January State-Level Employment Analysis
Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 48 states and the District of Columbia in January compared to the previous month. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nationwide total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 504,000 in January, following a gain of 260,000 jobs in December.
On a month-over-month basis, employment data were strongest in California (+96,700 jobs), Texas (+48,600) and Florida (+30,000). Wyoming and Rhode Island lost a total of 1,100 jobs.
Year over year ending in January, 4.9 million jobs have been added, marking a more than full recovery of the labor market from the COVID-19 pandemic-induced recession. All the states and District of Columbia added jobs compared to a year ago. The range of job gains spanned 654,100 jobs in Texas to 3,400 jobs added in West Virginia. In percentage terms, Nevada reported the highest increase by 6%, while West Virginia had the lowest increase (0.5%) compared to a year ago.
Across the 48 states that reported construction sector jobs data — which includes both residential as well as non-residential construction — 40 states reported an increase in January compared to December, while seven lost construction sector jobs. Mississippi remained unchanged.
Danushka Nanayakkara-Skillington, NAHB assistant vice president for forecasting and analysis, provides more in this Eye on Housing post.
Latest from NAHBNow
Sponsored Content
Jan 30, 2026
What 700+ Real Estate Pros Say About Marketing in 2026 and Where Builders Are Losing GroundHeading into 2026, businesses across real estate are planning for growth — but with caution. Results from a recent survey point to a clear shift: while marketing investment is holding strong, the biggest opportunity – and risk – now sits in responsiveness and follow-up.
Land Development
Jan 30, 2026
How Can Density and Varying Housing Types Influence Local Tax Bases?Developed in partnership with Urban3, NAHB’s new Value of Land Use Efficiency video and infographic resource takes a data-driven look at how a wide range of residential development types contribute to local tax bases relative to the public services they require.
Latest Economic News
Economics
Jan 30, 2026
Bathroom Remodeling Is Most Common Project in 2025Every quarter, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) conducts a survey of professional remodelers. The first part of the survey collects the information required to produce the NAHB/Westlake Royal Remodeling Market Index (RMI).
Economics
Jan 29, 2026
Saving Rate Falls to 3.5% in NovemberPersonal income rose 0.3% in November 2025, following a 0.1% increase in October, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Gains were largely driven by higher wages and dividend income. However, income growth has cooled noticeably from peaking at a monthly increase of 1.1% in July 2022 to 0.3% now.
Economics
Jan 28, 2026
Holding Pattern for the FedThe Fed paused its easing cycle at the conclusion of the January meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee, the central bank’s monetary policy body. The Fed held the short-term federal funds rate at a top rate of 3.75%, the level set in December. This marked the first policy pause since the Fed resumed easing in September of last year.