Current Employment Statistics (CES6000000001) · Professional and business services, seasonally adjusted
How many jobs are there in professional and business services?
The number of jobs in professional and business services was 22,482 thousand in the month ended , up 0.6% from a year earlier (preliminary).
Jobs in professional and business services, in thousands, seasonally adjusted, each month
Shaded bands are US recessions as the National Bureau of Economic Research dates them: to , to , to , to , to , to , to , to , to , to , to , to , to .
Shaded bands are US recessions as the National Bureau of Economic Research dates them: to .
Jobs in professional and business services, in thousands, change from a year earlier, each month (ours)
Shaded bands are US recessions as the National Bureau of Economic Research dates them: to , to , to , to , to , to , to , to , to , to , to , to , to .
Shaded bands are US recessions as the National Bureau of Economic Research dates them: to .
Each point is one month of the series as the source publishes it, or a change worked out from those values (ours). The US recessions are shaded. Pointing at the chart shows the month and the value.
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Inspect and compare dates
The newest month beside the one before it and the nearest ones a year, five and ten years earlier. The last ten years are in the table under "The numbers behind the chart".
| Measure | Latest | The month before | A year earlier | Five years earlier | Ten years earlier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | |||||
| Jobs in professional and business services, in thousands | 22,482 thousand | 22,491 thousand | 22,359 thousand | 21,636 thousand | 20,281 thousand |
| Change over a year | +0.6% | +0.5% | −0.7% | +6.8% | +2.1% |
The table scrolls sideways; the first column stays in place.
Observed .
Right now
The number of jobs in professional and business services was 22,482 thousand in September 2026, the lowest since May 2026.
Over a year it is up 0.6% (ours). The source marks this value preliminary.
ChangeOurs
| Period | Then | Change |
|---|---|---|
| One month | 22,491 thousand in | 0.0% |
| Three months | 22,502 thousand in | −0.1% |
| Twelve months | 22,359 thousand in | +0.6% |
| Five years | 21,636 thousand in | +3.9% |
| Ten years | 20,281 thousand in | +10.9% |
In historyOurs
The number of jobs in professional and business services of 22,482 thousand in was higher than in 1,016 of the 1,052 other months since , the same in 0 and lower in 36.
Highest since : 22,850 thousand in . Lowest since : 1,943 thousand in .
AverageOurs
Average since : 10,177.6 thousand (ours, a plain mean of the 1,053 months).
ComparedOurs
Over a year the number of jobs in professional and business services is up 0.6%, which ranks 9 of the 35 rows of the table, where 1 is the largest change.
The table sets the number of jobs in professional and business services beside the industries on the jobs by industry page, by the change over a year in each one's newest month.
Openings and turnoverJob Openings and Labor Turnover Survey
In August 2026 the survey counted, for professional and business services, 1,186 thousand job openings, 935 thousand hires, 467 thousand quits and 390 thousand layoffs and discharges.
Over a year the counts are job openings up 8.3%, hires down 9.8%, quits down 15.4% and layoffs and discharges down 18.9% (ours).
Job openings, hires, quits and layoffs in professional and business services
- Job openings1,186817 to 2,464
- Hires935829 to 1,417
- Quits467372 to 848
- Layoffs and discharges390285 to 1,260
Each row is one measure of the second survey for professional and business services, in thousands over the last ten years, one month to a point, on one scale, with its newest value and its range printed beside it. Pointing at the chart shows the month and the value.
Observed .
Understanding the number of jobs in professional and business services
Where it stands today
The number of jobs in professional and business services was 22,482 thousand in September 2026.
What does the number of jobs in professional and business services measure?
Professional and business services covers firms that sell expertise and support to other businesses: professional, scientific and technical services, management of companies and enterprises, and administrative and support and waste management services.
Read more
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) counts these jobs each month in a survey of employers, the Current Employment Statistics, and publishes them in the Employment Situation report at the start of the next month. The count is all employees on payrolls, in thousands, seasonally adjusted.
What 500metrics adds: the change over one month, three months, a year and five years, the highest and lowest value since the series begins, how the change over a year ranks among the lines of the jobs by industry page. For this industry it also shows the job openings, hires, quits and layoffs from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), a second BLS survey, beside the count of jobs.
The numbers behind the chart
What was the number of jobs in professional and business services in each month?The last ten years, 120 months, newest first; the chart and the file have every month since Jan 1939
| Month | Value | Change over a year |
|---|---|---|
| 22,482 thousand | +0.6% | |
| 22,491 thousand | +0.5% | |
| 22,496 thousand | +0.4% | |
| 22,502 thousand | +0.4% | |
| 22,466 thousand | +0.1% | |
| 22,460 thousand | 0.0% | |
| 22,440 thousand | −0.1% | |
| 22,412 thousand | −0.3% | |
| 22,408 thousand | −0.3% | |
| 22,372 thousand | −0.7% | |
| 22,391 thousand | −0.5% | |
| 22,335 thousand | −0.7% | |
| 22,359 thousand | −0.7% | |
| 22,375 thousand | −0.7% | |
| 22,403 thousand | −0.8% | |
| 22,419 thousand | −0.8% | |
| 22,450 thousand | −0.8% | |
| 22,470 thousand | −0.6% | |
| 22,457 thousand | −0.8% | |
| 22,473 thousand | −0.8% | |
| 22,480 thousand | −0.8% | |
| 22,532 thousand | −0.5% | |
| 22,499 thousand | −0.7% | |
| 22,486 thousand | −1.0% |
Show 96 more rows
| Month | Value | Change over a year |
|---|---|---|
| 22,525 thousand | −1.0% | |
| 22,544 thousand | −1.0% | |
| 22,584 thousand | −0.9% | |
| 22,606 thousand | −1.0% | |
| 22,633 thousand | −0.9% | |
| 22,616 thousand | −1.0% | |
| 22,631 thousand | −0.9% | |
| 22,658 thousand | −0.8% | |
| 22,668 thousand | −0.5% | |
| 22,643 thousand | −0.6% | |
| 22,661 thousand | −0.6% | |
| 22,715 thousand | −0.3% | |
| 22,743 thousand | 0.0% | |
| 22,768 thousand | +0.3% | |
| 22,779 thousand | +0.5% | |
| 22,826 thousand | +1.2% | |
| 22,850 thousand | +1.5% | |
| 22,837 thousand | +1.6% | |
| 22,832 thousand | +1.6% | |
| 22,837 thousand | +2.1% | |
| 22,791 thousand | +2.7% | |
| 22,774 thousand | +2.9% | |
| 22,792 thousand | +3.5% | |
| 22,783 thousand | +4.2% | |
| 22,744 thousand | +5.1% | |
| 22,697 thousand | +5.4% | |
| 22,658 thousand | +5.8% | |
| 22,564 thousand | +6.1% | |
| 22,503 thousand | +6.3% | |
| 22,468 thousand | +6.5% | |
| 22,483 thousand | +6.5% | |
| 22,372 thousand | +6.5% | |
| 22,183 thousand | +6.0% | |
| 22,129 thousand | +6.5% | |
| 22,019 thousand | +6.9% | |
| 21,873 thousand | +6.9% | |
| 21,636 thousand | +6.8% | |
| 21,535 thousand | +6.9% | |
| 21,418 thousand | +7.3% | |
| 21,257 thousand | +7.5% | |
| 21,176 thousand | +9.1% | |
| 21,103 thousand | +9.8% | |
| 21,109 thousand | −1.3% | |
| 20,999 thousand | −2.3% | |
| 20,922 thousand | −2.6% | |
| 20,770 thousand | −3.2% | |
| 20,602 thousand | −4.1% | |
| 20,455 thousand | −4.8% | |
| 20,267 thousand | −5.6% | |
| 20,147 thousand | −6.1% | |
| 19,953 thousand | −6.9% | |
| 19,768 thousand | −7.6% | |
| 19,410 thousand | −9.1% | |
| 19,223 thousand | −9.8% | |
| 21,388 thousand | +0.6% | |
| 21,483 thousand | +1.2% | |
| 21,476 thousand | +1.3% | |
| 21,467 thousand | +1.3% | |
| 21,487 thousand | +1.5% | |
| 21,476 thousand | +1.4% | |
| 21,465 thousand | +1.5% | |
| 21,455 thousand | +1.6% | |
| 21,421 thousand | +1.7% | |
| 21,402 thousand | +1.6% | |
| 21,356 thousand | +1.6% | |
| 21,315 thousand | +1.7% | |
| 21,258 thousand | +1.7% | |
| 21,230 thousand | +1.8% | |
| 21,201 thousand | +1.8% | |
| 21,196 thousand | +2.1% | |
| 21,176 thousand | +2.2% | |
| 21,171 thousand | +2.2% | |
| 21,145 thousand | +2.3% | |
| 21,112 thousand | +2.1% | |
| 21,073 thousand | +2.1% | |
| 21,060 thousand | +2.3% | |
| 21,011 thousand | +2.2% | |
| 20,952 thousand | +2.2% | |
| 20,908 thousand | +2.2% | |
| 20,861 thousand | +2.1% | |
| 20,822 thousand | +2.0% | |
| 20,764 thousand | +1.9% | |
| 20,725 thousand | +1.9% | |
| 20,709 thousand | +2.0% | |
| 20,668 thousand | +1.9% | |
| 20,671 thousand | +2.3% | |
| 20,632 thousand | +2.1% | |
| 20,589 thousand | +2.1% | |
| 20,556 thousand | +2.2% | |
| 20,494 thousand | +1.9% | |
| 20,463 thousand | +1.9% | |
| 20,433 thousand | +1.9% | |
| 20,415 thousand | +1.8% | |
| 20,374 thousand | +1.7% | |
| 20,340 thousand | +1.9% | |
| 20,303 thousand | +1.9% |
How does it compare with the industries on the jobs by industry page?Ranked by the change over a year
| Series | Month | Value | Change over a year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 23,959 thousand | +2.2% | 1 | |
| Private education and health | 28,005 thousand | +1.9% | 2 | |
| Utilities | 612 thousand | +1.7% | 3 | |
| Construction | 8,364 thousand | +1.3% | 4 | |
| Durable goods | 7,898 thousand | +1.1% | 5 | |
| Professional, scientific, technical | 10,844 thousand | +0.8% | 6 | |
| Accommodation and food services | 14,310 thousand | +0.7% | 7 | |
| Goods-producing | 21,623 thousand | +0.7% | 7 | |
| Other services | 6,039 thousand | +0.6% | 9 | |
| Professional and business services (this page) | 22,482 thousand | +0.6% | 9 | |
| Administrative, support, waste | 9,019 thousand | +0.5% | 11 | |
| Private service-providing | 114,094 thousand | +0.5% | 11 | |
| Total private | 135,717 thousand | +0.5% | 11 | |
| Leisure and hospitality | 16,969 thousand | +0.4% | 14 | |
| Wholesale trade | 6,078 thousand | +0.4% | 14 | |
| Local government | 15,173 thousand | +0.3% | 16 | |
| Manufacturing | 12,652 thousand | +0.3% | 16 | |
| Mining and logging | 607 thousand | +0.3% | 16 | |
| Service-providing | 137,421 thousand | +0.3% | 16 | |
| Total nonfarm | 159,044 thousand | +0.3% | 16 | |
| Retail trade | 15,480 thousand | +0.2% | 21 | |
| Trade, transportation, utilities | 28,778 thousand | +0.2% | 21 | |
| Mining, oil and gas extraction | 567 thousand | +0.1% | 23 | |
| Private education | 4,046 thousand | −0.1% | 24 | |
| Transportation and warehousing | 6,609 thousand | −0.1% | 24 | |
| Management of companies | 2,620 thousand | −0.3% | 26 | |
| State government | 5,472 thousand | −0.5% | 27 | |
| Real estate, rental, leasing | 2,438 thousand | −0.6% | 28 | |
| Government | 23,327 thousand | −0.9% | 29 | |
| Nondurable goods | 4,754 thousand | −0.9% | 29 | |
| Financial activities | 9,082 thousand | −1.2% | 31 | |
| Finance and insurance | 6,645 thousand | −1.4% | 32 | |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 2,659 thousand | −1.6% | 33 | |
| Information | 2,739 thousand | −4.2% | 34 | |
| Federal government | 2,682 thousand | −8.0% | 35 |
The table scrolls sideways; the first column stays in place.
How many job openings, hires, quits and layoffs were there in professional and business services?Newest month of each measure
| Measure | Month | Count | Rate | Change over a year | Where the count stands |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Job openings (preliminary) | 1,186 thousand | 5.0% | +8.3% | the lowest since March 2026 | |
| Hires (preliminary) | 935 thousand | 4.2% | −9.8% | the highest since June 2026 | |
| Quits (preliminary) | 467 thousand | 2.1% | −15.4% | the highest since June 2026 | |
| Layoffs and discharges (preliminary) | 390 thousand | 1.7% | −18.9% | the lowest since March 2025 |
The table scrolls sideways; the first column stays in place.
What do these figures leave out, and how are they cited?Limits, dates and how to cite
What this number cannot tell you
- BLS counts jobs, not people: a person with two jobs on two payrolls is counted twice. Farm jobs, the self-employed, unpaid family workers, private household workers and members of the military are not counted.
- The count comes from a survey of employers, so each month's value carries sampling error. BLS revises each month twice in the two months after it is first published, and each February it benchmarks the series to a full count of jobs from unemployment insurance tax records and revises earlier values, so past values on this page can change.
- BLS publishes this series from 1939.
- The job openings, hires, quits and layoffs come from JOLTS, a separate survey of employers that BLS holds from December 2000 and publishes about a month after the payroll counts, so its newest month can be an earlier month than the count of jobs.
- The changes, the ranks and the highest and lowest values are ours, worked out from the values BLS publishes; a change is in percent.
Observed . Checked .
Observed .
How to cite this
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics, Professional and business services, seasonally adjusted, through September 2026, with U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, through August 2026. Compiled by 500metrics, "How many jobs are there in professional and business services?", https://500metrics.com/jobs-by-industry/professional-business-services.
Can the data be downloaded?jobs-by-industry-professional-business-services.csv
Download the full history as CSV: 1,053 rows, to , 18,520 bytes.
Our text and compilation: CC BY 4.0.
Recession dates from the National Bureau of Economic Research.
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