Job Growth Continues to be Strong Across Most States

Labor
Published

Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 42 states and the District of Columbia in January compared to the previous month, while eight states saw a decrease. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nationwide total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 229,000 in January, following a gain of 290,000 jobs in December.

On a month-over-month basis, employment data was most favorable in:

  • New York (+59,300 jobs);
  • California (+58,100); and
  • Florida (+38,800).

A total of 17,100 jobs were lost across eight states, with Oregon reporting the steepest job losses at 4,900.

In percentage terms, employment in Vermont increased the highest at 0.6%, while South Dakota saw the biggest decline at 0.4% between December and January.

Across the nation, construction sector jobs data* — which includes both residential and non-residential construction — showed that 32 states reported an increase in January compared to December, while 17 states lost construction sector jobs. The remaining two, Missouri and the District of Columbia, reported no change on a month-over-month basis.

North Carolina, with the highest increase, added 4,000 construction jobs, while Illinois, on the other end of the spectrum, lost 5,300 jobs. Overall, the construction industry added a net 19,000 jobs in January compared to the previous month. In percentage terms, Hawaii, Mississippi and Arkansas reported the highest increase at 2.3%, and Illinois reported the largest decline at 2.3%.

Year over year, construction sector jobs in the United States increased by 218,000, which is a 2.8% increase compared to the January 2023 level.

Danushka Nanayakkara-Skillington, NAHB assistant vice president for forecasting and analysis, provides more in this Eye on Housing post.

*For this analysis, the BLS-combined employment totals for mining, logging, and construction are treated as construction employment for the District of Columbia, Delaware, and Hawaii.

Subscribe to NAHBNow

Log in or create account to subscribe to notifications of new posts.

Log in to subscribe

Latest from NAHBNow

Economics

Jul 03, 2025

Consumer Confidence Retreats in June

After a strong rebound in May, consumer confidence resumed its downward trend in June. Consumers remain concerned about the economy and labor market amid ongoing uncertainty, especially around tariffs.

Sponsored Content

Jul 02, 2025

5 Proven Strategies Smart Builders Use to Grow in Any Market

Sound Capital has worked with builders across market cycles for over 20 years. They have seen who thrived when others pulled back, and they've studied the strategies they used to scale while competitors were sidelined. Here are five things they all had in common.

View all

Latest Economic News

Economics

Jul 03, 2025

Solid Job Growth in June

The U.S. labor market continued to show resilience in June, with steady job gains led by state/local government and health care sectors.

Economics

Jul 02, 2025

Two or More Story Home Starts Rebound in 2024

Over half of new single-family homes built in 2024 were two or more stories, according the recent release of the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC). After declining in 2023, the share of homes started with two or more stories increased again in 2024, continuing the upward trend in place since 2020.

Economics

Jul 01, 2025

May Private Residential Construction Spending Dips

Private residential construction spending fell by 0.5% in May, marking the fifth straight month of decreases. This drop was primarily driven by reduced spending on single-family construction. Compared to a year ago, total spending was down 6.7%, as the housing sector continues to navigate the economic uncertainty stemming from ongoing tariff concerns and elevated mortgage rates.