Manufacturing and construction job increases
In an otherwise gloomy jobs report, the manufacturing and construction sectors both added jobs during the month of June.
Manufacturers added 11,000 jobs in June and the construction industry gained 2,000 jobs during the month, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.
In manufacturing, job growth in the second quarter averaged 10,000 per month, compared with an average of 41,000 per month during the first quarter. In June, employment increased in motor vehicles and parts (+7,000) and in fabricated metal products (+5,000).
Employment also continued to trend up in wholesale trade, which added 9,000 jobs in June.
Employment in other major industries, including mining and logging, and construction, showed little or no change.
Total nonfarm payroll employment continued to edge up in June (+80,000), and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 8.2 percent.
National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) president and CEO Jay Timmons used the third straight month of weak job growth as a call for Washington to enact pro-growth jobs policies.
“Manufacturers have led the nascent economic recovery to date, but it’s clear that employers, including manufacturers, aren’t pleased with Washington’s lack of action to implement pro-growth policies. The national unemployment rate remains stuck at a dismally high 8.2 percent, and economic growth is shrinking. Today’s report is not surprising—as we careen toward the fiscal cliff created by sequestration, taxmageddon, regulatory overreach, entitlement burdens and overall uncertainty, too many employers are focused on simply staying above water," he said.
INDUSTRIAL SUPPLY MAGAZINE
The May/June issue of Industrial Supply magazine features an in-depth cover story about GHX Industrial. Plus, we're featuring articles by contributing writers Dr. Bharani Nagarathnam and Frank Hurtte, as well as interviews with numerous product and distribution industry experts.
