February 2012 Employment Situation Report Shows 227000 Jobs Added

Nonfarm payroll employment rose by 227,000 jobs in February 2012 while the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 8.3 percent, according to ‘THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION — FEBRUARY 2012’ report released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The report also changed employment figures for December 2011 from a gain of 203,000 jobs to 223,000 jobs, while January 2012 figures were revised from a gain of 243,000 jobs to 284,000 jobs. The Employment Situation Report for February 2012 is available at http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf until the March 2012 Employment Situation report is released on Friday, April 6, 2012. The BLS Employment Report showed that the number of unemployed persons, currently at 12.8 million, was essentially unchanged in February 2012. Private-sector employment grew by 233,000 jobs, with job gains in professional and business services, health care and social assistance, leisure and hospitality, manufacturing, and mining. Among specific job sectors, the BLS report found the following:

• Professional and Business Services added 82,000 jobs in February 2012, with temporary help services gaining 45,000 jobs, and employment in the sector has grown by 1.4 million since a recent low point in September 2009.
• Health Care and Social Assistance employment rose by 61,000 jobs in February 2012, with health care ambulatory care services adding 28,000 jobs, hospital employment increasing by 15,000 jobs, and social assistance rising by 12,000 jobs. Over the past 12 months, health care employment has risen by 360,000 jobs.
• Leisure and Hospitality employment increased by 44,000 jobs in February 2012, with food services and drinking places gaining 41,000 jobs. Since a recent low in February 2010, food services has added 531,000 jobs.
• Manufacturing employment rose by 31,000 jobs in February 2012, and durable goods manufacturing has added 444,000 jobs since a recent low in January 2010.
• Mining added 7,000 jobs in In February 2012, and has increased by 180,000 jobs since a recent low in October 2009.
• Construction, Retail Trade, and Government employment changed little in February 2012.

The ‘THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION — FEBRUARY 2012’ report is at http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf until the Employment Situation report for March 2012 is released on Friday, April 6, 2012. For more information on pre-employment background checks as part of a Safe Hiring Program, visit Employment Screening Resources (ESR) – ‘The Background Check Authority’ and nationwide background screening firm accredited by the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®) – at https://www.esrcheck.com/ or call ESR at 415.898.0044 or toll free at 888.999.4474. Source: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf About Employment Screening Resources (ESR): Employment Screening Resources (ESR) – ‘The Background Check Authority^SM’ – provides accurate and actionable information, empowering employers to make informed safe hiring decisions for the benefit for our clients, their employees, and the public. ESR literally wrote the book on background screening with “The Safe Hiring Manual” by Founder and CEO Lester Rosen. ESR is accredited by The National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS), a distinction held by less than two percent of all screening firms. By choosing an accredited screening firm like ESR, employers know they have selected an agency that meets the highest industry standards. For more information about Employment Screening Resources (ESR), visit https://www.esrcheck.com/ or call 415.898.0044 or 888.999.4474. About ESR News: The Employment Screening Resources (ESR) News blog – ESR News – provides employment screening information for employers, recruiters, and jobseekers on a variety of topics including credit reports, criminal records, data privacy, discrimination, E-Verify, jobs reports, legal updates, negligent hiring, workplace violence, and use of search engines and social network sites for background checks. For more information about ESR News or to send comments or questions, please email ESR News Editor Thomas Ahearn at [email protected].]]>