All Employees: Total Nonfarm, commonly known as Total Nonfarm Payroll,
is a measure of the number of U.S. workers in the economy that
excludes proprietors, private household employees, unpaid volunteers,
farm employees, and the unincorporated self-employed. This measure
accounts for approximately 80 percent of the workers who contribute to
Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
This measure provides useful insights into the current economic
situation because it can represent the number of jobs added or lost in
an economy. Increases in employment might indicate that businesses are
hiring which might also suggest that businesses are growing.
Additionally, those who are newly employed have increased their
personal incomes, which means (all else constant) their disposable
incomes have also increased, thus fostering further economic
expansion.
Generally, the U.S. labor force and levels of employment and
unemployment are subject to fluctuations due to seasonal changes in
weather, major holidays, and the opening and closing of schools. The
Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) adjusts the data to offset the
seasonal effects to show non-seasonal changes: for example, women's
participation in the labor force; or a general decline in the number
of employees, a possible indication of a downturn in the economy. To
closely examine seasonal and non-seasonal changes, the BLS releases
two monthly statistical measures: the seasonally adjusted All
Employees: Total Nonfarm (FEDFUNDS) and All Employees: Total Nonfarm
(PAYNSA), which is not seasonally adjusted.
The series comes from the 'Current Employment Statistics (Establishment Survey).
The source code is: CES0000000001