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Employment up 256,000 in December 2024; average gain of 186,000 jobs per month in 2024

January 23, 2025

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 256,000 in December 2024. Employment rose by 2.2 million in 2024 (an average monthly gain of 186,000), less than the increase of 3.0 million in 2023 (an average monthly gain of 251,000). Most major industries had lower average monthly gains in 2024 than in 2023.

Over-the-month change in total nonfarm employment, seasonally adjusted, January 2023–December 2024
Month Over-the-month change Annual average

Jan 2023

482,000 251,000

Feb 2023

287,000 251,000

Mar 2023

146,000 251,000

Apr 2023

278,000 251,000

May 2023

303,000 251,000

Jun 2023

240,000 251,000

Jul 2023

184,000 251,000

Aug 2023

210,000 251,000

Sep 2023

246,000 251,000

Oct 2023

165,000 251,000

Nov 2023

182,000 251,000

Dec 2023

290,000 251,000

Jan 2024

256,000 186,000

Feb 2024

236,000 186,000

Mar 2024

310,000 186,000

Apr 2024

108,000 186,000

May 2024

216,000 186,000

Jun 2024

118,000 186,000

Jul 2024

144,000 186,000

Aug 2024

78,000 186,000

Sep 2024

255,000 186,000

Oct 2024

43,000 186,000

Nov 2024

212,000 186,000

Dec 2024

256,000 186,000

Health care added 46,000 jobs in December 2024, with gains in home health care services (+15,000), nursing and residential care facilities (+14,000), and hospitals (+12,000). Health care added an average of 57,000 jobs per month in 2024, the same as the average monthly gain in 2023.

Retail trade added 43,000 jobs in December 2024, following a loss of 29,000 jobs in November. In December, employment increased in clothing, clothing accessories, shoe, and jewelry retailers (+23,000); general merchandise retailers (+13,000); and health and personal care retailers (+7,000). Overall, employment in retail trade changed little in 2024, following an average monthly increase of 10,000 in 2023.

Over-the-month changes in employment by industry, seasonally adjusted
Industry December 2024 change Average annual monthly change, 2024 Average annual monthly change, 2023

Health care

46,000 57,000 57,000

Retail trade

43,000 6,000 10,000

Leisure and hospitality

43,000 24,000 47,000

Government

33,000 37,000 59,000

Professional and business services

28,000 8,000 12,000

Social assistance

23,000 18,000 23,000

Financial activities

13,000 4,000 7,000

Private educational services

11,000 6,000 8,000

Information

10,000 -1000 -7,000

Transportation and warehousing

10,000 9,000 -6,000

Construction

8,000 16,000 20,000

Other services

8,000 6,000 8,000

Utilities

-300 1000 1,000

Mining and logging

-3,000 -1000 1,000

Wholesale trade

-4,000 3,000 8,000

Manufacturing

-13,000 -7,000 2,000

Employment in leisure and hospitality changed little in December 2024 (+43,000). Leisure and hospitality added an average of 24,000 jobs per month in 2024, about half the average monthly gain of 47,000 in 2023.

These data are from the Current Employment Statistics program and are seasonally adjusted. Data for the most recent two months are preliminary. To learn more, see "The Employment Situation — December 2024." We also have more charts of national employment, hours, and earnings data.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Employment up 256,000 in December 2024; average gain of 186,000 jobs per month in 2024 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2025/employment-up-256000-in-december-2024-average-gain-of-186000-jobs-per-month-in-2024.htm (visited March 22, 2025).

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