Nonfarm payroll employment under Harry S. Truman

The number of jobs on employer payrolls outside farming — the standard jobs count.

Over 1945-04-12 to 1953-01-19, measured in Thousands of Persons:

Term average

44,812.45 Thousands of Persons

At the start

41,109 Thousands of Persons

At the end

50,042 Thousands of Persons

Change

+8,933 Thousands of Persons

Low

38,507 Thousands of Persons (1945-09-01)

High

50,166 Thousands of Persons (1952-12-01)

Coverage

100% (93 observations)

Reading this series over a presidential term

This is a level that grows with the population, so the average level over a term mostly reports what decade it was. Change from start to end — in percent, or annualized percent — is the comparison that means something.

It counts jobs, not people: someone holding two jobs is counted twice. It excludes farm workers, the unincorporated self-employed, unpaid family workers, and household employees. Recent months are revised for a year afterwards, and the annual benchmark can move a whole stretch of history.

These are the observed values over the window above, and nothing more. This site does not say which direction is better, and none of this is a claim that Harry S. Truman caused the number to move.

What Nonfarm payroll employment measures · Harry S. Truman: the whole record · Chart it · Compare with another president · The source at FRED