Strong Job Gains in January

Despite the omicron surge, the U.S. job market experienced solid gains. Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 467,000 in January, and the unemployment rate ticked up slightly to 4.0%. Additionally, job gains in December and November were much stronger than initially estimated, according to revisions of the establishment survey data. Construction industry employment (both residential…

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Employment Situation in December: State-Level Analysis

Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 44 states and the District of Columbia in December compared to the previous month while five states lost jobs. Employment was unchanged in Utah. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nationwide total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 199,000 in December, following an upwardly revised increase of 249,000 jobs in…

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Job Gains Slow in December

Job gains slowed sharply for the second straight month in December as the Omicron variant began to spread. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 199,000 in December, and the unemployment rate fell to 3.9%. Construction industry employment (both residential and non-residential) totaled 7.6 million, with 22,000 construction jobs added in December. Residential construction lost 4,100 jobs while…

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