For the 35th consecutive month, private sector employment upturned within the United States in January, according to the BLS’ most recent jobs report.
The report found that 166,000 private sector jobs were added to the national economy, as the total number of employed Americans rose to 143.3 million.
Hiring was wide-ranging last month, as the following private sectors reported a rise in employment.
- Finance: Sector hiring continued to augment in January, rising for the 12th consecutive month, as 6,000 professionals were offered new employment opportunities. Since January 2012, hiring has increased by 107,000.
- Healthcare: Nearly 14.5 million healthcare professionals were employed in January, as the sector added 22,800 new jobs to the national economy.
- Information: Back in December, the sector reported a net loss of 9,000 jobs, leading some economists to believe similar figures would be documented in January. However, contrary to some projections, hiring actually rose by 9,000, as 2.7 million professionals were employed.
- Leisure and Hospitality: In 2012, the sector added an average of 26,666 new jobs to the national economy each month. The trend continued in January, as 23,000 professionals were hired.
- Professional and Business Services: As usual, sector employment continued to augment in January, rising for the eighth straight month, as 25,000 professionals were hired. In all, 18.1 million professionals were employed last month.
- Retail Trade: After recording a net loss of 11,300 jobs in December, sector hiring rebounded last month, rising by 32,600. A majority of the hiring occurred in clothing stores and motor vehicle and parts dealers.