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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.
United States Department of Labor
