January jobs report shows US added 130K jobs exceeding economists expectations
Construction workers install a rebar cage, which will be back-filled with concrete, as the tunnel portion of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing in Agoura Hills, CA is built on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times via Getty I
The Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) jobs report released Wednesday shows U.S. employers added 130,000 jobs in January, above the expectations of economists.
Big picture view:
The January figure of 130,000 jobs added is above economists' estimates of 70,000 jobs. The unemployment rate was 4.3%, slightly lower than economists' expectations of 4.4%.
Dig deeper:
Revised November and December jobs reports show job losses both months
The January report included revisions to the November and December figures, showing weaker job growth in both months. November’s employment gain was revised down by 15,000, from 56,000 to 41,000. December’s total was also adjusted lower, down 2,000 from 50,000 to 48,000. Combined, employment in November and December was 17,000 jobs lower than previously reported.
Manufacturing jobs gain
The report shows the manufacturing sector added 5,000 jobs in January, beating the expectations of economists who estimated a loss of 5,000 jobs.
Financial sector employment down
The financial sector continued to lose jobs. The report shows 22,000 jobs lost in January and the sector is 49,000 jobs off its recent peak in May 2025. Within the sector, insurance carriers and related activities lost 11,000 jobs over the month.
Health care and construction employment up in January
The report shows employment in health care and construction rose. Health care added 82,000 jobs, above the monthly average of 33,000 added per month in 2025.
In January, 33,000 construction jobs were gained, with nonresidential specialty trade contractors adding 25,000 jobs. There has been little change in construction employment, with 2025 essentially flat.
Government employment declines
Government employment declined by 42,000 jobs in January with the federal government cutting 34,000 jobs, and states cutting 18,000 positions. A slight offset was reported with local governments adding 10,000 jobs.
Overall, federal government employment is down 10.9% or 327,000 jobs since peaking in October 2024.
The Source: Information in this article was sourced from the US Department of Labor, FOX Business, and The Associated Press. This story was reported from Orlando.