Nonfarm payroll employment increased by 304,000 in January 2019

Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 304,000 in January, compared with an average monthly gain of 223,000 in 2018.

 

In January, employment in leisure and hospitality rose by 74,000 and added 410,000 jobs over the last 12 months. Construction employment rose by 52,000 in January and has added 338,000 jobs over the past 12 months. Employment in health care increased by 42,000 in January and added 368,000 jobs over the last 12 months. In January, Employment in transportation and warehousing rose by 27,000, following little change in December. Over the year, employment in transportation and warehousing has increased by 219,000.

Employment in federal government was essentially unchanged in January (+1,000). Federal employees on furlough during the partial government shutdown were counted as employed in the establishment survey because they worked or received pay (or will receive pay) for the pay period that included the 12th of the month. Employment showed little change over the month in other major industries, including wholesale trade, information, and financial activities.

These data are from the Current Employment Statistics program and are seasonally adjusted. Data for the most recent month are preliminary. See "The Employment Situation — January 2019" to learn more. For additional charts, see Graphics for Economic News Releases: The Employment Situation.