FEW EMPLOYMENT SECTORS GROWING

(July 15, 2011) U.S. and Arkansas payroll employment has increased slightly since the recession’s end two years ago, though few sectors are growing.

The following U.S. employment sectors have expanded since June 2009:

· Education & Health Services +749,000

· Professional & Business Services +724,000

· Mining +100,000

· Other Services +75,000

· Trade, Transportation & Utilities +4,000

Temporary help contributed 479,100 of these new positions within the Services-providing sector.

The following Arkansas employment sectors have expanded:

· Professional & Business Services +9,400

· Education & Health Services +4,600

· Leisure & Hospitality +3,100

· Trade, Transportation & Utilities +2,100

· Government +800

The next snapshot of Arkansas’ employment market will be available next Friday (July 22) when June data is released.

To summarize, employment at the national and state levels is expanding at very low historical levels, and is uneven across sectors.

--Greg Kaza

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov)