Manufacturing employment increased in June, with most of the gain in non-durable goods.
Durable goods employment rose by 11,000 jobs, according to a breakdown by industry sector issued July 8 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Non-durable goods employment increased by 18,000.
Within durable goods, the main gainer was transportation equipment, up 7,200 jobs. Within that sector, motor vehicles and parts rose 2,100.
The auto industry has seen ups and downs related to a continuing shortage of semiconductors. At times, automakers and suppliers have implemented temporary shutdowns because of the shortage.
Other durable goods sectors with job gains included miscellaneous manufacturing, up 2,400, and machinery up 1,000. Wood products lost 1,200 jobs.
Within non-durable goods, job gainers included food manufacturing, up 4,800, and plastics and rubber products, up 5,300.
Manufacturing totaled almost 12.8 million on a seasonally adjusted basis last month. That was up from an adjusted 12.768 million in May and 12.288 million in June 2021.
The bureau said manufacturing employment has returned to its February 2020 level. That was the final month before the COVID-19 pandemic slammed the U.S. economy.
Total non-farm employment increased by 372,000 in June, the bureau said in a statement. That was better than a Dow Jones estimate of 250,000, according to CNBC. The U.S. unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.6 percent.
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