Jobs gap
Payroll employment and the number of jobs needed to keep up with the growth in the potential labor force, 2000–2017
| Date | Payroll employment – actual | Jobs to keep up with growth in potential labor force |
|---|---|---|
| 2000-01-01 | 131009 | |
| 2000-02-01 | 131139 | |
| 2000-03-01 | 131606 | |
| 2000-04-01 | 131893 | |
| 2000-05-01 | 132119 | |
| 2000-06-01 | 132072 | |
| 2000-07-01 | 132251 | |
| 2000-08-01 | 132236 | |
| 2000-09-01 | 132371 | |
| 2000-10-01 | 132356 | |
| 2000-11-01 | 132581 | |
| 2000-12-01 | 132723 | |
| 2001-01-01 | 132696 | |
| 2001-02-01 | 132767 | |
| 2001-03-01 | 132742 | |
| 2001-04-01 | 132460 | |
| 2001-05-01 | 132422 | |
| 2001-06-01 | 132291 | |
| 2001-07-01 | 132179 | |
| 2001-08-01 | 132019 | |
| 2001-09-01 | 131778 | |
| 2001-10-01 | 131453 | |
| 2001-11-01 | 131159 | |
| 2001-12-01 | 130988 | |
| 2002-01-01 | 130849 | |
| 2002-02-01 | 130715 | |
| 2002-03-01 | 130695 | |
| 2002-04-01 | 130615 | |
| 2002-05-01 | 130607 | |
| 2002-06-01 | 130663 | |
| 2002-07-01 | 130579 | |
| 2002-08-01 | 130563 | |
| 2002-09-01 | 130503 | |
| 2002-10-01 | 130628 | |
| 2002-11-01 | 130638 | |
| 2002-12-01 | 130481 | |
| 2003-01-01 | 130572 | |
| 2003-02-01 | 130421 | |
| 2003-03-01 | 130211 | |
| 2003-04-01 | 130167 | |
| 2003-05-01 | 130157 | |
| 2003-06-01 | 130166 | |
| 2003-07-01 | 130190 | |
| 2003-08-01 | 130147 | |
| 2003-09-01 | 130250 | |
| 2003-10-01 | 130446 | |
| 2003-11-01 | 130463 | |
| 2003-12-01 | 130586 | |
| 2004-01-01 | 130746 | |
| 2004-02-01 | 130792 | |
| 2004-03-01 | 131123 | |
| 2004-04-01 | 131371 | |
| 2004-05-01 | 131679 | |
| 2004-06-01 | 131753 | |
| 2004-07-01 | 131786 | |
| 2004-08-01 | 131918 | |
| 2004-09-01 | 132080 | |
| 2004-10-01 | 132425 | |
| 2004-11-01 | 132489 | |
| 2004-12-01 | 132618 | |
| 2005-01-01 | 132752 | |
| 2005-02-01 | 132991 | |
| 2005-03-01 | 133126 | |
| 2005-04-01 | 133489 | |
| 2005-05-01 | 133665 | |
| 2005-06-01 | 133908 | |
| 2005-07-01 | 134283 | |
| 2005-08-01 | 134479 | |
| 2005-09-01 | 134545 | |
| 2005-10-01 | 134629 | |
| 2005-11-01 | 134966 | |
| 2005-12-01 | 135124 | |
| 2006-01-01 | 135401 | |
| 2006-02-01 | 135716 | |
| 2006-03-01 | 135997 | |
| 2006-04-01 | 136179 | |
| 2006-05-01 | 136203 | |
| 2006-06-01 | 136280 | |
| 2006-07-01 | 136486 | |
| 2006-08-01 | 136671 | |
| 2006-09-01 | 136827 | |
| 2006-10-01 | 136830 | |
| 2006-11-01 | 137039 | |
| 2006-12-01 | 137211 | |
| 2007-01-01 | 137448 | |
| 2007-02-01 | 137536 | |
| 2007-03-01 | 137724 | |
| 2007-04-01 | 137802 | |
| 2007-05-01 | 137947 | |
| 2007-06-01 | 138018 | |
| 2007-07-01 | 137984 | |
| 2007-08-01 | 137967 | |
| 2007-09-01 | 138053 | |
| 2007-10-01 | 138136 | |
| 2007-11-01 | 138253 | |
| 2007-12-01 | 138350 | 138350 |
| 2008-01-01 | 138365 | 138417.3289 |
| 2008-02-01 | 138278 | 138484.6907 |
| 2008-03-01 | 138199 | 138552.0851 |
| 2008-04-01 | 137986 | 138619.5124 |
| 2008-05-01 | 137803 | 138686.9725 |
| 2008-06-01 | 137631 | 138754.4655 |
| 2008-07-01 | 137421 | 138821.9912 |
| 2008-08-01 | 137162 | 138889.5499 |
| 2008-09-01 | 136710 | 138957.1414 |
| 2008-10-01 | 136234 | 139024.7658 |
| 2008-11-01 | 135469 | 139092.4231 |
| 2008-12-01 | 134773 | 139160.1134 |
| 2009-01-01 | 133977 | 139227.8366 |
| 2009-02-01 | 133274 | 139295.5927 |
| 2009-03-01 | 132450 | 139363.3818 |
| 2009-04-01 | 131766 | 139431.2039 |
| 2009-05-01 | 131411 | 139499.0591 |
| 2009-06-01 | 130944 | 139566.9472 |
| 2009-07-01 | 130619 | 139634.8684 |
| 2009-08-01 | 130402 | 139702.8226 |
| 2009-09-01 | 130175 | 139770.8099 |
| 2009-10-01 | 129974 | 139838.8303 |
| 2009-11-01 | 129968 | 139906.8838 |
| 2009-12-01 | 129685 | 139974.9704 |
| 2010-01-01 | 129717 | 140043.0901 |
| 2010-02-01 | 129649 | 140111.243 |
| 2010-03-01 | 129810 | 140179.4291 |
| 2010-04-01 | 130057 | 140247.6484 |
| 2010-05-01 | 130575 | 140315.9008 |
| 2010-06-01 | 130445 | 140384.1865 |
| 2010-07-01 | 130381 | 140452.5054 |
| 2010-08-01 | 130342 | 140520.8575 |
| 2010-09-01 | 130293 | 140589.2429 |
| 2010-10-01 | 130541 | 140657.6616 |
| 2010-11-01 | 130662 | 140726.1136 |
| 2010-12-01 | 130751 | 140794.5989 |
| 2011-01-01 | 130826 | 140863.1175 |
| 2011-02-01 | 130993 | 140931.6694 |
| 2011-03-01 | 131199 | 141000.2548 |
| 2011-04-01 | 131520 | 141068.8735 |
| 2011-05-01 | 131623 | 141137.5256 |
| 2011-06-01 | 131808 | 141206.2111 |
| 2011-07-01 | 131925 | 141274.93 |
| 2011-08-01 | 132053 | 141343.6824 |
| 2011-09-01 | 132276 | 141412.4682 |
| 2011-10-01 | 132459 | 141481.2876 |
| 2011-11-01 | 132605 | 141550.1404 |
| 2011-12-01 | 132831 | 141619.0267 |
| 2012-01-01 | 133211 | 141687.9465 |
| 2012-02-01 | 133458 | 141756.8999 |
| 2012-03-01 | 133674 | 141825.8868 |
| 2012-04-01 | 133761 | 141894.9073 |
| 2012-05-01 | 133874 | 141963.9614 |
| 2012-06-01 | 133909 | 142033.0491 |
| 2012-07-01 | 134086 | 142102.1704 |
| 2012-08-01 | 134274 | 142171.3254 |
| 2012-09-01 | 134418 | 142240.514 |
| 2012-10-01 | 134631 | 142309.7363 |
| 2012-11-01 | 134795 | 142378.9923 |
| 2012-12-01 | 135088 | 142448.2819 |
| 2013-01-01 | 135293 | 142517.6053 |
| 2013-02-01 | 135607 | 142586.9625 |
| 2013-03-01 | 135722 | 142656.3534 |
| 2013-04-01 | 135909 | 142725.778 |
| 2013-05-01 | 136128 | 142795.2365 |
| 2013-06-01 | 136255 | 142864.7287 |
| 2013-07-01 | 136419 | 142934.2548 |
| 2013-08-01 | 136675 | 143003.8147 |
| 2013-09-01 | 136825 | 143073.4084 |
| 2013-10-01 | 137050 | 143143.0361 |
| 2013-11-01 | 137367 | 143212.6976 |
| 2013-12-01 | 137476 | 143282.393 |
| 2014-01-01 | 137564 | 143352 |
| 2014-02-01 | 137715 | 143436 |
| 2014-03-01 | 137987 | 143520 |
| 2014-04-01 | 138316 | 143603 |
| 2014-05-01 | 138562 | 143687 |
| 2014-06-01 | 138866 | 143771 |
| 2014-07-01 | 139068 | 143855 |
| 2014-08-01 | 139298 | 143939 |
| 2014-09-01 | 139578 | 144023 |
| 2014-10-01 | 139805 | 144108 |
| 2014-11-01 | 140117 | 144192 |
| 2014-12-01 | 140372 | 144276 |
| 2015-01-01 | 140606 | 144360 |
| 2015-02-01 | 140844 | 144452 |
| 2015-03-01 | 140930 | 144545 |
| 2015-04-01 | 141192 | 144637 |
| 2015-05-01 | 141536 | 144729 |
| 2015-06-01 | 141742 | 144822 |
| 2015-07-01 | 141996 | 144914 |
| 2015-08-01 | 142153 | 145007 |
| 2015-09-01 | 142253 | 145099 |
| 2015-10-01 | 142574 | 145192 |
| 2015-11-01 | 142846 | 145285 |
| 2015-12-01 | 143085 | 145377 |
| 2016-01-01 | 143211 | 145470 |
| 2016-02-01 | 143448 | 145498 |
| 2016-03-01 | 143673 | 145526 |
| 2016-04-01 | 143826 | 145555 |
| 2016-05-01 | 143869 | 145583 |
| 2016-06-01 | 144166 | 145611 |
| 2016-07-01 | 144457 | 145639 |
| 2016-08-01 | 144633 | 145667 |
| 2016-09-01 | 144882 | 145695 |
| 2016-10-01 | 145006 | 145723 |
| 2016-11-01 | 145170 | 145751 |
| 2016-12-01 | 145325 | 145780 |
| 2017-01-01 | 145541 | 145808 |
| 2017-02-01 | 145760 | 145867 |
| 2017-03-01 | 145858 | 145927 |
Note: The potential labor force is the actual labor force plus the “missing worker," 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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