Figure A

Payroll employment and the number of jobs needed to keep up with the growth in the potential labor force, 2000–2014

Year Payroll employment – actual Jobs needed to keep up with growth in potential labor force
2000-03-01 131606
2000-04-01 131893
2000-05-01 132119
2000-06-01 132074
2000-07-01 132251
2000-08-01 132237
2000-09-01 132371
2000-10-01 132357
2000-11-01 132582
2000-12-01 132724
2001-01-01 132694
2001-02-01 132766
2001-03-01 132741
2001-04-01 132460
2001-05-01 132422
2001-06-01 132293
2001-07-01 132178
2001-08-01 132020
2001-09-01 131778
2001-10-01 131454
2001-11-01 131160
2001-12-01 130989
2002-01-01 130847
2002-02-01 130714
2002-03-01 130695
2002-04-01 130615
2002-05-01 130607
2002-06-01 130664
2002-07-01 130579
2002-08-01 130564
2002-09-01 130504
2002-10-01 130629
2002-11-01 130639
2002-12-01 130481
2003-01-01 130575
2003-02-01 130422
2003-03-01 130212
2003-04-01 130167
2003-05-01 130156
2003-06-01 130166
2003-07-01 130189
2003-08-01 130148
2003-09-01 130250
2003-10-01 130446
2003-11-01 130462
2003-12-01 130586
2004-01-01 130747
2004-02-01 130791
2004-03-01 131123
2004-04-01 131372
2004-05-01 131679
2004-06-01 131753
2004-07-01 131785
2004-08-01 131917
2004-09-01 132079
2004-10-01 132425
2004-11-01 132490
2004-12-01 132619
2005-01-01 132753
2005-02-01 132992
2005-03-01 133126
2005-04-01 133489
2005-05-01 133664
2005-06-01 133909
2005-07-01 134282
2005-08-01 134478
2005-09-01 134545
2005-10-01 134629
2005-11-01 134966
2005-12-01 135125
2006-01-01 135402
2006-02-01 135717
2006-03-01 135997
2006-04-01 136179
2006-05-01 136202
2006-06-01 136279
2006-07-01 136486
2006-08-01 136670
2006-09-01 136827
2006-10-01 136829
2006-11-01 137039
2006-12-01 137210
2007-01-01 137448
2007-02-01 137536
2007-03-01 137724
2007-04-01 137802
2007-05-01 137946
2007-06-01 138017
2007-07-01 137984
2007-08-01 137968
2007-09-01 138053
2007-10-01 138135
2007-11-01 138253
2007-12-01 138350 138350
2008-01-01 138365 138441
2008-02-01 138279 138532
2008-03-01 138199 138623
2008-04-01 137985 138714
2008-05-01 137803 138805
2008-06-01 137631 138896
2008-07-01 137421 138987
2008-08-01 137162 139078
2008-09-01 136710 139169
2008-10-01 136236 139261
2008-11-01 135471 139352
2008-12-01 134774 139444
2009-01-01 133976 139535
2009-02-01 133275 139627
2009-03-01 132449 139718
2009-04-01 131765 139810
2009-05-01 131411 139902
2009-06-01 130944 139994
2009-07-01 130617 140086
2009-08-01 130401 140178
2009-09-01 130174 140270
2009-10-01 129976 140362
2009-11-01 129970 140454
2009-12-01 129687 140546
2010-01-01 129705 140638
2010-02-01 129655 140731
2010-03-01 129811 140823
2010-04-01 130062 140915
2010-05-01 130578 141008
2010-06-01 130456 141100
2010-07-01 130395 141193
2010-08-01 130353 141286
2010-09-01 130296 141378
2010-10-01 130537 141471
2010-11-01 130674 141564
2010-12-01 130745 141657
2011-01-01 130815 141750
2011-02-01 130983 141843
2011-03-01 131195 141936
2011-04-01 131517 142029
2011-05-01 131619 142123
2011-06-01 131836 142216
2011-07-01 131942 142309
2011-08-01 132064 142403
2011-09-01 132285 142496
2011-10-01 132468 142590
2011-11-01 132632 142683
2011-12-01 132828 142777
2012-01-01 133188 142871
2012-02-01 133414 142964
2012-03-01 133657 143058
2012-04-01 133753 143152
2012-05-01 133863 143246
2012-06-01 133951 143340
2012-07-01 134111 143434
2012-08-01 134261 143528
2012-09-01 134422 143623
2012-10-01 134647 143717
2012-11-01 134850 143811
2012-12-01 135064 143906
2013-01-01 135261 144000
2013-02-01 135541 144095
2013-03-01 135682 144189
2013-04-01 135885 144284
2013-05-01 136084 144378
2013-06-01 136285 144473
2013-07-01 136434 144568
2013-08-01 136636 144663
2013-09-01 136800 144758
2013-10-01 137037 144853
2013-11-01 137311 144948
2013-12-01 137395 145043
2014-01-01 137539 145138
2014-02-01 137761 145211
2014-03-01 137964 145283
2014-04-01 138268 145356
2014-05-01 138497 145428
2014-06-01 138764 145501
2014-07-01 139007 145574
2014-08-01 139210 145646
2014-09-01 139481 145719
2014-10-01 139742 145792
2014-11-01 140095 145864
2014-12-01 140347  145937 
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Note: The potential labor force is the actual labor force plus the “missing workers," potential workers who, because of weak job opportunities, are neither employed nor actively seeking a job.  How EPI calculates missing workers can be found here: https://www.epi.org/publication/missing-workers/

Source: EPI analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Current Employment Statistics public data series and Current population Survey public data series

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