The legal industry just had a nasty month and, at best, a flat year (BLS routinely revises its initial figures). My guess is law school faculty and staff layoffs are beginning to reflect in these figures; I encourage castoffs to network.
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t17.htm
| Not seasonally adjusted | September | 2013 | 1,130,300 | |
| July | 2014 | 1,145,500 | ||
| August | 2014 | 1,140,700 | ||
| September | 2014 | 1,127,400 | -2,900 | |
| Seasonally adjusted | September | 2013 | 1,136,800 | |
| July | 2014 | 1,134,900 | ||
| August | 2014 | 1,138,400 | ||
| September | 2014 | 1,133,800 | -3,000 | |
| Change from Aug-14 to Sep-14 | -4,600 |
Last time the ABA published numbers of total licensed lawyers in the USA, it was in 2013 (based on 2012 figures) and was 1.268,011.
ReplyDeleteA loss of 4,600 lawyering positions month-over-month amounts to 2.75% of all the lawyers in the USA losing their jobs...in one month. Wow. Cool!
Let's not forget that independent contractors are not eligible for unemployment benefits, and as such, are not typically counted in estimated job losses! How many grunts are on contract?? Raise your hands!
What a great and thriving industry!!!!
I started posting BLS figures and links so any genius who thought scambloggers were lying could go see for himself. This hasn't been a thriving industry in many years.
DeleteBTW, not all those positions would be lawyers. I used to assume that a JD would qualify you for anything but then learned the JD Disadvantage was alive and well. In short, law graduates grasp for their share of a shrinking pie.