2005. HWOL Index values prior to 2020 are based on job ads collected by CEB, Inc.

About The Conference Board

The Conference Board is the member-driven think tank that delivers Trusted Insights for What’s Ahead®. Founded in 1916, we are a non-partisan, not-for-profit entity holding 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt status in the United States.

About Lightcast

As the global leader in labor market analytics, Lightcast illuminates the future of work with data-driven talent strategies. Formerly Emsi Burning Glass, Lightcast finds purpose in sharing the insights that build communities, educators, and companies, and takes pride in knowing our work helps others find fulfillment, too. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, and Moscow, Idaho, Lightcast is active in more than 30 countries and has offices in the United Kingdom, Italy, New Zealand, and India. Lightcast is backed by global private equity leader KKR.

Next release for June 2026 to be released Wednesday, July 8, 2026, 10am.

June U-6 Update

In June 2026, the regular unemployment rate fell to 4.2% and the broader U-6 measure fell to 7.9%.

The above 7.9% is referred to as the U-6 unemployment rate (found in the monthly BLS Employment Situation Summary, Table A-15; Table A-12 in 2008 and before).  It counts not only people without work seeking full-time employment (the more familiar U-3 rate) but also counts “marginally attached workers and those working part-time for economic reasons.”  Note that some of these part-time workers counted as employed by U-3 could be working as little as an hour a week.  And the “marginally attached workers” include those who have gotten discouraged and stopped looking but still want to work.  The age considered for this calculation is 16 years and over.

Here is a look at the June U-6 numbers for the previous 23 years:

MONTHYEARPERCENTAGE
June20257.7%
June20247.4%
June20236.9%
June20226.7%
June20219.8%
June202018.0%
June20197.2%
June20187.8%
June20178.5%
June20169.6%
June201510.5%
June201412.0%
June201314.2%
June201214.8%
June201116.2%
June201016.5%
June200916.5%
June200810.1%
June20078.3%
June20068.4%
June20059.0%
June20049.6%
June200310.3%

The JUNE 2026 BLS Analysis

 
Both total nonfarm payroll employment (+57,000) and the unemployment rate (4.2%) changed little in June, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment continued to trend up in professional and business services, social assistance, and health care. Leisure and hospitality lost jobs.
 
The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for April was revised down by 31,000, from +179,000 to +148,000, and the change for May was revised down by 43,000, from +172,000 to +129,000. With these revisions, employment in April and May combined is 74,000 lower than previously reported. (Monthly revisions result from additional reports received from businesses and government agencies since the last published estimates and from the recalculation of seasonal factors.)

The unemployment rate is also published by the BLS.  That rate is found by dividing the number of unemployed by the total civilian labor force.  On July 2nd, 2026, the BLS published the most recent unemployment rate for June 2026 of 4.2% (actually, it is 4.189%, down by .107% from 4.296% in May).

The unemployment rate was determined by dividing the unemployed of 7,094,000

(–down from the month before by 213,000—since June 2025, this number has increased by 40,000) by the total civilian labor force of 169,358,000 (down by 720,000 from May 2026).  Since June 2025, our total civilian labor force has decreased by 1,022,000 workers.

(The continuing ‘Strange BLS Math’ saga—after a detour in December 2016 when the BLS {for the first time in years} DECREASED the total Civilian Noninstitutional Population—this month the BLS increased this total to 275,166,000.  This is an increase of 112,000 from last month’s increase of 99,000.  In one year, this population has increased by 1,581,000.  For the last several years the Civilian Noninstitutional Population has increased each month—except in December 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020 & 2023—by…)

Up from May 2026by112,000
Up from April 2026by99,000
Up from March 2026by97,000
Up from February 2026by92,000
Up from January 2026by90,000
Up from December 2025by166,000
Up from November 2025by183,000
Up from October 2025byNR
Up from September 2025by
Up from August 2025by225,000
Up from July 2025by216,000
Up from June 2025by200,000
Up from May 2025by200,000
Up from April 2025by188,000
Up from March 2025by174,000
Up from February 2025by176,000
Up from January 2025by162,000
Up from December 2024by3,047,000
Up from November 2024by175,000
Up from October 2024by174,000
Up from September 2024by209,000
Up from August 2024by224,000
Up from July 2024by212,000
Up from June 2024by206,000
Up from May 2024by190,000
Up from April 2024by182,000
Up from March 2024by182,000
Up from February 2024by173,000
Up from January 2024by171,000
Down from December 2023by451,000
Up from November 2023by169,000
Up from October 2023by180,000
Up from September 2023by214,000
Up from August 2023by215,000
Up from July 2023by211,000
Up from June 2023by152,000

Subtract the ‘civilian labor force’ from the ‘civilian noninstitutional population’) and you get 105,808,000 ‘Not in Labor Force’—up by 832,000 from last month’s 104,976,000.  In one year, this NILF population has increased by 2,603,000.  The government tells us that most of these NILFs got discouraged and just gave up looking for a job.  My monthly recurring question is: “If that is the case, how do they survive when they don’t earn any money because they don’t have a job?  Are they ALL relying on the government to support them??”

This month, our Employment Participation Rate—the population 16 years and older working or seeking work—remained at 61.5%.  This rate is .9% below the historically low rate of 62.4% recorded in September 2015—and, before that, the rate recorded in October 1977—9 months into Jimmy Carter’s presidency—almost 49 years ago!

Final take on these numbers:  Fewer people looking for work will always bring down the unemployment rate.

Anyway, back to the point I am trying to make.  On the surface, these new unemployment

rates are scary, but let’s look a little deeper and consider some other numbers.

The unemployment rate includes all types of workers—construction workers, government workers, etc.  We recruiters, on the other hand, mainly place management, professional and related types of workers.  That unemployment rate in June was 2.8% (this rate was .3% higher than last month’s 2.5%).  Or you can look at it another way.  We usually place people who have college degrees.  That unemployment rate in June was 2.7% (this rate was .1% lower than last month’s 2.8%).

Now stay with me a little longer.  This gets better.  It’s important to understand (and none of the pundits mention this) that the unemployment rate, for many reasons, will never be 0%, no matter how good the economy is.  Without boring you any more than I have already, let me add here that Milton Friedman (the renowned Nobel Prize-winning economist), is famous for the theory of the “natural rate of unemployment” (or the term he preferred, NAIRU, which is the acronym for Non-Accelerating Inflation Rate of Unemployment).  Basically, this theory states that full employment presupposes an ‘unavoidable and acceptable’ unemployment rate of somewhere between 4-6% with it.  Economists often settle on 5%, although the “New Normal Unemployment Rate” has been suggested to fall at 6.7%.

Nevertheless (if you will allow me to apply a ‘macro’ concept to a ‘micro’ issue), if this rate is applied to our main category of Management, Professional and Related types of potential recruits, and/or our other main category of College-Degreed potential recruits,

we are well below the 4-6% threshold for full employment…we find no unemployment!  None!  Zilch!  A Big Goose Egg! 

THE IMPORTANCE OF GDP

“The economic goal of any nation, as of any individual, is to get the greatest results with the least effort.  The whole economic progress of mankind has consisted in getting more production with the same labor…Translated into national terms, this first principle means that our real objective is to maximize production.  In doing this, full employment—that is, the absence of involuntary idleness—becomes a necessary by-product.  But production is the end, employment merely the means.  We cannot continuously have the fullest production without full employment.  But we can very easily have full employment without full production.”

–Economics in One Lesson, by Henry Hazlitt, Chapter X, “The Fetish of Full Employment”

On June 25th, 2026, the Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 2.1% in the first quarter of 2026 (January, February, and March), according to the third estimate released today by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the fourth quarter of 2025, real GDP increased 0.5%.

Real GDP was revised up 0.5% from the second estimate, primarily reflecting a downward revision to imports, which are a subtraction in the calculation of GDP, that was partly offset by a downward revision to consumer spending.

The contributors to the increase in real GDP in the first quarter were investment, exports, government spending, and consumer spending. Imports, which are a subtraction in the calculation of GDP, increased.

GDP by industry

From an industry perspective, the increase in real GDP reflected increases in real value added of 7.5% for government, 4.5% for private goods-producing industries, and 0.8% for private services-producing industries. The leading industry contributors to the increase in real GDP were information; federal government; professional, scientific, and technical services; and durable goods manufacturing. The leading offsets were decreases in retail trade, wholesale trade, and finance and insurance.

GDP by state

From a regional perspective, real GDP increased in 46 states and the District of Columbia in the first quarter of 2026, with the percent change at an annual rate ranging from 4.5% in Washington state to –1.6% in South Dakota and remaining unchanged in Delaware.

Information was the leading contributor to the increase in real GDP in Washington state. Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting was the leading contributor to the decrease in South Dakota.

Annual Update of the National and Regional Economic Accounts

With improvements in concurrent production of BEA statistics, the 2026 annual updates of national, industry, and regional data will begin on the same day for the first time: September 30, 2026. The annual update of the National Economic Accounts (NEAs) includes gross domestic product (GDP), gross domestic income, GDP by industry, monthly personal income and outlays, and related statistics in the National Income and Product Accounts (NIPAs) and the Industry Economic Accounts. The update of the Regional Economic Accounts includes GDP by state and by county, personal income by state and by county, and related statistics. Improvements incorporated as part of the annual updates impact all three sets of accounts.

Next release: July 30, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. EDT
GDP (Advance Estimate), 2nd Quarter 2026

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR UNEMPLOYMENT EVER TO BE ZERO

‘Unemployment’ is an emotional ‘trigger’ word…a ‘third rail’, if you will.  It conjures up negative thoughts.  But it is important to realize that, while we want everyone who wants a job to have the opportunity to work, unemployment can never be zero and, in fact, can be disruptive to an economy if it gets too close to zero.  Very low unemployment can actually hurt the economy by creating an upward pressure on wages which invariably leads to higher production costs and prices.  This can lead to inflation.  The lowest the unemployment rate has been in the US was 2.5%.  That was in May and June 1953 when the economy overheated due to the Korean War.  When this bubble burst, it kicked off the Recession of 1953.  A healthy economy will always include some percentage of unemployment.

There are five main sources of unemployment:

1.  Cyclical (or demand-deficient) unemployment – This type of unemployment fluctuates with the business cycle.  It rises during a recession and falls during the subsequent recovery.  Workers who are most affected by this type of unemployment are laid off during a recession when production volumes fall, and companies use lay-offs as the easiest way to reduce costs.  These workers are usually rehired, some months later, when the economy improves.

2.  Frictional unemployment – This comes from the normal turnover in the labor force.  This is where new workers are entering the workforce and older workers are retiring and leaving vacancies to be filled by the new workers or those re-entering the workforce.  This category includes workers who are between jobs.

3.  Structural unemployment – This happens when the skills possessed by the unemployed worker don’t match the requirements of the opening—whether those be in characteristics and skills or in location.  This can come from new technology or foreign competition (e.g., foreign outsourcing).  This type of unemployment usually lasts longer than frictional unemployment because retraining, and sometimes relocation, is involved.  Occasionally jobs in this category can just disappear overseas.

4.  Seasonal unemployment – This happens when the workforce is affected by the climate or time of year.  Construction workers and agricultural workers aren’t needed as much during the winter season because of the inclement weather.  On the other hand, retail workers experience an increase in hiring shortly before, and during, the holiday season, but can be laid off shortly thereafter.

5.  Surplus unemployment – This is caused by minimum wage laws and unions.  When wages are set at a higher level, unemployment can often result.  Why?  To keep within the same payroll budget, the company must let go of some workers to pay the remaining workers a higher salary.

Other factors influencing the unemployment rate:

1.  Length of unemployment – Some studies indicate that an important factor influencing a worker’s decision to accept a new job is directly related to the length of the unemployment benefit they are receiving.  Currently, workers in most states are eligible for up to 26 weeks of benefits from the regular state-funded unemployment compensation program.

Extended Benefits are available to workers who have exhausted regular unemployment insurance benefits during periods of high unemployment. The basic Extended Benefits program provides up to 13 additional weeks of benefits when a State is experiencing high unemployment. Some States have also enacted a voluntary program to pay up to 7 additional weeks (20 weeks maximum) of Extended Benefits during periods of extremely high unemployment.

Studies suggest that additional weeks of benefits reduce the incentive of the unemployed to seek and accept less-desirable jobs.

2.  Changes in GDP – Since hiring workers takes time, the improvement in the unemployment rate usually lags the improvement in the GDP.

WHERE RECRUITERS PLACE

Now back to the issue at hand, namely the recruiting, and placing, of professionals and those with college degrees.

If you look at the past 26 years of unemployment in the June “management, professional and related” types of worker category, you will find the following rates:

MONTHYEARPERCENTAGE
June20252.8%
June20242.6%
June20232.2%
June20222.2%
June20213.5%
June20206.5%
June20192.4%
June20182.5%
June20172.3%
June20162.8%
June20152.9%
June20143.5%
June20134.2%
June20124.4%
June20114.7%
June20104.9%
June20095.0%
June20082.7%
June20072.3%
June20062.4%
June20052.6%
June20042.9%
June20033.5%
June20023.3%
June20012.1%
June20001.7%

Here are the rates, during those same time periods, for “college-degreed” workers:

MONTHYEARPERCENTAGE
June20252.5%
June20242.4%
June20232.0%
June20222.1%
June20213.4%
June20206.9%
June20192.1%
June20182.3%
June20172.3%
June20162.6%
June20152.5%
June20143.3%
June20133.9%
June20124.1%
June20114.4%
June20104.4%
June20094.7%
June20082.4%
June20072.0%
June20062.1%
June20052.3%
June20042.7%
June20033.1%
June20023.0%
June20012.1%
June20001.6%

The June 2026 rates for these two categories, 2.8% and 2.7%, respectively, are pretty low.  But regardless, these unemployment numbers usually include a good number of job-hoppers, job-shoppers and rejects.  We, on the other hand, are engaged by our client companies to find those candidates who are happy, well-appreciated, making good money and currently working and we entice them to move for even better opportunities—especially where new technologies are expanding.  This will never change.  And that is why, no matter the overall unemployment rate, we still need to MARKET to find the best possible job orders to work and we still need to RECRUIT to find the best possible candidates for those Job Orders.

Below are the numbers for the over 25-year old’s:

Less than H.S. diploma – Unemployment Rate

1/082/083/084/085/086/087/088/089/0810/0811/0812/08
7.7%7.4%8.2%7.9%8.4%8.9%8.6%9.7%9.8%10.4%10.6%10.9%
1/092/093/094/095/096/097/098/099/0910/0911/0912/09
12.0%12.6%13.3%14.8%15.5%15.5%15.4%15.6%15.0%15.5%15.0%15.3%
1/102/103/104/105/106/107/108/109/1010/1011/1012/10
15.2%15.6%14.5%14.7%15.0%14.1%13.8%14.0%15.4%15.3%15.7%15.3%
1/112/113/114/115/116/117/118/119/1110/1111/1112/11
14.2%13.9%13.7%14.6%14.7%14.3%15.0%14.3%14.0%13.8%13.2%13.8%
1/122/123/124/125/126/127/128/129/1210/1211/1212/12
13.1%12.9%12.6%12.5%13.0%12.6%12.7%12.0%11.3%12.2%12.2%11.7%
1/132/133/134/135/136/137/138/139/1310/1311/1312/13
12.0%11.2%11.1%11.6%11.1%10.7%11.0%11.3%10.3%10.9%10.8%9.8%
1/142/143/144/145/146/147/148/149/1410/1411/1412/14
9.6%9.8%9.6%8.9%9.1%9.1%9.6%9.1%8.4%7.9%8.5%8.8%
1/152/153/154/155/156/157/158/159/1510/1511/1512/15
8.5%8.4%8.6%8.6%8.6%8.2%8.3%7.7%7.7%7.3%6.8%6.7%
1/162/163/164/165/166/167/168/169/1610/1611/1612/16
7.4%7.3%7.4%7.5%7.1%7.5%6.3%7.2%8.5%7.3%7.9%7.9%
1/172/173/174/175/176/177/178/179/1710/1711/1712/17
7.3%7.9%6.8%6.5%6.1%6.4%6.9%6.0%6.5%5.7%5.2%6.3%
1/182/183/184/185/186/187/188/189/1810/1811/1812/18
5.4%5.7%5.5%5.9%5.4%5.5%5.1%5.7%5.5%6.0%5.6%5.8%
1/192/193/194/195/196/197/198/199/1910/1911/1912/19
5.7%5.3%5.9%5.4%5.4%5.3%5.1%5.4%4.8%5.6%5.3%5.2%
1/202/203/204/205/206/207/208/209/2010/2011/2012/20
5.5%5.7%6.8%21.2%19.9%16.6%15.4%12.6%10.7%9.9%9.2%9.8%
1/212/213/214/215/216/217/218/219/2110/2111/2112/21
9.1%10.1%8.2%9.3%9.1%10.2%9.5%7.8%7.9%7.4%5.7%5.2%
1/222/223/224/225/226/227/228/229/2210/2211/2212/22
6.3%4.3%5.2%5.4%5.2%5.8%5.9%6.2%5.6%6.3%4.4%5.0%
1/232/233/234/235/236/237/238/239/2310/2311/2312/23
4.5%5.8%4.8%5.4%5.7%6.0%5.2%5.4%5.5%5.8%6.3%6.0%
1/242/243/244/245/246/247/248/249/2410/2411/2412/24
6.0%6.1%4.9%6.0%5.9%5.9%6.7%7.1%6.8%6.6%6.0%5.6%
1/252/253/254/255/256/257/258/259/2510/2511/2512/25
5.2%6.0%5.8%6.1%5.5%5.8%5.5%6.7%6.8%N/P6.8%5.6%
1/262/263/264/265/266/267/268/269/2610/2611/2612/26
5.3%5.6%5.9%6.4%6.0%   

H.S. Grad; no college – Unemployment Rate

1/082/083/084/085/086/087/088/089/0810/0811/0812/08
4.6%4.7%5.1%5.0%5.2%5.2%5.3%5.8%6.3%6.5%6.9%7.7%
1/092/093/094/095/096/097/098/099/0910/0911/0912/09
8.1%8.3%9.0%9.3%10.0%9.8%9.4%9.7%10.8%11.2%10.4%10.5%
1/102/103/104/105/106/107/108/109/1010/1011/1012/10
10.1%10.5%10.8%10.6%10.9%10.8%10.1%10.3%10.0%10.1%10.0%9.8%
1/112/113/114/115/116/117/118/119/1110/1111/1112/11
9.4%9.5%9.5%9.7%9.5%10.0%9.3%9.6%9.7%9.6%8.8%8.7%
1/122/123/124/125/126/127/128/129/1210/1211/1212/12
8.4%8.3%8.0%7.9%8.1%8.4%8.7%8.8%8.7%8.4%8.1%8.0%
1/132/133/134/135/136/137/138/139/1310/1311/1312/13
8.1%7.9%7.6%7.4%7.4%7.6%7.6%7.6%7.6%7.3%7.3%7.1%
1/142/143/144/145/146/147/148/149/1410/1411/1412/14
6.5%6.4%6.3%6.3%6.5%5.8%6.1%6.2%5.3%5.7%5.6%5.3%
1/152/153/154/155/156/157/158/159/1510/1511/1512/15
5.4%5.4%5.3%5.4%5.8%5.4%5.5%5.5%5.3%5.3%5.4%5.6%
1/162/163/164/165/166/167/168/169/1610/1611/1612/16
5.3%5.3%5.4%5.4%5.1%5.0%5.0%5.1%5.2%5.5%4.9%5.1%
1/172/173/174/175/176/177/178/179/1710/1711/1712/17
5.2%5.0%4.9%4.6%4.7%4.6%4.5%5.1%4.3%4.3%4.3%4.2%
1/182/183/184/185/186/187/188/189/1810/1811/1812/18
4.5%4.4%4.3%4.3%3.9%4.2%4.0%3.9%3.7%4.0%3.5%3.8%
1/192/193/194/195/196/197/198/199/1910/1911/1912/19
3.8%3.8%3.7%3.5%3.5%3.9%3.6%3.6%3.6%3.7%3.7%3.7%
1/202/203/204/205/206/207/208/209/2010/2011/2012/20
3.8%3.6%4.4%17.3%15.3%12.1%10.8%9.8%9.0%8.1%7.8%7.8%
1/212/213/214/215/216/217/218/219/2110/2111/2112/21
7.1%7.2%6.7%6.9%6.8%7.0%6.3%6.0%5.8%5.4%5.2%4.6%
1/222/223/224/225/226/227/228/229/2210/2211/2212/22
4.6%4.5%4.0%3.8%3.8%3.6%3.6%4.2%3.7%3.9%3.9%3.6%
1/232/233/234/235/236/237/238/239/2310/2311/2312/23
3.7%3.6%4.0%3.9%3.9%3.9%3.4%3.8%4.1%4.0%4.1%4.2%
1/242/243/244/245/246/247/248/249/2410/2411/2412/24
4.3%4.2%4.1%4.0%4.3%4.2%4.6%4.0%4.0%4.0%4.6%4.3%
1/252/253/254/255/256/257/258/259/2510/2511/2512/25
4.5%4.2%4.1%4.0%4.5%4.0%4.4%4.3%4.2%N/P4.4%4.0%
1/262/263/264/265/266/267/268/269/2610/2611/2612/26
4.5%4.8%4.7%4.7%4,4%   

Some College; or AA/AS – Unemployment Rate

1/082/083/084/085/086/087/088/089/0810/0811/0812/08
3.7%3.8%3.9%4.0%4.3%4.4%4.6%5.0%5.1%5.3%5.5%5.6%
1/092/093/094/095/096/097/098/099/0910/0911/0912/09
6.2%7.0%7.2%7.4%7.7%8.0%7.9%8.2%8.5%9.0%9.0%9.0%
1/102/103/104/105/106/107/108/109/1010/1011/1012/10
8.5%8.0%8.2%8.3%8.3%8.2%8.3%8.7%9.1%8.5%8.7%8.1%
1/112/113/114/115/116/117/118/119/1110/1111/1112/11
8.0%7.8%7.4%7.5%8.0%8.4%8.3%8.2%8.4%8.3%7.6%7.7%
1/122/123/124/125/126/127/128/129/1210/1211/1212/12
7.2%7.3%7.5%7.6%7.9%7.5%7.1%6.6%6.5%6.9%6.6%6.9%
1/132/133/134/135/136/137/138/139/1310/1311/1312/13
7.0%6.7%6.4%6.4%6.5%6.4%6.0%6.1%6.0%6.3%6.4%6.1%
1/142/143/144/145/146/147/148/149/1410/1411/1412/14
6.0%6.2%6.1%5.7%5.5%5.0%5.3%5.4%5.4%4.8%4.9%5.0%
1/152/153/154/155/156/157/158/159/1510/1511/1512/15
5.2%5.1%4.8%4.7%4.4%4.2%4.4%4.4%4.3%4.3%4.4%4.1%
1/162/163/164/165/166/167/168/169/1610/1611/1612/16
4.2%4.2%4.1%4.1%3.9%4.2%4.3%4.3%4.2%4.2%3.9%3.8%
1/172/173/174/175/176/177/178/179/1710/1711/1712/17
3.8%4.0%3.7%3.7%4.0%3.8%3.7%3.8%3.6%3.7%3.6%3.6%
1/182/183/184/185/186/187/188/189/1810/1811/1812/18
3.4%3.5%3.6%3.5%3.2%3.3%3.2%3.5%3.2%3.0%3.1%3.3%
1/192/193/194/195/196/197/198/199/1910/1911/1912/19
3.4%3.2%3.4%3.1%2.8%3.0%3.2%3.1%2.9%2.9%2.9%2.7%
1/202/203/204/205/206/207/208/209/2010/2011/2012/20
2.8%3.0%3.7%15.0%13.3%10.9%10.0%8.0%8.1%6.6%6.3%6.3%
1/212/213/214/215/216/217/218/219/2110/2111/2112/21
6.2%5.9%5.9%5.8%5.9%5.8%5.0%5.1%4.5%4.4%3,7%3.6%
1/222/223/234/225/226/227/228/229/2210/2211/2212/22
3.6%3.8%3.0%3.1%3.4%3.1%2.8%2.9%2.9%3.0%3.2%2.9%
1/232/233/234/235/236/237/238/239/2310/2311/2312/23
2.9%3.2%3.0%2.9%3.2%3.1%3.1%3.0%3.0%3.1%2.8%3.1%
1/232/233/234/235/236/237/238/239/2310/2311/2312/23
2.9%3.2%3.0%2.9%3.2%3.1%3.1%3.0%3.0%3.1%2.8%3.1%
1/242/243/244/245/246/247/248/249/2410/2411/2412/24
3.3%3.1%3.4%3.3%3.1%3.4%3.5%3.4%3.4%3.4%3.6%3.5%
1/252/253/254/255/256/257/258/259/2510/2511/2512/25
3.5%3.5%3.5%3.7%3.3%3.2%3.0%3.2%3.4%N/P3.5%3.8%
1/262/263/264/265/266/267/268/269/2610/2611/2612/26
3.6%3.5%3.6%3.2%3.6%   

BS/BS + – Unemployment Rate

1/082/083/084/085/086/087/088/089/0810/0811/0812/08
2.1%2.1%2.1%2.1%2.3%2.4%2.5%2.7%2.6%3.1%3.2%3.7%
1/092/093/094/095/096/097/098/099/0910/0911/0912/09
3.9%4.1%4.3%4.4%4.8%4.7%4.7%4.7%4.9%4.7%4.9%5.0%
1/102/103/104/105/106/107/108/109/1010/1011/1012/10
4.8%5.0%4.9%4.9%4.7%4.4%4.5%4.6%4.4%4.7%5.1%4.8%
1/112/113/114/115/116/117/118/119/1110/1111/1112/11
4.2%4.3%4.4%4.5%4.5%4.4%4.3%4.3%4.2%4.4%4.4%4.1%
1/122/123/124/125/126/127/128/129/1210/1211/1212/12
4.2%4.2%4.2%4.0%3.9%4.1%4.1%4.1%4.1%3.8%3.8%3.9%
1/132/133/134/135/136/137/138/139/1310/1311/1312/13
3.8%3.8%3.8%3.9%3.8%3.9%3.8%3.5%3.7%3.8%3.4%3.3%
1/142/143/144/145/146/147/148/149/1410/1411/1412/14
3.3%3.4%3.4%3.3%3.2%3.3%3.1%3.2%2.9%3.1%3.2%2.8%
1/152/153/154/155/156/157/158/159/1510/1511/1512/15
2.8%2.7%2.5%2.7%2.7%2.5%2.6%2.5%2.5%2.5%2.5%2.5%
1/162/163/164/165/166/167/168/169/1610/1611/1612/16
2.5%2.5%2.6%2.4%2.4%2.5%2.5%2.7%2.5%2.6%2.3%2.5%
1/172/173/174/175/176/177/178/179/1710/1711/1712/17
2.5%2.4%2.5%2.4%2.3%2.4%2.4%2.4%2.3%2.0%2.1%2.1%
1/182/183/184/185/186/187/188/189/1810/1811/1812/18
2.1%2.3%2.2%2.1%2.0%2.3%2.2%2.1%2.0%2.0%2.2%2.1%
1/192/193/194/195/196/197/198/199/1910/1911/1912/19
2.4%2.2%2.0%2.1%2.1%2.1%2.2%2.1%2.0%2.1%2.0%1.9%
1/202/203/204/205/206/207/208/209/2010/2011/2012/20
2.0%1.9%2.5%8.4%7.4%6.9%6.7%5.3%4.7%4.2%4.2%3.8%
1/212/213/214/215/216/217/218/219/2110/2111/2112/21
4.0%3.8%3.7%3.5%3.2%3.5%3.1%2.8%2.5%2.4%2.3%2.1%
1/222/223/224/225/226/227/228/229/2210/2211/2212/22
2.3%2.2%2.0%2.0%2.0%2.1%2.0%1.9%1.8%1.9%2.0%1.9%
1/232/233/234/235/236/237/238/239/2310/2311/2312/23
2.0%2.0%2.0%1.9%2.1%2.0%2.0%2.2%2.1%2.1%2.1%2.1%
1/242/243/244/245/246/247/248/249/2410/2411/2412/24
2.1%2.2%2.1%2.2%2.1%2.4%2.3%2.5%2.3%2.5%2.5%2.4%
1/252/253/254/255/256/257/258/259/2510/2511/2512/25
2.3%2.5%2.6%2.5%2.6%2.5%2.7%2.7%2.8%N/P2.9%2.8%
1/262/263/264/265/266/267/268/269/2610/2611/2612/26
2.9%3.0%2.8%2.8%2.7%   

Management, Professional & Related – Unemployment Rate

1/082/083/084/085/086/087/088/089/0810/0811/0812/08
2.2%2.2%2.1%2.0%2.6%2.7%2.9%3.3%2.8%3.0%3.2%3.3%
1/092/093/094/095/096/097/098/099/0910/0911/0912/09
4.1%3.9%4.2%4.0%4.6%5.0%5.5%5.4%5.2%4.7%4.6%4.6%
1/102/103/104/105/106/107/108/109/1010/1011/1012/10
5.0%4.8%4.7%4.5%4.5%4.9%5.0%5.1%4.4%4.5%4.7%4.6%
1/112/113/114/115/116/117/118/119/1110/1111/1112/11
4.7%4.4%4.3%4.0%4.4%4.7%5.0%4.9%4.4%4.4%4.2%4.2%
1/122/123/124/125/126/127/128/129/1210/1211/1212/12
4.3%4.2%4.2%3.7%4.0%4.4%4.8%4.5%3.9%3.8%3.6%3.9%
1/132/133/134/135/136/137/138/139/1310/1311/1312/13
3.9%3.8%3.6%3.5%3.5%4.2%4.1%3.8%3.5%3.4%3.1%2.9%
1/142/143/144/145/146/147/148/149/1410/1411/1412/14
3.1%3.2%3.3%2.9%3.1%3.5%3.5%3.4%2.8%2.7%2.8%2.7%
1/152/153/154/155/156/157/158/159/1510/1511/1512/15
2.9%2.7%2.4%2.4%2.4%2.9%3.1%2.9%2.4%2.2%2.1%2.0%
1/162/163/164/165/166/167/168/169/1610/1611/1612/16
2.3%2.4%2.4%2.1%2.1%2.8%3.0%3.1%2.7%2.5%2.3%2.2%
1/172/173/174/175/176/177/178/179/1710/1711/1712/17
2.3%2.1%2.0%2.0%1.9%2.3%2.7%2.8%2.3%2.1%2.0%2.0%
1/182/183/184/185/186/187/188/189/1810/1811/1812/18
2.2%2.0%2.0%1.8%1.7%2.5%2.4%2.5%2.0%1.9%2.1%2.1%
1/192/193/194/195/196/197/198/199/1910/1911/1912/19
2.5%2.0%2.0%1.6%1.7%2.4%2.4%2.3%1.9%1.8%1.8%1.8%
1/202/203/204/205/206/207/208/209/2010/2011/2012/20
2.2%1.8%2.5%7.7%6.6%6.5%6.6%5.5%4.5%3.7%3.7%3.4%
1/212/213/214/215/216/217/218/219/2110/2111/2112/21
3.7%3.2%3.1%3.0%2.8%3.5%3.3%3.2%2.4%2.2%1.9%1.7%
1/222/223/224/225/226/227/228/229/2210/2211/2212/22
2.3%2.2%1.5%1.6%1.6%2.2%2.4%2.4%1.8%2.0%1.8%1.7%
1/232/233/234/235/236/237/238/239/2310/2311/2312/23
2.1%2.0%1.9%1.6%1.8%2.2%2.4%2.4%2.0%1.9%1.8%1.8%
1/242/243/244/245/246/247/248/249/2410/2411/2412/24
2.1%2.2%2.2%1.9%2.0%2.6%2.9%2.9%2.3%2.3%2.2%2.1%
1/252/253/254/255/256/257/258/259/2510/2511/2512/25
2.2%2.4%2.3%2.2%2.4%2.8%3.0%2.7%2.5%N/P2.5%2.4%
1/262/263/264/265/266/267/268/269/2610/2611/2612/26
2.7%2.7%2.5%2.2%2.5%   

Or employed… (,000)

1/082/083/084/085/086/087/088/089/0810/0811/0812/08
52,16552,49852,68152,81952,54452,73552,65552,62653,10453,48553,27452,548
1/092/093/094/095/096/097/098/099/0910/0911/0912/09
52,35852,19652,34552,59752,25651,77651,81051,72452,18652,98152,26352,131
1/102/103/104/105/106/107/108/109/1010/1011/1012/10
52,15952,32452,16352,35551,83951,41450,97450,87951,75751,81852,26351,704
1/112/113/114/115/116/117/118/119/1110/1111/1112/11
51,86652,55753,24353,21652,77852,12051,66251,99752,66552,86452,78752,808
1/122/123/124/125/126/127/128/129/1210/1211/1212/12
53,15253,20853,77154,05554,15653,84653,16553,69654,65555,22354,95154,635
1/132/133/134/135/136/137/138/139/1310/1311/1312/13
54,21454,56354,72154,76754,74054,32354,06454,51555,01355,15555,58354,880
1/142/143/144/145/146/147/148/149/1410/1411/1412/14
55,09655,50156,03655,89656,20255,71455,38155,64656,36556,75957,11056,888
1/152/153/154/155/156/157/158/159/1510/1511/1512/15
57,36757,59657,80557,95358,15557,71057,39257,28858,10558,45658,66759,030
1/162/163/164/165/166/167/168/169/1610/1611/1612/16
59,01459,58360,08059,69059,61359,18158,43458,52659,59959,76659,70760,069
1/172/173/174/175/176/177/178/179/1710/1711/1712/17
59,92161,06461,15661,31761,17460,70559,92359,55960,99061,06261,81862,121
1/182/183/184/185/186/187/188/189/1810/1811/1812/18
62,12362,90863,06762,56162,36061,34961,43361,59362,18162,92963,08463,642
1/192/193/194/195/196/197/198/199/1910/1911/1912/19
63,81864,28164,29963,56063,59463,41863,39463,67964,34364,99765,54865,682
1/202/203/204/205/206/207/208/209/2010/2011/2012/20
65,53366,09165,88161,15262,33063,29062,45163,09562,75963,27763,38764,007
1/212/213/214/215/216/217/218/219/2110/2111/2112/21
63,88664,47164,50364,26464,26864,31664,17964,12265,16365,33566,06066,366
1/222/223/224/225/226/227/228/229/2210/2211/2212/22
66,74067,75467,82367,31967,65267,22467,87468,37769,05668,91869.15669,297
1/232/233/234/235/236/237/238/239/2310/2311/2312/23
69,24969,98670,65170,40370,38869,95669,66269,28070,41771,38771,35070,572
1/242/243/244/245/246/247/248/249/2410/2411/2412/24
70,65070,21770,78670,54870.89771,00270,16769,89270,91671,55371,25871,042
1/252/253/254/255/256/257/258/259/2510/2511/2512/25
71,54771,47772,01972,16870,91270,25069,80970,86671.646N/P72,09071,918
1/262/263/264/265/266/267/268/269/2610/2611/2612/26
71,99271,88471,99571,33971,111   

And unemployed… (,000)

1/082/083/084/085/086/087/088/089/0810/0811/0812/08
1,1641,1591,1211,0881,4071,4781,5851,7791,5391,6471,7861,802
1/092/093/094/095/096/097/098/099/0910/0911/0912/09
2,2382,1372,2922,1642,3732,7203,0342,9252,8592,5932,5302,509
1/102/103/104/105/106/107/108/109/1010/1011/1012/10
2,7622,6372,6002,4642,4502,6442,6872,7622,3812,4172,5252,468
1/112/113/114/115/116/117/118/119/1110/1111/1112/11
2,5572,4352,3812,1962,4192,5982,7422,6712,4502,4102,3362,303
1/122/123/124/125/126/127/128/129/1210/1211/1212/12
2,4102,3362,3302,0622,2752,4722,6662,5562,2452,1702,0772,221
1/132/133/134/135/136/137/138/139/1310/1311/1312/13
2,2112,1642,0201,9801,9902,3582,2862,1301,9781,9301,7491,637
1/142/143/144/145/146/147/148/149/1410/1411/1412/14
1,7841,8451,8901,6421,7952,0012,0111,9301,6171,5821,6561,568
1/152/153/154/155/156/157/158/159/1510/1511/1512/15
1,7411,6011,3981,4351,4601,7141,8071,6861,4141,3121,2761,208
1/162/163/164/165/166/167/168/169/1610/1611/1612/16
1,4041,4561,4771,2511,3051,7121,7821,8691,6521,5061,3821,361
1/172/173/174/175/176/177/178/179/1710/1711/1712/17
1,4251,3131,2651,2541,2081,4401,6561,7311,4631,2851,2661,290
1/182/183/184/185/186/187/188/189/1810/1811/1812/18
1,3741,3011,3101,1341,0831,5751,5391,5911,2991,2461,3301,368
1/192/193/194/195/196/197/198/199/1910/1911/1912/19
1,6071,3171,2891,0401,0861,5401,5911,4761,2351,1611,2081,171
1/202/203/204/205/206/207/208/209/2010/2011/2012/20
1,4541,2071,6635,0794,4324,3904,4003,6802,9462,4482,4152,235
1/212/213/214/215/216/217/218/219/2110/2111/2112/21
2,4332,1582,0632,0141,8792,3032,2032,1231,5801,4531,3081,146
1/222/223/224/225/226/227/228/229/2210/2211/2212/22
1,5831,4901,0531,0881,0981,5201,6501,6471,2911,3981,2471,198
1/232/233/234/235/236/237/238/239/2310/2311/2312/23
1,4601,4061,3681,1531,2811,6091,7011,7121,4661,4151,3011,314
1/242/243/244/245/246/247/248/249/2410/2411/2412/24
1,5271,5801,5801,3991,4231,8872,0952,0561,6471,6891,5811,490
1/252/253/254/255/256/257/258/259/2510/2511/2512/25
1,6041,7201,7061,5961,7192,0002,1621,9751,831N/P1,8511,760
1/262/263/264/265/266/267/268/269/2610/2611/2612/26
2,0191,9651,8161,6211,810   

For a total Management, Professional & Related workforce of…(,000)

1/082/083/084/085/086/087/088/089/0810/0811/0812/08
53,32953,65753,80253,90753,95154,21354,24054,40554,64355,13255,06054,350
1/092/093/094/095/096/097/098/099/0910/0911/0912/09
54,59654,33354,63754,76154,62954,49654,84454,64955,04555,57454,79354,640
1/102/103/104/105/106/107/108/109/1010/1011/1012/10
54,92154,96154,76354,81954,28954,05853,66153,64154,13854,23554,78854,172
1/112/113/114/115/116/117/118/119/1110/1111/1112/11
54,42354,99255,62455,41255,19754,71854,40454,66855,11555,27455,12355,111
1/122/123/124/125/126/127/128/129/1210/1211/1212/12
55,56255,54456,10156,11756,43156,31855,83156,25256,90057,39357,02856,856
1/132/133/134/135/136/137/138/139/1310/1311/1312/13
56,42556,72756,74156,74756,73056,68156,35056,64556,99157,08557,33256,517
1/142/143/144/145/146/147/148/149/1410/1411/1412/14
56,88057,34657,92657,53857,99757,71557,39257,57657,98258,34158,76658,456
1/152/153/154/155/156/157/158/159/1510/1511/1512/15
59,10859,19759,20359,38859,61559,42459,19958,97459,51959,76859,94360,238
1/162/163/164/165/166/167/168/169/1610/1611/1612/16
60,41861,03961,55760,94160,91860,89360,21660,39561,25161,27261,08961,430
1/172/173/174/175/176/177/178/179/1710/1711/1712/17
61,34662,37762,42162,57162,38262,14561,57961,29062,45362,34763,08463,411
1/182/183/184/185/186/187/188/189/1810/1811/1812/18
63,49764,20964,37763,69563,44362,92462,97263,18463,48064,17564,41465,010
1/192/193/194/195/196/197/198/199/1910/1911/1912/19
65,42565,59865,58864,60064,68064,95864,98565,15565,57866,15866,75666,853
1/202/203/204/205/206/207/208/209/2010/2011/2012/20
66,98767,29867,54466,23166,76267,68066,85166,77565,70565,67565,80266,242
1/212/213/214/215/216/217/218/219/2110/2111/2112/21
66,31966,62966,56666,27866,14766,61966,38266,24566,74366,78867,36867,512
1/222/223/224/225/226/227/228/229/2210/2211/2212/22
68,32369,24468,87668,40768,75068,74469,52470,02470,34770,31670.40370,495
1/232/233/234/235/236/237/238/239/2310/2311/2312/23
70,70971,39272,01971,55671,66971,56571,36370,99271,88372,80272,65171,886
1/242/243/244/245/246/247/248/249/2410/2411/2412/24
72,17771,79772,36671,94772,32072,88972,26271,94872,56373,24272,83972,532
1/252/253/254/255/256/257/258/259/2510/2511/2512/25
73,15173,19773,72573,76472,63172,25071,97172,84173,477N/P73,94173,678
1/262/263/264/265/266/267/268/269/2610/2611/2612/26
74,01173,84973,81172,96072,921   

Management, Business and Financial Operations – Unemployment Rate

1/082/083/084/085/086/087/088/089/0810/0811/0812/08
2.3%2.3%2.2%2.1%2.7%2.5%2.6%2.8%2.8%3.0%3.6%3.9%
1/092/093/094/095/096/097/098/099/0910/0911/0912/09
4.6%4.5%4.5%4.4%4.6%4.8%4.9%5.0%5.2%5.4%5.4%5.2%
1/102/103/104/105/106/107/108/109/1010/1011/1012/10
5.2%5.1%5.4%5.1%4.9%4.8%4.7%4.9%4.3%5.0%5.5%5.7%
1/112/113/114/115/116/117/118/119/1110/1111/1112/11
5.3%4.9%4.8%4.6%4.9%4.6%4.6%4.6%4.6%4.7%4.6%4.4%
1/122/123/124/125/126/127/128/129/1210/1211/1212/12
4.5%4.4%4.4%4.0%4.1%3.8%3.8%3.7%3.5%3.6%3.8%4.1%
1/132/133/134/135/136/137/138/139/1310/1311/1312/13
4.0%3.9%3.5%3.5%3.8%3.5%3.1%3.4%3.3%3.7%3.2%3.1%
1/142/143/144/145/146/147/148/149/1410/1411/1412/14
3.4%3.6%3.5%3.2%3.3%2.8%2.7%2.6%2.4%2.7%2.7%2.5%
1/152/153/154/155/156/157/158/159/1510/1511/1512/15
3.0%2.8%2.6%2.6%2.9%2.4%2.3%2.2%2.4%2.2%2.1%1.9%
1/162/163/164/165/166/167/168/169/1610/1611/1612/16
2.3%2.6%2.5%2.4%2.4%2.5%2.4%2.5%2.8%2.5%2.3%2.4%
1/172/173/174/175/176/177/178/179/1710/1711/1712/17
2.5%2.4%2.4%2.2%1.8%1.9%1.9%2.4%2.5%1.9%1.9%2.0%
1/182/183/184/185/186/187/188/189/1810/1811/1812/18
2.0%2.0%2.0%1.8%1.7%2.1%1.9%2.0%2.1%2.0%2.1%2.2%
1/192/193/194/195/196/197/198/199/1910/1911/1912/19
2.5%2.1%2.0%1.4%1.5%1.9%1.8%1.9%1.6%1.7%1.6%1.9%
1/202/203/204/205/206/207/208/209/2010/2011/2012/20
2.3%1.8%2.2%6.2%5.1%4.8%5.1%4.7%4.8%4.3%3.9%3.6%
1/212/213/214/215/216/217/218/219/2110/2111/2112/21
3.8%3.5%3.4%3.1%2.9%3.0%2.6%2.9%2.3%2.3%2.2%1.8%
1/222/223/224/225/226/227/228/229/2210/2211/2212/22
2.1%2.1%1.5%1.6%1.4%1.6%1.5%1.7%1.8%2.1%1.9%1.8%
1/232/233/234/235/236/237/238/239/2310/2311/2312/23
2.0%2.1%2.1%1.8%2.0%1.9%1.9%2.1%2.1%1.8%1.7%2.0%
1/242/243/244/245/246/247/248/249/2410/2411/2412/24
2.1%2.4%2.3%2.4%2.0%2.2%2.3%2.4%2.2%2.3%2.2%2.0%
1/252/253/254/255/256/257/258/259/2510/2511/2512/25
2.1%2.3%2.3%2.2%2.6%2.4%2.1%2.2%2.1%N/P2.5%2.5%
1/262/263/264/265/266/267/268/269/2610/2611/2612/26
2.6%2.8%2.6%2.3%2.3%   

Professional & Related – Unemployment Rate

1/082/083/084/085/086/087/088/089/0810/0811/0812/08
2.1%2.1%2.0%2.0%2.5%2.9%3.2%3.6%2.8%3.0%3.0%2.9%
1/102/103/104/105/106/107/108/109/1010/1011/1012/10
4.9%4.6%4.3%4.1%4.3%5.0%5.2%5.3%4.4%4.1%4.1%3.8%
1/112/113/114/115/116/117/118/119/1110/1111/1112/11
4.3%4.1%3.9%3.5%4.0%4.9%5.3%5.1%4.4%4.1%4.0%4.0%
1/122/123/124/125/126/127/128/129/1210/1211/1212/12
4.2%4.1%4.0%3.5%4.0%4.8%5.5%5.2%4.3%3.9%3.5%3.8%
1/132/133/134/135/136/137/138/139/1310/1311/1312/13
3.8%3.8%3.6%3.4%3.3%4.6%4.7%4.0%3.6%3.1%2.9%2.7%
1/142/143/144/145/146/147/148/149/1410/1411/1412/14
2.9%3.0%3.1%2.6%2.9%4.0%4.1%3.9%3.1%2.7%2.9%2.8%
1/152/153/154/155/156/157/158/159/1510/1511/1512/15
2.9%2.7%2.2%2.3%2.1%3.2%3.6%3.3%2.4%2.2%2.2%2.1%
1/162/163/164/165/166/167/168/169/1610/1611/1612/16
2.4%2.2%2.3%1.8%2.0%3.1%3.4%3.5%2.6%2.4%2.2%2.1%
1/172/173/174/175/176/177/178/179/1710/1711/1712/17
2.2%1.9%1.8%1.8%2.0%2.6%3.3%3.1%2.3%2.2%2.0%2.1%
1/182/183/184/185/186/187/188/189/1810/1811/1812/18
2.3%2.0%2.1%1.8%1.7%2.8%2.8%2.9%2.0%1.9%2.1%2.1%
1/192/193/194/195/196/197/198/199/1910/1911/1912/19
2.4%2.0%1.9%1.8%1.8%2.7%2.9%2.6%2.1%1.8%1.9%1.7%
1/202/203/204/205/206/207/208/209/2010/2011/2012/20
2.1%1.8%2.6%8.8%7.7%7.7%7.6%6.1%4.3%3.3%3.5%3.2%
1/212/213/214/215/216/217/218/219/2110/2111/2112/21
3.5%3.1%2.9%3.0%2.8%3.8%3.9%3.4%2.4%2.1%1.8%1.6%
1/222/223/224/225/226/227/228/229/2210/2211/2212/22
2.5%2.2%1.6%1.6%1.7%2.6%3.0%2.8%1.9%1.9%1.7%1.6%
1/232/233/234/235/236/237/238/239/2310/2311/2312/23
2.1%1.9%1.8%1.4%1.7%2.5%2.8%2.7%2.0%2.1%1.9%1.7%
1/242/243/244/245/246/247/248/249/2410/2411/2412/24
2.1%2.1%2.1%1.6%1.9%2.9%3.3%3.2%2.2%2.3%2.1%2.1%
1/252/253/254/255/256/257/258/259/2510/2511/2512/25
2.3%2.4%2.4%2.1%2.2%3.1%3.7%3.1%2.1%N/P2.5%2.3%
1/262/263/264/265/266/267/268/269/2610/2611/2612/26
2.8%2.6%2.4%2.1%2.6%   

Sales & Related – Unemployment Rate

1/082/083/084/085/086/087/088/089/0810/0811/0812/08
5.2%5.2%4.8%4.3%5.1%5.6%6.2%6.3%5.7%6.1%6.5%7.0%
1/092/093/094/095/096/097/098/099/0910/0911/0912/09
7.7%8.4%8.9%8.6%8.9%9.1%8.3%8.7%8.9%9.5%9.1%8.9%
1/102/103/104/105/106/107/108/109/1010/1011/1012/10
10.1%10.2%9.7%9.2%9.6%9.4%10.1%9.0%9.4%9.1%8.8%8.3%
1/112/113/114/115/116/117/118/119/1110/1111/1112/11
9.3%9.0%8.5%8.5%9.4%9.7%9.4%8.6%9.4%8.2%7.8%7.7%
1/122/123/124/125/126/127/128/129/1210/1211/1212/12
8.2%7.9%8.1%7.6%7.9%8.4%8.3%8.6%7.9%7.0%7.3%7.0%
1/132/133/134/135/136/137/138/139/1310/1311/1312/13
8.5%8.2%7.7%6.9%7.1%6.7%6.9%7.2%7.5%7.3%7.0%6.3%
1/142/143/144/145/146/147/148/149/1410/1411/1412/14
7.1%7.7%6.8%5.8%6.8%6.1%6.2%5.6%5.4%5.2%5.3%5.0%
1/152/153/154/155/156/157/158/159/1510/1511/1512/15
5.8%5.2%5.8%5.5%5.8%5.6%5.8%5.4%5.6%5.3%5.1%4.3%
1/162/163/164/165/166/167/168/169/1610/1611/1612/16
5.0%4.4%4.4%5.2%5.1%4.9%4.9%4.8%5.2%4.4%4.6%4.6%
1/172/173/174/175/176/177/178/179/1710/1711/1712/17
5.2%4.3%3.9%4.2%4.5%4.8%4.2%4.2%3.7%4.0%4.1%3.8%
1/182/183/184/185/186/187/188/189/1810/1811/1812/18
4.6%4.5%4.5%4.1%4.2%4.4%4.0%3.5%4.0%3.6%3.7%3.6%
1/192/193/194/195/196/197/198/199/1910/1911/1912/19
4.5%5.0%4.6%3.9%3.6%3.4%3.2%3.8%3.6%3.4%3.3%3.3%
1/202/203/204/205/206/207/208/209/2010/2011/2012/20
4.5%4.2%4.3%17.1%16.2%13.3%10.9%8.6%8.9%7.0%6.3%5.3%
1/212/213/214/215/216/217/218/219/2110/2111/2112/21
6.6%6.6%6.3%6.3%6.4%6.0%6.0%5.5%5.2%4.5%4.2%3.6%
1/222/223/224/225/226/227/228/229/2210/2211/2212/22
4.2%3.6%4.3%4.1%4.2%4.1%4.1%4.0%3.8%3.4%3.3%3.4%
1/232/233/234/235/236/237/238/239/2310/2311/2312/23
4.4%4.0%3.7%3.0%4.0%4.0%3.7%3.9%4.1%3.9%3.7%4.4%
1/242/243/244/245/246/247/248/249/2410/2411/2412/24
4.5%4.7%4.7%3.6%3.8%4.5%4.6%4.6%4.5%3.9%4.2%4.1%
1/252/253/254/255/256/257/258/259/2510/2511/2512/25
4.9%4.3%4.4%4.2%4.5%4.9%3.9%4.8%4.8%N/P5/0%4.5%
1/262/263/264/265/266/267/268/269/2610/2611/2612/26
5.2%4.9%5.0%4.3%3.7%   

Leave a comment

Cart0