August 2011 legal employmenTTT

Having published this table, there isn't much else that needs to be said. There is no growth in the U.S. legal industry. If anything, I'd guess that even if headcount remains static, the payroll is shrinking as associates are replaced with staff attorneys and temps. From the Wall Street Journal:

Meanwhile, unemployed lawyers now find themselves in the country's most cutthroat race for a job, with less than one opening for every 100 working attorneys.

The only good news of late is that the message is sinking in and law school applications are down considerably.

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t17.htm

Not seasonally adjusted	August	2010	1,117,800
	June	2011	1,121,600
	July	2011	1,124,700
	August	2011	1,118,700	900
Seasonally adjusted	August	2010	1,113,800
	June	2011	1,109,700
	July	2011	1,113,800
	August	2011	1,113,900	100
Change from July 11-August 11				100