U.S. Economic Data/Business and Growth

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages

QCEW private-sector employment provides a more comprehensive view of payroll job growth than the monthly employment estimates that dominate news coverage. While the monthly Current Employment Statistics (CES) report offers a timely snapshot based on a sample of employers, QCEW draws primarily from state unemployment-insurance records and covers more than 95% of U.S. jobs, making it a near-census of employment. The tradeoff is timeliness: QCEW arrives several months later, while the initial monthly CES estimate is released only weeks after the period it measures.

That speed makes the monthly numbers useful, but also more susceptible to revision as additional information becomes available; CES estimates are revised twice in subsequent monthly releases and later benchmarked annually using the more comprehensive QCEW counts. QCEW therefore provides an important retrospective check on whether the job growth initially reported in the monthly data was sustained in the underlying employer records. Because QCEW data are not seasonally adjusted, recurring summer and holiday employment cycles create the graph’s distinctive M-shaped annual pattern, making year-over-year comparisons a better measure of the underlying trend.

Private-sector jobs
132.00million
Latest month: Mar 2026
Year-over-year change
+251,384
Payroll jobs vs. 2025
Year-over-year growth
+0.19%
Same month comparison not seasonally adjusted
History
2001–2026

Monthly Data

Private-sector payroll jobs and annual change

U.S. total
Private-sector
jobs		Previous
year		YoY
change		YoY %
change
Mar 2026, latest month132,003,896131,752,512251,3840.19%
Feb 2026131,655,477131,330,966324,5110.25%
Jan 2026131,605,010130,934,628670,3820.51%
Dec 2025134,014,555133,504,547510,0080.38%
Nov 2025134,162,708133,725,839436,8690.33%
Oct 2025134,110,083133,332,489777,5940.58%
Sep 2025133,183,841132,998,720185,1210.14%
Aug 2025134,052,638133,542,201510,4370.38%
Jul 2025134,005,998133,443,786562,2120.42%
Jun 2025133,973,817133,589,093384,7240.29%
May 2025133,662,024132,878,874783,1500.59%
Apr 2025132,739,517131,971,436768,0810.58%
Mar 2025131,752,512131,177,088575,4240.44%
Feb 2025131,330,966130,575,107755,8590.58%
Jan 2025130,934,628130,098,074836,5540.64%
Dec 2024133,504,547132,521,134983,4130.74%
Nov 2024133,725,839132,543,4941,182,3450.89%
Oct 2024133,332,489132,227,1231,105,3660.84%
Sep 2024132,998,720131,898,4551,100,2650.83%
Aug 2024133,542,201132,310,2741,231,9270.93%
Jul 2024133,443,786132,276,4611,167,3250.88%
Jun 2024133,589,093132,566,9781,022,1150.77%
May 2024132,878,874131,402,6391,476,2351.12%
Apr 2024131,971,436130,392,9521,578,4841.21%
Mar 2024131,177,088129,592,9181,584,1701.22%
Feb 2024130,575,107129,158,4111,416,6961.10%
Jan 2024130,098,074128,585,3351,512,7391.18%
Dec 2023132,521,134130,683,3411,837,7931.41%
Nov 2023132,543,494130,832,0571,711,4371.31%
Oct 2023132,227,123130,465,6041,761,5191.35%
Sep 2023131,898,455129,955,3251,943,1301.50%
Aug 2023132,310,274130,432,6341,877,6401.44%
Jul 2023132,276,461130,284,6211,991,8401.53%
Jun 2023132,566,978129,383,1713,183,8072.46%
May 2023131,402,639128,583,9842,818,6552.19%
Apr 2023130,392,952127,726,3642,666,5882.09%
Mar 2023129,592,918126,287,2893,305,6292.62%
Feb 2023129,158,411125,695,8843,462,5272.75%
Jan 2023128,585,335124,286,4464,298,8893.46%
Dec 2022130,683,341126,866,1763,817,1653.01%
Nov 2022130,832,057126,615,4564,216,6013.33%
Oct 2022130,465,604125,841,0894,624,5153.67%
Sep 2022129,955,325123,731,0356,224,2905.03%
Aug 2022130,432,634124,412,8496,019,7854.84%
Jul 2022130,284,621124,313,5805,971,0414.80%
Jun 2022129,383,171123,076,5936,306,5785.12%
May 2022128,583,984121,919,3336,664,6515.47%
Apr 2022127,726,364120,746,9026,979,4625.78%
Mar 2022126,287,289119,373,0216,914,2685.79%
Feb 2022125,695,884118,255,6367,440,2486.29%
Jan 2022124,286,446117,448,1586,838,2885.82%
Dec 2021126,866,176119,734,0277,132,1495.96%
Nov 2021126,615,456120,012,4416,603,0155.50%
Oct 2021125,841,089119,452,6436,388,4465.35%
Sep 2021123,731,035117,437,2836,293,7525.36%
Aug 2021124,412,849117,079,6807,333,1696.26%
Jul 2021124,313,580116,061,3398,252,2417.11%
Jun 2021123,076,593114,400,0558,676,5387.58%
May 2021121,919,333109,649,86812,269,46511.19%
Apr 2021120,746,902105,812,02614,934,87614.11%
Mar 2021119,373,021124,800,577−5,427,556−4.35%
Feb 2021118,255,636125,603,173−7,347,537−5.85%
Jan 2021117,448,158125,237,028−7,788,870−6.22%
Dec 2020119,734,027127,781,331−8,047,304−6.30%
Nov 2020120,012,441127,943,339−7,930,898−6.20%
Oct 2020119,452,643127,321,434−7,868,791−6.18%
Sep 2020117,437,283126,793,735−9,356,452−7.38%
Aug 2020117,079,680127,665,253−10,585,573−8.29%
Jul 2020116,061,339127,412,146−11,350,807−8.91%
Jun 2020114,400,055127,365,147−12,965,092−10.18%
May 2020109,649,868126,463,261−16,813,393−13.30%
Apr 2020105,812,026125,483,528−19,671,502−15.68%
Mar 2020124,800,577124,493,056307,5210.25%
Feb 2020125,603,173123,972,7521,630,4211.32%
Jan 2020125,237,028123,609,9351,627,0931.32%
Dec 2019127,781,331126,100,3091,681,0221.33%
Nov 2019127,943,339126,251,9601,691,3791.34%
Oct 2019127,321,434125,777,6931,543,7411.23%
Sep 2019126,793,735125,164,7771,628,9581.30%
Aug 2019127,665,253125,950,1871,715,0661.36%
Jul 2019127,412,146125,671,6661,740,4801.38%
Jun 2019127,365,147125,708,2241,656,9231.32%
May 2019126,463,261124,614,0841,849,1771.48%
Apr 2019125,483,528123,504,9321,978,5961.60%
Mar 2019124,493,056122,605,9651,887,0911.54%
Feb 2019123,972,752121,973,5281,999,2241.64%
Jan 2019123,609,935121,298,7292,311,2061.91%
Dec 2018126,100,309124,033,2322,067,0771.67%
Nov 2018126,251,960124,014,4562,237,5041.80%
Oct 2018125,777,693123,530,4622,247,2311.82%
Sep 2018125,164,777122,944,3692,220,4081.81%
Aug 2018125,950,187123,681,0782,269,1091.83%
Jul 2018125,671,666123,488,4612,183,2051.77%
Jun 2018125,708,224123,605,8752,102,3491.70%
May 2018124,614,084122,522,2572,091,8271.71%
Apr 2018123,504,932121,447,7092,057,2231.69%
Mar 2018122,605,965120,426,6772,179,2881.81%
Feb 2018121,973,528119,726,1602,247,3681.88%
Jan 2018121,298,729119,218,0382,080,6911.75%
Dec 2017124,033,232121,928,3512,104,8811.73%
Nov 2017124,014,456122,000,2032,014,2531.65%
Oct 2017123,530,462121,642,8751,887,5871.55%
Sep 2017122,944,369121,458,8861,485,4831.22%
Aug 2017123,681,078121,835,9981,845,0801.51%
Jul 2017123,488,461121,717,1661,771,2951.46%
Jun 2017123,605,875121,322,4302,283,4451.88%
May 2017122,522,257120,610,5091,911,7481.59%
Apr 2017121,447,709119,903,9071,543,8021.29%
Mar 2017120,426,677118,408,7632,017,9141.70%
Feb 2017119,726,160117,806,4411,919,7191.63%
Jan 2017119,218,038117,419,9291,798,1091.53%
Dec 2016121,928,351120,287,7821,640,5691.36%
Nov 2016122,000,203120,142,7401,857,4631.55%
Oct 2016121,642,875119,841,4561,801,4191.50%
Sep 2016121,458,886119,203,2092,255,6771.89%
Aug 2016121,835,998119,725,2182,110,7801.76%
Jul 2016121,717,166119,544,4632,172,7031.82%
Jun 2016121,322,430119,313,9672,008,4631.68%
May 2016120,610,509118,440,0812,170,4281.83%
Apr 2016119,903,907117,194,1022,709,8052.31%
Mar 2016118,408,763115,869,4272,539,3362.19%
Feb 2016117,806,441115,205,2302,601,2112.26%
Jan 2016117,419,929114,924,9322,494,9972.17%
Dec 2015120,287,782117,759,4722,528,3102.15%
Nov 2015120,142,740117,506,2132,636,5272.24%
Oct 2015119,841,456117,095,0102,746,4462.35%
Sep 2015119,203,209116,600,5952,602,6142.23%
Aug 2015119,725,218117,060,6232,664,5952.28%
Jul 2015119,544,463116,616,1732,928,2902.51%
Jun 2015119,313,967116,605,8672,708,1002.32%
May 2015118,440,081115,733,8302,706,2512.34%
Apr 2015117,194,102114,469,7052,724,3972.38%
Mar 2015115,869,427113,141,0292,728,3982.41%
Feb 2015115,205,230112,249,9142,955,3162.63%
Jan 2015114,924,932111,985,8022,939,1302.62%
Dec 2014117,759,472114,752,9903,006,4822.62%
Nov 2014117,506,213114,762,5192,743,6942.39%
Oct 2014117,095,010114,251,3012,843,7092.49%
Sep 2014116,600,595113,936,7042,663,8912.34%
Aug 2014117,060,623114,417,2372,643,3862.31%
Jul 2014116,616,173113,973,9292,642,2442.32%
Jun 2014116,605,867114,002,1792,603,6882.28%
May 2014115,733,830113,079,7682,654,0622.35%
Apr 2014114,469,705111,908,1392,561,5662.29%
Mar 2014113,141,029110,847,7312,293,2982.07%
Feb 2014112,249,914110,037,6102,212,3042.01%
Jan 2014111,985,802109,529,9022,455,9002.24%
Dec 2013114,752,990112,328,6552,424,3352.16%
Nov 2013114,762,519112,236,9902,525,5292.25%
Oct 2013114,251,301111,889,1372,362,1642.11%
Sep 2013113,936,704111,587,5652,349,1392.11%
Aug 2013114,417,237111,964,8982,452,3392.19%
Jul 2013113,973,929111,597,8742,376,0552.13%
Jun 2013114,002,179111,831,3462,170,8331.94%
May 2013113,079,768110,817,5042,262,2642.04%
Apr 2013111,908,139109,687,4512,220,6882.02%
Mar 2013110,847,731108,724,8422,122,8891.95%
Feb 2013110,037,610107,726,3962,311,2142.15%
Jan 2013109,529,902107,357,7712,172,1312.02%
Dec 2012112,328,655109,781,4232,547,2322.32%
Nov 2012112,236,990109,712,1722,524,8182.30%
Oct 2012111,889,137109,411,7252,477,4122.26%
Sep 2012111,587,565109,400,8682,186,6972.00%
Aug 2012111,964,898109,553,3932,411,5052.20%
Jul 2012111,597,874109,292,5062,305,3682.11%
Jun 2012111,831,346109,088,9582,742,3882.51%
May 2012110,817,504108,294,7432,522,7612.33%
Apr 2012109,687,451107,501,9642,185,4872.03%
Mar 2012108,724,842106,058,3882,666,4542.51%
Feb 2012107,726,396105,223,0952,503,3012.38%
Jan 2012107,357,771104,898,3092,459,4622.34%
Dec 2011109,781,423107,644,1962,137,2271.99%
Nov 2011109,712,172107,560,9272,151,2452.00%
Oct 2011109,411,725107,484,2631,927,4621.79%
Sep 2011109,400,868107,048,0952,352,7732.20%
Aug 2011109,553,393107,452,7692,100,6241.95%
Jul 2011109,292,506107,304,1341,988,3721.85%
Jun 2011109,088,958107,280,0961,808,8621.69%
May 2011108,294,743106,399,8811,894,8621.78%
Apr 2011107,501,964105,491,3992,010,5651.91%
Mar 2011106,058,388104,145,1361,913,2521.84%
Feb 2011105,223,095103,281,5561,941,5391.88%
Jan 2011104,898,309103,322,3281,575,9811.53%
Dec 2010107,644,196106,289,2311,354,9651.27%
Nov 2010107,560,927106,353,8971,207,0301.13%
Oct 2010107,484,263106,407,8011,076,4621.01%
Sep 2010107,048,095106,531,293516,8020.49%
Aug 2010107,452,769107,074,408378,3610.35%
Jul 2010107,304,134107,208,23895,8960.09%
Jun 2010107,280,096107,808,161−528,065−0.49%
May 2010106,399,881107,479,183−1,079,302−1.00%
Apr 2010105,491,399106,847,283−1,355,884−1.27%
Mar 2010104,145,136106,811,928−2,666,792−2.50%
Feb 2010103,281,556106,958,910−3,677,354−3.44%
Jan 2010103,322,328107,594,915−4,272,587−3.97%
Dec 2009106,289,231111,737,470−5,448,239−4.88%
Nov 2009106,353,897112,273,344−5,919,447−5.27%
Oct 2009106,407,801112,948,795−6,540,994−5.79%
Sep 2009106,531,293113,514,630−6,983,337−6.15%
Aug 2009107,074,408114,348,132−7,273,724−6.36%
Jul 2009107,208,238114,295,931−7,087,693−6.20%
Jun 2009107,808,161114,855,310−7,047,149−6.14%
May 2009107,479,183114,242,722−6,763,539−5.92%
Apr 2009106,847,283113,323,353−6,476,070−5.71%
Mar 2009106,811,928112,661,107−5,849,179−5.19%
Feb 2009106,958,910112,127,815−5,168,905−4.61%
Jan 2009107,594,915111,935,103−4,340,188−3.88%
Dec 2008111,737,470115,120,691−3,383,221−2.94%
Nov 2008112,273,344114,975,881−2,702,537−2.35%
Oct 2008112,948,795114,654,332−1,705,537−1.49%
Sep 2008113,514,630114,772,802−1,258,172−1.10%
Aug 2008114,348,132115,299,619−951,487−0.83%
Jul 2008114,295,931115,027,692−731,761−0.64%
Jun 2008114,855,310115,522,062−666,752−0.58%
May 2008114,242,722114,375,928−133,206−0.12%
Apr 2008113,323,353113,188,627134,7260.12%
Mar 2008112,661,107112,536,714124,3930.11%
Feb 2008112,127,815111,449,760678,0550.61%
Jan 2008111,935,103111,222,539712,5640.64%
Dec 2007115,120,691114,275,969844,7220.74%
Nov 2007114,975,881113,868,7931,107,0880.97%
Oct 2007114,654,332113,524,0001,130,3321.00%
Sep 2007114,772,802113,792,616980,1860.86%
Aug 2007115,299,619114,044,3111,255,3081.10%
Jul 2007115,027,692113,671,2621,356,4301.19%
Jun 2007115,522,062114,173,4631,348,5991.18%
May 2007114,375,928112,927,1951,448,7331.28%
Apr 2007113,188,627111,828,1491,360,4781.22%
Mar 2007112,536,714111,001,5401,535,1741.38%
Feb 2007111,449,760109,956,2461,493,5141.36%
Jan 2007111,222,539109,562,7571,659,7821.51%
Dec 2006114,275,969112,411,4321,864,5371.66%
Nov 2006113,868,793112,050,1971,818,5961.62%
Oct 2006113,524,000111,604,0781,919,9221.72%
Sep 2006113,792,616111,897,6671,894,9491.69%
Aug 2006114,044,311112,167,4241,876,8871.67%
Jul 2006113,671,262111,829,9171,841,3451.65%
Jun 2006114,173,463111,725,9122,447,5512.19%
May 2006112,927,195110,750,4672,176,7281.97%
Apr 2006111,828,149109,888,7791,939,3701.76%
Mar 2006111,001,540108,400,6652,600,8752.40%
Feb 2006109,956,246107,508,6322,447,6142.28%
Jan 2006109,562,757107,097,0172,465,7402.30%
Dec 2005112,411,432110,284,5292,126,9031.93%
Nov 2005112,050,197109,897,8182,152,3791.96%
Oct 2005111,604,078109,682,0261,922,0521.75%
Sep 2005111,897,667109,482,8442,414,8232.21%
Aug 2005112,167,424109,918,9502,248,4742.05%
Jul 2005111,829,917109,685,7932,144,1241.95%
Jun 2005111,725,912109,664,4532,061,4591.88%
May 2005110,750,467108,638,8632,111,6041.94%
Apr 2005109,888,779107,633,0642,255,7152.10%
Mar 2005108,400,665106,446,1871,954,4781.84%
Feb 2005107,508,632105,363,8882,144,7442.04%
Jan 2005107,097,017105,182,3761,914,6411.82%
Dec 2004110,284,529108,228,0172,056,5121.90%
Nov 2004109,897,818107,886,4962,011,3221.86%
Oct 2004109,682,026107,843,8941,838,1321.70%
Sep 2004109,482,844107,878,6691,604,1751.49%
Aug 2004109,918,950108,231,6411,687,3091.56%
Jul 2004109,685,793107,762,1001,923,6931.79%
Jun 2004109,664,453108,146,9001,517,5531.40%
May 2004108,638,863107,301,7161,337,1471.25%
Apr 2004107,633,064106,276,7001,356,3641.28%
Mar 2004106,446,187105,516,830929,3570.88%
Feb 2004105,363,888104,809,632554,2560.53%
Jan 2004105,182,376104,904,046278,3300.27%
Dec 2003108,228,017108,213,78714,2300.01%
Nov 2003107,886,496108,082,205−195,709−0.18%
Oct 2003107,843,894107,949,908−106,014−0.10%
Sep 2003107,878,669108,364,815−486,146−0.45%
Aug 2003108,231,641108,848,570−616,929−0.57%
Jul 2003107,762,100108,488,565−726,465−0.67%
Jun 2003108,146,900108,963,057−816,157−0.75%
May 2003107,301,716108,061,576−759,860−0.70%
Apr 2003106,276,700107,053,742−777,042−0.73%
Mar 2003105,516,830106,249,664−732,834−0.69%
Feb 2003104,809,632105,386,536−576,904−0.55%
Jan 2003104,904,046105,264,949−360,903−0.34%
Dec 2002108,213,787108,640,665−426,878−0.39%
Nov 2002108,082,205108,603,800−521,595−0.48%
Oct 2002107,949,908108,747,104−797,196−0.73%
Sep 2002108,364,815109,537,118−1,172,303−1.07%
Aug 2002108,848,570110,390,083−1,541,513−1.40%
Jul 2002108,488,565110,203,462−1,714,897−1.56%
Jun 2002108,963,057111,102,026−2,138,969−1.93%
May 2002108,061,576110,144,541−2,082,965−1.89%
Apr 2002107,053,742109,317,134−2,263,392−2.07%
Mar 2002106,249,664108,932,804−2,683,140−2.46%
Feb 2002105,386,536108,104,901−2,718,365−2.51%
Jan 2002105,264,949107,933,985−2,669,036−2.47%
Dec 2001108,640,665———
Nov 2001108,603,800———
Oct 2001108,747,104———
Sep 2001109,537,118———
Aug 2001110,390,083———
Jul 2001110,203,462———
Jun 2001111,102,026———
May 2001110,144,541———
Apr 2001109,317,134———
Mar 2001108,932,804———
Feb 2001108,104,901———
Jan 2001107,933,985———
303 months · History since 2001Slower Faster growth

Private-Sector Jobs

Monthly employment level

Payroll jobs

Monthly levels published quarterly · Not seasonally adjusted

Year-over-Year % Change

Change from the same month one year earlier

Annual growth

Positive = more jobs than one year earlier · Negative = fewer jobs

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics series ENUUS00010510 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages

Saved release · Latest observation Mar 2026

About this indicator & methodology

What is counted. QCEW employment is the number of covered workers who worked during, or received pay for, the pay period that includes the 12th day of the month. Because a person holding more than one covered job may be reported by more than one employer, the level is best understood as payroll jobs rather than a count of unique workers.

Coverage. This dashboard uses the national, private-ownership, all-industry series for all establishment sizes. QCEW draws primarily on state unemployment-insurance records and covers more than 95% of U.S. jobs. It excludes important groups outside covered payroll employment, including most self-employed workers.

Seasonality and annual comparisons. Monthly levels are not seasonally adjusted. Recurring hiring and layoffs around summer, school calendars, and the holidays create the visible within-year pattern. The year-over-year figures compare each month with the same month one year earlier, reducing those regular seasonal effects without converting the series into a seasonally adjusted estimate.

Data updates. BLS releases the three monthly employment levels with each quarterly QCEW publication and may revise recent observations. The page checks official BLS series ENUUS00010510 when opened. If the source cannot be reached, it retains the saved release.