US employers added 143,000 jobs in solid
Associated Press
Photo: Courtesy Adobe Stock/arhon
U.S. employers added just 143,000 jobs last month, but the unemployment rate fell to 4% to start 2025.The first monthly jobs report of Donald Trump’s second presidency points to a solid but unspectacular labor market. January job creation dipped from the 261,000 added in November, and 307,000 in December. Economists had expected about 170,000 new jobs in January.
The outlook is uncertain as Trump prepares to shake up economic policymaking by cutting federal jobs, imposing big taxes on foreign goods and deporting millions of undocumented workers. His tariffs and immigration crackdown could push up prices, potentially rekindling the inflation that turned many U.S. voters against President Joe Biden and helped return Trump to the White House.
For now, most Americans still enjoy unusual job security. But for those looking for work, the job hunt has been getting harder compared with the red-hot hiring days of 2021-2023.
Average hourly wages rose by 0.5% from December and 4.1% from January 2024, a bit hotter than forecasters had expected. That may be disappointing for the inflation fighters at the Federal Reserve. Still, some inflationary pressure from wage gains is being offset by U.S. productivity growth, which allows companies to pay more and earn fatter profits without raising prices.
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