MTA Workers carry shovels as snow falls in Times Square during a major winter snow storm on Jan. 25 in New York City.The United States added 130,000 jobs to start the year while 2025 job gains were revised downward, Wednesday’s jobs report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
The United States added 130,000 jobs to start the year while 2025 job gains were revised downward, Wednesday’s jobs report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said.
January’s report showed an uptick in non-farm payrolls over the previous two months, though gains remain modest. Meanwhile, wage growth reached 3.7% on a year-over-year basis.
Employment figures for November were revised down 15,000 to a total of 41,000 jobs added. December’s downward revision was smaller, decreasing by 2,000 to a total of 48,000 jobs added.
The unemployment rate fell slightly in January, down from December’s 4.4% to 4.3%. Unemployment rates based on gender, race and ethnicity changed little.
The health care industry added about 82,000 jobs, led by about 50,000 added in ambulatory health care services. Social assistance jobs increased by about 42,000 and construction added 33,000 jobs.
President Donald Trump called Wednesday’s report “far greater than expected,” while again calling on the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates. It marked the most job growth in a month since Trump took office.
Job growth in Trump’s first year back in the Oval Office averaged about 15,000 jobs per month.
The federal government’s employment has continued to shrink, down by 34,000 jobs in January. This includes some federal employees who accepted deferred resignation offers last year when the Department of Government Efficiency recommended broad cuts to the workforce.
January’s jobs report was delayed by several days due to the partial government shutdown last week.
This week in Washington
Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks during a press conference at the Department of Justice Headquarters on Friday. Justice Department officials have announced that the FBI has arrested Zubayr al-Bakoush, a suspect in the 2012 attack on the U.S. Embassy in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
