The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics provides jobs data
on a monthly basis using the Current Employment Survey (CES). The survey primarily provides nonfarm employment
by industry and geographic areas including the United
States as a whole, individual states and metropolitan
areas. The data are best
used to get a year-to-date
or month-to-month snapshot
of the economy.

Job Growth-Business Cycles

Many factors contribute to job growth in the
United States. Position in business cycles
underlies many trends. Is the economy
expanding, contracting or flat? Changes in
GDP is an important bellweather.

Moderate growth is good. Sustained decline is
bad, as recessions tend to reduce the over-
all demand for labor. But accelerated growth
can also be a negative as inflationary pressure
often accompanys such growth.

Often the sectors of the economy are
affected differently depending on position
in the business cycle and direction of GDP.

The service sector has accounted for nearly
90% of job growth during the past two
decades, while the goods producing sector has
moderated as manufacturing has declined
and construction has increased (until recently).

Knowing History is Important in Order to
Understand the Future!

You'll want to understand what has gone on
before. A good source for consideration is
the employment retrospective compiled by
the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

How many business cycles have we been
through? The National Bureau of Economic
Research provides that answer... but which
way are we headed and where will we be
when it is time for you to look for a job?

Remember, you're not just focusing on the
United States any longer, the world is at
your finger tips.