Explaining the recent divergence in payroll and household employment growth

Juhn, Chinhui; Potter, Simon M.

Journal Article

Explaining the recent divergence in payroll and household employment growth

Abstract: Each month, the government releases two estimates of U.S. employment growth - one based on a survey of firms, the other on a survey of households. Since 1994, these measures have diverged sharply. Evidence suggests that the household survey's estimate has risen more slowly because it undercounts working-age adults who have found employment during the current economic expansion.

Keywords: Employment (Economic theory);