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The number of jobs added to the U.S. economy in late 2024 was revised upward by 100,000

Feb 10, 2025
But it might not be as good news as one might think for the labor market.
Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images

Job-seekers start 2025 in a pretty good place

Feb 4, 2025
Measures of worker compensation and satisfaction were positive, and fewer workers say they are planning to jump ship this year.
Less employees are planning to leave their current jobs in 2025.
Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

5.5 million people in the U.S. are labeled “not in labor force, want job”

Jan 10, 2025
That’s 3% fewer than a year ago. If it keeps dropping, it could be a sign the labor market is getting warmer.
While some people might choose to get back into the job market, others might choose to stop looking altogether and focus on school or taking care of a loved one, said economist Harry Holzer.
Nikolay Doychinov/AFP via Getty Images

Why are mortgage rates going up again?

Oct 9, 2024
It's all about expectations. Mortgage rates fell in anticipation of the Fed cutting interest rates. But then came the strong September jobs report.
That strong jobs report last week likely helped push mortgage rates back up.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Why economists are struggling to predict jobs growth

Oct 8, 2024
The increasingly dynamic nature of the American economy since the COVID-19 pandemic has wrought deep changes.
Although economists are less inaccurate with their jobs growth predictions than they were earlier in the pandemic, some key indicators are still incongruent with our economic reality.
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Why is there more work for specialty contractors like electricians?

Oct 4, 2024
It has to do with building new data centers and retrofitting old office buildings.
The specialty contractors sector includes electricians, plumbers and painters. Most of the new jobs in the sector are in nonresidential work.
Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images

As the labor market cools, keep an eye on this number in the jobs report

Oct 3, 2024
It looks at the concentration of job growth. When it's above 50, more industries added jobs than shed them that month.
The monthly jobs report includes an analysis of which sectors added and lost jobs. The Federal Reserve is likely keeping an eye on it.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

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June's jobs report indicates something we haven't seen in a while: normalcy

Jul 5, 2024
Conditions in the labor market increasingly look like they did before the pandemic.
Recent data shows a stable job market. To many, that's a relief after years of topsy-turvy pandemic-driven layoffs and labor shortages.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

How many jobs are being gained or lost due to AI? There are some clues.

Jun 7, 2024
The Bureau of Labor Statistics' monthly survey doesn't track jobs added or subtracted due to AI – at least not yet.
Axel Heimken/AFP via Getty Images

How did the closely watched jobs report get its start?

Jun 6, 2024
The survey of employers was created to help answer puzzling questions about labor.
It wasn't until the recession of 1913-1914 that the Bureau of Labor Statistics began regular surveys of employers.
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