US job gains beat forecasts in January, 2025 total revised down heavily

11th Feb 2026 13:59

(Sharecast News) - Private sector employers added 130,000 jobs in January 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, much higher than December's downwardly revised 48,000 increase and well above consensus estimates of 55,000.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics said job gains were seen across the health care, social assistance and construction sectors, while, in contrast, the federal government shed 34,000 jobs as federal employees who accepted a deferred resignation offer in 2025 came off federal payrolls, and the financial activities sector saw payrolls drop by 22,000.

On an annualised basis, total non-farm employment growth was revised down to 181,000 for 2025, down from 584,000, implying average monthly job gains of just 15,000, well below the 49,000 previously reported by the BLS.

Meanwhile, the unemployment rate edged down from 4.4% to 4.3%, beating forecasts for no change, while average hourly earnings rose 0.4% month-on-month, above the 0.3% consensus estimate, with annual wage growth holding steady at 3.7% year-on-year.

Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com