By Tracey Read | September 6, 2024, 3:24 PM EDT
The legal industry lost 2,300 jobs in August, the fourth month in a row of declines, according to preliminary data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In August, the number of jobs in the industry fell to 1,179,900 from 1,182,200 in July, according to the bureau's seasonally adjusted figures. That decrease comes after three consecutive months of revised job losses, with July's number adjusted from a reported loss of 500 jobs to a loss of 1,500 jobs.
June's number was previously adjusted from a reported gain of 1,400 jobs to a loss of 2,100 and May's number was revised from a gain of 1,000 jobs to a loss of 1,700.
The legal industry had about 2,900 fewer jobs this August than a year ago, reflecting a decline of about 1.14%, the figures show. The unemployment count includes lawyers, paralegals and other legal professionals.
Michelle Fivel, a recruiter at Hatch Henderson Fivel, told Law360 Pulse on Friday that she was taken aback by the bureau's latest numbers.
"I was surprised, because it's not what I'm seeing," she said.
Fivel said she believes the low legal employment numbers aren't coming from the top tier of the profession, which is where the bulk of her clients come from.
"There's still a very active, vibrant market for laterals," she said. "We expect to have a busy end of the year. We are also seeing an active market for associates, and we expect that to pick up in practice areas across the board."
Total nonfarm payroll employment increased 142,000 in August, and the unemployment rate changed little at 4.2 percent, according to the BLS.
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