Current Employment Statistics (CES4422000001) · Utilities, seasonally adjusted
How many jobs are there in utilities?
The number of jobs in utilities was 612 thousand in the month ended , up 1.7% from a year earlier (preliminary).
Jobs in utilities, 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 .
Shaded bands are US recessions as the National Bureau of Economic Research dates them: to .
Jobs in utilities, 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 .
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 utilities, in thousands | 612 thousand | 611 thousand | 601 thousand | 546 thousand | 557 thousand |
| Change over a year | +1.7% | +1.6% | +0.7% | +0.6% | 0.0% |
The table scrolls sideways; the first column stays in place.
Observed .
Right now
The number of jobs in utilities was 612 thousand in September 2026, the highest since March 1999.
Over a year it is up 1.7% (ours). The source marks this value preliminary.
ChangeOurs
| Period | Then | Change |
|---|---|---|
| One month | 611 thousand in | +0.1% |
| Three months | 608 thousand in | +0.6% |
| Twelve months | 601 thousand in | +1.7% |
| Five years | 546 thousand in | +12.0% |
| Ten years | 557 thousand in | +9.8% |
In historyOurs
The number of jobs in utilities of 612 thousand in was higher than in 507 of the 752 other months since , the same in 0 and lower in 245.
Highest since : 742 thousand in . Lowest since : 474 thousand in .
AverageOurs
Average since : 600.1 thousand (ours, a plain mean of the 753 months).
ComparedOurs
Over a year the number of jobs in utilities is up 1.7%, which ranks 3 of the 35 rows of the table, where 1 is the largest change.
The table sets the number of jobs in utilities beside the industries on the jobs by industry page, by the change over a year in each one's newest month.
Understanding the number of jobs in utilities
Where it stands today
The number of jobs in utilities was 612 thousand in September 2026.
What does the number of jobs in utilities measure?
Utilities covers the businesses that generate, send out and sell electricity, distribute natural gas, and supply water and sewage 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.
The numbers behind the chart
What was the number of jobs in utilities in each month?The last ten years, 120 months, newest first; the chart and the file have every month since Jan 1964
| Month | Value | Change over a year |
|---|---|---|
| 612 thousand | +1.7% | |
| 611 thousand | +1.6% | |
| 609 thousand | +1.0% | |
| 608 thousand | +0.9% | |
| 608 thousand | +1.0% | |
| 607 thousand | +1.3% | |
| 606 thousand | +0.9% | |
| 606 thousand | +1.3% | |
| 605 thousand | +1.3% | |
| 605 thousand | +1.4% | |
| 604 thousand | +1.2% | |
| 602 thousand | +0.9% | |
| 601 thousand | +0.7% | |
| 601 thousand | +1.3% | |
| 603 thousand | +1.7% | |
| 602 thousand | +1.7% | |
| 602 thousand | +1.9% | |
| 599 thousand | +1.6% | |
| 600 thousand | +2.0% | |
| 599 thousand | +1.5% | |
| 597 thousand | +1.8% | |
| 596 thousand | +1.9% | |
| 597 thousand | +2.4% | |
| 596 thousand | +2.6% |
Show 96 more rows
| Month | Value | Change over a year |
|---|---|---|
| 597 thousand | +3.0% | |
| 594 thousand | +2.9% | |
| 593 thousand | +3.2% | |
| 592 thousand | +2.9% | |
| 591 thousand | +2.7% | |
| 589 thousand | +2.6% | |
| 589 thousand | +3.1% | |
| 590 thousand | +3.8% | |
| 586 thousand | +3.3% | |
| 585 thousand | +2.9% | |
| 582 thousand | +2.7% | |
| 581 thousand | +2.6% | |
| 580 thousand | +2.7% | |
| 577 thousand | +2.5% | |
| 574 thousand | +2.4% | |
| 576 thousand | +3.3% | |
| 575 thousand | +3.4% | |
| 574 thousand | +3.7% | |
| 571 thousand | +3.5% | |
| 568 thousand | +3.1% | |
| 568 thousand | +3.2% | |
| 568 thousand | +3.8% | |
| 567 thousand | +3.6% | |
| 567 thousand | +3.7% | |
| 564 thousand | +3.4% | |
| 563 thousand | +3.3% | |
| 560 thousand | +2.8% | |
| 557 thousand | +2.3% | |
| 556 thousand | +2.1% | |
| 554 thousand | +1.7% | |
| 552 thousand | +1.5% | |
| 551 thousand | +1.6% | |
| 550 thousand | +1.5% | |
| 548 thousand | +1.1% | |
| 547 thousand | +1.1% | |
| 546 thousand | +0.9% | |
| 546 thousand | +0.6% | |
| 545 thousand | +0.7% | |
| 545 thousand | +1.2% | |
| 545 thousand | +0.9% | |
| 545 thousand | +0.4% | |
| 545 thousand | +0.4% | |
| 543 thousand | −0.7% | |
| 542 thousand | −1.0% | |
| 543 thousand | −0.8% | |
| 542 thousand | −1.3% | |
| 542 thousand | −1.2% | |
| 542 thousand | −1.0% | |
| 543 thousand | −1.0% | |
| 541 thousand | −1.6% | |
| 539 thousand | −2.0% | |
| 540 thousand | −2.0% | |
| 542 thousand | −1.3% | |
| 543 thousand | −1.0% | |
| 547 thousand | −0.6% | |
| 547 thousand | −0.5% | |
| 547 thousand | −0.8% | |
| 549 thousand | −0.4% | |
| 548 thousand | −0.7% | |
| 547 thousand | −1.0% | |
| 548 thousand | −0.6% | |
| 550 thousand | −0.3% | |
| 550 thousand | −0.1% | |
| 551 thousand | −0.6% | |
| 549 thousand | −1.1% | |
| 548 thousand | −1.7% | |
| 551 thousand | −0.9% | |
| 550 thousand | −1.1% | |
| 551 thousand | −0.4% | |
| 551 thousand | −0.7% | |
| 552 thousand | −0.5% | |
| 552 thousand | −0.6% | |
| 551 thousand | −0.7% | |
| 551 thousand | −0.7% | |
| 551 thousand | −0.7% | |
| 554 thousand | −0.2% | |
| 555 thousand | +0.1% | |
| 557 thousand | +0.4% | |
| 556 thousand | 0.0% | |
| 556 thousand | 0.0% | |
| 554 thousand | −0.5% | |
| 555 thousand | −0.4% | |
| 555 thousand | −0.4% | |
| 555 thousand | −0.3% | |
| 556 thousand | −0.2% | |
| 555 thousand | −0.3% | |
| 555 thousand | −0.3% | |
| 555 thousand | −0.1% | |
| 554 thousand | 0.0% | |
| 555 thousand | −0.1% | |
| 556 thousand | +0.1% | |
| 556 thousand | −0.2% | |
| 557 thousand | +0.1% | |
| 558 thousand | +0.3% | |
| 557 thousand | +0.1% | |
| 557 thousand | +0.1% |
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 (this page) | 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 | 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.
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 1964.
- JOLTS has no line for exactly this group of industries, so no job openings, hires, quits or layoffs are shown beside the count of jobs.
- The count is shown in whole thousands, but BLS publishes this series to one decimal, so the changes, the ranks and the highest and lowest values, which are ours and worked out from the values as BLS publishes them, can differ in their last place from those worked out from the values as shown.
- 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 .
How to cite this
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics, Utilities, seasonally adjusted, through September 2026. Compiled by 500metrics, "How many jobs are there in utilities?", https://500metrics.com/jobs-by-industry/utilities.
Can the data be downloaded?jobs-by-industry-utilities.csv
Download the full history as CSV: 753 rows, to , 13,860 bytes.
Our text and compilation: CC BY 4.0.
Recession dates from the National Bureau of Economic Research.
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