Legal sector added 4,000 new jobs in july

The legal industry rebounded sharply last month, adding 4,000 new jobs after dropping 2,900 in June, according to preliminary figures released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The robust July figure--which arrived on the heels of a major stock market decline and accounted for seasonal adjustments such as summer employment--offset a weak first half of the year on the hiring front.

According to the latest adjusted BLS figures, the legal industry has suffered through a see-saw first six months of 2011, adding 1,400 jobs in January; losing 1,600 in February; losing 1,400 more in March; losing another 900 in April; adding 2,300 in May; and losing 2,900 in June.

Adding in July's estimated gains, the economy has created a projected total of 900 legal jobs so far this year, according to the BLS. In the past 12 months, 3,400 new legal jobs have been added, due in large part to steady hiring between August and November 2010.

July saw the legal industry outperform the broader U.S. economy, which, after making only modest gains in May and June, added an estimated 117,000 jobs during the month. The additional jobs lowered the nation's unemployment rate slightly, from 9.2% to 9.1%.

(Published by The Am Law Daily - August 5, 2011)