U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey, nonfarm payroll employment expanded by 3 million in 2023.¹ (See chart 1.) Average monthly job gains of 251,000 in 2023 were down from those in 2022 (+377,000) and 2021 (+604,000). In percentage terms, employment rose by 2.0 percent in 2023, lower than in each of the prior 2 years but higher than each of the 5 years prior to the pandemic. Despite this slowdown in employment growth, real gross domestic product accelerated from 0.7 percent in 2022 to 3.1 in 2023.² (See table 1.)

Most major industry sectors experienced job gains in 2023, although job growth slowed across most sectors compared with 2022 and 2021. (See chart 2.) In 2023, job gains were led by government and by private education and health services, two sectors that saw accelerating growth compared with 2022. In 2023, employment rose at a steady pace in construction and in retail trade but slowed in leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, wholesale trade, other services, and financial activities. Employment changed little over the year in mining and logging and in manufacturing. In contrast, employment declined in information and in transportation and warehousing over the year, after increasing in 2022.

2022 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) series changes

In February 2023, BLS incorporated series changes related to annual sample adequacy and disclosure review and updated the national nonfarm payroll series to the 2022 North American Classification System (NAICS) from the NAICS 2017 basis.³ During the annual sample review, BLS evaluates all CES series for sample size, coverage, and response rates. The series changes result from a reevaluation of the sample and universe coverage for CES industries, which are based on NAICS 2022. With the update to NAICS 2022, some industries no longer have sufficient sample size to be estimated and published separately and were discontinued or combined with other similar industries for estimation and publication purposes. The conversion to NAICS 2022 resulted in revisions to industry composition and industry titles to better reflect official NAICS classifications. As a result, BLS reclassified approximately 10 percent of employment into different industries.⁴

Job growth acceleration

This section discusses two major industry sectors—government and private education and health services—whose employment exceeded 2022 growth.

Government

Employment in government accelerated by 709,000 in 2023, exceeding the total employment growth in 2022 (+299,000) and 2021 (+392,000). Government employment recovered to its prepandemic level in September 2023, surpassing its February 2020 level by 209,000 in December 2023. (See chart 3.) Local government led the job gains, adding 351,000 jobs over the year, with gains in local government, excluding education (+189,000) and local government education (+162,000). (See chart 4.) State government employment rose by 273,000 over the year; this was the largest calendar-year percentage gain in employment (+5.3 percent) since 1968, when state government employment increased by 5.6 percent. Within state government, state government education (+183,000) and state government, excluding education (+89,000) added jobs in 2023. Federal government added 85,000 jobs over the year, after adding 8,000 jobs in 2022.

Private education and health services

Healthcare employment gains continued to accelerate in 2023, increasing by 688,000 over the year after rising by 572,000 in 2022 and changing little in 2021 (+31,000). (See chart 5.) In 2023, the industry’s employment gains were concentrated in ambulatory healthcare services (+345,000), which was driven by gains in offices of physicians (+121,000), home healthcare services (+109,000), offices of other health practitioners (+60,000), and outpatient care centers (+28,000). (See chart 6.) Employment in hospitals also rose at a faster pace, increasing by 194,000 in 2023 compared with 146,000 in 2022. Nursing and residential care facilities added jobs over the year (+149,000), though the employment in the industry remains below its prepandemic level.

Employment in social assistance rose by 278,000 in 2023, with services for the elderly and persons with disabilities accounting for 167,000 of the increase. Childcare services (+49,000) and community food and housing, and emergency and other relief services (+14,000) also added jobs over the year.

Employment in private educational services increased by 93,000 in 2023, compared with an increase of 47,000 in 2022.

Steady job growth

This section describes two industries—construction and retail trade—whose employment growth in 2023 was about the same as that in 2022.

Construction

Employment in construction rose by 236,000 in 2023, slightly below its gain of 290,000 in the previous year. (See chart 7.) Within construction, employment in heavy and civil engineering construction increased by 51,000 in 2023, greater than the increase of 25,000 in 2022. (See chart 8.) Nonresidential specialty trade contractors gained 78,000 jobs in 2023, in line with the gain of 87,000 jobs in 2022. Nonresidential building construction added 44,000 jobs in 2023, also in line with the job growth in 2022 (+48,000). Although residential specialty trade contractors added 57,000 jobs in 2023, the gain was below that of 96,000 in 2022. Similarly, in 2023, job growth in residential building construction (+5,000) was lower than in 2022 (+35,000).

Nonresidential construction spending, residential construction spending, and other construction-related economic indicators were positive in 2023, including housing starts (+15.1 percent), residential building permits (+6.0 percent), and new homes sales (+2.4 percent).⁵ Nonresidential construction spending rose 22.3 percent over the year (after increasing 13.3 percent in 2022), the largest over-the-year change since 2003.⁶ Residential construction spending rose at the slowest rate since 2011, increasing 5.5 percent in 2023, after declining 3.1 percent in 2022.⁷

In addition, the National Association of Homebuilders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), at 37 in December 2023, increased by 6 points over the year, after decreasing by 53 points in 2022. An HMI value of less than 50 indicates negative homebuilder sentiment.⁸ Homebuilders cited lower mortgage rates and improved economic data heading into 2024 for the increase in homebuilder sentiment.⁹

Retail trade

Retail trade employment rose by 118,000 in 2023, in line with the increase of 111,000 in 2022, but below the gain of 255,000 in 2021. (See chart 9.) Within retail trade, warehouse clubs, supercenters, and other general merchandise retailers, a component of general merchandise retailers, added 104,000 jobs in 2023 after losing 33,000 in 2022. (See chart 10.) Additionally, employment increased in motor vehicle and parts dealers (+44,000), food and beverage retailers (+24,000), and gasoline stations and fuel dealers (+24,000). These gains were partially offset by losses in furniture, home furnishings, electronics, and appliance retailers (-41,000); in building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers (-34,000); and in health and personal care retailers (-15,000).

Consistent with the recent trends in retail trade employment, retail sales moderated in 2023 and 2022, increasing 4.2 percent and 4.4 percent, respectively, down from the 13.0 percent increase in 2021.¹⁰

Job growth deceleration

Job gains slowed notably in several industries during 2023. This section discusses the employment sectors that experienced slowed growth compared with the previous year: leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, wholesale trade, other services, financial activities, manufacturing, and mining and logging.

Leisure and hospitality

Leisure and hospitality employment continued to gain ground in its recovery; however, the gain of 561,000 jobs in 2023 was around half of the gain in the previous year (+1.0 million). In December 2023, total employment in the industry was 83,000 below its prepandemic level. (See chart 11.) Food services and drinking places, which represents 73 percent of leisure and hospitality employment, added 309,000 jobs in 2023, down from a gain of 612,000 in 2022. (See chart 12.) Deceleration in food services and drinking places employment is in line with recent trends in sales at food services and drinking places, which increased 10.4 in 2023, down from the 13.7 percent in 2022, unadjusted for inflation.¹¹ (See chart 13.) Job growth also decelerated in amusement, gambling, and recreation industries (+77,000 in 2023 versus +161,000 in 2022) and accommodation (+70,000 in 2023 versus +171,000 in 2022).

Even within a sector with decelerating employment growth, like leisure and hospitality, some components still had accelerating growth. In contrast to the industry as a whole, performing arts, spectator sports, and related industries accelerated and added 95,000 jobs in 2023, after adding 43,000 jobs in 2022.

The Consumer Confidence Index (CCI), a measure and economic indicator of consumer confidence, decreased by 1.0 point in 2023 and 6.2 points in 2022. The decrease in the CCI is consistent with the deceleration in leisure and hospitality employment, with food services and drinking places employment leading the slowdown.¹²

Professional and business services

Employment in professional and business services rose by 149,000, markedly lower than its gain of 643,000 in 2022. (See chart 14.) This slowdown was driven by administrative and support and waste management and remediation services, which lost 124,000 jobs in 2023, after gaining 95,000 jobs in 2022. (See chart 15.) Within this industry, temporary help services lost 217,000 jobs, more than the 106,000 lost in 2022. (See chart 16.) The losses in temporary help services coincide with an 8.3 percent over-the-year decrease in the American Staffing Association’s Staffing Index.¹³ Temporary help services employment tends to be viewed as a leading economic indicator of total nonfarm employment, as well as business cycles, by the National Bureau of Economic Research.¹⁴ Since March 2022, temporary help services has shed 417,000 jobs.

Employment in professional, scientific, and technical services also contributed to the slowdown, increasing by 258,000 in 2023, notably less than the 453,000 gain in the previous year. Job growth also remained positive but lower than the previous year for management, scientific, and technical consulting services (+63,000); computer systems design and related services (+41,000); and accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll services (+26,000).

Wholesale trade

Employment in wholesale trade rose by 96,000 in 2023, compared with 234,000 in 2022. (See chart 17.) Among that growth, merchant wholesalers, durable goods added 67,000 jobs over the year, after adding 148,000 in 2022. Employment in additional component industries of wholesale trade—merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods (+27,000), and wholesale trade agents and brokers (+2,000)—changed little in 2023. (See chart 18.)

Other services

Other services added 95,000 jobs in 2023, down from 153,000 added the previous year. (See chart 19.) As of December 2023, industry employment was 77,000 below its prepandemic February 2020 level. Employment in personal and laundry services (+26,000) and religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations (+19,000) changed little over the year, after increasing by 80,000 and 30,000, respectively, in 2022. (See chart 20.) Repair and maintenance, a component of other services, accounted for nearly half of the industry’s growth in 2023, with 50,000 jobs, similar to the 44,000 jobs added in 2022.

Financial activities

After gaining 207,000 jobs in 2022, financial activities experienced a slowdown in 2023, adding 88,000 jobs. (See chart 21.) Credit intermediation and related activities employment decreased by 58,000 in 2023, after falling by 39,000 in 2022. (See chart 22.) Within this industry, employment in nondepository credit intermediation (-26,000) and activities related to credit intermediation (-20,000) continued to decline in 2023. After a gain of 33,000 jobs in 2022, commercial banking lost 17,000 jobs in 2023. The employment decline in commercial banking largely reflects the layoffs by U.S. banks throughout the year.¹⁵

Over the year, employment growth continued, though at a slower pace, in real estate and rental and leasing (+63,000); insurance carriers and related activities (+50,000); and securities, commodity contracts, funds, trusts, and other financial vehicles, investments, and related activities (+33,000).

At the same time as these changes in financial activities, the financial landscape as a whole has undergone a shift. Building off the federal funds rate increases in 2022, totaling an increase of 4.02 percentage points, the Federal Reserve continued to increase interest rates in 2023 (+1.23 percentage points).¹⁶ The Federal Reserve raised interest rates the first half of 2023 and maintained the higher interest rates the latter half of the year, following seven interest rate increases throughout 2022.

Manufacturing

Manufacturing employment was essentially unchanged in 2023 (+26,000), a marked contrast from its gain of 359,000 jobs in 2022. (See chart 23.) Over the year, employment rose by 73,000 in durable goods manufacturing and changed little in nondurable goods manufacturing (-47,000), after adding 257,000 and 102,000, respectively, in 2022. (See chart 24.) Within durable goods, a gain of 68,000 jobs in transportation equipment manufacturing more than offset a loss in furniture and related product manufacturing (-18,000).

Employment growth in durable goods manufacturing was hampered by several employment strikes in 2023, with about 31,900 total workers temporarily falling from payrolls.¹⁷ The weakness in durable goods employment was consistent with the Institute of Supply Management Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), which reached 47.1 percent and had indicated contraction within manufacturing for 14 consecutive months as of December 2023.¹⁸ A PMI below 50 percent indicates a contraction in manufacturing activity. In contrast, durable goods orders increased by $12.5 billion over the year.¹⁹

Unlike the employment losses in durable goods manufacturing, which were offset by gains, the employment declines in nondurable goods manufacturing were not made up for by gains elsewhere. For nondurable goods manufacturing, the losses were concentrated in plastics and rubber products manufacturing (-23,000), printing and related support activities (-12,000), and textile product mills (-7,000).

Mining and Logging

Employment in mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction changed little in 2023 (+15,000), after increasing by 50,000 in 2022. Industry employment remains 36,000 below its prepandemic February 2020 level. (See chart 25.) Because mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction employment is highly sensitive to fluctuations in oil prices, the weakness in employment was likely driven by the overall downward trend in crude oil prices over the year.²⁰

Job losses

In 2023, job losses occurred in two sectors: in information and in transportation and warehousing.

Information

Information employment fell by 83,000 in 2023, after increasing by 127,000 in 2022. (See chart 26.) Over the year, telecommunications lost jobs (-27,000), while employment changed little in web search portal, libraries, archives, and other information services (-14,000) and in broadcasting and content providers (-13,000). (See chart 27.) Employment in motion picture and sound recording industries was flat in 2023 (-6,000). The industry’s growth was hampered by an employment strike from August to October 2023, with about 16,000 total workers temporarily falling from payrolls.²¹

Transportation and warehousing

Employment in transportation and warehousing declined by 69,000 in 2023, following a gain of 148,000 in 2022. (See chart 28.) Employment in this industry grew strongly prior and during the pandemic but has grown at a slower pace since 2022. Industry weakness is consistent with a 2023 decrease in the Cass Freight Index (-7.2 percent), which measures shipment volumes in the United States.²²

After experiencing substantial employment growth early in the pandemic, employment in warehousing and storage began to decline in 2023, totaling a loss of 99,000, and couriers and messengers employment was flat (-10,000) in 2023. (See chart 29.) These losses coincided with a downward trend in online shopping and delivery services as prepandemic consumer behaviors resumed. Since reaching a peak in 2022, employment in warehousing and storage and in couriers and messengers has fallen by 185,000 and 66,000, respectively.

Employment growth in other component industries was mixed over the year. Air transportation added 40,000 jobs in 2023, slightly less than the gain of 51,000 jobs in 2022, while truck transportation lost 35,000 jobs, after adding 41,000 in 2022. Employment growth in support activities for transportation (+15,000) and transit and ground passenger transportation (+9,000) changed little in 2023, after increasing by 54,000 and 28,000, respectively, in 2022.

Hours and earnings

In 2023, average weekly hours were unchanged for all private-sector employees and private-sector production and nonsupervisory employees at 34.4 and 33.8, respectively. (See chart 30.) The index of aggregate weekly hours, which combines changes in both employment and the length of the workweek, increased by 2.0 points for all private-sector employees in 2023 and by 2.1 points for production and nonsupervisory employees.

Average hourly earnings of all private-sector employees increased by 4.3 percent in 2023. Average hourly earnings of private-sector production and nonsupervisory employees, which represent about 81 percent of all employees, increased by 4.5 percent over the year. The rate of gain in average hourly earnings of all employees varied in 2023, ranging from 2.8 in information to 6.7 percent in transportation and warehousing. (See chart 31.)

Real average hourly earnings for all employees and for production and nonsupervisory employees increased over the year, indicating an easing of inflationary effects. In 2023, real average hourly earnings for all employees, which are adjusted for inflation using the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, increased by 0.9 percent. (See chart 32.) The combination of the increase in real average hourly earnings over the year and the unchanged average workweek resulted in a 0.9 percent increase in real average weekly earnings over this period. Put differently, workers’ buying power increased over the year.

Real average hourly earnings for production and nonsupervisory employees, which are adjusted for inflation using the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, increased by 1.2 percent over the year (see chart 33), and the workweek for those workers was unchanged. The changes resulted in a 1.2-percent increase in real average weekly earnings in 2023.

Conclusion

In 2023, total nonfarm employment rose by 3 million, or 2.0 percent. Annual job growth slowed in most major industries, declined in information and in transportation and warehousing, and accelerated in government and in private education and health services. Average hourly earnings increased over the year, while average weekly hours were unchanged.