Employment Situation in February improves

Alan Krueger

March 09, 2012 
09:37 AM EST

Today’s employment report provides further evidence that the economy is continuing to heal from the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.

It is critical that we continue the economic policies that are helping us dig our way out of the deep hole that was caused by the recession that began at the end of 2007, including measures to help the sectors that were most severely harmed by the bubble economy that misdirected investment and created too few durable jobs.

After losing millions of good manufacturing jobs in the years before and during the recession, the economy has added 429,000 manufacturing jobs in the past two years. 

For the first time since the 1990s, the manufacturing sector is adding jobs. To support a revival in manufacturing jobs and output, the President has proposed tax incentives for manufacturers, enhanced training for the workforce, and measures to create manufacturing hubs.

Private sector payrolls increased by 233,000 jobs and overall payroll employment rose by 227,000 jobs in February. 

The unemployment rate was unchanged at 8.3%.  The unemployment rate has fallen by 0.8 percentage point during the last 6 months. 

There was an increase in the size of the labor force last month of 476,000. Importantly, the increase in the labor force last month was due in large part to a reduction in the number of workers who exited the labor force between January and February.

Despite adverse shocks that have created headwinds for economic growth, the economy has added private sector jobs for 24 straight months, for a total of more than 3.9 million payroll jobs over that period. In the last 12 months, 2.2 million private sector jobs were added on net.  In the last 6 months, 1.3 million private sector jobs were added, the most of any 6 month period in nearly 6 years. 

Sectors with net job increases included health care and social assistance (+61,100), temporary help services (+45,200), leisure and hospitality (+44,000), and manufacturing (+31,000).  Construction lost 13,000 jobs, reflecting a loss of 15,400 specialty trade contractor jobs. Employment in the Federal government fell by 7,000 jobs. 

The monthly employment and unemployment numbers can be volatile, and employment estimates can be subject to substantial revision. 

Therefore, as the Administration always stresses, it is important not to read too much into any one monthly report; nevertheless, the trend in job market indicators over recent months is an encouraging sign.

Certainly the Obama administration can take the lion's share of credit for this turn-around. Republicans David and Debbie Downer thwarted the administration whenever they could. These are, of course, the same people who claim to be patriots. 

Mitt Romney has been saying for months that the president is doing everything wrong on the economy. Of course, in the 1 per cent top down world of Republicans and their supply side economics, Romney's comments are hardly surprising. 

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